GENEVA: UN experts on Tuesday condemned Israel’s “harassment” of human rights defenders and humanitarian workers in the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta villages, where Israel has a military zone.
The special rapporteurs insisted such harassment must stop, and said residents continue to be threatened by the risk of forcible transfer, including mass forced evictions and arbitrary displacement.
“Israeli authorities’ hubris is proving without limits. They are even harassing human rights defenders and humanitarian workers seeking to support and protect people facing grave human rights violations in Masafer Yatta,” the four experts said in a joint statement.
“This is a direct assault on the core of human rights and international humanitarian law... this also confirms that impunity over abuse of power fosters power to abuse.”
The case of Masafer Yatta — or Firing Zone 918 — an agricultural area near Hebron, has been one of Israel’s longest running legal battles.
In the early 1980s, the army declared the 30-square-kilometer (12-square-mile) territory a restricted military area and claimed it was uninhabited.
Residents of eight villages had been in court for around 20 years fighting Israeli government efforts to evict them.
But in May this year, Israel’s High Court approved the eviction of Palestinian villagers to make way for a military training zone.
“The tragic implications of that decision are now before our eyes: roughly 1,200 Palestinian residents in Masafer Yatta are left defenseless in front of the threat of forced eviction and arbitrary displacement,” said the experts, who do not speak for the United Nations but are mandated to report their findings to it.
The statement was penned by a special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory as well as rapporteurs on internally displaced persons, adequate housing, and the situation of human rights defenders.
They voiced dismay at reports that human rights defenders and humanitarian workers have been harassed by the Israeli military in Masafer Yatta.
“They have been stopped and detained for several hours at checkpoints and had their identification documents or cars confiscated, often on grounds that they had entered a closed military site without permission,” their statement said.
The experts expressed particular concern for Sami Hureini, a prominent human rights defender and member of the “Youth of Sumud” activist group “engaged in peaceful resistance against illegal settlements in the southern Hebron hills.”
On June 28, he was reportedly arrested at a checkpoint in Masafer Yatta and detained by the military for several hours, the experts said.
“He is currently being tried in the Ofer Military Court for allegedly obstructing and assaulting a soldier and entering a closed military zone, following his participation in a peaceful demonstration on 8 January 2021,” they said.
Hureini’s attorney, Riham Nasra, said her legal team has presented “hundreds of photos and videos” to disprove the allegations against her client.
“Five activists who were near Sami during the protest testified that at no point did Sami resort to violence,” Nasra told AFP in a statement.
The Israeli military and the country’s foreign ministry did not immediately comment on the remarks by the UN experts.
The Israeli army told AFP that Hureini had been “charged for his participation in a violent demonstration against soldiers and inciting other demonstrators to violence against the security forces.”
UN experts slam Israel’s ‘harassment’ in West Bank
https://arab.news/n93tb
UN experts slam Israel’s ‘harassment’ in West Bank
- The special rapporteurs insisted such harassment must stop, and said residents continue to be threatened by the risk of forcible transfer
- The case of Masafer Yatta -- or Firing Zone 918 -- an agricultural area near Hebron, has been one of Israel's longest running legal battles
Egypt’s historic mosques drenched in spirituality during Ramadan
- Arab News visits some of Cairo’s most historic mosques, including Al-Azhar, Sultan Hassan, and Amr ibn Al-As
- ‘I have experienced an exceptional atmosphere in Egypt during Ramadan,’ says Mazen, a student at Al-Azhar University who is from Java in Indonesia
CAIRO: Cairo is home to more than 400 Islamic landmarks that represent a rich diversity of heritage and architectural styles, and the already spiritual atmosphere in the Egyptian capital receives a boost during Ramadan.
During the first week of the holy month, Arab News visited some of the city’s most historic mosques, including Al-Azhar, Sultan Hassan, and Amr ibn Al-As.
Al-Azhar Mosque hosts iftar, the evening meal that breaks the daily fast during Ramadan, at which it welcomes students from more than 100 countries as well as faculty members from Al-Azhar University. Thousands sit in organized circles throughout the mosque as they enjoy their meals.
“This is the third year I have attended this iftar since joining Al-Azhar University to study at the Faculty of Usul Al-Din (Islamic Theology),” Mazen, a student from Java in Indonesia, told Arab News. “I have experienced an exceptional atmosphere in Egypt during Ramadan.”
Gamal Abdel Rahim, a professor of Islamic antiquities, told Arab News that iftar tables first appeared in Egyptian mosques during the era of Ahmad ibn Tulun, founder of the Tulunid dynasty (835 to 884 A.D.). They became more widespread during the Mamluk and Fatimid periods at places of worship such as Amr ibn Al-As Mosque, one of the oldest in the country. The tradition continues.
“Ramadan preparations in Egypt’s historic mosques usually begin in the months of Rajab and Shaban, during which the mosque carpets are replaced,” Abdel Rahim said. “In olden times, mishkat (lamps) were filled with fresh olive oil during Ramadan.”
In the days of the Tulunid dynasty, he added, Ahmad ibn Tulun regulated working hours during Ramadan so that mosque workers could return home to their families after Asr prayer.
One of the most distinctive features of the holy month in Egypt is the firing of the Ramadan cannon, he said, a tradition that began in 1454 A.D. during the era of Sultan Khushqadam Al-Ahmadi.
“This ritual continues, linking modern practices to centuries of Islamic heritage,” he added.
At the Sultan Hussein Mosque, where original features of its construction in 1356 A.D. have been preserved, a large number of Muslims perform Taraweeh (late-night) prayers during Ramadan enveloped in a deeply spiritual and serene atmosphere that reflects the historical and religious significance of the mosque.
The mosque is also distinguished by its school, which is dedicated to teaching the four main schools of Sunni jurisprudence (Madhab). It features uniquely designed lamps that reflect the exquisite craftsmanship of its era and add to a spiritual ambiance that has attracted worshippers and scholars for centuries.
At Amr ibn Al-As Mosque, worshippers who gather for Isha and Taraweeh prayers are immersed in an atmosphere of devotion. The mosque is particularly notable for the magnificent dome at the center of its courtyard, which is a hallmark of its historic and architectural significance.
In areas around Egypt’s historic mosques, traditional lanterns and Ramadan decorations adorn the streets as Egyptians gather in these historic districts at night during the holy month to celebrate and socialize into the early hours, creating a lively and festive atmosphere that blends tradition and spirituality with communal joy.
