News and Analysis 12/1/24

“A lightning advance by insurgents over the past two days in parts of northern and central Syria was the result of better organization by rebel forces, the weakening of President Bashar al-Assad’s military allies and, possibly, luck” …

• Syria Rebels Regrouped, Seized on Weakness of Government’s Key Allies (Washington Post)

… but as some commentators attribute the gains to distractions facing the regime’s allies …

• The Illusion of Assad’s Grip on Syria Shatters, as Russia, Iran and Hezbollah Let Their Guard Down (CNN)

… Iran’s FM declares, “We firmly support the Syrian army and government” and “Syrian and Russian airstrikes hit opposition-controlled areas”:

• Iran’s Top Diplomat to Visit Damascus as Syria’s Allies Rally After Fall of Aleppo (The Guardian)

“Leader of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, said Ben-Gvir was ‘trying to fan the flames and drag the Muslim Arab citizens into responding to his provocations’” and “Israeli MK Gilad Kariv said the minister … “won’t stop until one match finally ignites the barrel’”:

• Ben-Gvir Bans Call for Prayer by Mosques for ‘Disturbing’ Israelis (New Arab)

“[T]raditions in Islam are not unchanging, dogmatic or unquestionable; rather, they are dynamic, changing and open to question. Rather, what needs to be checked is whether the changes align with Quranic ideas and the wider Islamic corpus”:

• In Kashmir’s Sufi Shrines, Women Carve a Space For Themselves Through ‘Wanwun’ (The Wire)

Israeli war crimes continue:

• Israel Kills Gaza Aid Workers from World Central Kitchen, Save the Children (Aljazeera)
• Palestinian Woman and Two Children Crushed to Death Outside Bakery in Gaza (CNN)
• LIVE: Israeli Attacks on Gaza Kill at Least 47 in Last Day (Aljazeera)

“Beyond legal and emotional support, NMWN also signposted me to charities for additional assistance and offered courses that empowered me to upskill and rebuild my confidence”:

• Abuse Survivor Says Nottingham Muslim Women’s Network Helped Reclaim Her Life (Nottingham Post)

“Following Friday’s vote, Mufti Zubair said: ‘Now we must work together to make sure the proper safeguards are adhered to in full and protect our most vulnerable from any unintended consequences’”:

• Assisted Dying Will Change Society – Muslim Leader (BBC)

“Boulos campaigned for Trump to drum up Lebanese and Arab American support. … It was the second time in recent days that Trump chose the father-in-law of one of his children to serve in his administration”:

• Trump Picks Massad Boulos to Serve as Adviser on Arab, Middle Eastern Affairs (Reuters / Yahoo)

Applicants too young to apply last time and too old this time “have contended that it was not their fault that the exam was held only after eight years”:

• Jammu and Kashmir Police Constable Exam After 8 Years: Protests, Court Case (Indian Express)

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