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Egypt’s Religious Institutions Call for Fighting 'Hate Speech'

People gather in front of the Bois d'Aulne college after the attack in the Paris suburb of Conflans St Honorine, France, October 17, 2020. (Reuters)
People gather in front of the Bois d'Aulne college after the attack in the Paris suburb of Conflans St Honorine, France, October 17, 2020. (Reuters)
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Egypt’s Religious Institutions Call for Fighting 'Hate Speech'

People gather in front of the Bois d'Aulne college after the attack in the Paris suburb of Conflans St Honorine, France, October 17, 2020. (Reuters)
People gather in front of the Bois d'Aulne college after the attack in the Paris suburb of Conflans St Honorine, France, October 17, 2020. (Reuters)

Egyptian religious institutions stressed the need to confront hate speech which would ensure the safety of societies and strengthen relations between peoples.

The country's top religious authority, al-Azhar called for the enactment of international laws to criminalize insulting religions and their sacred symbols.

In a statement, al-Azhar described the incident of the beheading of a teacher by an extremist in Bois d'Aulne college in the Paris suburb of Conflans St. Honorine, as a “heinous crime”, stressung that murder is a crime that cannot be justified in any way.

The statement also urged everyone to “respect the beliefs of others, and reject hate speech and violence, regardless of its form, source, or cause."

Dar al-Iftaa also called for the need to adhere to the morals and teachings of religion that affirm respect for the beliefs of others, emphasizing the necessity of activating the laws against hate speech.

For his part, Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawki Allam condemned the recent attack in Paris, saying it is a crime categorically rejected by Islam and cannot be justified, because Islam has called for the protection of human life.

Allam called on the French government not to hold Islam and Muslims responsible for this crime.

“It would be wise to deal with this issue as an individual crime in order not to spread hatred against Muslims,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Observatory of Islamophobia, affiliated with Dar al-Ifta, warned of a wave of attacks against Muslims and their places of worship in France.

It cautioned that recent events would lead to a wave of violence and counter-violence, unless intervention is made to stop extremism and hatred rhetoric.

The Observatory confirmed, in a statement, that attacking Islam is an extremist act that must be criminalized, and confronted as a first step to prevent terrorist operations.

There is no point in fighting ISIS and terrorist organizations unless extremism and terrorism of the Western-right are fought equally.

According to the Observatory, the world is at stake and extremism is a grave danger to all societies, calling on advocates of peace and coexistence to play their important and vital role in preserving the security of society.

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Culture

Private Museums Bolster Cultural Tourism in Qassim Region

A prominent example is the private museum of Abdullah Al-Suhaibani, an expert with over 40 years of experience in gemstones and minerals - SPA
A prominent example is the private museum of Abdullah Al-Suhaibani, an expert with over 40 years of experience in gemstones and minerals - SPA
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Private Museums Bolster Cultural Tourism in Qassim Region

A prominent example is the private museum of Abdullah Al-Suhaibani, an expert with over 40 years of experience in gemstones and minerals - SPA
A prominent example is the private museum of Abdullah Al-Suhaibani, an expert with over 40 years of experience in gemstones and minerals - SPA

Qassim Region is witnessing a significant rise in private museums, as individual collectors transform personal passions into vital cultural projects. These museums serve as a living memory for the community, preserving rare artifacts, historical documents, antique weapons, and vintage collections that document critical stages of the region's history. By connecting the present with its roots, these sites strengthen national identity and provide essential research resources for scholars and tourists alike, SPA reported.

A prominent example is the private museum of Abdullah Al-Suhaibani, an expert with over 40 years of experience in gemstones and minerals.

His collection features rare agates, fossils from ancient geological eras, and unique rock formations discovered throughout the Kingdom.

The museum acts as a scientific platform, promoting geology and field research while educating the community on the Kingdom’s diverse natural resources and mineral wealth.

Located near Al-Khabra Historical Village, these private initiatives have become key cultural landmarks in Riyadh Al-Khabra Governorate. Their growth aligns with Saudi Vision 2030 goals to develop cultural and scientific tourism, support local content, and position the Kingdom’s heritage and natural sites as premier global destinations.

Technology

Pentagon Reaches Agreements with Top AI Companies, but Not Anthropic

FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the United States military headquarters, the Pentagon, September 28, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the United States military headquarters, the Pentagon, September 28, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo
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Pentagon Reaches Agreements with Top AI Companies, but Not Anthropic

FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the United States military headquarters, the Pentagon, September 28, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Aerial view of the United States military headquarters, the Pentagon, September 28, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Reed/File Photo

The Pentagon said on Friday it had reached agreements with seven AI companies to deploy their advanced capabilities on the Defense Department's classified networks as it seeks to broaden the range of AI providers working across the military.

The statement notably excludes Anthropic, which has been in dispute with the Pentagon over guardrails for the use of its artificial intelligence tools by the military, Reuters reported.

The Pentagon labeled the AI startup, which is widely used across the Department of Defense, a supply-chain risk earlier this year, barring its use by the Pentagon and its contractors.

SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, NVIDIA, Reflection, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, several of which already work with the Pentagon, will be integrated into its Impact Levels 6 and 7 network environments giving more of the military access to their products, the Pentagon said in a statement.

By expanding the AI services offered to troops, who use it for planning, logistics, targeting and a bevy of other reasons to streamline huge operations and perform more quickly, the Pentagon said in its statement it will avoid "vendor lock", a likely nod to its overdependence on Anthropic. Pentagon staffers, former officials and IT contractors who work closely with the US military have told Reuters they were reluctant to give upAnthropic’s AI tools, which they view as superior to alternatives, despite orders to remove them over the next six months.

AI has become increasingly important for the US military. The Pentagon's main AI platform GenAI.mil has been used by over 1.3 million Defense Department personnel, the agency noted in its release, after five months of operation.

Google, which is already used within the Pentagon, has signed a deal enabling the Department of Defense to use its artificial intelligence models for classified work, a source told Reuters earlier this week.

ANTHROPIC STILL A 'RISK'

Defense Department Chief Technology Officer Emil Michael on Friday told CNBC that Anthropic remained a supply-chain risk, but that Mythos, the company’s artificial intelligence model with advanced cyber capabilities that created a stir among US officials and corporate America over its ability to supercharge hackers, was a “separate national security moment.”

While numerous companies and public and private entities have gained access to a Mythos preview product to help secure their IT infrastructure against future cyberattacks, it is not clear if the Pentagon is part of that program. US President Donald Trump said last week that Anthropic was "shaping up" in the eyes of his administration, opening the door for the AI company to reverse its blacklisting at the Pentagon.

Still, the falling out reinforced the need to diversify the supply of AI tools for the military, opening new opportunities for small defense industry artificial intelligence startups.

Gulf

Jeddah Port Welcomes First Group of Sudanese Pilgrims

The directorate reaffirmed its readiness to manage pilgrim influxes at all ports -SPA
The directorate reaffirmed its readiness to manage pilgrim influxes at all ports -SPA
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Jeddah Port Welcomes First Group of Sudanese Pilgrims

The directorate reaffirmed its readiness to manage pilgrim influxes at all ports -SPA
The directorate reaffirmed its readiness to manage pilgrim influxes at all ports -SPA

The General Directorate of Passports at Jeddah Islamic Port welcomed the first group of Sudanese pilgrims arriving for the 1447 AH Hajj season, completing their entry procedures with speed and efficiency, SPA reported.

The directorate reaffirmed its readiness to manage pilgrim influxes at all ports by deploying state-of-the-art technology and multilingual, highly qualified personnel to ensure a smooth transit process.

Also on Friday, the General Directorate of Passports at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madinah welcomed the inaugural flight of Moroccan pilgrims arriving for the 1447 AH Hajj season.

The directorate reaffirmed its full readiness to manage the influx of pilgrims across all air, land, and sea ports by deploying state-of-the-art technology and multilingual, highly qualified personnel to ensure a smooth transit process.