Latest news with #Syrians'
L'Orient-Le Jour
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Lebanon, UAE, KSA, Jordan... Our selection of cultural events to attend this weekend
When every weekend blurs into a never-ending scroll of flyers, exhibitions, and underground gigs, having too many options can feel a lot like having none. That's where we come in. Starting today, L'Orient Today is teaming up with The MYM Agenda to guide you through the fray. Every Thursday, we'll handpick the cultural happenings across the Middle East that are actually worth your time, whether it's a Beirut book launch, a rooftop concert in Amman, or an experimental film screening in Tunis. Consider this your weekly shortcut to what matters in the region's buzzing cultural scene. Starting Thursday, the city of Ehden (in Zgharta) kicks off its annual "Ehdeniyat International Festival," giving everyone a chance to run away from the sweltering Beirut heat and take refuge in North Lebanon's evergreen mountains. Famed pianist Guy Manoukian will be there to christen weeks of performances by local and international artists like Abeer Nehme and our moms' favorite, Kadim al-Sahir. You have until August to catch Caracalla's rendition of 'One Thousand and One Nights,' a story as iconic as the dance crew on stage. Known for their ruthless attention to detail and commitment to perfection, their dancing promises to transport you through each tale's endless twists and turns. Catch them at Theatre Caracalla, Horsh Tabet. For tickets and details, click here. This weekend in Al Quoz, Dubai, Ayyam Gallery's multimedia exhibition "Wavering Hope" continues to explore the different facets of Syrians' collective trauma. How do 14 years of civil war and decades of cruel rulers impact a people? And in the aftermath of conflict, is there space for hope? The 12 artists on display try to answer these questions and make space for optimism, no matter how fragile. For details, click here. In the same neighborhood, artist Nazgol Ansarinia is bringing you the streets of Tehran with her exhibition "Instruments of Viewing and Obscurity" at Green Art Gallery. Ansarinia zooms in on Iran's urban sprawl and Brutalist architecture, turning them into points of departure through which to question state and social control, in a world where the house is an extension of the body and the window that of the eye. This month, Ithra, known as the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Dhahran, is hosting its annual July festival, offering a program packed with something for every age and interest. When it's too hot to do anything else, skip the beach and catch the children's activities this week, or pick up a chessboard, paintbrush, or calligraphy pen to create your own fun. Check the full program here. If Ithra's too much of a drive, Al-Ula in Medina Province is offering an equally immersive experience of exhibitions, shows and activities sprinkled around the city, so you never run out of things to do. And if somehow nothing entices you, strolling through the larger-than-life naturally formed sculptures in the desert landscape would be enough to keep you occupied. Check the full program here. This weekend, painter Laila Shaw's "Voices from Gaza" continues to take center stage as part of the artist's reflections on her homeland's violent destruction. Shaw invites us to walk along the walls of Gaza, through layers of graffiti, political slogans and symbols of resistance, building a landscape of resistance as emotional as it is visual. What once represented the cornerstones of where she lived are now being used as calls against erasure and exile. The exhibition is on display at the Contemporary Art Platform, Shuwaikh Industrial, Kuwait. For details, click here. In its first weekend at Orfali Art Center in Amman, Jordan, painters Ashtar Nasralla and Hiba al-Lami explore people's connections with each other and nature, and how the two are often interchangeable. Though the paintings are faceless, they still lure you in to feel the bond of the figures standing behind the blue and green trees; a feeling both experimental and human. Cairo's landmark Mashrabia Gallery is welcoming back artists, new and old, who have shaped its journey and turned it into a hub for local contemporary art. Their exhibition is not a retrospective but rather a new beginning in a genre that is always evolving.
Daily Mirror
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Syrian asylum claims will be processed again after months of limbo
Home Office minister Dame Angela Eagle has confirmed the Government will process asylum claims from Syrians again after these were paused following the fall of the Assad regime Syrians who have endured months of limbo can finally have their asylum claims processed, the Government has announced. Applications were paused after the fall of the brutal Assad regime in December. But asylum minister Dame Angela Eagle has confirmed decision making can resume. It comes as Syrian refugees visited Parliament to urge the Government to resume processing amid ongoing uncertainty about the new regime. Fareed Fakhoury, who is currently seeking asylum, said ahead of an event hosted by Asylum Matters: 'This uncertainty has gnawed away at our mental health - my wife and four boys bear the scars of war and displacement, and now we're forced to relive that anxiety here, day after day. 'Planning for the future feels like trying to build on quicksand. Legal support is out of reach so far, my children's education is on shaky ground, and we're shut out from society in ways big and small." Mum-of-three Afraa Hashem, a survivor of detention and the war in Aleppo, said: "Although I'm physically safe, the instability in my home country weighs heavily on me." READ MORE: Keir Starmer to have secretive catch-up with Donald Trump during Scotland golfing holiday Haytham Alhamwi, Chairman of the Syrian British Consortium said: "Behind every delayed case is a person, often a family, living in limbo, unable to move forward with their lives. Many have already built their lives in the UK, contributing to their communities and calling this country home." In December despot Bashar al-Assad, who had ruled Syria with an iron fist, fled to Russia leaving a vacuum in his wake. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper paused processing asylum cases so the Government could see what happened next. In an update to MPs, Dame Angela said: "This was a necessary step while there was no stable, objective information available to make robust assessments of risk on return to Syria. The Home Office has worked to lift the pause as soon as there was sufficient information to make accurate and well-evidenced determinations. "Today the government will publish updated country information which will enable decision making to resume. With this, protection claims can be processed and safe return reviews conducted in line with published policy for any Syrian nationals applying for settlement protection." The decision has been welcomed by human rights groups. Enver Solomon, chief executive of the Refugee Council, said: 'We welcome the Government restarting decision making on Syrians' asylum applications. We know the pause in decision making had left Syrian people trapped in further limbo, unable to work, move on with their lives and fearing for their future. 'However, the situation in Syria continues to be unstable, and we urge the Government to ensure that every asylum application is assessed on a case-by-case basis, ensuring the safety and protection of Syrians who would face extreme risk if they are returned.'
The Star
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Austria deports first Syrian since civil war, says more will follow
VIENNA (Reuters) -Austria's conservative-led government said on Thursday it had carried out its first deportation of a Syrian back to their home country in almost 15 years, making it the first European Union country to do so since the outbreak of Syria's civil war. The unnamed Syrian man had been convicted of an unspecified crime in November 2018, given a seven-year sentence and stripped of his refugee status, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said, adding that he could not go into specifics. The Syrian man's legal adviser, Ruxandra Staicu, declined to specify the nature of his conviction but said he was 32. "A Syrian criminal was deported from Austria to Syria today, specifically to Damascus," Karner told reporters, pledging that more would follow soon. "I believe it is an extremely important signal that Austria is pursuing a tough, strict, forceful but fair asylum policy in that those who endanger others, criminals, will be removed from the country," he added. While EU member states including Austria and Germany have been keen to strike agreements with Syria's new Islamist-led government to enable deportations, rights groups have said it is too early to tell how the security situation will evolve and whether it is truly safe to deport people there. Rights groups are concerned that Austria's move will create a precedent, encouraging other EU member states to deport Syrians amid rising anti-migration sentiment across the bloc. "There is no reliable information on how the new regime will treat the returnee. In this volatile situation, it is irresponsible to conduct a deportation simply for PR reasons," said Lukas Gahleitner-Gertz, a lawyer and spokesperson for Asylum Coordination Austria, a platform of Austrian NGOs. TOUGH STANCE Austria's three-party ruling coalition has made a tough stance on immigration one of its hallmarks as it seeks to erode support for the far-right Freedom Party, which came first in September's parliamentary election with an even harder line on what has long been a prominent issue in national politics. Within days of President Bashar al-Assad's fall from power in December, Austria's previous government, led by the same conservative People's Party in power now, suspended the processing of Syrians' asylum claims and said it would work towards repatriating Syrians already in the country. Syrians are the top nationality among asylum seekers and refugees in Austria since 2015, Interior Ministry data show. Austrian law allows the authorities to revoke a refugee's status in some cases within five years of it being granted. "There will be, and will have to be, other deportations towards Syria. These are also being prepared," Karner said, also mentioning Afghanistan, another country that many refugees and asylum seekers in Austria come from. (Reporting by Francois MurphyAdditional reporting by Amina Ismail in Cairo Editing by Gareth Jones)
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Rubio warns Syria could be weeks away from 'full-scale civil war'
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called for Syria's transitional authorities to be supported, warning that the country could be only weeks away from "potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions". At a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he defended President Donald Trump's decision last week to lift sanctions on Syria before meeting President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who led the rebel offensive that overthrew Bashar al-Assad in December. Trump's rationale was that other countries wanted to help Sharaa's administration and send aid but were afraid of the sanctions, Rubio explained. There was no immediate comment from Syrian officials. 'I'm overjoyed to be back': Syrians face daunting rebuild after years of war Trump's meeting with Sharaa, unthinkable just months ago, boosts Syrians' hopes Syrian security forces monitored armed civilians who killed Alawites, accused man says The US imposed sanctions on Syria in response to atrocities committed by forces loyal to Assad during the country's devastating 13-year civil war, in which more than 600,000 people were killed and 12 million others were forced from their homes. The State Department had previously insisted on several conditions being met before they were lifted, including protecting religious and ethnic minorities. Although Sharaa has promised to do that, the country has been rocked by two waves of deadly sectarian violence in recent months. In March, almost 900 civilians, mainly members of Assad's Alawite sect, were killed by pro-government forces across the western coastal region during fighting between security forces and former regime loyalists, according to one monitoring group. The loyalists reportedly killed almost 450 civilians and 170 security personnel. And at the start of May, more than 100 people were reportedly killed in clashes between gunmen from the Druze religious minority, the new security forces and allied Sunni Islamist fighters in two suburbs of the capital Damascus and the southern province of Suweida. Even before the violence, many members of minority communities were worried about the new transitional authorities, which are dominated by Sharaa's Sunni Islamist group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). It is a former al-Qaeda affiliate still designated as a terrorist organisation by the UN, the US, the EU and the UK. Sharaa himself also continues to be listed by the US as a "specially designated global terrorist", although the Biden administration announced in December that the US would scrap the $10m (£7.5m) bounty offered for his arrest. Despite Sharaa's past, Trump took the opportunity to meet him while attending a summit of Gulf leaders in Saudi Arabia last week. Afterwards, the US president told reporters that he was a "young, attractive guy", adding: "Tough guy. Strong past. Very strong past. Fighter." "He's got a real shot at pulling it [Syria] together," he said, adding, "it's a torn-up country". Sharaa meanwhile said Trump's decision to lift the sanctions on Syria "was a historic and courageous decision, which alleviates the suffering of the people, contributes to their rebirth and lays the foundations for stability in the region". Speaking to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Washington DC on Tuesday, Rubio quipped that "the bad news is that the transitional authority figures... didn't pass their background check with the FBI". "But on the flip side of it is, if we engage them, it may work out, it may not work out. If we did not engage them it was guaranteed to not work out," he added. "In fact, it is our assessment that, frankly, the transitional authority, given the challenges they're facing, are maybe weeks, not many months, away from potential collapse and a full-scale civil war of epic proportions, basically the country splitting up." He did not elaborate but said Syria's minorities were "dealing with deep internal distrust... because Assad deliberately pitted these groups against each other". He said the Trump decided to lift the sanctions quickly because "nations in the region want to get aid in, want to start helping them. And they can't because they are afraid of our sanctions". As Rubio spoke, European Union foreign ministers agreed to also lift economic sanctions on Syria. "We want to help the Syrian people rebuild a new, inclusive and peaceful Syria," the bloc's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote on X. "The EU has always stood by Syrians throughout the last 14 years - and will keep doing so." The Syrian foreign ministry said the decision marked "the beginning of a new chapter in Syrian-European relations built on shared prosperity and mutual respect".
Iraqi News
14-05-2025
- Business
- Iraqi News
Syrians hail lifting of US sanctions as start of ‘new era'
Aleppo – The sound of fireworks and applause rang out in Syria's major cities overnight, as Syrians celebrated US President Donald Trump's decision to lift sanctions on the devastated country. In Syria's second city Aleppo, dozens of men, women and children took to the central Saadallah al-Jabiri Square, waving the new Syrian flag and singing. Hours earlier in Riyadh, Trump announced he would lift sanctions on Syria, as the country seeks to rebuild after the December ouster of longtime president Bashar al-Assad. Soap factory owner Zain al-Jabali, 54, rushed to the square as soon as she heard the news. 'These sanctions were imposed on Assad, but… now that Syria has been liberated, there will be a positive impact on industry, it'll boost the economy and encourage people to return,' she told AFP. Amid the sound of cars honking in celebration, 26-year-old Ghaith Anbi described the news as 'the second joy since the fall of Assad'. 'Lifting the sanctions on the Syrian people will have a very positive impact on reconstruction and rebuilding infrastructure, especially in Aleppo as an economic city,' the civil engineer told AFP. 'There will be great economic prosperity for the Syrian people,' he said. – 'Turning point' – In the Saudi capital on Tuesday, Trump announced he was lifting the 'brutal and crippling' Assad-era sanctions, in response to demands from new Syrian leader Ahmed al-Sharaa's allies in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Trump said it was Syrians' 'time to shine' and that easing sanctions would 'give them a chance at greatness'. The Syrian foreign ministry called Trump's decision a 'pivotal turning point' that would help bring stability, draw in investment and reintegrate the country into the global economy. Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh said Trump's lifting of sanctions 'will help Syria in building its institutions, providing essential services to the people and will create great opportunities to attract investment and restore confidence in Syria's future'. The United States imposed sweeping restrictions on financial transactions with Syria during the brutal civil war that began in 2011, targeting the ousted president, his family members and key government and economic figures. In 2020, new sanctions came into effect under a US law known as the Caesar Act, punishing any companies linked to Assad in efforts to force accountability for human rights abuses and to encourage a political solution. 'These sanctions only ever hurt the Syrian people, not the regime,' 63-year-old Taqi al-Din Najjar told AFP from Aleppo. In Damascus, dozens more gathered in the capital's iconic Umayyad Square, chanting and singing in joy. 'My joy is great. This decision will definitely affect the entire country positively. Construction will return, the displaced will return, and prices will go down,' said Hiba Qassar, a 33-year-old English teacher. Ahmed Asma, 34, expressed hopes that 'now that the sanctions are lifted we can live as we did before, or even better'. 'We hope this is the start of a new era for Syria,' he told AFP as he drove through the square.
