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The National
4 days ago
- Health
- The National
From stage to hospital bed: Gaza dabke dancer shot in head while collecting food
Performing on stage brought Ahmed Abo El Khair immense joy. Ever since he was 10, he had been passionate about dabke, the Palestinian folk dance recognised by Unesco as an intangible cultural heritage. Ahmed was a proud and active member of a dabke troupe in Gaza, performing regularly in public. But after being shot in the head while collecting aid at a distribution centre, he was forced off the stage and into a hospital bed. The university student, 20, who was known and loved for his bubbly personality, now lies helpless and frail, staring into the ceiling, almost in disbelief at his current state. The smile on his face and spark in his eyes have vanished. His visible ribs are a testament to his malnutrition. Without proper food and medical treatment, Ahmed cannot recover, his family says. After weeks of near-total starvation, all that remains of him is skin and bones. 'Doctors tell us Ahmed needs proper nutrition to recover, and for his memory to get better, as he has some memory loss, but what can I feed him when there's no food?", his mother, Rana Abo El Khair, told The National. The young Gazan had ventured to an aid centre run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation in Netzarim to secure food for his family, when he was shot in the head. With deteriorating health centres, the bullet remains lodged in his skull, causing a fracture and internal bleeding. The GHF has faced global criticism and condemnation for its food delivery system. Since May, at least 1,373 Palestinians have been killed while seeking food; 859 in the vicinity of the GHF sites and 514 along the routes of food convoys, the UN said last week. He had made the perilous trip in desperation, amid severe food shortages in the enclave. Aid organisations, human rights groups and a global hunger monitor have warned of mass starvation and famine spreading in Gaza, forcing Palestinians to risk their lives for the smallest amounts of food. Although Ahmed miraculously survived, his condition has deteriorated under Israel's blockade of Gaza. His life has been turned upside down. 'Every passing day, his situation gets worse,' his father, Iyad Abo El Khair, told The National. At least 193 people have now died of starvation – 96 of them children – under Israel 's blockade of the coastal territory, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. International efforts have included food being dropped from the air and aid supplies from the UAE and Jordan, but starvation is increasingly being used as a weapon of war in Gaza, according to the UN. The agency's secretary general Antonio Guterres has described the search for food in the enclave as a ' death sentence '. 'He loved food the most, he loved kaak and maftoul [Palestinian food], and he told me to prepare these foods for him once he got back from the aid centre,' Ahmed's mother said. Instead, his mother received a call at 3am to say her son had been injured. Ahmed was immediately admitted into the intensive care unit and later taken into surgery. Gaza's health sector has been significantly crippled by Israeli attacks and bombardment. UN reports have detailed Israel's deliberate and widespread attacking of Gaza's medical sector and medical staff. 'It was shocking to see my son like this, I have no words to describe it,' his mother said. Despite his circumstances, Ahmed has one word on his lips at all times: 'Alhamdulillah', or thank God, his sister, Doha Abo El Khair, told The National. 'Ahmed loved his life, he was happy, he was content, but he also had plans to travel and study abroad after working hard in school,' his sister said. 'But now his future has gone to waste because of his situation,' she added.
CBC
5 days ago
- Politics
- CBC
Anti-Palestinian racism report calls for more oversight of education, policing and politics
Social Sharing A new report from the Islamophobia Research Hub at York University calls on governments across Canada to increase oversight on how universities, schools, police forces and Parliament deal with the recent spike in instances of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism. The report also calls on all levels of government in Canada to officially recognize May 15 as Nakba Day. Palestinians mark the day after Israel declared independence in 1948 as the beginning of the destruction of their homeland. "Provincial governments should develop curriculum, train staff and educate students on Palestinian culture, identity and history, including the history of the Nakba," the report published Wednesday said. It also wants all levels of government to "recognize and adopt" a definition of anti-Palestinian racism (APR) "as a distinct and detrimental form of racism that operates at multiple levels of state and society." The director of the research hub, Nadia Hasan, an assistant professor in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies at York University, said recognizing both Nakba Day and an official definition for APR would set Canada apart from other countries. "These are important things for Canada to take very seriously," Hasan said. "I think it would be a first and an important step for Canada to lead on." The report examines the increase in Islamophobic verbal and physical attacks directed at Arab and Palestinian Canadians since the beginning of the conflict between Hamas and Israel. The war was triggered when Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities and military bases near Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people, including more than 700 civilians, and taking 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's military response has devastated the tiny, crowded enclave, killing more than 61,000 people — mostly civilians — according to Palestinian health authorities. The report says its findings are based on interviews conducted virtually with 16 Canadian community-based organizations that focus on addressing Islamophobia, APR and anti-Arab racism. Media reports were also used. The report does not include any first-hand accounts from victims or injured parties. Recommendations and calling out the CBC The report calls for greater oversight of post-secondary institutions by striking "advisory tables" made up of students and faculty to develop strategies for colleges and universities to use in combatting discrimination on campus. The authors of the report also call for those institutions to undergo third-party reviews of how they responded to incidents of Islamophobia and campus protests against the war in Gaza. They say school boards across Canada should also face province-wide reviews to determine how schools have dealt with incidents of anti-Palestinian racism and examine "cases that were insufficiently or never investigated." Aside from the increased scrutiny on universities, colleges and school boards across the county, the report wants to establish provincial and territorial "hate crime accountability units." The units would allow people alleging they have been the victims of discrimination to "report directly about law enforcement agencies' mishandling of hate-motivated crime cases." The report also calls for Canada's public broadcaster to be "reviewed to ensure fair and balanced coverage of Palestinian perspectives." This external review, the report says, should probe the possibility that CBC is disproportionately "rejecting Palestinian guest commentators" leading to biased media coverage. The report provides two reasons for its focus on CBC. The first is a report by a former employee who alleged she faced backlash for pitching "stories that would bring a balanced perspective" to the war in Gaza. The second reason is a letter sent to CBC signed by more than 500 members of the Racial Equity Media Collective asking the public broadcaster to "address an apparent pattern of anti-Palestinian bias, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism within the corporation's news and documentary culture." CBC's head of public affairs, Chuck Thompson, said an external review is not necessary because CBC is already accountable to the independent CBC Ombudsman, Maxime Bertrand, who regularly reviews complaints about the corporation's journalism. "CBC News has amplified countless Palestinian voices in our ongoing coverage of the conflict in Gaza," he said. "There are now thousands of stories we've published and broadcast about Israel and Gaza since 2023, all archived here … we think the work speaks for itself." The York University report references CBC News journalism covering dozens of instances of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism. A policy for MPs The report is also calling on Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein, who administers the Conflict of Interest Act and the code of conduct for MPs, to be given increased responsibilities. The commissioner, the report says, "should develop a clear and enforceable policy on how parliamentarians are to be held accountable when they disseminate disinformation, especially … when such acts target marginalized communities." It provides only one example of an MP allegedly spreading disinformation, a post on X by Conservative deputy leader Melissa Lantsman. The post includes the line: "Stickers with ❤️s glorifying terror on campus popped up today at UBC." The report notes the stickers were falsely associated with the UBC Social Justice Centre. CBC News has reached out to the Official Opposition for reaction to the allegation but has yet to receive a response. The 15 recommendations contained in the report also call on the federal government to address issues with the temporary resident visa program for refugees fleeing Gaza and probe alleged Israeli foreign interference in Canada. A Senate report released November 2023 found Islamophobia remains a persistent problem in Canada and concrete action is required to reverse the growing tide of hate across the country. The report, the first of its kind in Canada, took a year and involved 21 public meetings and 138 witnesses. It said incidents of Islamophobia are a daily reality for many Muslims and that one in four Canadians do not trust Muslims. Police and advocacy organizations have also reported increases in antisemitic incidents. In the spring, B'nai Brith Canada reported that in 2024 the total number of reported cases of acts of hatred targeting Jews had reached a record high of 6,219 incidents.
The Independent
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Exhibition of Palestinian dress and embroidery to open at V&A Dundee
An exhibition of Palestinian dress and embroidery is set to open at V&A Dundee, as the city marks 45 years since it was twinned with Nablus in the West Bank. Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine brings together more than 30 historical dresses, alongside veils, head-dresses, jewellery, accessories and archival photographs. The exhibition explores the ways tatreez – an ancient practice of elaborate hand-embroidery – has shaped and expressed Palestinian national identity since the late 19th century and evolved into a form of resistance and solidarity. It also showcases the regional variations in dressmaking and embroidery across Palestine, with the cut, colour, textiles, stitches and motifs on Palestinian women's dress being both a highly skilled craft and a language which reveals who the wearer is and where they are from. Leonie Bell, director of V&A Dundee, said: 'Thread Memory: Embroidery From Palestine is an exhibition that through research, collections and partnership explores the traditions and material culture of Palestinian dress and the vast range of regional styles that tell important stories about the lives of the women who made, adapted and wore these dresses, jewellery, head-dresses and accessories. 'The exhibition also explores the 45-year-old connection between Dundee and Nablus, a twinning relationship that has brought these two cities together, and it celebrates contemporary Palestinian design and creativity from Dundee, Scotland and across the UK.' The exhibition includes 'spectacular' historical dresses from villages in Gaza – including one that was damaged in the bombing of the Rafah Museum in 2023. It also features the dress worn by Dundee councillor Nadia El-Nakla at the swearing-in ceremony of her husband, former first minister Humza Yousaf. Ms El-Nakla said she is 'delighted' to welcome the exhibition to V&A Dundee. 'Design and culture are peaceful and powerful forms of resistance and solidarity,' she said. 'Palestinian fashion and dress express ideas about who we have been, who we are and the lives we want to live in peace and with dignity. 'This exhibition is opening at a time of extreme pain and suffering. It's bringing design from Palestine to life and tells the stories of women's lives in Palestine. 'I am proud that my dress, or thobe, that I wore at the Scottish Parliament is there as an expression of my Scottish-Palestinian identity, and as a symbol of solidarity, hope and peace.' The exhibition was developed in partnership with the Palestinian Museum in Birzeit in the West Bank, drawing on local expertise and objects from Palestine, as well as with Art Jameel and the V&A.
Irish Times
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Dublin school cancels ‘Prayer for Palestine Day' amid ‘differing opinions'
A primary school, which cancelled a planned 'Prayer for Palestine Day' this week after some parents raised concerns, has said it was obliged to accommodate 'differing opinions' on the initiative. Mount Anville Primary School, in the Kilmacud/Stillorgan area of south Dublin , sent a letter to parents on Monday outlining its plans. It was intended to educate pupils on Palestinian culture in the hope of raising awareness of the 'unprecedented hardship and starvation' facing children in Gaza. However, a cancellation letter was issued the next day by the school's board of management in order to ensure the event would not be 'misconstrued or politicised in any manner'. READ MORE In the initial letter, school principal Angela Munro, said: 'Each class will engage in activities suitable to their age and stage to raise awareness of Palestine.' Resources were prepared by the school's teachers with a focus on Palestinian culture, art, music, food, and geography. Ms Munro cited the school's Sacred Heart ethos 'of social awareness that impels us to action, reaching out in compassion and solidarity with the innocent children of Gaza who are suffering unprecedented hardship and starvation'. She said the school community would use the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child 'as our guide' when praying for the children of Palestine during an assembly. She added that they would be availing of resources provided by the Ombudsman for Children's Office in Dublin. However, on Tuesday, the board of management wrote to parents, informing them that 'the proposed Prayer for Palestine Day has raised concerns among some members of our school community'. 'In order to ensure that our intention, which was purely educational, is not misconstrued or politicised in any manner, we have decided that it will no longer go ahead.' In a statement to The Irish Times, a spokesperson for the school said: 'We have carefully listened to all views expressed on this sensitive matter. We appreciate there are differing opinions, which we are obliged to accommodate. 'We have engaged directly with the school's community. Our primary focus remains the education, wellbeing and care of all our pupils.' While the school shares the same name as nearby Mount Anville Secondary School, a private school which counts former president Mary Robinson as an alumnus, the two schools are distinct and not associated with one another.
Reuters
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
In pictures: Muslims around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha
[1/24] A Palestinian girl in traditional attire poses for a picture, on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha on the Al-Aqsa compound, also known to Jews as the Temple Mount, in Jerusalem's Old City June 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ammar Awad Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab
