Creating new perspectives since 2009
Items by Dr Daud Abdullah
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As Jamal Khashoggi's friend and one of the last people to see him before he disappeared, these are my thoughts
As we sat for dinner after the conference, Jamal pointed out to me some of the negative tweets that were posted by his Saudi critics. He, like many compatriots, had been criticial of some Saudi politics – though he loved the people of the region unreservedly...
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The truth about Corbyn and the Rabaa massacre
Desperate people do desperate things. They often discredit themselves and undermine their causes. Jeremy Corbyn’s critics fell into this trap when they attempted to smear him by publishing a photograph of him making the Rabaa hand gesture. The Daily Telegraph, one of several newspapers to publish the photo, believes it...
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The American people must stand up and be counted against the Gaza blockade
In a rare act of political intervention, former US First Lady Laura Bush rebuked the Trump administration for its “zero-tolerance” policy toward illegal migrants. Writing in The Washington Post on 17 June she condemned the policy as cruel and immoral. She added: “And it breaks my heart.” Between 5 May and...
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The Singapore summit is a wake-up call. The US is a threat to world peace
After all the hype the Singapore summit turned out to be damp squib. Apart from the spectacular photo opportunities, the meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un produced no groundbreaking agreement. If anything, Trump was outfoxed by his North Korean counterpart. In this there is a wake up call for...
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Today it’s the Golan Heights, tomorrow it will be Medina
Israelis believe they have never had it this good. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regularly brags about it. He claims that apart from a few non-conformists, most Arab countries have secretly normalised relations with Israel. Despite their public statements, they have, to all intents and purposes, abandoned the Palestinian cause. But...
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Open letter to President Mahmoud Abbas
Dear President Abbas You have every right to withdraw recognition Let me begin by offering my warmest greetings on the occasion of the blessed month of Ramadan and to wish you continued good health. The events of the last few days have presented you with a rare opportunity, one that may...
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Al Jazeera investigates: Islamophobia incorporated
Al Jazeera’s Investigations Unit has exposed the breath-taking speed with which Islamophobia is spreading in American society...
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Intervention in the Middle East is always about national interests, not human suffering
Shortly after the missile attack on Syria, US Commander-in-Chief Donald Trump bragged in his usual pompous way that it was “mission accomplished”. In Britain, there was no such display of hubris. Prime Minister Theresa May was, instead, forced to explain to parliament why she ordered the attack without consulting...
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Free at last: A UN without US diplomatic blackmail
Not for the first time, the free world has stood up for truth and justice in Palestine. The General Assembly’s vote against President Trump’s decision on Jerusalem was a victory for the rule of law over the law of the jungle. It now leaves both the US and Israel...
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Kurdish independence will see Iraq disintegrate; it’s Israel’s dream scenario
With the Kurdish referendum to separate from Iraq done and dusted, Israel’s ambitions in that country are all but complete. For many years, Israeli strategists and politicians alike have made no secret of their ambition to bring about the dissolution of the Arab states; Iraq, unfortunately, has been a...
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Israel should back-off; Africa does not need a modern colonial master
The Twittersphere went into overdrive immediately after the cancellation of the controversial African-Israeli summit. “When you are on an Apartheid selling roadshow Africans don’t buy it,” tweeted the South African Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. In doing so, the South Africans had actually spoken for the whole continent. Having...
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Education is a right being denied to Palestinian children, and Israel is the culprit
Do you remember that sense of excitement on your first day back at school? The delight of being promoted to a new class, the joy of meeting friends old and new, and reconnecting with teachers? They were all part of the experience that made, for most people, primary and...
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Israel’s worthless price tag for the Aqsa uprising
After the humiliating setback at Al-Aqsa Mosque, it was inevitable that Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would retaliate. His move has come sooner than expected with the detention of Sheikh Raed Salah, leader of the Islamic movement in Israel, along with heightened repression of Israel’s Palestinian citizens. In the...
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Rabaa set a precedent. Even massacres in Rwanda, Sudan and Kenya were not against their own people
In August 2013, Egyptian forces killed more than a 1000 protesters during a sit-in at Cairo’s Rabaa square...
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Kushner's comments about peace present the Palestinians with a way out of the current shambles
Media leaks from within the White House are nothing new; all US administrations have had to deal with them. In the case of the Trump presidency, however, the shadowy practice has risen to an alarming level. Every new leak leaves the president looking more and more like an emperor...
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If Al-Aqsa is to be protected long-term, Israel’s occupation must end
Palestinian resistance against Israel’s brutal occupation is littered with many setbacks. The latest confrontation over Al Aqsa Mosque was, however, a rare example of success. Israel’s fifty-year efforts to change the status quo in the Noble Sanctuary were dealt a major blow last week, one that highlighted several important...
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Al-Aqsa has been abandoned by those who profess the leadership of the Muslim world
Unrest engulfs Al-Aqsa Mosque after Israel closed it for prayer ...
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As Arab states revel in their links with Israel, the Palestinians remain indomitable
Throughout the ten year Israeli-led blockade of the Gaza Strip only one Arab head of state has visited the territory. In October 2012, the then Emir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, went to Gaza to see for himself the devastation caused by Israel’s military offensives. Since then,...
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Hamas outlines its vision for Palestine in the 21st century
One hundred years of oppression have not diminished or erased the Palestinian hope for freedom. Throughout this year, 2017, they are marking the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, which started their tragedy. The occasion is about the past, as well as the future. And, it is in this...
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PA President Mahmoud Abbas needs to decide which side he’s on
It is perfectly normal for Palestinians to have political differences with the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), but it is wholly unacceptable for any Palestinian, official or otherwise, to call for the destruction and burning of the Gaza Strip in order to crush the group. Such threats are manifestly shameful...
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How Bashar Al-Assad rescued Trump
By one single act of pure evil Bashar Al-Assad has rescued the Trump presidency. Since his inauguration in January 2017, Donald Trump has struggled to get his administration up and running. At the heart of his troubles is the ongoing FBI investigation into possible collusion between his election campaign team and the...
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Blackmailing the UN is not an option for civilised states
Israel’s decision to cut its annual contribution to the United Nations is mean-spirited and infantile. After committing itself to pay $11.7 million to the international organisation in 2017, the Netanyahu government has decided to slash $2 million from that sum, in addition to the $6 million that was cut...
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By arresting its co-founder, Israel has confirmed BDS as a strategic threat
It is now one week since the Israeli authorities arrested Omar Barghouti, a co-founder of the Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment (BDS) movement in Palestine. His arrest follows years of intimidation and threats by various state agencies. If the purpose is to isolate and silence Barghouti, his arrest was, at...
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The Human Rights Council must take a stand against Israeli apartheid; it’s the least it can do
Multilateral institutions can either be tiresome talking shops or dynamic vehicles of change. The United Nations is a prime example. Although its purpose is undeniably laudable, its record of achievements is dreadful, especially on the issue of human rights. Ten years ago, just after becoming Secretary-General of the UN, the...