Latest news with #Al-Jubouri
Kuwait Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Arab coordination committee holds 34th regular session
Meetings of the Committee of Organizations for Coordination and Follow-up, emanating from the Arab Economic and Social Council. – KUNA photos KUWAIT: The 34th regular session of the Arab League's Committee for Coordination and Follow-up of Organizations, under the umbrella of the Arab Economic and Social Council, commenced Sunday with participation from representatives of member states' ministries of finance, economy, and trade, in addition to specialized Arab organizations. In his opening remarks, Director of the Arab Organizations and Federations Department and Technical Secretary of the Committee, Dr Raed Al-Jubouri, stated that the five-day session will focus on administrative, financial, organizational and structural matters concerning specialized Arab organizations. The outcomes of the discussions will be submitted to the Economic and Social Council during its 116th regular session, scheduled for August 31 to September 3, 2025. Dr Al-Jubouri noted that the committee, a technical body operating under the Economic and Social Council, was established in line with the Council's mandate and decisions — particularly the resolution issued during the extraordinary session held on July 6, 1988 — affirming the Council's central role in overseeing and coordinating the work of Arab organizations. He added that the committee convenes annually to review key reports, including those of financial oversight bodies, internal audit heads of specialized Arab organizations, final account statements and reports from external auditors. The agenda also includes periodic reports on member states' arrears to the budgets of Arab organizations, updates from the Arab Monetary Fund, and the General Secretariat's participation in meetings of legislative and executive bodies of these organizations. Kuwait is taking part in the session with a delegation from the Ministry of Finance. — KUNA
Shafaq News
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Elections stir ghosts of Iraq's sectarian past
Shafaq News Sectarian rhetoric is re-emerging in Iraq's political discourse ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for November 11, 2025. Once synonymous with civil strife and foreign interference, its renewed intensity has alarmed officials, lawmakers, and religious leaders. Many now warn that its return threatens Iraq's already fragile social cohesion, prompting urgent calls for swift legal reforms and firm institutional action before deeper divisions take hold. The resurgence is not viewed as coincidental. Analysts and observers draw a direct line between the rise in sectarian discourse and the looming elections, accusing certain political factions of deliberately weaponizing identity politics to galvanize fractured constituencies. Critics argue this approach revives the wounds of Iraq's darkest periods and threatens renewed fragmentation. As MP Thaer al-Jubouri told Shafaq News, 'Politicians without achievements resort to inflaming sectarian divisions to stay in power. They appeal to those who lack national and religious understanding—using sectarianism as a tool of power, not unity.' Al-Jubouri urged the Council of Representatives to pass legislation criminalizing sectarian incitement and pressed the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) to disqualify candidates who engage in such rhetoric. 'Sectarianism is something we only overcame with great difficulty,' he remarked, 'and it remains a tool of occupation to divide the country.' Broader Electoral Context and Democratic Implications Iraq's post-2003 political structure has operated under an informal ethno-sectarian power-sharing system known as Muhasasa. This arrangement typically assigns the Prime Minister's post to a Shia, the Parliament Speaker to a Sunni, and the Presidency to a Kurd. Political parties are generally organized along sectarian and ethnic lines. Shia factions such as the Sadrist Movement (now the Patriotic Shiite Movement) and Fatah Alliance participated primarily within Shia constituencies. Sunni parties like Taqaddum and Azm competed in Sunni-majority areas. Kurdish representation was led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). Demographic Tensions and Political Calculations Iraq's population, which now exceeds 46 million according to the Ministry of Planning, is ethnically and religiously diverse. Based on estimates from the US Department of State's 2023 Report on International Religious Freedom, the majority of Iraq's Muslim population is Shia, comprising 55 to 60%, while Sunnis represent about 40%—roughly 24 % Arab, 15 % Kurdish, and 1 % Turkmen. Minority communities include Christians—Chaldeans, Assyrians, Syriacs, and Armenians—whose numbers have dropped to fewer than 150,000 from around 1.5 million before 2003, largely due to conflict and displacement. Other religious minorities include Yazidis and Sabean-Mandaeans. Ethnically, the population is primarily Arab, followed by Kurds in the north, with smaller communities such as Turkmen, Assyrians, Shabaks, and Armenians. Historical grievances and longstanding power imbalances between these groups have often been exploited by political actors. This divisive legacy continues to provide fertile ground for sectarian rhetoric, particularly during moments of electoral vulnerability. A Painful History Rekindled After the 2003 invasion, Iraq descended into years of bloodshed between Sunni and Shia communities, marked by bombings, assassinations, and ethnic cleansing. Baghdad and other mixed cities were flashpoints, while extremist groups such as al-Qaeda in Iraq—and later ISIS—exploited these fractures for recruitment and domination. The civil war of 2006–2007 represents a tragic peak, with tens of thousands killed and millions displaced. While estimates vary, it is believed that hundreds of thousands of civilians lost their lives during this period. UNAMI (United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq) reported civilian casualty rates in the thousands per month at the time. This violence left deep scars and entrenched distrust, making today's revival of sectarian narratives especially dangerous. State Measures and Legal Ambiguity The Iraqi government has recently taken visible, though arguably overdue, steps to confront sectarian incitement. The Ministry of Interior 's Offensive Content Committee announced 'firm and decisive' action against instigators of division, and on June 30, launched proceedings against mosque preacher Uday al-Ghariri and poet Abdul Hussein Hayal al-Hatimi for promoting hateful content online. Earlier this year, journalist Salam Adel was also prosecuted for allegedly insulting the Sunni community. Momentum is also building for legislative reform. On June 28, MP Hamid al-Shiblawi initiated a signature campaign to draft a law explicitly criminalizing sectarianism. This echoes a March proposal by Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, who advocated for legislation and called for the removal of online content promoting division. In a public statement, al-Mashhadani warned of the dangerous intersection between electoral campaigns and the mobilization of sectarian sentiment amid broader regional volatility. While legislative efforts are advancing, Iraq's existing legal framework already addresses sectarian incitement. Article 200 of the amended Penal Code criminalizes sectarian or ethnic hate speech as a threat to state security, with penalties of up to seven years in prison. Article 372 allows for imprisonment or fines for insulting religious beliefs or symbols. However, legal experts argue that implementation remains flawed. Mohammed Jumaa, a legal analyst speaking to Shafaq News, criticized the misuse of Article 372 for sectarian cases. 'These are not misdemeanors,' he contended. 'They should be prosecuted under Article 200 as felonies. Iraq needs deterrent action against anyone who incites sectarianism.' Inconsistent application, he warned, fuels impunity and undermines state efforts to contain the phenomenon. Religious Authorities Push Back Prominent religious leaders have added their voices to the campaign against sectarianism. Sheikh Muhammad Khalil Ibrahim, representing the religious establishment in Baghdad, emphasized to Shafaq News that sectarianism remains a tool of foreign domination. Stressing Islamic principles, he underscored the obligation to protect any person who proclaims the shahada (the Islamic declaration of faith) and urged unity across the Muslim world. Meanwhile, Sheikh Mustafa al-Bayati, head of the Association of Imams and Preachers of Al-Adhamiya, underlined that Islamic ethics demand respect—even for non-believers—and condemned sectarianism as both 'religiously forbidden and nationally harmful.' He implored the state and judiciary to take firm action against offenders, reaffirming the role of religious institutions in promoting unity.
Iraqi News
26-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq exports 1.5 million tons of agricultural products in 2024
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture revealed on Sunday that the country's agricultural exports reached 1.5 million tons during 2024. In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), the Undersecretary of the Agricultural Ministry, Mahdi Al-Jubouri, explained that the ministry is employing advanced agricultural technologies to address challenges related to drought, climate change, and water scarcity. The Iraqi official stated that the ministry has been pushing farmers to use climate-smart agriculture that is suitable with environmental circumstances. This was accomplished through the use of high-yield seed types that are ideal for the Iraqi environment and resistant to drought and salt, as well as through the application of different contemporary agricultural practices, such as timely harvesting phases. Until the end of April, Iraq's agricultural exports reached 300,000 tons, according to Al-Jubouri. Al-Jubouri illustrated that dates accounted for almost 650,000 tons of Iraq's agricultural exports last year, with vegetables coming in second with over 308,000 tons. The Ministry of Agriculture is holding a series of exhibitions and discussions with EU embassies in Iraq in an attempt to increase markets for Iraqi agricultural products in Europe. Iraq's crops are frequently sold to Gulf countries, Jordan, and the European Union.
Saba Yemen
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Saba Yemen
Arab Parliament Calls for Pressure on Zionist Enemy to Stop Genocide
Marrakesh - Saba: The Arab Parliament called on Mediterranean countries to take a unified stance by pressuring the Zionist enemy authorities to halt the genocide in the Gaza Strip and allow the entry of humanitarian aid. According to the Palestinian News Agency on Saturday, Deputy Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Ahmed Al-Jubouri, said that the Zionist enemy authorities are using starvation as a weapon and preventing the entry of food aid into the Gaza Strip, amid international silence. In his speech during the third session of the Parliamentary Economic Forum of the Mediterranean Parliament, Al-Jubouri called for pressure on the Zionist enemy to stop the ongoing aggression, killing, displacement, and forced migration of Palestinians. Facebook Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Iraqi News
06-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Iraq exports 300,000 tons of agricultural products in 4 months
Baghdad ( – The Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture revealed on Sunday that the country's agricultural exports reached 300,000 tons during the first four months of 2025. In a statement to the state-run news agency (INA), the Undersecretary of the Agricultural Ministry, Mahdi Al-Jubouri, explained that Iraq's exports of agricultural products are expected to increase to over 1.5 million tons during 2025. According to Al-Jubouri, the employment of contemporary irrigation techniques and agricultural practices has enhanced output and made excess available for sale, which has led to the export of over 1.5 million tons of agricultural surplus in 2024. Dates accounted for almost 650,000 tons of Iraq's agricultural exports last year, with vegetables coming in second with over 308,000 tons, according to the Iraqi official. In an attempt to expand markets for Iraqi agricultural products in the European Union, the Ministry of Agriculture is organizing several exhibitions and arranging meetings with EU embassies in Iraq. Crops from Iraq are widely exported to countries in the Gulf, Jordan, and the European Union.
