Ramadan - The African Mirror

Apr

04

2024

Egyptian charities dish out meals during Ramadan, despite soaring costs

FOR the past five years, Egyptian Laila Abdel Maksoud and her family have run a charity offering free meals during the holy month of Ramadan, serving more and more people even as soaring inflation has driven up costs for the organization. Maksoud said they first started out with 500 meals, but this year they've surpassed 4,000 as millions of Egyptians struggle to cope with record inflation. A severe shortage of foreign currency exacerbated by global factors including a drop in Suez Canal revenue has hobbled the economy over the last two years. Despite investments from Gulf countries and a financial…

Mar

22

2024

By HUMEYRA PAMUK and NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI

Gaza marks Ramadan in despair as Blinken holds truce talks in Cairo

WORLD

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met Egypt's president for talks on securing a Gaza ceasefire, as Gaza's Palestinians despaired at observing Ramadan without relatives who had been killed or adequate food for their children. In Gaza, Israel's offensive focused on the Al Shifa hospital, the only partially working medical facility in the north of the Strip, for a fourth day, and local residents said they had seen buildings inside the complex in flames. With hunger spreading in the densely populated enclave, where five months of war have created critical food shortages, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said…

Mar

22

2024

By AIDAN LEWIS

US pushes peace talks to avert ‘point of no return’ in Sudan

NEWS

The United States hopes for a relaunch of talks aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan and opening up humanitarian access soon after Ramadan ends in mid-April, Washington's newly appointed envoy said on Thursday. Saudi Arabia and the United States led talks in Jeddah last year to try to reach a truce between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), but the negotiations faltered amid competing international peace initiatives. "We need to restart formal talks. We hope that will happen as soon as Ramadan is over," Tom Perriello, who took up his role as U.S. special envoy to…

Mar

13

2024

By MOHAMMED SALEM

Mother’s voicemail at her graveside marks painful Ramadan for Gaza son

WORLD

MARKING the first day of Ramadan alone among the graves of his loved ones at a cemetery in Gaza, Ibrahim Hassouna listened to a voicemail message his mother left him before she was killed in Israel's military offensive on the Palestinian territory. Normally a time of religious devotion and joyful family meals after each day's fasting, this year's Muslim holy month could not lift Hassouna from his deep sorrow at the loss of his mother, father, brothers and their families in the war. Listening to his mother's voice on his phone was bittersweet, bringing back memories of how she used to fret…

Mar

12

2024

By SINAN ABU MAYZER. NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI. BASSAM MASOUD

Palestinians prepare for Ramadan in the shadow of Gaza war

WORLD

PALESTINIANS prepared for Ramadan in a sombre mood with heightened security measures by Israeli police and the spectre of war and hunger in Gaza overshadowing the normally festive Muslim holy month as talks to secure a ceasefire stalled. Thousands of police have been deployed around the narrow streets of the Old City in Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of worshippers are expected every day at the Al Aqsa mosque compound, one of the holiest sites in Islam. The area considered the most sacred place by Jews who know it as Temple Mount, has been a longstanding flashpoint for trouble and was one…

Mar

11

2024

By SINAN ABU MAYZER. NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI. BASSAM MASOUD

Palestinians prepare for Ramadan in the shadow of Gaza war

WORLD

PALESTINIANS prepared for Ramadan in a sombre mood with heightened security measures by Israeli police and the spectre of war and hunger in Gaza overshadowing the normally festive Muslim holy month as talks to secure a ceasefire stalled. Thousands of police have been deployed around the narrow streets of the Old City in Jerusalem, where tens of thousands of worshippers are expected every day at the Al Aqsa mosque compound, one of the holiest sites in Islam. The area considered the most sacred place by Jews who know it as Temple Mount, has been a longstanding flashpoint for trouble and was one…

Feb

28

2024

By JEFF MASON

Biden: Israel agrees to halt military activity over Ramadan, risks losing world support

WORLD

U.S. President Joe Biden said Israel has agreed not to engage in military activities during Ramadan in the Gaza Strip, where it is at war with Hamas militants, and said the Jewish state risked losing support from the rest of the world as Palestinians die in high numbers. Biden, who made his remarks during an appearance on NBC's "Late Night with Seth Meyers," said Israel had committed to making it possible for Palestinians to evacuate from Rafah in Gaza's south before intensifying its campaign there to destroy Hamas. Biden, whose remarks were recorded on Monday and broadcast on Tuesday, said…

Jan

14

2024

By The African Mirror

Dazzling TotalEnergies CAF AFCON opener showcases Cote d’Ivoire’s vibrant culture

AFCON 2023

IMMERSING spectators in a breathtaking spectacle, the opening ceremony of the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations transformed Abidjan's Stade Olympique Alassane Ouattara into a kaleidoscope of color and cultural richness. On that vibrant Saturday evening, the iconic stadium pulsed with life as dancers, acrobats, and musicians embarked on a high-octane journey, encapsulating the essence of Cote d'Ivoire's diverse heritage. Carefully choreographed routines became a captivating showcase, revealing the nation's pride in shaping "a people and a destiny" over time. The performances radiated a spirit of unity, with Cote d'Ivoire extending its legendary hospitality to welcome all 54 African…

Apr

06

2023

By The African Mirror

Israeli police raid Al-Aqsa mosque, rockets fired from Gaza

WORLD

NIDAL AL-MUGHRABI and SINAN ABU MAYZER ISRAELI police raided Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque before dawn to try to clear groups it said were barricaded inside, leading to clashes with worshippers and triggering an exchange of cross-border fire with Gaza. The incident came during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and on the eve of the Jewish Passover, stoking fears of further violence at the mosque compound, a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Palestinian militants fired at least nine rockets from Gaza into Israel, prompting air strikes from Israel which hit what it said were weapon production sites for the Islamist group…

Apr

13

2022

By The African Mirror

Rising food costs hamper Senegal Ramadan traditions

NEWS

NGOUDA DIONE THERE was no meat in the large silver bowl around which Astou Mandiang and her family gathered after breaking fast at nightfall in Senegal's capital Dakar, where Muslims celebrating the holy month of Ramadan are feeling the pinch of inflation. Food prices in West Africa have shot up by between 20% and 30% over the past five years, with drought and conflict pushing millions off farmland and stalling food production, aid agencies say. At the same time, border closures during the pandemic have disrupted supply chains. The war in Ukraine is likely to add even more pressure on…