LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِJune
20/2010
Bible Of
the Day
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Matthew 6:24-34.
No one can serve two masters. He will either hate one and love the other, or be
devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore
I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat (or drink), or about
your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than
clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather
nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more
important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to
your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild
flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in
all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of
the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not
much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What
are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All
these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care
of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
Free Opinions, Releases,
letters, Interviews & Special Reports
Hail Hezbollah, or go
down/By: Hanin Ghaddar/Now Lebanon/June 19/10
Report: UNIFIL's Naval Unit Will
Stop Any Violation of 1701/Naharnet/19 June/10
Latest News
Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for June 19/10
Report: UNIFIL will enforce Resolution 1701, stop
flotilla if needed/Ynetnews
Israel warns UN over Lebanon to Gaza aid bid/AFP
UNIFIL discovers 300 kg of explosives in south
Lebanon/Ya Libnan
Amin Gemayel Attacks Jumblat: He is
Implementing a Set of Conditions/Naharnet
Jumblat Lunches with Syrian
Ambassador: Hizbullah Arms Essential to Defend Lebanon's Natural Resources/Naharnet
Report: Sarkozy Asked Israel to
Shield UNIFIL's French Contingent/Naharnet
Israel Threatens to 'Use
All Necessary Means' to Stop Lebanon-Gaza Flotilla/Naharnet
German Parliament Extends
but Reduces UNIFIL Mission/Naharnet
Geagea says Hariri can make strides
with Syria/Now Lebanon
Majdalani colors Sfeir, Geagea
patriotic/Now Lebanon
Lebanon Cabinet Approves 2010 Draft Budget,
First in Five Years/BusinessWeek
Gemayel: Lebanon 'not responsible' for refugees/Daily
Star
Lebanon: Patriarch Sfeir tells Sarkozy, Christian
emigration from the Middle/Spero News
Lebanese Maronite patriarch: Hezbollah has private army/Ynetnews
Syria has no Israeli partner, Assad says/UPI.com
Delegitimization delegation/Ha'aretz
Hizbullah 'bans' Lebanese singer from all-woman
Gaza flotilla/The
Guardian
Hezbollah denies ties to Gaza-bound women aid
ship/AFP
Does Israel suffer from 'Iranophobia'?/Christian
Science Monitor
The Hezbo(ti)lla/Huffington Post
(blog)
Weapons divide Lebanese Parliament/UPI.com
LEBANON, ISRAEL: Politicians trade barbs as
activists prepare to set sail for Gaza/Los Angeles Times (blog)
Mneimneh: Lebanese Government to
Resort to Certificates Option if Crisis with Teachers Continues/Naharnet
HRW Urges Lebanon to 'Turn the
Page' and 'End Discrimination Against Palestinians'/Naharnet
Hail Hezbollah,
or go down
By: Hanin Ghaddar,
June 19, 2010 /Now Lebanon
Hezbollah cannot be faulted. It cannot be criticized because it is sacred, and
its arsenal is not to be questioned. That’s what Loyalty to the Resistance bloc
MP Nawwaf Moussawi implied when he told New TV on Wednesday that Hezbollah’s
critics are being funded by the US. He claimed that $500 million has been used
to bribe people into going against the party, and he believes pro-US Arab
leaders have also dipped into their pockets – paying another $1 billion – to
further tarnish Hezbollah’s image.
Moussawi’s statement makes the very dangerous implication that only those who
support Hezbollah are loyal Lebanese, while those who don’t are merely agents
who either accept bribes or have bought into the heavily-funded smear campaigns.
As such, the issue of Hezbollah’s arms should not be part of any political
discussion in Lebanon, and the national dialogue sessions should not touch upon
it. Anything else is tantamount to treachery.
Politicians taking part in the national dialogue or who make public statements,
journalists who dare to speak out against Hezbollah’s arms, and those who voted
against the party in parliamentary or municipal elections should watch out
because Moussawi has called for the formation of a “commission” to investigate
the alleged bribes.
He made his statement one day before the latest national dialogue session at
Baabda Palace on Thursday, supposedly held to discuss a national defense
strategy. Of course it didn’t and was, once again, postponed until August 19.
The topic was not even on the agenda of President Michel Sleiman, who had just
returned from Damascus.
In the past few months, Sleiman has, slowly but surely, moved away from the
promises of his inauguration speech, and re-positioned himself vis-à-vis
Hezbollah’s arms and other issues that threaten Lebanese sovereignty.
On the day he took office, Sleiman stressed the “the need for us to develop a
defense strategy that preserves the nation in parallel to a calm dialogue so as
to take advantage of the Resistance’s energies and put them to the service of
this strategy.”
However, last month, in an interview with Ad-Diyar daily, he contradicted
himself, saying that, “we cannot – and we must not – tell the Resistance, which
has made many sacrifices and achieved much, to give up its arms and put them
under the state’s control in a regional atmosphere fraught with dangers, and
while Israel is beating the drums of war daily.”
In another interview, this time with Al-Manar television to mark Liberation Day,
President Sleiman said Lebanon’s defense strategy lies in the cooperation
between the Resistance, the Lebanese army and people. He attributed the success
of the Lebanese experience in facing Israel to combining the efforts of the
three components.
In his speech to mark Liberation Day, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan
Nasrallah praised Sleiman’s position, labeling anyone who opposes the formula “a
collaborator,” or, as Moussawi’s might say, a US-funded agent.
Hence, the national dialogue session was never expected to target Hezbollah’s
arms. And even though Sleiman would never scupper his own initiative and stop
the dialogue, he will try his best to quash all serious discussion on the
national defense strategy. Simply, he does not want to be criticized by
Hezbollah, the Syrian regime and their allies in Lebanon.
Earlier this year, Sleiman suffered a serious setback to his authority when he
was asked by pro-Syrian Tawhid Movement leader Wiam Wahhab to resign. The
Syrian-led campaign against the president was linked to his invitation to renew
the national dialogue sessions, but it was also about making it clear to Sleiman
that he must protect Syria’s interests in Lebanon.
The campaign faded after a few conciliatory remarks by the president. His
pro-Resistance credentials were further enhanced when Lebanese Forces leader
Samir Geagea criticized Sleiman over his recent comments defending Hezbollah’s
arms, an occasion that on Saturday moved Wahhab to defend Sleiman, praising him
for his stance and calling on those cabinet members who do not support him to
resign.
This is not the first time that Sleiman has broken his oath. In his inauguration
speech, he also called for “accepting the results of these elections and
respecting the will of the people.” However, during the cabinet formation crisis
that followed the 2009 parliamentary elections, Sleiman was pressured by
Hezbollah and Syria’s other Lebanese allies within the March 8 bloc into ceding
to their demands regarding the number of ministries they wanted. The
constitution is clear on who should form the cabinet: “The President alone
issues the Decree which designates the Prime Minister. He issues, in agreement
with the Prime Minister, the decree appointing the Cabinet and the decrees
accepting the resignation of ministers.”
But Sleiman overlooked both the constitution and his oath, paving the way for
today’s national unity government, which contradicts the principles of democracy
and the constitution the president is supposed to protect. Supporting
Hezbollah’s demands to keep its weapons contradicts UN Security Council
resolutions 1559 and 1701, both of which clearly stipulate the party’s
disarmament. Sleiman supported voting against UNSCR 1929, which sought to impose
sanctions on Iran. When Lebanon’s president takes positions that contradict both
his own principles and the international community’s decisions, this only makes
Lebanon more vulnerable and erodes the nation’s credibility. We ask the
president one last question: When you met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, why
did you not discuss the issue of the Lebanese political detainees in Syrian
jails? Or is it something that a consensus president just cannot handle?
**Hanin Ghaddar is managing editor of NOW Lebanon
Amin
Gemayel Attacks Jumblat: He is Implementing a Set of Conditions
Naharnet/Naharnet/Phalange party leader Amin Gemayel on Saturday responded to
recent remarks made by PSP chief Walid Jumblat, saying the Druze leader is not
convinced by what he says."Lebanon can only survive through positive and
constructive neutrality," Gemayel told al-Jadid television station. "Any other
talk could put Lebanon in danger," he stressed. In response to a question,
Gemayel said Jumblat "is not convinced by what he says." "He is just
implementing a set of terms and conditions," Gemayel added. Beirut, 19 Jun 10,
16:18
Jumblat
Lunches with Syrian Ambassador: Hizbullah Arms Essential to Defend Lebanon's
Natural Resources
Naharnet/Druze leader Walid Jumblat on Saturday stressed during a lunch banquet
in honor of the Syrian ambassador that Hizbullah weapons are essential to defend
Lebanon's natural resources. "Resistance weapons are important to defend the oil
in the Sea of Lebanon and national resources in the country," Jumblat said from
Mukhtara.
He renewed his call to grand Palestinian refugees living in Lebanon their civil
rights. Jumblat's remarks came during a lunch banquet he threw for Syrian
Ambassador Ali Abdel Karim Ali in Mukhtara in the Shouf mountain town of
Mukhtara. PSP official Rami al-Rayyes said the lunch is aimed at opening a new
page in ties with Damascus after turning the page of the past.
Jumblat is seeking to have good ties with all sides, Rayyes said. Several
pro-Syria politicians attended the luncheon. Beirut, 19 Jun 10, 15:30
Geagea says Hariri can make strides with Syria
June 19, 2010 /Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said during a press
conference he held in Madrid on Saturday that “Prime Minister Saad Hariri does
not owe Syria anything and is capable of reaching positive outcomes on
[unresolved issues] between [Beirut and Damascus].” Geagea arrived in Madrid
from Paris on Thursday as part of a regional tour that kicked off last week. The
LF leader said Lebanon is not seeing any tangible results from Syria regarding
Lebanese detainees in Syrian prisons, armed Palestinian factions outside the
refugee camps and border demarcation between the two countries. Geagea said the
LF wants Hezbollah to disarm, but for the time being he believes the state
should require the party to use its weapons according to the Lebanese state’s
orders. “The situation in the [Middle East] is not stable, but a timeline for an
upcoming war cannot be predicted,” Geagea added.
He also said that Israel’s attack of the Gaza-bound aid boat last month, which
left nine activists dead, is unacceptable.-NOW Lebanon
Majdalani colors Sfeir, Geagea patriotic
June 19, 2010 /Naharnet/Lebanon First bloc MP Atef Majdalani told the Free
Lebanon radio station on Saturday that Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros
Sfeir and Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea have taken patriotic positions
which serve the country’s interests.Sfeir and Geagea made several statements
this week that focused on granting the Lebanese government the right to make its
own decisions and have control over the use of arms. “We are not against
Hezbollah, but we want it to abide by the [Lebanese] state’s [decisions],”
Majdalani said. He also said that the 2010 state budget approval in the cabinet
on Friday is reassuring. -NOW Lebanon
Hizbullah 'insulted' by Sfeir's comments on 'so-called Party of God'
By The Daily Star /Saturday, June 19, 2010
BEIRUT: Hizbullah said on Friday it was offended by the manner Maronite
Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir referred to the party during a news conference
in France one day earlier.
Sfeir lashed out at the party saying the “so-called Hizbullah” possessed its own
army and received weapon and cash supplies from neighboring states, in reference
to Syria and Iran.
“Lebanon seeks the best ties with its neighbors particularly Syria but we have
difficulties with some countries like Iran that has Hizbullah in Lebanon with
the latter possessing its own army while Lebanon’s neighbors continue to arm
it,” he told reporters following a meeting with French Foreign Minister Bernard
Kouchner. In a statement, Hizbullah did not comment on the content of Sfeir’s
remarks, but the group expressed its dissatisfaction with the terms used by the
patriarch to describe it. “Patriarch Sfeir’s term ‘so-called Hizbullah’ is an
insult to the party,” said a statement from Hizbullah’s press office. “We want
to believe Sfeir’s words were unintentionally used,” said the statement. “We
might disagree [with the patriarch] in politics, but we insist on mutual
respect.” The statement concluded that Sfeir would not like it if he was
referred to as “the so-called patriarch.” Sfeir returned to Beirut on Friday
evening and told reporters at the Rafik Hariri international airport that
Lebanese-Syrian ties should be “normal and friendly.” The patriarch also
explained that the term “so-called” was “just an expression.”
“Hizbullah is a party that exists and we recognize it,” Sfeir said, adding he
welcomed a possible visit of a Hizbullah delegation to the Maronite church’s
seat in Bkirki
On Wednesday, Sfeir met French President Nicholas Sarkozy, with whom he
discussed developments in Lebanon and the region, as well as the conditions of
Christians in the Middle East. Sfeir said that he urged Sarkozy to bolster
bilateral ties even more. In separate news, Lebanese Forces (LF) boss Samir
Geagea continued his European tour and held talks with Spanish officials in
Madrid on Friday. A statement issued by the LF press office said Geagea and
Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos stressed the Lebanese state’s
right to have control over the decision-making process. The LF chief said
Moratinos stressed his country backs the sovereignty and independence of
Lebanon. “Geagea, in turn, asked Moratinos to pressure Israel into keeping
Lebanon outside of any possible conflict in the region,” it added. – The Daily
Star
Gemayel: Lebanon 'not responsible' for refugees
By Wassim Mroueh and Mohammed Zaatari
Daily Star staff/Saturday, June 19, 2010
BEIRUT: A heated parliamentary debate over enhancing the civil rights of
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon continued to trigger reactions among Lebanese
politicians.
On Tuesday, the Parliament saw fiery discussions over the amendment of labor,
social security and foreign property ownership laws, to the benefit of
Palestinian refugees.
The proposal was forwarded by MP Walid Jumblatt’s Democratic Gathering bloc.
MPs from the Free Patriotic Movement, Phalange and Lebanese Forces expressed
their fears that rushing the amendments would serve as a prelude for the
naturalization of Palestinians in Lebanon. MPs from the Democratic Gathering,
Hizbullah, Amal and the Future Movement called for approving the amendments.
Speaker Nabih Berri referred the proposal to the Administration and Justice
parliamentary committee, which should finalize studying it during a one-month
period before forwarding it to Parliament’s general assembly. Metn MP and
Phalange official Sami Gemayel said that a matter that has created a number of
crises for more than 60 years could not be tackled within three days. He said
the amendment proposal was forwarded to MPs four days before Tuesday’s session.
While endorsing free health care and education for Palestinian refugees, Gemayel
said the Lebanese treasury could not afford delivering such services.
“We intend to propose the formation of an independent fund to meet the
humanitarian and economic needs of the Palestinian refugees to be funded by the
UN Relief and Works Agency [UNRWA] and the Arab League,” said Gemayel. The MP
made his remarks during a news conference he held at the Phalange party
headquarters in the Saifi district of Beirut.
The lawmaker voiced his belief that helping Palestinian refugees was an Arab and
international responsibility before being Lebanese “because the Lebanese state
is a host state and is not responsible for what happened to the Palestinians.”
Over 400,000 Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon in refugee camps all across
the Lebanese territories. Palestinians in Lebanon are denied major civil rights,
including ownership of property, access to employment and social security
services.
Gemayel stressed that integrating the Palestinians in the Lebanese society would
undermine their right of return and fulfill an Israeli demand. Meanwhile, MP
Bahia Hariri announced that a Lebanese-Palestinian civil workshop would kick off
soon in parallel with parliamentary discussions tackling Palestinian civil
rights. According to Hariri, the workshop aimed at creating a
Lebanese-Palestinian public opinion that would cement principles such as
Lebanese civil peace, the right of Palestinians to establish their independent
state with Jerusalem as a capital, the right of Palestinian refugees to enjoy
their human rights until they return back to Palestine and the rejection of
naturalizing Palestinian refugees. Hariri made her announcement after chairing a
meeting at her residence in Majdalyoun near Sidon for the follow-up committee
composed of Palestinian and Islamic factions from Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in
Sidon. The attendants touched on the discussions of Tuesday’s parliamentary
session. Also, Palestinian ambassador to Lebanon Abdullah Abdullah said he did
not have “in principle any objection against enhancing the civil rights of
Palestinians in Lebanon.” He made his remarks during a visit he paid to Ain al-Hilweh
refugee camp.
Report: UNIFIL's Naval Unit Will Stop
Any Violation of 1701
The UNIFIL leadership in New York has reportedly sent a letter to Lebanon
warning it that the naval unit of the peacekeepers will not be lax in any
violation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701. Diplomatic sources in New
York told As Safir daily that the leadership vowed to stop any violation of the
resolution. However, the UNIFIL leadership in Naqoura did not confirm the
warning. An official with the peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon said
UNIFIL did not receive any complaint from Israel or a warning about the aid
flotilla planning to sail to Gaza to break Israel's four-year blockade of the
territory. The official added that the naval unit's mission is limited to
helping the Lebanese government in preventing any illegal transport of arms
through the sea. Beirut, 19 Jun 10, 09:05
Report: Sarkozy Asked Israel to Shield UNIFIL's French Contingent
Naharnet/French President Nicolas Sarkozy has reportedly asked his Israeli
counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu for guarantees that the Jewish state would not
launch war on Lebanon prior to informing Paris.As Safir daily on Saturday quoted
a source in Paris as saying that Sarkozy also urged Netanyahu to shield UNIFIL's
French contingent during a possible aggression. The demand was made during their
last meeting in Elysee on May 28. The newspaper said the French request was a
reflection of Sarkozy's declining confidence in Netanyahu despite recent
assurances that Israel would not attack Lebanon. Paris believes that the Israeli
premier and his government have already made the decision to launch war but were
awaiting the appropriate timing, according to As Safir. Beirut, 19 Jun 10, 08:32
Israel Threatens to 'Use All Necessary Means' to Stop Lebanon-Gaza Flotilla
Naharnet/Israel has warned Lebanon that it would "use all necessary means" to
prevent aid flotilla planning to sail from Lebanon to Gaza to break Israel's
four-year blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory. Israel's U.N. ambassador
Gabriela Shalev sent a letter to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security
Council on Friday warning that the attempt by the organizers to sail from
Lebanon and deliver humanitarian aid to the strip could escalate tensions and
affect peace and security in the region.
"Israel reserves its right under international law to use all necessary means to
prevent these ships from violating the existing naval blockade imposed on the
Gaza Strip," Shalev wrote.
"While those who organize this action claim that they wish to break the blockade
on Gaza and to bring humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, the true
nature of the actions remains dubious," she said. There were "appropriate
mechanisms" for sending aid, Shalev said, calling on the Lebanese government to
"demonstrate responsibility and to prevent these boats from departing to the
Gaza Strip." She added that the organizers of the flotilla have made repeated
assertions that they wished to be martyrs. "There exists a possible link between
the organizers of the ships in question and the terrorist group Hizbullah." "As
a result, Israel cannot exclude the possibility that terrorists or arms will be
smuggled onboard the ships in question," the Israeli envoy wrote. The Shiite
group, however, denied it was backing an all-women aid flotilla planning to sail
from Lebanon to Gaza, saying it did not want to give Israel a pretext to attack
the activists. "Hizbullah confirms that it decided from the very beginning to
stay away from this humanitarian act in terms of organization, logistic support
and participation so as not to give the Israeli enemy any pretext to attack the
participants," it said in a statement. In her letter, Shalev also called on the
international community to use its influence to stop the boats departing and to
discourage their nationals from taking part in the action. Beirut, 19 Jun 10,
07:31
German Parliament Extends but Reduces UNIFIL Mission
Naharnet/Germany's parliament has agreed to extend by one year Berlin's
participation in UNIFIL but reduced the maximum number of troops deployed.
Berlin will slash the upper limit on forces available for UNIFIL to 300 from
800. There are currently 256 German personnel in a naval deployment off the
Lebanese coast in the mission which began in 2006. The parliamentary vote on the
UNIFIL mission extension late Thursday was 486 in favor to 76 opposed and 9
abstentions. Beirut, 19 Jun 10, 09:49
Unprecedented: Egyptian Government Suppresses
Christian Doctrine
by Raymond Ibrahim/Pajamas Media
June 16, 2010
http://www.meforum.org/2674/egypt-suppresses-christian-doctrine
It is not enough that the Egyptian government facilitates persecution of the
Copts, Egypt's indigenous Christian minority. Now the government is interfering
directly with the church's autonomy concerning doctrine. According to the
Assyrian International News Agency:
The head of the Coptic Church in Egypt has rejected a court ruling that orders
the church to allow divorced Copts to remarry in the church. In a press
conference held on Tuesday June 8, Pope Shenouda [III], reading from the
statement issued by the Holy Synod's 91 Bishops, including himself, said: "The
Coptic Church respects the law, but does not accept rulings which are against
the Bible and against its religious freedom which is guaranteed by the
Constitution." He went on to say "the recent ruling is not acceptable to our
conscience, and we cannot implement it." He also said that marriage is a holy
sacrament of a purely religious nature and not merely an "administrative act."
Though little reported in the West, this issue is rapidly boiling over. There is
even talk that, if he does not submit to the court's ruling, the pope will (once
again) be imprisoned. What is behind such unprecedented governmental
interference with the Coptic Church's autonomy?
Reading Egypt's national newspaper, Al Ahram, one gets the impression that, by
trying to make divorce and remarriage easier for Copts, the Egyptian government
is attempting to "liberalize" Coptic society—only to be challenged by an
antiquated pope not open to "reform." It quotes one Copt saying that the "Pope's
limiting divorce and remarriage to cases of adultery is unfair. It is against
human nature." Even the manager of the Centre for Egyptian Women's Legal
Assistance claims that his position "exposes Pope Shenouda's desire to impose
his will over the Christian community" (a curious statement, considering that
some 10,000 Copts recently demonstrated in support of the pope, and that the
Catholic and Orthodox churches—which guide some 1.5 billion Christians—hold
similar views on divorce and remarriage).
At any rate, lest the reader truly think that the Egyptian government is
becoming more "liberal," there are a few important facts to remember:
First, according to the Second Article of the Egyptian Constitution, Sharia
law—one of, if not the most draconian law codes to survive the Medieval
period—is "the principal source of legislation." This means that any number of
measures contrary to basic human rights are either explicitly or implicitly
supported by the Egyptian government, including polygamy, the obstruction of
churches, and institutionalized discrimination against non-Muslims and females
in general. Put differently, Sharia law can be liberal—but only to male Muslims,
who (speaking of marriage and divorce) can have up to four wives, and divorce
them by simply uttering "I divorce you" thrice (even via "text messaging").
Moreover, the Egyptian government—again, in accordance to Sharia law—prevents
Muslims from converting to Christianity. Mohammad Hegazy, for instance, tried
formally to change his religion from Muslim to Christian on his I.D. card—yes,
in Egypt, people are Gestapo-like categorized by their religion—only to be
denied by the Egyptian court. (Many other such anecdotes abound). In other
words, while the Egyptian government portrays itself as "modernizing" the
church's "archaic" position on divorce and remarriage, it—the government, not Al
Azhar, nor some radical sheikhs, nor yet the Muslim mob—prevents (including by
imprisonment and torture) Muslims from converting to Christianity.
As for those who accuse Pope Shenouda of behaving no better than "closed-minded"
radicals, consider: he is not forcing a law on individual Copts; he is simply
saying that, in accordance to the Bible (e.g., Matt 5:32), and except in certain
justifiable circumstances (e.g., adultery) Copts cannot remarry in the church:
"Let whoever wants to remarry to do it away from us. There are many ways and
churches to marry in. Whoever wants to remain within the church has to abide by
its laws."
If this still sounds a tad "non-pluralistic," know that at least Copts have a
way out: quit the church. No such way out for Muslims: Sharia law—Egypt's
"primal source of legislation"—mandates death for Muslims who wish to quit
Islam.
Nor has the inherent hypocrisy of the government's position been missed by
Egyptians: "The Pope evaded answering a question presented by a reporter in the
press conference on whether the court would dare order Al Azhar [Egypt's highest
Islamic authority] to agree to a Muslim marrying a fifth wife and not only four,
comparing it to the interference of the Court in the Bible teachings through its
recent ruling." A good question, indeed.
Finally, the grandest oddity of this situation is the fact that, for all its
inhumane practices, Sharia law does, in fact, permit dhimmis to govern their
communities according to their own creeds, a fact not missed by the pope
himself, who "pointed to Islamic Law, which allows religious minorities to
follow their own rules and customs."
In short, the Egyptian government is behaving even more intolerantly than its
medieval Muslim predecessors who, while openly oppressive of Christians, at
least allowed the latter to govern their own, personal affairs according to
Christian doctrine. As Pope Shenouda declared at the emergency Holy Synod, "the
ruling must be reconsidered, otherwise this will mean that the Copts are
suffering and that they are religiously oppressed."
Indeed, when Copts are violently persecuted by Muslims, the government claims
that it cannot control the actions of a minority of "extremists." However, now
that the Egyptian government is personally tampering with the church's ability
to live according to Christian doctrine, what more proof is needed that it seeks
to subvert Coptic society and is therefore an enabler of Coptic persecution?
**Raymond Ibrahim is associate director of the Middle East Forum, author of The
Al Qaeda Reader, and guest lecturer at the National Defense Intelligence
College.
Lebanon: Patriarch Sfeir tells Sarkozy, Christian emigration from the Middle
East should be stopped
The cardinal is visiting France and meeting major government and political
leaders. The issues discussed include Hizbollah’s weapons, which most Lebanese
would like to see gone, and relations with Syria, which “have not always been
the way they ought to be.”
Friday, June 18, 2010By Asia News
Beirut – The number of Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East is declining
rapidly because of conflict, regional tensions as well as a persistent economic
crisis that drives many to seek the future elsewhere. The issue is one of great
concern for the Catholic Church, as Benedict XVI has said on several occasions,
the latest during his visit to Cyprus, and an issue that Maronite Patriarch
Nasrallah Sfeir raised during his meetings yesterday in France.
Cardinal Sfeir raised the matter during his meeting with French President
Nicolas Sarkozy, who shares the view that the presence of Christians in the
Middle East is a guarantee against intolerance.
“The emigration of young Lebanese must be stopped,” the patriarch said later
during a press briefing with reporters. “They cannot be blamed for leaving in
search of work. But whilst those who go to Arab countries can come back, it is
harder for those who go to Australia or Canada.”
Lebanon’s domestic situation was another important topic Card Sfeir discussed
during his Paris visit. He stressed the importance of security, this, a day
before (i.e. today) a discussion on national defence is set to start in Beirut.
Indeed, Hizbollah is armed, and has “its own strategy and interests”. If the
parties in the ruling coalition government (14 March movement) want to see only
one armed force on Lebanon’s soil, Hizbollah claims that it needs its own
weapons in case of potential Israeli attacks.
However, “Most Lebanese are not in favour of two armies within the same state,”
the patriarch said.
Relations with Syria were the last major issue discussed. During a meeting with
members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French National Assembly, the
cardinal said that Lebanon wants good relations with all its neighbours,
especially its closest, Syria. “However, relations have not always been the way
they ought to be.”
Source: Asia News
Cabinet approves first budget in five
years
Citizens to pay new taxes on car plates
By Nafez Kawas /Daily Star correspondent
Saturday, June 19, 2010
BEIRUT: Lebanon’s Cabinet unanimously approved the 2010 draft budget on Friday
after more than six hours of deliberations that capped months of negotiations.
The budget, which will be sent to the Parliament for final endorsement, was the
subject of heated debate between opposition ministers led by Telecoms Minister
Charbel Nahas on the one hand and Finance Minister Raya Haffar Hassan and March
14 ministers on the other for the past four months.
Speaker Nabih Berri will call for a parliamentary session in the coming few days
to discuss the budget.
Sources said that President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad Hariri have
urged the ministers to approve the budget on Friday so it could be discussed in
the Parliament.
One of the main changes in the budget was the introduction of a LL500,000 tax on
car plates with three digits only. This tax is supposed to generate LL14 billion
($9.3 million).
In addition, the government, at the request of Interior Minister Ziad Baroud,
has raised the traffic fines three-fold in an attempt to reduce mounting car
accidents in the country.
But apart from these measures, the Cabinet did not make any drastic changes in
other taxes such as the value-added tax, income tax and taxes on profits and
income.
Nahas proposed during the session applying higher taxes on real estate sales but
the Cabinet preferred to shelve the issue.
The Cabinet has delayed all discussions on the construction of 11 water dams
which were proposed by Energy and Water Minister Jebran Bassil.
Hariri will preside over a meeting on Monday at the Grand Serail to discuss the
electricity issue with Bassil and other ministers.
Information Minister Tarek Mitri told reporters that there would be no major
changes in the 2010 budget apart from the slight taxes that was approved by the
Cabinet.
The minister added that the Cabinet has postponed discussion on the demands of
the public school teachers and have instructed the education minister to follow
up the matter.
Spending in the new budget will reach LL20.29 trillion ($13.5 billion), an
increase of 16 percent compared to the 2009 budget, which was not approved by
Cabinet or the Parliament. The subsequent deficit is equivalent to 10.7 percent
of gross domestic product, compared with about 8.6 percent last year.
The proposals call for an increase in taxes on interest earned on bank deposits
to 7 percent from 5 percent. They also raise real estate registration fees for
transactions worth more than 750 million pounds to 7 percent from 5 percent.
The government spent $1.5 billion on subsidies to the state-owned power company,
Electricite du Liban, last year. Plans to sell two state-owned mobile phone
operators, which previous governments had hoped would raise as much as $7
billion, were put on hold because of an 18-month political crisis that eased in
May 2008 and later by the global credit crisis and parliamentary elections in
June of last year. The government, which was formed in November, has to finance
a public debt that reached $52 billion at the end of February, or about 147
percent of GDP.
Question: "Is God male or female?"
Answer: In examining Scripture, two facts become clear. First, God is a Spirit
and does not possess human characteristics or limitations. Second, all the
evidence contained in Scripture agrees that God revealed Himself to mankind in a
male form. To begin, God’s true nature needs to be understood. God is a Person,
obviously, because God exhibits all the characteristics of personhood: God has a
mind, a will, an intellect, and emotions. God communicates and He has
relationships, and God’s personal actions are evidenced throughout Scripture.
As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit
and in truth.” Since God is a spiritual being, He does not possess physical
human characteristics. However, sometimes figurative language used in Scripture
assigns human characteristics to God in order to make it possible for man to
understand God. This assignment of human characteristics to describe God is
called “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is simply a means for God (a
spiritual being) to communicate truth about His nature to humanity, physical
beings. Since humanity is physical, we are limited in our understanding of those
things beyond the physical realm; therefore, anthropomorphism in Scripture helps
us to understand who God is.
Some of the difficulty comes in examining the fact that humanity is created in
God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our
image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds
of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures
that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Both man and woman are created in the image of God, in that they are greater
than all the other creations as they, like God, have a mind, will, intellect,
emotions, and moral capacity. Animals do not possess a moral capacity and do not
possess an immaterial component like humanity does. The image of God is the
spiritual component that humanity alone possesses. God created humanity to have
a relationship with Him. Humanity is the only creation designed for that
purpose.
That said, man and woman are only patterned after the image of God—they are not
tiny “copies” of God. The fact that there are men and women does not require God
to have male and female features. Remember, being made in the image of God has
nothing to do with physical characteristics.
We know that God is a spiritual being and does not possess physical
characteristics. This does not limit, however, how God may choose to reveal
Himself to humanity. Scripture contains all the revelation God gave to humanity
about Himself, and so it is the only objective source of information about God.
In looking at what Scripture tells us, there are several observations of
evidence about the form in which God revealed Himself to humanity.
Scripture contains approximately 170 references to God as the “Father.” By
necessity, one cannot be a father unless one is male. If God had chosen to be
revealed to man in a female form, then the word “mother” would have occurred in
these places, not “father.” In the Old and New Testaments, masculine pronouns
are used over and over again in reference to God.
Jesus Christ referred to God as the Father several times and in other cases used
masculine pronouns in reference to God. In the Gospels alone, Christ uses the
term “Father” in direct reference to God nearly 160 times. Of particular
interest is Christ’s statement in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”
Obviously, Jesus Christ came in the form of a human man to die on the cross as
payment for the sins of the world. Like God the Father, Jesus was revealed to
humanity in a male form. Scripture records numerous other instances where Christ
utilized masculine nouns and pronouns in reference to God.
The New Testament Epistles (from Acts to Revelation) also contain nearly 900
verses where the word theos—a masculine noun in the Greek—is used in direct
reference to God. In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly
a consistent pattern of His being referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and
pronouns. While God is not a man, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal
Himself to humanity. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with
masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the
earth. The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament
refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles. God chose to
be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who He is. While
God makes allowances in order to help us understand Him, it is important to not
try to “force God into a box,” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that
are not appropriate to His nature.
Recommended Resource: Knowing God by J.I. Packer.