<p>The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had announced a new decree for all soldiers and officers in the intelligence wing, making it mandatory for them to train in the Arabic language and learn Islamic studies. The training will also include Houthi and Iraqi dialects, since the Israeli intelligence personnel have faced problems in deciphering Houthi communication.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, all members of AMAN, which is the Hebrew short form for Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate, will be trained in Islamic Studies by the end of next year.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The decision was made by AMAN Head Major General Shlomi Binder. Moreover, half of the soldiers will also be receiving training in Arabic.</p><h2>Why did IDF make Arabic mandatory for military?</h2><p>According to the Israeli local media report, the IDF's Intelligence Directorate will be making these new changes in the military. This comes after Israel faced major intelligence setbacks linked to the events of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The move will help in making future commanders fluent in Arabic and knowledgeable about Islamic culture, further helping them analyse situations more effectively when needed.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Doron Kadosh, the military correspondent for Israel’s Army Radio, told the Jerusalem Post that a new department will be set up to focus on Arabic and Islamic teaching for the soldiers and officers.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Additionally, along with other changes, the IDF is also planning to restart the Telem. Earlier, the Telem programme supported Arabic and Middle Eastern education in Israeli middle and high schools, but six years ago, it was closed due to a funding crisis.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>A senior AMAN officer told Army Radio, "Until now, we haven't been good enough in the areas of culture, language, and Islam. We need to improve in these areas. We won't turn our intelligence officers and soldiers into Arab kids who grew up in a village, but through language and cultural studies, we can instill in them doubt and deep observation."</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>By the end of next year, all intelligence soldiers, including cyber experts from Unit 8200, will be trained in Islamic studies, and 50 per cent of them will be trained in Arabic.&nbsp;</p>

According to the Israeli local media report, the IDF's Intelligence Directorate will be making these new changes in the military. This comes after Israel faced major intelligence setbacks linked to the events of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) had announced a new decree for all soldiers and officers in the intelligence wing, making it mandatory for them to train in the Arabic language and learn Islamic studies. The training will also include Houthi and Iraqi dialects, since the Israeli intelligence personnel have faced problems in deciphering Houthi communication. According to a report by The Jerusalem Post, all members of AMAN, which is the Hebrew short form for Israel's Military Intelligence Directorate, will be trained in Islamic Studies by the end of next year. The decision was made by AMAN Head Major General Shlomi Binder. Moreover, half of the soldiers will also be receiving training in Arabic. Why did IDF make Arabic mandatory for military? According to the Israeli local media report, the IDF's Intelligence Directorate will be making these new changes in the military. This comes after Israel faced major intelligence setbacks linked to the events of the October 7 Hamas terror attack. The move will help in making future commanders fluent in Arabic and knowledgeable about Islamic culture, further helping them analyse situations more effectively when needed. Doron Kadosh, the military correspondent for Israel’s Army Radio, told the Jerusalem Post that a new department will be set up to focus on Arabic and Islamic teaching for the soldiers and officers. Additionally, along with other changes, the IDF is also planning to restart the Telem. Earlier, the Telem programme supported Arabic and Middle Eastern education in Israeli middle and high schools, but six years ago, it was closed due to a funding crisis. A senior AMAN officer told Army Radio, "Until now, we haven't been good enough in the areas of culture, language, and Islam. We need to improve in these areas. We won't turn our intelligence officers and soldiers into Arab kids who grew up in a village, but through language and cultural studies, we can instill in them doubt and deep observation." By the end of next year, all intelligence soldiers, including cyber experts from Unit 8200, will be trained in Islamic studies, and 50 per cent of them will be trained in Arabic.

<p>According to the Israeli local media report, the IDF's Intelligence Directorate will be making these new changes in the military. This comes after Israel faced major intelligence setbacks linked to the events of the October 7 Hamas terror attack.</p>

Israel mandates Arabic and Islamic studies for military, intelligence officers - What's the reason behind it?

On Sunday, a woman in Pakistan narrowly escaped death, all thanks to the swift action of a female police officer who risked her own life to save a sister from a lynch mob. The woman and her husband had gone shopping when they were attacked by a mob who mistook the Arabic words written on her kurta as verses from the Quran. The incident has once again sparked discussion around the misuse of the stringent blasphemy laws in Pakistan.

Gravitas | Pakistan woman escapes mob lynching | Brave policewoman comes to the rescue

<p>A Pakistani woman in Lahore last weekend&nbsp;narrowly escaped death after an extremist mob misinterpreted the Arabic prints on her attire as verses from the holy Quran.&nbsp;The incident, captured in viral videos, unfolded when the woman and her husband were shopping, and a mob demanded she remove the shirt adorned with Arabic prints.</p>

<p>The police officer at the scene, identified as ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, is being praised online for her efforts to defuse the situation. Videos circulating online show Naqvi escorting the woman away from the agitated crowd.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">“Violent misunderstanding over Arabic <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/calligraphy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#calligraphy</a> dress narrowly averted in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Lahore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Lahore</a> as ASP Shehrbano Naqvi intervenes, saving woman’s life. Dress bearing innocuous message ‘Halwa’ misconstrued as Quranic verses by enraged mob, highlighting need for education and tolerance. ” <a href="https://t.co/isV54GEUTZ">pic.twitter.com/isV54GEUTZ</a></p>
— Haشeem🇵🇰 (@hash_eem22) <a href="https://twitter.com/hash_eem22/status/1761878701581468055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Lahore just escaped a Horror story. This women would have been slaughtered in the name of religion had this ASP not rescued her on time. The charge on her was wearing an Arabic written verses outfit. We are just horrible," a user on X wrote.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Praising the&nbsp;woman police officer's&nbsp;effort to diffuse the violent crowd, another netizen wrote: "Meet ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi – what an incredibly courageous woman. One particularly shared clip showed the woman seated in apparent distress inside a restaurant, surrounded by police and onlookers as the mob continued outside."</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-four-men-sentenced-to-death-on-blasphemy-charges-details-inside-632779">Pakistan: Four men sentenced to death on blasphemy charges. Details inside</a></strong></p>

<p>Several other individuals defended the woman, asserting that the Arabic prints on her shirt were not Quranic verses but merely Arabic words. Supporters shared a picture of the same shirt from an Instagram page&nbsp;to add it was part of the "best Ramadan 2022 collection."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The clothes the girl wore in Lahore turned out to be a Saudi Arabian brand called "Shalik Riaz "<br />
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It was an ignorant, uneducated crowd who had no knowledge of religion or the world 😡<br />
Shame 😭😭<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/viralvideo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#viralvideo</a><br />
ASP Shehrbano Naqvi <a href="https://t.co/jmnaKdriVV">pic.twitter.com/jmnaKdriVV</a></p>
— حسن (@Raja33147) <a href="https://twitter.com/Raja33147/status/1762040596590399668?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The woman later issued an apology and clarified&nbsp;that she had no intention of offending public values.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Pakistan: Punjab police recommends ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi's name for Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal</strong></p>

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<p>A Muslim cleric, present during the moment when the woman issued&nbsp;an apology, mansplained&nbsp;that she&nbsp;had committed not to wear the controversial attire again.</p>

<p>Pakistan has some of the strictest laws on the planet against blasphemy or acts&nbsp;of purported&nbsp;insult that show contempt against the god. The Pakistan Penal Code penalises blasphemy with&nbsp;punishment up to death.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A Pakistani woman in Lahore last weekend narrowly escaped death after an extremist mob misinterpreted the Arabic prints on her attire as verses from the holy Quran.

A Pakistani woman in Lahore last weekend narrowly escaped death after an extremist mob misinterpreted the Arabic prints on her attire as verses from the holy Quran. The incident, captured in viral videos, unfolded when the woman and her husband were shopping, and a mob demanded she remove the shirt adorned with Arabic prints. The police officer at the scene, identified as ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi, is being praised online for her efforts to defuse the situation. Videos circulating online show Naqvi escorting the woman away from the agitated crowd. “Violent misunderstanding over Arabic #calligraphy dress narrowly averted in #Lahore as ASP Shehrbano Naqvi intervenes, saving woman’s life. Dress bearing innocuous message ‘Halwa’ misconstrued as Quranic verses by enraged mob, highlighting need for education and tolerance. ” pic.twitter.com/isV54GEUTZ — Haشeem🇵🇰 (@hash_eem22) February 25, 2024 × "Lahore just escaped a Horror story. This women would have been slaughtered in the name of religion had this ASP not rescued her on time. The charge on her was wearing an Arabic written verses outfit. We are just horrible," a user on X wrote. Praising the woman police officer's effort to diffuse the violent crowd, another netizen wrote: "Meet ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi – what an incredibly courageous woman. One particularly shared clip showed the woman seated in apparent distress inside a restaurant, surrounded by police and onlookers as the mob continued outside." Also read | Pakistan: Four men sentenced to death on blasphemy charges. Details inside Several other individuals defended the woman, asserting that the Arabic prints on her shirt were not Quranic verses but merely Arabic words. Supporters shared a picture of the same shirt from an Instagram page to add it was part of the "best Ramadan 2022 collection." The clothes the girl wore in Lahore turned out to be a Saudi Arabian brand called "Shalik Riaz " It was an ignorant, uneducated crowd who had no knowledge of religion or the world 😡 Shame 😭😭#viralvideo ASP Shehrbano Naqvi pic.twitter.com/jmnaKdriVV — حسن (@Raja33147) February 26, 2024 × The woman later issued an apology and clarified that she had no intention of offending public values. Also watch | Pakistan: Punjab police recommends ASP Syeda Shehrbano Naqvi's name for Quaid-e-Azam Police Medal × A Muslim cleric, present during the moment when the woman issued an apology, mansplained that she had committed not to wear the controversial attire again. Pakistan has some of the strictest laws on the planet against blasphemy or acts of purported insult that show contempt against the god. The Pakistan Penal Code penalises blasphemy with punishment up to death. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan woman escapes mob lynching over 'controversial' attire after woman police officer intervenes

A small group of Israelis and Palestinians in Jerusalem is trying to bridge a Hebrew-Arabic language gap through learning modelled on speed dating. WION's Jodie Cohen brings you this report.

Language 'speed dating' in Jerusalem is bridging the hebrew-arabic gap

<p>To make it easy for Muslims to identify halal products, Ikiam along with the Malaysian Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) is designing a logo that will carry a &lsquo;Made by Muslims&rsquo; stamp. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia already has an official halal logo for products made within the country, but now wants to create a revised logo that states whether the products were also made in a halal environment. Unlike popular belief, the concept of halal covers more than just food and beverages, it also includes cosmetics and toiletries.</p>

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<p>This picture shows the entrance of a halal butchery in Lille, northern France. (AFP)</p>
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<p>The Malaysian Institute of International Islamic Corporation (Ikiam) is an organisation that works to help entrepreneurs of Malaysia capitalise on the global halal market. Halal is an Arabic term for something that is permissible within the ambit of Islam. Muslims around the world are governed by this rule, which defines what is officially allowed for consumption. For example, pork and its by-products along with alcohol are forbidden for Muslims. According to the Halal Research Council, the global halal food market is worth US$580,915 and is growing substantially every year.</p>

<p>Malaysia is a big contributor to the halal market. It, in fact, launched the first halal compliant airline in 2015. All meals on Rayani Air are halal and alcohol consumption is completely prohibited. The airline, however, shut down recently due to issues of negligence.<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)</em></p>


The new logo will authenticate products made under a halal environment

To make it easy for Muslims to identify halal products, Ikiam along with the Malaysian Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda) is designing a logo that will carry a ‘Made by Muslims’ stamp. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia already has an official halal logo for products made within the country, but now wants to create a revised logo that states whether the products were also made in a halal environment. Unlike popular belief, the concept of halal covers more than just food and beverages, it also includes cosmetics and toiletries. This picture shows the entrance of a halal butchery in Lille, northern France. (AFP) × The Malaysian Institute of International Islamic Corporation (Ikiam) is an organisation that works to help entrepreneurs of Malaysia capitalise on the global halal market. Halal is an Arabic term for something that is permissible within the ambit of Islam. Muslims around the world are governed by this rule, which defines what is officially allowed for consumption. For example, pork and its by-products along with alcohol are forbidden for Muslims. According to the Halal Research Council, the global halal food market is worth US$580,915 and is growing substantially every year. Malaysia is a big contributor to the halal market. It, in fact, launched the first halal compliant airline in 2015. All meals on Rayani Air are halal and alcohol consumption is completely prohibited. The airline, however, shut down recently due to issues of negligence. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

'Made by Muslims': A new label in town

As a Syrian migrant arriving in Berlin, Munzer Khattab could barely say a word in German, let alone fill out a pile of forms in the language. So over the past year, Khattab has not only learned German but also worked with five other Syrian refugees or asylum seekers to design a smartphone app to make forms less daunting.<br />
<br />
The app, called &#39;Bureaucrazy&#39;, to be launched in January, will translate various forms into Arabic and English for newcomers facing a pile of paperwork ranging from registering with authorities to opening a bank account. It will also provide them with a map with Berlin offices that all newcomers need to navigate and deal with other questions about red tape that can leave asylum seekers in knots.<br />
<br />
Khattab, 23, who fled his coastal hometown of Latakia last year to avoid military service in Syria, said the inspiration came as he ploughed through more than a dozen registration forms in German after arriving in Berlin.<br />
<br />
&quot;Even when we asked Germans they had problems understanding the forms,&quot; Khattab told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview.<br />
<br />
&quot;If the Germans found them unreadable, how could we [migrants] read them?&quot; The app&#39;s name stemmed from Khattab, whose first language is Arabic, being caught out mispronouncing the word &#39;bureaucracy&#39;. &quot;Someone heard it and said &#39;Bureaucrazy? What did you say? That&#39;s a cool name&#39;,&quot; said Khattab.<br />
<br />
Khattab and his partners developed the app as part of a program in computer-coding they are taking at ReDI, a Berlin non-profit school with a mission to integrate refugees. It won a local software development contest and later drew praise at the Startup Europe tech conference earlier this year.<br />
<br />
The developers believe it will help migrants fleeing violence and poverty, more than a million of which have entered Germany in the past year.<br />
<br />
&quot;Everyone has the same problem: they come to Berlin as newcomers from Spain to Italy, and they have the same problems that we had,&quot; Khattab said.<br />
<br />
(Reuters)

The app, developed by Khattab, will translate various German forms into Arabic and English for newcomers facing a pile of paperwork

As a Syrian migrant arriving in Berlin, Munzer Khattab could barely say a word in German, let alone fill out a pile of forms in the language. So over the past year, Khattab has not only learned German but also worked with five other Syrian refugees or asylum seekers to design a smartphone app to make forms less daunting. The app, called 'Bureaucrazy', to be launched in January, will translate various forms into Arabic and English for newcomers facing a pile of paperwork ranging from registering with authorities to opening a bank account. It will also provide them with a map with Berlin offices that all newcomers need to navigate and deal with other questions about red tape that can leave asylum seekers in knots. Khattab, 23, who fled his coastal hometown of Latakia last year to avoid military service in Syria, said the inspiration came as he ploughed through more than a dozen registration forms in German after arriving in Berlin. "Even when we asked Germans they had problems understanding the forms," Khattab told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview. "If the Germans found them unreadable, how could we [migrants] read them?" The app's name stemmed from Khattab, whose first language is Arabic, being caught out mispronouncing the word 'bureaucracy'. "Someone heard it and said 'Bureaucrazy? What did you say? That's a cool name'," said Khattab. Khattab and his partners developed the app as part of a program in computer-coding they are taking at ReDI, a Berlin non-profit school with a mission to integrate refugees. It won a local software development contest and later drew praise at the Startup Europe tech conference earlier this year. The developers believe it will help migrants fleeing violence and poverty, more than a million of which have entered Germany in the past year. "Everyone has the same problem: they come to Berlin as newcomers from Spain to Italy, and they have the same problems that we had," Khattab said. (Reuters)

Bureaucrazy: The smartphone app created by Syrian refugees to cut through German bureaucracy

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