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.

 


Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia building power lines to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia building power lines to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Updated 5 sec ago
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Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia building power lines to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Ukraine protests to IAEA over Russia building power lines to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that attempts to restart the plant could lead to a nuclear disaster
Russian personnel are unfamiliar with the significantly upgraded equipment

KYIV: Ukraine has protested to the international atomic energy watchdog about reports that Russia is building power lines to connect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to its own grid, a Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

Yuriy Vitrenko, Ukraine’s representative to international bodies in Vienna, told Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform that Kyiv sees any attempt by Russia to connect the occupied plant to its grid as a gross violation of international law and Ukrainian sovereignty.

On Tuesday, The New York times cited a new Greenpeace report which found that Russia had been building more than 50 miles (80 km) of power lines between the occupied Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Berdyansk.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly stated that attempts to restart the plant could lead to a nuclear disaster, as Russian personnel are unfamiliar with the significantly upgraded equipment, are not trained to use it, and the condition of the plant itself is unknown.

The lack of sufficient water volumes to cool the reactors after the Russian-held Kakhovka dam was blown up in June 2023, unleashing flooding, was an additional source of danger, they say.

IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said the issue of restarting the plant would be discussed at meetings during his visits to Ukraine and possibly to Russia in the coming days.

Saudi Arabia offers fully funded scholarships to Filipino students

Saudi Arabia offers fully funded scholarships to Filipino students
Updated 12 min 52 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia offers fully funded scholarships to Filipino students

Saudi Arabia offers fully funded scholarships to Filipino students
  • ‘Study in Saudi’ scholarship open to all Filipinos, regardless of location
  • Courses at 25 institutions include King Abdulaziz, King Saud universities

MANILA: Saudi Arabia has opened 265 fully funded scholarships for Filipino students for the upcoming academic year, its ambassador to the Philippines announced on Wednesday, as a part of efforts to strengthen educational ties under Vision 2030.

The “Study in Saudi” scholarship is open to all Filipinos, including those residing in the Kingdom, the Philippines, or elsewhere.

The program offers opportunities to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, arts and math fields. In addition courses are offered in social sciences, business administration, economics, agriculture, Arabic, political science, Islamic law, and media.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia places great emphasis on international education as a foundation of its Vision 2030,” Faisal Ibrahim Al-Ghamdi, the Kingdom’s ambassador-designate to the Philippines, said during a press conference in Manila.

“The scholarships we are announcing today align with this strategic direction, which reflect the Kingdom’s continued commitment to supporting higher education for Filipino students.

“A total of 265 fully funded scholarships are being offered, covering both undergraduate and graduate degrees.”

The courses are offered at 25 Saudi universities, including the nation’s top academic institutions.

These include King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, King Saud University in Riyadh, Umm Al-Qura University in Makkah, King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, as well Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University — the world’s largest women’s university, which is prominent in the fields of education and health.

“These opportunities will enable Filipino students to join prestigious Saudi universities, where they will study alongside peers from around the world in academic environments that seamlessly blend tradition and innovation — offering an enriching educational experience unlike any other,” Al-Ghamdi said.

“These scholarships go beyond tuition fees. They include financial stipends, accommodation, medical insurance, annual round-trip air tickets, and many other benefits that ensure students can focus entirely on their academic goals.”

Nearly 1 million Filipinos are living and working in Saudi Arabia, making up the sixth-largest expatriate community in the Kingdom.

Currently, more than 800 of them are enrolled in Saudi universities.

This ongoing partnership is exemplified by the presence of more than 806 Filipino students currently enrolled in Saudi universities across diverse programs.

“These students are benefiting from advanced learning opportunities and comprehensive care — a testament to the Kingdom’s unwavering dedication to international students,” Al-Ghamdi said.

He added that the scholarship, which aims to connect young people from both countries, helps in “strengthening cultural and intellectual ties and reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to supporting education in friendly countries.”


Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia

Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia
Updated 27 min 29 sec ago
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Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia

Zelensky visits Berlin as he seeks more support for Ukraine in the war against Russia
  • Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States
  • Friedrich Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact

BERLIN: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on Wednesday as Ukraine seeks further military support amid a recent escalation in Russia’s bombing campaign, despite US-led efforts to end the war.

Germany has been the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Merz has plunged into diplomatic efforts to try to secure a ceasefire and keep Western support for Ukraine intact since becoming Germany’s leader three weeks ago. European leaders have accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of dragging his feet in US-led peace talks.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was set to meet in Washington with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday.

Zelensky said Tuesday that Ukraine is ready to hold peace talks at the highest level, including a trilateral meeting with himself, Putin and US President Donald Trump.

“We are ready to meet at the level of leaders. Both the American side knows this, and the Russian side knows this,” he said. Zelensky said he would accept any configuration of talks, whether that includes one trilateral meeting or separate meetings with Trump.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is grateful to Trump for his mediation efforts.

“At the same time, there is a big number of nuances to be discussed that can’t be neglected and which neither party is going to sacrifice, because of its national interests,” Peskov told reporters. “Just like the United States, Russia has its national interests that are of primary importance to us.”

He said that Moscow will “soon” deliver its promised memorandum on a framework for a peace settlement.

Taurus cruise missiles may be discussed

Merz said on Monday that Germany and other major allies are no longer imposing any range restrictions on weapons supplied to Ukraine as it fights to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.

Merz’s government hasn’t said whether it will supply its Taurus long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, something his predecessor, Olaf Scholz, refused to do and which Merz advocated for as opposition leader. The government has said it would no longer provide full details of the weapons it’s supplying to Ukraine, unlike Scholz’s administration, citing the need for “strategic ambiguity.”

Taurus missiles have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles). The German- and Swedish-made missiles, which are equipped with stealth technology, would be able to reach targets deep in Russia from Ukrainian soil, including the Black Sea. Ukraine wants the missiles to complement the long-range Storm Shadow missiles sent by Britain and France’s nearly identical Scalp cruise missiles.

Zelensky said that he plans to discuss the supply and use of long-range weapons in his talks with Merz. The Ukrainian leader said Tuesday that he hasn’t received any indications from Germany that their policy of limiting the use of Western weapons against Russian targets has changed.

Ukraine needs $30 billion in additional financing to help it compete with Russia in the production of drones and missiles, Zelensky said. Russia is aiming to produce 300-350 drones per day, he said.

Front-line fighting, deep strikes continue

Meanwhile, fighting has continued along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukraine’s army is shorthanded against its bigger adversary. Zelensky claimed Tuesday that Russia is mobilizing up to 45,000 men every month, while Ukraine mobilizes between 25,000-27,000.

Both sides are continuing to conduct deep strikes. Russia launched its biggest drone attack of the war against Ukraine on Sunday.

Russian air defenses downed 296 Ukrainian drones over 13 Russian regions late Tuesday and early Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said, in what appeared to be one of the biggest Ukrainian drone assaults of the war.

Ukraine is increasing its domestic production of drones and missiles, according to Zelensky. He said late Tuesday that Ukraine wants European countries to help it invest in the manufacturing of attack drones, air defense interceptors, cruise missiles and ballistic systems.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that air defenses shot down Ukrainian 33 drones heading toward the capital.

Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said that 42 drones were downed. He said that drone fragments damaged three residential buildings in the village of Troitskoye, but no one was hurt.

Moscow airports delayed or diverted hundreds of flights.

Overnight, Russian forces launched an attack on Ukraine using five Iskander ballistic missiles, one guided air-launched missile and 88 drones, Ukraine’s Air Force said Wednesday. Air defense units shot down 34 drones, and 37 drones were jammed.

Ukraine’s railway infrastructure and equipment in the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Sumy regions also came under fire overnight and Wednesday morning, Ukraine’s state railway company Ukrzaliznytsia said. No casualties were reported.

In Kharkiv region, railway traffic was temporarily suspended so that police and emergency workers could clear debris from a downed drone that landed on the tracks. In Sloviansk in the Donetsk region, the attack shattered windows at the station building, and drone debris slightly damaged a train car.


Activists turn Paris fountain red to denounce Gaza ‘bloodbath’

Activists turn Paris fountain red to denounce Gaza ‘bloodbath’
Updated 28 May 2025
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Activists turn Paris fountain red to denounce Gaza ‘bloodbath’

Activists turn Paris fountain red to denounce Gaza ‘bloodbath’
  • Activists from Oxfam and Amnesty International poured dye into the Fontaine des Innocents in the heart of the French capital

PARIS: French activists dyed a Paris fountain red Wednesday to symbolize what they called the “bloodbath” of Palestinians in Gaza.

Activists from Oxfam and Amnesty International poured dye into the Fontaine des Innocents in the heart of the French capital, while others held placards saying “Cease fire” and “Gaza: stop the bloodbath.”

“This operation aims to denounce France’s slow response to an absolute humanitarian emergency facing the people of Gaza today,” the activists, which included the French branch of Greenpeace, said in a joint statement.

“France cannot limit itself to mere verbal condemnations,” said former minister Cecile Duflot, executive director of Oxfam France.

Clemence Lagouardat, who helped coordinate Oxfam’s humanitarian response in Gaza, denounced the Israeli blockade of the besieged territory.

“The people in Gaza need everything, it’s a matter of survival,” she told AFP.

The October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official data.

Militants also abducted 251 people, of whom 57 are still being held in Gaza, including 34 declared dead by the Israeli army.

The Israeli offensive launched in retaliation has killed at least 53,977 people in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to data from the Hamas-run health ministry, which is considered reliable by the UN.

Israel has now stepped up a renewed campaign to destroy Hamas, drawing international condemnation as aid trickles in following a blockade since early March that has sparked severe food and medical shortages.

“There is a genocide going on and political inaction is becoming a kind of complicity in this genocide,” said Jean-Francois Julliard, head of Greenpeace France.

“We call on (President) Emmanuel Macron to act with courage, clarity and determination to put an end to this bloodshed.”

The activists urged states “with influence over Israel” to press for an immediate and lasting ceasefire, an arms embargo on Israel, the revision of a cooperation agreement between the EU and Israel and other measures.

Macron has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “unacceptable” and “shameful” behavior in blocking aid to the Palestinians in Gaza.

In response Netanyahu has accused Macron of siding with a “murderous Islamist terrorist organization.”


Sweden charges militant over Jordanian pilot burnt to death in Syria

Sweden charges militant over Jordanian pilot burnt to death in Syria
Updated 28 May 2025
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Sweden charges militant over Jordanian pilot burnt to death in Syria

Sweden charges militant over Jordanian pilot burnt to death in Syria
  • The pilot is then locked in a cage that is set on fire, leading to his death, Henrik Olin, the other prosecutor in charge of the case, told reporters
  • The defendant's lawyer, Petra Eklund, told AFP that her client admitted to being present at the scene but disputed the prosecution's version

STOCKHOLM: Prosecutors on Tuesday charged a Swedish militant over the 2014 capture and subsequent killing of a Jordanian pilot, who was burned to death in a cage in Syria by the Islamic State (IS) group.
Osama Krayem, 32, was charged with "participating in the brutal execution of a pilot" near the city of Raqqa, prosecutor Reena Devgun told a press conference.
Krayem, who is already serving a 30-year sentence for involvement in the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris, was charged with "serious war crimes and terrorist crimes".
According to prosecutors, who had announced they intended to charge Krayem last week, an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force crashed in Syria on December 24, 2014.
The pilot was captured by IS fighters the same day near the central city of Raqqa, and killed sometime before February 3, 2015.
The execution was filmed and a 22-minute video accompanied by a specially composed religious chant was published.
In the video, the victim is seen walking past several masked IS fighters, including Krayem, according to prosecutors.
The pilot is then locked in a cage that is set on fire, leading to his death, Henrik Olin, the other prosecutor in charge of the case, told reporters.
"This bestial murder, in which a prisoner was burned alive in a cage, was staged in a carefully produced video that was broadcast around the world. Its publication marked an unprecedented escalation in the Islamic State group's violent propaganda," Olin said.
Prosecutors have been unable to determine the exact day of the murder, but the investigation has identified the location where it took place.
The defendant's lawyer, Petra Eklund, told AFP that her client admitted to being present at the scene but disputed the prosecution's version.
"He denies the acts for which he is prosecuted," she said.
"He acknowledges having been present at that place during the event but claims not to have acted in the manner described by the prosecutors in the account of the facts."
Krayem, who is from Malmo in southern Sweden, joined the IS group in Syria in 2014 before returning to Europe.
In June 2022, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison in France for helping plan the November 2015 Paris attacks in which 130 people were killed.
The following year, he was given a life sentence in Belgium for participating in the bombings on March 22, 2016, at Brussels' main airport and on the metro system, which killed 32 people.
"Even though this is a person that's already sentenced and is serving very long prison sentences in other countries, we will still charge him and we have an international obligation to do so," Devgun told AFP.
Krayem has been "temporarily handed over to Sweden to participate in the trial", which is scheduled to begin June 4, according to the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
"It is painful for my parents to be confronted with this event again, but we are grateful that the Swedish authorities want to give us justice," Jawdat al-Kasasbeh, the pilot's brother, told broadcaster Sveriges Radio.