Arab Americans mourn Francis, a pope who had great sympathy for Palestinian and Arab suffering

Pope Francis, the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church, died of a stroke on April 21, 2025. (AFP)
Pope Francis, the 88-year-old reformer who inspired devotion but riled traditionalists during 12 years leading the Catholic Church, died of a stroke on April 21, 2025. (AFP)
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Updated 23 April 2025
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Arab Americans mourn Francis, a pope who had great sympathy for Palestinian and Arab suffering

Arab Americans mourn Francis, a pope who had great sympathy for Palestinian and Arab suffering
  • Pope Francis expressed more concern for suffering of Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians and Iraqis than previous popes, says Rev. Samer Al-Sawalha of Good Shepherd Arab Catholic church in California
  • Imad Hamad, head of American Human Rights Council says the pope ‘championed social justice, migrants’ rights and global peace’ and stood in ‘solidarity with the poor and marginalized’

CHICAGO: Leaders of the Arab American Catholic community are this week mourning the death of Pope Francis who, to them, was an outspoken champion of Arab and Palestinian rights.

Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, died at the age of 88 on Monday in the Vatican after a long illness, the day after Christians around the world celebrated a rare convergence of both the traditional and Orthodox Easter holidays.

During his 12-year papacy, he was vocal in his support of all those suffering in the world, and maintained a special place in his sermons and public remarks for addressing the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza in particular, Arab American Catholic leaders said.




Father Samer AlSawalha, Priest at The Good Shepherd Arab Catholic Church.

Rev. Samer Al-Sawalha of the Good Shepherd Arab Catholic church, a growing Arab parish in California, told Arab News: “Pope Francis was against war, especially in the Middle East, and all the conflicts in the world.

“He always supported the Christian community, especially in the Holy Land. When he visited the Middle East, he visited different areas and always showed that the Catholic Church cared about Arab Christians, who are unfortunately now a minority in the Middle East.”

Popes might not wield “political power” but they have “a powerful moral power” that can influence world events, he added.

“Pope Francis was always in contact with the Catholic Church in Gaza,” he said. “He spoke every day with priests in the Gaza Strip to make sure that the Christian community there is good, and they have what they need.

“That is unusual, for a pope to be close to the Christian community in the Middle East and to have a strong position against Israel’s policies, the Gaza war, and also all the conflicts in the region.”

During Israel’s siege of Gaza, Al-Sawalha said, Pope Francis would often call the pastor of the Church of the Holy Family, a small Roman Catholic congregation in Gaza City, “just to check in.”

He said the pope had expressed more concern about the suffering of Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians and Iraqis than was often the case among his predecessors, who also preached the need for peace and an end to war and suffering.

“Popes in the past have always expressed hope for peace but Pope Francis seemed to show more than others,” Al-Sawalha said. “He kind of stepped it up a little bit, at times when it was needed, and it helped.

“It’s unusual for a pope to video call one of our priests from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem every day to check up on him, to make sure that the parish there had everything they needed.

“And even sometimes he asked them, ‘What did you eat today?’ That showed how Pope Francis really cared, not just in terms of politics and all the fancy words, but that he really cared for the people and what they were experiencing.”

Al-Sawalha said the pope was very popular among the congregation of his parish in San Jose, which consists of about 120 mainly Jordanian and Palestinian families, along with Syrian, Lebanese, Egyptian and Sudanese immigrants.

“His concern for the Palestinians of Gaza left a huge impact on the Christian community in general,” he added. “It shows that the Catholic Church is concerned about them, and a struggle that sometimes we are not able to speak about because of the sensitivities of the situation in the Middle East, and because Christians are minority in the Middle East.

“The support of the Catholic Church, through Pope Francis, strengthened the voice of the Arab Christian community”

During his final public appearance, on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza, Father Al-Sawalha noted, adding: “That was powerful.”

Catholic cardinals from around the world have begun to gather at the Vatican for a conclave during which they will select a new pope to lead the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics. After each round of voting, the ballot cards used by the cardinals will be burned and Christians around the world will watch the chimney at the Vatican to see the color of the resulting smoke: black smoke signals that the vote was not decisive and another will be held following further deliberation, while white announces a successor has been chosen.

Only a few of the 120 cardinals who will choose the new pope are of Arab heritage, Al-Sawalha said, and he does not expect an Arab will be chosen to succeed Francis.

“But it is very important for them to show that the new pope will be someone who is close to all Christians, not just in Europe or the Middle East,” he added.

“I would like to see a new pope whose teachings are clear and who holds to traditions, the traditions of the Church, and someone who has clear vision about the teachings of the Church with a firm position on the traditions of the church.

“I also would like to see a new pope who has also the characteristics of Pope Francis, who cared about the poor, the marginalized and for social justice. That is our hope.”

Francis — born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Dec. 17, 1936 — was the first Pope from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first Jesuit.

His death was mourned not only by Catholics and Christians but by the wider Arab American and Muslim communities, too.

Imad Hamad, executive director of the American Human Rights Council, based in Dearborn, Michigan, wrote in a tribute: “Pope Francis was more than a spiritual leader; he was a humanitarian whose actions spoke louder than words. He championed social justice, migrants’ rights and global peace, living a life of profound humility and solidarity with the poor and marginalized.

“In his final Easter address, Pope Francis reaffirmed his call for peace, urging a ceasefire in Gaza and Ukraine. He condemned the violence in Gaza, describing it as ‘war’ and ‘terrorism,’ and appealed for an end to the cycle of suffering in the Holy Land. His words were a plea for humanity to rise above division and embrace compassion.”

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee praised the pope for his “concern and commitment” to the challenges facing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

“Unfortunately, Arab Christians, along with other religious minorities in the Middle East, are targeted for how they worship or who they are,” officials from the organization told Arab News.

“In what should be a time of celebration in Palestine, the birthplace of Christianity, Arab Christians are under constant bombardment from Israel. The historic Saint Porphyrius Church in Gaza City — one of the world’s oldest Christian churches — was bombed on Oct. 19, 2023, killing 18 displaced civilians sheltering inside. Many Christians have sought refuge in the few remaining churches, relying on them for basic necessities and a measure of safety.

“Before the genocide, Gaza’s Christian population numbered around 2,000, mostly Greek Orthodox. Sadly, that number continues to dwindle as deaths and displacement mount.

“Israel has destroyed over 200 cultural and historical sites, and more than 340 mosques — among them the iconic 700-year-old Great Omari Mosque. At least three churches have also been severely damaged, including Saint Porphyrius Church itself. At least 16 cemeteries have been desecrated. And Christians across the Middle East face similar threats, with key sites damaged in attacks that further endanger this small yet longstanding community.”

In his final days, Pope Francis consistently and forcefully called for a ceasefire in Gaza, condemned the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in the territory, and expressed his concern for the suffering of all people in the region.

 


Trump unveils investments to power AI boom

Trump unveils investments to power AI boom
Updated 16 July 2025
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Trump unveils investments to power AI boom

Trump unveils investments to power AI boom

PITTSBURGH: US President Donald Trump went to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to announce $92 billion in energy and infrastructure deals intended to meet big tech’s soaring demand for electricity to fuel the AI boom.

Trump made the announcement at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University, with much of the talk about beating China in the global AI race.

“Today’s commitments are ensuring that the future is going to be designed, built and made right here in Pennsylvania and right here in Pittsburgh, and I have to say, right here in the United States of America,” Trump said at the event.

The tech world has fully embraced generative AI as the next wave of technology, but fears are growing that its massive electricity needs cannot be met by current infrastructure, particularly in the United States.

Generative AI requires enormous computing power, mainly to run the energy-hungry processors from Nvidia, the California-based company that has become the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization.

Officials expect that by 2028, tech companies will need as much as five gigawatts of power for AI — enough electricity to power roughly five million homes.

Top executives from Palantir, Anthropic, Exxon and Chevron attended the event.

The funding will cover new data centers, power generation, grid infrastructure, AI training, and apprenticeship programs.

Among investments, Google committed $25 billion to build AI-ready data centers in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions.

“We support President Trump’s clear and urgent direction that our nation invest in AI... so that America can continue to lead in AI,” said Ruth Porat, Google’s president and chief investment officer.

The search engine giant also announced a partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to modernize two hydropower facilities in Pennsylvania, representing 670 MW of capacity on the regional grid.

Investment group Blackstone pledged more than $25 billion to fund new data centers and energy infrastructure.

US Senator David McCormick, from Pennsylvania, said the investments “are of enormous consequence to Pennsylvania, but they are also crucial to the future of the nation.”

His comments reflect the growing sentiment in Washington that the United States must not lose ground to China in the race to develop AI.

“We are way ahead of China and the plants are starting up, the construction is starting up,” Trump said.

The US president launched the “Stargate” project in January, aimed at investing up to $500 billion in US AI infrastructure — primarily in response to growing competition with China.

Japanese tech investor SoftBank, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and Oracle are investing $100 billion in the initial phase.

Trump has also reversed many policies adopted by the previous Biden administration that imposed checks on developing powerful AI algorithms and limits on exports of advanced technology to certain allied countries.

He is expected to outline his own blueprint for AI advancement later this month.


UK union leaders say Met police charges against Palestine activists an attack on right to protest

UK union leaders say Met police charges against Palestine activists an attack on right to protest
Updated 15 July 2025
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UK union leaders say Met police charges against Palestine activists an attack on right to protest

UK union leaders say Met police charges against Palestine activists an attack on right to protest
  • In January, the Metropolitan Police arrested over 70 people in a pro-Palestine protest, including several prominent activists
  • Union leaders called for the Met to drop charges against former NEU executive member, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

LONDON: Over 20 prominent union leaders in the UK have raised concerns about the erosion of the right to peaceful protest in the country and about the Metropolitan Police’s handling of pro-Palestinian marches.

The 22 trade union leaders criticized in a joint statement on Tuesday the Met’s decision to charge former union members who were arrested during a London protest in solidarity with Palestine.

The Met arrested over 70 people in a pro-Palestine protest on Jan. 18 in London. Among those detained were Alex Kenny, a former executive member of the National Education Union; Sophie Bolt, the general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament; Ben Jamal, the director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign; and Chris Nineham, the vice-chair of the Stop the War Coalition.

The union leaders referred to the arrests and charges against Kenny and Bolt as a threat to the right to protest.

“Alex Kenny is a long-standing, and widely respected, trade union activist who has organised peaceful demonstrations in London for decades,” they said in a statement.

“We believe these charges are an attack on our right to protest. The right to protest is fundamental to trade unions and the wider movement. The freedoms to organise, of assembly and of speech matter; we must defend them,” they added.

They called for the Met to drop charges against Kenny, Bolt, Nineham, and Jamal.

The signatories include Paul Nowak from the Trades Union Congress, Christina McAnea from Unison, Daniel Kebede from the NEU, Matt Wrack from the Teachers’ Union, Dave Ward of the Communication Workers Union, Mick Whelan of the train drivers’ union ASLEF, and Eddie Dempsey from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers.

They said the decision to charge Kenny and Bolt follows the prosecution of Nineham and Jamal.

Amnesty International, along with dozens of legal experts, expressed concerns over the Met’s handling of the pro-Palestine protest in January, with some describing the arrests as “a disproportionate, unwarranted and dangerous assault on the right to assembly and protest.”

At the protest, former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and former shadow chancellor John McDonnell were interviewed under caution and released pending further investigations. MPs and peers have also called on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to review protest legislation introduced by the former Conservative government.


Europeans open to buying US arms for Ukraine under Trump plan but need details 

Europeans open to buying US arms for Ukraine under Trump plan but need details 
Updated 15 July 2025
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Europeans open to buying US arms for Ukraine under Trump plan but need details 

Europeans open to buying US arms for Ukraine under Trump plan but need details 
  • “Of course we can’t do it on our own, we need others to partner up,” Rasmussen told reporters
  • European ministers said they would now need to examine how new purchases of US weapons could be paid for

BRUSSELS: Several European countries said on Tuesday they were willing to buy US arms for Ukraine under a scheme announced by US President Donald Trump, although arrangements still needed to be worked out.

Trump said on Monday that Washington will supply Patriot air defense systems, missiles and other weaponry to Ukraine for its war against Russia’s invasion and that the arms would be paid for by other NATO countries.

But much remains undisclosed, including the amounts and precise types of weapons to be provided, how quickly they would be supplied and how they would be paid for.

US officials have suggested that European countries will be willing to give up some of their own stocks of weapons for Ukraine and then buy replacements from the United States. But some of the countries involved say they still don’t even know what is being asked of them.

Such a move would get weapons to Ukraine more quickly but would leave donor countries’ defenses more exposed until new systems are ready.

“We are ready to participate. Of course we can’t do it on our own, we need others to partner up – but we have a readiness,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday ahead of a meeting of European Union ministers.

Speaking alongside Trump at the White House on Monday, NATO chief Mark Rutte said that Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Canada want to be part of the new initiative.

Many of those countries have been among the biggest military aid donors to Ukraine, either overall or per capita.

Asked whether Denmark could give US arms from its own stocks as part of the scheme, Rasmussen said: “We don’t have these kind of systems – the Patriot systems – so if we should lean in, and we are absolutely ready to do so, it will be (with) money and we have to work out the details.”

European ministers said they would now need to examine how new purchases of US weapons could be paid for. In many cases, that seems likely to involve countries teaming up to buy US weapons systems.

“Now we need to see how together we can go in and finance, among other things, Patriots, which they plan to send to Ukraine,” Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told Swedish radio.

In Brussels, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said his country is looking into the plan “with a positive inclination”.

Asked about the scheme, Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik told Reuters that Oslo was “in close dialogue with Ukraine” on military aid and “air defense remains a high priority for Ukraine and for the Norwegian military support”.

“Norway has contributed to significant amounts of air defense for Ukraine, including co-financing the donation of a Patriot system and missiles,” he said.

The Finnish Defense Ministry said Helsinki “will continue to provide material support to Ukraine”.

“The details of the US initiative ... are not yet known and we are interested to hear more about them before we can take more concrete lines on this issue,” it said.


Air India crash: Pilot groups push back against human error narrative

Air India crash: Pilot groups push back against human error narrative
Updated 15 July 2025
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Air India crash: Pilot groups push back against human error narrative

Air India crash: Pilot groups push back against human error narrative
  • Initial probe finds aircraft’s engine fuel switches were turned off, but does not specify by whom
  • Pilots reject report as ‘inconclusive,’ say it leads media and public to ‘jump to conclusions’

NEW DELHI: Associations of Indian pilots are rejecting claims that last month’s Air India plane crash that killed 260 people was due to human error, after a preliminary investigation sparked speculation implicating the flight crew.

The London-bound Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner crashed less than a minute after taking off from Ahmedabad airport in the western Indian state of Gujarat on June 12.

A report released over the weekend by India’s Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau said that seconds after take-off, both of the plane’s fuel-control switches moved to the position stopping fuel from the engines.

It did not specify who turned off the switches, only citing the cockpit voice recording, in which “one of the pilots is heard asking the other why he cut off,” while “the other pilot responded that he did not do so.”

The Indian Commercial Pilots Association and the Airline Pilots’ Association of India have issued statements after the release of the initial findings — and the first media and online reactions to it — rejecting speculative narratives and presumptions over the guilt of the pilots.

Capt. Kishore Chinta, an ALPA member and accident investigator, told Arab News that both associations have “raised red flags on the selective release of information” by the AAIB, which has “left the scope of ambiguity for people to jump to conclusions” and for the media to spin narratives.

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“We are left defending those pilots who are not there to defend themselves,” he said. “The Western media has been painting them as if they actually committed suicide-murder.”

The London-bound flight was carrying 242 people — 230 passengers, two pilots and 10 crew members. Only one person, sitting in an emergency exit seat, survived the crash. Another 18 people were killed on the ground as the aircraft fell on a B. J. Medical College and hostel for students and resident doctors of the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

Investigators at the crash site recovered both components of the black box — the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder, days after the crash. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said at the time that the final report was expected within three months.

The early release of preliminary findings has shaken the Indian aviation community, for which it was unacceptable that experienced pilots who have flown thousands of hours would have turned off the fuel supply.

“Definitely a malfunction caused the disaster — poor maintenance or a hardware/software glitch,” said Sandeep Jain, an Indian aviator based in the US.

“Dead pilots are always the easiest target. They don’t bite back. No litigation, no shareholder value erosion.”

The Federation of Indian Pilots is planning to raise the consequences of the preliminary report with the government.

“We will be taking it up with the government no doubt. We will not let it go quietly. The report should not be open-ended,” Capt. C.S. Randhawa, the federation’s president, told Arab News.

“It is inconclusive. So many things are not answered properly. The report does not say that the pilots have moved the fuel control switches, that is why it is inconclusive, and it is leading to speculations.”


Ukraine’s prime minister Shmyhal resigns

Ukraine’s prime minister Shmyhal resigns
Updated 15 July 2025
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Ukraine’s prime minister Shmyhal resigns

Ukraine’s prime minister Shmyhal resigns
  • Zelensky nominated First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko for the post

KYIV: Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday he had filed a resignation letter, as a part of a major governmental reshuffle expected this week.

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday nominated First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko for the post.