Tag Archives: Conference

U.S. says ready to talk Mideast peace; Abbas calls for conference

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner seen with United States Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), Nikki Haley, and lawyer Jason Greenblatt (R) before a meeting of the UN Security Council at UN headquarters in New York, U.S., February 20, 2018. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

By Michelle Nichols

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States is “ready to talk” Middle East peace with the Palestinians, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Tuesday in remarks directed at Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and U.S. Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, who are working on a new peace plan, sat behind Haley. Speaking after Abbas made a rare address to the 15-member council, Haley gave no details of the U.S. plan.

“Our negotiators are sitting right behind me, ready to talk. But we will not chase after you. The choice, Mr. President, is yours,” Haley said. Abbas did not stay in the council chamber to listen to her.

White House spokesman Josh Raffel said Washington would present a peace plan “when it is done and the time is right.”

The Palestinians no longer view the United States as a neutral negotiator, and Abbas on Tuesday called for an international Middle East peace conference to be convened later this year.

The Palestinians are furious over the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December and its decision to cut U.S. funding for the U.N. agency that helps Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).

“It has become impossible today for one country or state alone to solve a regional or international conflict,” Abbas said. “It is essential to establish a multilateral international mechanism emanating from an international conference.”

Abbas, who shunned a visit by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence to the region last month, said the conference should include the Palestinians, Israel, the five permanent U.N. Security Council members – the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France – the European Union and the United Nations.

French U.N. Ambassador Francois Delattre told the council: “We are open to studying the development of the ways of international accompaniment for the peace process.” Deputy British U.N. Ambassador Jonathan Allen described U.S. leadership on the issue as “indispensable.”

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told the Security Council that Abbas was part of the problem, not the solution, and that the “only way to move forward is direct negotiations” between Israel and the Palestinians.

Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the so-called Quartet – made up of the United Nations, the United States, Russia and the EU – and the League of Arab States could play a role in kick-starting the stalled peace process.

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Paul Simao)

Hundreds Protest Muslim Gathering In Texas

Hundreds protested this weekend outside a Muslim conference in Garland, Texas that was aimed to tell Muslims to “Stand With The Prophet.”

The event reportedly was sold out.

“Frustrated with Islamophobes defaming the prophet? Fuming over extremists like ISIS who give a bad name to Islam? Remember the Danish cartoons defaming the prophet? Or the anti-Islam film, ‘Innocence of Muslims’? These attacks are no accident,” the website for the event reads.

“Prophet Muhammad inspires love and devotion in the hearts of Muslims, peace be upon him; unfortunately, Islamophobes have turned him into an object of hate,” it continues. “Hate groups in the U.S. have invested at least $160 million dollars to attack our prophet and Islam. Isn’t it time we invested in defending our faith? Otherwise, groups like ISIS and Boko Haram will only continue to increase the media’s ammunition to incriminate Muslims.”

One of the speakers was Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who has been called the “unindicted co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.”

Vietnam Veteran Jeff Higgins says that he came out to protest because he wants people to know the truth about Islam.

“This is my backyard,” Higgins stated. “We live under the American law, not Shariah law and I know that ultimately, that’s their goal, is to bring Shariah law to America. This is the first kind of, in-your-face attempt to do that. I know they’ll say this is about peace, but peace means submission to them.”

Muslim Leaders To Hold Massive Rally In Texas

Muslim leaders from around the U.S. will be heading to Texas for a rally called “Stand With the Prophet in Honor and Respect.”  The event is being called “a movement to defend Prophet Muhammad, his person and his message.”

The event seeks to combat “Islamophobes in America” who have, in their words, have turned Muhammad “into an object of hate.”

The event comes a week after Islamists killed 17 people in France for mocking Muhammad.

One of the scheduled speakers at the event is Siraj Wahhaj, the man called an “unindicted co-conspirator” in the 1993 World Trade Center bombings.

“Frustrated with Islamophobes defaming the Prophet?” the event materials ask. “Fuming over extremists like ISIS who give a bad name to Islam? Remember the Danish cartoons defaming the Prophet? Or the anti-Islam film, ‘Innocence of Muslims’?”

“When real events warrant, like the Danish Cartoon controversy, Sharia ban, Quran burning, Boko Haram kidnappings. [Islamic State] brutality, etc., we articulate fresh talking points and content quickly, and in a timely manner, working with professionals to disseminate it through community spokespersons and our allies,” organizers state on their website.