LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
December 10/08
Bible Reading
of the day.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 18,12-14. What is your
opinion? If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not
leave the ninety-nine in the hills and go in search of the stray? And if he
finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over it than over the ninety-nine
that did not stray. In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly
Father that one of these little ones be lost.
Saint Silouan (1866-1938), Orthodox monk Writings
"It is not the will of your heavenly Father that one of these little ones be
lost"
If only men knew what the love of the Lord
is like they would run as one mass to be near Christ and he would warm them all
with his grace. His mercy is inexpressible. The Lord loves the repentant sinner
and clasps him tenderly to his breast: «Where were you, my child? I have been
waiting for you so long» (cf. Lk 15,20). The Lord calls all men to himself
through the Gospel and his voice resounds through all the world: «Come to me,
all you who labor and I will give you rest (Mt 11,28). Come and drink living
water (Jn 7,37). Come and learn that I love you. If I did not love you I would
not have called you. I am unable to endure that a single one of my sheep should
be lost. Even for one alone the shepherd goes into the mountains to seek for it
everywhere. Come, then, to me, my sheep. I have created you and I love you. It
was my love for you that caused me to come down to earth and I have endured
everything for your salvation. I desire you to know my love and to say like the
apostles on Mount Tabor: 'Lord, it is good that we are here with you'» (Mk
9,5)...You have drawn the souls of the saints to yourself, Lord, and they flow
towards you like rivers of silence. The spirit of the saints is inseparable from
you, Lord, and reaches out towards you, our light and our joy. The heart of your
saints is established in your love, Lord, and cannot forget for an instant, not
even in sleep, how sweet is the grace of the Holy Spirit.
Free Opinions, Releases, letters & Special
Reports
Guantanamo’s Jihad: The Show
Begins. By: Walid Phares 09/12/08
A Modern-day Islamist Inquisition?By Walid Phares.
American Thinker 09/12/08
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for December
09/08
Ex-President Carter says Hezbollah won't meet him-Reuters
The race for ratification of landmark cluster bomb
ban-Amnesty International
Sarkozy: We Risked Stretching a
Hand to Syria …But This Had a Positive Impact on Lebanon-Naharnet
Assad Promised Aoun to Pardon 50 Prisoners
Facing Criminal Charges-Naharnet
Aoun from Baabda: Criticizers of My
Visit to Syria are Broke-Naharnet
Phalange: Aoun's Damascus Visit Attempt to
Revive Syrian-Iranian ...Naharnet
Qabalan Calls for 'More Brotherly' Ties between
Lebanon, Syria-Naharnet
Abu Jamra Hit Back at Qabbani: Lebanese Didn't
Approve Taef Agreement-Naharnet
UNIFIL Troops Harassed by Local
Residents for Taking Pictures-Naharnet
Life Sentence for Failed Bomb Attempt in Germany-New
York Times
Lebanese Jailed for Life in Failed
German Train Bombing-Naharnet
Man Dies, 4 in Family Hurt after
Eating Mushrooms-Naharnet
Qabalan Calls for 'More Brotherly'
Ties between Lebanon, Syria-Naharnet
A Fight with Daggers and Sticks
Left 5 Wounded in Northern Metn-Naharnet
Phalange: Aoun's Damascus Visit
Attempt to Revive Syrian-Iranian Alliance-Naharnet
Suleiman Discusses Bilateral Ties
with Saudi King-Naharnet
Saniora to Visit Iran after Drawing
Up Frame for Bilateral Cooperation-Naharnet
Ex-President Carter says Hezbollah won't meet him
Tue Dec 9, 2008 9:23am
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Leaders of the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah have
turned down a request to meet former U.S. President Jimmy Carter during a visit
to Lebanon that began on Tuesday, a Carter spokesman said. Carter had requested
a meeting with the Iran-backed political and military movement, which is listed
as a terrorist group by Washington, as part of a visit to assess whether his
Carter Center will monitor a legislative election next year. "I understand that
some of the leaders of Hezbollah have said they were not going to meet with any
president or former presidents of the United States," Carter said upon his
arrival at Beirut airport, adding that he would meet other leaders. A Carter
spokesman confirmed a meeting had been requested with Hezbollah, whose guerrilla
army fought a 34-day war with U.S. ally Israel in 2006. "They said they were not
able to meet," Carter spokesman Rick Jafculca said. Hezbollah, which is also
backed by Syria, has a strong following among Lebanese Shi'ites and is
represented in parliament and government. Lebanon is expected to hold a
parliamentary election by June.
Carter's Lebanon visit will be followed by a trip to neighboring Syria, where he
caused controversy in April by meeting leaders of the Palestinian Hamas, which
is viewed as a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. The
meeting with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal angered the Israeli government and drew
criticism from the U.S. administration. Carter, who helped negotiate peace
between Israel and Egypt, has also angered Israel by describing its policies in
the occupied Palestinian territories as "a system of apartheid." Carter's agenda
in Syria includes a meeting with President Bashar al-Assad, whose ties with the
United States remain strained despite a recent thaw in relations with Western
states including France and Britain.(Reporting by Tom Perry; Editing by Samia
Nakhoul)
Najjar Doubts Assad's Pledge to Aoun
Naharnet/Justice Minister Ibrahim Najjar on Tuesday doubted reports that Syria
would release 50 Lebanese convicts. Najjar, in a television interview, said a
Lebanese committee entrusted with the task of following up the issue of Lebanese
citizens missing in Syria had received from the Syrian side a list of 140
Lebanese convicts serving jail terms in Syria. "We know their names, charges
made against them and verdicts issued," Najjar said. "Based on such state no
convicts could be released by political promises," he pointed out. The pan-Arab
daily al-Hayat reported earlier that Syrian President Bashar Assad had promised
visiting Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun to release 50 Lebanese
convicts. Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 17:20
The race for ratification of landmark cluster bomb ban
© APGraphicsBank
9 December 2008
At last week's signing of the Convention on Cluster Munitions - which bans the
production, stockpiling, use and export of cluster bombs - four countries also
ratified the agreement. Norway, Ireland, Sierra Leone and the Holy See signed
and ratified the Convention at a conference in Oslo last week. The treaty cannot
take effect until 30 countries have ratified. In total, 94 countries have now
signed the Convention. They include three of the worst affected by the use of
cluster bombs – Afghanistan, Lebanon and Laos. "This historic ban will
greatly reduce the devastating impact of cluster munitions on human rights, It
is vital now that states ratify the convention so it can enter into force
without delay,”
said Brian Wood, Amnesty International's arms control manager,
Further signatories are expected in the coming months. Civil society campaigners
predict that at least 100 states will eventually sign. Following the signing in
Oslo, the treaty will now go to the United Nations in New York.
The treaty, which was negotiated in Dublin in May 2008, requires states to
provide adequate assistance to victims of cluster munitions and for states to
destroy their stockpiles
For more than 40 years, cluster bombs have killed and wounded innocent people,
causing untold suffering, loss and hardship for thousands in more than 20
countries. These weapons cause death and injury to civilians during attacks and
for years afterwards because of the lethal contamination that they cause when
they fail to detonate on impact.
The weapon caused more civilian casualties in Iraq in 2003 and Kosovo in 1999
than any other weapon system. Israel's massive use of the weapon in Lebanon in
August 2006 resulted in more than 200 civilian casualties in the year following
the ceasefire. Alongside cluster munitions from the US, Chinese 122mm Type 81
cluster munition rockets and MZD-2 submunitions for such rockets were also found
in Lebanon.
A cluster munition is a weapon comprising multiple explosive submunitions which
are dispensed from a container. Cluster bombs hamper post-conflict rebuilding
and rehabilitation and the dangerous work of cluster bomb clearance absorbs
funds that could be spent on other urgent humanitarian needs. The appearance and
size of cluster bombs make them look interesting, and toy-like. An estimated 60
percent of civilian casualties are children.
The countries that signed the Convention on Cluster Bombs in Oslo, on 3 and 4
December are: Afghanistan; Albania; Angola; Australia; Austria; Belgium; Benin;
Bolivia; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Botswana; Bulgaria; Burkina Faso; Burundi;
Canada; Cape Verde; Central African Republic; Chad; Chile; Colombia; Comores;
Republic of Congo; Cook Islands; Costa Rica; Côte D`Ivoire; Croatia; Czech
Republic; Denmark; Equador; El Salvador; Fiji; France; Gambia; Germany; Ghana;
Guatemala; Guinea; Guinea Bissau; The Holy See; Honduras; Hungary; Iceland;
Indonesia; Ireland; Italy; Japan; Kenya; Lao PDR; Lebanon; Lesotho; Liberia;
Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Madagascar; Malawi; Mali; Malta; Mexico;
Republic of Moldova; Monaco; Montenegro; Mozambique; Namibia; Nauru;
Netherlands; New Zealand; Nicaragua; Niger; Norway; Palau; Panama; Paraguay;
Peru; Philippines; Portugal; Rwanda; Samoa; San Marino; Sao Tomé and Principe;
Senegal; Sierra Leone; Slovenia; Somalia; South Africa; Spain; Sweden;
Switzerland; the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; Togo; Uganda; United
Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland; United Republic of Tanzania;
Uruguay and Zambia.
Sarkozy: We Risked Stretching a Hand to Syria …But This Had
a Positive Impact on Lebanon
Naharnet/French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said that Paris "took a risk by
stretching its hand to Syria."
However, the "outstretched hand toward Syria has reflected positively on the
situation in Lebanon," Sarkozy said Monday.
"When I took that risk no one expected that it would be possible to reach this
point," he said during a speech at the Elysee Palace on the 60th anniversary of
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "I showed confidence in the Syrian
President and I don't regret this despite violations of human rights in Syria,"
he added.
Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 08:36
UNIFIL Troops Harassed by Local Residents for Taking Pictures
Naharnet/Residents of the village of the southern village Bafleh overnight
harassed UNIFIL troops for taking pictures in the area, the Voice of Lebanon
radio station reported Tuesday. It said local residents surrounded the Italian
battalion for taking "souvenir pictures" inside Bafleh near the southern port
city of Tyre. A Lebanese army patrol arrived at the scene about an hour later
and dispersed the crowd. The patrol also managed to find a compromise that
pleased both sides.
Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 10:23
Assad Promised Aoun to Pardon 50 Prisoners Facing Criminal Charges
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad has promised Free Patriotic Movement
leader Gen. Michel Aoun to pardon 50 Lebanese prisoners facing criminal charges.
The daily Al Hayat on Tuesday quoted sources in the March 8 coalition as saying
that Assad promised Aoun to "close this dossier."
The sources said Assad has also vowed to "personally oversee" a legal way out of
this dilemma through issuing a presidential amnesty decree for over 50 prisoners
serving jail terms in Syria. The sources, however, did not talk about "political
detainees" in Syrian jails. Al Hayat said Aoun is likely to play a role in
providing transportation for the released prisoners from Damascus to Beirut.
Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 09:09
Aoun from Baabda: Criticizers of My Visit to Syria are
Broke
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun said Tuesday that
criticizers of his visit to Syria were "broke."
"They have nothing to offer the Lebanese – neither at the economic nor political
level," Aoun said following a visit to President Michel Suleiman at Baabda
Palace.
News reports said Aoun briefed Suleiman on his trip to Damascus. In response to
a question, Aoun said: "If they believe my visit to Syria will make me lose my
popularity, then let them make use of it." Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 14:32
Abu Jamra Hits Back at Qabbani: Lebanese Didn't Approve
Taef Agreement
Naharnet/Deputy Prime Minister Issam Abu Jamra on Tuesday hit back at remarks by
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani, saying the Lebanese did not approve
the Taef Accord. During his Eid el-Adha sermon on Monday, Qabbani reminded the
people of the Taef agreement which he said was the result of a "national and
popular Lebanese will that stood against calls for partition and
separation.""Lebanese did not approve the Taef Agreement which was imposed under
the pressure of aerial bombardment as well as tank and artillery shelling," Abu
Jamra said in a statement released by his office. He stressed that a large
number of Lebanese rejected the Taef Accord as a result of objection to amend
some terms of the agreement so that there is harmony between powers and posts.
Consequently, Abu Jamra added, Gen. Michel Aoun's interim government was forced
into exile and those who supported it were subject to torture and imprisonment
for 15 years.
Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 12:03
Lebanese Jailed for Life in Failed German Train Bombing
Naharnet/A Lebanese man was sentenced to life in prison Tuesday for a failed bid
to blow up German passenger trains that investigators say would have triggered a
bloodbath had the bombs gone off. The regional superior court in this western
city convicted Youssef Mohammed al-Hajj Dib, 24, of multiple counts of attempted
murder for his part in an attempt to attack two regional trains packed with
travelers in July 2006. A life sentence in Germany generally amounts to 15 years
in prison.
Presiding judge Ottmar Breidling said Dib was guilty of a "thoroughly terrorist
act" and dismissed his claim that he had only deposited a mock-up of a bomb
packed in a suitcase in a rail carriage to scare the German public. "This was a
crime for which only the highest penalty under the law can apply," Breidling
said.
Dib had told the court during his year-long trial that he only intended to
frighten Germans in revenge for the publication of caricatures of the Prophet
Mohammed in Europe, which sparked protests by Muslims around the world.
Men identified by police as Dib and a Lebanese associate, Jihad Hamad, were
captured on security cameras placing suitcases packed with homemade explosives
on two trains carrying 280 people on July 31, 2006. The images ran in heavy
rotation on national television as the country digested how close it had come to
the first Islamist attack on German soil following the September 11, 2001,
attacks in the United States which were planned in part in the German port city
of Hamburg. "Germany was never closer to an Islamist attack," state prosecutor
Duscha Gmel said. Prosecutors argued that the explosions could have killed up to
75 people, saying only a technical fault prevented a massacre in a plot
allegedly modelled on the deadly train blasts in Madrid in 2004 and London the
following year. The attempted bombings came just weeks after the World Cup
football championship in Germany during which hundreds of thousands of fans from
around the world descended on the country. Both Dib and Hamad, who is currently
serving a 12-year sentence in Beirut over the plot, had been living as students
in Germany.(AFP) (AFP photo shows a vehicle carrying six Lebanese accused of
plotting to bomb trains in Germany.) Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 12:01
Man Dies, 4 in Family Hurt after Eating Mushrooms
Naharnet/A Lebanese army soldier died and four of his family members were
seriously hurt after eating poisoned mushrooms. News reports on Tuesday
identified the victim as staff sergeant Jalal Ghayyad. The others were
identified as Jalal's fiancé, Maryam Daakour, his brother Ayyad and wife as well
as his son, Mohammed.
They were seriously poisoned after eating wild mushrooms in Naameh in the Chouf
mountains southeast of Beirut. Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 10:39
Qabalan Calls for 'More Brotherly' Ties between Lebanon,
Syria
Naharnet/Deputy Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Abdul Amir
Qabalan on Tuesday called for "more brotherly" relations between Lebanon and
Syria.
"We should not forget that Syria always stands by us and so is Iran which is a
friend," Qabalan said during Eid el-Adha sermon. He also hailed Iran for helping
Lebanon, Palestine and Syria in "curbing the axis of evil supported by
Israel."Qabalan called on Lebanese to open a new page and re-direct their
alliances and positions in order to "tell a friend from an enemy."He also called
on the various Lebanese political leaders to establish a new foundation for
cooperation between them, adding that reconciliations "remain incomplete unless
they cover all Lebanese territory." Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 10:56
A Fight with Daggers and Sticks Left 5 Wounded in Northern
Metn
Naharnet/Five people were wounded Monday when residents from northern Metn
fought with daggers and sticks during a street brawl that took place after a man
parked his bike in the wrong place. Police said the fight which broke out around
5 pm pitted residents from al-Ruwaisat against others from New Jdeideh in
northern Metn. They identified the injured as Elie Kreidi, Adel
Khoury, Hanna Khoury, David Khoury and Joe Khoury. Security forces made
up of police and army troops quickly stepped in to contain the fight. News
reports said a resident from Ruwaisat who belongs to the Yehya family parked his
bike at the entrance to a building in New Jdeideh. They said a verbal quarrel
developed when tenants asked him to remove his bike and park it somewhere else.
Yehya got on his bike and sped away to Ruwaisat only to come back to New Jdeideh
with 60 people, including relatives and friends from Zaaiter family who were
armed with knives, daggers and sticks. They fought with residents on Osseily
Street in Jdeitit el-Metn until security forces were dispatched to the area to
halt the clash. Four people from the Yehya and Zaaiter families were arrested
and taken for interrogation. Beirut, 08 Dec 08, 19:04
Phalange: Aoun's Damascus Visit Attempt to Revive
Syrian-Iranian Alliance
Naharnet/The Phalange Party of former President Amin Gemayel believed that Free
Patriotic Movement leader Gen. Michel Aoun's visit to Damascus following a trip
to Tehran was aimed at reviving the Syrian-Iranian alliance. The Phalange Party
said during its regular meeting that Aoun's trip to Syria was also "nothing but
a translation of the alliance" between the FPM and Hizbullah. The party's
politburo warned against repercussions of Aoun's trip, which it said had
"harmed" President Michel Suleiman and Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir.
Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 10:09
Suleiman Discusses Bilateral Ties with Saudi King
Naharnet/President Michel Suleiman has discussed with Saudi King Abdullah in a
telephone conversation bilateral relations and issues of common interest.
Suleiman called Abdullah on Monday to congratulate him on the occasion of Eid
al-Adha. The feast of Eid al-Adha caps the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, and
Muslims in Saudi Arabia marked the event by sacrificing a sheep in a symbolic
reenactment of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son on God's orders. The
hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam which the Koran says Muslims must carry
out at least once in their lives if they are well enough and can afford it.
Beirut, 09 Dec 08, 07:56
Saniora to Visit Iran after Drawing Up Frame for Bilateral
Cooperation
Naharnet/Prime Minister Fouad Saniora has agreed with Iranian ambassador
Mohammed Riza Shibani to draw up a frame for bilateral cooperation between
Lebanon and Iran ahead of a possible visit by Saniora to Tehran. The pan-Arab
daily Al Hayat on Monday said Shibani – during a visit to the prime minister
over the weekend -- renewed his invitation for Saniora to visit Tehran. Al Hayat,
however, said the renewal does not mean the trip is going to take place anytime
soon, pending a visit by an Iranian delegation to Beirut to draw up the frame of
bilateral cooperation between the two countries.Sources told Al Hayat that
Saniora had no objection to visiting Iran. "A positive atmosphere of success,
however, has got to be provided for such a visit." Saniora on Saturday discussed
with Shibani the outcome of President Michel Suleiman's recent visit to Tehran.
Shibani told reporters after the talks that the discussion covered "the best
practical methods … to implement what has been agreed on by the Iranian and
Lebanese presidents." "We also discussed political developments in the region
and the ordeal of the Palestinian people in Gaza due to the Israeli siege," he
added. Beirut, 08 Dec 08, 09:12
Qabbani: Divergence from Fundamentalist Views of Taef is a
Walk into Chaos
Naharnet/Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani warned Monday that
divergence from fundamentalist views of the Taef Accord would lead to chaos.
"Peace among the Lebanese … cannot be achieved without state institutions and a
nation of law capable of imposing peace, security and safety," Qabbani said
during Eid el-Adha sermon. He stressed that the strategy of the state is one of
"liberation, freedom, construction as well as national and human coexistence."
"While contradictory strategies," Qabbani went on to say, "are strategies of
partition, subordination, fear, confrontation and conflicts as well as
destruction."
He reminded the people of the Taef agreement which was the result of a "national
and popular Lebanese will that stood against calls for partition and
separation."
"Divergence from fundamentalist views of the Taef Accord is a walk in the
unknown, a walk into chaos," Qabbani warned from Mohammed al-Amin Mosque in
downtown Beirut. Beirut, 08 Dec 08, 10:46
Guantanamo’s Jihad: The Show Begins…
By Walid Phares
FOX News Contributor/Terror Analyst
December 8th, 2008 2:09
Al Qaeda’s great moment for propaganda has arrived, just as I predicted it would
when I wrote about this in June. The Guantanamo trials will provide leading
figures in the 9/11 massacre their “moment” to deliver a blow to America’s
psyche, image and legal system.
As predicted, almost to the letter in my analysis in June, the men charged with
plotting the September 11 attacks have declared their readiness to make
confessions. According to FOX News and the Associated Press the military judge
assigned to their war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay read aloud a letter in
which the five co-defendants said they request an immediate hearing session “to
announce our confessions.” The AP report added that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (aka
KSM) has already told interrogators he was the mastermind of the attacks. “Now
he’s telling the judge that he and the others want to make confessions at the
trial.” The judge at the pre-trial hearing, Army Col. Stephen Henley, is asking
each defendant if they are prepared to enter a plea. Three have agreed to do so.
So, is there an Al Qaeda plan being put into motion on the inside? Most likely
there is as our knowledge of Al Qaeda training instructions has shown. –Both the
government and media of the United States are ill-prepared for this type of
jihadi propaganda warfare. Seven years after the beginning of the so-called “War
on Terror,” the enemy’s ideology, strategies and methods still haven’t been
officially identified. It is like using a Word War I mind set to fight World War
II terror strategies.
The “confessions” turned declaration of victory will be picked up by Al Qaeda
and other jihadi groups and transformed into vital material for propaganda:
videos, audio and texts.
Here is what the jihadists, both on the inside and the outside of the Guantanamo
detention center are planning for:
First, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and his comrades will use the so-called
confessions deal to build a psychological environment for a martyrdom case: “istishaad.”
They aren’t interested in saving their lives (at first, although they think they
could) but in providing a maximum damage to their enemy through the tribunal
proceedings. They will claim the court is not legitimate, the entire Guantanamo
process as illegal and that they are ready to die as Jihadis in the path to
Allah. Their first target is to grant themselves, in the eyes of millions of
militants around the world the status of “Shuhada,” martyrs, even though they
could survive it.
The “confessions” turned declaration of victory will be picked up by Al Qaeda
and other jihadi groups and transformed into vital material for propaganda:
videos, audio and texts. The “show” inside court will be used for indoctrination
purpose around the world. A myth will be set in motion and emotional reactions
to the “story” will be mutated into future revenge operations.
From there on, leave it to the architects of jihadi propaganda: statements made
by the defendants will be used by operatives online, in the chat rooms but also
on Al Jazeera (by callers and guests), and in other medium to widen the
radicalization of youth in the Arab and Muslim world and within the West as
well. An Al Qaeda “control room” will use the feed from the Guantanamo trials to
produce a victory in their war of ideas against democracies. The fate of the
9/11 detainees isn’t the issue to Al Qaeda. By pledging loyalty to the “mission”
through the so-called “confessions” or statements they have already sacrificed
themselves ideologically. What KSM and his comrades are offering to their
“brothers” around the world is an unbeatable series of images, footage and audio
— pure gold for Al Qaeda propagandists and ideologues.
Ironically, during this time of transition between the two administrations in
both the Bush and Obama teams may find they overlook the direct goals of Al
Qaeda’s plan. As national security teams meet and wrestle over future options in
the War on Terror (will some possibly end up just calling it a “war”?) the other
side is waging its own war methodically, relentlessly and unstoppably. Every
inch of room to maneuver is used to the maximum to weaken the enemy, even from
within the walls of the detention centers. And that is only at Guantanamo that
the defendants are openly admitting their responsibilities in spreading terror.
Wait until the processing of jihadists hits our U.S. courts here on the
mainland. What we see now is just the beginning.
**Dr. Walid Phares is Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation
for the Defense of Democracies
Modern-day Islamist Inquisition?"
By Walid Phares
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), an association of the world's
Islamic states, is pushing the United Nations to outlaw "defamation" of religion
in general, and of one religion in particular.
My remarks that follow are based on 27 years of researching in the field of
international relations and conflicts, and on a decade of teaching Religions and
World Politics. Since I published my first book in Arabic in 1979, where I
addressed the issue of relationships between civilizations and cultural blocs
worldwide, I have had the opportunity to publish ten books and hundreds of
articles focusing on the rise of ideologies including self-described,
theologically-inspired ones such as Jihadism. I also had the opportunity to
interact and meet politicians, legislators, authors and academics on three
continents, particularly under the auspices of the European Foundation for
Democracy. In addition, I was pleased to contribute to the preparation of
legislation in the US Congress and initiatives at the European Parliament to
defend religious freedom and basic rights of minorities around the world. Last
but not least I was privileged to work with diplomats and NGOS on preparing for
and passing UN Security Council Resolutions related to the Middle East.
From this background I have prepared a few comments about some initiatives put
forth by members of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to be
introduced at the UN Human Rights Council (headquartered in Geneva) and at the
Durban II Conference on Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination. These initiatives
center on the driving principle of sanctioning what was coined as "defamation"
of religions, and particularly the Islamic faith, under the term "Islamophobia."
Let me first state clearly that I do agree with UN efforts, declarations and
legislations aimed at countering incitement to violence, physical and
psychological against any religion or religious group, or on behalf of any
religion or ideology against others. This principle is universal and should
apply in protection of Muslims anywhere, and of non-Muslims as well. Any
religion or religious group who are the victims of discrimination, intimidation
or suppression must receive protection under international law. The United
Nations and all of its institutions, including the Human Rights Council, as well
as its conferences, including Durban II, must be even-handed and fair in
extending their protection on a universal basis, to Muslims, Christians, Jews,
Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, Taoists, all other religions as well as to
Atheists and Agnostics. No exception should be made to a particular faith or
community and no privilege should be granted to one at the exception of the
other. Thus we believe that the highest protection granted to all is epitomized
in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights of 1948. Creating another special
Charter for one particular religion group would be an act of discrimination
against all others.
However, the current proposal by the OIC member States to create legislation
that would sanction perpetrators of "defamation of religion" has at least five
problems.
Problem of Definition
First, there is a problem about the substance of the concept. Indeed how can one
define "defamation" as an aggression against faith, any faith? Where is the
limit between criticizing a set of beliefs or ideas and defaming a whole
religion? How can members of a religion reform their system if they cannot
criticize it? Will reform become synonymous to defamation? If the very concept
of "defamation" is not clarified and thoroughly defined, legislation such a
sought would lead to blocking reforms and punishing reformers. As it stands at
this stage the wording of "defamation of religion" -- even if some are well
intentioned in pushing for it -- is a stark reminder of the blasphemy laws of
medieval times which were behind religious persecution and the Inquisition.
Defamation of religion as a concept has to be specified and accepted within the
state of international consensus so that it won't become a serious setback to
human rights instead of an additional protection to it.
Targets of "Defamation"
By opening the door to create a new set of protected categories under
international law, in this case religions -- and particularly the Islamic faith
-- one has to expect that other religious groups, faiths and sects will also
want to protect their entities from "defamation." To the camp irritated by
so-called "Islamophobia" (since it still has to be debated internationally)
other quarters will respond with "Christaphobia," "Judeophobia" or "Hinduophobia,"
let alone possibly "Atheophobia."
Muslims have serious reasons to fear discrimination and these fears have to be
addressed, but Christians, Jews and Hindus (to name a few) also have significant
reasons to fear discrimination. One example can illustrate so-called
"defamation" as applied theologically to non-Muslims: the principle of
"Infidels." Indeed, the theological identification of non-Muslims as Kuffar is
considered by the latter as a standing, institutional, theologically-based
defamation of their very faiths. If the "defamation of religion" initiative led
by the OIC passes as legislation its very first implementation should
automatically sanction the xenophobic principle of "Kuffar." If that concept is
to be sanctioned under "defamation" those who are attempting to abuse the
concept of "defamation" would have opened Pandora's box, exploding the
relationship between modernity and religions. Is the OIC ready to include
banning the term "Infidels" as part of its initiative?
Muslims' Human Rights
Such an international law, if enacted, will be harmful first to Muslims seeking
their Human Rights inside the Muslim world. Authoritarian and totalitarian
regimes, particularly those claiming theological supremacy, are already abusing
their own Muslim citizens on the ground of defamation to religion, as they see
it. The Taliban oppression of the Afghan people, including women and minorities,
was claimed to be in defense of their faith against those who defamed it. The
use of the principle of defending religion from defamation by ideological
regimes has led to unparalleled abuse of human rights.
Such abuses, in different versions and degrees, have been practiced in Iran,
Sudan and Saudi Arabia. In other more moderate or secular countries in the
Muslim world, courts and clerics have issued rulings against so-called
defamation, not always fairly. We've seen militant organizations and individuals
taking the matter in their own hands despite the rule of law. Muslim women,
students, artists, workers and secular political parties have been abused in the
name of defending the faith against "defamation".
Such realities have also been part of the history of both Western and Eastern
Christianity and other religious civilizations. In the contemporary Muslim world
-- with all the tensions provoked by radicalization -- such an international
"defamation law" would provide oppressive regimes and extremist factions with a
formidable weapon to suppress opposition and intellectuals. Those Muslims who
see "otherwise" would be accused of defamation of the official interpretation of
the faith. Radical Sunni and Shia clerics would invoke this international
legislation to suppress each other's sects. In short, if this concept is
irresponsibly approved at the UN, it will have incalculable negative
consequences on the Muslim world's civil societies and their future.
Non Muslim Minorities
In Muslim countries where non Muslims form a minority, such an anti-defamation
agenda will be devastating against the weakest segments of society. The
legislation will be used by Islamist regimes and militant organizations to
repress these minorities under the aegis of defending "faith." Christian Copts
in Egypt, who call for equality of treatment with other citizens, are often
accused of "defaming" the state religion and thus kept in an awkward state of
political backwardness. Baha'is, Christians and Jews are suppressed in Iran in
the guise of defaming the established religious hierarchy. In Iraq, Assyro-Chaldeans
have been physically attacked by Jihadi terrorists under the slogan of
"insulting religion." In many cases, as in South Sudan, minorities reject the
application of Sharia on their own communities. With "anti-defamation" becoming
UN sponsored, any rejection of Sharia will automatically become synonymous with
"insulting the faith." Hence religious minorities which should be protected
under human rights laws will find themselves persecuted by such a declaration.
Jihadist abuse
Perhaps the most dangerous consequence of the adoption of vague
"anti-defamation" legislation -- allegedly to address "Islamophobia" -- will be
to embolden the Jihadi Islamist movements around the world into further
violence. Indeed, both Salafists and Khomeinists already claim they are
defending the Muslim world against infidels. If the OIC is successful in forcing
such a declaration through the UN or the Durban Conference into international
law, Jihadists around the world will score a tremendous moral and psychological
victory by claiming that the present conflicts are indeed about religion, and
that Islam is indeed under attack at the hands of Infidels. An anti-defamation
declaration will validate al Qaeda's agenda and reinforce the Iranian regime's
ambitions. The Jihadists' ideology, based essentially on their interpretation of
theology, builds radicalization by asserting that they are the defenders of the
faith. A declaration against the defamation of Islam declaration will serve
their strategic interests perfectly, and fuel their indoctrination processes. In
short, it will protect their Takfiri ideology.
Dangerous Consequences
If an "anti defamation" declaration or covenant were to be forced through the UN
Human Rights Council and the Durban II Conference in 2009 by the OIC, it would
have dangerous consequences for the credibility of the UN Council in Geneva, for
the state of international law, and for the state of human rights around the
world. Among these consequences would be:
1. It will find itself opposed by many democratic and Human Rights NGOs and
activists, both within the Muslim World and internationally, on the grounds of
it creating discrimination against liberal Muslims, non Muslims and other faiths
as well. Such a declaration will create more "phobia" than ever before since it
is the product of the medieval concept of inquisition rather than the
progressive concept of equality among individuals.
2. The Human Rights Council of the UN would thus be transformed by authoritarian
regimes and radical ideologues into a "super regime" covering up and aiding in
the oppression of democratic opposition, women and minorities in many countries.
This would constitute a major blow to the credibility not only of the highest
international institution in defense of Human Rights but eventually of the
United Nations as a whole.
3. Such a declaration would naturally unleash a massive protest movement against
the "super discrimination regime" by NGOs and activists from Arab, Muslim, and
Hindu, African, Asian, Westerner and other backgrounds. The inquisitorial system
advanced by members of the OIC against criticism and reform would be opposed as
a return to the oppressive, medieval methods of the Dark Ages, which through
harsh religious defamation laws caused great harm to Humanity and obstructed
progress for centuries. There is no doubt that a contemporary Inquisition -- as
proposed by some members from the OIC -- would deeply affect the Durban II
Conference on Racism and Xenophobia, establishing a more lethal form of
discrimination via this UN sponsored (and funded) event.
4. One would also expect to see Human Rights groups and pro-democracy movements
demanding from national assemblies, particularly in liberal democracies,
legislation to protect targeted segments of society such as women,
intellectuals, artists, authors, publishers, minorities, reformists and other
entities expected to suffer from "defamation persecution." Democratic
constitutions cannot accept a setback to their long evolution away from
religious inquisition and theological legal frameworks. It is to be expected
that civil societies will rise against such a modern-day inquisition and blast
its authors, including unfortunately those UN institutions which were initially
designed to protect individuals from religious persecution.
5. Last but not least one would not be surprised if NGOs and individual citizens
would take the matter to courts around the world where justice is independent.
Intellectuals and opinion makers would seek both protection and reparation from
the potential implementation of such an international declaration or
legislation. Governments who pushed the "defamation-inquisition" through the UN,
and the latter as well, may find themselves taken to court, regardless of the
results. The image of judges requesting states and international organization to
pay reparation for moral and physical damages caused by a UN declaration
responsible for discrimination is not a bright one, but could very much become
reality if the OIC project, initially designed by radical ideologues, is not
withdrawn or at least restructured.
Suggestions
Here are some suggestions which might help in defusing the emerging crisis
between the OIC members who are pushing for this declaration and those
pro-democracy and Human Rights NGOs who are opposing it.
1. We suggest that neutral members in the UN Human Rights Council intervene to
prevent this crisis by calling for a special forum where both points of views
are heard and a new consensus is built: Government representatives, NGOs, and
International Organizations should be invited by member states of the Council
who wish to engage in this mediation. The mediation forum must find ways to
address the real and specific concerns of the OIC regarding the psychological
stress induced by severe attacks on religion on the one hand and the concerns of
the Human Rights community with regards the discriminatory dimension of the
current "anti-defamation" project on the other.
2. We also suggest the organization of a special conference of experts to
address the following questions:
a. Define the concept of defamation of religions in accordance with the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
b. Define the body that can determine the nature of defamation of religions,
including the concept of "Kuffar" (infidels) and incorporate this issue in the
general discussion of Racism and Xenophobia at the forthcoming Durban II
Conference.
Conclusion
In the end, we hope that the voices of reason within the United Nations will
prevail over the movement towards increasing radicalization, and strike a
balance between the right to be protected emotionally and the right of
expression: the one must not eliminate the other.
**Dr Walid Phares is a Visiting Fellow at the European Foundation for Democracy
in Brussels and a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
in Washington DC. Dr Phares is a professor of Global Strategies and author of
numerous books on International Conflicts, including The War of Ideas: Jihadism
against Democracies