Dec. 3 Qatar: The Gulf country announced Dec. 3 their decision to withdraw from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries consisting of 15 member countries spanning the Middle East, Africa and South America. The decision was announced by Energy Minister Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, who emphasized Qatari efforts to develop and increase natural gas production. However, there is speculation the Saudi-led diplomatic blockade is another factor. Withdrawal from the organization will take effect Jan. 1, 2019.
Dec. 4 Lebanese-Israeli border: The Israeli Defense Force launched Operation Northern Shield to find tunnels along the border linking Lebanon and Israel. The tunnels are believed to be the product of Hezbollah, an Islamist militant group and political party based in Lebanon. As reported by Al Jazeera, the military operation would not extend into Lebanon, focusing only on Israel’s side of the border.
Dec. 4 Israel: Thousands of men and women protested against the government’s inaction to combat domestic violence despite a rise in incidents. 20,000-30,000 people, organized by around 50 feminist and women’s organizations, protested in the streets of Tel Aviv amid the recent murders of two girls aged 13 and 16. The protests came after the government failed to transfer some $67 million to groups assisting victims of domestic violence which had previously been budgeted in 2017, and the Knesset’s vote against creating a committee to combat violence against women.
Dec. 5 Argentina: After three men were acquitted of the alleged drugging, rape and murder of a 16-year-old girl, thousands demonstrated in the streets to protest femicide in Argentina, as reported by Buenos Aires Times. Lucía Pérez was found dead in October 2016, and courts ruled her death was due to a drug overdose and that the sex she had prior with the men involved—aged 25, 43 and 61—was consensual. Protesters marched carrying signs bearing Pérez’s picture, along with those of the judges deciding the case. A report quoted by The New York Times found a woman is murdered every 29 hours in Argentina.
Dec. 5 Canada: The Justice Ministry of Canada announced in a statement on Dec. 5 the arrest of CFO Meng Wanzhou Dec. 1 in Vancouver, British Columbia following accusations the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei provided North Korea and Iran with equipment. Though both Canadian and United States officials denied the arrest was politically motivated, Meng’s arrest is linked to violations of sanctions imposed on Iran and she faces extradition to the U.S. The arrest has sparked another increase in tensions between the U.S. and China. According to Ministry Spokesman Geng Shuang via Deutsche Welle, “We have made solemn representations to Canada and the U.S., demanding that both parties immediately clarify the reasons for the detention, and immediately release the detainee to protect the person’s legal rights.”
Dec. 6 Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan: The Japanese Coast Guard and Self-Defense Forces were deployed to conduct a search and rescue operation off the coast of Japan’s Kochi Prefecture in the Pacific Ocean after two U.S. military aircrafts—an FA-18 Hornet and KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport—collided. As reported by Kyodo News, the two aircrafts were conducting a refueling training when they collided shortly before 2 a.m. Two Marines were rescued, though one was already deceased upon retrieval, and another five remain missing.
Dec. 9 New Delhi, India: Over 200,000 hardline Hindu demonstrators marched in New Delhi demanding a temple be built on the site of the Jama Masjid, a medieval mosque which was destroyed in 1992 by a Hindu mob. As reported by The Independent, the demonstrations, which included Islamophobic slogans, were organized by groups connected to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata, India’s ruling party. Both Muslims and Hindus claim religious rights to the location, with Hindus calling for the building of a temple commemorating the Hindi deity Ram.
Ongoing – France: Throughout France, unrest continued for the third week in what has been dubbed the yellow vest protest due to the yellow high-visibility jackets worn by those demonstrating. The protests began on Nov. 17 in response to a fuel tax which would increase the cost of diesel beyond the already 20 percent increase which began at the start of 2018. Despite President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to rescind the fuel tax, protests continue as people disparage over the cost of living, standards of education and Macron’s presidency.
When I first came to PSU, I was a Chinese major, having studied three years prior in high school alongside French and Japanese. After the first year, I took a hiatus. I don't believe in going to college straight out of high school, but it's what was expected. I returned a few years later to study Japanese at PCC and Arabic at PSU. I am now a junior majoring in International Studies: Middle East and Arabic. In the future, I would like to work as a journalist or humanitarian aid worker in the region, helping people who lack economic and political backing and media exposure.
