LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 24/09
Bible Reading of the day.
10:38 It happened as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village,
and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. She had a sister
called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 10:40 But Martha
was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t
you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”
Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many
things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will
not be taken away from her.”
Free Opinions, Releases, letters &
Special Reports
Talking ourselves to death: Obama
must get tough on an increasingly dangerous Iran. By: Mort Zuckerman 23/03/09
Only
Assad can make it clear that Syria is embarking on a new path-The
Daily Star 23/03/09
(With Hezbollah)Sunday… day
of horror. Future News
A Raw Deal for Muslim Women. By:
Patrick Poole. Pajamas Media 23/03/09
Whither Pakistan? Dare One
Criticize a Muslim Country?By: Carol Gould. Pajamas Media 23/03/09
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for March
23/09
Fatah says deputy PLO head in
Lebanon 'assassinated. Israeli News/AP
Palestinian official killed by bomb in Lebanon/Los
Angeles Times
Lebanese Central Bank head says country will
withstand global ...Los Angeles
Times
Hariri Kicks-Off London Visit-Naharnet
Jumblat Made Up His Mind on Election-Naharnet
Lebanon Receives U.S.
Military Equipment-Naharnet
Arab Council of Ministers urges
against terrorism.Future News
Sfeir Fears Imbalance Following
Decision to Lower Voting Age-Naharnet
Jumblat Made Up His Mind
on.Naharnet
The Chouf leader,
disappointed.Assafir-Al Liwaa newspaper
Tashnag Doesn't Expect Understanding with Phalange, Stresses Alliance with FPM,
Murr-Naharnet
Arslan will Run in Elections with the Spirit of Reconciliation-Naharnet
Hariri to Meet with
British Foreign Minister-Naharnet
Abu Jamra Not to Attend
Cabinet Meetings under Saniora, Content with Ashrafiyeh Candidacy-Naharnet
State Budget Won't Make it
to Cabinet before 'Total' Understanding is Reached-Naharnet
Ongoing Negotiations
Surrounding Administrative Appointments-Naharnet
From Israel Jailer to Samir
Qantar's Lawyer-Naharnet
Fares after Meeting Hariri
in Paris: I Will Not Run in Elections-Naharnet
Baroud Urges Arab Interior
Ministers Conference to Set Up Anti-Organized Crime Bureau-Naharnet
PSP Hits back at Muallem,
Demands End of Syrian Meddling in Lebanon-Naharnet
Several Arrested in House
Raids in Connection to Police Station Attack-Naharnet
Amin Gemayel Warns Lebanon
is Headed for 'Dangerous' Period-Naharnet
News Analysis: Syrian-US relations show sign of
thaw-Xinhua
Pope
delivers mass for more than 1 million in Angola-(AFP)
Lebanon calls for Arab anti-organized crime bureau-Xinhua
Lebanon should be wary of foreign powers, armed groups: former presidentGemayel.
Xinhua
Lebanon's election race intensifies as parties court allies-Daily
Star
Beirut ready to host joint Arab law enforcement office - Baroud-Daily
Star
Palestinians say army dogs 'soiled' Iranian food aid-AFP)
Sfeir
urges reflection after voting age lowered-Daily
Star
Moallem backs normal ties with all Lebanese leaders-Daily
Star
Failure to understand political Islam is 'dangerous-Daily
Star
Accused
Paris bomber 'target of anti-Arabism'-(AFP)
Lebanese start-ups get help from 'angels-Daily
Star
Family feud leaves two people dead in Palestinian camp-Daily
Star
French
takes backseat to English among Lebanese citizens-(AFP)
'All
Francophonie are a little bit Lebanese-Daily
Star
AUB campaign replants forests - one
tree at a time-Daily
Star
Netanyahu looks to reassure Cairo over Lieberman choice-(AFP)
Khamenei
seen as asserting his authority over relations with Washington-(AFP)
Fatah says
deputy PLO head in Lebanon 'assassinated'
Security sources say Medhat Kamal, three other people killed while driving car
near refugee camp outside Sidon
Reuters Published: 03.23.09, 15:01 / Israel News
The Palestinian political movement Fatah said one of its officials Kamal Medhat,
the deputy head of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) in Lebanon, was
killed by a roadside bomb there on Tuesday. Describing the attack as an
"assassination", Fatah spokesman Fahmy al-Zaarir in the West Bank told Reuters
that the PLO chief in Lebanon, Abbas Zaki, was also visiting the Mieh Mieh
refugee camp where Kamal died but that Zaki was uninjured.
Zaarir said it was too early to speculate on who was behind the attack. "Kamal
Medhat was killed along with four of his bodyguards when a roadside bomb
exploded as his convoy drove by, near the entrance to the camp," Munir Maqdah,
in charge of security at Lebanon's 12 refugee camps told AFP.
Medhat was also a former intelligence chief for the Fatah movement in
Lebanon.AFP contributed to this report
Talking ourselves to death: Obama must get tough on
an increasingly dangerous Iran
Sunday, March 22nd 2009,
By: Mort Zuckerman
New York Daily News
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2009/03/22/2009-03-22_talking_ourselves_to_death_obama_must_ge.html
President Barack Obama must get tougher when it comes to dealing with Iran.
Iran is making fools of everyone.
Even as it lies about its closeness to acquiring nuclear missiles, it continues
to menace the political order throughout the Middle East, pressing on with
rocketry and rearming Hamas and Hezbollah. And that mischief is nothing compared
to what it will do if it is allowed to become a nuclear power.
President Obama's tentative video overture to the Iranians on Friday must not
become an opportunity to let them buy more time for their nuclear program.
Nuclear Iran will be a threat to U.S. national security, worldwide energy
security, the efficacy of multilateralism and the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Having defied the world so brazenly, it will be emboldened to use terrorism to
threaten or subvert others in the area. And Iran, through its support for
Hezbollah and Hamas and the Ba'ath Party in Iraq, has the capacity to put direct
pressure on Lebanon, Syria, the Palestinians and the Iraqis. Tens and perhaps
hundreds of thousands would join radical Islamist groups in the belief that
Islamism is on the march.
Fundamentally, a nuclear Iran represents a unique threat. The fear of mutually
assured destruction has long restrained other nuclear powers. There is a real
risk that Iran is not rational, that driven by its mad hatreds it will act in
ways that are irrational, even self-destructive. "Death to America!" has
provoked the Iranian street for over a quarter of a century and is the venom
upon which an entire generation of Iranians has been raised. The dominant
Ayatollah Khameini reiterates that Iran's differences with America are more
fundamental than political differences.
Every U.S. administration since 1979 - yes, including the last one - has reached
out to the Iranians. To adopt President Obama's inaugural metaphor, every open
hand has met a clenched fist. It is the same dismal story with five years of
efforts to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.
It is not that the Iranians don't want to talk - they do. That's all they want
to do, play for time. They seek the technical know-how that will give them the
breakout capability to produce nuclear weapons in a short period. They are in
the midst of producing stockpiles of low enriched uranium. They are adding
centrifuges faster than the UN Security Council can step up the pressure and are
learning about the art of connecting a large number of centrifuges to a vast
amount of pipe work, while maintaining everything in a vacuum.
Simultaneously, they are enhancing their ability to launch long range ballistic
missiles, a potential delivery system of nuclear weapons. What madness it is to
empower Iran to do what it most likes to do - hold hostages, in this case the
entire region.
The clock is ticking inexorably, a race against time that Iran is winning,
getting nearer every day presenting the world with an Iranian bomb as a fait
accompli.
What can be done? The UN has failed to persuade countries like Russia and China
to cooperate in a rigorous sanctions' effort. Far from it, they are actually
profiting from the sanctions policy by doing deals in the energy field and
selling Iran weapons.
Fortunately, Iran has an economic Achilles' heel - they are dependent on
imported gasoline for 40% of their refined fuel. Furthermore, they require new
investments in their energy industry to maintain current production. Reduced oil
prices have put a great strain on their economy. Discontent is growing among its
citizenry suffering from inflation, unemployment and poverty.
We must press harder to coordinate four measures: 1) an arms embargo; 2) a ban
on exports to Iran of gas and other refined products to cripple transport; 3) a
global boycott of the entire banking system of Iran, instead of helping them as
European banks are; and 4) a prohibition on Western countries supplying spare
parts to the oil industry.
The object, clearly, is not to punish the Iranian people but to force their
leaders to act in the best interests of their people and of regional peace. It
is the Iranian people who stand to gain the most from the cultural and economic
liberations that would follow a sound agreement. And by that I mean a package
deal that includes maximum safeguards and control of their nuclear program, and
the complete cessation of enrichment activities inside Iran. But there is no
certainty that economic sanctions will work in time, leaving us with two
unacceptable options: living with a nuclear Iran or acting militarily to prevent
it.
The Iranian leaders' judgment is that the current administration is ready to let
diplomacy run on and on and on. Many in Iran believe the U.S. may be reconciling
itself to the idea of living with an Iranian nuclear missile - even though it
would be in the hands of an expressly genocidal regime.
Who would have imagined that President Obama may well determine his historical
legacy and reputation on the basis of the way he deals with Iran?
Lebanon should be wary of foreign powers, armed groups:
former president
www.chinaview.cn 2009-03-23 02:18:38 Print
BEIRUT, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel said Sunday
that Lebanon should be wary of foreign interventions and domestic armed groups
on the road of rehabilitation, local Naharnet website reported. "Sovereignty can
not be completed as long as some want to give a part of it to Iran, Syria or the
Palestinians," Gemayel said in a conference gathering his Phalange party leaders
in the eastern suburb of Beirut. Hinting at the Shiite Hezbollah-led opposition,
Gemayel said "I dare say we are in a period of rehabilitation." His remarks came
prior to a campaign for the general election scheduled for June 7 in which his
son, Sami Gemayel, is running. Earlier in the day, Sami Gemayel told the Voice
of Lebanon radio that there is a party in Lebanon that owns arms other than the
Lebanese army and enjoys foreign connections, referring to Hezbollah's armed
forces. Amin Gemayel, a Christian leader from the ruling coalition, served as
the country's president from 1982 to 1988. He lost his parliamentary seat to a
candidate from Christian opposition leader Michel Aoun's bloc in 2007. His
another son Pierre Gemayel, then a member of parliament, was assassinated in
2006.
Sfeir Fears Imbalance Following
Decision to Lower Voting Age
Naharnet/Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir has raised fears of a power
imbalance following parliament's approval of a draft law to lower voting age to
18.
Sfeir on Sunday urged Lebanese leaders to thoroughly examine a decision allowing
18-years-old the right to vote before cabinet approval.
"The issue of voters' age has become a subject of discussion. One has to
contemplate the effects of amending the law allowing 18-year-olds the right to
vote prior to passing it," Sfeir said during his Sunday sermon. The daily An
Nahar on Monday quoted parliamentary sources as saying that Sfeir's stance "was
not a surprise."
The sources did not rule out that Sfeir's position will have a direct impact on
the issue "whether this government is going to examine the draft law or its
successor."
Al Liwa newspaper, for its part, quoted sources in Bkirki as saying that Sfeir's
stand is based on his keenness to keep up the "formula of coexistence" and
maintain the balance among the various Lebanese sects in line with the Taef
Accord. The sources said Sfeir's fear of a power imbalance was not only due to
this decision, but from decisions that could follow, such as allowing children
to acquire citizenship through their mothers. One source described such
decisions as a "violation of the distribution of balance in equal shares."
Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 08:38
Sfeir urges reflection after voting age lowered
Daily Star staff
Monday, March 23, 2009
BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir called for "reflecting on the
repercussions" of amending the law allowing 18-year-olds the right to vote prior
to passing it. During his Sunday sermon at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Bkirki
Sfeir said: "The issue of voters' age has become a subject of discussion. One
has to contemplate repercussions before ratification." Lebanon's Parliament on
Thursday approved a bill lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 but the measure
will not come into effect in time for the June parliamentary election. The law
needs to be cleared by the Cabinet within four months before being ratified.
Lebanon's electoral law was amended last September ahead of the June 7 vote
which will pit the March 14 Forces against the opposition. But MPs at the time
refused to adopt some amendments including lowering the voting age and
introducing a quota for women in Parliament. Also in his Sunday sermon, Sfeir
said Pope Benedit XVI's Africa tour reflects the efforts of the Catholic church
in assisting the continent's residents combat all sorts of aliments. - The Daily
Star
Only Assad can make it clear that Syria is embarking on a new path
By The Daily Star
Monday, March 23, 2009
Editorial
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem responded positively over the weekend
to the olive branch recently extended to Damascus by Lebanon's parliamentary
majority, the March 14 Forces. The Lebanese coalition had issued its election
campaign a week earlier calling for an "end the conflict with Syria" and the
constructing of "normal and amicable relations ... on the basis of brotherhood,
equality and common interests."
During an interview with Al-Jazeera, Moallem on Saturday reciprocated by
stressing that Damascus was ready for normal relations with all Lebanese
leaders, including parliamentary majority leader MP Saad Hariri, saying: "We
have a big heart, we forgive."
This exchange of friendly words is a welcome development, as it signals the
potential end of a nasty feud between Damascus and Lebanon's parliamentary
majority that had long prevented the two countries from negotiating a new
framework for formal bilateral relations.
However, the shift in position on the part of Damascus still needs to be
officially confirmed by the country's top leader, Bashar Assad. Because Moallem
is one of the region's most seasoned diplomats with a long-time record of
service for his country, his words carry significant weight, but they still fall
short of representing the official position of the Syrian state. Only Assad can
make it clear that his country is moving in a new direction with regard to
official policy toward Lebanon.
Once an official policy is articulated by Assad, the Syrian leadership can then
act to minimize the influence of the parties and individuals in Lebanon who seek
to assert their own interpretations of Damascus' positions, often to the
detriment of improved bilateral relations. A clearly defined position outlined
by Assad will set the record straight, and will allow the
soon-to-be-fully-launched Syrian Embassy in Beirut to position itself as the
official channel through which Damascus conveys its stances on policy matters.
It would also pave the way for Lebanon and Syria to build a strong partnership
that will bring multiple benefits to both states.
Jumblat Made Up His Mind on Election
Druze leader Walid Jumblat has made up his mind on the upcoming elections.
Media reports on Monday said Jumblat ultimately settled the question – leaving
the Druze seat in Aley vacant to pave the way for his rival Cabinet Minister
Talal Arslan. Jumblat said his decision to leave the Aley seat unfilled was
aimed at "maintaining unity in the Mountains and safeguarding a Druze-Druze
agreement reached on May 11 following the bloody events of May 7." Regarding the
Shouf constituency, Jumblat told the daily Al Liwa that he has decided following
consultations with allies in the March 14 forces to name Lebanese Forces MP
George Adwan "to preserve the majority's unity in the election battle."
This leaves the Shouf election list as follows:
- Druze (two seats): Walid Jumblat and Marwan Hamadeh.
- Sunni Muslims (two seats): Mohammed Hajjar and Alaaeddine Terro.
- Maronite Catholics (three seats): George Adwan, Dory Chamoun and Elie Aoun.
- Roman Catholic (one seat): Nehmeh Tohmeh.
As to the Aley district, the list remains unchanged – Druze candidate Akram
Shehayeb will run on Jumblat's ticket.
Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 10:28
Tashnag Doesn't Expect Understanding with Phalange,
Stresses Alliance with FPM, Murr
Naharnet/Tashnag Secretary-General Hovig Mekhitarian said he did not expect to
reach an understanding with the Phalange Party over the Metn electoral list.
Mekhitarian told As Safir daily in remarks published Monday that his last
meeting with Phalange Party's central committee coordinator, Sami Gemayel, did
not come up with any electoral result, adding that he didn't expect to reach an
understanding with the party given the current political and electoral
circumstances.
The Phalange offered a "certain cooperation proposal but … we can say that there
is nothing serious," Mekhitarian said. "With all my respect to Sheik Sami
Gemayel, the possibility of understanding requires dialogue on a higher level
particularly with (former) President Amin Gemayel," the head of the Armenian
party told As Safir.
He said he was ready to meet with Gemayel if the latter wanted to visit
Mekhitarian. As Safir also quoted Sami Gemayel as saying that he does "not
understand what prevents the Tashnag from having a good political relationship
with the Phalange."Asked about what the final decision of the Tashnag would be
regarding Mustaqbal movement MP Saad Hariri's offer, Mekhitarian said that the
party was awaiting the majority leader's return from Britain."Then we will
explain to the people about our viewpoint whether it is negative or positive,"
he told As Safir. Mekhitarian also stressed that his party will stick to its
alliance with Gen. Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement and with MP Michel Murr.
Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 09:02
Arslan will Run in Elections with the Spirit of
Reconciliation
Naharnet/Youth and Sports Minister Talal Arslan said Monday that he will not run
in the upcoming parliamentary elections on the basis of March 8 or 14 forces.
"I won't run in the elections in the Mountains on the basis of March 14 or 8.
But through the reconciliation spirit that I kicked off on May 7," Arslan said
during a tour of the town of Kfarmatta. He said the reconciliation spirit
defends the resistance in the Mountains. He stressed that he wants to run in the
elections on "the basis of diversity in the Mountains." "Neither me nor my
allies want parliamentary seats at the expense of people's blood, strife and
traditional division," he said.
Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 13:11
Hariri to Meet with British Foreign Minister
Naharnet/Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri will travel to London on Monday
to meet with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and other British
officials.
According to Al-Mustaqbal newspaper the two are expected to talk about the
situation in Lebanon and the Middle East in general as well as the countries'
bilateral relations. Additionally Hariri is expected to me with Mustaqbal
supporters in Britain and hold meetings with various Arab ambassadors to the
kingdom.
The trip to London comes a little over two months before Lebanon's June 7
parliamentary elections and follows Britain's announcement in early March that
it would begin dialogue with Hizbullah's political wing. Beirut, 23 Mar 09,
08:45
Abu Jamra Not to Attend Cabinet Meetings under Saniora,
Content with Ashrafiyeh Candidacy
Naharnet/Deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra will not be attending any cabinet
meetings under the leadership of Fouad Saniora in the foreseeable future.
Abu Jamra told the Kuwaiti daily newspaper Al-Siyassah in comments published on
Monday that, until he is given an office in the Grand Serail, he "will not
attend any cabinet meetings which are under the leadership of PM Fouad Saniora."
Regarding his candidacy in Beirut's first district, the Free Patriotic Movement
member called himself a "symbol" of the area, enjoying wide popular support, and
contested the notion that his running was an insult to the people of Ashrafiyeh.
He added that he was content with the decision of his bloc not to nominate him
for the Orthodox seat in Marjayoun by saying that "the movement that I am
aligned with has [its own] strategy." Syrian Social Nationalist Party member
Assaad Hardan has instead been nominated for the seat. Abu Jamra criticized
Democratic Gathering MP Marwan Hamadeh's recent comments that FPM leader Michel
Aoun would be "forbidden from entering Ashrafiyeh," explaining that the people
of that area would make their own choices in the elections. Additionally, he
defended what he called Aoun's recent "spastic rhetoric," adding that it did not
stem from claims of his recent drop in popularity. Abu Jamra also assured that
he is not afraid of any alliance between the Armenian party Tashnag and March
14. Tashnag is expected to announce its final electoral decisions in the very
near future. Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 13:04
State Budget Won't Make it to Cabinet before 'Total'
Understanding is Reached
Naharnet/No progress has been made with the talks and contacts carried out by
Finance Minister Mohammed Shatah to resolve a budget crisis, the daily An Nahar
reported Monday. It said that unless "total understanding" is reached, President
Michel Suleiman will not submit the 2009 state budget to Cabinet.
Meanwhile, pan-Arab daily Al Hayat quoted ministerial sources as saying that
efforts undertaken by Suleiman through contacts with Speaker Nabih Berri and
Prime Minister Fouad Saniora have cratered an "understanding" on the budget that
is likely to see light at Cabinet's next meeting on Thursday.
The sources said Thursday's Cabinet session is expected to see a "breakthrough"
in the budget crisis. Al Akhbar newspaper, for its part, quoted opposition
sources as saying that the much-talked about "compromise" is the same one
reached during a meeting at Baabda nearly two weeks ago – allocating LL 60
billion for the Council for the South. On March 10, Suleiman was finally able to
bring together Berri and Saniora in a bid to mend the relationship that has
deteriorated over the Council for the South budget – still the key obstacle in
the path of approving the 2009 state budget. Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 11:09
From Israel Jailer to Samir Qantar's Lawyer
Naharnet/Yamin Zeidan once proudly worked as an Israeli jailer, locking up the
country's most notorious Arab prisoners -- until he performed an ideological
somersault and became their lawyer. Zeidan's two brothers were Israeli army
soldiers killed in the line of duty, including one shot dead by Hizbullah, which
last year handed over two dead Israeli soldiers in exchange for Zeidan's highest
profile client: Samir Qantar. Zeidan is an Israeli Druze -- an Arabic-speaking
sect that serves in Israel's army and has traditionally been fiercely loyal to
the Jewish state but increasingly finds itself marginalized and identifying with
the mainstream Arab minority.
The criticism remains muted, and the vast majority of Druze, including Zeidan,
say they want equality with Jewish citizens, not a break from Israel. But the
loss of confidence raises a troubling question: If the Jewish state cannot win
the hearts of its most loyal minority, will any of Israel's non-Jews ever feel
they belong?
Zeidan, like his two older brothers and almost all other Druze males of his age,
planned to join the Israeli army when he turned 18. But three months before he
was to be drafted in 1996, a Hizbullah sniper killed his 22-year-old brother
Saleh. His only other brother, Fouad, was killed by a Palestinian militant in
the West Bank years earlier. Zeidan was exempted from service as his family's
sole surviving son, but felt unfulfilled. "I wanted to be a military man, like
my brothers," said Zeidan, who is now 30. He joined Israel's prison
administration and also began studying law. He became a jailer at the
maximum-security section of the Hadarim prison, where Israel keeps its most
notorious militants. Among them was Qantar, a Lebanese militant who was serving
a life sentence for allegedly killing an Israeli man and his 4-year-old daughter
by smashing her skull.
"In the Israeli mind-set -- which was my mind-set -- they were terrorists and
killers," Zeidan said.
But pride in his new job turned to doubt.
Prisoners spoke articulate Arabic, prompting Zeidan to improve his
Hebrew-inflected informal Arabic. He developed a sense of shared culture with
the militants he locked up and began to ask questions when one prisoner called
the Druze "traitors" during a heated debate.
"I realized the cause that made these men go to prison was also my cause,"
Zeidan said. "We are part of the Palestinian tragedy."
After a year of locking up Arab prisoners, he quit the service, finished his law
degree and became a defense attorney. Months later, Zeidan returned to the same
prison to visit Qantar. The man, also a Druze, asked Zeidan to represent him.
"That was a historic meeting for me. One day I was Samir Qantar's jailer. The
next, I was his lawyer," Zeidan said.
Zeidan passed on Qantar's fiery letters in support of Hizbullah to his brother
in Lebanon, even though the group being praised was the same one that killed
Zeidan's brother. "My place will be at the battlefront," Qantar wrote in one.
After 29 years behind bars, Qantar was released in July in a swap with Hizbullah.
Despite his newfound beliefs, Zeidan said he struggled with passing on messages
lauding his brother's killers. "They are still my brothers," he said.
Illustrating his family's jumbled identities, a stone memorial for his brothers
on a Galilee mountain ridge is etched in Hebrew, but their names are written in
Arabic.
Zeidan's flip is part of a quiet shift among the some 110,000 Israeli Druze,
where criticism of Israel is palpable. Druze frequently complain on local Arabic
radio of discrimination and unequal budgets for their councils, and a Druze
village has filed a landmark lawsuit against the national government, claiming
discrimination and demanding more funding.
Rekad Kheredin, the mayor of the Druze village of Horfesh, said a generation
ago, Druze leaders would never have gone public with such a dispute so as not to
embarrass the government. Public discontent was heightened after police quelled
a violent riot by Druze in 2007 with live fire. Although most of the injured
were police, angry Druze said the forces were heavy-handed.
Their criticisms reflect those of the wider Arab minority, who form around a
fifth of Israel's 7 million citizens. They have equal rights under the law but
face discrimination in government budgets and employment, and have poverty rates
higher than those of the country's Jews.
The issue of Israel's uneasy relationship with its non-Jewish minorities took on
new urgency with last month's parliamentary election. An ultranationalist
movement called Yisrael Beitenu (Israel Our Home) emerged as the country's
third-largest party, and it based its campaign on demanding that Arabs pledge
allegiance to the Jewish state or lose their citizenship.
For now, army service, a bellweather of Druze loyalty to Israel appears to be
unaffected. Israel's military says 82 percent of Druze men called to
conscription served in 2007. By contrast, most non-Druze Arabs in Israel are
hostile to the idea of any form of national service.
In the Feb. 10 elections, Druze were on parliamentary lists for most parties
seeking election, including radical Arab parties and even Yisrael Beitenu.
Rajih Kaddour, the Druze head of Israel's radio news service in Arabic, says his
people are eager to perform their duties as citizens, but want equality in
return.
"Are Druze ready to be Israelis? I think the answer is yes," he said. "But is
Israel ready to give equal rights to Druze? I don't think Israel, as a
collective, has absorbed the Druze."(AP) Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 08:30
Fares after Meeting Hariri in Paris: I Will Not Run in
Elections
Naharnet/Former Deputy Prime Minister Issam Fares said he will stick to his
decision not to run in the upcoming elections.
Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri met Fares twice in Paris on Thursday and
Friday. The two men discussed election-related issues. Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 09:19
Baroud Urges Arab Interior Ministers Conference to Set Up
Anti-Organized Crime Bureau
Naharnet/Interior Minister Ziad Baroud on Sunday called on delegates attending
an Arab Interior Ministers' Council Conference in Beirut to set up an
anti-organized crime bureau to counter drug trafficking, immigrant smuggling and
e-crime. Baroud stressed in opening remarks at the 26th conference held at the
Phoenicia Hotel in downtown Beirut the need to "strengthen agreements at the
level of anti-terrorism among Arab States." He said that maintenance of security
is associated with three basic principles, including preserving state dignity,
winning people's confidence in public institutions and the ability of security
services to cope with crime. Baroud stressed the need for Arab cooperation in
this regard "to fill in the gaps."He pointed to the urgent need to establish an
Arab bureau to fight organized crime, expressing Lebanon's willingness to host a
conference on the creation of this office. Beirut, 22 Mar 09, 16:36
PSP Hits back at Muallem, Demands End of Syrian Meddling in
Lebanon
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party media officer Rami Rayyes on Sunday
responded to remarks by Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem that PSP leader
Walid Jumblat should decide what he wants from Damascus. "What the (PSP) party
wants from Syria is an end to meddling in Lebanese affairs," Rayyes said in a
television interview. He stressed that the PSP had "never" stood in the way of
establishing normal ties between Syria and Lebanon. Muallem, in an interview
with al-Jazeera satellite television, referred to his country's relationship
with the Druze chief, saying: "Jumblat has to decide what he wants, if he wishes
to visit Syria we shall take that into consideration.""We basically did not
submit such a request," Rayyes confirmed. Beirut, 22 Mar 09, 18:39
Several Arrested in House Raids in Connection to Police
Station Attack
Naharnet/Several people have been arrested in connection to an attack on a
police station in the southern city of Tyre, the National News Agency reported
Sunday.
It said the detainees were suspected of involvement in Saturday's attack on
Tyre's police station where a number of young men hurled stones at the police
post following the arrest of Hoda Shaar. Mrs. Shaar was detained Saturday after
stabbing a police staff sergeant in the chest as patrol officers pursued her
son, Fawzi, who is a wanted suspect. Meanwhile, head of Judicial Police Brig.
Gen. Anwar Yehya, accompanied by Sidon police station commander Col. Youssef Abu
Khalil, visited staff sergeant Fadel Saleh at Jabal Amel hospital in Tyre.
Beirut, 22 Mar 09, 18:18
Amin Gemayel Warns Lebanon is Headed for 'Dangerous' Period
Naharnet/Phalange Party leader Amin Gemayel on Sunday warned that Lebanon is
headed for a "dangerous" period. "We are going through a difficult and dangerous
period," Gemayel said. "I also dare say we are in a period of rehabilitation,"
he added. He indirectly attacked Hizbullah, saying: "Sovereignty cannot be
complete as long as some wish to give part of it to Iran, Syria or the
Palestinians." Beirut, 22 Mar 09, 20:30
Yemeni Condemned to Death For
Israel Contacts
Naharnet/A Yemeni court on Monday condemned an Islamist to death for
establishing contact with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and offering to
collaborate with the Jewish state. Bassam al-Haidari, 26, was found guilty of
writing directly to the prime minister of Israel by email, offering to work for
the Jewish state.
Another defendant Imad al-Rimi, 23, was sentenced to five years in prison and
Ali al-Mahfal, 24, to three. "The court... sentences the first defendant to
death in the case of making illegal contact with the Zionist Jewish Israeli
entity," Judge Hassan Elwan said. "This is unfair; you have sentenced me without
any proof of these accusations." Mahfal shouted from the dock. The defendants
said they wanted to appeal. The three men went on trial in January, accused of
operating under the name of the little-known Organization of Islamic Jihad and
spreading false news of attacks on government buildings, embassies and foreign
interests in Yemen in 2008.(AFP) Beirut, 23 Mar 09, 10:07
Hizballah and Iran Open New Contacts As West Engages
Magnus Norell
March 23rd 2009
The Cutting Edge
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=11206&pageid=20&pagename=Security
In early March, the British government reestablished contact with Hizballah,
reversing a ban that had been in effect since 2005. The move comes less than a
year after Britain decided to actually tighten the ban on Hizballah and outlaw
its military wing. The decision not only highlights the lack of a coordinated EU
policy regarding the Shiite movement, but also complicates EU and U.S. efforts
to formulate a coherent and unified policy toward Lebanon and Iran.
Britain's new policy position toward Hizballah, which will certainly be mimicked
by EU members that do not already have dealings with the Lebanese movement, was
justified by Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell, who stated that "We have
reconsidered the position . . . in light of more positive developments in
Lebanon." One of the "positive developments" was the establishment of the new
Lebanese unity government last July, which reinstated Hizballah ministers and
ensured that it would hold an effective veto over government decisions.
Although the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office clarified that it was only
exploring contacts with Hizballah's political, not military, wing, the
organization itself makes no such distinction. Hizballah welcomed Britain's
policy shift, with the organization's spokesman Ibrahim al-Moussawi stating,
"This policy revision is a step in the right direction and we shall see how it
translates in practical terms."
Lebanon, Hizballah, and the EU
Differences between the United States and the EU are easily visible in the
conduct of certain European countries, such as France and Italy, with Hizballah
and Lebanon. Traditionally, countries like France have pursued their own foreign
policy toward Lebanon without necessarily coordinating with the rest of the EU.
Both France and Italy have provided soldiers to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon
(UNIFIL), but are sensitive to initiatives that could endanger their troops. At
present, there is a "gentlemen's agreement" between UNIFIL and Hizballah's
militia south of the Litani River, whereby UNIFIL does not aggressively look for
weapons inside villages and towns, and Hizballah refrains from carrying or
displaying weapons openly. This arrangement is in direct conflict with UN
Security Council Resolution 1701, which states that no forces other than UNIFIL
and the Lebanese Armed Forces can have weapons in the area. In addition,
Hizballah has not only replenished its stocks since its 2006 war with Israel, it
has also rebuilt defensive positions throughout the south.
Although it has not conducted terrorist attacks in Europe for many years,
Hizballah is still active there, mainly engaged in financial, logistical, and
recruiting operations, as well as political activities aimed at legitimizing the
movement in the eyes of the Western audience. A recently released German
intelligence assessment estimated that 900 Hizballah members (an increase of 100
from previous reports) live in Germany alone. Hizballah has also used Europe as
a launching pad to send operatives into Israel to conduct surveillance and
attacks.
EU's Hopes for Obama
EU policy toward Hizballah has been the topic of debate for some time. The U.S.
decision to designate Hizballah as a terrorist organization was never affirmed
by the EU, nor was it adopted by any major EU country. On the contrary, a common
denominator of EU policy toward Hizballah (and its relations with Lebanon) has
been to prefer engagement to confrontation, using the rationale that engagement
offers a chance to influence the movement's policy and conduct. Not only has
this approach failed to achieve any real results, the organization has actually
rearmed and strengthened its position in Lebanon during talks with the EU.
The EU is optimistic about the Obama administration's new policy of engagement
in the Middle East. Brussels hopes that Washington will be more inclined to
listen to the EU when it comes to devising new policy initiatives toward the
Middle East, presumably involving less pressure and more engagement with
troublesome regimes such as Tehran.
EU's Iran Policy
To complicate matters, Britain's policy shift comes amid ongoing tensions
between Iran -- Hizballah's main backer -- and the West on a number of issues,
primarily Iran's nuclear program. As for relations with Iran, the so-called EU
troika (UK, France, and Germany) has continued to press the Islamic Republic to
change its nuclear policy with a combination of economic incentives and
sanctions. (It should be noted that past EU sanctions on Iran were in response
to proliferation and that the European body has been unwilling to impose
sanctions on Iran for supporting terrorism and terrorist organizations.)
After several years of pursuing this policy of inducement, however, the EU
cannot point to any breakthroughs with Iran on the nuclear front. Furthermore,
the British change of policy to "explore" contacts with Hizballah is clearly
intended to prepare for Hizballah's possible electoral victory in June. If
Hizballah wins, or gets enough votes to be Lebanon's new kingmaker, Britain (and
likely the EU) hopes to be in a privileged position with the government in
Beirut. Since Iran and Syria are aware of the lack of U.S.-EU policy
coordination toward Hizballah, any disagreements on Hizballah and Lebanon will
certainly be exploited by Tehran and Damascus.
The U.S. administration's commitment to new Middle East initiatives and the EU's
eagerness to cooperate with Washington could pave the way for real change in the
region. But for that to happen, it is paramount that Brussels and Washington be
on the same page. At present, U.S. and EU policies toward Hizballah are not in
sync, making any new initiative from the West for post-election Lebanon
difficult to implement and unlikely to succeed. Moreover, Britain's public
decision to reestablish relations with Hizballah despite its repeated violations
of European and international law could seriously undermine joint U.S.-EU
initiatives toward Hizballah and Lebanon in the future. As such, coordination
should be a key priority for both the EU and the United States.
Britain's recent move on Hizballah could also be interpreted by European and
U.S. allies in the Middle East as an attempt to curry favor with Iran. To remove
that doubt and ensure effective U.S.-EU initiatives toward Iran, the Obama
administration must publicly convey its goal: to alter Iran's present drive
toward achieving nuclear weapons capability, preferably through forceful
sanctions and real incentives. The EU will have to look inward and decide how
far it is prepared to go in pursuit of such policies.
**Magnus Norell, a Fulbright scholar, is a visiting fellow at The Washington
Institute for Near East Policy, where his research focuses on the 2006 conflict
between Israel and Hizballah
Sunday… day of horror
Date: March 23rd, 2009 Source: Future News
Hezbollah takes advantage of all possible opportunities in order to throw the
threats and warnings to all those that oppose its points of view and doesn't
submit to its opinions of orientation and ambiguous objectives.
To Lebanon, Sundays are to note in the diaries of the Lebanese as “the day of
horror". This day is dedicated to the spokesmen of this organism who scatter
themselves in the villages and the alleys under pretext of condolences or events
in order to throw their bluffs.
And paradoxically, they don't ever promise nor specify to their "Spectators" the
discounted destiny, if they accomplish the asked mission, without mentioning the
economic and social situation or to speak of opportunities of employment and
development. Hollowing, what is necessary for them that the situation remains in
stagnation in order to be able to collect their "Spectators" by the slant of the
“clean political money?”
More astonishing, the prejudices and the attacks thrown against the Arab
countries that have according to Hezbollah, to acquit the invoices of
destruction and to participate in rebuilding the schools and the roads, whereas
it praises and hails other States.
Once a Leader or an Arab responsible mentions a project of a "compromise” or
"peace" with the Israeli enemy, he turns into
"Traitor". Besides, to make the sleeve of the Syrian régime, “opposing” an
American intervention aiming to lead direct negotiations with the Zionist
entity, require from them the adoption of the politics of the ostrich, burying
the head in the sand.
The eminent question that arises: "how to make a Resistance?" However, how to
face the aftermaths of this Resistance? No one is interested, so much that there
are the Arabian States that are in charge of the reconstruction. During this
time, the régimes Syrian and Iranian bargain the blood of the martyrs in the
American and European markets. A new fad of Hezbollah: "all winners in the
elections must respect the Lebanese Constitution". But what to say if they lose?
Why the Constitution has not been respected during one year and half, leading to
the agreement of Doha. Another marvel of Hezbollah! This organism claims a
government that protects the Resistance. However, the fundamental question that
arises: who protects the government?
The Chouf leader, disappointed
Date: March 23rd, 2009 Source: Assafir - Al Liwaa newspaper
Druze leader MP Walid Jumblatt disclosed, today the reason behind the attack he
launched yesterday on some members of his parliamentary bloc
Jumblatt, the head of “Democratic Gathering” parliamentary bloc told As-Safir
daily “Michel Aoun and others accuse me of obstructing the return of the
displaced from Brih, and unfortunately no MP of my bloc dares to respond to
these allegations for electoral reasons.” He added “they are trying to hold me
accountable for the Lebanese civil war and its consequences, while some members
of my bloc only care for catching the train. I feel bitterness and grief because
of this opportunism.” Brih is a Christian village in the mountains of Chouf and
the displaced issue is still hanging along with two other regions of the
mountain. He noted the issue of providing money for displaced fund is related to
the file of the Council of the South “closing both funds must be done
simultaneously and the rest of the displaced files must be tackled by the
ministry of habitation or any other ministry.”The issue of the Displaced Fund
and the Council of the South has been a controversial matter for quite some time
and is still waiting to be cleared by the Cabinet in order to release this
year’s fiscal budget. Jumblatt explained the stance he declared yesterday about
his willingness to give up his candidacy for others “there are many candidates
in Chouf and it is very difficult to be a policeman amid a traffic jam.”Jumblatt
is the most powerful leader of Chouf and is undergoing a dilemma in the upcoming
parliamentary elections to preserve an acceptable representation that fits his
status.
Arab Council of Ministers urges
against terrorism
Date: March 22nd, 2009 Source: Future News
The 26 Arab Interior Council of Ministers started Sunday at the Intercontinental
Phoenicia hotel in Beirut lasting 2 days, to discuss the means of confronting
boarder threats and terrorism. Lebanese Minister of Interior Ziad Baroud
asserted that the establishment of security is related to a legal state and to
the confidence of people in the institutions and to the security services
ability to counter crimes.
With the presence of 18 Arab ministers, Baroud saw that “security and rights are
the plates of the balance, and the ministry of Interior prevail if this equation
succeeds.” “As for countering terrorism, the Arab countries accomplished a big
step in adopting the Arab agreement to counter terrorism, and regarding the
serial crimes, there is a need to initiate an Arab office to oppose it,” added
Baroud, representing President Michel Suleiman.
“The social and economic security is still a principle pillar and maybe the best
preventive measures to preserve security,” concluded Baroud.
On the other hand, Saudi minister of Interior Emir Nayef Bin Abdel Aziz said
that “the Arab World is witnessing reconciliations to face the challenges that
would reflect negatively on our countries’ security.”
He reminded of the initiative of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah
Bin Abdul Aziz at the Kuwait summit that established an Arab reconciliation and
solidarity, leading to more secure, and stable future. The Saudi minister
stressed on the necessity of applying the joint security Arab agreements to be
able to face threats. Muhammad Bin Ali Kerman, the council’s secretary general
asserted that “countering terrorism is a priority,” adding “the crimes increased
in quality and number in an non-preceded way and became a big threat to all Arab
states.”
A Raw Deal for Muslim Women
Incidents like the Buffalo beheading won't stop while Islamic leaders and
institutions continue to adhere to theology that tolerates wife beating.
March 21, 2009
By: Patrick Poole
Pajamas Media
The February 13 beheading of Aasiya Z. Hassan by her husband Muzzamil Hassan, as
reported here at Pajamas Media by Phyllis Chesler, has stunned the American
Muslim community. This honor killing is particularly shocking because Hassan
co-founded the Bridges TV network, which was created specifically to combat
negative stereotypes of Muslims and to supposedly present Americans with an
alternative “moderate” form of Islam.
However, the official response to this tragedy from the Muslim community has not
been helpful. As observed earlier this month by the Salafi Burnout blog, the
individual chosen by the Muslim Alliance of North American (MANA) to respond to
the “moderate” Buffalo beheading tragedy is Mauri Saalakhan, who reportedly has
admitted to beating his own wife. Saalakhan’s response to the Hassan honor
killing is posted on MANA’s website. (Saalakhan has also previously been
discussed here at Pajamas Media, regarding his support of terrorist
organizations and his close connection to New York Democratic Congressman
Gregory Meeks).
Several days following the initial post concerning Saalakhan’s abuse of his
wife, one of his supporters posted a purported response from Saalakhan defending
his conduct, which was then included in a separate post on the Salafi Burnout
blog:
The allegations — which I have since discovered are now on a number of extremely
hostile anti-Islam, anti-Muslim websites — are UNTRUE. I have never beaten up
any woman in my life. There have been a number of occasions in the PAST (not the
present), and few in number, when I have struck a woman with an open hand — an
admission that I am not proud of — but I have never beaten a woman! And on the
few occasions when this did happen — with three (I can count them) exceptions —
it was in response to being struck first.
So Saalakhan’s supposed response to these accusations of domestic violence is
the standard Ike Turner “bitch had it coming” defense. His position of “I might
have beat my wife yesterday, but I’m not doing it today” apparently clears him
of any taint of hypocrisy.
It should be noted that while Saalakhan argues that these accusations came from
“hostile anti-Islam, anti-Muslim websites,” a Muslim runs the Salafi Burnout
blog. Many of the comments posted on the blog — again almost all from the Muslim
community — expressed horror at MANA’s extremely poor choice of respondent to
address the Buffalo Islamic honor killing. They also condemn the glaringly
hypocritical response to the domestic violence epidemic that is part and parcel
of the anti-woman, pro-violence, Wahhabi-driven ideology that unfortunately now
dominates institutional American Islam.
Examples of this hypocrisy aren’t difficult to come by. Observe the response to
the Hassan incident by the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), which bills
itself as the largest Islamic organization in the U.S. The open letter posted on
its website fails to mention the breakout session on “And Beat Them Lightly …”
at the 2006 ISNA National Convention, hosted by former ISNA president and
current ISNA board member Muzzamil Siddiqi.
In addition, Jamal Badawi, another member of the current ISNA board of directors
and one of the most respected Islamic scholars in North America, openly
advocates wife beating. In an article published several years ago entitled
(coincidentally) “Wife Beating,” he allows the practice under certain
circumstances, as long as the woman isn’t hit on the face. And in a fatwa (an
official Islamic religious ruling) issued jointly by Badawi and Siddiqi in April
2004 on Islamonline.net, they outline six different scenarios that permit wife
beating according to the precepts of Islamic Shariah law.
In November 2007, I reported on Badawi’s appearance on behalf of the Council on
American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Muslim Student Association (MSA) —
both organizations closely aligned with ISNA — at Ohio State University.
Badawi’s topic at this university-funded presentation was on “Interfaith
Relations — the Islamic Perspective” (notwithstanding his advocacy of domestic
violence and his extensive ties to the international Islamic terrorist network).
He was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the recent Holy Land Foundation
terrorism finance trial (the defendants received guilty verdicts on all 108
counts) and was also identified in another trial exhibit as one of the North
American leaders of the extremist Muslim Brotherhood.
Domestic violence is not limited to any segment of the community — ethnic,
religious, or otherwise — but the utter abdication of responsibility by the
leading Islamic organizations is compounded by their hypocritical promotion of
the anti-woman, pro-violence agenda as represented by their most prominent
spokesmen and scholars. In fact, both Siddiqi and Badawi serve on the ISNA’s
Fiqh Council of North America, which they bill as the top Islamic religious
ruling body in the U.S. (with Siddiqi serving as the group’s chairman and Badawi
on the executive council). And despite their present position that Buffalo
beheader Hassan had a long and well-known history of domestic violence (that
they are promoting to absolve themselves of any responsibility), these
organizations could have cared less how many wives Hassan had gone through
(three, in fact) as long as he was doing their bidding — a point well made by
Dr. Zuhdi Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy.
It is a positive development that moderate Muslims are speaking out against
Islamic leaders who openly promote and practice domestic violence. But until
they find better leaders than Saalakhan, Siddiqi, and Badawi, and institutions
like MANA, ISNA, and CAIR abandon their theology that tolerates wife beating,
there is little hope that things will improve for women in the Muslim community
anytime soon.
Patrick Poole is a regular contributor to Pajamas Media, and an anti-terrorism
consultant to law enforcement and the military.
Whither Pakistan? Dare One Criticize a Muslim Country?
The world needs to switch its paranoia mechanism away from Israel to the
turbulent tinderbox that is Pakistan
March 23, 2009
By Carol Gould
Pajamas Media
What I find so interesting about the present turmoil in Pakistan is the
continuing and disproportionate hatred heaped upon Israel in the British media,
despite the appalling chaos in the Muslim nation created during partition by
Mohammed Ali Jinna and with the blessing of the Earl Mountbatten.
No one ever mentions the fact that one million people died during partition in
1947. The British media have obsessed for decades on the “millions” of Arab
refugees whose descendants live in camps because of the advent of the Jewish
state in 1948. For years it has been all the more intriguing to me that the
Guardian could have printed an article entitled “Israel Simply Has No Right to
Exist” (Faisal Bodi, January 3, 2001) and that not one Jew in Britain came out
onto the streets to defile the Guardian Building, burn copies of the newspaper,
or create mayhem around the country at the idea of Israel ceasing to exist.
Imagine if I had dared entitle this piece, or the Pajamas piece I wrote in
December, “Pakistan Simply Has No Right to Exist.” I would have had to escape to
a remote island in the Antarctic.
Israel came into being in the same timescale as Pakistan at the twilight of the
British Empire. The similarity ends there. What I try to tell angry Britons at
the dinner table or in the workplace is that Israel rose from the ashes of the
Shoah and that a people facing global annihilation was entitled to a small strip
of land that had already begun to bloom after a hundred years of cultivation by
previous generations of Jewish immigrants. Unlike in Pakistan, other faiths can
worship inside Israel. Unlike in Pakistan, gay men and women can stage an annual
parade. And except for Islamic terrorism from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and
Hezbollah, Israel is a safe holiday destination for people of all nationalities
and religious beliefs. In Britain it is customary for young people to enjoy a
“gap year” and I always tell my incredulous friends that Israel is an ideal
destination for safety and home-style comforts. They either break into a tirade
about not sending their children to an “apartheid state that engages in
genocide” or they simply do not believe me, thinking it a military garrison with
tank commanders in Ray-Bans using Christian and Palestinian children for target
practice.
When Daniel Pearl ventured into Pakistan to explore the world of Anglo-Muslim
shoe-bomber Richard Reid, he was kidnapped, murdered, and mutilated.
Israel-haters will argue that Rachel Corrie ventured into Gaza and was killed by
an Israeli bulldozer. The difference is that Danny Pearl thought he was entering
a bustling metropolis but ended up being shown not-quite-traditional Pakistani
hospitality.
But no, the Muslim community in Great Britain rails about Zionists under every
bed when it ought to be engaging in frank discussions about the endless chaos
and violence in Pakistan. The majority of British Muslims are Pakistani; I live
in a community that is heavily Muslim and my nearest neighbors are Pakistani. (I
often try to explain to my fellow Philadelphians the vast contrast between life
in a major American city and that in what Melanie Phillips calls “Londonistan.”)
I have watched Iqbal grow up and am now watching his little children grow up. On
9/11 Iqbal shocked my street by laughing and saying, “America finally got it in
the neck,” but he has tried to mend fences with me. Notwithstanding this we know
his children only watch Islamic television channels. If one takes a walk one
finds oneself in a densely populated area of Muslims with endless shops, cafes,
and pharmacies owned by Pakistanis, Iranians, Palestinians, and other Middle
Eastern nationalities; what engages this population when its spokespeople appear
on the BBC and other channels is the issue of the Palestinians.
The anger of the young Muslims loudly demonstrating against a British military
parade on March 11 will ring alarm bells because the turmoil in Pakistan is
expected by many to reverberate on Britain’s streets. On March 16 demonstrators
in Pakistan blamed the national unrest on anger at the U.S. and its drone
attacks on Taliban hideouts. This is nonsense; the world knows that the turmoil
relates to the firing of judges by Musharraf and the instability that has
reigned since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. It has been reported that
many young Anglo-Muslims, including the “airline plot gang,” study in radical
madrassas in both Britain and Pakistan; the anger generated by this situation
has spilled over onto the British mainland.
The present discord inside Pakistan was preceded by the recent fatal terror
attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore on March 3, the worst incident
of violence in world cricket since fans at Lord’s Cricket Ground threw missiles
at the Australian team in its match against Pakistan in June 2001. No cricketers
died in the Lahore attack because the grenade thrown at their bus did not
detonate; eight policemen were killed. (I had to chuckle when I saw Imran Khan
saying the level of protection provided the Sri Lankans was a disgrace; here was
the same man I had seen in 2005 at Canary Wharf joining an angry mob whose
all-day rhetoric included the comparison of modern Muslims to an emasculated
Hitler between the two world wars, rendered powerless by the Western powers.)
The future of international cricket inside Pakistan is in doubt; in 2001
cricketer Steve Waugh warned “someone will be killed.”
On March 16 at a meeting of a group for which I volunteer, an elderly British
colleague said, “It enrages me when I think that the Jews came here in 1945
after seeing such unspeakable things perpetrated on their people, but not one of
them rose up against British Christians; radical Muslims have never been
threatened with annihilation like the Jews, but come here and use Britain as a
platform for their grievances.”
Here is what I have to say to our huge population of Anglo-Pakistanis: It is
time to get your own house in order. It is time to stop demonizing enlightened,
democratic, and dynamic Israel, which spends a great deal of its valuable
man-hours and woman-hours defending itself against Islamic violence. When Israel
“goes soft” it suffers. Now that Musharraf is gone from Pakistan the Taliban is
gaining ground. In May 2005, Imran Khan inspired thousands of Pakistanis to take
to the streets when Newsweek reported that American forces had defiled a Koran
in Guantanamo Bay. I foresee the day when we will wake up one morning and find
Pakistan overrun by extremists as loathsome as the ayatollahs of Iran.
There is a wonderful British expression, “teaching my grandmother to suck eggs,”
which means I need not tell PJM readers this, but for those not in the know or
who might live on Mars, India and Pakistan are nuclear; instead of the media
railing about the mortal danger from Israel and its putative nuclear
capabilities, I suggest the world switch its paranoia mechanism to the turbulent
tinderbox that is Pakistan and engage with this country’s monumental crises
before the world evaporates not from Israeli actions but from a crazed Taliban
with a bomb.
**Carol Gould is the Philadelphia-born author of Don’t Tread on Me:
Anti-Americanism Abroad, Spitfire Girls, and A Room at Camp Pickett, a play
about her mother’s experiences as a WAC in World War II; she has just completed
films about black GIs and GI babies. Carol has been a panelist on BBC's Any
Questions?, hosted by Jonathan Dimbleby, and is a commentator on Sky News, Press
TV, the BBC World Service, and Five Live.