Chris Doyle, Director of the Council for Arab British Understanding (Caabu), has won the prestigious Annemarie Schimmel Award for Excellence in championing a Muslim cause. He was presented with the award at the Muslim News Awards for Excellence ceremony in London Wednesday 25 March in the presence of the leader of the UK opposition, the Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP and the Secretary of State for Education, Rt Hon Nicky Morgan MP.
On Thursday 26 March 2015, Caabu had a letter published in the Independent about the White House's comments on Israel's occupation of Palestine.
Israel’s never-ending occupation
26 March 2015
In November/December 2014, former Secretary of State for Wales, Rt. Hon. David Jones MP visited Jordan with Caabu and the All Party Parliamentary Jordan Group, together with Crispin Blunt MP and Andy Love MP.
Caabu supports calls for more Arabic learning in the UK. It follows an article written by the British Council's Director for Bahrain, Tony Calderbank, who enphasised both the need and importance of more Arabic learning.
As a UN language, spoken by over 400 million people across the world, it is vital for British national interests that there is a greater push to encourage the study of Arabic.
UK politicians need to access Gaza, please lobby your Member of Parliament.
An important Early Day Motion (EDM) has been put down in Parliament on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and calls for UK politicians to be granted access. Caabu is encouraging its members, supporters and friends to contact their MPs, urging them to sign the EDM.
On 17 March 2015 Gerard Horton, a lawyer and co-founder of Military Court Watch, spoke to Caabu on the issue of child detainees in Israeli military detention. Gerard gave an overview of the current situation on the ground, placing the military courts in the wider context of the occupation of the West Bank.
“The Arabs are voting in droves”
By Chris Doyle
17 March 2015
One would think this was a wonderful endorsement of Israeli politics. A huge Arab voter turnout. Democracy at work. A state of all its citizens.
Well….
Not for the incumbent Israeli Prime Minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.
On Wednesday 4 March, Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Baroness Trish Morris and Gavin Shuker MP discussed the challenges facing Palestine in a briefing in Parliament chaired by Andy Love MP following recent delegations to Palestine with Caabu and Medical Aid for Palestinians. The meeting also raised the issue of Parliamentary access to Gaza.
Gavin Shuker started by saying that the UK Parliament vote on the recognition of Palestine was a major development and that it had already had an impact on the region.
Psychosocial and mental health support for Syrian and Palestinian refugees
Caabu briefing with Alexandra Chen
On 27 February, Caabu held a briefing on psychosocial and mental health support for Syrian and Palestinian refugees with Alexandra Chen, chaired by James Denselow, Director of Advocacy and Communications for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP).
The IDF in 140 Characters: social media and the online battlefield
Charlie Garnett
