UAQ Ruler receives Ambassador of Qatar
UMM AL QAIWAIN (WAM)His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, received Sultan Salmeen Al Mansouri, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the UAE, at his palace this morning, on the occasion of Eid Al Adha.The meeting was attended by His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain.The Qatari Ambassador offered Eid greetings to His Highness Sheikh Saud, who in turn exchanged congratulations and blessings with him. The ambassador prayed to God Almighty to bless the Ruler with continued health and wellness, and to bring peace, prosperity and blessings to the UAE and the Arab and Islamic nations.
The reception was attended by a number of sheikhs, local department heads and officials.
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Arabian Post
4 hours ago
- Arabian Post
Iran is not Syria, not even Saudi Arabia
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Middle East Eye
15 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Turkish magazine condemned for allegedly depicting caricatures of Prophet Muhammad
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The cartoonist intended to portray a Muslim individual killed by Israel, aiming to highlight the just cause of the oppressed Muslim population. There was absolutely no intention to insult or demean religious values. We reject the accusation directed at us, as there is no depiction of the Prophet Muhammad in the illustration.' The magazine's editor-in-chief, Tuncay Akgun, told AFP by phone from Paris that the image had been deliberately misinterpreted and was "not a caricature of Prophet Mohammed". "We would never take such a risk," he added. Some people are defending the cartoon, saying it should be only a crime to depict the prophet in an Islamic state, and Turkey is a secular state. Zaman dik durma zamanı, 19 Mart ne kadar niyetli ve organize ise bu işler de o kadar organize, hesaplı ve yapay. Türkiye'de kimsenin dine hakaret derdi yok, birileri sineğin yağından çıkarıp darbeye dayanak etmek istiyor. Dini kisvede siyasal darbe yaprak dindar seküler herkesin… — Murat Somer (@murat_somer) July 1, 2025 Translation: No one in Turkey is interested in insulting religion; some are trying to extract meaning from nothing and use it as a pretext for a coup. Under the guise of religion, they aim to carry out a political coup and establish a regime where both devout and secular citizens are made subservient to others. However, many people have disagreed and view the cartoon as an insult to Islam and Muslims. Peygamberimiz Hz. Muhammed'e hakaret eden Leman isimli paçavranın kapısına kilit vurup yazanın, çizenin, basanın hayatını karartacak bir adalet istiyorum. — Marginale (@themarginale) June 30, 2025 Translation: I want the kind of justice that will shut down the disgraceful publication named Leman, which insulted our Prophet Muhammad, and ruin the lives of those who wrote, drew, and published it. 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The controversy over Leman's cartoon has once again brought to the surface the enduring tension between secular and religious worldviews in Turkey, a divide that has shaped the country's politics for decades. Since the early days of the Republic, secularism has been enshrined as a foundational principle, while conservative and religious movements have steadily gained ground, particularly under the rule of the Justice and Development Party since 2002. Analysts have long pointed to what they describe as a deepening culture war over religion, press freedom and national identity.
Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Gulf Today
Iran decries ‘destructive' conduct of IAEA chief
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that Tehran halted cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog due to what he called the agency chief's 'destructive' behaviour towards the Islamic republic, his office said on Monday. 'The action taken by parliament members... is a natural response to the unjustified, unconstructive, and destructive conduct of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency,' Pezeshkian told Macron in a phone call late Sunday, according to a presidency statement. On Wednesday, Iranian lawmakers voted in favour of a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, citing Israel's June 13 attack on the Islamic republic and later strikes by the United States on nuclear facilities. A ceasefire between Iran and Israel took hold on June 24. Since the start of the war with Israel, Iranian officials have sharply criticised the agency for failing to condemn the strikes. Iran has also criticised the watchdog for passing a resolution on June 12 accusing it of non-compliance with its nuclear obligations. In a Sunday post on X, Macron said he called for 'respect for the ceasefire' and a return to negotiations to address 'ballistic and nuclear issues.' He further called for 'the swift resumption of the IAEA's work in Iran to ensure full transparency.' On Monday, France, Germany, and Britain condemned what they called 'threats' against the IAEA chief Rafael Grossi after Iran rejected its request to visit nuclear facilities bombed during the war. None specified which threats they were referring to, but Iran's ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper recently claimed documents showed Grossi was an Israeli spy and should be executed. Iran has said Grossi's request to visit bombed sites signalled 'malign intent' but insisted that no threats were posed against Grossi or the agency's inspectors. On Monday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the Iranian parliament's decision to halt cooperation with the IAEA reflected the 'concern and anger of the Iranian public opinion.' He further criticised the United States and European powers for maintaining what he described as a 'political approach' toward Iran's nuclear programme during his weekly press conference. Baqaei also questioned how the safety of IAEA inspectors could be ensured while the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear facilities -- targeted by Israel and the United States during the 12-day war -- remains unknown. 'One aspect of this issue is how to ensure the safety and security of the agency's inspectors, in a situation where there is still no accurate assessment of the severity of the damage,' he said. Iran's judiciary said at least 935 people were killed in the country during its 12-day war with Israel, state media reported Monday, nearly a week since a ceasefire took hold. Among the dead were 38 children and 132 women, the spokesperson, Asghar Jahangir, said. The death toll was a sharp increase from a previous Iranian health ministry tally of 610 killed in Iran before a ceasefire went into effect on Tuesday last week. Jahangir also revised the number of people killed in an Israeli strike on Tehran's Evin Prison to 79, up from 71. Israel launched the air war on June 13, attacking Iranian nuclear facilities and killing top military commanders as well as civilians in the worst blow to Iran since the 1980s war with Iraq. Iran retaliated with barrages of missiles on Israeli military sites, infrastructure and cities. The United States entered the war on June 22 with strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Israel's 'act of aggression had led to many war crimes'. He said Iran would transfer evidence to international organisations which he said should hold Israel to account. 'The Zionist regime's (Israel) action was done without any reason or justification, therefore we do not believe in separating military and civilian (victims),' Baghaei told reporters at a regular press briefing. He said any 'martyr or destroyed building is an example of war crimes.' Agencies
