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Israeli occupier attacks threaten historic Christian presence in West Bank town

In Taybeh, one of the few Palestinian communities with a Christian majority in the occupied West Bank, fears are growing that Israeli occupier attacks on farmland and property could push more families to emigrate, threatening the town’s demographic character and historic Christian presence. Local officials and clergy warned of the impact of rising violence by Israeli occupiers, which has coincided with worsening living and economic conditions in the town. Taybeh, east of Ramallah, is one of the few Palestinian towns in the West Bank that still has a Christian majority, according to church and local accounts. Residents say the town’s Christian roots go back thousands of years. Residents say the attacks have deepened fears in the town, even as they stress their determination to remain on their land. Also Read: Pakistan raises red flag over illegal settlements in West Bank, calls for Israel accountability In recent years, Israeli occupiers have established several ill...
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Australian police probe threatening letter to country's largest mosque ahead of Ramazan

Australian police said on Thursday they had launched an investigation after a threatening letter was sent to the country's largest mosque, the third such incident in the lead-up to the Muslim fasting month of Ramazan. The letter sent to Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's west on Wednesday contained a drawing of a pig and a threat to kill the "Muslim race", local media reported. Police said they had taken the letter for forensic testing and would continue to patrol religious sites, including the mosque, as well as community events. The latest letter comes weeks after a similar message was mailed to the mosque, depicting Muslim people inside a mosque on fire. Police have also arrested and charged a 70-year-old man in connection with a third threatening letter sent to Lakemba Mosque's staff in January. Read More: US lawmakers call on congressman to resign over remarks about Muslims The Lebanese Muslim Association, which runs the mosque, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation it had written to the government to request more funding for additional security guards and CCTV cameras. Some 5,000 people are expected to attend the mosque each night during Ramazan. More than 60% of residents in the suburb of Lakemba identify as Muslim, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Blal El-Hayek, mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown council, where Lakemba is located, said the community was feeling "very anxious". "I've heard first-hand from people saying that they won't be sending their kids to practice this Ramazan because they're very concerned about things that might happen in local mosques," he said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the recent string of threats. "It is outrageous that people just going about commemorating their faith, particularly during the holy month for Muslims of Ramazan, are subject to this sort of intimidation," he told ABC radio. "I have said repeatedly we need to turn down the temperature of political discourse in this country, and we certainly need to do that." Anti-Muslim sentiment has been growing in Australia since the war in Gaza in late 2023, according to a recent report commissioned by the government. The Islamophobia Register Australia has also documented a 740% rise in reports following the Bondi mass shooting on December 14, where authorities allege two gunmen inspired by Islamic State killed 15 people attending a Jewish holiday celebration. "There's been a massive increase post-Bondi," Mayor El-Hayek said. "Without a doubt, this is the worst I have ever seen it. There's a lot of tension out there."

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