Mideastwire

“No-fault divorce and other things”

2006-03-30T10:42:00.000-08:00

Fatima Kheir reported in Elaph, a pan-Arab website, on March 30 that: “Year 2000, a law was issued that allowed Egyptian wives for the first time to use Khula as a way to end their marriages [Khula is a no-fault divorce that women can use. To do so, they must agree to forfeit their financial rights and repay the dowry given to them by their husbands upon marriage. Adopted as a way to speed up the divorce process, no-fault divorce still requires women to petition the court to terminate their marriages. To initiate a fault-based divorce, which can provide full financial rights, a woman must show evidence of harm inflicted by her spouse during the course of their marriage. Even physical abuse often needs to be supported by eyewitness testimony]. "The Egyptian street witnesses an uproar on such a decision with some saying that women will use this to get rid of their husbands without being rational, others who said that Khula is for rich women because poor women cannot return the dowry or forfeit their rights while others considered the Khula as providing too many rights to the divorcees. In other words, many attacked the Khula and few supported it. Positive consequences, however, came with this decision as a decline in the number of divorce cases which occurred in addition to radical changes in marital relations as husbands felt threatened with the fact that women at any time can end a marriage if they are prepared to forfeit financial rights. “Women with no shelter”“A new study issued last March revealed many interesting results. During the research, a number of cases were revealed that shocked the Egyptian community. The researcher, Intisar Badr, had been conducting field research for three years for an organization called ‘Women's Advancement and Development’ that provides services to women who are family providers. During their work with these women, the Organization is continuously discovering new problems. One of the problems that it recently discovered and which was not the aim of the study itself is the large number of homeless Egyptian women.“Despite the famous Egyptian proverb ‘the shadow of a man and not the shadow of a wall’ [meaning to have any man is better than to not have a man at all], the changes that the Egyptian community has been witnessing in the last years has made the proverb seem more like no shadow of a man does not necessary mean that there will be a shadow of a wall. According to the study, the main reasons why so many women have been left homeless are: Khula, divorced women with full financial rights [and] the law of child custody. In these three cases the divorcee does not have the right to live in the marital home unless she is still nursing the children who are still at a nursing age. That is, the Khula women and divorcees without any children usually find them selves on the streets.”Kheir added: “The other results that the study found-although it was not the aim of their study- are that women who should have financial rights and do not get it, nannies and the women who had Khula (that is the majority of women without a shelter) were all married to unemployed...men; that is, most of their husbands did not have stable jobs. Despite the terrible financial situation, most of these women chose divorce because they were mistreated by their husbands (especially those that resorted to Khula). In fact, 80% of separation cases are related to violence. Women who resorted to the no-fault divorces (Khula) would have been able to get a divorce but preferred to forfeit their rights in order to speed up the divorce process. It appeared that most of these women are mothers or have very simple jobs and 60% of them do not have independent incomes.”Kheir concluded: “The true issue here is poverty, yes poverty. Men who are unemployed or who feel threatened in their jobs or do not know whether they will be able to provide dinner that night for their children...are all men who treat their wives badly and beat them. Women who do not have independent salaries, are illiterate and marry a man who asked for their hand in marriage [usually from the parents] and without the right to choose still do not hesitate to choose their freedom rather than live with a man in hell. So poverty is the real problem here and the government is to blame for not providing job opportunities….citizens at the age of marriage are then obliged to establish families without having a constant source of income…this is what the study reveals to us even if it did not mean to!!” - Elaph, United Kingdom

“…Committee for Democratic Change does not recognize Brussels conference”

2006-03-30T10:41:00.000-08:00

In its March 30 edition, Al Quds Al Arabi, an independent daily, reported that: “The opposition Coordination Committee for Democratic Change in Syria, stated it did not recognize the National Liberation Front, the establishment of which was proclaimed in Brussels during a meeting chaired by Mr. Abdel Halim Khaddam, the former-vice-president, and the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, Ali Sadreddine Al Bayanouni, between Syrian opposition parties, and considered it to be contributing to creating sedition within the Syrian opposition.“The Committee that is based in Paris, considered that the Syrian opposition still lacks a strong political structure that represents democratic nationalism, and that building such a structure is still hindered until this day despite the efforts and sacrifices made by the Syrian people during the last three decades. In its statement, the Committee accused the Syrian authority that it referred to as a generic oppressive regime, of bargaining with the American policy, fighting against the forces of liberation and democracy, [and of] continuing to violate human rights and starving and impoverishing the Syrian people. “The Committee also wondered how Khaddam, after having contributed to implementing the policy of oppression, theft and impoverishment that was led by General Hafez Al Assad in Syria and Lebanon, and after being one of the biggest figures of corruption, had turned to the opposition side. It also condemned the fact that, because it sought a political role, the Brotherhood allied with Khaddam who supported the policy of genocides and political assassinations, without even requesting that he present an apology, whether it is accepted or not by the Syrian people. This came as a shock to all those who counted on them [the MB] to play a positive political role… “In its statement, the Committee declared that with this alliance, it was as though the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood had withdrawn his signature from the Damascus Declaration and has placed himself as well as the MB outside of the Declaration’s democratic choices. It then reiterated its support of the Damascus Declaration, and stated it was one step further towards establishing a national and democratic opposition, that is free from the Western rules and circles of power, the first of which is the United States…” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

“Aakef invites Nazif to stop attacking the MB & fight corruption instead…”

2006-03-23T23:24:00.000-08:00

In its March 23 edition, Al Quds Al Arabi, an independent, Palestinian owned newspaper, reported that: “In exclusive statements to Al Quds Al Arabi, Mohammad Mahdi Aakef, the Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, confirmed the Brotherhood’s refusal of the governmental statement that was issued by PM Dr. Ahmed Al Nazif before the People’s Council. He said that the statement was gelatinous and that it didn’t solve any of the Egyptian economy’s chronic problems. “Aakef also assured that what Nazif said regarding economic development was pure fantasy, which is confirmed in reality by the [declining status] of many classes after poverty has crept in on many Egyptians. This clearly indicated that the National Party failed to execute its program, except for the part related to the arrest of more politicians, whether members of the Muslim Brotherhood or members of other political forces. Aakef stated that the upcoming days will witness more crises, unless the National Party relinquishes its authority and surrenders the reins of power, peacefully, to another faction that will steer the wheel of the ship, because it is on the verge of sinking. “In response to the attack that was launched by Egyptian PM Ahmed Al Nazif against the Muslim Brotherhood, whereby he stated it had no program and no popularity, Mahdi Aakef asked: ‘If the Brotherhood has no clear program to save the country, why do the people trust it and give it their votes?’. He indicated that Nazif’s statements regarding the Brotherhood’s plan to liberate Egypt from the Egyptians was surprising, because indeed, Egypt needed to be liberated from the corrupt, the thieves, the torturers and those who feed on people’s livelihoods… “He said: ‘If Hamas’s goal in Palestine is to liberate the country from the Jews, a goal like liberating Egypt from the thieves is just as important’. He also added that: ‘We are the new spirit that is running in this nation’s blood and we will revive it with the Koran… We are the new light that will shine and obliterate material darkness with the knowledge of the Holy Allah’. The Guide called on Nazif to stop making accusations against the Brotherhood and the opposition parties and factions, and to solve the ever-growing economic crises and catastrophes instead, ones that were due to the corruption that has spread in the governmental institutions… “On the other hand, the Brotherhood has participated in demonstrations that condemned the occupation of Iraq in light of the third anniversary of the fall of Baghdad. The Brotherhood has also issued a statement, in which it condemned the conspiracies that are being weaved against the Arab and the Muslim world, and strongly criticized the official Arab silence…” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

“Amidst the political mud-slinging and the lack of balance”

2006-03-23T23:23:00.000-08:00

Nizar Abdel-Kader, a regular columnist and political analyst for the pro-Syrian newspaper Ad Diyyar, wrote on March 23: “Do the ‘national’ leaderships that have gathered yesterday around the dialogue table at the Nejmeh Square without reaching a decisive solution realize the intensity of the feelings of doubt and ambiguity that the Lebanese people have, regarding the future of the country, that of their children and businesses? The answer is certainly ‘no’. “If these leaders knew how worried and concerned the people were, especially those whose businesses are around the parliament’s premises, they would’ve figured that the least they could do, before adjourning their meeting yesterday, was to issue a statement that would give the people some hope, instead of the brief statement that was issued by the head of parliament to declare that the meeting was adjourned until next Monday. Wherever you go, you can detect the astonishment that sometimes comes near to pessimism and the fear of the unknown in people’s eyes. “People are afraid for the destiny of the nation and the future of their children, and are suffocated by the economic stagnation and paralysis that has placed them on the verge of bankruptcy and [which] threatens to close down their businesses, if this barren political debate between the different leaderships continues… “The people do not expect the participants in the dialogue to reach a solution regarding the Arab-Israeli conflict or any of the regional crises, do not expect them to contain the fundamentalist movements that are flourishing in Arab societies, solve the crisis between the West on one hand and Iran and Syria on the other, or even find a solution for the complex Lebanese-Syrian relations. All that is required from them is to reach a minimum level of agreement that would result in achieving a political truce, and give the government and its institutions the chance to deal with the economic and social affairs. “We do realize that the security threats that these leaderships are exposed to keeps them from going out and mingling with the people to see how they are doing, like the good rulers used to do… It is thus necessary that we tell them about the apprehensions of the different categories of the people, and about the scary and frustrating phenomena that they are encountering. “Last Monday, I went to the main branch of a Lebanese bank to wire some money to one of my sons that lives abroad. It took me a whole hour. The director of the bank asked me how I viewed the current situation and about my hopes regarding the Wednesday dialogue. Before I answered, I asked him why he was so disconcerted. He told me that he had never witnessed such a commercial stagnation and paralysis in the country… On the night of the dialogue session, I went to a restaurant in downtown Beirut to have dinner with my friends… There were no cars on the streets surrounding the area, no pedestrians on the sidewalks and no customers in the restaurants and cafés. “We were the only customers in the big restaurant we went to. The owner of the restaurant approached us and introduced himself, then asked me to assess the situation and inquired about my expectations regarding the dialogue. He also complained about the security siege over the whole area, whether due to the dialogue sessions at the parliament or the Cabinet sessions at the Economic and Social Council headquarters… These are some samples of the people’s complaints… whereas the political leaderships that have imposed their custody on the country, continue with their political mud-slinging while exchanging the most repulsive terms and the most dangerous of accusations… “Yes the Lebanese leaderships are divided between two camps, and the reasons for the dissent aren’t the future of the country, the image of the government, the economic projects or the social programs. Truth be told, the dissent is caused by foreign authority in Lebanon. Half of us want the Syrian regime to come back and control the internal and external Lebanese decisions, whereas the other half wants to replace the Syrian authority with the American or the French authority. Each of the two halves is trying to turn the internal political equation in its favor so that it can annul the other half.“Nations can’t be established and ruled, and societies can’t grow and prosper, unless they enjoy a certain balance in their internal and external environments. The political balance is lost, when one of the two environments undergoes a major change. The current unbalance is the inevitable outcome, entailed by the changes in the external environment, changes that have had a major effect on the internal environment dynamics. The balance and stability can only be regained by achieving an internal balance, through a national concord on the fundamental interests [of the nation], in preparation for dealing with the external changes, i.e. on the Syrian-Iranian and international-American levels…” - Ad Diyyar, Lebanon

“…Washington & Sanaa accused of collaborating on human rights violations”

2006-03-20T08:21:00.000-08:00

In its March 17 edition, Al Quds Al Arabi, an independent newspaper, reported that: “The section related to Yemen in the US Department of State's report on human rights has raised a lot of controversy in the Yemeni political milieu. The politicians accuse the US administration, in collaboration with the Yemeni government, of committing many human rights violations in Yemen, and considered what was published in the American report about Yemen far less serious than what is happening in reality. Yemeni politicians from different political affiliations mentioned that the American report was lacking and inaccurate and failed to mention many violations that occurred in Yemen last year. They also accused the US administration of partnering with the Yemeni authorities in committing many of the violations that occurred in Yemen since the September 11 events and until today.

“Dr. Muhammad Abdel Malek Al Mutawakkel, a professor of political science at the Sanaa University… criticized the official Yemeni response to the American report, and considered it illogical and shameful. He also added that the US was not the model to be followed and that: ‘We the Muslims, have a religion that bans unfairness and demands that justice be implemented and that rights be protected’…

“For his part, Muhammad Yahya Al Sabri, a Yemeni leader, stated that the US report on human rights lacks credibility and that American diplomacy was in no position to talk about human rights in Yemen, because it had partnered with the Yemeni authorities in committing many of the violations that were perpetrated in Yemen since 2001 and until this day. Al Sabri, who is also a researcher on Yemeni-American relations, pointed out that the trial of the Yemeni Sheikh Muhammad Al Muayyad in the US, [did not ensure even] the simplest defense rights, because [the trial] was conducted on the basis of fabricated charges…

“Al Sabri also demanded that the Yemeni government protect human rights, by reforming the state of the prisons and improving [the lives] of the prisoners, and reforming the judicial system before responding to the US Department of State report… On the other hand, Ahmed Al Sufi, head of the people’s organizations at the Ministers’ Council, denied that the American report was an unbiased evaluation far from any political goals, but admitted that there were shortcomings in the human rights field in Yemen…He also stated that the assessment relied on a selective approach to the facts and incidents...

“The official media had strongly criticized the part related to Yemen in the US Department of State's report on human rights. A source in the Yemeni Foreign Ministry had said that the US Department of State's report on human rights that was issued last week contained inaccurate and false information, relied on leaks and intentionally omitted the facts…” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

"Arab students accuse authorities in Kirkuk of 'Kurdicizing' education"

2006-03-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

Al Hayat, a privately owned newspaper, reported in its March 9 issue about the recent developments in the northern city of Kirkuk in Iraq which is ethnically diverse and thus suffers from confrontations between the Arab, Kurdish, and Turkish inhabitants. The newspaper wrote: "The political crisis between the Kurds and the Shiites moved into the schools of Kirkuk. The Iraqi police broke apart several fistfights between Kurdish students opposed to the nomination of Ibrahim Al Jaafari for the office of prime minister and Shiite students who support him in Al Askari neighborhood which is inhabited by Kurdish, Arab, and Turkish families. Members of the [Shiite] Sadr movement accused the local (Kurdish) government of attempting to 'Kurdicize' the education."

The newspaper continued: "The schools and educational institutes in the city which is known for its ethnic diversity have witnessed ethnic tensions ever since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, because of the insistence of the Kurdish teachers to teach in Kurdish, added to the spread of posters calling for the declaration of Kirkuk as a Kurdish city. The Kurdish Mostapha Al Jabari, who works as an educational supervisor in the educational department in the city, announced that the 'fights, exchanging curses, and mocking the leaders of political movements are often the reasons behind the clashes between students in regions with multiple ethnicities'. He added that 'sometimes we are obliged to threaten the students with calling the police to arrest them for fomenting ethnic tension, but with no result'. He added that 'We have to stand outside the entrance of the school after the bell to prevent the students from shouting slogans: 'No No or Yes Yes for Jaafari,' because that leads to fights with fists and stones'…" - Al Hayat, United Kingdom

"Bosnia: Expelling Arabs that recieved nationality illegally"

2006-03-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

Abed el-Baqi reported in Asharq Al Awsat, a pan-Arab newspaper, on March 9 that: “Media sources in Bosnia said yesterday that all Arabs that received citizenships illegally will be expelled from the country after completing their review by committees that were formed to carry this out after the war.

"The Bosnian daily ‘Dnevni Avaz’ published yesterday that ‘the committee that supervises the review of the Bosnian nationalities is on the verge of making a decision to kick out foreigners, over the next 12 months, who received the Bosnian nationally illegally’. The paper added ‘the nationalities that are being reviewed go back to the time [that they were granted] between 6 April 1992 and 1 January 2006’. The paper said that there are thousands of nationalities that are being reviewed, not 700 cases as was previously stated on this matter. However it confirmed that individuals from afro-Asian origins are at the front of the target of this continuous and recurring campaign. Close sources to the newspaper said that the committee that supervises the review operations said that ‘Individuals who received the nationality illegally will become foreigners and be immediately departed form the country. There are over 11,000 Arabs citizens of Serbia and Montenegro that have the Bosnian nationality. The paper said ‘the Bosnian law entitles Serbia and Montenegrean citizens to have a Bosnian nationality’.”

El-Baqi added: “On another front, well-informed sources told Asharq Al Awsat that Kuwaiti aid organizations are exposed to pressure from the Bosnian financial police that Serbia and Croatia dominate. The sources, who chose not to be identified, said ‘foreign authorities are increasingly becoming tight [vis a vis] Islamic aid organizations and specifically Arab ones. Many Saudi institutions have already been dissolved and have been leaving the [Bosnia] arena over last few years’. Arab sources in Sarajevo told Asharq Al Awsat that ‘the manager of one of the Kuwaiti institutions asked for help in solving a crisis that his company was exposed to due to the hard-line financial police’s position towards the company’s finances. No one could help, as all different sides he called informed him that they were incapable of helping him in front of the Serbian and Croatian power over the financial police's work, especially around anything connected to the Arab presence in the country’.

The former president of the Qozaz orphan house organization in Sarajevo told Asharq Al Awsat that ‘there are transactions that do not need receipts, for example donating help to a family cannot be billed. Only a signature is required from the recipient and it is impossible for an aid organization to ask the poor and helpless to have promissory notes that they can give to the aid enterprises, as it is in the business world’. A former aid worker told Asharq Al Awsat that ‘Arab aid organizations working in Bosnia have laid off most of their Arab staff and replaced them with locals. They fear terrorist accusations will be directed at Arab workers or they will create suspicions from the local and foreign security authorities that have around 15,000 people working in Bosnia alone under an international cover.” - Asharq Al Awsat, United Kingdom

Child Prostitution in Lebanon

2006-03-08T10:58:00.000-08:00

This article was written by Majdoline Hatoum, one of the team members at mideastwire.com, for the United Nations IRIN news website.
The article has appeared on IRIN news website, in The Daily Star newspaper, and via Reuters Alert Net so far.

BEIRUT, 6 March (IRIN) - At a glance, Nadine (not her real name) is an innocent, 16 year-old-girl, but a conversation with her soon reveals the shocking details of the hard life she endured as a child. "I didn't choose to work as a prostitute," she said. "It's just my luck in life."
Explaining how she was raped at the age of nine by a neighbour, and therefore "had nothing to lose" when she accepted money for the first time in exchange for sex with an older man, Nadine blamed her situation on her family's financial needs.
"My parents needed money so they sent me to work as a housemaid at the age of 12. Do you know how much I had to put up with in my situation?" Nadine asked rhetorically. "All men want is one thing – your body! So I decided to ask for money in exchange for what I was offering."
Now in her fourth year of working in the sex trade, Nadine talks about the abuses she suffered by men she has slept with. "I've been beaten up, forced to have unprotected sex, thrown out in the middle of the night without getting paid… but life goes on," she said.
There is little protection for sex workers in Lebanon, where prostitution is illegal. Even though some amendments in the law have been made to encourage exploited children to come forward, they often remain reluctant. The official age of adulthood in Lebanon is 18.
"I can't go to the authorities and file a complaint. What would I say? 'I slept with this man and he refused to pay me my money'?" said Nadine, refusing to say how much she usually charged customers.
Although not a widespread phenomena in Lebanese society, child prostitution does exist. But there are no official statistics on the numbers or nationalities of minors working, or forced to work, in the illicit industry. "There's no way of telling the number of children working as prostitutes," said Rania Mansour, a social worker with Dar Al-Amal, a local NGO that helps sex workers.
"We work with a lot of sex workers, many of whom are minors," said Mansour. "But there are many obstacles, such as the lack of funds and prevailing social norms, which stand in the way of a solid study specifying the numbers." Even though Lebanon is considered one of the more liberal Arab countries, the sex trade – as in other countries in the region – remains a taboo subject.
According to Mansour, most prostitutes start at as young as nine years old, when they are most easily influenced. While most children in the trade here are Lebanese, there are also Palestinian, Syrian and Jordanian prostitutes, she said.
Reasons for working the trade
Most of the girls who visit Dar Al-Amal come from broken homes or very poor, underprivileged backgrounds. "Many girls we've helped have slept with men for very basic needs, like food or shelter – sometimes even a cigarette," she explained.
Zeina (not her real name), 21, said she was sold to a man for sex by her mother when she was just nine-years-old. She has since continued to sell herself.
"People are very judgmental, but at that age, if your own parents don't want you, how are you supposed to survive? Tell me if there is any other way," she said.
Others, according to Mansour, confess to also doing it because they want to feel that someone cares about them, even if for a short while. "They're minors, and at this age they need affection, which for them comes in a sexual form," Mansour said.
Psychological support is one of the most important services provided by Dar Al-Amal. "We notice that most of these girls lack self esteem and any sense of values, so we work with them on strengthening their personalities," the social worker said.
"It's a hard job, since many of them have a problem trusting people."
The NGO, which carries out projects aimed at empowering women, dedicates a session in its day centre to the needs of women and girls in the sex trade. "We aim at supporting these women and girls, and offer them social, medical and psychological support in addition to legal support if they need it," Mansour explained. "A network of social workers, doctors and lawyers – mostly volunteers – is helping us with our work."
Dar Al-Amal is also devoted to raising awareness about the health risks such as HIV/AIDS inherent in working in the trade. "They're in constant danger of being infected with sexually transmitted diseases. This is why we offer them sexual awareness classes," Mansour said. "But there's always the threat of men forcing them to have unprotected sex."
Vocational training is also provided in hopes of steering sex workers into different careers. "We think this is the only way they can stop," said Mansour.
Funding problems
Although the NGO offers a drop-in centre for girls, it hopes to expand services further, said Dar Al-Amal Director Hoda Qarra. "The service we offer right now isn't enough to help girls get off the streets," she said. "At the end of the day, we can't offer them shelter, and these girls find themselves back on the streets."
While there are plans to build a permanent centre to host them, Mansour says that, without sufficient funds, such planning is futile. According to Qarra, the NGO, which depends on donations for about 80 percent of its budget, was supposed to get 20 percent of its funding from the state. "We still haven't gotten all our money for the year 2005," she said.
Elie Mikhael, head of the Lebanese Higher Council for Childhood (HCC), blamed the shortfall on the country's struggling economy. "Everyone knows the economic crisis Lebanon is passing through, and this affects everything, including social help," he explained.
According to Mikhael, progress is steadily being made, albeit slowly. "We've been on the right track when it comes to protecting children from sexual abuse and preventing child prostitution," he said.
The HCC, established in 1994, works under the patronage of the Ministry of Social Affairs and serves as a national framework for cooperation on social issues between NGOs and the public sector.
Government steps to protect children
In June 2002, Law 422 was passed, allowing children subject to sexual abuse or physical violence to raise lawsuits against offenders.
"This was very important legislation because it gives the child the means to protect him or herself through resorting directly to the legal authorities," said Mikhael.
In the same year, Lebanon ratified an optional protocol as part of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.
"We have to keep in mind that minors are often pushed into prostitution following some sort of sexual abuse practiced on them, a subject considered taboo in our societies," Mikhael said. "But the ratification of the optional protocol was a confident first step aimed at breaking the silence."
Meanwhile, for girls like Nadine, the worst part of the job is the stigma attached to the trade, as well as the constant fear of her parents finding out what she does.
"I know my neighbours are talking about me behind my back, and I'm ashamed when my family hears rumours about me," she said. "But I keep assuring them that it's not true, and they turn a blind eye because they need the money."

“Egypt: Was the political progress an illusion?...”

2006-03-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

Omayma Abdel Latif commented in the March 7 issue of As Safir, an independent newspaper, about the current standstill in the Egyptian political scene after all the promise of the previous year. Omayma wrote: “Since it has become conventional that the advancement and reverses in the track of political reform in Egypt be dated from the date of the constitutional amendment issued by president Husni Mubarak of the 76th article in the constitution in February of 2005, the passage of a whole year since that event is a occasion to evaluate the losses and gains in that year. This is especially important since the rise in the voices clamoring for that political reform, the most prominent title in the political changes, has come to a standstill since the end of the parliamentary elections. After Egypt appeared to be hanging in a spot between the collapsing old and the incomplete new, warnings arose that the situation has become frozen and that there is a will to backtrack away from all the promises about reform which were issued by the regime in the past election year.”Omayma continued: “Despite the decisive official denials, the [constitutional] amendment came as a result of American pressures. Then the results followed with the ‘Enough’ movement hitting the streets followed by presidential elections, American style, then presidential promises about reform on a wide scale that would turn the constitution into a ‘modern’ document, then enhancing the role of the parliament in questioning the government, followed by the parliamentary elections which gave the Muslim Brotherhood political legitimacy and accompanied by the white collar revolt by the lawyers, judges, and university professors. But when the Egyptians tally up their calculations after the passage of a whole year, then their sense of disappointment and disillusion… is summed up by what one of them said, that the whole ‘political stir was only an illusion, nothing more’…” - As Safir, Lebanon

"Marxism, Baathism and the Torah in Riyadh”

2006-03-08T09:05:00.000-08:00

Sultan Al-Qahtani reported in Elaph, a pan-Arab website, on March 5 that: “During the past few days that passed, Saudi Arabians could read Marxists and Baathists books and buy copies of the Torah and Bible in their home town of Riyadh where the majority follow a conservative vision of the Muslim religion. This occurred during the past few days of the opening of the ‘International Riyadh book fair’ in a bold step by the Saudi government that revealed the extent of the fast rhythm of reform in the petrol rich Kingdom. A decade or two ago, finding books that are prohibited in the country was not conceivable. For almost a week or more, Saudi males and females wondered around the cultural exhibition halls holding heavy bags filled with books that they will not find after the end of the exhibition in their libraries.”Al-Qahtani continued: “Observers found Riyadh’s position to be [based on] multiple standards; allowing what is banned for a few days then returning the ban until the next round of the fair. Saudi critics observing the consequences of the different reform steps of the Saudi government since the events of September 11 see the Saudi cultural and Information Ministry as attempting to balance the Saudi government, headed by the Saudi king Abdullah Bin Abdel Aziz, that is encouraging openness and the religious clerics that claim that the steps [diverge from] the conservative line in the country considered to be the cradle of Islam. “The [information] Ministry and its minister are moving in a field of suspicions along two conflicting paths; the pressure to increase the open initiatives supported by the liberal movements and those from the conservative Muslim movements that have already instigated many attacks on the Saudi Minister, the latest of which reached the extent of the demand to dispose of him following the bold steps that that he took with the TV programs that the first official channel broadcast in the country; [the critics issued a] warning ‘concerned leaders of his dangers and plans’.”Al Qahtani concluded: “The Saudis spent around $50 million in the international book fair during the short period of ten days making it the biggest Gulf fair... For the first time, Saudi’s experienced the culture of live book signing by the authors. Moreover, the majority of the publishing houses did not shut down their exhibition [spaces] during prayer times as all places do in Saudi Arabia due to an absence of the moral religious police that follows up on these issues and described as the moral ruler of the country. Consequently, Arab intellectuals visited the halls at different times while repeating that the fair is like a liberal space inside a wide ‘conservative’ circle that the Saudi capital Riyadh is known for.” - Elaph, United Kingdom

"A Saddam approach is required for Iraq”

2006-03-06T07:46:00.000-08:00

Khadir Taher, a regular writer at Elaph, a pan-Arab website, wrote on March 2 that: “I regret that my pessimistic presentations concerning Iraq are usually right and experiences have proven their correctness. I’m one of the Iraqis distinguished for demanding [that Iraq be put] under American custodianship because it lacks a national, politically honorable choice of parties and because of its failure, during all of Iraq’s contemporary history, to rule itself. Taher continued: “Despite the fact that I was in opposition to the Saddam regime and my positions were often written in the Iraqi opposition press during his era, and that I severely condemn the crimes of the Saddam regime from the arrests, torture, executions and money theft, however, I find myself obliged to accept the facts and recognize the correctness of the Saddam regime's approach represented by firmness, an iron fist, fighting religious parties and the resistance to the Iranian danger.“The philosophy of the government in the Saddam regime was based on the nature of individual relationships in Iraqi society. It applied the method of the ‘shepherd and his sheep’ beginning [with] the relationship inside the family, to the clan, school, college, parties, religious institutions and community…this approach to relationships-the venerable absolutes - produced in the people a submission to authority, admiration of its prestige, and its sanctification ...the Iraqi society was inflicted with masochism; that is pleasure from submission to authority and the demand of more of it. If [masochists] lose this authority then they begin to revolt, rebel and vandalize…this is unintentional behaviors that masochists resort to upon their deprivation of submission to an authority.”Taher continued: “After the fall of the Saddam regime, the Iraqi community lost the authority that it was facing and at the same time feeding its masochistic need of repression. [Repression] for them is like a drug. With the entry of the Iraqi gang parties, [we have all] that they carried from experiences in emigrant countries, from theft, treachery and deceit. Indeed an explosion of administrative corruption, money theft, and sabotage occurred and society entered into the lines of the Iranina-Syrian intelligence and directly contributed to directing and supporting terrorist acts from explosions, to killings to importing drugs into Iraq and the abuse of the main authority. “Today Iraq is swimming in a flood of a civil war disaster. What is asked for is an immediate solution that will save what remains of the country after its complete burning. The nation has tried democracy in its widest applications and it became its biggest danger and proved that the Iraqi society is used to a centralized, firm government and democracy is not suited for it, so what is the solution? The only solution for Iraq’s current situation is for the United States to step forward and cancel the political process, freeze the activities of the parties-except for the Kurdish ones-and to appoint a military Iraqi officer to govern Iraq in an emergency government that America will supervise. The military governor should be strict, return veneration to the country, hit terrorism, militias and agents of Iran and Syria and impose the authority of the law on everyone.” Taher concluded: “I repeat that I severely reject and condemn the crimes of the Saddam regime. But I recognize the view of this regime in its centralized strict goverment...it is too bad that we find ourselves obliged to confess that our enemy regime of the criminal Saddam succeeded in imposing organization, stability and containing the brutality of the society…well Saddam truly understood the nature of the Iraqi society.” - Elaph, United Kingdom

"The Palestinians as a people of beggars”

2006-03-06T07:43:00.000-08:00

Abdel-Beri Atwan, editor-in-chief of Al Quds Al Arabi, a Palestinian-owned, independent pan-Arab newspaper, wrote on March 3 that: “The news regarding the financial crisis that the Palestinian authority is going through, have overridden other developments in the Arab occupied territory, namely the continuous assassination of the leaders of the military wings in the Resistance Movement, the latest of which was martyr Abu Al Walid Al Dahdouh, one of the most prominent leaders of the Islamic Jihad. The number one concern of the Palestinians is now whether they will get their salaries on time or not. “The Palestinian people that have always been a symbol of struggle, dignity and pride, have now become a begging, lazy and dependent people, that live on the crumbs of Western and Arab aid thanks to the Oslo accords…. Maintaining the corrupt authority and its continuity has taken priority over the Palestinian doctrines and releasing the frozen money of the authority by the Hebrew state has become more important than the liberation of Palestine and its violated territory. “Not too long ago, money was collected from the Arab states to finance the Palestinian struggle, support the families of the martyrs and rebuild the houses that the Israeli bulldozers had demolished over the heads of their inhabitants. Now the money is collected as charity to support the Palestinian people and provide them with the bare essentials at the beginning of each month. The Palestinian people have become a people of beggars, whose leaders beseech crumbs from Europe and America, as though they were victims of an earthquake or a dry spell, just like their fellows in Ethiopia and Somalia. “No one wants to speak the truth and I am enraged by the shameful reality of this honorable and beloved people that has, and still is, offering many martyrs and that was disgraced by its authority and the disastrous decisions of his leaders. The Palestinian officials shouldn’t have roamed the Arab capitals of the world begging and pleading for charity. They should’ve turned down these donations and demanded Europe and America to put an end to the occupation and to remove that suffocating embargo that is killing the Palestinian economy. “The starvation of Palestinians is a strong card not a weak card, because if these Palestinian tigers starve, they will direct their anger towards their jailers in Tel Aviv and Washington, and their starvation will echo in destruction in many European capitals, just like what happened in the seventies. That is why they want to train them to be lazy and dependent on the crumbs of aids, so that they forget their cause. “We want the people in power to tell their Washington friends, to use their authority and put an end to the Israeli blackmail, conducted through the freezing of the transfer of the Palestinian tax revenues that amount to $5 million monthly. This is Palestinian money, and using it for blackmail against the authority and the Hamas movement is insulting, unacceptable and should not continue in any way. “The problem of the Palestinian people is in their weak leadership that has settled for the role of the beggar that goes around knocking on doors, complaining and weeping, asking for charity and pity and reminding of Allah’s reward and repayment [the concept of God rewarding all those who do good deeds during their life]. What is unfortunate, is that the Palestinian authority is begging for the money of Arab countries and that of donating countries to finance the Israeli occupation of their territories. “What is also unfortunate, is that most of this money goes to the Israeli treasury and revives the Israeli economy, because those who have signed the Oslo accord and its protocols, have linked the Palestinian economy to its Israeli counterpart, and have turned it into a vermiform appendix that is glued to the Israeli economy’s large intestine. This is the first time in history that a people, that is under occupation, had to beg for financial aid from the outside, to relieve the occupying state from its commitments towards it, ones that are clearly stated in the fourth Geneva accord regarding the occupied territories.“The Hebrew state is responsible for providing security, services, jobs, education and healthcare to the people in the occupied territory, but the Oslo accords have relieved it from all these burdens, without ending the occupation and its oppressive practices. For many decades, the Palestinian people have lived under occupation, and has declared an Intifada that lasted for years, and even in those times, it enjoyed much better living conditions than it does now, under the forthcoming authority. “The Palestinian people never begged for a penny from Europe and America, and even considered that money as dishonorable and their pride would not allow them to accept it, because what would be required of them in return would be to give up their doctrines and their legitimate national rights. The Palestinian authority and its knights have corrupted the people and have linked their livelihood to American and European aid…. “The Palestinians must remove that begging mark of disgrace that the authority has imposed upon them, and regain their pure and honorable image, as a people that is struggling and fighting to restore its rights and liberate its territory… Those who are begging in the name of the Palestinian people, are not achieving anything by coming back with a few crumbs in their begging platter. Those are the people that have led the Palestinians into this deplorable state. “It is time for a new Intifada of dignity that will reshape the Palestinian work frame, bring it back to its principles of fighting the occupation and refusing all forms of Israeli, American and European blackmail. The primary target of this Intifada should be this corrupt authority and all of its symbols, policies and laws, as well as the begging culture that it has added to the Palestinian people’s dictionary.” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

"Hamas victory to Syria: Regional victory with internal challenges"

2006-03-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

Ibrahime Hamidi commented in the March 1 issue of Al Hayat, a privately owned newspaper, about the implications of the victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in the Palestinian elections on Syria at both the regional and internal levels. Hamidi wrote: "The victory of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas in the Palestinian legislative elections sets many internal challenges for Syria in the long run despite the fact that it entails political victories in the short run."Hamidi wrote: "Damscus' right to express its intense relief at the overwhelming victory achieved by the Hamas movement is due to many reasons, some of which are: Firstly, the victory belonged to a great political ally of Damascus which constituted one of the major cards for the Syrian regional role that Syria worked hard not to give up despite all the pressure applied by the United States after the war on Iraq in the spring of 2003…Secondly the victory of the Hamas movement constitutes the first hole in the 'isolation wall' around Syria according to the head of the politburo of the movement; for the American administration as well as Arab and European countries started to discover the 'danger [encouraged] by the isolation policy on the stability in the Middle East' and the possibility that the pressures might empower the 'forces of extremism' in the region… "Thirdly, the Syrian authorities had already informed western envoys that free elections in the Middle East and regime changing would lead to the victory of moderate or extremist Islamists and would result in regimes that are hostile to the West, and that the American and Israeli policies are weakening the Palestinian president and helping the forces of extremism… No doubt the victory of Hamas would lead, according to Syrian opinion, to a revaluation of the theory of regime change externally and would lead to the stopping of the wheel of the pressure to impose democracy in countries where Islam is deepening its spread as opposed to the fragile layer of secularism."Hamidi added: "But against these 'victories' we can talk about three threats to the Syrian regime in the long run: Firstly, it is true that Hamas's victory confused the American administration… but what appeared so far points to the fact that the Bush administration is not about to reevaluate its course of action and that some of its factions 'does not mind the entry of Islamists through the gate of elections'…Secondly, Syria is now and for the first time surrounded by Islamic regimes brought to power through a democratic or sectarian or even revolutionary means. In the north there is the Turkish 'Justice and Development Party' governing through democracy… In the east the Shiite coalition stood out in the elections through democracy… and behind Iraq lays the Islamic Iran. To the west lies the Lebanese Hezbollah who gained its legitimacy through its resistance and to the south lies Hamas… and near Gaza the Muslim Brotherhood gained a lot of parliamentary seats in the recent Egyptian elections. "Expectations also point to an important victory for the Jordanian Islamic brotherhood in the upcoming elections. Therefore Syria who is governed by a secular-nationalist-socialist party seems isolated…Thirdly one of the reasons of the Hamas victory is that the people voted against the ruling Fatah movement… Fatah only stayed in power for a decade, so how about the Baath party which has been governing for the past 43 years? How would the voters vote in any free and honest elections?..." - Al Hayat, United Kingdom

“Saudi female students working from home to overcome unemployment”

2006-03-01T23:13:00.000-08:00

In its March 1 edition, the government-influenced Al Watan newspaper reported that: “Many Saudi female university students have broken the barrier of routine jobs that are open to women, by taking on other jobs from their own homes. Among these jobs are cooking, conducting marketing studies, filling out questionnaires, arranging flowers, wrapping gifts, knitting, sowing, catering, typing masters theses and researches, designing websites, after they found in these occupations a way to overcome unemployment. “Raja’ Ismail (who works in marketing) said that: ‘Collecting data and filling out questionnaires are jobs that a young woman can do from home…’, and indicated that the person who writes the questionnaire gets a pretty good pay for every research. Raja believes that the hard part of this profession is the fact that people do not trust the woman who is conducting the questionnaire and do not reveal too much information, or are even suspicious of the questions. She said: ‘We were so embarrassed at first and there wasn’t much cooperation. But now people have started to accept our work and are no longer astonished by the questions we distribute’. “Many young women are in the catering business, cooking popular meals, and are indifferent to how society perceives their job, despite the looks of amazement they encounter with some families. Aziza Ibrahim Sabgha (a business graduate) said that when she was unable to find a job in the same line as her major, she decided to become a cook, which was her favorite hobby. “She stated that she worked from home and was able to open up a small restaurant in her house with the help of other young women… She added that: ‘I provide the raw material and the mixtures and I supervise the execution. To market my products, I prepared a menu on my computer and distributed it in schools and colleges. My little project is a success and my net monthly income is over SR3,000. I have also encouraged my Saudi female neighbors to work with me during the holidays’…. “The Dean of the Faculty of Social Service at the King Khaled University, Dr. Muhammad Said Al Shahrani, indicated that the government sector is the biggest employer of the female workforce, but that things should not stop at that… He added that young women can be taught to take advantage of the Internet that gives Saudi women a better work opportunity through the concept of remote employment…. He also stated that the employment market can benefit from women working from their homes, since it allows it to use women’s competence instead of relying on permanent employment. “Dr. Al Shahrani said that this will reflect positively on the morale of Saudi women who will feel productive and not a burden on her society. She is entitled to these positions more than anyone else…. He also assured that Saudi women can tap into the local and international work markets from their homes, just by clicking on their keyboard. This will benefit businesswomen who will maintain their privacy through electronic communication, in filling out the required documents and getting the proper licenses to conduct their businesses….” - Al Watan, Saudi Arabia

“Egyptian activists to Rice: Anger over US support for dictatorships”

2006-02-24T08:04:00.000-08:00

In its February 23 edition, Al Quds Al Arabi, a London-based daily, reported that: “US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a 90-minute meeting with a group of civil society activists, and number of writers and political analysts to hear their viewpoints on political reform issues in Egypt. Hisham Qassem, the head of the Egyptian Human Rights Organization, said he regretted that the US backed up dictatorships in the Arab world for the past 60 years ... is still playing that role until now, and is expected to continue playing it in the future. “Qassem condemned the fact that the US administration has joined Washington’s interests with those of these oppressive regimes, even if at the expense of the people in the region that have become more prone to suppression and torture. He added that the Egyptian regime has worked hard during the past years to sabotage the [reform] parties’ actions, which led to an empty political scene, with the exception of two powers: that of the regime and the Islamic Political Movement. Qassem criticized the US government for supporting a regime that refuses to act rationally, that stands against the course of history and that talks about democracy while doing the opposite of that. “He also added that while political reform cannot be imposed, like the US administration always says, the political totalitarianism in the Arab region has been imposed for years with the support, the blessing and the consent of the successive leaders of the United States of America. He then indicated that the Al Ghad Party was destroyed by President Mubarak’s regime 88 days after its establishment. President Mubarak’s regime had secretly hindered the activities of old parties like Al Tajammou, Al Nasiri and Al Wafd, and had practiced all kinds of oppressions to cripple Cairo. He predicted that Egypt would turn from a dictatorship to a theocracy […]. “It is worth mentioning that Condoleezza Rice’s visit to Egypt raised a lot of interest in the Egyptian government. She first met with General Omar Suleiman, head of Egyptian intelligence, to discuss the Palestinian affairs after Hamas's assumption of power. Al Quds Al Arabi learned that, during the meeting, Rice expressed her disapproval of providing aid to Hamas, whether by Cairo or other Arab capitals, and insisted on the necessity of having the governments in the region help the US administration get Hamas to acknowledge Israel […]. “Al Quds Al Arabi also learned that Condoleezza Rice, and during her meeting with the Foreign Minister Ahmad Abu Al Ghayt, requested the instant release of Ayman Nour, head of the Al Ghad Party, who is currently serving five years in prison on charges of forgery […].” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

"Salafi Movement demands fundraising for Hamas”

2006-02-24T08:03:00.000-08:00

In its February 23 edition, Al Seyassah reported that: “The Salafi Movement [encouraged] all the Arab and Islamic countries yesterday to increase their aids for the Palestinians to help them face the foreign pressures that call for stopping aids to the Hamas-led upcoming Palestinian government. “In a press conference held yesterday, the Movement asked the government to allow popular fundraising and organize it through charity institutions under official supervision, to ensure that the donations are spent the way they should be. It also called for cutting out a portion of the salaries of those who wished to make a donation, and transfer these portions to the Palestinian authorities, to support the families of the martyrs and the wounded, to offer medical assistance and support those whose homes were destroyed. “The movement also called for the opening of a Palestinian embassy in Kuwait, for allowing the establishment of Palestinian media offices, for fighting normalization with enemy and refusing to make any compromise before restoring all the stolen Palestinian rights.” - Al Seyassah, Kuwait

"Accounts from the arrest of Syrians after the Tabaris protest"

2006-02-22T08:19:00.000-08:00

In the February 21 edition of An Nahar, an independent Lebanese newspaper, Mohamed Abi Samra told the story of Jamil Abdo Youssef. Abi Samra wrote: “This account conveys scenes from the lives of Syrian workers in Beirut who were apprehended after the Tabaris protest, or ‘crusade,’ that occurred on the February 5. It is not enough to simply lay blame on ‘planted people’ so as to prove other Lebanese sides innocent -- though they took part in planning the act and influencing people. This account reveals that the Lebanese security apparatuses are corrupt and unqualified and shows how primitive its investigations are. It also shows the illegal and inhumane methods used during apprehensions, and while interrogating witnesses and possible culprits. It also proves how unknowledgeable and uneducated the security apparatuses are, which influences primitive racism in the way investigations are carried out and security information is collected. "Such issues must be reviewed now that the Syrian army and intelligence has left Lebanon. This puts responsibility in the hands of Lebanese security and other official institutions to get rid of the residue of the civil war and the residue of the Baathist system from the Lebanese governmental institutions … or else the government will remain in the shadow of the Baathist culture, and other Lebanese or ‘Lebanized’ civil and political cultures of Arabism that are in the details of our daily lives.”Jamil Abdo told Abi Samra that he has been living in Beirut since 1989, and that he is a Kurdish-Syrian who has a university degree in business administration from Damascus University. He said that, after having paid a rent of $200-$300 over the years he lived in Lebanon, a year and a half ago he moved to a cheap apartment building where the rent was $100 per month. He said that the building was old and that the each apartment holds more than four Syrian workers. “Sometimes, the number of residents reached up to ten workers per apartment per night. This is especially common on nights before vacations. These men are relatives or friends of the actual residents who have recently arrived in Lebanon to find work. Their lifestyle led them to make a lot of noise in the evenings, from their laughing and loud conversations to the sound of their radios or televisions.“I am a Kurdish university graduate who works in the book distribution business and mingles with a section of the Lebanese people who are connected to writing, publishing, distribution, and journalism. It is crucial that my personality, habits, and manners are different than those of the Syrian workers I live with … It is also true that I did not mingle with them and no relations grew between them and me except for the type of acquaintances.” Abdo continued that he always thought that these people’s bad living conditions, along with their rowdiness, would lead to some horrible incident some day. “But I never thought that the incident would be of the kind that happened in our building on the afternoon of February 5, and of its size ... so far away from the vicious Tabaris protest.”Abdo went on to explain that he did not know of the invitation to protest. “My two brothers, one of whom works with me in book distribution, and I were together that night and stayed up until 3:30 in the morning in my apartment. One of my brothers had two friends over at my apartment. Since our night was getting long, we decided that my guests would sleep over, since it was a Saturday night and the next day there was no work for any of us. At three o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, February 5, I was still drinking my morning coffee as I woke up at 1:30 in the afternoon while my brother and his friends were preparing themselves to leave. I stood at the door to see them out when I heard a commotion one one of the upper two floors of the building. I then saw men from the Lebanese Internal Security Forces pulling men by their hair and pushing others who were handcuffed. Once my visitors saw that, they returned to my apartment. I thought that some of my neighbors were wanted for theft, or some crime of the sort. But then I looked out of my balcony and saw our building surrounded by plain-clothes security officers …“The security officers came into my apartment and ordered my brother, his friends, and me to step aside, as we did. But as soon as we did, they grabbed a hold of my younger brother, handcuffed him and led him outside. I yelled and said that he was my brother. A security officer approached me and pushed me violently saying: ‘You seem like you want to join them in prison. Go ahead! Follow them.’ He then handcuffed my hand to my brother’s and pushed us towards the stairway. I was led to the street where I was with around 30 of the Syrian residents of my apartment building and their visitors. Some of the local police officers, whose faces I had recognized, began freeing some of the people who they knew. I still had no idea why we were being apprehended … ” At the police station, the men were ordered to put their hands behind their heads and lay on the ground. Abdo did not comply with the order. One police officer yelled at him, “put your hands behind your head you animal!” Abdo replied hat he was not an animal but rather a normal human being. He was then attacked by around twenty security officers who kicked and punched him, making him fall to the floor, where he put his hands behind his head. One officer yelled, confirming that indeed he was not only one animal but 60 animals. More Syrian workers were brought in to the station and told to lay down and put their heads behind their heads. “They kept telling us to keep our heads down and our eyes towards the ground. Later they asked us why we had our heads down and told us to lift them as television and newspaper photographers walked into the police station and started taking pictures of us.”The prisoners were then transported to another police station, according to Abdo’s account. Before putting the prisoners in the station’s prison, they were hit and cursed while they were being searched. Abdo went on to say that in the prison room there were around 45 men, among them an old man, and more than four underage boys. The next morning Abdo and his brother were led to the interrogation room where the interrogator blamed Abdo for burning a police car and carrying out destruction operations at the protest. “As soon as I told him that I had no knowledge of the protest and that I am against acts like those, my neck was hit twice by a security officer standing behind me, and I fell on my knees and got kicked twice on my back. When I said that I would not admit to something I had not done, and that most of those apprehended are innocent and victimized like myself, the interrogator ordered me to keep my head down and look at the ground. He then told me to admit to seeing the three men who came into my building carrying green flags that said ‘La Ilaha Illa Allah’ ('There is no God but God') and said that they had found them in the apartment next to mine. "I said that I hadn’t seen the men or the flags, as I was asleep. A security officer kicked me so hard I rolled two or three times with my hands handcuffed. I couldn’t breathe or speak for two or three minutes. Afterwards, the security officer said that he had seen me at the protest carrying a flag. I then said that carrying such a flag wouldn’t make me proud, because the religion is a religion of forgiveness and does not call for violence and destruction.” The officer then told Abdo that he had received orders from his officers to take part in the destructive protest. Abdo then said: “Who are my officers? Are they those whose harshness led me to flee my country and resort to Lebanon for work?”He was then asked: “And why did you flee your country? Did you kill or steal something, or what?”I replied: “I did nothing but be a Kurdish Syrian.”“So what? Rustum Ghazali is a Kurd,” the investigator said.Security officers then pulled Abdo out of the interrogation room by his hair. “But truth be told, not all the men of the security forces were harsh during the four days,” he said. “Some consoled my brother and myself, and brought us food and cigarettes and some told us to call our families.” After several rounds of interrogation and blame, Abdo and his brother were sent to another police station, where they were held for two days. They were then sent to the military court for four to five hours. Abdo and his brother were then told that they were not in the films that were taken during the riots.Abdo continued, “When I returned to my apartment building I heard that all the residents were set free, except for the three who lived in the apartment next to mine -- where it was said that the flags were found.” - An Nahar, Lebanon

“Al Jaafari and the delayed anger”

2006-02-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

Abdel-Beri Atwan, editor-in-chief of Al Quds Al Arabi, a Palestinian-owned, independent pan-Arab newspaper, wrote on February 22 that: “Dr. Ibrahim Al Jaafari, the Iraqi Prime Minister in charge of forming the new government, responded to the statements of the United States Ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, in which he warned against forming a government on a confessional basis, by angrily saying that Iraq knows what’s best for Iraq. “Dr. Al Jaafari’s response remains incomprehensible for many reasons. The first reason is the fact that he forgot or pretended to forget that Iraq is under American occupation; the second is that Mr. Zalmay is the true ruler of Iraq and that his government had already lost 3,000 soldiers and $300 billion; and the third being that his former government was a confessional government in all the senses of the word. Dr. Al Jaafari must be well aware that the Iraqi internal affairs have been violated since the first day that the US troops entered the Iraqi territory, and that since then, Iraqi internal affairs have become part of America’s affairs. “If Dr. Al Jaafari considers Mr. Khalilzad’s warning of forming an Iraqi government on confessional basis an interference in Iraqi affairs, what does he have to say about the 150,000 US soldiers, 10,000 British soldiers and the thousands of Polish, Japanese, Danish, Australian, Italian, and … and … until the end of the long list of foreign troops on Iraqi soil? The Iraqi sovereignty is violated simply because the country is under occupation, and if it weren’t for the US forces, Dr. Al Jaafari would never have become the Premier, and his government wouldn’t have stayed in power for one day if they [the foreign forces] had withdrawn. “That is why the new Iraqi officials, from President Jalal Al Talibani to Dr. Al Jaafari, are demanding that these forces stay for as long as possible, so that they can stay in their positions. After three years of occupation and after overthrowing the regime and dismantling all of its national institutions, Mr. Al Jaafari and his allies are completely incapable of ruling the country, controlling its security and rebuilding it, despite the presence of a huge number of American and foreign troops, 100,000 policemen and national guards that were recruited on a purely confessional basis, and that of factions that are supportive of the ruling Shiite and Kurdish alliance. “Governments draw their legitimacy from the people’s support and their on-the-ground achievements. What have Dr. Al Jaafari’s government, and all those that came before it, achieved, if they are completely unable to restore electricity in a normal way in the capital Baghdad, unable to provide the citizens with security and peace of mind, and protect their lives and honor from the gangs of robbery and thievery? It is unfortunate that the US ambassador was right in his warning. “The previous government was indeed a confessional one, and it placed at the head of the Interior Ministry, the security forces and the national guards, people that have feelings of hatred towards their Iraqi brothers from other confessions. It gave them the prerogative to practice all kinds of vindictive crimes against their opponents and the innocent alike. We understand that irresponsible terrorist groups are committing crimes on confessional basis, but what we can’t understand is how the Interior Ministry, in the new Iraq, is forming death squads to kidnap the innocent by the dozens, kill them for being from another confession, and throw them, hand-cuffed, to stray dogs. “The Ministry of Interior is supposed to be the guardian of the lives of all Iraqis and to implement the law on everyone without segregation. It is not supposed to establish militias and turn its moist dark cellars into torture rooms where detainees are humiliated and tortured in ways that were never witnessed in all the past epochs. The Iraqi scientists, from all confessions, that have put up the country’s scientific renaissance and are considered its true wealth, are being physically liquidated by spiteful confessional militias, because they have served the country, developed a military industry that has established strategic balance in the region and made Iraq a strong regional superpower. “Not one word was heard from any Iraqi official, as though they were saying ‘kill them, they are agents from the previous regime.’ We had wished that Dr. Al Jaafari, who is supposedly the Premier of Iraq with all its races and religions, had been as angry when US raids wiped away entire Iraqi cities, killed thousands of citizens, and still is [killing], and when US troops violated Iraq and the Iraqis when it sexually assaulted detainees in the Abu Ghraib prison. “We would have respected him more, he who raised the flag of peace and the Islamic calling all his life, had he resigned from his position in protest over these crimes. Unfortunately he hasn’t. He and all his crew almost talked our ears off during their exile in London and other European capitals, when they spoke of human rights and the violation of the dignity of Iraqis by the former Baath regime. What Dr. Al Jaafari failed to realize, as a veteran politician, is that the US administration that used the confessional factor to divide the Iraqis and raise them against one another to make its job of invading and occupying Iraq easier, has now started to think about changing its priorities.“Today’s allies might become tomorrow’s enemies, especially if we take into consideration the possible confrontation between Washington and Tehran regarding the Iranian nuclear program. The honeymoon of America and Dr. Al Jaafari and all those who stood behind the occupation is close to its end. This explains the sudden American position change that Ambassador Khalilzad expressed, which raised Dr. Al Jaafari’s contempt. “America entered Iraq on a confessional ‘horse,’ and now it is trying to abandon it in favor of its interests, just as it had abandoned Carlos in the Philippines, the Shah in Iran, the Mujahideen in Afghanistan and the Latin America dictatorships… The first act of the play is over and the second act is about to begin, with new actors and different horses.” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

“...Saddam’s daughters: alleged interviews are hurting our father’s cause”

2006-02-17T08:25:00.000-08:00

In its February 17 edition, Elaph, a pan-Arab web-based newspaper reported that: “The daughters of Iraqi president Saddam Hussein warned yesterday against publishing alleged interviews with members of his family because they are harmful to the great cause that their father stands for. They declared that all that was lately published about the content of an interview with their mother, Sajida Khairallah, was made up, and they called on all the media to have stricter standards when publishing such fictive interviews to avoid inaccuracy, the twisting of the truth and the diversion of Arab public attention - [all of] which could be harmful to the great cause that their father stands for. They assured that this cause was as clear as an Arab sun and that once it is unveiled, it will spare everyone from looking at minor details. “This came in a statement that was issued by the daughters of the former president, Raghd, Rana and Hala, and a copy of which was sent to Elaph. The statement came in response to an interview that journalist Ahlam Hassan Salman said she had [conducted] with their mother Sajida Khairallah. The interview was published in the Yemeni newspaper ‘Akhabr Al Yom’ [Today’s News] on the 3rd of this month, and its content was circulated among other newspapers and news agencies….“In the interview that led to this controversy, Mrs. Sajida said: ‘the day we got married, Saddam said to me: you have married a man whose friend is death […]. I have been subject to over one hundred assassination attempts conducted by those who are against Arabism, and he knew that men of principle didn’t live long. We know our role, as Saddam’s family. For my part, I knew my limits and my duties. I was honestly trying to be the good wife that supports her husband in tough times and at critical moments… I miss him so much but I have taught myself to be the wife that Saddam wants because he is the Husband I want. That is why I put up with the storms that have uprooted our family life forever’.“She also added that: ‘before the Iraqi war, Saddam went through very tough times and was in pain, one that was caused by the fact that he was thinking of what will happen to his people. He used to hold meetings all the time and sleep in his military uniform, not out of fear, but because he always wanted to remember he was a combattant. Before Iraq was hit, he asked me if he should surrender so that his people can live, and so that he can spend his life in humiliation and be mentioned in history as one that was humiliated, or hold on to his principles by refusing to surrender and bring murder, starvation and homelessness to his people? […]’.“In their statement, the president’s daughters added that expressing strong nationalistic Arab feelings is no longer an exception, but has become the rule among the people of our proud Arab nation, that has become used to living on the actions of their heroes which light up the darkness that will eventually be gone. They added that no matter how great the cause is, it must be achieved with noble means. The purity of the method is a condition for achieving a pure end, and despite the fact that the warm humane feelings that were included in the article were much appreciated, the interview between Mrs. Sajida Khairallah and the journalist never took place and ‘the fact that this interview never occurred, will spare us from answering to many of the details that were included in the alleged interview. All of its content came out of its writer’s imagination and were made up’ […]. “They then said: ‘our cause is clear and the people of the media are facing a momentous event in our history. We invite them to be very careful not to make up their own history. The heroic examples that are on the ground are much more worthy of their follow-up, their analysis and comprehension, than some made up interviews that never took place. And Allah only knows what people’s intentions are’.”The statement, dated February 16, was signed by Saddam’s daughters. - Elaph, United Kingdom

Study: 90% of women incarcerated because of threatened "honor killing"

2006-02-17T08:24:00.000-08:00

Issam Al-Majali reported in Elaph, a pan-Arab website, on February 16 that: “A social study revealed that over 90% of women in prison [in Jordan] are detained because they were married in spite of their will [and attempts were subsequently made to execute an] honor killing. [Government authorities cannot release the women out of fear they will be killed by family/spouse for suspected involvement in "immoral behaviors" such as pregnancy out of wedlock, adultery or having been a victim of rape or incest]. This has [prompted a] call for the enactment of strict laws that ban marriages at young ages, forced marriages and [which prevents] families from committing physical, sexual or psychological violence against their children. "The study, conducted by Hoda Al Hamouri, and adopted by the Arab Regional Resource Center on Violence against Women (AMAN) [was based on] a survey that constituted the entire population of the 40 women that were detianed at the time of the survey. The study dealt with the issue of detained women and related it back to social structures and societal culture. The researcher continuously related the findings to traditions and popular culture rather than being satisfied with the legal explanations. "These results showed that there is clear discrimination against women, an issue that goes against all that has been adopted in Jordan in terms of human rights principles. It also revealed contradictions between popular conduct and religious norms [in Jordan]. According to the study, the majority of the detained women, were between 18-35, unemployed, single and had low educational levels. They came from broken, violent families where the parents had low educational and income levels ...and those that were married had husbands with a criminal record. Many of the detainees expressed their fears of the charges that might be issued against them, confusion about their fates, their fears of integrating back into societies and the punishment that might be inflicted on them by their families.“The study called for establishing awareness campaigns directed at girls that demonstrates the dangers of committing acts that are wrongly understood or that oppose traditions and laws and [also a program for] teaching about what the consequences of such acts could be. It also called for the importance of establishing a shelter for these women to protect them, give them legal assistant, vocational training and child care ...” - Elaph, United Kingdom

"We support them in the West and neglect them in the East"

2006-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:00

Saadallah Khalil wrote in Elaph, a pan-Arab electronic newspaper, on February 15 that: “News reported that the Egyptian authorities released the last batch of the 156 Sudanese detainees that had demonstrated in Cairo. The demonstration – that resulted in 20 people killed and dozens injured – was to demand their deportation to the West. Other news reported that thousands of Sudanese-and others who are waiting for the right time sneaked through the Sinai Crossing into Israel demanding asylum. Sudan is a brother Arab country. What had national, union, trade and political Arab organizations done to rescue and help these poor Arabs to not allow this killing and these injuries to occur? What have the religious Arab official and non-official associations done to triumph these refugees that have been run over by political and fanatic wars outside their countries? What have the various nationalistic, revolutionary and Islamic human rights organizations done for the justice of these poor and defeated people to help their voices be heard before tragedy befalls them?Kahlil added: “These organizations are too preoccupied with politics and status to work on human rights, to help Sudanese and Arabs in similar positions whose main worry is to find food for that day. What would have happened if these Arab Sudanese that demonstrated in Cairo - when according to official statistics - 23 of them were killed and dozens injured by the police, if they had demonstrated in a Western country. What would have happened if during the demonstration in a Western country one of them had had a heart attack and died or a minor injury or even a nose bleed? Would these nationalistic, revolutionary and Islamic organizations not have turned the world upside down? Would they have not poured all of their anger, speeches, articles, televisions and radios on the West and accused them of hatred, spite and animosity towards the poor, specially if they had been Arabs? …How many calls would have been cried? How many sessions would have been held? How many marches? We [Arabs] would have all stood together to demand from international organizations and associations to form an international investigation committee to help find the conspirators, and plotters and to inflict the severest punishment on the perpetrators of this crime.Khalil continued: “As for the broadcasts…they would have recruited all their money, expertise, workers, correspondents and guests for the exposure of the Western injustice [inflicted] on the poor Arabs…and the strategists would have appeared and found some sort of connection between the killing of Arab peaceful demonstrators in the West with the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan… the ‘suiciders’ would have kidnapped foreign workers in humanitarian organizations, blown up schools and hospitals in revenge…but God made this event happen in an Arab country, not a Western one!Khalil concluded: “Why do we ask the West to be more careful with the Arabs than we are…and whilst we despise them and in the best of cases forget and disregard them? Is it imperative that others defend our brothers and compatriots more than we do? Why did the refugee demonstrators leave their countries, ties and lands that they initiated and grew up in to choose the imperialist West to immigrate to, that is different from them in everything from culture, religion, values, and liberalism? Are they [Sudanese demonstrators] oblivious of world news? Do they not hear what the daily morning news has to say about Western discrimination and persecution of their own people who have immigrated? Or do they hear it but not believe it? Or is it that the hell of the West is still better than the paradise of their countries...?"Why do these people not demand to immigrate to Arab countries? And why has not a single Arab country volunteered to open its doors to them? Is it a fact that not a single Arab country is able to receive 3,000 Arab immigrants when they are receiving a million Asian workers? Lastly, is it not shameful for Arab nations and their organizations and associations that those Sudanese - if it is completely true- headed towards Israel demanding asylum? Did they do it on purpose to vex the Arabs? Or have all alternative doors been shut on them? Are Arab organizations not ashamed?” - Elaph, United Kingdom

Hariri-backed paper: A warning for Lahoud to leave Baabda before March 14

2006-02-16T08:49:00.000-08:00

The Hariri-owned Al Mustaqbal newspaper, said in its February 15 edition that: “The Lebanese people were right on time yesterday to pledge allegiance to Martyr Rafik Al Hariri, the hero of their second independence, and gave a ‘million’ [person] scene at the Freedom Square, that was even more wonderful than that of March 14 [in 2005, when over a million Lebanese gathered, demanding the truth and the withdrawal of Syrian troops]. “During the last few months, they had bottled up all the anger caused by the sabotage plan that was orchestrated by Syrian intelligence, its allies, tools and webs, and let it all out on this February 14. They let it all out in the shape of a new uprising that confirmed the continuation of the Lebanese battle for independence and freedom, but also a battle to build a state based on the Taef accord and a democratic regime.”In response to Bashar“This second ‘million’ [person] scene came in response to the head of the Syrian regime, Bashar Al Assad, who ‘dared’ [to say] one day that the Lebanese independence movement represents a minority, and to his press (!) that rushed, driven by the illusions of the regime, to declare the death of March 14 and its forces. It also came in response to the assumption of the Damascus regime that it has succeeded in breaking the Lebanese balance that embraced independence, and that the tutorship will be restored through an internal political coup, backed up by chaos, vandalism and assassinations.”…And to Nasrallah“This ‘million’ [person] scene came in response to the Secretary General of Hezbollah Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah who made a political miscalculation by considering that the Lebanese independence movement is a mere illusionary majority. He also made a mistake when he assumed that the Hezbollah – Free Patriotic Movement alliance will turn the Lebanese political table, and [he] called for the illusionary majority to reassess the situation in light of the ‘new’ information. This ‘million’ scene must have shocked General Michel Aoun who thought that the street will follow him wherever he is….” Overthrowing Lahoud“Thirdly, it is a strong popular message to the March 14 Forces to overthrow the President of the Republic and taking him out of Baabda [the residence of the Lebanese presidents] and that the status quo that hides behind legal procedure and proper consensus, is no longer acceptable. Yesterday, sources said that Emile Lahoud stated in front of visitors – although rare – that he was willing to resign when ‘the others agree on who will replace me’. In an analysis of this information, some of those who are following-up on the situation said that Lahoud’s ‘willingness’ is for many reasons.“Some linked this willingness to resign with the latest partial ‘changes’ in the Syrian regime. Others considered there will be so many developments in the international investigation on the assassination of the Premier [Hariri], that Syria is trying to avoid by ‘primitive’ means, like promoting Farouk Al-Sharaa to a lower position, to gain, according to the regime, immunity. Lahoud, in that same spirit, has expressed his willingness to resign, because Damascus is ‘trying’ to prove that it is ready to give him up. Some saw that it is a repetition of a previous statement, that of Lahoud’s resignation being linked with his substitute, which is in this case General Aoun.“But according to some information, General Aoun, who was ‘wagering’ on the fact that the developments entail some kind of Syrian-American agreement that would push him to the presidency, now knows that it was a mere illusion, since the Americans are not supporting his candidacy to the presidency. Some even said that the Aoun-Hezbollah alliance came in response to this American position. In any case, it will be hard for the General not to interpret what happened at the Freedom Square yesterday, whereby Samir Geagea [Head of the Lebanese Forces Christian movement] consecrated himself as the ‘majority Christian leader’, and ‘Patriarchal’ figures have proved their political and popular presence […].”Aoun can’t keep ‘feeding on’ his past“For all the previous considerations, yesterday [items] fell back into place. No one can pretend that the battle with the Syrian regime is over and that the ‘Syrian issue’ is behind us. General Aoun can’t ‘sell’ to the Lebanese people that he is the conscience of March 14. He will not be able to move to whichever side he wants, especially when somehow he is moving towards the Syrian-Iranian axis. He will no longer be able to monopolize the presidency... especially since Lahoud’s defense line won’t hold much more in front of the demand of the Lebanese majority for him to leave and that of the Christians, through Geagea, to regain that position. […]. He can no longer keep on ‘feeding on’ his movement’s [the Free Patriotic Movement's] past in its fight against the Syrian regime […].” - Al Mustaqbal, Lebanon

Jumblatt: Syrian weapons convoy for Hezbollah; arms will end in Naema?

2006-02-15T08:30:00.000-08:00

In its February 14 edition, Al Quds Al Arabi, an independent Palestinian daily, reported that: “No comments have been made yet by Hezbollah on the increasing criticism of the Head of the Democratic Gathering MP Walid Jumblatt in regards to the party’s orientation after the agreement it has signed with MP General Michel Aoun [Head of the Free Patriotic Movement]. On the other hand, US ambassador Jeffrey Feltman has visited Aoun at his Rabieh residence, and has asked him many questions regarding the agreement he signed with the Secretary General of Hezbollah, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. “While the US ambassador did not issue any statements following his visit, General Aoun said that this was the first meeting after signing the agreement with Hezbollah. He stated that there had been so many comments out of the context of this agreement, that they saw it best to place it back in its right context and within its content, so that it is not interpreted differently and given dimensions that were not intended. He added: ‘we will explain it thoroughly, to whoever wants to know’. When asked about whether Feltman’s visit was due to the negative criticisms that were mentioned by the US Assistant Secretary of State David Welch, during his meeting with Nasrallah, Aoun said there weren’t any negative criticisms. He only demanded to have a few expressions explained, so that they are not misinterpreted. “MP Jumblatt had revealed that the Lebanese army caught convoys of weapons coming from Syria, that were later released after the army received calls according to which the weapons were for the resistance [Hezbollah]. He said he did not envy the position of the head of the army, General Michel Suleiman. Reliable sources confirmed what Jumblatt had declared regarding the crossing of weapons for Hezbollah through the Syrian border, and mentioned that on January 31, at dawn, a convoy of 12 trucks reached the border checkpoint and was trying to get into Lebanese territory. The convoy was searched, and it appeared to be holding weapons and ammunition for the party. It was then allowed to proceed after a series of phone calls. “These sources feared that some of these trucks might have emptied their load in Palestinian locations outside the camps, namely in the Naema region which is controlled by the Popular Front – the General Directorate under the leadership of Ahmad Jibril. In an indirect confirmation of MP Jumblatt’s statements, the army administration indicated that regarding the resistance’s ammunition stored on Lebanese territory, its transportation to the South is sponsored by the current government’s ministerial statement which got the confidence of the parliamentary majority. “The [army] administration also mentioned an article in the ministerial statement, which considered the resistance to be an honest and natural expression of the Lebanese people’s national right to liberate its country and defend its dignity, in facing the aggressions, threats and ambitions of Israel, and freeing the rest of Lebanese territory. The army’s statement said that the army has managed to find illegitimate land and maritime crossings, and that it is continuing these measures with whatever capacities it has.” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

“A first of its kind project in the Arab world..salaries for unemployed"

2006-02-15T08:29:00.000-08:00

Salman Al Dousari reported in Asharq Al Awsat, a pan-Arab Saudi owned newspaper, on February 14 that: “The Bahraini government intends to give monthly salaries to the unemployed during their search for jobs in a project that’s the first of its kind in the Arab world. The project that will be presented to the parliament before its implementation will provide the unemployed with approximately 60% of their past earnings. Those searching for jobs for the first time and with a University degree will receive 150 Dinars ($398) /month otherwise 120 Dinar ($318)/month.“The representative of the Ministry of Labour, Sheikh Abdul Rahman Bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, spoke in a seminar that was arranged yesterday to announce this project. He said that King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifah, since his rule, has initiated a series of reforms; the most prominent being that of the labor market intended to fix the structural imbalance in the labor market. Another prominent project was the national recruitment project to find job opportunities suitable for every citizen, and now this insurance project for the unemployment...” - Asharq Al Awsat, United Kingdom

“Modernism in the Gulf: living an illusion in entertainment cities”

2006-02-14T08:58:00.000-08:00

Former Bahraini education minister Dr Ali Muhammad Fakhro wrote in the February 13 edition of independent Palestinian newspaper Al Quds Al Arabi that: “Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about the post-modernist cities in the Gulf, and highlighted that one of its most prominent aspects is the out-of-control building of residential complexes, that separate their residents, almost completely, from the lives and the people of neighboring cities. These cities are subject to the new capitalist fantasies and dreams: “No noise, no traffic, no burglars, no children mingling with lower class children at schools or in the parks, no beggars or pariahs. All this happens outside the gates of the complexes, whereas their residents enjoy warmth, tranquility and bliss, i.e. live in the fantasy world of fineness and opulence. Nonetheless, the planners and managers of major GCC cities will go even further in adopting the new capitalist fantasy: “1- Freeing urban life from the limitations of time, space and culture. Cities are continuously expanding ... their expansion abides by business requirements and land speculation instead of the needs of their inhabitants. Also, the landmarks of those cities are not defined by their history or their people’s culture, but are mere illusionary duplications of the landmarks of other people’s cities: artificial water canals like in the city of Venice, skyscrapers like in New York, theme parks like in Disney Land, commercial and financial complexes and hotels like in Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London and Milan, as well as high-cost sports activities that not even 10 of the cities’ original inhabitants practice, etc. And bit by bit, the downtown is drained of life and happiness as the night falls, to become exactly like the downtowns of rotten Western capitals. “2- The second aspect in planning and building those cities is the attention given to whatever will provide comfort to their visitors and not their inhabitants, since the major interest of the tourists is fun and pleasure ... our cities have become primarily places of entertainment. The entertainment economy, as it is known, represents the spirit and mentality of the dream and fantasy of capitalism. Let us remember that the American entertainment industry has exceeded the size of the weapons industry and that it will lead the world economy in the near future. “And we, imitators, are building entertainment cities that focus on creating places to hang out and waste time, by developing an excessive amount of places to meet, eat, smoke a hubble-bubble and chat […]. This was enhanced by TV networks that broadcast, day and night, shallow programs that feature songs, soaps, plays and male and female chitchats, but also by newspapers that have twice the number of sports pages compared to cultural pages […]. “All this is directed towards the very existence, the wishes and dreams of the child in the Arab man, so that he remains in the adolescence phase in everything in his life, so that he hates committing, like an adult, to political, professional, educational and economic positions. But what our leaders fail to see is that the entertainment economy in other people’s cities is strongly backed by an agricultural, industrial and technological economy, whereas we are building an entertainment economy at the expense of production development, relying on great temporary resources that will be exhausted soon […]. “The purpose of fantasy capitalism is for people to live in a constant entertainment world, far from boredom and deep reflections that could make them think about correcting the wrong path that their lives have taken, or rise up against the status of their country and their people. Unfortunately, by insisting on building cities that rely on illusions and entertainment, we are contributing in the success of an economic system that has become draining to the lifestyle of the whole humanity.” - Al Quds Al Arabi, United Kingdom

"The Saudi media… and how it is dealing with the Danish issue”

2006-02-14T08:56:00.000-08:00

Asharq Al Awsat, a Saudi-owned independent newspaper, reported in its February 12 edition on the Danish cartoon issue. The daily said: “In a café, two men are exchanging thoughts about the Danish newspaper that published the offensive cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him [also written pbuh]. The first spoke with a serious tone about the purpose of the economic boycott and how it affects Denmark, and mentioned some information according to which 50% of Danish exports are made to the Saudi market, whereas the second said that a Saudi author wrote lately that the losses of Denmark could amount to $30 billion.“The latter is a typical excerpt of Saudi conversations during the past few weeks: Information from unknown sources and analysis that are far from the economic reality. Newspapers have directly contributed in creating this confusion in figures. For example, a local newspaper published in different pages, three different figures regarding the size of Danish imports and the size of the losses. Not one clear source was mentioned and the newspaper just said ‘economists have predicted that’, without even stating who these economists were. “Abdel Aziz Qasem, editor in chief of the ‘Al Risala’ [The Message] supplement issued by the Al Madina local newspaper, said that ‘the boycott was a popular reaction conducted by those who prize the Prophet. It is what got Danish officials to cave in and listen to us. It is what made the Danish parliament discuss the issue’. Qasem, whose weekly supplement exclusively dealt with this topic for three issues in a row, added that: ‘we supported the boycott based on information we read, and according to which it was costing Denmark, around $1 million daily’. “In that same context, Dr. Ibrahim Al Ba’yez, a professor of journalism at the King Saoud University in Riyadh, stated that: ‘our society doesn’t know how to deal with the language of figures for a simple reason: this language is usually produced by societies that enjoy transparency, unlike ours’. He then added: ‘we are still missing the concept of journalism as a professional activity. Our press [the Arab press] is governed by a ‘chilling’ aspect, since it always writes what pleases our convictions and tickles our emotions, more than it seeks to convey an image that is closer to the truth. That is why you often find it seeking figures that trigger our emotions and satisfies our ego’. “But the question remains: do those who have led the boycott have clearly set visions and goals? Qasem said: ‘we can’t say there is a clear list of demands, since the reaction was popular. But I think that the main reactions that were expected from the Danish side were the following: for the paper’s editor in chief and the Danish Premier to apologize, for the editor in chief and the newspaper that published the cartoons to be tried, for Copenhagen to invite a group of Islamic religious scholars to talk about the Holy Prophet, and for the newspaper to publish, for 30 days, positive articles about the Prophet Muhammad’. “According to Dr. Al Ba’yez ‘the issue is being dealt with as though it happened in an Islamic Arab country, where governments (the executive power) can bluntly tell the media, to do something that is not stated by the law and written regulations, which is not applicable in Western cultures, including Denmark. The problem is that we addressed the wrong person and asked him to solve our issue. Instead of having a problem with the paper, we have created a problem with the Danish society’. […] Saudi writer Khaled Al Suleiman, one of those who wrote about the issue and called for taking a position, said that: ‘the boycott went out of control when malls have taken on the role of the consumer by boycotting Danish products and limiting his right to choose whichever product he wants’. “He then added: ‘I didn’t call for the boycott, although I did not condemn it, as long as it stems from a spontaneous reaction. But I did ask our intellectuals to take clear stands that express the anger of the Muslims. I believe that the Danish government could have nipped the problem in the bud, had it condemned the publishing of the offensive cartoons since the beginning’. As for Saudi writer Muhammad Ali Al Mahmoud, he wrote in the ‘Al Riyadh’ newspaper that: ‘a dear person, […] told me after last Thursday’s article: I was waiting; anticipating, with much concern, to see whether you were going to discuss this issue or not. Since you wrote about it, you have cleared away all suspicions’.“Al Mahmoud told Asharq Al Awsat: ‘the crisis of the liberal journalist or he who is qualified as such, is that he is accused at the core of his beliefs for expressing an opinion that is in contradiction with the slogans of extremist fundamentalism. A writer that calls for women’s liberation for example, even if his vision does not exceed the imitations of religious rules, will be tagged by the extremist fundamentalism that affects the traditional street, as an anti-Islam writer. Thus, such an event is his only chance to reaffirm his convictions’. “He also said: ‘it was very normal for the writers who had very harsh initial positions to back down on them, since they were driven by the street and did not have a language of their own. It was due also to the ignorance of some writers on how a popular event and popular thinking can evolve. They think that an intellectual position is disciplined and abides by intellectual terms, whereas in reality, the position of the street is purely emotional and can be affected by different sides that have different goals, to the point of developing towards violence and mayhem’. “It seems that the Danish issue has shaken many beliefs and has built others. It has also revealed a journalistic reality that many don’t see as professional and committed. But what is certain, is that the incident increased the newspapers’ readership and their distribution volume, but amidst this fever, one thing remains unknown: which newspaper managed to lead in terms of the quality of its information, or lack of it?” - Asharq Al Awsat, United Kingdom

Libya to Nasrallah: Don't use Sadr's dissappearance as cover for mistakes

2006-02-12T05:20:00.000-08:00

The government-controlled Jana news agency reported on February 9 that: "An official at the General People's Committee for Foreign Liaison and International Cooperation today made the following statement: 'We have heard a strange statement the so-called Hassan Nasrallah made in Beirut today in which he described the Italian court ruling which established that Imam Musa al-Sadr and his two companions had arrived in Rome in... We would like to tell him the following:

"First, we do not know whether or not he is aware that according to international legal standards, the Italian judicial system is one of the fairest systems in the world and is well known for its efficiency and neutrality. This system has ousted governments and removed parties from power, imprisoned enormously wealthy ministers, legally pursued high-profile personalities and arrested and punished them. It is the judicial system which has recently issued arrest warrants against 12 CIA members charged with abducting an Italian Muslim imam of Egyptian origin, which was widely reported by various media outlets. These reports had been followed by the entire world. Is it conceivable for such a judicial system which has not hesitated to challenge the strongest security establishment in the world to compromise over a case or take sides when passing a judgment?

"Secondly, we emphatically and clearly say to Nasrallah that Libya is no longer a party to the issue of Imam Musa al-Sadr in view of the Italian court's ruling which is final and not open to appeal. Libya, thus, no longer has anything to do with the issue. However, if he and his likes want to exploit the issue of Imam Musa al-Sadr as a result of faulty calculations, political crises and the disarray of Lebanese political structure, we will let them pursue their course of falsehood." - Jana, Libya

Deans at Al Azhar: Men must have witnesses to divorce

2006-02-12T05:19:00.000-08:00

In its second February issue, the weekly Laha, "For Her" magazine, reported that: “Dr. Souad Saleh and Dr. Abla Al Kahlawi, both female deans at the Al Azhar University, are leading a religious campaign to promote a scholarly opinion that goes against one that is adopted by the majority of scholars... [their opinion holds that] a divorce is only acknowledged when made before witnesses. This campaign aims to protect wives and children from being thrown out on the streets because of the impulsiveness of husbands who lack religious consciousness and are the reason for their families’ misery since they cast the word of divorce hysterically, for no good reason [In Islam, divorce is automatically made when the husband says to his wife ‘I hereby divorce you’].

“Despite the humaneness of the call, all the Al Azhar scholars harshly condemned it and assured it goes against Sharia and that it was going to cause a lot of commotion […]. Dr. Saleh, dean of the Islamic Studies Faculty in Cairo started off by providing the proof she relied on in her fatwa. She said: ‘my proof stems from the Holy Koran, in the second verse of The Divorce Chapter that says: ‘Thus when they fulfill their term appointed, either take them back on equitable terms or part with them on equitable terms; and take for witness two persons from among you, endowed with justice, and establish the evidence (as) before Allah. Such is the admonition given to him who believes in Allah and the Last Day. And for those who fear Allah, He (ever) prepares a way out’ [there were many translations of the Koran. The one adopted is that of Abdullah Yusufali, a widely respected translation].

“... religious scholars differ on the ‘take for witness’ [clause] and whether it is an obligation or if it is preferred to bring a witness and whether it was applicable to the divorce itself [or to the act of reamarrying] … Dr. Saleh added: ‘I was inclined to opt for the opinion that said witnesses should be taken in both cases, even though it isn’t to the liking of many scholars, […] since it gives the couple the chance to reconsider their decision by the time the husband goes to bring the witnesses. Other scholars who share this opinion considered it a chance for reflection and reassessment and I am totally for it, even though for dozens of years, no one has applied it’.

“Dr. Al Kahlawi, the dean of the Islamic Studies Faculty in Port Said, agrees and says: ‘we live in an era where many couples have strayed away from the teachings of Islam in regards to dealing with their marital problems. Divorce has become a very easily said word, whether there is a good reason for it or not. The ones that are paying the price are the wives and children. Why not adopt this scholarly opinion by [making] witnesses a condition for a divorce... Even though it is the opinion of a minority, nonetheless it relies on proof from the Koran’ […].

“Dr. Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, the Sheikh of Al Azhar is at the top of the list of those who oppose the fact that the ‘witness’ issue that was mentioned [applies] to divorce. He [said] that it was in relation to taking back the wife which was defined by scholars as the process of the husband remarrying his wife after he divorced her twice, i.e. after saying twice ‘I hereby divorce you’. This act is well recognized by Sharia, since it helps restore marital life on its normal path, one built on love and compassion, which was said in the Cow Chapter verses 228-229: ‘A divorce is only permissible twice: after that, the parties should either hold Together on equitable terms, or separate with kindness’ [Yusufali translation] […]. Dr. Farid Wasel, former Mufti of Egypt does not acknowledge the necessity of taking witnesses in a divorce.

“He said: ‘when a man says ‘I hereby divorce you’ to his wife, the fact that he uttered these words means that the divorce is effective and he has the right to take her back for the first time. The second time he says it, he is entitled to take her back once more. The third time he says it (‘I hereby divorce you’), his wife has to sleep with another man, legally, and it is only after her second husband divorces her or dies that she is entitled to remarry her first husband. That is why, it is out of the question to bring witnesses since any divorce is made with no one in sight and with only Allah as a witness […]’.

“As for the psychological repercussions of such a dispute over divorce between scholars, Dr. Mahmoud Hamouda, professor of psychology at Al Azhar University, said that even though a difference in opinion is sometimes a good thing, nonetheless, it could be a burden for Muslim men and women who stand perplexed before all these religious discussions, especially since all parties have proof. ‘If this dispute is ever broadcasted on satellite channels, couples will become anxious and psychologically pestered especially since the issue is dealing with what is religiously permissible and what is not, in their life as a couple. […] That is why, I ask all the scholars to discuss critical issues such as marriage and divorce, behind closed doors, until one opinion is adopted, for the best interest of the family […]’.” - Laha, Lebanon

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2006-02-11T08:11:00.000-08:00

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