The BBC has faced significant criticism after removing a documentary about Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip from its iPlayer platform.

The documentary, titled, “Gaza: How To Survive A Warzone,” came under intense scrutiny after it was revealed that one of the featured children, 13-year-old Abdullah Alyazouri, was the son of Dr. Ayman Alyazouri, a deputy minister in the government in the coastal territory.

The territory is ruled by the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which has historically defended it in the face of deadly Israeli atrocities, including the regime’s recent 15-month-plus-long war of genocide that has claimed the lives of more than 48,300 Palestinians, mostly women and minors.

The BBC’s decision to pull the documentary followed mounting pressure from pro-Israeli advocates, including the Israeli ambassador to the UK, and statements from British government officials, including Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, who had indicated she would be engaging in discussions with the BBC over the matter.

While the BBC stated it was conducting "further due diligence" on the production, the decision has sparked a fierce debate over media impartiality and the portrayal of Palestinians in the United Kingdom and its various apparatuses.

The British broadcaster said the film “features important stories” about the experiences of children in Gaza, which had to be told, but added that the documentary would not be available on iPlayer while the so-called review was ongoing.

The uproar intensified when it was revealed that the documentary’s minor narrator, Abdullah Alyazouri, was the Palestinian official.

According to reports, Dr. Ayman Alyazouri, deputy minister of agriculture in Gaza, had an academic and professional background that included working with the United Arab Emirates’ government and studying at British universities.

The information prompted a group of 45 Jewish journalists, including former BBC governor Ruth Deech, to send a letter demanding the removal of the documentary, labeling Alyazouri as a "terrorist leader."

Many, however, have come to the defense of the documentary.

Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), expressed regret over the BBC’s decision, calling it “a shame” that the documentary was removed under pressure from anti-Palestinian activists who, he argued, had shown little empathy for the suffering of Palestinians in the coastal sliver.

Doyle emphasized that the film offered “valuable insights into what life is like in this horrific warzone” and praised its high-quality production, urging the broadcaster to reinstate the documentary as soon as possible.

The controversy also raised alarms about the BBC’s editorial independence.

Prominent film-maker and journalist Richard Sanders, who has worked on documentaries about Gaza for Qatar’s Al Jazeera television network, called the move a “cowardly decision.”

He warned that if the BBC caved in to pressure from pro-Israeli lobbyists, it would set a “dangerous precedent” for how Palestinian stories were covered in the media.

The film, which depicts the realities that are faced by Palestinian children living under the constant threat of Israeli bombardments, has been described as a means of “humanizing” the plight of the youngest victims of Israeli aggression.

The controversy comes as Gaza continues to endure a humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the Israeli regime's incessant violations of ceasefire agreement that is supposed to end the genocidal war and a stifling siege imposed by Tel Aviv.

Since the beginning of the siege, thousands of Palestinian civilians, including children, have lost their lives, while many others suffer from severe shortages of food, water, and medical supplies, prompting international human rights organizations to describe the situation there as among the worst in the world.

As part of an ongoing campaign to silence Palestinian voices and diminish international sympathy, pro-Israeli figures, however, have often targeted media coverage that potentially portrays Palestinians in a humanizing light, including in the context of Gaza’s children.

These efforts are seen by many as part of a broader strategy to shield the regime from scrutiny over its barbaric violations across the Palestinian territories.

Press TV’s website

Lebanon’s resistance movement Hezbollah says delegations from 79 countries will attend the commemoration ceremony for the late leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and Executive Council chief Sayyid Hashim Safieddine.

Sheikh Ali Daher, the coordinator of the High Committee for the funeral of Nasrallah and Safieddine, told a press conference on Tuesday that the ceremony, scheduled for February 23, will be “a day of commemoration for the leader of the oppressed against the arrogant, and the martyr of humanity against imperialism.”

“February 23 will mark a new chapter in the history of blood triumphing over swords,” he said.

“The funeral will remain a day inspiring free people around the world for many decades to come.”

Daher said the program will last about an hour and includes a speech by Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem. He said the main gathering will be inside Camille Chamoun Sports City Stadium.

Nasrallah was assassinated in Israel’s bombardment of southern Beirut on September 27, 2024. Using 85 tons of explosives, Israeli jets leveled six residential buildings in Dahiyeh, following a week-long bombing campaign that hit many areas from southern Lebanon to Beirut.

Safieddine was assassinated in an Israeli attack in October 2024.

Hezbollah postponed funeral ceremonies for both leaders due to fears of Israeli attacks on the ceremony.

Press TV’s website

An Iranian official described the upcoming funeral for assassinated leaders of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement as a "resurrection of resistance," as further details of the funeral have been officially announced.

"The funeral procession of the great mujahid, Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Martyr Sayyed Hashim Safieddine in Beirut will transform into a resurrection of resistance," Vahid Jalalzadeh, Deputy for Consular, Parliamentary and Iranians Affairs’ Abroad at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a social media post.

Beirut is set to host a massive funeral on Sunday with delegations from 78 countries expected to attend the event. 

"I am heading to Lebanon with a delegation from the Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the presence of a high-level delegation from the Islamic Republic of Iran at the ceremony, where the people will renew their pledge to the leaders of the resistance under the best possible conditions," he added.

Meanwhile, an official Iranian delegation visited the Camille Chamoun Sports Stadium in Beirut to oversee the final preparations for the funeral procession, the Iranian Embassy in Lebanon announced on Friday.

The event organizers briefed the delegation on the logistical and organizational measures taken to ensure the smooth conduct of the ceremony, amid intense preparations for the anticipated large public turnout. 

New details

The committee overseeing the procession announced on Friday that the official funeral program will begin at 1:00 PM local time on Sunday, and will consist of seven segments. 

"February 23 is a day that the free people of the world will never forget," added the committee.

The committee stated that it is prepared to welcome a massive gathering and to hold a grand funeral ceremony for the two Hezbollah leaders. 

Sheikh Ali Daher, head of the committee, said, "A large number of officials, including the President and the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, will attend the funeral." 

He also said that "high-ranking" Iranian officials will participate in the event, without giving further details.

Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, will deliver a speech during the ceremony.

Nasrallah was assassinated in Israel’s bombardment of southern Beirut on September 27, 2024. Using 85 tons of explosives, Israeli jets leveled six residential buildings in Dahiyeh, following a week-long bombing campaign that hit many areas from southern Lebanon to Beirut.

Safieddine was assassinated in an Israeli attack in October 2024.

Hezbollah postponed funeral ceremonies for both leaders due to fears of Israeli attacks on the ceremony.

Press TV’s website 

While the US and Israel's "Iranophobia" policy has been out of favor among the Arabs for several years now, both are now trying to drag Iran into a direct war in Gaza in every way possible. First of all, they threaten Iran with a direct attack with bragging, bullying, and shrugging, and even to the point of saying: "This time we will cut off the head of the snake" and destroy Iran so that, as they claim, "its tails such as Hezbollah, Hamas, Ansar Allah, etc. will automatically uproot themselves."

But is such a thing possible and conceivable? Can the United States and Israel forcefully remove Iran and its regional allies from the scene of the day, especially from the Middle East?

According to international observers, all of this bragging and shrugging is part of a propaganda war. Iran's definitive defeat in the Middle East and globally is not in the power of Israel or its powerful backer, the United States of America. Iran has the upper hand over its opponents for various reasons:

- Iran's first advantage is its large area (about a hundred times the area of ​​Israel), a population of one hundred million, and the ability to gather an army of several million Iranian religious devotees and patriots in a short time. Despite having a military army of about one million, Iran can easily increase its capacity and number of military personnel several times in a short time, which is impossible for Israel.

- Iran's second advantage is the positioning of its powerful proxy forces throughout the region, which have kept Iran hundreds of kilometers away from the enemy's direct fire. Israel must first be able to pass through the strong security walls of Iran's allies and then reach Iran.

- And the third advantage of Iran, which is actually the main deterrent for Israel and the US to attack Iran directly, will be the unanimity of all Arab and Muslim countries in the event of an attack on Iran, which has now expanded positively compared to previous years. It is widely believed that if Israel attacks Iran, no country in the region will keep up with the adventurism and incendiary actions of Israel and the US, and will not allow their destructive planes and rockets to pass over their territories.

Based on these facts, it is difficult to imagine that the boasting of Israel and the US against Iran is all propaganda bluff.

On the other hand, it seems unlikely that the United States of America will face the death threat of thousands of its soldiers and military officers in the region by entering into a direct war against Iran. America knows very well that in the event of a head-on war, today's Iran - as the world's largest producer of rockets, drones, and advanced military equipment - has the capacity and capability of a large and endless rocket to destroy all of that country's military bases, ships, and aircraft carriers in the Middle East.

Perhaps the idea is formed in our minds that Israel is a nuclear power and has the ability to destroy Tehran; although this idea is correct; but we must know that all of Israel's nuclear centers are still vulnerable and at risk from Iranian and its allies' rocket launchers, which could cause the entire small area of ​​Israel to burn in its own fire if a giant Iranian or Iranian proxy rocket hits those centers.

Based on these reasons and evidence, the boasting of Israel and America is all propaganda bluff, and it seems unlikely that America and Israel will abandon reason and commit suicide by directly attacking Iran.

One of the important social issues today is the position and role of girls in the family and society.

When we look closely, there are still people who, out of ignorance, prefer boys to girls, and according to the Holy Quran, when they hear the name of a girl, their faces become gloomy, and for this reason they are severely addressed by God Almighty.

This idea, which has historical roots, is due to their ignorance and is one of the examples of modern ignorance. By reviewing Islamic sources, we can see what a high position this girl had and has in Islamic thought.

In Islamic thought, girls have such a position that the Prophet of Islam includes them in the most important social issues, and in the incident of Mubahila, he takes his daughter with him, while at that time the Arabs buried girls alive.

In another very interesting interpretation, God uses girls as a gift in verse 49 of Surah Ash-Shura, and people should be happy with this gift from God. It is obvious that this interpretation is the best possible interpretation for a girl, because such an interpretation has not been used for a boy. Such literature is also common in the literature of the Infallibles (AS). As the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) refers to girls as the remnants of the righteous in one of his interpretations.

However, the decisive role of women in the survival and growth of human society has always been the subject of positive and negative attention by thinkers, politicians, managers and leaders of societies. History shows that women have played a role in human civilization - directly and indirectly - alongside men, but for a long time and for various reasons they have been deprived of their divine and human rights. History has recorded this fact in its heart that the prophets and saints of God have had the best guidelines and guidance for women in achieving their rights and playing a healthy and constructive role.

Israeli forces have killed at least three Palestinians in an attack on a house in the Far’a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Wafa news agency reported that the killings took place on Wednesday night after the Israeli military surrounded their homes near Tubas and opened fire. The report added that Israeli forces have withheld all three bodies.

ter the occupation forces withdrew from it and found body parts and traces of blood inside,” Wafa reported.

The Israeli military claimed that the three Palestinians were “wanted terrorists who sold weapons for terror purposes”.

Israeli forces also arrested two Palestinians – Ahmed Nabil Sobh and Hakam Muhammad al-Khatib – during a raid in the camp near the besieged house.

The army has also deployed hundreds of soldiers and bulldozers that demolished houses and tore up vital infrastructure in the camps, cutting off water and power.

Israel launched its crackdown on refugee camps in the West Bank in January. The camps have long been a hotbed of Palestinian resistance against Israeli occupation.

The army has since killed dozens of Palestinians and forced at least 40,000 to flee as they have demolished homes and torn up vital infrastructure in refugee camps across the West Bank, the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reports.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli forces continued with their raids and arrests. Soldiers detained two brothers after storming their family home near Tubas on Thursday.

At least three other Palestinians were arrested when Israeli forces stormed towns and villages in Ramallah and the nearby el-Bireh city in central West Bank. Another six were arrested after Israeli soldiers raided the town of al-Khader, south of Bethlehem.

In Beita, a town south of Nablus, confrontations broke out between residents and Israeli soldiers. A 15-year-old boy was shot in the leg, Wafa reported. Israeli forces also launched tear gas canisters towards the residents.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

Hamas has released the bodies of a woman, her two children and an 83-year-old Israeli man who were taken captive during Hamas releases bodies of four Israelis held captive in Gaza

Hamas said all four, including two children, were killed in Israeli air attacks on Gaza.

A member of the Red Cross stands near a coffin during the handover of the bodies.

Hamas has released the bodies of a woman, her two children and an 83-year-old Israeli man who were taken captive during the October 2023 attack.

The bodies were handed over to the ICRC in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, on Thursday. Four men carried the four coffins from the stage to the Red Cross vehicles.

A large poster acting as the backdrop on the stage showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with fangs and blood on his face, dripping onto the photos of the four Israelis whose bodies were released.

A spokesperson for the Palestinian group said all four were alive before the “Zionist occupation aircraft deliberately bombed the locations where they were being held”.

Hamas said in a statement it “preserved the lives of the occupation prisoners”, provided them with what it could, and “treated them humanely, but their [Israel’s] army killed them along with their captors”.

“Criminal Netanyahu is crying today over the bodies of his prisoners who returned to him in coffins, in a blatant attempt to evade responsibility for their killing in front of his audience,” Hamas said.

While addressing the families of the killed Israeli captives, it said: “We would have preferred your sons to return to you alive, but your army and government leaders chose to kill them instead of bringing them back.”

The return of the bodies is part of the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel that will also see hundreds of Palestinians released from Israeli jails where a number of them have been kept in detention without any charge or trial.

A Palestinian group said Israel is withholding the remains of at least 665 Palestinians, including several killed in the 1960s and 1970s.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Khan Younis, said “the site is symbolic for Palestinians because it was a central site for Israeli ground forces during the military operations in the city.

“Preparations started in the early hours of the morning. There are masked fighters with green bands on their heads, armed with rifles and holding different signs with slogans,” he added. “The stage was well-prepared with three main banners. One of them talks about the crimes committed by the Israeli forces during their operations in Gaza.”

Symbol of ‘Israeli stupidity’

The bodies that have been handed over included Israeli infant Kfir Bibas, his four-year-old brother Ariel, their mother Shiri Bibas, and a fourth captive, Oded Lifschitz.

Akiva Eldar, an Israeli author and political analyst, said the return of the bodies marks a “very sad day for all of us”.

“These babies became the symbol of I would say Israeli stupidity, fool attitude of the Israeli government,” Eldar told Al Jazeera from Tel Aviv.

He said Netanyahu is well aware of the poor conditions of the Israeli captives.

“But he has other priorities,” said Eldar. “It’s kind of a race between the families who are hoping to see their loved ones back home, and Netanyahu, who is desiring to keep his government as long as he can and to buy more time and buy the support of the people on the radical right that believe that land is more precious than the lives of people.”

Following the handover, the remains will be moved into coffins and an army rabbi will preside over a short ceremony. They will then be taken into Israel to the national forensic institute to be identified, a process that could take a few hours or even a few days.

Only after identification will there be a formal announcement of their deaths and a funeral.

dreds more Palestinians, expected to be women and minors detained by Israeli forces in Gaza during the war.

Under the ceasefire deal, Hamas agreed to release 33 captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in the first phase of an agreement intended to pave the way towards ending the war.

So far, 19 Israeli captives have been released, as well as five Thais who were returned in an unscheduled handover.

Negotiations for a second phase, expected to cover the return of about 60 remaining captives, less than half of whom are believed to be alive, and a full withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip to allow an end to the war, are expected to begin in the coming days.

Israel’s genocide in Gaza has killed more than 48,000 Palestinians, with thousands more remaining under the rubble of the bombed-out, besieged enclave.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

The start of Ramadan depends on the sighting of the moon and may not be the same in all countries. The start of Ramadan is announced on the first night of the month when the moon is sighted.

Ramadan 2025 is expected to begin on the evening of Friday 28 February 2025, and will end on the evening of Sunday 30 March 2025, with the exact dates contingent upon the sighting of the moon. The beginning of the blessed month of Ramadan will be confirmed upon sighting of the new moon.

O dear one, be careful that you are like us and you do not know what day it is; perhaps now that you are busy with a reading, if you procrastinate, the opportunity will be lost. O my brother, do not postpone these matters, which cannot be postponed.

How many healthy and sound people have passed away from this world with sudden deaths, and we do not know what their fate will be?

So do not miss the opportunity and seize the moment, because the work is very important and the journey is very dangerous. If your hand is cut short in this world, which is the field of the Hereafter, the work is over and you will not be able to correct the corruption of the soul, and you will not achieve anything except regret, astonishment, torment and humiliation. The saints of God were not at ease immediately and did not leave the thought of this journey full of fear and danger.

Using the Opportunity of Youth to Overcome Moral Corruption

O my dear, do not subject yourself to the wrath and anger of God for a false idea, a partial popularity of weak servants, a heartfelt attention from people... and do not sell those divine loves, those infinite dignities, those graces and mercies of God for a love for mankind that is of no effect and from which you do not gain any fruit except regret and longing. When your hand is cut short from this world, which is the world of business, and your deeds are cut off, regret is of no consequence and turning back is useless.

Imam Khomeini's Advice on Using Opportunities and Avoiding Corruption

O my dear, be careful that one day you are like us and you yourself do not know what day it is; perhaps now that you are busy with a recitation, if you procrastinate, the opportunity will be lost. O my brother, do not postpone these matters, for they cannot be postponed.

How many healthy and sound people have passed away from this world with sudden death, and we do not know what their fate will be?

So do not miss the opportunity and seize the moment, for the work is very important and the journey is very dangerous. If your hand is cut short from this world, which is the field of the Hereafter, then the work is over and you will not be able to correct the corruptions of the soul, and you will not get anything but regret, astonishment, torment and humiliation. The saints of God were not at ease and would not leave the thought of this journey full of fear and danger.

Using the opportunity of youth to overcome moral corruption

O dear one, do not subject yourself to the wrath and anger of God for a false idea, a partial popularity of weak servants, a heartfelt attention from people... and do not sell those divine loves, those infinite dignities, those graces and mercies of God for a love for the people that is not subject to any effect and you will not get any fruit from it except regret and regret. When your hand is cut short from this world, which is the world of business, and your work is interrupted, regret is of no consequence and turning back is useless.

Sufism or dervishism is a method based on the rules of conduct, to purify the soul and abandon the world to reach God and the perfection of the soul. The literal meaning of Sufism is to wear wool, and the name Sufis was chosen because of their woolen clothing, which is a sign of asceticism.

Sufism is more associated with the rules of abandoning the world and asceticism; while mysticism is a comprehensive and absolute school of spiritual conduct that includes Sufism and in some cases has considered mysticism superior to "individual" conduct.

Various opinions have been expressed in the definition of Sufism, but its foundations are based on a way to know the Creator of the world, discover the truths of creation, and establish the connection of the perfect human being with humanity and truth through a mystical and esoteric path and conduct, not through rational reasoning. Its subject is the negation of self-centeredness and annihilation and joining the Creator of existence. The method of Sufism is to enter various valleys, including stages of advancement from the stage (valley) of seeking to higher stages or the seven valleys of Attar to master the soul and abandon worldly interests and self-control.

Islamic mysticism has a wide scope and is mixed with the path of Sufism, and in some cases there is an identical or mixed understanding of the two. From a linguistic point of view, the two are sometimes used interchangeably, because the truth of Islamic mysticism is Sufism, general and scientific-terminological matters can be placed under the title of Islamic mysticism, and the famous path in Islam is often brought under the title of "Sufism". Some authors, such as Murtaza Motahari, have also presented two types of understanding of these two concepts, and consider mysticism to be the scientific aspect and Sufism to be its social and obvious dimension.

Sheikh Hurr Ameli believes:

The Imamiyya Shia and all the Twelver sects from the time of the Prophet of Islam - may God bless him and grant him peace - have agreed on the invalidity of Sufism and the negation of Sufism, and the Shia of the Ahl al-Bayt have always sought to deny Sufism, following their infallible Imams.

He also believes: All Shiites have denied the Sufi sects and have quoted many hadiths from their Imams condemning them, and Shiite scholars have written many books rejecting this sect and proving their kufr.