UK, Canada PMs wish Muslims on a "different Eid" amidst COVID-19 pandemic
Says, You’ve shown us the best of what it means to serve your community
As Muslims across the world celebrate one of their two Eids, Eid-ul-Adha, the British and Canadian Prime Ministers shared video messages through their official social media handles, to wish Eid Mubarak to Muslims across the globe.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, in a video shared on his official Facebook timeline, wished Eid Mubarak to Muslims in the UK and around the world. The video was shared with the caption “I want to wish Muslims here in the UK and around the world the very best for Eid al-Adha.”
In the video, Boris noted that “The past few months haven’t been easy for anyone. For British Muslims, first, they had to observe Ramadhan, normally such a social month, under lockdown, and then many wanting to perform Hajj had their hopes dashed because of the restrictions relating to the Coronavirus”.
He went on to add that he was thankful to the Muslims of the UK for the sacrifices they’ve made and drives such as food donation and others to look after those in need, during the grave pandemic crisis.
He also added that Muslims working on the frontline of the pandemic at times losing their own lives while also lauding the efforts of Muslims working in other key sectors including the police, teaching among others.
He also urged the Muslims to continue their excellent work and help the government in their fight against the pandemic.
In a similar video, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau elaborated on how he joined a Muslim family in their Eid celebrations and made Eid cards for their friends and relatives.
In the caption of the video, he wrote “Muslims in Canada and around the world celebrate Eid al-Adha. Usually, families and their loved ones come together to pray, share a meal, and express their gratitude for life's blessings. Unfortunately, as we continue to fight against COVID-19, Muslim families must celebrate differently. It is therefore important to find new ways to celebrate while respecting health guidelines. This week I joined the Chowdhury family to make Eid cards for their friends and relatives. Happy Eid al-Adha to all. Eid Mubarak!”
In another video, Justin Trudeau noted that it can be distressing for Muslims to not take part in Hajj especially for those who had planned it for the first time this year. He noted that it was important to take precautionary measures to keep communities safe.
He further said that the Muslims have put into practice the values of Eid-ul-Adha of generosity and sacrifice right from the start of COVID-19.
“Whether you were supporting a local charity of being there for your neighbors, you’ve stepped up to make sure the most vulnerable have food to eat, and our essential workers have the supplies they need. You’ve shown us the best of what it means to serve your community” he said in the video.
He further added that his government will always be by their side as they work together to build a more inclusive Canada. He concluded the video by advising people to follow COVID-19 norms.
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Malian defence minister killed in attack that saw jihadis and rebels seize towns, military bases
Dakar (AP): Malian Minister of Defence Gen. Sadio Camara was killed in an attack as jihadi and rebel forces seized towns and military bases across the country, according to a military officer and two other sources on Sunday.
There was no immediate comment from the Malian government.
“Unfortunately, the Ministry of Defence, Gen. Sadio Camara, has been killed during the attack which targeted his house yesterday,” said a military official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he did not have permission to speak to the media.
Two other people, a civil society leader and a security member, confirmed the information.
Separatist fighters on Saturday joined Islamic militants in launching one of the biggest coordinated attacks on the Malian army in the capital and several other cities that left at least 16 wounded.
The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali, while al-Qaida and Islamic State group-aligned militants have been fighting the government for over a decade.
Malian troops and Russian mercenaries withdrew from the northern city of Kidal after the attacks, the rebels said Sunday.
A spokesperson for the Tuareg-led Azawad Liberation Front, or FLA, a separatist group, said the Russian Africa Corps troops and the Malian military withdrew from the city after an agreement was reached for their peaceful exit.
“Kidal is declared free,” said FLA spokesperson Mohamed El Maouloud Ramadan.
The Malian army did not respond to requests for comment but in an earlier statement said they were “tracking down terrorist armed groups in Kidal.”
The separatists have been fighting for years to create an independent state in northern Mali. Kidal had long served as a stronghold of the rebellion before being taken by Malian government forces and Russian mercenaries in 2023. Its capture marked a significant symbolic victory for the junta and its Russian allies.
It was the first time the separatists worked alongside the al-Qaida-linked militant group JNIM, which also claimed responsibility for Saturday's attacks on Bamako's international airport and four other cities, including Kidal, in central and northern Mali.
“This operation is being carried out in partnership with the JNIM, which is also committed to defending the people against the military regime in Bamako,” Ramadan said.
Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at the Soufan Center security think tank, said that the coordination between the two groups, as well as the explicit call for the Russian military to leave, is new.
“The coordination, conducting attacks all over the country at the same time, real coordination on the military level but also on the political level because both claims of both groups they acknowledged that they worked together, this is a first,” said Nasr.
Mali government spokesperson Gen. Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said on state television late Saturday that 16 people were wounded, including civilians and military personnel, and that several militants were killed. He did not provide a death toll.
The governor of Bamako's district, Abdoulaye Coulibaly, announced a three-day overnight curfew, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The Economic Community of West African States has condemned the attacks and called on “all states, security forces, regional mechanisms and populations of West Africa to unite and mobilize in a coordinated effort to combat this scourge.”
The separatists called on Russia to “reconsider its support for the military junta in Bamako, whose actions have contributed to the suffering of the civilian population.”
Following military coups, the juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso turned from Western allies to Russia for help in combating Islamic militants. But the security situation has worsened in recent times, with a record number of attacks by militants. Government forces have also been accused of killing civilians they suspect of collaborating with militants.
In 2024, an al-Qaida-linked group claimed an attack on Bamako's airport and a military training camp in the capital, killing scores of people.
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, said that while the attacks were a major blow to the credibility of Mali's Russian partners, JNIM is unlikely to take control of Bamako in the near term due to opposition from the local population.
“The attacks are a major blow to Russia as the mercenaries had no intelligence about the attacks and were unable to protect major cities. They have unnecessarily worsened the conflict by not distinguishing between civilians and combatants,” Laessing said.
