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Middle East Eye
3 days ago
- Middle East Eye
Saudi women held in 'hellish' secretive care homes, finds report
Hundreds of Saudi women are being held in 'hellish' conditions in secretive care homes, used to 'rehabilitate' women banished by their families, according to a report in the Guardian. Over a period of six months, the Guardian collected testimonies about conditions in the care homes, known as Dar al-Reaya. The homes are where women are sent by their families or husbands for alleged disobedience, extramarital sexual relations or absence from home. Conditions were described to the Guardian as 'hellish', and included weekly floggings, forced religious teaching and a ban on any contact with the outside world. Sarah al-Yahia, who lives in exile and campaigns for the abolition of the homes, said she had spoken to a number of inmates about life in the homes. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The women and girls described several abuses, including being given sedatives to put them to sleep, strip searches and virginity tests. 'If you are sexually abused or get pregnant by your brother or father you are the one sent to Dar al-Reaya to protect the family's reputation' - Sarah al-Yahia, Saudi exile One woman described getting lashes for not praying, and also getting lashes and being accused of lesbianism for being alone with another woman. Yahia herself was threatened by her father that she would be sent to one of the facilities when she was 13. 'My father used it as a threat if I didn't obey his sexual abuse,' she said. 'I know a woman who was sentenced to six months in jail because she helped a victim of violence,' Yahia added. 'If you are sexually abused or get pregnant by your brother or father you are the one sent to Dar al-Reaya to protect the family's reputation.' 'Utterly alone and terrified' There have been reports of women committing or attempting to commit suicide due to the abusive conditions, according to rights group Alqst. Saudi officials describe the institutions as 'shelter for girls accused or convicted of various crimes who are aged less than 30'. It says that they serve to 'rehabilitate the female inmates in time of entering the facility in order to return them to their family'. Saudi official denies that alcohol ban will be lifted ahead of World Cup Read More » Amina, whose name was changed for security reasons, said she sought refuge in a care home in Buraydah, central Saudi Arabia, after being beaten by her father. She found staff at the home to be 'cold and unhelpful', and belittling of her experience. Amina said that the facility asked her and her father to write down 'conditions'. Her conditions included not being beaten or forced into marriage. However, she said once she was released, the beatings continued, and she was later forced into exile. 'I remember being utterly alone and terrified. I felt like a prisoner in my own home, with no one to protect me, no one to defend me,' she said. Another woman told the Guardian that she was held in Dar al-Reaya after she told the police that she had been abused by her father and brothers. She said she was held there until her father agreed for her to be released, despite the fact that her father was the alleged abuser. 'If they are serious about advancing women's rights, they must abolish these discriminatory practices and allow the establishment of genuine shelters that protect, rather than punish, those who have experienced abuse,' Nadyeen Abdulaziz, of Alqst, said. Allegations denied A Saudi spokesperson rejected claims of enforced confinment and mistreatment in the facilities. 'These are not detention centres, and any allegation of abuse is taken seriously and subject to thorough investigation,' the spokesperson told the Guardian. 'Women are free to leave at any time, whether to attend school, work, or other personal activities, and may exit permanently whenever they choose with no need of approval from a guardian or family member.' Concern for Saudi woman held in solitary confinement since February Read More » Since taking de-facto control of the kingdom in 2017, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has overseen a widespread crackdown on dissent, even as he pushed several nominally liberalising reforms. Those reforms include allowing women to drive, and relaxing restrictions preventing women from travelling without the consent of a male guardian. However in recent years, Saudi Arabia has jailed several women who have spoken out against women's rights and human rights abuses in the country. In May 2023, Fatima al-Shwarabi was given a 30-year sentence for anonymously tweeting about political prisoners, women's rights and unemployment. Last January, Saudi activist and fitness instructor Manahel al-Otaibi was sentenced to 11 years for promoting women's rights on social media. Salma al-Shehab, a Leeds University doctoral candidate and women's rights activist who was handed down a decades-long sentence for her tweets in 2022, was released this year.
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Gazan twins in Cannes warn 'nothing left' of homeland
FRANCE: Twin Gazan filmmakers Arab and Tarzan Nasser said they never thought the title of their new film "Once Upon A Time in Gaza" would have such heartbreaking resonance. "Right now, there is nothing left of Gaza," Tarzan said when it premiered on Monday at the Cannes Film Festival. Since militants from the Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has devastated large swathes of Palestinian territory, killing tens of thousands of people. Israel has vowed to "take control of all" the besieged territory of more than two million inhabitants, where United Nations agencies have warned of famine following Israel's implementation of a two-month total blockade. Aid began to trickle into the Gaza Strip on Monday, following widespread condemnation of the siege. The Nasser brothers, who left Gaza in 2012, said their new film, set in 2007 when Hamas Islamists seized control of the strip, explains the lead-up to the current catastrophic war. Once Upon A Time in Gaza, which screened in the festival's Un Certain Regard section, follows friends Yahia and Osama as they try to make a little extra cash by selling drugs hidden in falafel sandwiches. Using a manual meat grinder that does not rely on rare electricity, student Yahia blends fava beans and fresh herbs to make the patty-shaped fritters in the back of Osama's small, run-down eatery, while dreaming of being able to leave the Israeli-blockaded coastal strip. Meanwhile, charismatic hustler Osama visits pharmacy after pharmacy to amass as many pills as he can with stolen prescriptions, pursued by a corrupt cop.
France 24
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Gazan twins in Cannes warn 'nothing left' of homeland
"Right now there is nothing left of Gaza," said Tarzan when it premiered on Monday at the Cannes film festival. Since militants from Palestinian group Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, more than 18 months of Israeli bombardment has ravaged large swathes of the Palestinian territory and killed tens of thousands of people. Israel has vowed to "take control of all" the besieged territory of more than two million inhabitants, where United Nations agencies have warned of famine following Israel's two-month total blockade. Israel allowed in several aid trucks on Monday but the UN said it was only "a drop in the ocean" of needs. The Nasser brothers, who left Gaza in 2012, said their new film set in 2007, when Hamas Islamists seized control of the strip, explains the lead-up to today's catastrophic war. "Once Upon A Time In Gaza", which screened in the festival's Un Certain Regard section, follows friends Yahia and Osama as they try to make a little extra cash by selling drugs stuffed into falafel sandwiches. Using a manual meat grinder that does not rely on rare electricity, student Yahia blends up fava beans and fresh herbs to make the patty-shaped fritters in the back of Osama's small run-down eatery, while dreaming of being able to leave the Israeli-blockaded coastal strip. Charismatic hustler Osama meanwhile visits pharmacy after pharmacy to amass as many pills as he can with stolen prescriptions, pursued by a corrupt cop. -'Human beings'- Israel first imposed a blockade on Gaza in June 2006 after militants there took one of its soldiers, and reinforced it in September 2007 several months after Hamas took power. "The blockade was gradually tightened, tightened until reaching the genocide we see today," said Tarzan. "Until today they are counting the calories that enter," he added. An Israeli NGO said in 2012 that documents showed Israeli authorities had calculated that 2,279 calories per person per day was deemed sufficient to prevent malnutrition in Gaza. The defence ministry however claimed it had "never counted calories" when allowing aid in. Despite all this, Gazans have always shown a love of life and been incredibly resilient, the directors said. "My father is until now in northern Gaza," Tarzan said, explaining the family's two homes had been destroyed. But before then, "every time a missile hit, damaging a wall or window, he'd fix it up the next day", he said. In films, "the last thing I want to do is talk about Israel and what it's doing", he added. "Human beings are more important –- who they are, how they're living and adapting to this really tough reality." In their previous films, the Nasser twins followed an elderly fisherman enamoured with his neighbour in the market in "Gaza Mon Amour" and filmed women trapped at the hairdresser's in their 2015's "Degrade". Like "Once Upon A Time in Gaza", they were all shot in Jordan. 'Gaza was a riviera' As the siege takes its toll in "Once Upon A Time In Gaza", a desolate Yahia is recruited to star in a Hamas propaganda film. In Gaza, "we don't have special effects but we do have live bullets", the producer says in one scene. Arab said, long before Gazan tap water became salty and US President Donald Trump sparked controversy by saying he wanted to turn their land into the "Riviera of the Middle East", the coastal strip was a happy place. "I remember when I was little, Gaza actually was a riviera. It was the most beautiful place. I can still taste the fresh water on my tongue," he said. "Now Trump comes up with this great invention that he wants to turn it into a riviera after Israel completely destroyed it?" Hamas's October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 57 of whom remain in Gaza including 34 the military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed 53,486 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to Gaza health authorities, whose figures the United Nations deems reliable. Gaza health authorities said at least 44 people were killed there in the early hours of Tuesday.
Al Etihad
12-03-2025
- Business
- Al Etihad
MGX backs Binance in landmark investment
12 Mar 2025 20:02 ABU DHABI (WAM)Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and MGX, the Abu Dhabi-based AI and advanced technology investor, have announced a landmark $2 billion investment. This transaction, the first institutional investment in Binance to date, marks a significant step in advancing digital asset adoption and reinforcing blockchain's role in global finance. It is also the single largest investment in a crypto company and the largest investment ever paid in crypto (stablecoin).This investment represents MGX's first entry into the cryptocurrency and blockchain sectors, securing a minority stake in Binance as part of a broader strategy to support blockchain's transformative impact on society. By partnering with the leading industry player, MGX aims to enable innovation at the intersection of AI, blockchain technology and has a substantial footprint in the UAE, a nation known for its innovation, progressive cryptocurrency regulation, and clarity in digital asset frameworks. Today, Binance employs approximately ~1,000 of its ~5,000 global workforce in the UAE. As the world's most secure, licensed, and trusted cryptocurrency exchange, Binance leads the industry by a significant margin. It is larger than the next several cryptocurrency exchanges combined by trading volume, boasting over 260 million registered users and surpassing $100 trillion in cumulative trading volume. This investment solidifies Binance's position at the forefront of the crypto revolution while underscoring MGX's commitment to enabling AI-powered blockchain solutions, decentralized finance (DeFi), and the tokenized digital Yahia, Managing Director & CEO, MGX, said, 'MGX's investment in Binance reflects our commitment to advancing blockchain's transformative potential for digital finance. As institutional adoption accelerates, the need for secure, compliant, and scalable blockchain infrastructure and solutions has never been greater. Binance has long been a driving force in cryptocurrency innovation, from exchange technology and tokenization to staking and payments. Together, we are committed to building a more inclusive and robust digital finance ecosystem.'Binance CEO, Richard Teng, added, 'This investment by MGX is a significant milestone for the crypto industry and for Binance. Together, we are shaping the future of digital finance. Our goal is to build a more inclusive and sustainable ecosystem with a strong focus on compliance, security, and user protection. Binance remains committed to working with regulators worldwide to establish transparent, responsible, and forward-thinking policies for the crypto industry. Our ongoing investments in security and compliance reinforce our mission to foster a secure and trusted digital financial ecosystem.' Richard Teng, who previously served as CEO of the globally recognised Abu Dhabi Financial Services Authority, played a key role in initiating one of the world's first crypto regulatory frameworks, making his leadership instrumental in Binance's regulatory strategy. Related News Microsoft, Blackrock and MGX launch AI partnership
El Chorouk
12-03-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Algerian-French Alliance Against the Far Right
The National Democratic Rally appreciated the balanced and wise positions of moderate French political and media figures and movements that reject the hostile language of the far right and consider the depth of Algerian-French relations in their social and historical dimensions. RND party stressed its readiness to communicate with them to confront the far right's maneuvers and plans, in the service of relations characterized by mutual respect and common interest. RND's general secretary, Mustapha Yahi, explained in an address on the occasion of a symposium organized on Tuesday by the party's Observatory for Analysis and Foresight, the importance of intellectual dialogue as an entry point to understanding challenges and anticipating solutions, and calling for an open and in-depth discussion, far from populism or misinformation, and far from narrow political and partisan mobilization speeches and campaigns linked to circumstantial political contexts, as it takes into account common Algerian-French interests. The forum, which was titled 'A Reading of the Evian Accords', was described by Mustapha Yahi as 'coming in a context that requires us to rethink Algerian-French relations from a historical perspective, by returning to the political and legal reference on which they were founded, and the path they took after independence'. Yahia considered these historic accords not just a passing international treaty but the fruit of a glorious national liberation war fought by our Algerian people with all valour and determination to seize their independence. According to him, they were not only a framework for regulating the relationship between independent Algeria and France but also the culmination of a long history of struggle, resistance, and combat, as these agreements came to reflect the true balance of power between the two parties. The Secretary-General added in his address that the Evian Accords were not limited to the political dimension only, but also included economic and social aspects. These agreements drew and established the features of the relationship between independent Algeria and France in various fields, thus forming the cornerstone of relations between the two countries, as they established a political, economic and social framework that defined the features of cooperation after decades of brutal colonialism. This makes it more than just a document to regulate the movement of Algerians to and from France, as some French politicians, especially from the far right, claim. Rather, it included multiple political, economic and social dimensions, aiming to build balanced relations between two independent states, as he described it. Yahia considered that attempts to limit the Evian Accords to issues of immigration or human movement reflect a narrow and superficial vision and hostile political exploitation by the far right, which ignores the historical truth and the political, economic and social context of the contents of the Evian Accords. Yahia stressed the rejection of the language of blackmail, bargaining and pressure repeated by the far right and its media mouthpieces by threatening to review the 1968 agreement, which was emptied of its content and did not include any privileges for Algerians. During the intervention, the speaker said that the recent provocative positions of the French government harm the Algerian-French relationship and that the manoeuvres of the far right targeting our community in France are pushing the party to stand alongside Algerian diplomacy led by President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune to protect Algerian community from hostile campaigns.
