LONDON: The son of a 70-year-old Irish woman detained by Israeli authorities has issued a plea for her release, citing urgent concerns over her health and wellbeing, The Independent newspaper reported on Friday.

Deirdre Murphy, an Irish activist originally from Cork and now based in Swansea, was arrested last week in the West Bank village of Khalet Al-Daba’a, which was recently demolished by Israeli bulldozers.

She remains in custody at the Givon Prison in Ramla after choosing to challenge a deportation order issued against her, The Independent added.

Her son, Dale Ryan, called on Israeli authorities to ensure that she is treated “with dignity and respect” and urged them to “send her home quickly,” adding that he is “really proud” of his mother.

“Israel is meant to be a civilized country, so you think (the detainees’) basic rights would have been met. But maybe that trust is a little bit misguided,” Ryan told The Independent.

Ryan said that Murphy suffers from bronchiectasis, a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the airways in the lungs.

“Stress can make symptoms worse as well,” he said. “So I am a little bit concerned. I just hope my mother’s in good health, but also my mother is quite a resilient person. I know she will gain strength from this.”

Murphy was detained alongside Swedish national Susanne Bjork, 48, who told the newspaper that the pair were denied access to a toilet during their initial detention.

“Who doesn’t allow a 70-year-old woman to go to the toilet? It’s certainly not something a democratic country would be doing,” Bjork said.

She has since been deported from Israel.

Israeli police did not respond to the allegation when approached by The Independent.

According to the International Solidarity Movement, Murphy has not had legal counsel since Monday. The group also alleges that she was brought to a deportation hearing on Wednesday without legal representation and without her lawyer being notified, despite her request.

The two women had been in Khalet Al-Daba’a filming and monitoring settler activity when they were approached by a settler in military uniform, who demanded to see their passports. Bjork said that they were complying with orders to leave the area when they were apprehended.

Authorities later accused the women of being in a restricted area and of failing to show ID, allegations the Swedish woman rejects.

“These are completely false accusations,” she said. “As soon as they told us we were not allowed in the area, we tried to leave. The soldiers had at first our passports, and then the police took our passports. We complied with all instructions.”

Video footage obtained by The Independent shows armed Israeli personnel holding the women’s passports. The video ends before they were detained by the settler.

The women were released briefly on Saturday evening and then detained again after refusing to leave the country voluntarily. Murphy opted to fight her deportation, while Bjork agreed to depart.

Bjork added that their treatment in custody stood in stark contrast to the treatment of Palestinians, describing seeing “two small boys who were blindfolded and zip-tied” brought into the police station.

“They looked about 13 or 14, these boys were obviously terrified. I mean, we were getting water and being fed and everything, so we’re very privileged in one way, because the way we were treated and the way Palestinians are treated is wildly different,” she said.

A spokesperson for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed to The Independent that consular assistance is being provided in Murphy’s case.

Israeli police told the newspaper that the women had been detained on “suspicion of violating a military order” and were barred from the West Bank for 15 days.

“Over the weekend, police received a report from the security coordinator of the community of Ma’on regarding the presence of several suspicious individuals near a structure in the area of Khirbet Al-Dab’a, located within an active military firing zone near the community of Avigayil in the South Hebron Hills,” they said.

“Officers from the Hebron station, along with IDF forces from the subdistrict, arrived at the scene and identified the individuals as two foreign nationals, who were present within the closed military zone in violation of a standing military order. Information provided by the Judea and Samaria Central Investigations Unit (YAMAR) indicated that one of the suspects are known abroad for involvement in anti-Israel activity.

“Following the hearing on Sunday, it was determined that both individuals would be removed from the country,” the statement continued.

“One of the suspects agreed to the removal order and signed a declaration stating that she would not appeal the decision. The second notified authorities of her intent to file a petition against the decision.”

They confirmed Murphy will remain in custody until “her departure or the legal resolution of her appeal.”

JAKARTA: Indonesia’s historic royal capital of Solo will celebrate Eid Al-Adha with a royal procession on Saturday, in which “mountains” of local harvest are paraded and distributed as a symbol of gratitude and a reminder of the role of leaders in looking after the people’s welfare. 

Grebeg, which roughly translates to ‘mass celebration,’ is a public ceremony held three times a year on the island of Java to mark Islamic holidays, including Eid Al-Fitr and the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. 

Though Indonesians joined Muslims in other parts of the globe in starting Eid celebrations on Friday, the centuries-old Javanese tradition will take place on the second day of Eid. 

“Grebeg tradition started about 200 years ago at the Surakarta Royal Palace, this is a continuation from the same tradition that began in the Demak Sultanate,” Kanjeng Gusti Pangeran Haryo Adipati Dipokusumo, chief administrator of the Surakarta Royal Palace, told Arab News. 

Demak Sultanate, which was located in the present-day city of Demak, was the first Islamic state in Java, while Surakarta is another name for Solo, once the capital of the Mataram Sultanate — the last major independent Islamic state in Java before it was colonized by the Dutch. 

Grebeg involves an elaborate arrangement of local produce — including long beans, chili, and cassava — assembled in a decorated, mountain-like form and paraded from the palace to the nearby Great Mosque for a blessing, before it is brought to the public square for distribution. 

“First and foremost, the palace began this tradition as a way to spread Islamic teachings,” Dipokusumo said. “It is symbolic of values taught by Islamic prophets. The values of sincerity, patience, belief and trust, which also cover the importance of faith, intention, and gratitude.” 

Eid Al-Adha, the second of the two main holidays observed in Islam, commemorates the Prophet Ibrahim’s test of faith when he was commanded by God to sacrifice his son. To reflect his readiness to do so, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal, usually a goat, sheep or cow, and distribute the meat among relatives and the poor. 

The grebeg staged at Eid Al-Adha is known as Great Grebeg and incorporates the animal sacrifice aspect of the holiday. On Saturday, more than 500 people are expected to participate. 

Historically, the tradition also functions as a barometer of the local economy and welfare, he added, as the quality of the local harvest will be on display for the ceremony. 

“If there is some kind of issue with the production or distribution, it will be visible, prompting questions as to why it is happening. Let’s say maybe there is some kind of pest going around,” he said. “It will then prompt the palace to send an officer to investigate.” 

According to Ody Dwicahyo, an historian at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, the tradition is between 400 and 500 years old. 

Today, it is observed not only in Solo but also at the royal palace in Yogyakarta, another Javanese city.   

People will usually try to get an item from the mountain of produce to take home, Dwicahyo told Arab News. 

“Javanese people believe that produce from the king is symbolic, that it is blessed and far more special than food items they buy in the markets or harvest from their own farms,” he said. 

“Grebeg is mainly about Earth’s harvest, but when it is conducted during Eid Al-Adha, there’s the additional aspect of meat distribution from the ritual sacrifice presented by the king.” 

As Javanese people are “big believers in symbolic gestures,” grebeg served as an important occasion where the king gives something back to the people in return for their loyalty, and also a symbol of “how leaders must ensure the people’s welfare,” Dwicahyo said. 

Today, the palaces in Solo and Yogyakarta function as “cultural keepers” for this time-honored tradition. 

“Though times and people become more modern, this annual event is still routinely organized so people will still be aware of its function,” he said. 

“Maybe people won’t participate directly, but it’s actually a symbol that is applicable for leaders anywhere in the world: that a leader must ensure the welfare of his people.”