September 2023 Report: Monthly Briefing on Countries of Operation
Palestine
17th September - Israeli occupiers announce they will keep the Beit Hanoun crossing closed following an eruption of border protests.
The string of protests came during a holiday season in Israel that began with the Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year last week and continues through the Sukkot festival next week.[1] “Closing Erez costs my family and me our food and living expenses,” said the 41-year-old Palestinian construction worker. Ashraf, 36, described the closure as “collective punishment against workers”.
19th September 19th - Israeli occupiers raid Jenin and kill four Palestinians
The four killed were identified as Mahmoud Saadi, 23; Mahmoud Ararawi, 24; Raafat Khamayseh, 22; and Atta Mousa, 29. On September 20th , in both the West bank and Gaza, a total of six Palestinians were killed by the Israeli occupation in just 24 hours [2].
September 20th - Talks of normalisation between Israel and Saudi Arabia
There have been recent efforts between Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalise relations. Saudi Crown Prince MBS says Israel normalisation getting ‘closer everyday ’amid a big push by the United States for a Saudi-Israeli deal.[3] Saudi -Israel normalisation efforts have been supported by Turkish president Erdogan, a Turkish source stated that ‘Turkey is in favour of decreasing tensions in the region’.[4] Saudi Arabia has offered aid to Palestinian Authority in bid for Israel normalisation. Palestinian officials have condemned previous Arab normalisation deals with Israel as “a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the Palestinian people”.[5]
24th September -Israeli forces raid Nur shams camp in the west bank
Two Palestinians were killed. Israeli bulldozers destroyed the streets and infrastructure, leaving the camp in ruins. Mohammad Abu Talal, supermarket owner stated that “the army entered with bulldozers and tractors. They destroyed the shop, they destroyed everything”.[6]
22nd September - Israeli Prime Minister presents a new map erasing Palestine during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) 78th session.
An Illustration was shown by Israeli prime minister at UN includes occupied West Bank and Gaza as part of Israel. Many ultra-nationalist Zionists include Palestinian lands, and sometimes even parts of Syria and Lebanon in Israeli maps. This is because they support the idea of Eretz Yisrael, which claims all these lands belong to a Zionist state.
Afghanistan
Afghanistan End-of-Month Brief – September 2023
9th September - British Muslim scholars who travelled to Afghanistan express their dissatisfaction with the way the mainstream media has portrayed the country's current situation.
Muslim scholars gathered at Queen Mary University in London for Prosper Afghanistan’s organisation launch to discuss their reflections upon visiting Afghanistan post-war and occupation. They highlighted the peace, stability and security that now exists in Afghanistan after decades of conflict. The scholars also discussed the contentious topic of women’s education, which was suspended at the secondary level and higher last year.
Shaykh Hamid Mahmood commented “Before leaving for Afghanistan I had never seen anything positive in the mainstream media, but after speaking to members of the Afghan government I realised that they were not just trying to free themselves from physical subjugation and colonialism, but also from financial, economic and intellectual enslavement”.[7]
He also mentioned that girls’ education had not been banned, but rather “liberal, secular education had been suspended”.[8]
13th September 2023 - Resignation of Ellwood
MP Tobias Ellwood has resigned as chair of the defence select committee after four of its members called for a vote of no confidence considering a video that he made praising the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan after a visit to Afghanistan in July. He commented that “Afghanistan has transformed as a country and corruption is down”. Upon resignation he stated “My reflection of my visit could have been much better worded and have been taken out of context.”.
Syria
18th September - Violence escalates between Turkish-backed militias and Kurds in northwest Syria
Violence has also escalated across northwest Syria with shelling and clashes reported across Idlib and northern Aleppo governorates, killing at least 27 civilians, including 11 children, and displacing over 26,500. In Aleppo, a Kurdish armed group attacked an area outside Al-Bab, which is controlled by pro-Turkish militias, killing 14 of the Turkish-backed fighters. [9]
18th September - NGOs claim Turkey is ‘forcibly deporting’ Syrians at three border crossings
Syrians for Truth and Justice has called for a halt to Turkey’s deportation of Syrians, stating that since the election 29,895 Syrian refugees have been forcibly removed from Turkey via the Tell Abyad, Bab al-Hawa, and Bab al-Slamah borders, through arrests, “administrative detention”, and beatings in removal centres, where Syrians are forced to sign “voluntary return” papers. This has happened even when they have the kimlik (temporary residence document) and work permits.[10]
19th September - Giant puppet of Syrian child reaches US for cross-country campaign for refugees
A 12-foot animatronic puppet of a girl – Amal – representing Syrian refugees crossed the 6000-mile mark at Freedom Square in Washington D.C, after passing through 97 towns in 15 countries and being welcomed by over a million people. The puppet will travel another 6,000 miles across the US.[11]
Clashes between Kurds and Arab tribes in the east while child abduction claims increase
The Kurdish-led SDF and the Military Council of Deir ez-Zor in eastern Syria, which is supported by local Arab tribes, have been fighting for several weeks, and the UN has called for a ceasefire. Reports of children being “kidnapped and forced to fight” for the Kurdish PKK/YPG, which has strong US support, emerged in Turkish news1 this month, which claimed that 14 abductions took place in July.
Mali
12th September - Tuareg separatists take control of town in Northern Mali after weeks of combat
After weeks of fierce combat against the national army and Wagner mercenaries, Tuareg rebels in northern Mali have declared their control over a military camp and various outposts within the town of Bourem. This bold move threatens to undo a delicate peace agreement from 2015.[12]
The capture of Bourem on Tuesday, strategically located between the historic cities of Gao and Timbuktu, was achieved by the Tuareg rebel alliance, known as the Coordination of Azawad Movements (CMA). Notably, this development coincides with the military’s consolidation of power following two coups in 2020 and 2021, along with the expulsion of French forces and the United Nations peacekeeping mission MINUSMA.
16th September - Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso form Sahel security alliance
Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have solidified their commitment to regional security by establishing a collaborative alliance in the Sahel region. This pact, referred to as the "Alliance of Sahel States," was inked on a significant Saturday and signifies a united front against potential challenges such as armed uprisings or external aggressions.[13]
This charter goes beyond mere words, binding these nations to stand together and offer support, including military assistance, should any of them face an attack. It marks a substantial step toward bolstering regional stability and cooperation.
“Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties,” it states. The charter also brings together the three countries to work to neutralise armed rebellions.
“I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework,” Mali’s military leader Assimi Goita said on X
Uygur
30th August 2023: “Genocide Tours”: Report calls on international travel companies to end tours to East Turkestan
The Uyghur Human Rights Project, or UHRP, released a new report highlighting the troubling industry of organised travel to East Turkestan despite ongoing crimes against humanity and genocide, and calls on these companies to immediately end their tours. Travel companies were called out for perpetrating “dark” or “disaster” tourism which classifies as ‘travel to places of human tragedy such as sites of ethnic cleansing, natural disasters, or war as a tourist’. The report further exposed how travel companies repeat and reinforce Chinese government narratives of an ‘exotic’ people for the purpose of tourist consumption and implicitly support the normalization of genocidal government policies intended to destroy the Uyghur identity. It also identified seven Western travel companies with tour itineraries that include stops in Urumqi, Turpan and Kashgar, all of whom were approached by UHRP to inform them about the report.[14]
6th September 2023: AFP reporters reveal daring insights into ‘dark’ tourism and empty homes in East Turkestan
The homes of people who went missing in China’s brutal crackdown in East Turkestan cities were found abandoned, according to an investigation by Agence France-Presse. Leaked Chinese police records suggested that up to half of the adult men in the villages AFP reporters visited in southern Xinjiang had been rounded up. The news agency was prevented by Chinese apparatus to find out what happened to the missing Uyghurs during their visit to the villages. AFP investigative journalists also observed a boom in state-backed tourism in East Turkestan. This new development is seen as a latest attempt by the CCP to repackage a state-approved version of the East Turkestani culture to attract domestic and foreign travellers.[15]
19th September 2023: US committee demands explanation from state department for inaction against Chinese officials
US congressional committee called for urgent action against Chinese officials complicit in gross human rights abuses in East Turkestan. In a letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, the committee’s chair Mike Gallagher stated the importance of holding CCP perpetrators to account as a means to deter further human rights abuse against Muslims of East Turkestan. Reference was also made to the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act (UHRPA) that was passed in 2020 which required the US president to identify and sanction all those responsible for atrocities against the Uyghur minority. The letter demanded the State Department provide reasons as to why no effective action has been taken till date.[16]
20th September 2023: Canada Investigates Allegations of Uyghur Forced Labour against Levi Strauss Canada
Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise (CORE), Canada's corporate watchdog initiated a probe against Canadian unit of Levi Strauss over allegations that it made use of forced labour from Uyghur minority. Sheri Meyerhoffer, the ombudsperson for responsible enterprise, is looking into whether the denim company known for Levi's jeans has supply relationships with Chinese companies that source materials from Uyghur people forced to work in East Turkestan. Levis Strauss denies the allegations, however did not make itself available for an initial assessment meeting nor provide information verifying its response to the allegations. Levi is the seventh company to be investigated for Uyghur forced labour use in its supply chain. It is expected that more assessments will be made public in the coming weeks according to a recent statement by the ombudsperson’s office.[17]
23rd September 2023: Uyghur scholar sentenced to life in prison following secret trial
According to recent reports, Professor Rahile Dawut, a reputable scholar at Xinjiang University was sentenced to life in prison following charges of endangering state security in a secret trial in East Turkestan. The recent developments broke the silence on the status of Prof Dawut following her forced disappearance in late 2017 during a CCP crackdown. US based rights organisation, Dui Hua Fou Foundation revealed that they had access to a Chinese government document that disclosed the professor’s life sentence. This latest news has come to further confirm CCP’s systematic policy to eliminate East Turkestan’s intellectual elite, scholars and leaders.[18]
Yemen
14th September - Houthis make their way to Riyadh for ceasefire talks with Saudi Arabia
Yemen’s Houthi rebels are enroute to Riyadh for discussions regarding a ceasefire with Saudi Arabia, facilitated by Omani mediation. These talks, hosted in the Saudi capital, offer an improved prospect of a potential agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi faction. As per reports from the Saudi state news agency, a Houthi representative, and diplomatic and government sources, this visit, scheduled for Thursday evening, instils optimism for progress in the conflict that has resulted in a substantial loss of life, including terrible consequences like famine.
Rohingya
19th September - Rohingya refugees detained.
19 Sept - Over 100 Rohingya refugees stopped from leaving refugee camps and have been detained.
The Bangladeshi police officials have accused Rohingyas of taking part in criminal activities despite refugees only leaving camps for essential things such as buying medicine and work.[19]
21st September - The devastating effects of aid restriction
Aid assistance to refugees has dramatically shrunk leaving many desperate to provide for their families. Refugees are getting engaged with drug & arms dealing, adolescent girls & women are trafficked as sex workers and many refugees are trying to escape from the camps to seek livelihoods in the mainland.[20]
Sources
[4] Israel-Saudi normalisation: Turkey backs the move, Erdogan says | Middle East Eye
[7] British Muslim scholars dispel myths about Afghanistan – 5Pillars (5pillarsuk.com)
[8] British Muslim scholars dispel myths about Afghanistan – 5Pillars (5pillarsuk.com)
[9] Attack by Kurdish group in northern Syria kills 14 fighters | Al Arabiya English
[10] "He Looks Syrian; Get off and Ask for His kimlik" - Syrians for Truth and Justice (stj-sy.org)
[11] Little Amal: Syrian refugee puppet leads march to US Capitol (newarab.com)
[12] Tuareg rebels claim control of northern Mali town after weeks of fighting | News | Al Jazeera
[13] Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso establish Sahel security alliance | News | Al Jazeera
[15] Blocked roads, crumbling camps as China moves Xinjiang detentions out of sight (yahoo.com)
[16] U.S. committee demands reasons for lack of Xinjiang sanctions | Reuters
[17] The CORE launches investigation into Levi Strauss Canada
[18] ‘Cruel tragedy’: Uighur scholar sentenced to life in prison in China | Uighur News | Al Jazeera
