LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِDecember
25/2010
Bible Of The
Day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 2,1-14. In those days a
decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be
enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the
town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem,
because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his
betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to
have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in
swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them
in the inn. Now there were
shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over
their flock. The angel of
the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they
were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for
behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the
people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is
Messiah and Lord. And this
will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and
lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with
the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest and on earth
peace to those on whom his favor rests
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Christian Exodus From Iraq Gathers
Pace/AINA/December
24/10
Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for December
24/10
Report: Syria official arrested for allegedly
aiding Israel 'espionage/Haaretz
Sfeir urges Lebanese to unite for the sake of the
nation/Daily Star
Sayyed describes Bellemare's views
on Court skeptics as absurd/Daily Star
Future MPs defend use of telecom evidence/Daily
Star
Lebanon's microfinance sector suffers from
lack of regulation/Daily Star
Beirut airport sees rise
in December traffic over 2009/Daily Star
Australian court finds 3 men guilty of terror plot/AFP
Hajj
Hasan: STL is Completely Politicized, Any Indictment against the Resistance
Doesn't Concern it /Naharnet
Rayyes: Obstructing
Saudi-Syrian Initiative Will Negatively Affect Lebanon
/Naharnet
Arab Diplomat: S-S
Equation in Hands of Saudi Arabia's Ability to Promote it to U.S. /Naharnet
Italian FM in Beirut Early
Next Year Seeking Exit to STL Crisis /Naharnet
Jumblat: Indictment
is Politicized and Leaves Lebanon at High Risk
/Naharnet
Geagea Discusses
Syria-Saudi Effort in Riyadh
/Naharnet
Mustaqbal Bloc:
Strife Can't Erupt unless Some Lebanese Push Toward It
/Naharnet
Jumblat, Berri
Discuss S-S: Working to Ward Off Repercussions of Indictment
/Naharnet
Russia's Ambassador from
the Serail: Tribunal Should Continue its Work /Naharnet
Israeli Troops Arrest
Ethiopian Trying to Enter Lebanon /Naharnet
Zahra: Solution to Crisis
Remains Lebanese, Eliminating STL Will Fail /Naharnet
Sfeir in Christmas
Message Urges Lebanese to 'Sacrifice' for Nation
/Naharnet
Sayyed: As the
International Investigation, the STL Will Be Politicized Because Security
Council Formed Them
/Naharnet
Army Drill in Beirut
Suburbs on Arresting Supposed Foreign Terrorists /Naharnet
Mustaqbal Responds
to Raad: We Don't Know if Indictments are Based on Telecoms Evidence
/Naharnet
Iran's Ambassador:
Khamenei's Remarks Don't Contradict Arab Effort /Naharnet
Qabalan's Christmas
Message Urges Muslims, Christians to Walk in Jesus' Footsteps
/Naharnet
Assad to Sarkozy: Opposition
Ministers Will Resign if Indictment Issued against Hizbullah, Report/Naharnet
Sfeir urges Lebanese to unite for the sake
of the nation
In Christmas message, patriarch says nation is big enough to embrace all its
sons
By The Daily Star /Friday, December 24, 2010
BEIRUT: The Maronite patriarch’s annual Christmas message called on Lebanese to
stand united and uphold their country’s best interests, rather than remain
divided between their allegiances to the East and West.
Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir said Thursday that “there are some who are loyal
to the East while others are loyal to the West. This [difference] will create
distance among people whereas they should be united in their love and sacrifice
for their nation.”
“Nations fail to rise in the absence of their people’s sacrifices,” he added.
Sfeir said divisions along sectarian lines and conflicting objectives endorsed
by the country’s diverse political parties, which were aimed at serving foreign
interests, had widened the divisions among the Lebanese.
“Each one of us wants a nation that suits his goals and wants to serve his
interests separate from these of his countrymen unless they adopt their
political views,” Sfeir said. “This is a big mistake. The nation is big enough
to embrace all its sons if they are loyal only to it irrespective of their
religious and political differences.”
“Interests shared with friendly foreign states should remain minimal, in
comparison to loyalty to the nation, which should not be shared,” he added.
Addressing the country’s Christians, Sfeir urged the church’s followers to
maintain hope despite mounting concerns over their fate and that of their
country.
“God has given us a beautiful country, a small nation with various climates,
rich in its history, destined to be a land of prophets and saints. This alone is
enough to encourage us to love (Lebanon) and sacrifice for it,” Sfeir said.
Some analysts fear that rising tension between Hizbullah and Prime Minister Saad
Hariri’s led coalition over the disputed issue of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon (STL) could erupt in sectarian violence if no compromise is reached
before the UN-backed court issues an indictment expected to implicate Hizbullah
members.
Sfeir will celebrate Saturday’s Christmas mass at the Maronite Patriarchate’s
residence in Bkirki with the participation of President Michel Sleiman.
The mass will be followed by a closed-door meeting between the patriarch and the
president to address the latest political domestic and regional developments.
In a separate Christmas message, the deputy head of the Higher Shiite Council
called on Lebanese Christians and Muslims to follow the footsteps of Christ by
spreading the culture of love, harmony and cooperation among the Lebanese.
Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan said “the day Christ was born, hearts were comforted …
Muslim and Christian lovers of Christ should return to him, follow his path and
cooperate for good to spread the culture of love, cooperation and harmony among
the Lebanese,” Qabalan said Qabalan said the followers of Prophets Mohammad and
Issa (Christ) should stand firm against the evil embodied in the Zionist entity,
which terrorizing innocents and violating holy places in Palestine. – The Daily
Star
Lebanon's microfinance sector suffers from lack of
regulation
By The Daily Star /Friday, December 24, 2010
BEIRUT: The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA)
indicated that the microfinance sector in Lebanon has seen substantial growth in
recent years and is expected to continue to expand. It said, however, that the
industry remains underdeveloped and suffers from a lack of regulation,
measurement problems and a lack of reliable data, as reported by Lebanon This
Week, the economic publication of the Byblos Bank Group. It noted that donor
money is in short supply due to the global economic downturn, making it
increasingly difficult for microfinance institutions (MFIs), which depend on
donations, to get money. It added that, rather than create new MFIs, it would be
more appropriate to upgrade and improve existing ones. The International Finance
Corporation estimated the microfinance market in Lebanon at $286 million, with
only 11.5 percent of demand met by existing financing sources.
The UN agency noted that the Lebanese government has adopted a laissez-faire
attitude about microfinance, as there are no laws regulating the industry and
the government has no clear role in the sector. It added that micro-lending is
not explicitly regulated by any authoritative legal text, with the Interior &
Municipalities Ministry, rather than the Finance Ministry or the Central Bank,
currently supervising all MFIs that work in the sector. It said the only form of
government support has come from the Central Bank, which issued a directive
allowing local banks to use 5 percent of their required reserves for
microfinance initiatives. However, the Central Bank has been unresponsive to
requests to use this liquidity. It added that MFIs have inherent weaknesses in
terms of micro-credit provision. They are bound by the legal provisions and
restrictions to charitable organizations and, consequently, have limited access
to funds since Lebanese charities are not allowed to take deposits. Further,
their legal structure makes it difficult to access funds from the financial
sector in the form of loans. As such, MFIs depend greatly on donor funds, which
translate into a lack of stability in access to credit. They also face a greater
financial risk in case of default due to the absence of regulations. These
factors greatly contribute to limit their growth potential.
The ESCWA indicated that the government should play a critical role by
implementing effective policies to ensure the soundness of financial service
providers, minimize market distortions, and make MFIs subject to the supervision
and regulatory requirements of the Central Bank.
It specified that the government should develop a proper legal environment
through appropriate and enforceable credit laws as well as appropriate
institutional regulations. It said proper laws would facilitate collection and
increase accountability of the client, and must allow for cost-effective
enforcement through the courts and on the ground. It noted that another
important role for the government is information sharing through the development
of an adequate credit bureau or Centrale des Risques to allow for the sharing of
information between various organizations on delinquent clients. It also
encouraged promoting best practices within the context of information sharing
that include the lifting of subsidies on interest rates; implementing policies
that encourage small loans with short maturities; the delivery of services in a
market-oriented manner; promoting partnerships between donors and the private
sector; and having long-term action plans.
It noted that there is an urgent need for human resource development in the
sector, specifically in advisory services and training on best practice in
credit methodology and marketing. It stressed the need for additional funding to
help providers expand their product portfolios and reach in the regions,
therefore increasing access to finance. – The Daily Star
Beirut airport sees rise in December traffic over 2009
By The Daily Star /Friday, December 24, 2010
BEIRUT: Air traffic through Rafik Hariri International Airport this December has
exceeded that of last December by 12.61 percent, according to official figures.
There has been a 23.43 percent rise in the number of passengers on commercial
flights, according to the Lebanese Civil Aviation Authority. The Authority also
reports an 8.63 percent rise in traffic from cargo planes as well as a 29.74
percent increase in private jet traffic. The number of passengers going through
the Beirut airport has totaled around 5 million. The Tourism Ministry has
previously reported that Lebanon has received 2.2 million tourists as of the end
of November. – The Daily Star
Future MPs defend use of telecom evidence
Lawmakers point out that Lebanon’s own authorities relied on similar data to
bust Israeli spy networks
By Mirella Hodeib /Daily Star staff
Friday, December 24, 2010
BEIRUT: Future Movement lawmakers said Thursday that questioning the validity of
telecom evidence in the probe into the assassination of former Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri was unreasonable, but the MPs said their party would reject an
unfair accusation targeting any group.
“Rejecting evidence based on telecom data is greatly unreasonable,” Akkar MP
Hadi Hobeish told reporters, while slamming Hizbullah’s attempts to downplay the
validity of any indictment to be issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL)
based upon telecom evidence. Hobeish held a joint news conference at Parliament
with his colleague in the Future Movement parliamentary bloc, Tripoli MP Samir
al-Jisr. Titled “The Constitutionality of the STL,” the conference was held to
respond to arguments put forward earlier this month by head of Hizbullah’s
parliamentary bloc MP Mohammed Raad, who slammed the tribunal as
“unconstitutional.” Raad’s conference was part of several steps Hizbullah has
undertaken to discredit the STL. The Hizbullah MP and his legal adviser, retired
Judge Salim Jreisati, had discredited during their news conference the validity
of using phone-call data as evidence upon which the STL’s prosecutor would base
his indictment. Jreisati described the telecommunications evidence as
“circumstantial par excellence.” In November, Telecommunications Minister
Charbel Nahhas revealed that Israel had widely infiltrated the country’s
telecoms network and even had the capability to manipulate phone calls.
Hobeish described Nahhas’ revelations as “fictitious to a certain extent,”
Hobeish said Lebanon’s security forces relied heavily on telecom data to uncover
Israeli spy cells. “Circumstantial evidence is now an internationally recognized
system of evidence,” Hobeish said. He also called for establishing a national
commission to draft a report on Israel’s infiltration of Lebanon’s telecoms
sector in order to demonstrate whether or not the telecoms data was actually
unreliable.
Tensions are mounting in Lebanon over the indictment to be issued by the
Netherlands-based court which is probing the assassination of former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri. The UN-backed tribunal is widely expected to point the
finger at Hizbullah.
Hizbullah has condemned the court as an “Israeli project” and has blatantly
refused any cooperation with it. Many fear that if the STL issues an indictment
against Hizbullah, violence will erupt between the party’s supporters and those
of the Future Movement, founded by the slain Hariri and currently headed by his
son Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Jisr and Hobeish also held the Hizbullah-led
March 8 alliance responsible for having impeded government attempts in 2006 to
draft an international treaty for the establishment of the STL. “Lebanon missed
[in 2006] a chance to discuss and sign an international treaty to set up the
court because Parliament was closed back then,” said Jisr.
He also said Raad’s December 8 conference included “many flaws,” particularly
claims that the STL was unconstitutional and that it violated the country’s
sovereignty.
After talks to form a national unity government failed, ministers affiliated
with Hizbullah and the Amal Movement quit the government of Prime Minister Fouad
Siniora in November 2006. The resignation of the March 8 ministers dragged the
country into an 18-month impasse, the worst since the end of the country’s
1975-90 Civil War.
Jisr said “resilience” demonstrated by the March 8 alliance to discuss the
procedure for the establishment of the STL had led the Siniora government to
seek the help of the UN, “after all local efforts to ratify the establishment of
the court failed.”
Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the UN Security Council approved Resolution
1757 of 2007 to establish the STL. “Since the court was established under
Chapter VII, claims that the court violates Lebanon’s legitimacy no longer
stand,” Jisr said.
Jisr and Hobeish distributed to reporters a timeline of the events in Lebanon
that preceded the establishment of the court. “We wanted the court to be
established in order to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and alleviate the fears
of the Lebanese,” Jisr said.
The MP dismissed claims by Raad that the UN Security Council operated upon the
request of an “illegitimate government.” Hizbullah and its allies in the March 8
alliance say the Siniora government was rendered “illegitimate” after the
resignation of its Shiite component. Jisr said Article 69 of the Constitution,
which deals with the resignation of the Cabinet, does mention the resignation of
ministers from the same sect as leading to the dissolution of the whole Cabinet.
Hobeish, meanwhile, accused the March 8 alliance of taking contradictory stances
concerning the tribunal. “They seek to discredit the tribunal, while demanding
that the STL look into the issue of false witnesses.”
Hizbullah argues that the key to revealing the truth in Hariri’s assassination
lies in probing witnesses who gave false testimonies to the United Nations
International Independent Investigation Commission (UNIIIC). The Future Movement
and its allies in the March 14 coalition believe the matter should be addressed
after the STL issues its indictment. The STL, however, had announced it had no
jurisdiction to look into the issue of “false witnesses.”
Hobeish said the term “false witnesses” could only be attributed to those who
lie under oath during trials undertaken by the STL, thus concluding that those
who provided testimonies before the UNIIIC cannot be referred to as “false
witnesses.” Hobeish and Jisr, however, concluded their news conference by
reiterating their party’s commitment to revealing the truth. Jisr also thanked
Raad for “bringing back the conflict to Parliament instead of leaving it to the
streets.” “We don’t accept injustice and we also don’t accept that anyone is
unjustly accused of wrongdoing,” said Jisr. “Strife is dormant,” he added, “May
God curse anybody who awakens it.”
Sayyed describes Bellemare's views on Court skeptics as absurd
By The Daily Star /Friday, December 24, 2010
BEIRUT: Former Major General Jamil Sayyed said Thursday criticism of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) did not stem from fear over its eventual issuing of
indictments, but because earlier probes had proven to be politicized. Sayyed
issued a statement in which he responded to STL Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare’s
defense of the tribunal a day earlier in a two-minute interview that was posted
on the STL’s website.
Calling Bellemare’s remarks “absurd,” Sayyed said the Canadian prosecutor
“simplified matters and mocked half the Lebanese people and most of the
international and Arab public, which deems international justice as politicized,
particularly in the assassination case of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.”
Bellemare had said those who feared the indictment to be issued by the STL
indictment were falsely accusing the court of politicization.
“Those allegations of politicization are groundless … it seems to me that [they]
are made by people who may fear the outcome of the tribunal’s decision,”
Bellemare said.
Sayyed argued that the STL had been established by a UN Security Council
resolution, similarly to the UN investigation committee, which he said turned
out to be a “politicized probe.” “So what prevents the STL from being
politicized, similarly to the UN investigation committee, which endorsed the
false witnesses’ plot and the arbitrary detainment [of the four officers]?” he
asked. The four officers Sayyed referred to are himself and three other top
security officers who were detained in 2005 upon the request of the former head
of the UN investigation committee Detlev Mehlis, on suspicion of involvement in
the 2005 assassination of Hariri.
Sayyed was released by Bellemare after the STL was established in 2009 due to a
lack of evidence. The former general has demanded access to the files of “false
witnesses,” whom he accuses of misleading investigations that led to his arrest.
The STL has rejected Sayyed’s demands to obtain the information. Sayyed said
Bellemare had played with terminology by describing “false witnesses” as
“unreliable witnesses,” which would fail to change the fact they were backed,
financed and protected by Lebanese judicial, security and political authorities.
– The Daily Star
Australian court finds 3 men guilty of terror plot
By Agence France Presse (AFP) /Friday, December 24, 2010
MELBOURNE, Australia: Three men who believed Islam was under threat from Western
nations were found guilty in an Australian court Thursday of plotting a suicide
attack against a Sydney army base. The men, all Australian citizens of Somali or
Lebanese origin, were convicted in Victoria state Supreme Court of conspiring to
plot a terrorist attack, and could face life in prison. Two other men were found
not guilty of the same charge. The five men were arrested in pre-dawn raids in
the southern city of Melbourne in 2009. Police said that the group planned to
send a team of men with automatic rifles on a suicide attack against Holsworthy
Barracks, an army base on the outskirts of Sydney. Officials said the men were
motivated by a belief that Islam was under attack from the West, and planned to
keep on shooting until they were killed. During the trial, prosecutors said the
men were upset about Australia's involvement in the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. Australia became a staunch US ally in the war on terrorism after
September 11. Prosecutors said one of the men visited Somalia in the hopes of
gaining approval for the attack from an Islamic cleric. The men were accused of
having ties to Al-Shabaab, Somalia’s powerful Al-Qaeda-linked militia group. Had
the plot been successful, Australian Federal Police Commissioner Tony Negus said
it would have been the most serious attack ever in Australia. Terrorism is
extremely rare in Australia, though dozens of Australians have died in terrorist
attacks overseas, mostly in Indonesia, including the 2002 Bali nightclub
bombings. The trial began in September and the jury deliberated for more than
five days before returning guilty verdicts against Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, 34,
Saney Edow Aweys, 27, and Nayef al-Sayed, 26. Abdirahman Mohamud Ahmed, 26, and
Yacoub Khayre, 23, were found not guilty. As jurors left the court following the
verdict, Fattal said: “Islam is truth religion. Thank you very much.” Fattal,
Aweys and Sayed embraced their acquitted co-defendants before they were led
away. Justice Betty King ordered Fattal, Aweys and Sayed into custody. They will
appear in court again on January 24. – AFP
Christian
Exodus From Iraq Gathers Pace
GMT 12-24-2010 3:56:49/Assyrian International News Agency
Baghdad -- Their cathedrals stand silent and their neighbourhoods are rapidly
emptying. Now Iraq's Christians face two further unthinkable realities: that
Christmas this year is all but cancelled, and that few among them will stay
around to celebrate future holy days.
It has been the worst of years for the country's Christians, with thousands
fleeing in the past month and more leaving the country during 2010 than at any
time since the invasion nearly eight years ago. Christian leaders say there have
been few more defining years in their 2,000-year history in central Arabia.
The latest exodus follows a massacre led by al-Qaida at a Chaldean Catholic
church in central Baghdad on 31 October (coverage), which left about 60 people
dead, almost 100 maimed and an already apprehensive community terrified. Since
then, the terrorist group has targeted Christians in their homes, including
family members of those who survived the attack.
In Baghdad, as well as the northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk, Christmas
services have been cancelled for fear of further violence. Church leaders said
they would not put up Christmas decorations or celebrate midnight mass. They
told families not to decorate their homes, for fear of attack after al-Qaida
reiterated its threat to target Christians earlier this week.
"Now more than 80% of Christians are not going to the churches," said the head
of Iraq's Christian Endowment group, Abdullah al-Noufali. "There is no more
sunday school, no school for teaching Christianity. Yesterday we had a
discussion about what we would do for Christmas. We took a decision just to do
one mass. In years before we had many masses."
Noufali's church was closed and barricaded in 2005 when violence was consuming
Baghdad. Many others had stayed open since then. Until now. In the wake of the
attack on the Our Lady of Salvation church, at least 10 churches are believed to
have been closed. At others, congregations are down to a handful.
Iraq's Christian population has halved since the ousting of Saddam Hussein. But
in the past two months, the rate of departure has soared. The United Nations
High Commission for Refugees is reporting high numbers of registrations by
Christians in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. And in Iraq's Kurdish north, the number
of refugees is overwhelming.
Christians have been arriving since the president of the Kurdish regional
government, Massoud Barazani, offered them protection and refuge days after the
massacre.
Kurdish officials say at least 1,000 families have taken up the offer. Noufali
believes the number is far higher. He says the Kurds have been warm and
welcoming, but fears that moving there does not offer his community a long-term
solution.
"We have seen in Kurdistan that they have no ability to accept the Kurdish
students in the universities," he said. "There are not enough chairs in the
university for them. They must have opportunity to learn and work. The problem
is not just security."
In Lebanon, the plight of Iraq's Christians is being carefully scrutinised.
Father Yusef Muwaness, of the Council of Catholic Churches in the Middle East,
said: "We understand the shock [the Iraqis] are enduring. We want them to know
that they won't be left alone.
"There are ancient issues at work. These people [al-Qaida] are killing because
of a fatwa. There has not been a mufti who has stood up and said this is wrong."
Lebanon's Christians once held a demographic majority. Emigration and a brutal
civil war has whittled numbers away. Amin Gemayel, a former Lebanese president
and now patriarch of many of the country's remaining Christians, believes far
more could be done by Muslim leaders to ensure that the exodus is not total.
"The Christians were very nationalistic," he said. "They are part of the
foundations of this area. We can't understand such extremity then passivity from
the leaders. When the region is completely cleansed of other religions (apart
from Islam) it will be a surrender to the fundamentalists."
In the Chaldean archdiocese in Baabda, above Beirut, Father Hanna has been
receiving Iraqi families fleeing their homeland. "I would go back there to give
a service in front of one person, if I had to," he said. "But even that may not
be possible now. Since 1 November, we have seen 450 families register here. Many
more have gone to the UN."
Among those who have stayed in Iraq and tried to build a new life in the north,
there are mixed feelings. "Three days after the church attack I left my house
(in Baghdad) and came to the KRG," said Georges Qudah, 30, a pharmacy assistant.
"At the main checkpoint I said we are a Christian family, and they said we are
welcome to stay as long as we want. I feel safe and comfortable here, but the
problem is how to live. The council here has given us blankets and beds, but
housing is very expensive."
In Baghdad, there are few signs of the joy of Christmas.
"There is no hope here anymore," says Noufali. "No one can believe they [the
Christians] will stay. Christmas came with two messages, peace in the world and
hope for the people and we need these two things for our life in Iraq. If there
are no more Christians here, I am certain Iraq will become a more dangerous
country." Christianity in the Middle East Freedom of worship for Christians
varies greatly across the Middle East.
In Lebanon, where about half the population are Christian, believers are allowed
to practise their faith without fear of persecution. The Maronite Church is the
largest, most politically active and influential denomination, holding 34 of the
64 Christian seats in the Lebanese parliament.
In Jordan, Christians are free to profess their faith, build churches, schools,
hospitals and universities. They attend mass and there are public celebrations
of religious festivals and ceremonies. They experience less discrimination and
more freedom than fellow believers in Egypt and Iraq. There is a similar
portrait of stability and freedom in Syria, where Christians comprise up to 10%
of the population.
Evangelising bvy Protestants in Jordan has prompted a crackdown on churches,
visas and summer camps. Attempting to convert Muslims is illegal, but there is
no law against proselytising to other Christians and some Catholic and Orthodox
groups have complained of energetic wooing from Protestants. It is this
evangelising that has offended authorities, keen to avoid religious zealotry of
any sort.
What Saudi Arabia lacks in violent persecution it makes up for in outright
intolerance. There is no religious freedom in Saudi Arabia, which counts a
million Catholics in its population. The country allows Christians to enter for
work purposes but severely restricts the practise of their faith.
Christians worship in private homes and there are bans on religious articles
including Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings and items bearing religious
symbols. The religious police bar the practice of any religion other than Islam.
Conversion of a Muslim to another religion is considered apostasy and carries a
death sentence if the accused does not recant. Still, Christians in Saudi Arabia
are positively blessed compared with those of Iraq.
By Martin Chulov
www.guardian.co.uk/
Copyright (C) 2010, Assyrian International News Agency. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use.
Assad to Sarkozy: Opposition Ministers Will Resign if
Indictment Issued against Hizbullah, Report
Naharnet/Syrian President Bashar Assad has reportedly informed his French
counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy that Lebanese Opposition Cabinet ministers will quit
the national unity government if an indictment should be issued against
Hizbullah. Al-Akhbar newspaper on Friday said Sarkozy briefed Assad during the
Nov. 30 summit in Paris about Prime Minister Saad Hariri's concerns over the
possibility of the resignation of Opposition ministers. Sarkozy, according to
the report, also expressed concerns over the Syrian arrest warrants against a
number of pro-Hariri Lebanese politicians. Al-Akhbar said Assad assured Sarkozy
that his relationship with Hariri is "good."
"I am head of State while he (Hariri) is head of the government. And a personal
relationship is not enough in bilateral ties between two countries. The basis is
political relations," Assad reportedly told Sarkozy. Assad has provided an
explanation to Sarkozy for Maj. Gen. Jamil Sayyed's lawsuit against Lebanese
politicians, describing Sayyed's complaint as "personal."
In Dec. 2009, Sayyed filed a lawsuit in Damascus because he "did not have faith
in Lebanon's judiciary," which he accused of covering up for the false
witnesses.
"I do not understand how can the false witnesses not be prosecuted?" Assad
reportedly told Sarkozy.
Al-Akhbar said Sarkozy appreciated Assad's point of view, but added that the
French President wondered about the motives behind the lack of prosecution of
the false witnesses "given that they have caused damage to the international
investigation." Assad informed Sarkozy that an indictment against Hizbullah
members in the Hariri murder "would lead to the resignation of (Lebanese)
Opposition ministers." He said efforts should be exerted in order not to reach a
stage of resignation. Beirut, 24 Dec 10, 08:17