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Tag: America

  • US-UK strike Yemen after Houthi rebels defend Palestine by stopping Israeli ships

    US-UK strike Yemen after Houthi rebels defend Palestine by stopping Israeli ships

    American and British forces have launched fresh raids on Yemen’s capital, Houthi rebel forces confirmed on Saturday, a day after the allies carried out dozens of strikes on the country.


    The latest raids targeted Al-Dailami airbase in Sanaa, which has been under Houthi control since 2014, a statement released on their official media stated. “The American-British enemy is targeting the capital, Sanaa, with a number of raids,” Al-Masirah TV posted on X, formerly Twitter, citing its correspondent in Sanaa.”The American-British aggression targeted the Al-Dailami base in the capital, Sanaa,” it added.


    Raids on Yemen follow weeks of Houthi attacks on Israel’s ships in the commercial Red Sea in protest against the war on Gaza.


    The strike on a Houthi radar site comes a day after scores of attacks across the country heightened fears that Israel’s aggression on Gaza could engulf the whole Arab region.


    The Houthis warned that US and British interests were “legitimate targets” after the initial strikes. Britain, the United States and eight allies said strikes carried out on Friday had aimed to “de-escalate tensions”, but the Houthis vowed to continue their attacks. Hussein al-Ezzi, the rebels’ deputy foreign minister, said the United States and Britain would “have to prepare to pay a heavy price”.


    The rebels have controlled much of Yemen since a civil war erupted in 2014 and are part of the “axis of resistance” against Israel and its allies.


    Violence involving these groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria has surged since the war in Gaza began in early October.


    What has the UN said?


    UN chief Antonio Guterres called on all sides “not to escalate” in the interest of regional peace and stability, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.


    The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday, days after adopting a resolution demanding the Houthis immediately stop their attacks.


    At the meeting, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned that no ship was safe from the threat posed by Houthis to shipping in the Red Sea.


    Russian ambassador Vassili Nebenzia denounced the “blatant armed aggression” against the entire population of the country.


    Red Sea attacks and the politics of the Middle East


    The Houthis have intensified attacks on what they deem Israeli-linked shipping in the Red Sea- through which 12 percent of global maritime trade normally passes- since October 7.


    The United States and Britain launched strikes on Friday that targeted nearly 30 locations using more than 150 ammunitions, US General Douglas Sims said, updating earlier figures, and President Joe Biden said he did not believe there were civilian casualties.


    Biden called the strikes a successful “defensive action” after the “unprecedented” Red Sea attacks and said he would act again if the Houthis continued their “outrageous behaviour”.


    British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the Houthis’ breach of international law warranted the “strong signal”, with his government publishing its legal position justifying the strikes as lawful and “proportionate”.


    Nasser Kanani, spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, said the Western strikes would fuel “insecurity and instability in the region” while “diverting” attention from Gaza.


    The Houthis fired “at least one” anti-ship ballistic missile in retaliation on Friday that caused no damage, according to Sims.


    The United States said it did not seek conflict with Iran, with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby telling MSNBC there was “no reason” for an escalation.


    Middle Eastern leaders voiced concern at the violence, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan describing the strikes on Yemen as disproportionate and saying: “It is as if they aspire to turn the Red Sea into a bloodbath.”


    Saudi Arabia said it “is following with great concern the military operations” and called for “self-restraint and avoiding escalation”. The kingdom is trying to extricate itself from a nine-year war with the Huthis, though fighting has largely been on hold since a truce in early 2022.


    Palestinian freedom fighting group Hamas said it would hold Britain and the United States “responsible for the repercussions on regional security”.


    ‘Death to America’


    Hundreds of thousands of people, some carrying Kalashnikov assault rifles, gathered in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Friday to protest, many waving Yemeni and Palestinian flags and holding portraits of Huthi leader Abdulmalik al-Huthi, an AFP journalist reported.


    “Death to America, death to Israel,” they chanted.


    In Tehran, hundreds rallied against the United States, Britain, and Israel, burning the three countries’ flags outside the UK embassy while voicing support for Gazans and Yemenis, an AFP correspondent reported.


    In Gaza, Palestinians lauded Houthi support and condemned Britain and the United States. “No one is standing with us but Yemen,” said Fouad al-Ghalaini, one of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians left homeless by Israel’s bombardment of Gaza City

  • Imam shot dead outside mosque in New Jersey, suspect still at large

    Imam shot dead outside mosque in New Jersey, suspect still at large

    An imam who was shot Wednesday outside a mosque in New Jersey has died, the US state’s attorney general said, adding that the killing did not initially appear to be driven by “bias” or domestic terrorism.

    The shooting was reported at Masjid Muhammad-Newark at South Orange Avenue.

    Imam Hassan Sharif was shot multiple times near a mosque in Newark, just west of New York, before being taken to hospital where he later died, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said.

    “We do not yet know the motivation for this crime (but) the evidence collected thus far does not indicate that this was an act motivated by bias, or an act of domestic terrorism,” said Platkin.

    He added that “in light of global events, and with a rise in bias that many communities are experiencing across our state — particularly the Muslim community — there are many in New Jersey right now who are feeling a heightened sense of fear.”

    The state is home to 300,000 Muslim Americans, he said.

    Since the outbreak of the War on Gaza, there has been an increase in Islamophobic and anti-Semitic attacks across the United States.

    The Essex County prosecutor, Ted Stephens, confirmed Sharif was shot more than once, and that “it does not appear the imam was the victim of a bias crime or that this is related to terrorism.”

    “We are dedicated to bringing justice for the imam’s family,” said Stephens, who called it a “dastardly crime.”

    Famous Muslim scholar Dr. Omar Suleiman posted about the death of the Imam and paid tribute to him as a beloved Imam of the Newark Community.

    The United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) earlier confirmed that Sharif had worked as a security screener at Newark airport since 2016.

    “We are deeply saddened to learn of his passing and send our condolences to his family, friends and colleagues,” said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokeswoman.

    Images published by the New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) showed police vehicles deployed outside the Masjid Muhammad-Newark, a two-story yellow and green complex.

    In a statement, CAIR described Sharif as “a beacon of leadership and excellence.”

    “As always, and irrespective of this specific incident, we advise all mosques to keep their doors open but remain cautious, especially given the recent spike in anti-Muslim bigotry,” the organization said.

  • Junaid Khan meets Bollywood star, video goes viral

    Junaid Khan meets Bollywood star, video goes viral

    Pakistani actor Junaid Khan met Indian actress Ameesha Patel at an event organized in connection with the New Year in America.

    Junaid Khan has shared photos and a video of his meeting with Ameesha Patel on Instagram.

    “Ending 2023 and celebrating New Year’s Eve with some very special people this year. A big shoutout to Ameesha Patel for such an awesome New Year’s celebration. With her energy and amazing performances, it was an epic night indeed!! It was an absolute pleasure meeting her!”

    Junaid Khan expressed his happiness on meeting Ameesha Patel and also appreciated her wonderful performance on New Year’s Night. He also shared a video of himself from the event on his Instagram account. In the beginning of the video, fans can be seen taking selfies with Junaid Khan. Then Amisha Patel performs a dance sequence at the event, while at the end, the two actors can be seen having what looks like a very pleasant conversation with each other.

    Maybe the two can star in a future project soon. Fans would certainly love to see that.

  • I had to leave: Pakistani-American Hamna Zafar escaped forced marriage to pursue dreams in America

    I had to leave: Pakistani-American Hamna Zafar escaped forced marriage to pursue dreams in America

    At age 19, Hamna Zafar knew she would lose her family unless she agreed to an arranged marriage with her cousin in Pakistan. However, the dutiful daughter rebelled and opted to escape to a future in America. She is now serving in the US Air Force.

    Recounting her journey to PEOPLE, Hamna says, “I always thought about my parents. I always thought about my family. I always thought about my sisters, but that night I thought about me.”

    As a child, Hamna Zafar says, her parents didn’t mind her getting an education but insisted that she would eventually settle down as a wife and mother with a husband chosen by them.


    “I was just expecting my family to kind of get used to the culture in the United States,” she says. “Growing up, they never really mentioned arranged marriage.”


    That all changed when the college freshman went to visit Pakistan for a family trip in 2019, only to discover she was there for her engagement.
    On her return to the U.S., Hamna tried to reason with her mom.


    “My parents are very traditional and never adapted to American culture,” Hamna says. “That’s why they took me to Pakistan to get me engaged.”
    When her parents learned of her plan to join the military to escape her fate, Hamna panicked.


    “I was completely dependent on them,” Hamna says. “But I knew I had to leave.”


    Her friend’s family sheltered her and they have been with her to date.


    She knew that by taking that step, she would lose her extended family in Pakistan and that her parents would never forgive her — and deny her contact with her two beloved younger sisters.


    It was a route that Hamna, who grew up in Maryland in an immigrant family, never thought she would have to take. An obedient child who got good grades, Hamna — who now spends her days protecting the base as an Air Force Security Defender — says she stayed close to home, cared for her sister with autism, and planned on starting a career after college.


    Hamna shares that she faced a culture shock when she started training for the Air Force.


    “I didn’t have any idea of what boot camp was going to look like. I watched a few videos to give myself an image of what was going to happen,” Hamna says. “It was definitely an eye-opening experience.”


    The most difficult point for her was when she graduated from basic training and wanted her family to see her and all that she had accomplished. She says she has tried to contact her family many times, but they have not responded.


    “I wanted them to be proud of me for who I am and share that with them,” Hamna says. “I really wanted them to see that their daughter has so much potential in her.”

  • You will never guess which actor is going to play Donald Trump in biopic

    You will never guess which actor is going to play Donald Trump in biopic

    Bad day for fans of hot actors, me thinks.

    An upcoming biopic titled ‘The Apprentice’ is set to explore the life of controversial real estate businessman and former president Donald Trump, tracing the rise of his business empire in the 70’s and 80’s. The film will also star ‘Succession’ alum Jeremy Strong and Oscar nominee Maria Bakalov as the late Ivana, Trump’s first wife.

    There were big questions about who will play Trump, and we couldn’t have been more surprised that the final name is…… Sebastian Stan.

    Y’all see the resemblance? Yeah, me neither.

    The film was announced in 2018, with Iranian filmmaker Ali Abbasi set to direct and co-write the project along with Gabriel Sherman. Abbasi’s previous credits including directing the last two episodes of HBO original series ‘The Last Of Us’. He has also received the Un Certain Regard from the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Border’ (2018).

  • Fulbright scholarship: TOEFL replaced by Duolingo English Test for 2025

    Fulbright scholarship: TOEFL replaced by Duolingo English Test for 2025

    The United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP) has announced an update in the language proficiency test for the Fulbright Scholarship Program for the year 2025.

    Applicants were previously required to pass TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), which will now be replaced by the Duolingo English Test.

    Fulbright scholarship program: Duolingo english test replaces TOEFL for 2025

    The eligibility criteria for the Fulbright Scholarship Program, however, is the same as before.

    A generously funded scholarship programme, Fulbright is open for all Pakistanis citizens with a strong academic background, who commit to return back and serve Pakistan.

    Preference is given to women, individuals with disabilities, and those hailing from specific regions such as Balochistan, Northern Sindh, Southern Punjab, KP, AJK, and GB.

    Application and documentation

    Prospective applicants are required to submit an application form along with three reference letters, a GRE score report, and scanned transcripts.

    Deadline and submission

    The deadline for applications for the 2025 Fulbright Scholarship Program is February 28, 2024, accessible through the USEFP’s website.

  • Former US diplomat charged with hate crime over Islamophobic comments

    Former US diplomat charged with hate crime over Islamophobic comments

    Security advisor to former president Barack Obama, Stuart Seldowitz, who was recorded on video spewing Islamophobic slurs at a halal food vendor in Manhattan, has now been arrested and is facing multiple charges.

    The New York Police Department has reportedly charged Seldowitz with “aggravated harassment in the second degree, harassment, hate crime/stalking, stalking to cause fear, and stalking at place of employment”, according to communication NYPD shared with Documented.

    The video has been circulating on social media where he can be seen calling the man “terrorist”.

    “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It wasn’t enough”, he added while the vendor insists Seldowitz to leave.

    Seldowitz approached the food vendor twice after the first incident.

    In one of the videos, he alludes to his “friends in immigration” saying, “the Mukhabarat wants your picture,” apparently making reference to an Egyptian intelligence agency.

    “The Mukhabarat in Egypt will get your parents. Does your father like his fingernails? They’ll take them out one by one,” he continues.

    Since October 7, when Hamas allegedly attacked Israel which led to Israeli attacks on Gaza, islamophobia has reportedly increased in America.

    The New York Times reported that on Tuesday, the police said that no reports had been filed against Seldowitz, but they “confirmed that the commanding officer of the 19th Precinct was aware of the videos and that precinct personnel were monitoring the situation”.

    NYT also writes that Seldowitz gave a phone interview in which he claims to have not seen the viral videos and that it all started when he asked the vendor if he was Egyptian. According to Seldowitz, the man supported Hamas although no such claims are recorded on any of the videos circulating the internet.

    “At that point, I got rather upset and I’ve said things to him, that in retrospect, I probably regret, though — that I do regret,” Seldowitz said. “Instead of focusing in on him and what he said, I expanded into insulting his religion and so on.”

    He further said that he returned to the vendor to ask him whether he was “still a supporter of Hamas,” adding that “I was upset at the fact that he was selling food in a neighborhood in New York.”

    And while he is captured giving extremely offensive comments in relation to Islam, Seldowitz denies being Islamophobic.

    “I’ve worked with Muslims,” he said, stating that “I have many people who are Muslims and Arabs and so on, who know me very well and who know that I’m not prejudiced against them.”

  • Pro-Palestinian students, protest groups suppressed in American schools, universities

    Three separate cases of suppression of pro-Palestinian students and groups have been reported in America in just one day as voices are raised higher against the genocide of Gaza. Israeli tanks have forced citizens of Northern Gaza to walk countless miles towards the South with their hands in the air, a scene that has been described as “The Second Nakba”.

    Columbia University announced that they are suspending pro-Palestine groups ‘Jewish Voice For Peace’ and ‘Students For Justice In Palestine’- both comprised majorly of Jewish students- who called for a ceasefire.

    Columnist and writer Fatima Bhutto, a Columbia alum, slammed the decision.

    Columbia University is the institute where famous academic Edward Said taught, who dedicated his life to bringing the occupation of Palestine to light.

    The current president of Columbia University, Egyptian-American economist Nemat Talaat Shafik, is drawing outrage from social media users.

    At Harvard University, a black student was evicted from campus housing for acting as a student safety marshal during the protests.

    Previously, pro-Palestinian supporters at Harvard were doxxed after an open letter by the Harvard Palestine Solidarity Committee condemned the genocide of Gaza.

    In California, a 13-year-old Palestinian boy was suspended for three days by Corona Del Mar School for responding ‘Free Palestine’ to racists who were bullying him. The school notice was shared on social media by journalist Amina Waheed, who said that the school admin told the boy’s aunt saying ‘Free Palestine’ was akin to calling for the death of all Jews.

    The action against students takes place while several documented cases of Islamophobia, racism towards Palestinians have come to light. On October 17, a Palestinian-American boy was stabbed to death by his neighbour. On October 30, Pakistani-American doctor Talat Jehan Khan was stabbed out side her apartment complex in Texas.

    Social media users showed outrage at Corona del Mar High School and the racism shown towards Palestinian children.

  • Renowned Washington Post faced extreme backlash for cartoon dehumanising Palestinian children, deleted later

    Renowned Washington Post faced extreme backlash for cartoon dehumanising Palestinian children, deleted later

    Washington Post was slammed on the internet on Wednesday for a racist cartoon dehumanising the Palestinians. Right now the number of Gazans killed in Israeli airstrikes has reached 10,000. The cartoon has since been deleted, while Post has put out an editorial note.

    The offensive drawing shows a crudely drawn Arabic man labeled Hamas with three children and a woman tied around him with ropes.

    “This is the kind of anti-Palestinian racism that they think is acceptable for publication,” slammed Palestinian poet Remi Kanazi.

    Palestinian journalist Ahmed Eldin re-shared the post to point out how the racism Palestinians are enduring in the Western media is similar to how the Jews were drawn as evil with physical features that compared them to rats or cockroaches.

    “Before the Holocaust, Jews were portrayed as irrational and evil, with physical features that made them appear akin to cockroaches and rats. These images dehumanized Jews to justify their mass extermination. Now, the Western press is doing the same to Palestinians. The source of this obscene and offensive piece of propaganda masquerading as a “political cartoon” by Michael Pramirez is not a lesser-known publication, but rather the widely recognized

    @washingtonpost. Regardless of the validity of the claims regarding Hamas using human shields, the notion that thousands of children being killed can be justified or deemed acceptable as collateral damage is absolutely unacceptable. The dehumanization of Palestinians, which serves as a pretext to permit and rationalize their mass killing, is a disturbing trend that seems to have no boundaries within American discussions and debates.”

    ‘What’s more troubling than this racist depiction,” Palestinian-American poet Mohammad El-Kurd wrote. “Is that the Washington Post thinks it’s OK to kill civilians if, hypothetically, ‘terrorists’ hid behind them. Even if the “human-shields” myth was true, only those who kill civilians are responsible for the act of killing.”

    Columnist and writer Fatima Bhutto tweeted her outrage:

    “This cartoon is so anti-Muslim, so racist it boggles the mind that any newspaper could print it. Beyond which, Israel has murdered over 4,000 children- do you have absolutely no shame depicting Palestinian children in this manner? What a disgrace.”

    The Washington Post opinion editor David Shipley published an apology for the cartoon on their website and took it down:

    “A cartoon we published by Michael Ramirez on the war in Gaza, a cartoon whose publication I approved, was seen by many readers as racist. This was not my intent. I saw the drawing as a caricature of a specific individual, the Hamas spokesperson who celebrated the attacks on unarmed civilians in Israel. However, the reaction to the image convinced me that I had missed something profound, and divisive, and I regret that. Our section is aimed at finding commonalities, understanding the bonds that hold us together, even in the darkest times.”

  • The rising call of #CeasefireNow in Europe and America

    The rising call of #CeasefireNow in Europe and America

    As the War on Gaza is entering its fifth week, calls for a ceasefire and an end to genocide can be heard all around the world but the most striking is the response from the Western countries where people are principally supporting Palestine. However, their governments are either responding diplomatically or are siding with Israel.

    USA

    Last week, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s testimony before the Senate committee was interrupted by protestors calling for “ceasefire now”. Blinken was there to ask for emergency funding for Israel by the administration. The demonstrators kept shouting “Save the children of Gaza, cease-fire now. Where is your pride in America. Stop the brutal massacre.”
    Their hands were painted red. Protesters also chanted in unison, “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go.” They were arrested and dragged out of the hall.


    This isn’t it. Hundreds of protestors have come to protest outside White House and inside the Capitol Hill building while many more are on the roads marching and protesting against Biden’s administration, questioning the aid of $14.5 billion that has been given from taxpayer money.

    United Kingdom

    The UK is seeing a very hostile political environment. Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition, is under fire for siding with Israel’s destructive tactics. He said, “I understand the calls for a ceasefire, at this stage, I do not believe that is the correct position.” Protestors gathered outside his residence and got their disapproval registered.

    More than 60 Labour MPs have called for a ceasefire while one of the Labour MPs Andy McDonald has been suspended because of seeming “deeply offensive” comments at a pro-Palestinian rally.
    Masses are protesting in huge numbers on the road and criticising the politicians who are opposing the ceasefire.

    France

    France has banned citizens from pro-Palestine marches but according to the leading newspaper France24, thousands of demonstrators have joined the pro-Palestinian march in Paris, calling for an urgent ceasefire even though the President of the country flew to Israel to show his solidarity with its government. They remain uninhibited by the country’s official allegiance with Israel.

    https://youtu.be/18OPeZtWgX0?si=NYF1oRB1qQW36nwx

    Germany

    Germany sees the pleas of Palestinians as synonymous with the activities of Hamas because it has banned all activities of Hamas from the country. This is the government’s attempt to hamper all the pro-Palestinian marches and protests. Additionally, schools in Berlin have been given permission to ban the traditional Palestinian headdress, the keffiyeh. Palestinian activists however have dubbed this as coming from a place of “historic guilt”.

    Italy

    Italy’s Georgia Meloni also paid a visit to Israel and stated that the real purpose of the Hamas attack was to create an “Unbridgeable gap between the Israelis and Palestinians, meaning that the target is all of us and we cannot fall into this trap, which would be very stupid.” Contrary to the opinion of the PM, Rome saw a protest of thousands chanting, “From River to the Sea, Palestine will be free.”

    https://youtu.be/a07wKfUm0gs?si=7a–SbnRUkHKUlPg

    Spain

    Spain is one major country from Europe which has gained the ire of Israel but has persisted in calling out the atrocities befallen by Israel on the Gaza strip. Spanish Minister of Social Rights, Ione Belorra, asked for bringing Netanyahu before the International Criminal Court for all the crimes he has committed.

    The Israeli government in response accused them of siding with Hamas. Unfazed, Spain’s premier Pedro Sanchez echoed public opinion by calling for a ceasefire. Thousands of people in different cities of the country also came out in support of Palestine.

    Ireland

    Ireland is leading the demands as always, having supported the Palestinian state since the 1980s. Irish leadership along with the Spanish heads have raised their concerns on the grander scale of the EU in favour of Palestine. Irish PM (taoiseach) Leo Varadkar has openly called out Israel for subjecting Palestinians to collective punishment. “What I’m seeing unfolding at the moment isn’t just self-defence. It looks, something more approaching revenge,” Varadkar said.

    Scotland

    Scottish First Minister Hamza Yousuf has repeatedly expressed his support for Palestine. His in-laws were trapped in Gaza leaving him fearful of the situation at the strip.

    The major showdown that happened was at the Celtic Park arena in a match between Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid. The crowd of more than 60,000 went against the warnings of the administration and literally showed up as the “Green Brigade” holding flags of Palestine. They wanted to prove themselves to be on the “right side of history.”

    The response by the West has been rather calculated and gets tweaked from time to time but the purpose here is to show that the stance of the governments is hardly a testament to public sentiment when it comes to international issues. The overwhelming response of the public manifests that better sense must prevail and that an immediate ceasefire is the need of the hour.