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An imam who responded to Hamas's attack on Israel by joking that “everyone has their own way of celebrating October” has been suspended in Germany.
The Islamic Centre Munich distanced itself from the post by Mohamed Ibrahim, saying it had felt “shock and grief” at the events of October 7.
Mr Ibrahim said his post had been misunderstood and was made when he was not yet fully aware of events in Israel.
A backlash over the post was blamed in part for torpedoing an interfaith prayer for peace in Israel and Gaza that had been planned in Munich on Monday night.
The city's Mayor, Dieter Reiter, said it was clear that “the time is not ripe” for such an event after a Jewish representative pulled out.
Volker Beck, a former Green Party MP and president of the German-Israeli Society, had accused the imam of mocking victims of the attack on Israel.
“These are the kind of people with whom Mayor Reiter wanted to pray for peace,” Mr Beck said.
Smiley face
Mr Ibrahim's now-deleted post on October 7 was accompanied by a smiley face emoji and read: “Everyone has their own way of celebrating October.”
In a statement this week, he said that by “celebrating October” he meant an October 6 holiday in Egypt commemorating a war with Israel in 1973.
When he heard news of the attack on Israel, he posted a comment that was meant to be “humorous or sarcastic”, Mr Ibrahim said.
“At that time I was not fully aware of the events of October 7 or their consequences,” he said. “I formally apologise that my post has led to misunderstandings.
“Far be it from me to mock the civilian victims of October 7. That cannot be reconciled in any way with my ethical Islamic values.”
The Islamic Centre Munich – which state intelligence services regard as being under the umbrella of the Muslim Brotherhood – said it decided in an emergency session to suspend the imam until “accusations are clarified”.
The centre's leadership “wishes to distance itself in the clearest terms from the post on October 7 by our imam Mohamed Ibrahim”, a statement said.
“We took the events of October 7 with great shock and grief for the innocent victims, as well as great worry about the wider future of the Middle East region.
“Under no circumstances can we as the German Muslim community allow that hatred and violence are transferred from the Middle East to Jews and Muslims in Germany.”
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier convened Jewish and Muslim leaders at the presidential palace this week amid high tensions arising from the conflict.
Senior figures including Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday they were ashamed by an eruption of anti-Semitism, as Germany marked 85 years since the Kristallnacht pogrom that ushered in the Holocaust.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Match info
Who: India v Afghanistan
What: One-off Test match, Bengaluru
When: June 14 to 18
TV: OSN Sports Cricket HD, 8am starts
Online: OSN Play (subscribers only)
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Anxiety and work stress major factors
Anxiety, work stress and social isolation are all factors in the recogised rise in mental health problems.
A study UAE Ministry of Health researchers published in the summer also cited struggles with weight and illnesses as major contributors.
Its authors analysed a dozen separate UAE studies between 2007 and 2017. Prevalence was often higher in university students, women and in people on low incomes.
One showed 28 per cent of female students at a Dubai university reported symptoms linked to depression. Another in Al Ain found 22.2 per cent of students had depressive symptoms - five times the global average.
It said the country has made strides to address mental health problems but said: “Our review highlights the overall prevalence of depressive symptoms and depression, which may long have been overlooked."
Prof Samir Al Adawi, of the department of behavioural medicine at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman, who was not involved in the study but is a recognised expert in the Gulf, said how mental health is discussed varies significantly between cultures and nationalities.
“The problem we have in the Gulf is the cross-cultural differences and how people articulate emotional distress," said Prof Al Adawi.
“Someone will say that I have physical complaints rather than emotional complaints. This is the major problem with any discussion around depression."
Daniel Bardsley
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Liverpool 4-1 Shrewsbury
Liverpool
Gordon (34'), Fabinho (44' pen, 90' 3), Firmino (78')
Shrewsbury
Udoh (27'minutes)
Man of the Match: Kaide Gordon (Liverpool)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
