Latest news with #Mahmoud
DW
13 hours ago
- General
- DW
In Germany, discrimination is on the rise – DW – 06/03/2025
In 2024, more than 11,000 people contacted the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency — mainly to report racism or sexism. These figures are higher than ever before. Last year, the Anti-Discrimination Agency received a record number of complaints from individuals like Mahmoud, who was desperately searching for an apartment and yet was rarely even invited to view potential properties, unlike his German friend Stefan, who was even invited to view an apartment that had supposedly already been taken. Or the gay couple that the Child Welfare Agency accuses of having a "pathological, unnatural web of relationships." Or the trainee at a logistics company who repeatedly became the victim of aggressive sexual harassment by a colleague. All of these people contacted the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency in 2024 to report their experiences of discrimination. "Discrimination is a growing problem in Germany. We have a massive problem with racism. We have a massive problem with sexism. And there is a huge reluctance to allow people with disabilities to participate equally," says Ferda Ataman, Independent Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner. Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination Ferda Ataman says that in Germany, parking violations are punished more severely than discrimination against other people Image: Kay Nietfeld/dpa/picture alliance However, Ataman also believes that the increase in requests for advice is a sign of trust in the rule of law, as more and more people are "aware of their rights and are standing up against discrimination." This is particularly true when it comes to racism. Last year, more than 3,800 people reported incidents of racism — almost half of all complaints received by the Anti-Discrimination Agency. Racism remains the most common form of discrimination Ayman Qasarwa is the managing director of DaMOst, the umbrella organization for migrant organizations in eastern Germany. In the annual report of the Anti-Discrimination Agency, he describes the experience of those affected by racism: "It is migrant youth who experience racist harassment in schools most often, and they often don't have anyone competent to turn to for help." Black women and women who wear headscarves are also targets of racist hostility. "They are verbally abused on the street, spat on, or attacked, and sometimes their headscarves are torn off." These experiences also occur in the workplace. "For example, female doctors in hospitals hear patients say, 'I don't want to be treated by that woman,'" says Qasarwa. Women in the workplace: sexism and career disadvantages Women of color often face double discrimination. In 2024, there were 2,133 reports of gender discrimination — more than twice as many as just five years ago. "Gender discrimination is still deeply rooted in our society — and it's on the rise again," says Ferda Ataman. People primarily seek support for issues related to discrimination in the workplace. Women frequently experience sexual harassment there, including obscene gestures, intrusive stares, unwanted touching, and emails with sexual content. But other examples include being passed over for promotions because of pregnancy or parental leave. Often, women are not given the same job opportunities. Muslim women who wear headscarves are particularly affected by this, as their applications are often disregarded. Racism in the workplace To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Same job, less money: a mayor's successful lawsuit And women in Germany still earn less than men in the workplace, on average 16% less. The main reasons for the wage gap are that women are more likely to work part-time or in professions that are critical to society and yet are not well paid, such as nursing. But even when women do exactly the same job as men, they may still find themselves taking home less money at the end of the month. This was the case for Astrid Siems-Knoblich, who, as mayor of Müllheim in Baden-Württemberg, earned less than her male predecessor and her male successor — and successfully sued for equal pay. "I didn't do this just for myself, but for all women who are also affected by this kind of discrimination," she writes in the Anti-Discrimination Agency's annual report. "Equal pay is ultimately a basic right, and no one in our country should be afraid to demand their basic rights." Black Lives in Germany: The hidden and overt faces of racism To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'A reform of the Non-Discrimination Act is long overdue' "Anti-discrimination legislation has never been more important. The government must take decisive action against discrimination and reform the Non-Discrimination Act," demands Ferda Ataman, Independent Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination. "In Germany, parking violations are punished more severely than discrimination against other people." The law, which was passed in 2006 and is therefore almost 20 years old, was a milestone in terms of anti-discrimination, but it has not been reformed ever since and, according to Ataman, is no longer up to date. This is because it does not cover discrimination by state institutions: government offices and authorities, the judiciary, state schools, or the police. "We currently have the absurd situation where people are better protected against discrimination in the supermarket than at school or in government offices." The Independent Federal Anti-Discrimination Commissioner has therefore called for action: "Discrimination is not just a problem for those who experience it. Discrimination harms the economy, endangers democracy, and threatens our constitutional state as a whole," she says. This article was originally written in German. While you're here: Every Tuesday, DW editors round up what is happening in German politics and society. You can sign up here for the weekly email newsletter, Berlin Briefing.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
2 Columbus men jailed after high-speed chase in car stolen from Franklin
May 28—Two Columbus men indicted last week are accused of stealing cars from a Franklin dealership last month and were involved in a high-speed chase that ended in a crash in Springboro, police say. Sam Numan Mahmud Jama, 25, and Hadeem Mohamad Mahmoud, 22, were scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday in Warren County Common Pleas Court. Mahmoud was indicted by a county grand jury for two counts of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer and one count each of robbery and grand theft of a motor vehicle, plus misdemeanor counts of failure to stop after an accident and obstructing official business. Jama was indicted for three counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle and misdemeanor counts of criminal damaging and obstructing official business. Franklin police were called to a report of a car theft at 8 p.m. April 24 at Adesa Auto Auction at 4400 William C. Good Blvd. in Franklin, where three cars had been stolen and damaged. A security guard said when he confronted the pair that he was shoved to the ground by the driver, identified as Mahmoud, before they fled in a stolen green Dodge Charger with black racing stripes. The car fled north to Interstate 75 from Ohio 123 before getting off at the Ohio 73 exit and heading east. Police were in pursuit, with the driver's speeds reaching 85 mph, according to a Franklin Division of Police report. The stolen car eventually was spotted on Lower Springboro Road after it crashed at a curve near the Springboro Cemetery and Myers Creek Lane, hitting the front of a Chevrolet Equinox. The officer spotted the two men in the stolen Charger running through a creek behind the cemetery and tried to follow before losing sight of them in heavy brush, the report stated. Springboro officers apprehended the two men, who were taken to Kettering Health Franklin and then brought to the Franklin Division of Police to be interviewed before they were booked into the Warren County Jail. Jama and Mahmoud are each held on $50,000 bond.
Daily Tribune
23-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Councillor proposes automatic refunds for building deposits
Refunding building deposits would become automatic under a new proposal being examined by Muharraq Municipal Council, ending a lengthy process blamed for delays and confusion among residents. Councill or Abdul qader Mahmoud introduced the idea, inspired by an existing system used in Diyar Al Muharraq, where refunds happen automatically once a Building Completion Certificate is granted. Cetificate Currently, residents must apply for this certificate and then separately request their deposit back, often leading to unclaimed cash piling up in municipal coffers. Under Mahmoud's proposal, applicants would enter their banking information at the same time they apply for building or renovation permits. Once an inspector issues the completion certificate, the deposited funds would transfer directly to the applicant's bank, accompanied by a notification confirming the transaction. Pressure Muharraq Council believes the change would reduce pressure on municipal staff and make financial processes clearer and easier to track. The existing digital system, known as Benayat, reportedly has the capability to manage such automated transfers without major adjustments. The council will now recommend that the Minister of Municipalities Affairs issues a directive formally endorsing the automatic refund scheme and updating digital platforms accordingly. Coordination workshop To ensure smooth implementation, a coordination workshop between municipal bodies, inspectors, and finance teams would clarify roles and duties. Additionally, a public awareness drive would ensure residents provide accurate banking details from the outset.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mahmoud Khalil blocked from holding son for first time by Ice, lawyers say
Mahmoud Khalil, the detained Columbia University graduate and Palestinian activist, was not allowed to hold his newborn son after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) officials refused to allow a contact visit between him and his family, his lawyers said on Wednesday. Instead, Khalil, 30, was forced to meet his month-old baby for the first time behind glass, after his wife, Noor Abdalla, traveled from New York to the Louisiana detention facility where he has been detained since March, his legal team said. Ice officials and a private prison contractor denied the family's request for a contact visit, citing the detention center's no-contact visitation policy and unspecified 'security concerns', lawyers said. Abdalla, a US citizen who gave birth to their first child last month while Khalil was in detention, said she was 'furious at the cruelty and inhumanity of this system that dares to call itself just'. 'After flying over a thousand miles to Louisiana with our newborn son, his very first flight, all so his father could finally hold him in his arms, Ice has denied us even this most basic human right,' she said in a statement. 'This is not just heartless. It is deliberate violence, the calculated cruelty of a government that tears families apart without remorse.' The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The department had previously denied Khalil's request to be at his wife's side to attend the birth of their son in New York, a move that Abdalla described as 'a purposeful decision by Ice to make me, Mahmoud, and our son suffer'. Instead, he was only able to experience his child's birth via a telephone call. Khalil, a legal permanent resident, or US green-card holder, was arrested in New York on 8 March in the first in a string of Ice arrests targeting pro-Palestinian students and scholars, and put in detention without due process. In a letter to his son published in the Guardian, Khalil wrote shortly after the birth: 'My heart aches that I could not hold you in my arms and hear your first cry, that I could not unfurl your clenched fists or change your first diaper.' 'My absence is not unique,' he continued. 'Like other Palestinian fathers, I was separated from you by racist regimes and distant prisons. In Palestine, this pain is part of daily life … The grief your mother and I feel is but one drop in a sea of sorrow that Palestinian families have drowned in for generations.' The current president of Columbia University in New York, Claire Shipman, where Khalil had been finishing up his graduate studies, was booed and heckled on both Tuesday and Wednesday by graduates at their commencement ceremonies who also were furious that Khalil was in detention. Many chanted 'free Mahmoud', as Shipman acknowledged their frustration. Related: 'Free Mahmoud': Columbia students boo acting president at graduation as Khalil is still detained The Trump administration is using obscure immigration law to make extraordinary claims in cases such as Khalil's that it can summarily detain and deport people for constitutionally protected free speech if they are deemed adverse to US foreign policy. Khalil is Palestinian and was born in a refugee camp in Syria. His wife accepted a graduate diploma on his behalf at an alternative graduation ceremony in New York on Sunday, while holding their baby.
Ottawa Citizen
21-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Hum: Grey's Social Eatery serves familiar, well-made fare in attractive surroundings
Article content Article content Before Mahmoud opened Grey's, he told me that he hoped to serve its guests 'amazing food, cooked fresh and made with love, that's very accessible.' Article content After dining there late last month, I'd say 'amazing' is definitely not warranted. But the description of Grey's offerings on its website — 'our thoughtfully curated, value-priced menu will celebrate international and Canadian classic feel-good dishes' — is accurate. Article content Cynics might want to snub Grey's as a tourist trap. But I and my out-of-town friends found its food to be better than that. Article content We enjoyed dishes from a something-for-everyone menu that has since been revised. Article content Fish- and seafood-based items that did not disappoint. Tuna maki, fish tacos and halibut fish and chips were all well-crafted and tasty, if not exceptional. A single-serving red Thai curry starring shrimp was another flavourful dish. Crispy calamari, which around Ottawa can range anywhere from foul-tasting disasters to simple triumphs, was happily closer to the latter. Article content Venturing up the food chain, we split among us the 12-ounce striploin steak frites, which was better than I expected in terms of all of its components. Article content Article content I should note that I was definitely recognized as a likely on-duty restaurant critic, and you can assume from that the kitchen and our friendly server were on their best behaviour. Article content We tried all the desserts, including a lemon meringue pie served in an oversized martini glass (too kitschy, if you ask me), fine strawberry sorbet and a rustic but satisfying pudding chomeur. Article content The menu's 10 cocktails dispensed from Grey's long, classy bar are familiar crowd-pleasers with a small tweak here and there, and they range in price from $14 to $18. Seven beers, from Budweiser to Mill St. Organic to Guinness, are on tap and three mocktails are available. Article content On the Grey's website, Mahmoud says his vision is 'to create something truly special for the city… (and) reignite excitement in the Market with a world-class restaurant.' Article content
