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France bans athletes from wearing hijab at Paris Olympic games, sparking outcry


The ban on headscarves for French athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games announced by the country’s sports minister has sparked an outrage on social media with many people labelling it Islamophobic while others applauded the move.

Speaking during the ‘Sunday In Politics’ show on France 3 TV, French sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said that no member of the French delegation would be allowed to wear the hijab or headscarf and expressed her support for “strict secularism,” according to multiple media reports.

“We agree with the recent judiciary system decision which the Prime Minister also expressed clearly, supporting strict secularism in sport. This means the prohibition of any kind of preaching and public sector neutrality. This means that members of our delegation, in our sports teams, will not wear the veil,” Oudea-Castera was quoted as saying.

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The ban comes amid a series of regulations in France prohibiting any religious garments in public institutions including government offices, schools and universities as part of the country’s strict ideology of laïcité or state-enforced secularism.

The sports minister’s statement triggered a heated debate on social media, with some users condemning the ban as Islamophobic while others hailed it for upholding secularism.

“This country has a problem with Islam, I say it loud and clear and everyone – without exception – knows it,” a user who identified as Mehdi wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Ce pays a un problème avec l’islam je le dis haut et fort et tout le monde -sans exception- le sait

— Mehdi ⚡️💛 (@Mehdiodas) September 24, 2023

Another user called Hassen Hammou questioned the decision expressing that it would make sports inaccessible for many athletes, largely Muslim women.

“Democratizing sport means making it accessible to everyone,” he posted on X.

Supporters of the ban said that the decision endorses French ideals of secularism and athletes much adhere to its rules.

“The specificity of French secularism is a modernity that Anglo-Saxon countries do not have. What is exclusive is to distinguish oneself, to separate oneself from others, with an obscurantist religious outfit,” a user who identified as Erik Verhagen, wrote on X.

Au contraire, la spécificité de la laïcité française est une modernité que les pays anglo-saxons n’ont pas. Ce qui est exclusif c’est de se distinguer, se séparer des autres, avec une tenue religieuse obscurantiste. Pas de religion dans le sport pour la France. Et nous y tenons.

— Erik Verhagen (@ericverhagen_) September 26, 2023

Another user argued that not accepting secularism in sports may lead to further refusal of rules.

“If it does not accept the rules of secularism today, tomorrow it will not accept the rules of sport either!,” wrote a user called Paule Adda on X.

The Paris Olympic Games will be held next year from July 26 to August 11 in the French capital. Several non-French athletes and sports officials are expected to wear the hijab because the International Olympic Committee allows it and does not regard the headscarf as a religious symbol but a cultural one.

Since 2014, FIFA has also allowed its players to wear a hijab. In July this year Moroccan defender Nouhaila Benzina became the first veiled player in a World Cup.

Throughout last year, a group of footballers, known as “Les Hijabeuses,” lobbied the French Football Federation to overturn the ban, meeting with officials and even staging protests at the federation’s headquarters, but to no avail.

According to media reports, the group had applied to the Council of State against the FFF’s decision to ban the head covering but in June, their appeal was rejected and the Council of State upheld the ban.

Read more:

US government agency condemns France abaya ban as tool to 'target' Muslims

Mixed reactions follow French ban on abayas in schools

Court upholds ban on barristers wearing hijab in France’s Lille law courts

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Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi meets with CEOs of leading Norwegian companies

H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, has met with a group of CEOs from leading Norwegian companies, as part of their participation in the UAE-Norway Investment Forum, held alongside his official visit to the Kingdom of Norway.

During the meeting, H.H. Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed underscored the UAE leadership’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with its international partners.

He highlighted that investment in innovation and knowledge is a cornerstone for achieving sustainable development, noting that enhancing collaboration with Norwegian companies across key sectors will open new avenues for mutual economic growth between the two countries.

The UAE-Norway Investment Forum, taking place in Oslo, aimed to highlight available investment opportunities and strengthen trade relations between the UAE and Norway, fostering shared interests and supporting innovation and knowledge-based economic visions.

-wam

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At the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS inaugurates 10th global office, releases four books

As part of its Asian research tour, partnership with Aletihad News Center, and
primary sponsorship of the Indonesia International Book Fair 2024, TRENDS
Research & Advisory inaugurated its office in Jakarta, marking its 10th location
worldwide. It also released four books in Indonesian.
The inauguration event was attended by ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, and
Jordan to Indonesia, chairpersons of the UAE and Indonesian Publishers’
Associations, the Director of TRENDS’ Jakarta office, and a group of researchers
and academics.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali, CEO of TRENDS
Research & Advisory, stated that TRENDS’ international offices—set to reach 15
by the end of 2024—aim to enhance the Center’s research efforts and deepen its
role in disseminating knowledge, thus serving as a global knowledge bridge.
He emphasized, “At TRENDS, we believe in the importance of cooperation
between think tanks and prioritize this endeavor. We believe the TRENDS office in
Jakarta will enhance the exchange of knowledge and ideas between think tanks in
Asia and the Middle East, opening new horizons for collaboration in various
fields.”

Four books in Indonesian
As part of the Jakarta office’s inaugural activities, four books were released in
Indonesian, including the 11th and 12th books of the Muslim Brotherhood
Encyclopedia and Global Trends in AI and Automation and the Future of
Competition between Man and Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision.

Hostility to Arab states
The 11th book of the Muslim Brotherhood Encyclopedia, The Concept of the State
According to the Muslim Brotherhood, highlights its hostile stance toward Arab
states since its inception. The group views them as an obstacle to its ascent to
power. It opposed the modern principles upon which these states were built,
considering them incompatible with the group’s unique interpretation of Islam,
which it claimed to embody exclusively.

Exclusion of nonconformists
The 12th book, The Muslim Brotherhood: Rejection of Tolerance and Exclusion of
Nonconformists, examines the Muslim Brotherhood’s stance towards
nonconformists, individuals, and entities. The book reveals the group’s binary view
of the world, categorizing others as allies or adversaries. It ties these relationships
to the Brotherhood’s internal power struggles and self-serving interests.

Global Trends in AI
The third book, Global Trends in AI, explores significant developments in AI and
its impact on various aspects of life, including the economy, society, and
governance. It also offers a comprehensive analysis of technological advancements
in AI, its applications across sectors, the ethical and social challenges it presents,
and its future trajectory.

Automation

The fourth book, Automation and the Future of Competition between Man and
Machine: An Analytical Forward-looking Vision, addresses the growing challenges
faced by the human workforce in the face of widespread automation and AI
applications. The book concludes that while automation presents a significant
challenge to the labor market, it simultaneously creates new opportunities. It
emphasizes the importance of preparing for this shift through skills development,
continuous education, and adopting economic and social policies that support the
workforce.

Prominent pavilion and active presence
The TRENDS’ pavilion at the Indonesia International Book Fair has attracted
numerous visitors, including academic researchers and officials, such as the
ambassadors of the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Turkey. Additionally,
chairpersons of Arab and Indonesian publishers’ associations, authors, publishers,
and students visited the pavilion. All were impressed with and praised TRENDS’ diverse, valuable publications. They also commended TRENDS’ active
international presence and ability to address global developments with rigorous
analytical research.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al-Ali honored the esteemed guests, including
ambassadors of the UAE and Bahrain to Indonesia, Wedha Startesti Yudha,
Chairperson of the Indonesia International Book Fair Committee, Arys Hilman
Nugraha, Chairman of the Indonesian Publishers Association, and others,
presenting them with TRENDS’ publications and commemorative shields.
Additionally, he awarded TRENDS’ Research Medal to Ni Made Ayu Martini
Indonesian Deputy Minister of Marketing, Tourism and Creative Economy
It is worth noting that during its current Asian research tour, TRENDS announced
the launch of the TRENDS Research Medal, awarded to individuals who make
significant contributions to the development of scientific research and promote collaboration with TRENDS in strengthening a culture of research across various fields.

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US determined to prevent full-scale war in Middle East, Joe Biden tells UNGA79

US President Joe Biden highlighted the US Administration’s determination to prevent a wider war that engulfs the entire Middle East region, noting that a diplomatic solution “remains the only path to lasting security to allow the residents from both countries to return to their homes on the border safely”.

In remarks he made today before the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA79), the US President said, “Full-scale war is not in anyone’s interest,” adding that a diplomatic solution is still possible.

He also touched on “the rise of violence against innocent Palestinians on the West Bank”, and the need to “set the conditions for a better future”, which he said featured “a two-state solution, where the world — where Israel enjoys security and peace and full recognition and normalised relations with all its neighbours, where Palestinians live in security, dignity, and self-determination in a state of their own”.

President Biden underscored the ceasefire and hostage deal put forth by Qatar and Egypt, which the UN Security Council endorsed. He said, “Now is the time for the parties to finalise its terms, bring the hostages home,” adding that this would help ease the suffering in Gaza, and end the war.

-WAM

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