The aspiration of the Media Review Network is to dispel the myths and stereotypes about Islam and Muslims and to foster bridges of understanding among the diverse people of our country. The Media Review Network believes that Muslim perspectives on issues impacting on South Africans are a prerequisite to a better appreciation of Islam.
New aid convoy to leave Scotland in coming weeks
by Saed Bannoura
A new convoy carrying medical and humanitarian supplies will be leaving Scotland in the coming weeks heading to the Gaza Strip. Scottish parliamentarian, Pauline McNeill,will be heading the convoy.
Pauline McNeill has been campaigning for peace and justice in Palestine since she was a student leader in the 1980s.
Haniyeh meets Northern Ireland’s Adams in Gaza
Hanieyh (L) with Adams (R) [Ma’anImages]
Gaza – Ma’an/Agencies – De facto Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met with Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams in Gaza on Wednesday evening.
The Irish leader is in the region to promote peace negotiations among all the parties to the conflict, including, implicitly, Hamas. Adams himself is the leader of a previously-stigmatized party that has now made peace with the UK and is part of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland.
Obama pick quits over Israel lobby
The candidate for a leading US intelligence post has withdrawn his nomination after accusing the country’s Israel lobby of plumbing "the depths of dishonour and indecency" to assassinate his character.
Charles "Chas" Freeman, a former US ambassador who is now president of the Middle East Policy Council think-tank, had initially agreed to chair the US National Intelligence Council that produces assessments of security issues.
Read More »Obama pick quits over Isarael lobby
Israel’s War Crimes
Calls for investigation into Gaza attacks
by Richard Falk
For the first time since the establishment of Israel in 1948 the government is facing serious allegations of war crimes from respected public figures throughout the world. Even the secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, normally so cautious about offending sovereign states – especially those aligned with its most influential member, the United States – has joined the call for an investigation and potential accountability. To grasp the significance of these developments it is necessary to explain what made the 22 days of attacks in Gaza stand shockingly apart from the many prior recourses to force by Israel to uphold its security and strategic interests.
In my view, what made the Gaza attacks launched on 27 December different from the main wars fought by Israel over the years was that the weapons and tactics used devastated an essentially defenceless civilian population. The one-sidedness of the encounter was so stark, as signalled by the relative casualties on both sides (more than 100 to 1; 1300-plus Palestinians killed compared with 13 Israelis, and several of these by friendly fire), that most commentators refrained from attaching the label "war".