LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
October 08/09
Bible Reading of the day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Saint Luke 11:1-4. He was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished,
one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught
his disciples."He said to them, "When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your
name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our
sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to
the final test." -Naharnet
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Danger/Future News/October 07/09
Ain al- Remmaneh, Shiyyah residents
clash/Now Lebanon/October
07/09
20,000 educated Lebanese leave per
year/UNDP report warns exodus contributes to crippling ‘brain drain’/By Patrick
Galey/07.10.09
Editorial: Breaking the ice/Arab
News/October 07/09
Latest
News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 07/09
Fresh Wave of Violence Erupts in Tripoli-Naharnet
Aoun:
Ain el-Rummaneh Motorcycle Incident Not Another Ain el-Rummaneh Bus-Naharnet
1 Killed, 5 Wounded in Knife
Fight in Ain el-Rummaneh-Shiyah-Naharnet
Berri: Lebanon Crucial Item on Saudi-Syrian Summit Agenda-Naharnet
March 14 Condemns Ain el-Rummaneh
Knife Attack Aimed at 'Inciting Strife'
-Naharnet
U.S.: We Support State
Institutions so that Lebanese Do Not Resort to Hizbullah-Naharnet
Opposition Mulls Package
Deal on Cabinet Lineup
-Naharnet
5 Years in Jail for Saudi
who Bragged about Sex Life on LBC-Naharnet
Najjar: Motorcycles are
Easy Way to Discord … They Must be Stopped-Naharnet
France Notifies Israel of
its Fears of Security Imbalance in Sout
-Naharnet
Kataeb Baabda Sector: preemptive
security measures must be taken/Future News
Free Shiite Movement, for firmness
with ‘motorcycles bandits/Future News
Souaid calls for fixed army check
points in sensitive areas/Future News
Sassin: calm allows the army to
perform is duty/Future News
March 14 request arrest of
insurgents/Future News
Najjar demands arresting Ain el-Rimmaneh
incident assailants/Future News
STL
behind request for university student details/Daily
Star
First
lady Sleiman honors Francophone winners/Daily
Star
Journalists blast press-union indifference over layoffs/Daily
Star
France 'prepared' to mediate in Lebanon cabinet impasse/Daily Star
Baroud says Gulf 'terrorists' on valid visas/Daily
Star
Armenian protesters gather against Turkey ties/Daily
Star
20,000 educated Lebanese leave per year/Daily Star
Lebanon's budget deficit reaches 24 percent in first eight months/Daily
Star
Lebanese businesses must look for global opportunities/Daily
Star
Lebanon considers buying new
electricity generators/Daily Star
Website sheds unprecedented light
on public opinion of Lebanese politicians/Daily Star
Baalbek garden to honor Haidar, prince of poets/Daily
Star
New
school built for Al Buss camp refugee children/Daily
Star
Forum
urges greater female participation/Daily
Star
Clinton describes Iran nuclear
talks as 'positive' step/AFP
Nothing tangible between
Hariri, Aoun yet/Now Lebanon
Aoun informs Hizbullah and Amal of
his meeting with Hariri/Future News
Coppola's “eyes are open” on first
Lebanon visit/Now Lebanon
Danger
Date: October 7th, 2009
Future News
Nothing is as dangerous as coping with the idea of the state’s absence. The
various security incidents, which are mostly individual with the exception of
some organized and pre-arranged incidents carrying certain messages, indicates
that the Lebanese have become in the danger zone of the state’s absence. The
absence of the state means that the individuals have dropped the Social Contract
which organizes their relation with the state, and are thus living as groups and
tribes without a political context which manages their existence and their
inter-relations. The Lebanese now live the idea of an absent state. They seek to
attain their rights from each other through bullying and resorting to the
powerful figures and to street confrontations which in the political sense form
sectarian ghettoes. If this pattern persists, the whole concept of a state will
be discarded, rather than developed. The thing the Lebanese currently share –
within the severe division- is one question: where is the state? The viability
of such a question is displayed through the traffic, and through the deadly
bureaucracy within the state’s official administration, and in the deteriorating
living, cultural and social conditions. A state is not an item of luxury as much
as it is a political and social requirement implied by the human desire to
progress within the human, political, and economic evolution. The current
political facts indicate that the country’s chances to promote towards further
horizons have become quite slim. The no-state condition means that the Israeli
danger is just around the corner and so are regional aspirations and empiric
ambitions.
The only exit out of this situation is in moving forward with the government
formation process and returning to the constitutional and political practice,
upon one fixed factor: Lebanon is a state and not a hotel which residents fight
to get the best service with the least prices.
Ain al-
Remmaneh, Shiyyah residents clash
October 7, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Lebanese are all over again concerned about their security after yesterday
night’s incident in Ain al- Remmaneh – where a clash broke out between Shiyyah
and Ain al-Remmaneh residents, resulting in the death of one person and the
injury of four others. Such an incident might hold a series of messages,
especially when it comes to the area that is notorious for its “fighting
incidents” during the civil war. The clash took place following another fight –
in which a resident from Shiyyah was beaten up in Ain al-Remmaneh by a group of
men, reported An-Nahar. It added that young men on motorcycles from Shiyyah,
armed with knives, headed to Ain al-Remmaneh, where they killed George Abu Madi.
Ain al-Remmaneh residents have gone on strike today until all assailants
involved in the clash are arrested, Kataeb official Sassine Sassine told the
Voice of Lebanon radio station. He said that he, along with March 14 General
Secretariat Coordinator Fares Soueid, met with Army Commander Jean Kahwaji at
dawn to urge the army to track down and arrest the assailants. Kahwaji, in turn,
told the two men that the army is fair with all parties and will make sure to
fulfill its responsibilities, said Sassine. According to a security source, the
Voice of Lebanon also reported that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deployed in
the region and arrested four people allegedly involved in the incident,
including a member of al-Merhi family. Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel condemned the
incident in an interview with his party’s official website, saying that the army
should always be present at the Sanin intersection, where the fight broke out.
People from Shiyyah on motorcycles have been roaming the streets of Ain al-Remmaneh
and hassling its residents for the past 10 days, said Gemayel, adding that the
LAF has not taken any security measures. As tension in Ain al-Remmaneh
increases, the cabinet-formation process is slowly progressing. Prime
Minister-designate Saad Hariri met with Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel Tuesday
night in downtown Beirut to discuss the recent developments on the government
formation, which has been in the works since July 2009. During an interview with
LBC, Gemayel called for Hariri to preserve his alliances within the March 14
alliance and to establish fair Christian representation in the upcoming cabinet.
On the other hand, the other Christian pole in the March 14 alliance, Lebanese
Forces leader Samir Geagea called on President Michel Sleiman to sign the decree
of “any government proposed by Hariri,” saying that if genuine intentions to
form a national-unity cabinet are not shown within the next week or 10 days, the
president should act fast to avoid leaving the state without a cabinet.
Meanwhile, Syrian newspaper Al-Watan reported that Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel
Aziz will arrive in Damascus today in a two-day visit in which he is expected to
hold a closed meeting with President Bashar al-Assad followed by another
sit-down that will include both countries’ delegations. The daily reported that
diplomatic and media reports said the talks will end in signing an agreement on
taxes between the two countries.
Kataeb Baabda Sector: preemptive security measures must be taken
Date: October 7th, 2009/Source: NNA
The Baabda sector of the Kataeb party issued a statement on Wednesday in the
aftermath of Tuesday night mishap that erupted between young men from Ain el-Rummaneh
and others from Shiyah. George Abou Madi was killed in the incident, according
to medical sources. An official report stated that the mishap came in the
aftermath of a quarrel with a young man from Shiyah who was beaten up by a group
of guys near Sannine Roaster in Ain el-Rummaneh. The incident developed when
dozens of knife-yielding young men from Shiyah rode their bikes to the quarrel
scene in the adjacent Ain el-Rummaneh neighborhood, attacking a crowd of men.
“Security can only be maintained by taking preemptive measures to hinder the
occurrence of such incidents and not buy intimidating the victims of these
incidents,” the statement said. “Can we accept that a young man gets out of his
house only to be killed by a knife-yielding coward who does not have the guts to
face him unarmed?” it added. “The recurrence of such incidents is inacceptable,”
it maintained. “The attacks will only lead us to hold even more to our areas
because this is our duty to our cause and martyrs,” it concluded.
Souaid calls for fixed army check points in sensitive areas
Date: October 7th, 2009/Source: LBC
Coordinator of March 14 General Secretariat Fares Souaid called Wednesday for
fixed army check points in sensitive areas including Shiyah-Ain El-Remmaneh,
stressing over an agreement with the army command on a series of measures to
arrest the criminals. Souaid told LBC that his visit to Major General Jean
Kahwaji “is essentially motivated by the complaint from people in
Ain-El-Remmaneh for being harshly treated by the army, calling the security
forces to be fair in dealing with citizens equally “without discrepancy under
the same roof.”
He stressed that the army must perform its duty in arresting the aggressors
immediately, considering that “it is too soon to know the background of the
dispute which negatively reflect over the general atmosphere.” A clash broke out
between Shiyyah and Ain al-Remmaneh residents resulting in the death of George
Abu Madi and the injury of four others. March 14 coordinator welcomed the
Arab-Arab rapprochement, hoping that Syria would re-engage in Arab diplomacy for
the peace process, adding: “we still do not know the ability of the Syrian
President to cooperate with Egypt and Saudi Arabia in this context.”
Sassin: calm allows the army to perform is duty
Date: October 7th, 2009/Source: voice of Lebanon
Sassin Sassin the advisor of Al-Kataeb leader Amin Gemayel called all political
groups to act according to the policy of calm so that President Michel Sleiman
could perform his required role to prevent the occurrence of security events.
Sassin described the mishap in Ein-El-Remmaneh late Tuesday as “security quake
and blackmail.” Georges Abou Madi, a citizen from the area was stabbed to death
during a quarrel with elements from the Chiah opposing area. Sassin pointed
Wednesday during an interview to Voice of Lebanon radio station that “there is a
strike in Ein-El-Remmaneh until all aggressors are arrested,” stressing that
calm is requires to allow the army to perform its duty. He emphasized that the
meeting held with the army command and Major General Jean Kahwaji stressed that
the security forces are neutral and take its duties to reassure the residents of
the region and make necessary measures.
March 14 request arrest of insurgents
Date: October 7th, 2009/Future News
A March 14 alliance delegation met Wednesday, Army Commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji
to discuss Tuesday’s late night street incidents in the Ain Al-Rimmaneh region
demanding the arrest of the perpetrators, the government-run National news
agency reported. The delegation which included the Coordinator of the General
Secretariat of March 14, former MP Fares Soaid and Sassin Sassin, Advisor to
Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel emphasized the necessity to arrest the
insurgents responsible for Tuesday’s evil incidents. The Voice of Lebanon Radio
quoted a security source that spoke on condition of anonymity that four
individuals found to be involved in the Ain el-Rimmaneh street night battles
were arrested leaving one man dead and four wounded. An official report stated
that the mishap came in the aftermath of a quarrel with a young man from the
Shiyah region who was beaten up by a group of guys near Sannine Roaster in Ain
el-Rimmaneh. The argument quickly developed after dozens of knife-yielding young
men from Shiyah rode their bikes to the quarrel scene in the adjacent Ain el-Rimmaneh
neighborhood, attacking a crowd of men. State-run National News Agency said the
victim, George Abu Madi, had nothing to do with the mishap. The Lebanese army
dispatched troops to the area and arrested four suspects. One of them was
identified as Hussein Merhi.
Najjar demands arresting Ain el-Rimmaneh incident assailants
Date: October 7th, 2009/Source: Voice of Lebanon
Outgoing Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar demanded Wednesday the immediate arrest
of insurgents behind Tuesday’s street night battles that left one man dead and
four wounded, the Voice of Lebanon radio reported. “It is a criminal act that
cannot be ignored. The assailants must be brought to justice,” Najjar told the
radio station. “I believe that there is no political faction that encourages or
even covers up any side that might lead to turmoil and tragic results,” he
maintained. Najjar demanded the security forces to “limit the use of motorcycles
in Lebanon because they facilitate riot in the country which might lead to
sedition.” He denied that the incident might be “aiming at delivering a message
from one political side to another.”
An official report stated that the mishap came in the aftermath of a quarrel
with a young man from Shiyah who was beaten up by a group of guys near Sannine
Roaster in Ain el-Rummaneh.
The argument quickly developed after dozens of knife-yielding young men from
Shiyah rode their bikes to the quarrel scene in the adjacent Ain el-Rummaneh
neighborhood, attacking a crowd of men. State-run National News Agency said the
victim, George Abu Madi, had nothing to do with the mishap. The Lebanese army
dispatched troops to the area and arrested four suspects. One of them was
identified as Hussein Merhi. The mishap drew reactions from political quarters
and prompted a visit by a delegation from the March 14 coalition to Army
Commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji. Kataeb party MP Sami Gemayel condemned the attack
and questioned “why Lebanese troops are not deployed 24/7 at the Sannine
intersection, given the significance of that junction.”
Free Shiite Movement, for firmness with ‘motorcycles bandits’
Date: October 7th, 2009/Source: NNA
Free Shiite Movement leader Sheikh Mohammad Hajj Hassan denounced Wednesday the
assault on Ain el-Rummaneh calling on the security forces to adopt firmness in
arresting the assailants who “were uses to incite sectarian sedition and
instigate tension between Lebanese areas,” media outlets reported. An official
report stated that the Tuesday night mishap came in the aftermath of a quarrel
with a young man from Shiyah who was beaten up by a group of guys near Sannine
Roaster in Ain el-Rummaneh. The incident developed when dozens of knife-yielding
young men from Shiyah rode their bikes to the quarrel scene in the adjacent Ain
el-Rummaneh neighborhood, attacking a crowd of men. A young man called George
Abi Madi was killed in the incident, medical sources declared. The media office
of Haj Hassan issued a statement commenting on the incident “it is disgraceful
to continue to take advantage of the victims and to make reconciliations at the
expense of their innocent blood.” It called on the de-facto forces in the Shiyah
area to “cooperate with the army and the security forces in order to restrain
motorcycle bandits who take refuge in security zones.” “Hizbullah and Amal must
lift the cover off all those who participated in the premeditated crime and must
help the state to grab control over all Lebanese areas. Moreover, they must stop
inciting people against the state and its laws,” it said.
Nothing tangible between Hariri, Aoun yet
October 7, 2009
Now Lebanon/A source told As-Sharq al-Awsat newspaper on Wednesday that “there
is nothing tangible” between Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and Free
Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun. The source said that the ministerial
portfolios suggested by Hariri to Aoun will cause problems with the latter’s
allies in the opposition as well as with Progressive Socialist Party leader MP
Walid Jumblatt. The source told the daily that Aoun immediately refused Hariri’s
proposal to be granted the Displaced, Health and Labor ministries – which fall
within the shares of Jumblatt, the Amal Movement and Hezbollah respectively – in
return for giving up his demand for the Telecommunications Ministry.
Sleiman,
Berri hold weekly meeting in Baabda
October 7, 2009 /Now Lebanon/Speaker Nabih Berri arrived in Baabda on Wednesday
for his weekly meeting with President Michel Sleiman to discuss the recent
domestic developments and the results of the latest deliberations on the cabinet
formation.
Coppola's “eyes are open” on first Lebanon visit
October 7, 2009 /Now Lebanon
Legendary US film director Francis Ford Coppola landed in Lebanon on Tuesday to
say his eyes were open to the possibility of making a film about the country. "I
don't know if you can expect a motion picture [on Lebanon] by Francis Ford
Coppola, but my eyes are open," he told reporters. Coppola, 70, is the star
attraction at the Beirut International Film Festival, which opens on Wednesday
with a screening of his latest production "Tetro," the story of two brothers
reunited after a 10-year separation. Best known for his trilogy "The Godfather,"
Coppola advised young local directors to find their own voices and tell their
own stories. The multiple Oscar-winning director said he was particularly
looking forward to trying Lebanese wine and food, especially the chickpea-based
dip hummus, on his first trip to the tiny Mediterranean country. The October
7-14 festival will also host acclaimed filmmaker Ang Lee, 65, who will attend
the screening of his latest film "Taking Woodstock" at the closing ceremony on
October 14. Lee's works include award-winning films "Brokeback Mountain" and
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The film will showcase some 40 international
films, including features, documentaries and short works by Arab directors.
Experimental films are set to make a strong show this year alongside eight
full-length feature films by directors from across the Arab world.
STL behind
request for university student details
By The Daily Star
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
BEIRUT: The motive behind the demand by Lebanese police for a list of all
students registered at Lebanese universities between 2003 and 2006 was based
upon a request by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), a well-informed
judiciary source confirmed to The Daily Star Tuesday. However, the source did
not disclose the reasons behind the STL’s demand. The daily As-Safir on Saturday
quoted senior university officials who said Lebanese police had asked for the
information between the period of 2003 and 2006 based upon the special request
of STL chief prosecutor Daniel Bellemare. On Monday, several heads of Lebanon’s
leading universities told The Daily Star that they had yet to receive any
request to divulge private information about their students. All schools and
public universities have to give general information to the Education Ministry,
but private universities are not obliged to divulge details of their students,
as the Interior Ministry registers them upon entry, said Chafik Masri, professor
of International Law at AUB. “If there is a legal investigation, no
establishment has the right to obstruct the process. But private universities
are not obliged to give information for a general request,” said Masri. “In this
case, it seems like a specific request.” The STL was established in March 2009
to bring to justice the killers of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri,
who died along with 22 others in a car bomb attack in Downtown Beirut in
February 2005. – The Daily Star
France 'prepared' to mediate in Lebanon cabinet impasse
‘I do not believe it’s reached the point of regime crisis’
By Elias Sakr
Daily Star staff
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
BEIRUT: The French president’s top adviser Henry Guaino expressed on Tuesday
France’s readiness to mediate efforts between Lebanese political parties in
order to resolve the cabinet-formation crisis.
“The government-formation crisis would be solved as soon as possible with
France’s assistance through building bridges of trust with all parties because
we want to be a factor that encourages dialogue and mediate efforts between
opposing groups,” Guaino said. Following a three-day visit to Lebanon during
which he held talks with Lebanese top officials, Guaino told reporters at the
airport that the government formation was a domestic and regional issue, while
stressing the impact of the Syrian-Saudi summit on the Middle East peace
process.
Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdel-Aziz is expected to arrive in Syria on Wednesday
“I am not an expert in the Lebanese situation but I do not believe the issue
reached the point of a regime crisis,” Guaino said. Tackling Lebanon’s role as
part of the international community, Guaino stressed the necessity to form a
government soon in order to enable Lebanon to play a role on the international
scene. Lebanon is expected to be elected to take a rotating seat in the UN
Security Council for the next two years. Guaino also expressed France’s
readiness to support Lebanon’s role in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
Meanwhile, doubt was cast regarding any progress on the cabinet-formation front
as Lebanese Forces (LF) leader Samir Geagea downplayed the positive impact of
the Syrian-Saudi summit while the Future Movement urged all parties to make
compromises to facilitate the process.
Contradicting Geagea, Hizbullah officials reiterated their optimism saying that
deliberations led by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri moved on to tackle the
distribution of ministerial portfolios. Loyalty to the Resistance bloc MP Nawwaf
Moussawi expressed on Tuesday optimism regarding the cabinet-formation process
as he stressed that current deliberations between Hariri and Free Patriotic
Movement leader MP Michel Aoun tackled the distribution of ministerial
portfolios. Moussawi emphasized that the improvement in Syrian-Saudi ties
positively impacts the government formation while the US interference still
hinders the process. Conversely, Geagea played down the odds regarding the
formation of a national-unity cabinet anytime soon as he accused the
parliamentary minority of hampering the process by imposing conditions that are
impossible to meet to hold talks with Syrian President
Bashar Assad; the talks would tackle Lebanon governmental crisis among other
regional issues. “The cabinet issue is a Lebanese responsibility; Lebanon needs
democracy but also national-unity,” Guaino said, a reference to calls by
Lebanese parties to form a national-unity cabinet rather than a majority one.
Guaino added that the government formation deadlock did not signal a regime
crisis. “I do not believe that the odds of forming a cabinet are high because
premier-designate Saad Hariri insists on a national-unity [cabinet] while the
opposition holds on to a set of conditions and demands that cannot be carried by
any government,” Geagea told Reuters.
Geagea called on President Michel Sleiman to sign a cabinet-formation decree
based on any government line-up proposal to be submitted by Hariri if
negotiations with opposition groups hit a dead end. “If no serious breakthrough
concerning the formation of a consensus cabinet surfaces in a week or 10 days,
we hope the president uses his pen in order not to leave the country without a
government,” Geagea added. Geagea underlined that the opposition attempts to
mislead the public into believing that they supported the prompt formation of
cabinet, adding that there was no need to wait, if the improvement in inter-Arab
ties does not positively influence the formation process. “The Syrian-Saudi
summit should positively influence the regional situation but I doubt that the
positive atmosphere would help enough to reach an agreement on the
cabinet-formation,” Geagea added. Meanwhile, the Future Movement bloc urged on
Tuesday all political parties to make compromises in order to facilitate the
cabinet formation as to serve Lebanon’s best interests. “The Lebanese parties’
only option is to show flexibility in their positions and put the nation’s
interests above any individual ones as to allow the premier-designate to form
the cabinet as soon as possible,” the statement said, following the bloc’s
weekly meeting headed by caretaker Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The statement
also praised the international and Arab efforts to support Lebanon and preserve
its stability, adding that the country would benefit from improvements in
inter-Arab ties.
20,000 educated Lebanese leave per year
UNDP report warns exodus contributes to crippling ‘brain drain’
By Patrick Galey ظDaily Star staff
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
BEIRUT: “Staggering numbers” of highly skilled graduates are leaving Lebanon
each year, severely hampering economic growth, according to new research.
Data published Tuesday in conjunction with the United Nations Development
Program’s latest Human Development Report shows an annual migration of roughly
20,000 Lebanese, the majority of which are well-educated. This contributes to a
crippling “brain drain,” and strains the national workforce, according to
economic and social policy experts.
More than two-thirds of male and 45 percent of female university graduates opt
to work abroad – a worrying trend according to assistant professor of economics
at American University Beirut, Jad Chaaban.
“Most Lebanese migrants are highly skilled. Many of them are medical or
engineering students and a significant proportion of those studying now – more
than a third – say they want to leave,” he said. “These are not nice figures.”
Nearly 30 percent of emigrants head for the Gulf states with the US and
Australia also hosting several thousand Lebanese expatriates.
The UNDP report, “Overcoming barriers: human mobility and development,” was
launched on Tuesday under the auspices of Marta Ruedas, the UN deputy special
coordinator for Lebanon
It contained 2009 rankings tables for levels of human development in individual
countries. It ranked Lebanon as the 83rd most desirable place to live based on
life expectancy, access to education and quality of life – a fall of five places
since 2006.
In spite of what Ruedas termed a recent “overall positive trend” of human
development, Lebanon has struggled to keep up with countries at similar stages
of maturity.
“What is not so positive is that the rank of Lebanon has gone down. This means
that Lebanon, in a comparative scheme, is going forward at a slower rate,” she
said.
As for migration, Lebanon still struggles to keep its most talented individuals
at home.
Chaaban pointed to domestic “push factors” which prompt young people to leave,
which include political instability, the high cost of living within Lebanon and
“cumbersome” legislation which discourages entrepreneurialism.
In addition, higher salaries and more rewarding working environments in adopted
countries pull Lebanese workers to more attractive job packages abroad.
“Lebanon is not creating enough skilled labor opportunities,” he said. “We are
losing talented individuals and paying locally for education that has its
returns abroad.”
Almost 40 percent of the world’s migrants are from the Middle East and North
Africa Region.
“Migration in this region is something that we really need to take a look at.
There are positives and negatives,” said Ruedas.
She added that human-rights abuses among migrants in the region were rife and
that many lack access to basic social provisions once settled in their adopted
countries “[There are] a number of abusive and exploitative working conditions
and the distinctive reaction for a country [receiving migrants] is to initially
throw up barriers in terms of employment,” she said. “Migrant women in the Gulf
countries are excluded in many places from normal worker protection. This
changing slowly, but it is still a dominant factor of migration in this region.”
The report’s launch also discussed the potential benefits that migration offers
to Lebanon, including the vast remittances sent by the Lebanese Diaspora.
“There are a lot of opportunities for Lebanon when it comes to migration,” said
Ruedas. Lebanon is second only to India in the amount of remittances received,
calculated as $4.5 billion in 2006, the most recent year on which data was
compiled. Remittances now account for more than 20 percent of Lebanese GDP, but
this is not always to the benefit of communities here. “Most money sent back
home to Lebanon seems to be spent on daily consumption – up to 80 percent,” said
Chaaban. Ruedas announced that the UNDP within Lebanon was working on
initiatives that would see money sent from abroad used more for social
development. “Most often remittances come, but they go directly to families,”
said Ruedas. “They tend to be less directly connected to development than might
be the case.” Chaaban said research done by the University of Saint Joseph,
Lebanese American University and American University Beirut had unearthed a
previously unexplored advantage of migration from Lebanon – an increased
competitiveness among students. “When I know I have a potential to leave, I want
to study more in my country, so I tend to learn more languages and skills. This
expectation of migration creates a competition for learning,” said Chaaban. The
phenomenon has lead to a generation of exceptionally well-skilled Lebanese, all
of whom are competing for a relatively small amount of jobs to suit their
qualification levels. Chaaban suggested that more skilled public sector jobs be
created in order to accommodate graduates and prevent them leaving for pastures
greener. “This is an idea applied in many countries. The private sector is not
creating enough jobs – they are really limited to real estate and services – so
the public sector needs to step in and upgrade their skilled workforce,” he
said. “It needs to get these people back.”
Editorial: Breaking the ice
7 October 2009 ظArab Times
Political stalemate continues in Lebanon. Four months after the election won by
Saad Hariri’s March 14 alliance, the country is still without a new government,
its formation blocked by the pro-Syrian opposition Hezbollah, Amal and the Free
Patriotic Movement led by Michel Aoun. Lebanese eyes are now on King Abdullah
who will meet Syrian President Bashar Assad in Damascus. They hope that he can
resolve the issue and enable Lebanon to get back to normal. The power vacuum is
doing it no good whatsoever. Investors are afraid; the tourism industry has been
seriously damaged and there are real fears that the stalemate could push the
country into renewed sectarian war.
It is a sad reflection on the unstable state of affairs in Lebanon that it is
outsiders who are called in to try and fix the situation. But that is a
recognition of the influence outsiders still wield within the country.
Hariri’s supporters allege that Syria is behind the stalemate and that it wants
a political vacuum in Lebanon in order to reinforce its influence and as a
bargaining tool to ensure its voice is heard in international circles. Damascus
denies this, although Syrian Vice President Farouk Al-Sharaa’s claim 10 months
ago that Syria’s influence in the country is stronger than ever suggests
otherwise. Many in Lebanon see in it an admission of interference.
Saudi Arabia’s position on Lebanon is very different. It is very much in the
spirit of the 1989 Taif Accord which brought the civil war to an end and was
based on the need for peace, stability and reconciliation in the country and a
recognition that an unstable Lebanon was bad for the region.
Saudi Arabia supports Hariri not because he is a Sunni Muslim or because his
family has had links with the country but because his alliance won the elections
fairly and squarely. He is the man the majority of Lebanese want to be prime
minister.
Events are coming to a head. This week Hariri finally met Aoun who has taken the
lead in blocking a settlement with excessive demands, principally that his
son-in-law remain in the security-sensitive post of telecommunications minister.
Hariri is determined to have his own man in the job. He takes the entirely
reasonable view that, as prime minister and being ultimately responsible for the
performance of the government, he has to chose who works with him and who gets
what job; he is not prepared to be a mere secretary who follows the orders of
the parties in the coalition.
But, much as he might want to, Hariri cannot ignore Aoun. He is a major figure
in the opposition and Hariri knows that if he does not stick to the agreed
Cabinet formula of 15 ministers from his own alliance, 10 from the opposition
and five appointed by the president, then there is a real chance of civil war
breaking out again.
Aoun now says that a Cabinet will soon be formed. Will it include his son-in law
as telecommunications minister? If it does, Hariri has lost and so has Lebanon.
The opposition will have demonstrated that and that its masters are the real
power in Lebanon. If Aoun’s son-in-law is not minister, then Hariri has won. But
will the opposition accept that?
Website sheds unprecedented light on public opinion of Lebanese politicians
By Josie Ensor ظDaily Star staff
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
BEIRUT: We know what their approval ratings were in the June elections, but how
have Lebanon’s top politicians faired in the court of public opinion over the
last four months?
ElectionsMeter, an interactive online poll, has been monitoring the changing
popularity of the country’s leaders since the June 7 elections earlier this
year, using data generated by the site’s thousands of users. The survey reveals
that March 8 politicians, on the whole, are currently figuring better than March
14 counterparts. The poll also shows that the public have all but lost faith in
the country’s political situation as a result of the delay in forming a unity
cabinet which is now entering its fourth month. The most popular politician
according to the ongoing poll is Amal Movement head Nabih Berri, who scored the
highest approval rating of any Lebanese leader. The speaker of Parliament, who
is the highest representative in the country for Shiite Muslims, stood at 92
percent in early June, receiving an average of 15 percent more support than any
March 14 politician. However, the results show he has not gained greater public
support since he was re-elected for another term, with his rating remaining
constant at 79 percent since mid-August. Future
Movement head Saad Hariri’s results show the premier-designate’s departure
notice little affected positive public’s opinion.
Peaking in early June, opinion on Hariri has stayed at 72 percent, with little
noticeable change between when he stepped down from his post in early September
to when he was re-nominated soon after.
Hariri is considered one of the most influential Sunni Muslim leaders, receiving
overwhelming backing from lawmakers for his re-appointment, and has been rated
the top Sunni Lebanese politician and third overall in the ElectionsMeter poll.
Meanwhile, Hizbullah’s Hassan Nasrallah, voted as second favorite by the online
Lebanese public, is one of few leaders in the country who has actually been
gaining in popularity since the June 7 elections, showing a 24 percent rise in
approval since the party lost the election to March 14 earlier this year.
His rating was at just 56 percent immediately after the elections, but it had
shot up to almost 80 percent by September. The Hizbullah-led March 8 faction
lost to the March 14 Forces in June. The poll
indicates that post election support for Hizbullah’s secretary-general has grown
as a result of his sportsmanlike acceptance after the loss, and his “dogmatic
leadership” in the intervening months, according to voters. Support for Walid
Jumblatt, Progressive Socialist Party head and prominent leader in the Druze
community, has fluctuated over the past four months. Renowned for his staunch
anti-Syrian sentiment, Jumblatt has invoked strong reaction in the past.
When Jumblatt quit the March 14 coalition on August 2 the decision cost
him dearly; the ElectionsMeter poll saw a dramatic drop in public support the
day he announced the decision. However, September saw him beginning to recover
the difference as he took a greater role in cabinet formation. General Michel
Aoun of the Free Patriotic Party, who has aligned himself with March 8 faction
Hizbullah, has been received relatively favorably, slowly creeping up from the
61 percent approval rating he received after the elections to the 70 percent he
reached at the end of September.
Hizbullah’s Christian ally increased his popular vote in the elections when his
bloc picked up a total of 27 seats. The polls show the public was mostly
satisfied with the party head’s performance since the election result. Outgoing
Prime Minister Fouad Siniora has so far proved the least charismatic, remaining
at a constant of 50 percent since the poll began in June. He was voted by the
public as the “leader who has achieved the least” since the election four months
ago.
The poll shows that Lebanese are quickly beginning to lose patience with the
government, who have yet to agree on a line-up for the unity cabinet based on
the 15-10-5 formula.
This make-up grants the majority 15 ministers, the opposition 10 and President
Michel Sleiman 5 seats, guaranteeing him the tipping vote while both the
majority and the opposition are respectively denied absolute majority or veto
power. The figure for people satisfied with the overall political position slid
from a lukewarm 40 percent the day after the election, to a dire 5 percent in
October. The most dramatic change in opinion occurred in the third week of July
– around the time the delay began to be increasingly referred to as a situation
of political impasse, dropping over 20 percent in a week. This figure of 5
percent puts Lebanon among the world’s worst for global political satisfaction,
according to ElectionsMeter polls, below Iran, Afghanistan and Palestine, and
just above Syria and South Africa.
Visit the website at: www.electionsmeter.com
How can you stop the violence in Egypt?
clic&watch
http://bikyamasr.com/?p=4265
BIKYa MAsr
Bikya Masr Staff
30 September 2009 in Featured Blogumnist, Morris Sadek
It is very hard to believe that in the 21st century, security and equality for
Christians in Egypt is still a dream. The Copts are the largest minority in the
world without rights!
According to the New York Times, in an article published on May 20, 1962, the
Coptic population was around four million out of 27 million in Egypt. That is
around 15 percent of the total population. According to a Freedom House report
in 1999, the Coptic community of some 6 to 10 million is by far the largest
Christian grouping in the Middle East.
What kind of discrimination face Copts living in Egypt?
1. Prevention of church construction, thereby suppressing Coptic worship and
expression.
2. The absence of justice for persecuted Copts. Hundreds have been killed,
injured or made victims of vandalized property in wide-scale attacks following
Friday Muslim prayers. No one has ever been recognized, held accountable, or
punished for these heinous acts against Copts.
3. The kidnapping, drugging and raping of Coptic girls as young as 14-years-old.
Just in case, the aforementioned torture was not sufficient, they are forced to
convert to Islam with the blessing and sponsorship of Al-Azhar (the largest
Islamic institution in Egypt).
4. The publication of offensive, degrading anti-Christian material by publicly
owned newspapers and television channels. Copts who demand the right to
religious freedom in Egypt have been labeled traitors and infidels in public
media outlets.
5. The unjustly withheld salaries of the Christian clergy by the regime, whereas
mosques, Islamic institutions and universities are funded by taxpayers. Churches
and Christian institutions are denied access to any government fund.
6. The fact that Copts are denied high profile jobs in the police, army, legal
system, local authorities, etc. Additionally, since Muslims mostly own private
businesses, Copts are denied occupations within the private sector as well.
7. Courts impose unfair sentences, along with enhanced penalties against Copts
because of their Christian faith.
My opinion is if the discrimination continues and the Coptic community loses all
types of protection from the Egyptian government and the global community, it
will cause individuals to leave the country. In addition to leaving, there will
be a lot of violence against Copts; so many people will become victims. These
two factors will cause the future to fade away for the Coptic community in
Egypt.
How can you stop the violence?
First, the education system needs a lot of improvement. Within the regular state
system, problems arise in the general curriculum. For example, the history of
the Copts in Egypt is almost entirely absent. Many ordinary Muslims know
virtually nothing of the Copts and therefore assume they must be outsiders. The
education system has to be updated to add the Coptic period in Egypt, so Muslims
can know about Christians who share the classroom.
Second, the Egyptian government is complicit in creating a hostile atmosphere
against Christians through the state-controlled media, schools and government
agencies. The government needs to stop these acts, so Muslims can treat
Christians friendly and without malice.
Many Egyptian Christians report that the police do not provide them with
protection from violent attacks. Too often, the police are complicit with the
local extremists who practice the jizya. The police have to offer justice and
equality in dealing with all Egyptian citizens.
The legal system is increasingly incorporating Islamic law. For example, Sharia
law in Egypt denies equal rights to Christians and Muslims in areas of
conversion, marriage and parenting. Also, courts impose unfair sentences, along
with enhanced penalties against Copts because of their Christian faith.
http://www.nationalamericancopticassembly.webs.com/
http://nacopticas1.blogspot.com/
http://nacopts1.blogspot.com/