Arab countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, and Jordan, condemned the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by Jewish settlers, and the tearing up of copies of the Holy Qur’an by a Dutch extremist in front of a number of embassies in The Hague.
In separate statements issued by their foreign ministries on Sunday, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt condemned the Israeli storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque, calling on the international community to take action to stop these attacks.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed in a statement , "The Kingdom's condemnation of the repeated provocative practices carried out by a group of extremists in Al-Aqsa Mosque under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces."
In a Foreign Ministry statement , Qatar condemned “the storming of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque by hundreds of settlers under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces,” and considered it “a blatant violation of international law and international legitimacy resolutions.”
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also condemned in a statement "the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque by extremists and allowing them to engage in provocative practices that violate the sanctity of the mosque and Islamic cemeteries, with the protection of the Israeli police."
For its part, Egypt condemned in a Foreign Ministry statement the storming, and considered that "this step represents a new episode in a series of escalatory measures that provoke the feelings of millions of Muslims around the world."
About 317 settlers stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, according to the Islamic Endowments Department in Jerusalem, where some of them performed Talmudic prayers.
Condemnation of tearing up the Qur’an
In a separate context, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Jordan condemned in other statements the incidents of tearing up copies of the Holy Qur’an in front of a number of embassies in The Hague on Saturday.
In a second statement , the Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed the Kingdom's "strong condemnation and denunciation of an extremist group tearing up copies of the Holy Qur’an in front of a number of embassies in The Hague."
In a statement , the State of Qatar strongly condemned the tearing up of copies of the Holy Qur’an in front of the embassies of a number of countries in the Dutch city of The Hague, considering this heinous incident to be a planned act of incitement that deliberately arouses public opinion and inflames the feelings of Muslims.
The Jordanian Foreign Ministry also condemned in a second statement the incident that occurred on Saturday in front of a number of embassies in The Hague, stressing Jordan’s rejection of “these irresponsible actions that provoke the feelings of about a billion Muslims around the world.”
On Saturday, Edwin Wagensfeld, the leader of the Dutch branch of the racist and far-right movement “European Patriots Against the Islamization of the West” (Pegida), tore up copies of the Holy Qur’an in front of the embassies of a number of in The Hague, Netherlands.
Block 9 : Will Lebanon be saved from its economic crisis?
After the arrival of a Lebanese exploration ship last August, Block 9 became the hope of the Lebanese in its ability to overcome the economic crisis that the country is going through.
The Lebanese are looking forward to oil and gas exploration operations in Block No. 9 in Lebanese territorial waters, as they are greatly optimistic.
Last week, Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati said at the United Nations: “Allow me to record Lebanon’s satisfaction with the start of the process of exploring for oil and gas in its territorial waters, and its desire to play a constructive role in the future in the fields of energy in the Mediterranean Basin.”
The Lebanese Minister of Public Works and Transport, Ali Hamiyah, announced in mid-August the arrival of an oil and gas exploration ship in Block No. 9 in the south of the country on the border with Israel.
In February 2018, Lebanon signed a contract with a coalition of oil companies led by Total, which includes Italy's Eni and Russia's Novatek - which later withdrew and was replaced by Qatar Energy - to explore for oil and gas in its territorial waters.
Excavation stages
Executive Director of the Petroleum and Energy Sustainability Organization, Marwan Abdullah, revealed the stages that exploration is going through.
He said: “After the exploration ship arrives, the ground or special base is prepared for laying underwater pipes, and this is what the operating company began in late August in Block No. 9.”
He pointed out that there are two stages: “The first is the stage above the surface of the sea to its bottom, then drilling takes place at the bottom,” pointing out that each stage of excavation requires about 68 days or 3 months according to sea conditions and winter weather.
Estimates for Block 9
According to oil experts, several data raise high hopes for Block No. 9.
Abdullah explains that the first data indicates that the area in which drilling is taking place is “virgin” and has not been drilled previously, so the probability of finding oil or gas the first time in it ranges between 22% and 27%.
He added: "The second factor is that oil was found in the blocks adjacent to Block No. 9 in Israel (Karesh) and Cyprus (Aphrodite), so there is a high probability that quantities will also be found in the Lebanese block."
Trust in the state
For his part, Lebanese economic expert Imad Akoush said: “Excavation for Block No. 9 has begun, We are confident in the state’s ability to manage the file.”
He stressed that "one of the benefits of any nearby discoveries is that it will enhance confidence in the Lebanese economy, even if only in a relative way."
He added: “In the coming months, if it is confirmed that there is gas in the sea, confidence in the Lebanese economy and the country’s currency will be strengthened, and foreign companies can return to bidding for other blocks.”
According to unofficial statistics, the size of Lebanon’s marine reserves of gas is estimated at 96 trillion cubic feet, and of oil at 865 million barrels.
Azerbaijan : The city of Shusha is the capital of Islamic culture for the year 2024
The Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture announced that the city of Shusha, the pearl of cities of the Nagorno-Karabakh region, was chosen as the capital of Islamic culture for the year 2024. Shusha is considered the historical capital and the pearl of the cities liberated in the Azerbaijani “Karabakh” region from the Armenian occupation in 2020.
The city of Shusha, the pearl of cities of the Karabakh region, was chosen on Monday as the Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2024.
A statement issued by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture stated that its Minister, Adil Karimli, participated in the 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture of the Islamic World in the Qatari capital, Doha.
He stated that Karimli proposed to the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) during the conference, naming Shusha the Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2024.
The statement added that Krelmi's proposal was unanimously welcomed to make Shusha the "Capital of Islamic Culture for the year 2024."
Shusha is considered the historical capital and the pearl of the cities liberated in the Azerbaijani Karabakh region from the Armenian occupation in 2020.
The city was built in 1752, by the founder of the Karabakh Khanate, Panah Ali Khan, and is of great importance to Azerbaijanis because it contains many historical monuments and is the birthplace of many prominent scholars and cultural figures in the country’s history.
Armenian forces occupied the city on May 8, 1992, before liberating it by the Azerbaijani army on November 8, 2020.
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