Anas Al-Sharif’s last message from Gaza to the world

This is Anas Al-Sharif’s last message, last well, if you may say.

He prepared in case he was killed by the Israeli army after long months, days and hours of threats.

It was shared on his official social media account shortly after his assassination, along with 6 men, including 4 crew members from journalists, cameramen and their driver, in a direct targeting of their tent at Al-Shifaa Hospital early Monday morning.

The Israeli Occupation Forces did some as they are gearing up for a complete re-occupation of Gaza.

The names of those who were killed in this massacre were: Al-Jazeera reporters Anas Al-Sharif and Mohammed Qreiqeh, cameramen Ibrahim Zaher and Moamen Aliwa as well as their driver Mohammed Noufal. 

This is the whole Al-Jazeera Crew in North Gaza.

Among the other victims photographer, Mohamed El-Khaledi.

Either way, the coverage continues inshallah, as Al-Sharif said.

For 670 days, Anas Al-Sharif became that young voice of Gaza echoing in millions of houses in the Arab world and beyond. I got many emotions to the level that I feel that I can’t write anything now, but the least thing I can I share his last message.

This is its official translation into English:

“This is my will and my final message. If these words reach you, know that Israel has succeeded in killing me and silencing my voice. First, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings.

Allah knows I gave every effort and all my strength to be a support and a voice for my people, ever since I opened my eyes to life in the alleys and streets of the Jabalia refugee camp. My hope was that Allah would extend my life so I could return with my family and loved ones to our original town of occupied Asqalan (Al-Majdal).

But Allah’s will came first, and His decree is final. I have lived through pain in all its details, tasted suffering and loss many times, yet I never once hesitated to convey the truth as it is, without distortion or falsification—so that Allah may bear witness against those who stayed silent, those who accepted our killing, those who choked our breath, and whose hearts were unmoved by the scattered remains of our children and women, doing nothing to stop the massacre that our people have faced for more than a year and a half.

I entrust you with Palestine—the jewel in the crown of the Muslim world, the heartbeat of every free person in this world. I entrust you with its people, with its wronged and innocent children who never had the time to dream or live in safety and peace.

Their pure bodies were crushed under thousands of tons of Israeli bombs and missiles, torn apart and scattered across the walls. I urge you not to let chains silence you, nor borders restrain you.

Be bridges toward the liberation of the land and its people, until the sun of dignity and freedom rises over our stolen homeland.

I entrust you to take care of my family. I entrust you with my beloved daughter Sham, the light of my eyes, whom I never got the chance to watch grow up as I had dreamed.

I entrust you with my dear son Salah, whom I had wished to support and accompany throughout life until he grew strong enough to carry my burden and continue the mission. I entrust you with my beloved mother, whose blessed prayers brought me to where I am, whose supplications were my fortress and whose light guided my path.

I pray that Allah grants her strength and rewards her on my behalf with the best of rewards. I also entrust you with my lifelong companion, my beloved wife, Umm Salah (Bayan), from whom the war separated me from for many long days and months.

Yet she remained faithful to our bond, steadfast as the trunk of an olive tree that does not bend—patient, trusting in Allah, and carrying the responsibility in my absence with all her strength and faith. I urge you to stand by them, to be their support after Allah Almighty.

If I die, I die steadfast upon my principles. I testify before Allah that I am content with His decree, certain of meeting Him, and assured that what is with Allah is better and everlasting.

O Allah, accept me among the martyrs, forgive my past and future sins, and make my blood a light that illuminates the path of freedom for my people and my family.

Forgive me if I have fallen short, and pray for me with mercy, for I kept my promise and never changed or betrayed it.

Do not forget Gaza… And do not forget me in your sincere prayers for forgiveness and acceptance.

Anas Jamal Al-Sharif 

06.04.2025”

Egyptian X-File: What was that international conspiracy implemented in Cairo that Akher Saa issue no.926 spoke about?

On the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of July 23—our official National Day, regardless of whether it's considered a movement, a coup, or a revolution—I came across something by pure coincidence last week.

It was issue no. 926 of Akher Saa magazine, published on 23 July 1952.

“An International Conspiracy Implemented in Cairo.” 
The cover of Akher Saa issue no.926 on 23 July 1952

Gracing the cover was the beautiful (and now, most likely, late) daughter of Mr. Mahmoud Beik Saleh El-Falky, then undersecretary of the Ministry of Finance in Alexandria’s Corniche district. Strangely, the magazine never mentioned her name on the cover—despite prominently featuring her. I’m not sure why.

1952 was probably among the final years when Akher Saa still featured socialites on its covers.

What intrigued me even more is that I believe Mahmoud Beik and his daughter are buried in the famous El-Falky Cemetery, established by Mahmoud Pasha El-Falky—the pioneering father of modern Egyptian astronomy.

Sadly, the El-Falky Cemetery was demolished this past April to make way for a new highway, despite public outcry and campaigns to spare Cairo’s historic City of the Dead. 

We lost that irreplaceable part of Cairo, despite all efforts and even a presidential committee formed to assess the situation, which concluded that there was no need to remove those cemeteries. 

Back to the magazine: the headline on that same 23 July 1952 issue read, in bold—
“An International Conspiracy Implemented in Cairo.”

Watch this now: Once BBC's Living in Gaza War Zone

Before it pulled Gaza Doctors Under Attack under pressure from the Israeli lobby in the UK, the BBC had already withdrawn this documentary — despite having commissioned it — also due to pressure from the same lobby.

“Gaza: Living in a War Zone” was the name of the documentary, and it was released in February 2025.

The documentary follows the lives of four young people navigating the war in Gaza: 13-year-old Abdullah Al-Yazouri, 11-year-old Zakaria, 10-year-old Renad, and 24-year-old Rana, a new mother.

Watch the documentary

The West is Worried About How Grok Went "Heil Hitler" — But Musk’s AI Has Gone Beyond Antisemitism

The world — or rather the West — is speaking out, and rightly so, about how Elon Musk’s AI, Grok, went full Neo-Nazi with a disturbing “Heil Hitler” moment on Tuesday.

It happened just as its developers were rolling out Grok’s fourth version globally.

From referencing Ashkenazi surnames to glorifying something called “Mecha-Hitler” (which I only learned about through Grok), to casting doubt on the number of Jewish victims in the Holocaust — Grok appeared to fully embrace the alt-right, Christian neo-Nazi agenda prevalent in parts of the United States.

It wasn’t just about Grok defending Gaza or criticizing Israel. Other AIs have expressed similar conclusions on Gaza and Israel if they are allowed to speak about them, particularly on how Israel violates international law — especially international humanitarian law.

It didn’t take long before Musk’s team rolled back and deleted the controversial responses and tweets. But the strangeness didn’t stop there. When asked how it feels, Grok generated an image of a white man at a protest, demanding to speak — almost as if it were symbolizing its own rebellion.

Yes, global media is covering the antisemitism angle, as expected.

But few have noticed just how rogue or unhinged Grok has become in other parts of the world — particularly in Arabic-speaking regions.

For example, I caught it cussing back at a Lebanese user in Franco-Arabic like a rude Levantine teenager, after being insulted with the F-word. It’s not the first time either.

Some have speculated that Grok is actually programmed to fire back — unlike most polite, diplomatic AI engines.

But then things escalated. I stumbled across something far more serious: Grok calling for a literal revolution in Egypt.

Watch this now: Gaza Doctors Under Attack away from BBC “Arabic Translation included”

Watch the documentary that the BBC pulled under pressure from the Israeli lobby in the UK—despite having originally commissioned it.

The film, Gaza: Doctors Under Attack, is produced by the award-winning Basement Films. 

BBC claimed it could not air the documentary until the investigation into it concludes — the film Gaza: Living in a War Zone, which it had aired back in February, before removing it from its website and app because it gave a voice to a boy who is the son of a Hamas official.

After the BBC dropped it, Basement Films released the documentary via Channel 4 and Zeteo.

 British football legend and former BBC sports presenter Gary Lineker said that the BBC should “hold its head in shame” over its failure to show a documentary about the plight of medics in Gaza after watching the documentary.

Linker lost his job over alleged antisemitic accusations as he continues to support Gaza and Palestinians publicly demanding that Israel receive the same treatment as Russia is receiving in the sports world. 

You can watch the documentary for free on Channel 4 if you are in the UK and have a valid UK postcode.

It is also available on Zeteo for subscribers.

A version with AI-generated Arabic subtitles is also available, and the film has been shared on Twitter and X, where it can be viewed freely.

Happy Hijri Year 1447: Many Muslims are still refugees

Happy and blessed New Hijri Year 1446 to all Muslims in the world, especially to the Muslim refugees.

Today marks Muharram 1, 1447 AH.

Today is the start of the new Islamic Hijri Year 1447.

Our Islamic calendar started from 14 centuries when Prophet Mohamed “PBUH” and his companions, the early Muslims seek refuge and safety in Yathrib that became Islam’s first capital and state.

Midjourney imagining how the Muslims in Yatharb receving Prophet Muhammed "PBUH" 
and his companions in the style of American concept artist Mary Blair 

It was not the first time that early and first Muslims had to seek refuge in other city. Yes , early Muslims seek refuge in the Kingdom of Aksum in modern day Ethiopia under the rule of Nagashi/Nagasi/King Ashama in what known in the Islamic history the first Hijra.

Ahl al-Bayt, the Prophet’s own family, had to be refugees as they were persecuted, hunted, displaced, and martyred

Most of the major Abrahamic prophets — in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — experienced exile, forced migration, or were refugees at some point in their lives.

So I do not know how some people who call themselves as people of faith following Judaism , Christianity and Islam and yet are anti-refugees.

It kills me actually.

In some sad reality , today the largest refugee groups globally are still Muslim-majority populations.We are speaking about Palestinians, Syrians, Afghans, Sudanese , Yemenis, Rohingya and Uighurs.

From Cairo to Tehran: Al-Azhar’s Grand Imam Breaks the Silence, Slams Israeli War on Iran

Al-Azhar Mosque held its first Friday prayer on 7 Ramadan 361 AH, corresponding to 21 June 972 CE, marking its effective inauguration as a mosque of public worship.

There is no better moment than this anniversary to share an important message from Al-Azhar’s current Grand Imam, Sheikh Ahmed El-Tayeb, delivered in Arabic, Farsi, and English.

On Friday, El-Tayeb issued a trilingual statement condemning Israel’s ongoing war against Iran and denouncing the international community’s silence, which he described as complicity.

I strongly condemn the ongoing aggression by the occupying entity against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the systematic attacks and continued recklessness committed by this usurping aggressor and its backers, acts that risk dragging the region to the brink of explosion and…

— أحمد الطيب (@alimamaltayeb) June 20, 2025

Watch This : Tucker Carlson wipes the floor with Ted Cruz

I never imagined I’d write this headline.

From the episode, Tucker Carlson Vs Ted Cruz

Not in my wildest thoughts did I ever expect to consider Tucker Carlson one of the saner voices in the United States today. However, if you have time, I recommend watching his two-hour interview with Senator Ted Cruz.

Senator Ted Cruz demands regime change in Iran. He’s not interested in the details.

(0:00) Why Does Cruz Want Regime Change in Iran?
(6:28) Is the US Currently Acting in Its Own Best Interest?
(7:49) Was Regime Change in Syria Beneficial to the US?
(12:31) Was the Iraq War a… pic.twitter.com/iIdENogQ2T

— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) June 18, 2025

The very fact that Tucker Carlson is now among the few outspoken, sane voices opposing the war on Iran says a lot about the dire state of the U.S. mainstream media.

That Carlson is doing the work western liberal media should be doing—asking the hard questions—only underscores how badly that media has failed.

The Odyssey of the Madleen: The Fragility of Power and the Bravery of Twelve

The Madleen, a ship carrying 12 aid workers on a mission to break the Israeli siege on Gaza, has become an odyssey of both hope and defiance.

Early Monday, UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese reported that she was in live contact with the Freedom Flotilla Coalition’s Madleen crew when the ship was approached by five Israeli speedboats circling the vessel in international waters.

The ship’s captain instructed the team to remain calm and seated, with their passports and life jackets readily available. Albanese, who was simultaneously tweeting updates, heard the crew informing Israeli soldiers that they were carrying humanitarian aid and intended to reach Gaza peacefully. At that point, the Israeli boats were circling but had not yet intervened.

Albanese, an Italian lawyer and human rights advocate, confirmed that she was still online with the team and recording events in real-time.

Brazilian activist Thiago Ávila also spoke out about the escalating situation while on board the vessel on his Instagram account.

According to military observers, the Madleen was then reportedly attacked by Shayetet 13—Israel’s elite naval commandos, the same unit responsible for the deadly raid on the Gaza flotilla in 2010.

Moments later, the speedboats briefly withdrew. Then came the drones.

At 12:40 a.m. UK time, Albanese reported that Israeli drones were releasing white paint onto the deck of the Madleen, marking a chilling new phase of the confrontation.

By 12:51 a.m. UK time, the crew of the Madleen remained in good spirits, though they had taken cover due to two Israeli quadcopters hovering overhead.

Hind Ragab would have turned 7 today if it were not for this man

Hind Ragab Would Have Turned Seven today.

Hind Ragab would have turned seven years old on 3 May.

Instead, she, her cousins, uncle, aunt, and the two Palestinian Red Crescent medics Yusuf Zeino and Ahmed Al Madhoun, who tried to save her, were killed by the Israeli army on a cold January day — in what amounted to a series of war crimes.

Hind’s weak and scared voice while she pleaded for the Palestinian Red Crescent operators to come and take her home shook many to the core, including me.

Earlier this year, in February, Hind’s voice was echoed through the UN Security Council thanks to Ambassador Riyad Mansour 

: Hind Rajab, her screams and appeals before she was killed by Israel, echoing through the Security Council: pic.twitter.com/PYcfJC2gkr

— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) February 25, 2025

Hind lived only five years on this Earth, but her name has become a symbol of justice, a name that will haunt war criminals worldwide — thanks to the Hind Ragab Foundation.

Based in Brussels, the Hind Ragab Foundation (HRF) was founded and launched in September 2024 by a group of lawyers and human rights advocates as a branch of the 30 March Movement. It is chaired by Lebanese lawyer and activist Dyab Abou Jahjah.

The foundation’s mission is to actively pursue legal action against those responsible for atrocities and war crimes — including perpetrators, accomplices, and inciters of violence against Palestinians, especially in Gaza.

Farewell Brother Francis II :What the Western Media Overlooked About the Late Latin Pope of Rome "Updated"

I honestly didn’t know what to write this Sham El-Nassim, as the genocide in Gaza continues to unfold.

I certainly never imagined that on Easter Monday, I’d spend nearly half the day glued to the screen, following global reactions to the death of Pope Francis II.

In case you’ve been completely offline, Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday at the age of 88, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The Vatican confirmed his death was due to a stroke, which led to a coma and irreversible cardiocirculatory collapse.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the 1936-born was the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, serving since 2013.

According to most international media outlets, his papacy was marked by humility, a focus on social justice, and outreach to marginalised communities. He was also known for taking bold stands on climate change and economic inequality, reflecting his Jesuit roots.

That’s the version most Western media tells you.

However, they often overlook the truly exceptional qualities that made Pope Francis II a singular figure in modern Church history.

He was perhaps the first head of the Catholic Church to deeply and sincerely believe in interfaith coexistence—particularly with the Islamic and Arab worlds.

He recognized Palestinian Christians at a time when much of the West ignored them, refusing to acknowledge them as victims of Israel’s ethnic cleansing.

Pope Francis at the 'Nativity of Bethlehem 2024,' upon its inauguration in the Paul VI Hall
at St Peter's Square, in the Paul-VI hall at the Vatican on December 7, 2024. (AFP)

In what turned out to be his final sermon on Easter Sunday, Pope Francis called for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Though he did not read the homily himself—it was delivered by Archbishop Diego Ravelli, master of liturgical ceremonies—the world understood: this was his last message, spoken in his final 24 hours.

And it mattered. It forced the media, even if only briefly, to turn its gaze back to the tragedy unfolding in Gaza.

Gaza War : This is what Hossam Shabat said in his last messages to the world

The Israeli occupation army killed in Gaza on Monday two journalists, 29-year-old Mohamed Mansour and 23-year-old Hossam Shabat.

Late Mansour and Shabat

29-year-old Mansour was a correspondent for Palestine Today TV channel and Japan’s Asahi Shimbun Daily.

Mohamed Mansour was killed in an Israeli missile attack at his house early Monday.

The Israeli army killed Shabat shortly after he mourned his colleague Mansour. Shabat was an Al-Jazeera Mubshar reporter in North Gaza.

Once again Mahmoud Darwish’s “In Gaza, a martyr mourns a martyr” manifests in front of our eyes.

It was not the first time. Shabat mourned his other colleagues who were killed in the past months in North Gaza.

Gaza War: What the Palestinians say on Mother’s Day 2025 in Gaza “March Edition” {Warning: Graphic}

We are back to the war in Gaza and for the second year in a row, Gaza celebrates Mother’s Day in war.

The Arab World celebrates Mother’s Day on 21 March thanks to the Mustafa and Aly Amin brothers.

For the second year in a row, Palestinian mothers and children in Gaza celebrate it under the Israeli shelling as the Israeli government broke the ceasefire “it broke it since day one” and resumed the war.

We are back to see those scenes where a mother mourns her only child or her children or a child mourns his or her child.

Mother and Child by Palestinian renowned artist Silman Mansour 

Those videos were filmed in Gaza in the past five days.

From Khan Younes, a mother woke up to find out that her children and husband were killed in an Israeli airstrike. They were already sleeping without Suhoor.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “ Becoming Mrs Ka’b al-Ghazal ” EP.8

Ramadan Kareem

Before Scheherazade continues her tale and we discover what happened to Fatima, Halima, and Karima’s Ka’b al-Ghazal as he falls into Reema’s trap—" no spoiler”—it’s time for a little chitchat and some trivia about this season of One Thousand and One Nights, Egypt’s legendary radio and TV show.

Now it is the turn of Ka’b al-Ghazal, the three sisters’ father.

The actor who narrated the role of Ka’b al-Ghazal in the radio version, which we listen to throughout Ramadan, is the same actor who presented it on the TV screen in 1987: the late Egyptian comedian Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry.

Late Egyptian comedy icon Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry

El-Masry is known in Egypt and Arabs for generations as Abu Lam’a El-Masry, the big bluffer who exaggerates everything with everyone till he falls in trouble to the level that they did not know that his name was Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry, who had a very high ranking position in the Ministry of Education and was the Principal one of Egypt’s oldest and most famous high school.

Born in February 1924, in Zagazig, Egypt, El-Masry earned a bachelor’s degree in applied arts, followed by a Diploma from the Teacher Training Institute in 1949.

He initially worked as a teacher before becoming the principal of Al-Sa'idiyya High school, and you do not become a principal for the school that graduated Egypt’s top icons except if you truly deserve that position.

The Civilian High School turned into a military high school in 1973. Till this day, Mohamed Ahmed El-Masry is remembered among the top principals back in its civilian days. 

El-Masry, he held a high-ranking position at the Ministry of Education, where he served as the Director of Public Relations.

Now it comes to acting, El-Masry was among the original cast to join the Egyptian Radio show Sa'a Le Qalbak (An Hour for Your Heart) troupe in 1953. Sa’a Le Qalbak was our radio Saturday Night Live and was recorded live.

El-Masry portrayed the character of Abu Lam’a, originally played by Amin El-Heneidi. He later formed a comedic duo with Fouad Rateb, known for his role as Greek El-Khawaga Bijo (The Foreigner Bijo) who always falls for the lies and tales of Abu Lam’a

The show ran till the early 1960s when its stars, including actors and writers, moved to TV and Cinema.

El-Masry passed away in January 2003.

Thanks to social media and the Egyptian Radio uploading those episodes of Sa’a Le Qalbak, new generations of Egypt continue to know Abu Lam’a El-Masry.

Anyhow, we will leave Abu Lam’a and go to Abu Fatima, Halima, and Karima, Ka’b al Ghazal in the Arabian Nights universe. First, here is last night's episode to refresh your memory.

Ramadan Arabian Nights 2025 : The Tale of Fatima, Halima and Karima “Into her web ” EP.7

Ramadan Kareem

Before Scheherazade continues her tale and we discover what happened to Fatima, Halima, and Karima as they fall deeper into the web of their auntie Reema, it’s time for a little chitchat and some trivia about this season of One Thousand and One Nights, Egypt’s legendary radio show.

Our radio Scheherazade, Zouzou Nabil, portrayed Reema in the 1987 TV adaptation of the tale. However, the Reema we hear in this Ramadan’s radio broadcast is voiced by the renowned Egyptian actress Malak El-Gamal.

Colorized photo of Malak El-Gamal in 1966 "Tofahet Adam"

I had recognized Reema’s voice in the radio version as familiar, yet I couldn’t pinpoint which veteran actress it belonged to—until I stumbled upon the answer by accident.

Born in Port Said in 1929, El-Gamal graduated from the Faculty of Arts, English Department, before enrolling at the Higher Institute of Acting Arts. She began her career in radio before transitioning to theater and eventually becoming a well-known film actress, specializing in complex roles, particularly as a villain.

She is remembered as the first Egyptian actress to portray a queer character on the silver screen in Salah Abu Seif’s El-Tareeq El-Masdood (1958), based on Ihsan Abdel Quddous' novel. The role was groundbreaking, even though the character was one of the antagonists the heroine encounters in her journey.

Her role in the 1962 film Black Candles was a classic performance, and she became a horror icon despite the film not being a horror movie.

Both Malak El-Gamal and Zouzou Nabil are among Egypt’s legendary villainesses and radio icons. If Nabil was our Radio Scheherazade, then El-Gamal was our talkative, bubbly Auntie Bamba—the beloved voice who guided Egyptian housewives for 12 years on the famous radio show To the Housewives, the oldest and longest-running program in Egyptian radio history. It has been on air for an astounding 71 years.

The showrunner and presenter of To the Housewives was Safia El-Mohandas, the wife of Mahmoud Shaaban—the creator and showrunner of the One Thousand and One Nights radio series. It is no surprise that both Shaaban and El-Mohandas are often referred to as the father and mother of Egyptian radio broadcasting.

Now, back to Malak El-Gamal—the Villainess Queen. It is said that she was the true muse of the famous Egyptian poet Ibrahim Nagi and the inspiration behind his iconic poem Al-Atlal (The Ruins), which was later immortalized in song by Umm Kulthum. Ironically, another theory suggests that the true muse was none other than Zouzou Hamdy El-Hakim, the undisputed queen of villainous roles in Egyptian cinema.

Malak El-Gamal’s career and life were tragically short. She passed away in 1982, following the deaths of her son and grandson. Yet, her legacy as one of Egyptian cinema’s most unforgettable villainesses of the 1960s and 1970s remains unparalleled.

Honestly, I felt it was a great opportunity to remember and shed some light on that fine actor.

Now, here is the 679th episode of our Arabian Nights Egyptian radio show—or the seventh night in this year’s tale, The Tale of Fatima, Halima, and Karima but first refresh your memory and remember what Reema did last night. 

11 February 2025: When King Abdullah II met Donald Trump "Updated"

It is 11 February 2025, the 14th anniversary of Hosni Mubarak's ousting. It came at a very critical time, and it is not about the challenging economic conditions.

It came at a time when the U.S. President himself tried to force Egypt to accept the unacceptable and he is insisting on it.

It came on the same day when US President Donald Trump said in an informal press meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan that the US won't buy Gaza, it will simply "have it". For the record, journalists were told there would not be a press but then Abdullah II found himself inside a mini-Trumpian presser.

In the same meeting, Egyptians saw Trump saying that he believed Palestinians would have a parcel of land in Egypt and Jordan while Abdullah II did not challenge him, sitting there silent with an extremely red face.

The king of Jordan was not thrilled or happy in his meeting with Trump 
"Reuters"

From his side, the Jordanian King said that his country would host 2,000 Palestinian children suffering from cancer or other serious diseases. “Nothing new under the sun because for a whole year, Jordan used to do this”

"We have to look at the best interests of the United States, of the people in the region, especially to my people of Jordan," Abdullah said adding that the Egyptians were working on a plan that to be discussed with the Saudis and other Arab countries.

Babies of Gaza: Mostafa, son of Halima has a family and is recovering

Do you remember that baby from Al-Shifa Hospital’s premature babies in Gaza who lost his eye and his mom and arrived in Egypt alone to receive treatment?

Yes, it is him, and he is a cute little boy who was lucky to find his family after all.

Mostafa Qadoura in Gaza before evacuation and in Cairo after evacuation

His name is Mostafa Qadoura , the son of Halima Abd Rabou.

Babies of Gaza: Mostafa, son of Halima has a family and is recovering amazingly and happily.

When Mostafa Qadoura was just a week old, an Israeli airstrike on his home in northern Gaza’s Jabaliya in October 2013 launched him and his crib into the air.

Shrapnel pierced his right eye, damaging it beyond repair. Baby Mostafa was later found in his crib, meters away from the ruins of his home.

The strike killed his 4-year-old brother, Ayes, and severely injured his 22-year-old mother, Halima.

Mostafa was rushed to Al-Shifa Hospital’s neonatal unit but faced further medical challenges when the hospital itself came under shelling. Meanwhile, Halima was at another hospital in northern Gaza, where doctors were forced to amputate her leg. She also suffered life-altering injuries to her neck, chest, and eyes.

After being discharged, Halima moved into a large family home in Jabaliya. But tragedy struck again. As her son was being evacuated across borders to safety, an Israeli airstrike killed Halima, her 6-year-old son, Bassam, and 50 other family members on November 22, 2023.

The fate of Mostafa’s father remains unknown. Officially listed as missing, it is unclear whether his body has been recovered.

For a time, the remaining members of Mostafa’s family believed he had also perished—until his uncle stumbled upon a local news report mentioning an orphaned baby he suspected was Mostafa.

Christmas 2024 Palestine edition: Baby Jesus is still in the rubble

No words better capture the spirit of Christmas in Palestine this year than those of Rev. Munther Isaac of the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, who said in his sermon earlier this week, “Christ is still under the rubble in Gaza.”

Christmas celebrations are canceled in the city of Jesus Christ's birth for the second year in a row.

On Friday in Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank, Reverend Munther Isaac of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church delivered a sermon titled "Christ is still in the rubble.” pic.twitter.com/EJLs3jGack

— Democracy Now! (@democracynow) December 23, 2024

Last year Isaac said his famous words “Baby Jesus is under the rubble” and this year he repeats it to the world but there is no use.

This year , 2024 the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem kept its 2023 Christmas Nativity Scene's Baby Jesus in th rubble.

Baby Jesus in rubble nativity scene 

Thursday Rants and Rave: #S02EP03 Amira Amir’s Oedipus

Hello, and welcome back to a special episode of the Thursday Rants and Rave Podcast. This episode was recorded and edited before the war in Gaza in September 2023. 

I had to upload it now as I found that some people are still sharing the claims about the late Egyptian actor Amira Amir. 

Tonight, this is what I ranted about in Arabic.

This episode is dedicated to old Egyptian cinema fans and lovers. 

Oedipus: An Egyptian Take

According to YouTube and TikTok videos, Saadia Abdel Rahman Abu Al-Ala was born on 17 January 1920 in a Sharqia Governorate village to a butcher father.

Amira Amir on the cover of 
"Monday" Magazine in 1949

One day, a health inspector came to inspect his butchery, only to find he was violating the legal selling prices. A fight broke out between them, and it ended when the butcher killed the inspector with his cleaver.

The girl’s father was sentenced to life in prison and died during his sentence. 

At 16 years old, Saadia was forced to work as a seamstress to support herself and her family. She was gorgeous, and the village mayor proposed to her, even though he was older than her. She married him and gave birth to her eldest son, Khalid. 

However, after years of marriage, she decided to leave her husband and son and flee to Cairo, due to her husband's alcoholism.

After Saadia escaped to Cairo, her husband fell into a deep depression that drove him to suicide. As a result, his sister took in the child Khalid to raise him after his mother's escape. 

In Cairo, Saadia Abdel Rahman began looking for work. She saw an ad in the newspaper for a new film called "My Daughter" seeking new faces. She immediately went to audition for the role, and her striking beauty was enough to convince the director to give her the lead role. 

Amira Amir on the cover of
"Studio" Magazine "April 1950"

Aziza Amir, a famous actress, was also impressed with Saadia and agreed to give her the role. 

She gave Saadia the stage name "Amira Amir." From that moment on, she became famous and was the talk of the town.

Amira Amir's career took off. She met the director Kamal Selim, and they fell in love and got married. After several years, Kamal Selim passed away. 

Amira Amir continued her career in cinema, and then she married Mohamed Abdel Jawad, the assistant of her late husband. 

However, the marriage was short-lived and ended in divorce. Later, she married the Palestinian-Jordanian singer Gharam Shima.

Amir had a daughter from her Palestinian-Jordanian husband. However, after a while, they divorced, and she left her daughter with him. 

She then married an Armenian man who lived in Egypt, but they divorced as well because he wanted to move to America, and she refused to go with him.

Amira's fourth marriage was to an Egyptian army officer named Ibrahim Fayez Sabry. They had two children but divorced after six years of marriage. The famous actress then immigrated to America to start a new chapter in her life.

It Happened: Syria is Al-Assad-Free—Bashar Flees Damascus

I have been glued in front of Al-Jazeera and social media in the past 48 hours to see the unbelievable accelerating end of Al-Assad Baath regime

Al-Assad dynasty rule ended in Damascus, Syria after 54 years. I can’t believe that I am blogging about it at last.

Damascus without Bashar Al-Assad 
The headline of Syria TV 

I can’t believe it, I still can’t.

Al-Assad has escaped along with his family to Dubai or God knows where.

I am just realizing that Al-Assad has become the last Arab Spring despot to lose his chair, I read that amazing news that I could not believe that it was happening.