By Ouassima Boujrad

Fez - Last Saturday evening, Rabbi Moshe Ohayon and his wife welcomed members of Moroccan civil society who wanted to come and express their moral support after the violent assault he suffered on Friday, July 11, in Casablanca.

The event, co-hosted by the Mimouna Club and Moroccans Plural Juniors, brought together a number of leading Moroccan thinkers and activists, including Rabbi Sebbag Jacky, Fatna Elbouih, writer Valerie Morales-Attias, Dr. Patrice Attias, artist Jauk Elmaleh, Faisal Ziza from the association Freedom of the City, Redouane Bouwiziri Aghane from the Association of Ouarzazate, and the writer Abdellah Anjar Ahmed Ghayat from the Moroccans Plural Association.

Rabbi Ohayon insisted that all Moroccans are equal. They were “weaned on the same milk, He noted.” Being a staunch supporter of the Moroccan King, he expressed his dislike of anti-monarchy movements.

He explained that, in spite of the attack, he would never give up on his Moroccan identity: "Jews and Muslims are brothers forever. Since our parents, our grandparents told us that when a Jewish mother would, for example, go to the market, a Muslim mother would breastfeed her children, and vice versa. Nothing has ever distinguished us from each other. And we pray to God that everything goes for the best in this Morocco we share."

Moshe Ohayon, the president of the Jewish Committee in Casablanca, was attacked in Casablanca at 6, near the Windsor Hotel on his way to synagogue. A young Moroccan man kicked the elderly Rabbi over and over again, shouting, “this is for what Israel is doing in Palestine.”

"He did not stop hitting me until the blood flowed. What shocked me the most is that nobody in the street tried to help me,” said Rabbi Ohayon. After returning home, Mr. Ohayon called the police and the attacker was arrested. The attacker, who had a history of violence against Jews, was apprehended the next day. The police declared that the suspect suffers from a mental disorder.

However, even in the face of anger and pain, Rabbi Ohayon remained positive about Morocco. He explained: “we are Moroccans, and no one has ever disrespected us. Wherever I go, everyone knows me. This incident was fate, Kudrat Allah ... the key is that Morocco remains the Morocco as we know it, a country open to people of all faiths.”

Fez - US Pop Star, Selena Gogmez is under fire for making her opinion known on the raging Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The young star posted a picture on her Instagram calling the world to pray for Gaza.

Following Rihanna, Selena Gomez is the latest celebrity to voice sympathy towards Palestinians suffering under Israel’s brutal assault of Gaza.

On Friday, The 21-year-old star posted an image on Instagram, which stated, “It’s About Humanity. Pray for Gaza.” "Please pray for those families and babies today. Please always remember what's important in life. It's not any of this. We are here to help, inspire and love. Be that change. #wearethenextgeneration," she wrote in the caption.

The “Pray for Humanity” post has received 620,000 likes to date, but that doesn’t mean all of the pop star’s fans agree with her. While many of her fans praised her post, the singer was attacked by pro-Israeli fans who threatened to unfollow her for seemingly supporting Gaza’s side.

Later, she tried to mend it by posting a photo of someone meditating on a beach. Her caption states, "of course to be clear, I am not picking any sides. I am praying for peace and humanity for all!”

Selena Gomez is not the only celebrity to face criticism for voicing sympathy towards Gaza.  Last week, Rihanna tweeted “#FreePalestine” then deleted it 8 minutes later, after receiving harsh criticism. Rihanna claims she never meant to tweet #FreePalestine.

Edited by Sahar Kian

Casablanca - Diana Magnay, an international correspondent for the American Cable News Network (CNN) has officially been reassigned from reporting any further on the Gaza offensive due to an inappropriate tweet that insulted certain Israelis as “scum” after they allegedly harassed and intimidated her and her crew during a live shoot. 

During a live shoot, CNN’s correspondent Diana Magnay reported on the ongoing clashes between Israelis and Palestinians as surrounding Israelis harassed her and her crew during the coverage.

While Ms. Magnay reported live, missiles were fired at Gaza and could be seen in the background of the shot. Israelis standing nearby could be heard noisily celebrating whenever the missiles landed causing casualties and destruction in Gaza.

Immediately, after the live shoot, CNN’s reporter made her outrage about the incident public on Twitter.

In her tweet, she wrote the following: “Israelis on hill above Sderot cheer as bombs land on #Gaza; threaten to ‘destroy our car if I say a word wrong.’ Scum.”

Although, her tweet was quickly deleted, her message had already been retweeted more than 200 times.

According to a CNN spokeswoman in a statement to The Huffington Post, “After being threatened and harassed before and during a live shot, Diana reacted angrily on Twitter."

She added, “She deeply regrets the language used, which was aimed directly at those who had been targeting our crew. She certainly meant no offense to anyone beyond that group, and she and CNN apologize for any offense that may have been taken.”

Magnay has now been reassigned to report on Moscow.

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Fez- A Spanish tourist was stoned by several people on Monday in Marrakesh after allegedly being caught raping a child.

About 30 minutes before Iftar, several passersby in the Red City caught a Spanish man raping a child near the Court of Appeals in Chetoui district of Marrakesh.

A security patrol happened to come upon the incident. Policemen saw the man encircled by a group of people who were throwing stones at him, and immediately saved him from the angry citizens’ hands, according to Al-Massae.

According to the same source, the Spanish tourist denied abusing the child. However, after few hours of questioning, the suspect admitted to raping the child. The victim also confirmed the Spanish tourist’s admission.

The suspect was believed to have testified before the Solicitor General at the court of first instance on Wednesday in Marrakesh.

Recently, the number of pedophilia cases in Morocco has grown, especially in Marrakesh. Moroccan human rights organizations say that this increase could be explained by the light sentences handed down to convicted pedophiles. Many say these sentences seem to encourage pedophilia.

On July 17, the court of appeals in Marrakesh sentenced a 57-year-old pedophile to only two years in prison after he was caught sexually abusing a 10-year-old child.

Following this disappointing court ruling, Najia Adib, President of the Moroccan association Don’t Touch My Child said that the Moroccan courts should make penalties harsher for convicted pedophiles in order to stop the rise in the sexual exploitation of children.

Under Moroccan criminal law, sex offenders are punished by up to 30 years in prison.

Edited by Timothy Filla

Casablanca - Dr. Mordechai Kedar, an Israeli scholar of Arabic literature and a lecturer at Bar-Ilan University, caused an uproar in the international community by stating that raping women is a way to discourage attacks.

In a Hebrew-language radio show, Bar-Ilan University professor Dr.Mordechai Kedar gave his reflections on what could be done to stop Hamas.

Many people are upset by Kedar’s recklessness. Daniel Herschkowitz from feminist activists in Israel warned that Kedar's words could encourage “Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Israeli civilians to commit rape, and endanger both Israeli and Palestinian women.”

Kedar is an academic expert on the Israeli-Arab population. His strong character and self-confidence have lead to several appearances on Al Jazeera TV. His recent statement has created a stir that will not easily be forgotten.

Washington D.C - The Association of Moroccan Professionals in America (AMPA) and the Middle East and North African Consultants Association (MENACA) joined forces in co-hosting a well attended iftar dinner at Mazagan Restaurant on the outskirts of Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

The event was MENACA’s first iftar event, and one of eight concurrent iftar events held by AMPA around the U.S. and in Morocco on the same day. AMPA members gathered in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Tampa, Washington, and Casablanca to share a traditional Moroccan iftar.

The Association of Moroccan Professionals in America (AMPA) is a non-profit organization for networking and carrier development among Moroccan professionals living in the U.S., facilitating trans-Atlantic business opportunities. As a strategic bridge between the US and Morocco, AMPA is active in projects that highlight the value Moroccan professionals can bring to bear in business. AMPA's strategic initiative is designed to capitalize on growing commerce and trade between the U.S. and Morocco for the benefit of its members and to provide an opportunity to “give back.”

A new AMPA management team was elected a few months ago, headed by President Chaouki Zahzah. “We are looking at taking AMPA to the next level, by providing the membership with increased value and benefits, and in return encouraging more engagement by our members,” he said. At this time of increased charity during Ramadan, AMPA has partnered with the Morocco Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization based in the U.S. and Morocco, and has encouraged its members to support several school renovation projects that are underway in the Chaouia area in Morocco.

MENACA is a coalition of highly experienced professionals doing business in the MENA region. Led by President and Executive Director, Laura Lombard, MENACA’s members range from individual consultants specializing in a specific country or sector to medium-sized consulting firms with a strong MENA focus. Like AMPA, MENACA seeks to promote cooperation among its members and the business community, creating business opportunities with respect to the MENA region. MENACA also facilitates collaborative initiatives with governments of the region.

MENACA has established a Women’s Entrepreneur Initiative focused on developing opportunities for women entrepreneurs in the MENA region, chaired by Elisabeth Myers, and recently announced the formation of a new Morocco Committee, chaired by Said Temsamani.

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Fez- Moroccan lawyer Abdelaziz Nouidi, refused the French Legion of Honor award because of the support of President Hollande’s support for Israel.

It’s a very rare occurrence: a Moroccan lawyer flat out refuses the Legion of Honor award! In a letter to French Ambassador Charles Fries, Abdelaziz Nouidi justified his decision, saying it was because of France’s support of Israel.

His decision stems from the massacres that the Israeli army committed in Gaza on the 16 of July, when 4 children died after an Israeli bomb hit a fishing hut on a beach in Gaza City. The nearby harbor was destroyed, but there was a group of children sitting in the line of fire. What’s more, French President Francois Hollande called Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu to express his support for Israel in their onslaught against Palestinians in Gaza.

According to Yabiladi, “the French President declared his solidarity with the rockets aimed at Gaza, and that it is up to the Israeli government to take all the measures necessary to protect its population against threats”.

The Moroccan lawyer focused equally on how the French Republic is going against its value  and its commitments to the international community.

Abdelaziz added, “Righteous men whose principles are unalterable do not want your Legion of Honor, which has holds nothing more than the name”.

By Ouassima Boujrad

Fez - A video shows a woman giving birth on the ground, without any medical equipment has gone viral. The video was shot on smart phone cameras and is being circulated on social networks since yesterday, July 23.

The 54*second video was filmed inside an Urban Health Center in Hay el Mohammadi, ain sba’a in Casablanca. The recorder was one of the woman’s siblings who insisted on taping the situation and delivering it to the press.

“Wait, just keep her right in her place, if they want a scandal, I’m ready here and I’m going to send it right to the press,” one of her siblings said.

The woman’s siblings were furious. They made outraged comments, claiming that the police did not respond to their urgent call. “I have been calling the police for about one hour, and no respond yet!” the recorder exclaimed.

Fez -French deputy mayor Jacques Renaud allegedly made an offensive comment about a dead child in Gaza, comparing him to “Halal meat.” Jacques received a harsh backlash.

In an extreme sign of hatred toward Muslims and pro-Israel sentiment among France’s political elite, Jacques Renaud, the right wing deputy mayor affiliated with the UMP opposition, portrayed infants being killed in the Gaza Strip to animals being slaughtered.

On Tuesday, the outspoken pro-Israel politician shared a tweet pledging support for the Jewish groups in France who have recently been the target of anti-Semitic attacks.

A French Twitter user responded to Renaud's comment with a question about the deputy mayor's thoughts on a photo.

The photo attached to the tweet appears to show a dead child, a demonstration of the barbarity the Israeli army uses in its campaign against Gaza. Israel has killed more than 200 children during its assault on Gaza.

Renault responded to the horrifying image, commenting: “It is Halal meat I suppose?”Halal is essentially meat that Muslims are allowed to eat according to Islamic law.

However, Jaques Renauld denied that the offensive tweet belongs to him, stressing that it was made by a fake Twitter account.

According to lelab.europe1 the First Deputy of the city Montreuil-Juigné Nathalie Lemaire confirmed that Renault has reportedly filed a police complaint on Wednesday afternoon for identity theft.

Nathalie Lemaire stressed that Renaud has never had a Twitter account.

“Jacques Renaud does not even have a Twitter account, and he does not know how to use it. For a while, someone has usurped his identity,” the First Deputy of the city of Montreuil-Juigné said.

Renaul’s offensive comment sparked outrage across France, stirring a controversy.

Whether or not the account belongs to Renaud, damage had already been done. A calling for his resignation surfaced on Change.org and has already accrued more than 4,078 signatures.

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By Chafik Mohamed

Oujda - One of the great paradoxes that marks the Moroccan community is the phenomenon of Tramdeen.

Tramdeen, derived from the word “Ramadan” (Islam’s holy month of fasting and praying) describes the anger and aggression that paradoxically accompanies the holy month.

Countless videos, and forum posts attest to the phenomenon. Ramadan, a month that is supposed to promote fasting, peace and good behavior, often promotes the very opposite. Just ask your friends or neighbors—how many times they have seen people become more aggressive—children yelling at their mothers, fist fights in the souq or taxi drivers driving with especial disregard for life and limb?

Of course, Morocco is not unique—Tramdeen hits Muslims all over the world. In fact, if you google “Anger during Ramadan,” you get over 750,000 responses! Why is there such a problem with anger during Ramadan? Well, simple explanations come to mind. People are hungry, and their blood sugar is low. People can’t drink water, and they are thirsty while working in the hot summer sun. Cigarette smokers can’t smoke, adding another major irritant to an already difficult month. Sex, of course, is reserved to the night-time hours, and many businesses (particularly in the restaurant/hospitality industry) hemorrhage profits. All of these factors can, understandably, lead to anger and aggression.

But for some reason Tramdeen does seem to hit Morocco especially hard and with pernicious violence. For example, last Monday in Fez, a young man was stabbed to death by his neighbor. 

It is sad to think about the violence that accompanies Ramadan in Morocco, because of course Ramadan is all about self-control and rising above your anger, not giving in to it. The Prophet (peace be upon him) teaches us that Ramadan is the month of forgiveness, in which the gates of heaven are opened, and the doors of hell are strictly closed. The gates of hell and heaven, when interpreted metaphorically, also mean our own personal angels and demons: Ramadan should be about unleashing the best that is in us, and keeping the demons of our anger locked away behind the gates of faith.

So really Tramdeen is the polar opposite of what Ramadan means. Ramadan is a test of spiritual strength, of patience, of overcoming anger. Unfortunately Moroccans are failing that spiritual test, as  demonstrated by our full hospitals and our streets filled with fights and curses. 

So this Ramadan instead of opening the gates to our inner demons let us focus on the true, holy meaning of the fast: self-control. Let us encourage the angels of our better nature.

Edited by Ilona Alexandra

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Casablanca - The Indian city of Guwahati now has eight buses that only women are allowed to ride. This aims to stop the constant harassment they face, such as groping and staring.

The state chief secretary Jitesh Khosla and district transport officials provided eight buses for women in Guwahati. In addition, boys under the age of eight will also be allowed to use the special buses.

There are also special buses andmetrocompartmentsfor women in the capital, New Delhi.

Moreover, the buses have women conductors that operate during the morning and afternoon, in order to ensure females are safe on their way to and from work.

Equally important, the female conductors have been trained in martial arts for self-defense.

In the past two years, India has received a lot of media attention after numerous sexual attacks and threats. Women in India feel unsafe at the sight of crowded public transportation full of men. For this reason, working women and schoolgirls are relieved that their country is finally taking some actions to maintain security for female passengers.

Zerifa Wahid, an Indian film actress and brand ambassador for this service said, "Girls and women have started working in different professions. I think this will help them feel secure". If the operation succeeds, then the service will be offered across the entire country. This new measure could help reduce sexual crimes towards India’s female population.

Rabat - The Slow Food movement coming to Morocco, by way of “Les Incroyables Comestibles,” or Incredible Edibles, an NGO founded by Moroccan native Mohamed Chafchaouni.

Italian activist Carlo Petrini founded the Slow Food movement in 1986. The movement promotes family cooking, organic agriculture and small farms opposed to the global “McDonaldization” of food production and consumption.

Mohamed Chefchaouni, inspired by his recent trip to France, decided to promote the Slow Food movement in Morocco.

While in France, Chefchaouni discovered vegetable trays (an agricultural method which promotes vegetable growth without pollution or chemicals by growing individual plants in so-called ‘plant cells’) and excited by this agricultural innovation, he contacted François Rouillay, vice-president of Ibn Al Baytar Association, and member of Slow Food International.

"The idea of Les Incroyables Comestibles is a return to the earth with sustainable development techniques. I thought it was complementary to our work for Slow Food," said its founder.

To get around administrative problems, the project was launched in Labrachoua, a small village 50 kilometers away from Rabat. An association of modern young farmers worked passionately to spread awareness of the new methods among villagers.

Launched in September 2013, the movement seemed to touch a cultural nerve. Twenty-three out of 60 families in the village have created their own organic vegetable gardens.

"We have strengthened ties between families and created power," said Mohamed Chafchaouni.

The most important workers at the agricultural center are women, who are also the primary beneficiaries of this new agricultural approach.

According to the head of Les Incroyables Comestibles, "All developments start with women." ESPOD, an association of female entrepreneurs hosts a kindergarten and allows female participants in training to become independent. Embroidery, baking, cooking—the women acquire expertise in a little under a year.

The project's heart is located in a garden of herbs and organic vegetables that women and children learn to make sustainable.  Seeds, provided by the association Earth and Humanism, are recovered and replanted.

"We want to provide an example for people living in the Medina to create their own green space, even in substandard housing," said Amina Bellil, manager of the center.

These initiatives are much larger than merely a "return to nature." Besides the nurturing of plants, it is the attitudes of village youth that are truly nourished.

"Developing green love makes you feel better," explained Amina Bellil. Working in these gardens helps "to get people out of distress."

In this regard, Morocco seems most suitable for such alternative actions, as the soil and climate are favorable for alternative agriculture.

"There is an indescribable excitement around Morocco," saaid Abbes Benaissa, projects coordinator in the Earth and Humanism Association. He cited examples of Swani Tiqa, an agro-ecological gardens market near Rabat, as well as the educational garden in the city of Dar Bouazza, near Casablanca, and other such exciting initiatives.

Les Incroyables Comestibles' arrival in Rabat is planned for September 2015.  Mohamed Chafchaouni is confident: "I believe in its success. We are many who advocate for a new world."

Edited by Ilona Alexandra

Fez - Taking advantage of his participation in a talk show about the war on Gaza on France 24 Arabic, Rachid Barbach, a Moroccan self-proclaimed Imam living in France, used all his wits and communication skills to argue the "right of Israel to defend itself against Hamas."

Amid international outrage for crimes perpetrated against civilians Gaza by the Israeli war machine, a Moroccan imam in France adamantly defended Israel against Hamas. The vehemence with which Rachid Barbach defended Israel didn’t cover his many historical fallacies .

Rachid Barbach claimed that the conflict in Palestine is solely between Israel and Hamas, forgetting or intentionally overlooking the fact that Hamas is a resistance movement founded by the legendary Ahmed Yassine in 1987, but Israel has existed 1948. The well-documented atrocities and massacres committed against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza since 1948 were the reason behind the birth of Hamas. Hamas is just a reaction, not the source of the conflict in Palestine.

Rachid Barbach also argued that Hamas doesn’t want peace in the region, and clings crazily to the choice of war. What Rachid doesn’t know is that Israel is an occupying power that has exiled and dispersed millions of Palestinians from their homeland. Hamas is a resistance movement because wherever and whenever oppression exists it generates resistance.

Moreover, it’s clear that it is Israel who doesn’t want peace in the region (not Hamas). If there is anything Palestinians want, it’s peace. Israel has violated many peace agreements, international laws, international humanitarian law, and the Fourth Geneva Convention. Its record for violating of human rights in the Occupied Territories is well documented. If one reads the report of the UN-fact-finding mission established in April 2009 (better known as the Goldstone report), they learn about the atrocities and the human rights violations committed by Israel against the Palestinians with total impunity and disregard for international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions.

Another blatant fallacy is the claim that Palestinians suffer because of Hamas. Rachid Barbach continues to cover facts and manipulates reality. He omits the fact that Hamas was democratically elected by Palestinians in 2006 to govern in the West Bank and Gaza. He also turns a blind eye to the wave of support Hamas receives from Palestinians and non-Palestinians alike since Israel launched its deadly indiscriminate onslaught on the Palestinians on July 8.

The self-proclaimed imam unscrupulously and literally repeats the Israeli version of the story and claims that Hamas is using Gaza’s civilians as human shields. The shallow argument used by Barbash stands in contrast with the conclusions of the Goldstone report, which pointed out that Israel had deliberately targeted the entire civilian population of Gaza during its criminal Operation Cast Lead (December 27, 2008- January 18, 2009).

“While the Israeli Government has sought to portray its operations as a response to rocket attacks in the exercise of its right of self-defense, the Mission considers the plan to have been directed, at least in part, at a different target: the people of Gaza as a whole,” said the report.

The other two guests in the talk show, Adnane Ben Youssef from Tunisia and Rabia Hamou from Palestine, stood aghast as Rachid Barbach strongly spoke out in favor of Israel and in clear support of its crimes. To add insult to injury and to prove a his lack of good manners, Rachid provoked the other guests and claimed that the Israel-Palestine conflict is far beyond the understanding of normal minds.

Rachid Barbach’s arguments earned him much criticism on social networks. He was accused of putting the executioner and the victim on equal footing and speaking on behalf of Zionists.

Fez - The Court of Appeal of Tetouan in northern Morocco has reduced a one-year jail sentence for German journalist to six months based on his agreement to marry one of the girls he was convicted of molesting, according to Spanish news agency EFE.  

The journalist, who was convicted of attempting to seduce two underage teenage girls, reached an agreement with the family of one of the girls to marry her.

The German citizen was arrested last March when a group of people caught him red-handed inside his car with the two 16-year old girls near their high school.

The journalist, who had been sentenced to one year in jail and has already served four months, claimed he was innocent of the charges and emphasized that he intended to marry one of the girls.

The reduction in the sentence will likely stir a controversy in the country as it is reminiscent of the case of Amina Filali, a teenager who committed suicide in 2012 after she was forced by her family to marry her rapist.

According to Morocco’s penal code, raping an underage child is punishable by 20 to 30 years of imprisonment. The law is rarely enforced, however, and as the case of the German journalist demonstrates, a rapist can still escape prison or receive a reduced sentence if he agrees to marry his victim.

The Moroccan government has made promises to reform the country’s penal code and impose harsher sentences on sex offenders. But this sentence indicates that Morocco still has a way to go towards protecting its citizens from sexualpredators.

As recently as July 18, the criminal court of Marrakech sentenced a pedophile, who had been convicted of raping a 10-year old child, to as little as 2 years in prison.

New York - According to the Fiqh Council of North America, Sunday is the last day or Ramadan and Eid El Fitr will be Monday July 28.

Unlike Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries, which count on naked eye sighting of the moon, the FCNA bases its decision on astronomical calculations.

The Fiqh Council of North America recognizes astronomical calculation as an acceptable Shar’ia method for determining the beginning of Lunar months including the months of Ramadan and Shawwal.

FCNA uses Makkah al-Mukarram (Mecca) as a conventional point and takes the position that the conjunction must take place before sunset in Makkah and moon must set after sunset in Mecca.

While the astronomical calculations are accepted by some countries, it is still a hotly debated issue, since many cling to the traditional sighting of the moon with naked eyes, as set out in the Holy Quran.

The calculations of the Islamic calendar are based on the lunar calendar, which causes the Islamic months to move in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year. The beginning of Islamic months may also vary from one country to another depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.

At the time of writing no Arab country has yet declared whether Sunday is the last day of Ramadan.

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Fez - According to the calculations made by the Moroccan Ministry of Religious Affairs, Morocco will celebrate the holiday of Eid El Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, on Tuesday July 29, 2014.

Most Muslims countries such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Egypt, announced earlier on Sunday that they would celebrate Eid El Fitr on Monday.

Unlike in previous years, Morocco started this year’s Ramadan the same day as most Arab and Muslim countries, on June 29.

The calculations of the Islamic calendar are based on the lunar calendar, which causes the Islamic months to move in the Gregorian calendar approximately 11 days every year.

The beginning of Islamic months may also vary from one country to another depending on whether the moon has been sighted or not.

On this occasion, Morocco World News and its staff, wish a happy and blessed Eid to Moroccans and Muslims worldwide.

Rabat - In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas co-founder Hassan Yousef, appeared on CNN denouncing the ideology of Hamas and what he described as the organization’s “hidden agendas.”

Speaking to CNN’s Don Lemon, Mosab Yousef said that Hamas’ “final destination” exceeds destroying Israel into building an Islamic Caliphate on “the rubble of every other civilization.”

Mosab Hassan Yousef, writer of the book “Son of Hamas” a volume in which he details the alleged suffering the Palestinian people inside the Gaza strip have to bear under the reign of Hamas, is also a former informant for Israel’s internal security service Shin Bet for a decade and a Christianity convert.

Dubbed by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz as “an ex-Hamas member who hates the God of the Quran and adores Israel,” Mosab Yousef is now living in the United States where he feels free to voice his criticism against the organization to which he belonged once in the past, claiming it is the one responsible for the deaths of innocent Palestinian children, not Israel.

“Hamas does not care about the lives of Palestinians, or the lives of Israelis, or Americans; they don’t care about their own lives,” he claimed during his CNN interview.

“They consider dying for the sake of their ideology a way of worship. Hamas is not seeking coexistence and compromise; Hamas is seeking conquest.”

Asked to describe Hamas he knew as a Palestinian growing up in the West Bank, Yousef claimed that the organization was trying to inject their ideology in children from an early age.

“In the mosques, Hamas told us that without shedding innocent blood for the sake of the ideology, we will not be able to build an Islamic state (caliphate). They were preparing us from the age as young as five years old. This is the ideology that Hamas was feeding us,” he claimed.

Fez- A fatwa has been issued against pro-Gaza marches by a Saudi cleric who says that demonstrations in solidarity with Palestinians “are just useless demagogic actions.”

The fatwa was issued by Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti and General President for Scientific Researches and Fatwa, Abdul Aziz Al Ash-Sheikh.

This comes at a time after which several demonstrations have been organized in Arab and non-Arabs countries alike in solidarity with the Gaza Strip. These demonstrations have taken place since the Zionist aggression on Palestinians starting, July 8.

According to Al Ghadeer TV, Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti said that the pro-Gaza demonstrations “are just useless demagogic actions, that won’t help Palestinians.” “Demagoguery does not work. It is just an exaggeration,” he added.

The Saudi Grand Mufti called upon Saudi Arabia’s citizens to donate money as humanitarian aid to Palestinians, rather than mobilizing in solidarity marches. The Grand Mufti hailed the Saudi Arabian King’s donation to the victims of the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and urged Saudi citizens to do the same.

After a long silence on the Israeli aerial, naval and ground attacks on Gaza since July 8, last week King Abdullah issued a directive to donate SR100 million ($53.3 million) to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Abdul Aziz Al Ash-Sheikh is not the only Saudi Mufti to say solidarity demonstrations with Gaza is “haram”. Earlier this week, another prominent Saudi Arabian cleric, Saleh Al-Luhaidan described the pro-Palestine marches as “demagogic denouncements.” Sheikh Saleh Al-Luhaidan who is a Member of the Council of Senior Scholars said that these marches lead to “acts of chaos and sabotage.”

Al-Luhaidan said that even if these marches don’t lead to chaos and sabotage; they keep people away from being close to God. Instead, Sheikh Saleh Al-Luhaidan urged Saudi citizens to pray for Palestinians in Gaza Strip.

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Casablanca –In light of the international boycott campaign against Israeli products, numerous pictures showingIsrael’s most popular goods and products have gone recently viral in social media.

A number of intellectuals and activists have pointed to the effectiveness of secluding Israel economically for purposes of pressuring it to respect international law and customs that it has blatantly violated in its ongoing military assault against civilians in Gaza.

Jewish-Moroccan militant Sion Assidon has urged the Moroccan masses in a video posted on YouTube to launch a massive boycott campaign against all Israeli products andproducts made with materials or substances exported from Israel.

Assidon said that Dalaa, a company that manufactures diapers that are widely advertised on Moroccan national channels, uses Israeli materials that come straight from Haifa Port in containers shipped by Zim, an Israeli shipping company that operates worldwide. Assidon added that there are “photos and proof”that support his claim.

Assidon appealed to the Moroccan government and customs authorities to stop any normalization with Israel and to “exercise its sovereignty and prevent the Zionist products from entering Morocco.”

He also criticized the government’s alleged involvement in arms trade with Israel and its alleged purchase of weapons and military equipment such as robot planes or F16 fighter jets, which are either completely or partly made in Israel.

In the same context, George Galloway, the British pro-Palestine politician, has emphatically asserted that boycotting Israeli products is an important way to denounce Israel’s crimes against the Palestinians.

Video of Sion Assidon in Arabic

By Menan Khater

Cairo - Egyptian women-activists launched a discussion forum to demand gender-parity proportional lists for women in the upcoming parliament.

Egyptian activists held a discussion forum this morning to examine the amended parliamentary elections law, in terms of women participation. The forum witnessed a huge turnout from NGOs, women rights organizations, political parties, and potential candidates in the upcoming parliament.

The initiative was organized as a part of women-activists endeavors in advocating social justice. Nazra (vision) for feminist studies launched this forum, in response to the previous interim President Adly Mansour decision to increase the individual candidates seats to 74% of the total number of seats—The fact that provoked many concerns from activists over the women participation. They claim individual candidacy system depends mainly on the social acceptance, the funding abilities for each candidate, and in fact it doesn't support the systematic partisan life. Despite the 51% percentage of women in Egypt, and their remarkable appearances in the country's major political events, the parliament still risks the existence of women as decision makers. Only 9 women participated in the previous parliament out of nearly 600 seats, where Islamists won at large. Likewise, the quota system during the Mubarak era only allowed the National Democratic Party women to join. It's also worth noting that Egypt has the least share of women seats in parliament compared to neighboring countries, according to IPU reports.

"The amended law is an outcome of a distorted political era, just like everything else." Director of Nazra, Mozn Hassan told MWN, commenting on the latest parliamentary law. "We strive to create a healthy environment that encourages the participation of diverse women." She added.

Agitated by the public's perception towards core women related issues, such as sexual assaults and personal status issues, as a second-rate, Hassan asserts that, "Only concerned women in Egypt are the ones who actually speak up for their rights." She believes women participation in the parliament will profoundly contribute in solving deeply rooted crises in Egypt.

The amended law stated that next parliament should include 57 seats for women elected by the lists system, along with 13 appointed ones. However, Hassan argues that the main trick lies in the electoral system itself.

Meanwhile, current political leaders and potential candidates expressed their concerns during the forum towards other factors interfering in the upcoming elections process, such as the media unjust representation of Egypt's political figures. "A string of attacks have been launched by the media against Egypt's political parties, especially the ones affiliated by the Jan 25 revolution." Said one of the activists.

More importantly, the next parliamentary elections will be the second of its kind, along with two presidential elections, two constitutional referendums and one Shura council elections, only during the past three years. "The people are elections fatigue, there might be a low turnout, especially with the stability situation only getting worse" Added another activist from Egyptian social democratic party.

The forum culminated with a list of recommendations signed by Egypt's major women rights organizations, calling the political parties to include women in their lists via the gender parity proportional system, which they not only believe will ensure the largest number of women to succeed but also will bring fresh blood, instead of favoring the powerful and famous. The recommendations also called for a wide-scale dialogue between concerned organizations on the same issue.

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