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WORLD NEWS Monday 15 July 2019

Islamic extremist attack on Somali hotel leaves 26 dead

By ABDI GULED of her life in Canada, first
Associated Press in Alberta and then in To-
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) ronto. She founded Inte-
— Islamic extremists blew gration TV, an international
up the gate of a Somali web-based video produc-
hotel with a car bomb and tion company aimed at
took over the building for Somali viewers around the
more than 14 hours, leaving world. She was the first So-
26 people dead before So- mali woman media owner
mali forces who besieged in the world.
the hotel overnight killed Canadian Minister of Im-
the attackers. The victims migration, Refugees and
included a prominent Ca- Citizenship Ahmed Hussen
nadian-Somali journalist . mourned Hodan Nalayeh’s
Three Kenyans, three Tanza- death on Twitter, saying
nians, two Americans and she “highlighted the com-
a Briton also were among munity’s positive stories and
the dead, said Ahmed contributions in Canada”
Madobe, the president of through her work as a jour-
Jubbaland regional state nalist. “We mourn her loss
which controls Kismayo. deeply, and all others killed
Fifty-six people, including in the #KismayoAttack,”
two Chinese, were injured A view of Asasey Hotel after an attack, in Kismayo, Somalia, Saturday July 13, 2019. At least 10 he wrote. Nalayeh’s end-
in the hotel attack, he told people, including two journalists, were killed in an extremist attack Friday on a hotel in the port less “positivity” and “love
reporters. city of Kismayo, a Somali official said. for people” was inspiring,
At least four al-Shabab Associated Press said Canada’s New Demo-
assailants attacked the sociated Press. Security officials cordoned firmed to AP. cratic Party leader Andrea
Asasey Hotel Friday eve- Somalia’s Islamic extremist off the site of the attack “I’m absolutely devastated Horwath on Twitter.
ning, beginning with a sui- rebels, al-Shabab, claimed and prevented journalists by the news of the death of “In Ontario, Hodan
cide car bomb at the en- responsibility for the attack. from taking photos or video our dear sister Hodan Na- launched @IntegrationTV
trance gate and followed Al-Shabab, which is allied of the damaged hotel and layeh and her husband in to tell the beautiful stories
by an assault by gunmen to al-Qaida, often uses car in some cases destroyed a terrorist attack in Soma- of the Somali Diaspora, and
who stormed the hotel, bombs to infiltrate heav- journalists’ cameras. Gov- lia today. What a loss to us. took that same humanity
which is frequented by poli- ily fortified targets like the ernment officials have not Her beautiful spirit shined and love to her reporting
ticians, patrons and law- hotel in Kismayo, which has been available for further through her work and the and storytelling in Somalia.
makers. been relatively quiet in re- interviews. way she treated people,” My thoughts are with her
The attack lasted more cent years. Canadian journalist Hodan Omar Suleiman, a Texas- family, and the victims of
than 14 hours before troops The attack is a blow to the Nalayeh and her husband, based imam who knew the the #Kismayo attack dur-
shot dead all attackers in- Somalia government’s ef- Farid Jama Suleiman, died victim, wrote on social me- ing this horrific time.”
side the hotel compound, forts to hold nation-wide, in the attack, Mogadishu- dia. A top official of the Afri-
Col. Abdiqadir Nur, a local one-person one-vote elec- based independent radio Nalayeh was born in Soma- can Union condemned the
police officer, told The As- tions next year. station Radio Dalsan con- lia in 1976, but spent most attack.q

Israeli minister’s remarks on gays widely condemned

By SHAHAR GOLAN interview over the week- marriage between Jews
Associated Press end that he supports con- and non-Jews to a second
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s version therapy and has “Holocaust.” Prime Minis-
new education minister’s performed it. The state- ter Benjamin Netanyahu
remarks in favor of “con- ment was attacked across wrote on Twitter Sunday
version therapy,” a con- the political system, in- that Peretz’s remarks on
troversial technique that cluding by the prime min- conversion therapy were
seeks to turn gays into het- ister and other members unacceptable and “do
erosexuals, came under of the government. It was not represent my govern-
widespread criticism and Peretz’s second major ment’s position.”
led hundreds to protest controversy in just a month Health officials have said
Sunday. on the job. Last week, he that conversion thera-
Israel’s Education Minister Rafi Peretz arrives to attend the Rafi Peretz, who leads a elicited uproar, particu- py is scientifically dubi-
weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, Sunday, July 14, 2019. small religious nationalist larly from overseas Jews, ous and possibly even
Associated Press party, said in a televised when he compared inter- dangerous.q