LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
ِAugust
09/2011
Bible Quotation for today
Romans 9/14-24: " What shall we say
then? Is there unrighteousness with God? May it never be! For he said to
Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on
whom I have compassion. (Exodus 33:19) So then it is not of him who wills,
nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy. For the Scripture says to
Pharaoh, “For this very purpose I caused you to be raised up, that I might show
in you my power, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus
9:16) So then, he has mercy on whom he desires, and he hardens whom he desires.
You will say then to me, “Why does he still find fault? For who withstands his
will?” But indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Will the thing
formed ask him who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”(Isaiah 29:16;
45:9) Or hasn’t the potter a right over the clay, from the same lump to make one
part a vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? What if God, willing to show
his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much patience vessels of
wrath made for destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his
glory on vessels of mercy, which he prepared beforehand for glory, us,
whom he also called, not from the Jews only, but also from the Gentiles?"
Latest
analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases
from
miscellaneous
sources
Is Walid Muallem joking?/By Tariq
Alhomayed/August
08/11
Egypt: Islamists hijacking
the revolution/By
Diana Mukkaled/ August
08/11
For or against Mubarak/By
Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/August
08/11
Latest News Reports From
Miscellaneous Sources for August 08/11
Saudi king recalls ambassador to
Syria over protester deaths
Arab League calls on Syria to
halt violence as more than 60 die in latest Assad crackdown
US ambassador to Damascus: Syrian
army crackdown grotesque'
Syrian forces kill dozens in Deir
az-Zour
U.S. Ambassador Vows to Monitor
Syria Violence Firsthand
Jordan Says Syria Violence
'Worrisome', Urges Dialogue
Kuwait Has No Plan to Expel Syrian
Ambassador
Suspicious Package Forces
Evacuation of Rome's Colosseum
Hizbullah Denies Report Accusing It
of Killing Syrian Army Dissenters
Qabalan: No Sect in Lebanon Wants
to Eliminate Others
Al-Lino: We Can No Longer Remain
Lenient with Criminals Targeting Ain al-Hilweh
Palestinian refugees Ain
al-Hilweh camp reeling after latest clashes
Ahmad Hariri: We are committed to
equity between Muslims and Christians
Lebanon doesn’t interfere in
Syria’s internal affairs: Lebanon's FM, Mansour
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai
calls for new social contract among Lebanese
Hezbollah: UNHCR report on Syria
false
Mikati slams Brotherhood statement
against him
Kataeb Party elects new 16-member
politburo, adopts bylaws
Families of detained
Islamists stage demonstration in Tripoli
Dollar falls after S&P’s
credit-rating downgrade
Saudi king recalls ambassador to
Syria over protester deaths
Abdallah bin Abdel Aziz calls upon Damascus to quickly implement serious
reforms.
08.08.11/By DPA /Saudi King Abdullah
bin Abdel Aziz announced late Sunday that he would recall the kingdom's his from
Syria for "consultations" and called on Damascus to implement swift and all-out
reforms. "What is taking place in Syria is unacceptable," the king said in a
statement broadcast on late-night state television. "Syria's future is between
two options: wisdom or chaos," he said, adding, "The killing machine and
bloodshed must be stopped."
At least 80 people were killed Sunday in attacks by the Syrian army in the
cities of Deir al-Zour and Homs, according to the opposition group Federation of
the Local coordination Committees of the Syrian Revolution. The Syrian
government is under mounting international pressure to halt a deadly crackdown
on pro-democracy protests. More than 1,650 people and 390 security personnel
have been killed in the protests since they began in mid-March, Syrian human
rights groups say.
US
ambassador to Damascus: Syrian army crackdown grotesque'
Yitzhak Benhorin 08.07.11, /Ynetnews
US ambassador to Damascus tells ABC Network violence against protesters
'abhorrent'; warns US to mull additional sanctions against President Assad
WASHINGTON – United States' Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford slammed Syria for
continuing its military crackdown on civilian in the city of Hama.In an
interview with ABC's Christiane Amanpour, Ford called the violence perpetrated
by President Bashar Assad's security forces "grotesque" and "abhorrent." The
American ambassador said his country will "try to ratchet up the pressure" on
Assad, and consider imposing additional sanctions. "The violence that the Syrian
government is inflicting on Syrian protesters, from our point of view, is
grotesque. It's abhorrent," Ford said, adding that Washington was "looking at
additional unilateral measures, but also measures that we can work with partners
to get the Syrian government to stop shooting protesters, to release political
prisoners and to stop these arrest campaigns." Ford visited the city of Hama in
July in an effort to show solidarity with the protesters – a move that enraged
Syrian authorities."They're certainly angry with my trip to Hama," Ford said,
adding "I don't particularly care, because we have to show our solidarity with
peaceful protesters. I'd do it again tomorrow if I had to…I'm going keep moving
around the country. I can't stop." Speaking of the growing violence in the
region, Ford said he was "very nervous about the fate of some of the people. I
fear that they're either now under arrest or may be dead. "That's the kind of
repression that we're talking about," he added. "It's important to bear witness,
and it's important to relay a message of support." Since the beginning of the
month of Ramadan, more than 200 protesters have been reportedly killed in Hama
by military forces.
Arab League calls on Syria to halt violence as more than 60
die in latest Assad crackdown
By Jack Khoury, DPA and Reuters
Arab League Chief Nabil al-Arabi on Sunday called on Syrian authorities to
"immediately halt" a violent crackdown on anti-government protests and expedite
steps to preserve the country's unity. "The chance is still available for
fulfilling the reforms, which President Bashar Assad promised to respond to the
Syrian people's ambitions and legal demands for freedom and change," added al-Arabi
in a statement. Syrian anti-government protesters gather in Al Malaab street in
Homs, 165 km north of Damascus, in this still image taken from video posted on a
social media website on August 4, 2011. He made the remarks as the Syrian army
was continuing attacks against two restive cities, resulting in at least 60
deaths, according to opposition activists.
Al-Arabi also called on the Syrian government to set up an independent team to
investigate violence and human rights abuses in the country.
"The Syrian government and national powers should take all necessary steps to
provide a favorable climate for serious engagement in a comprehensive national
dialogue," added al-Arabi.
He warned against what he termed as risks of sliding into sectarian sedition and
chaos in Syria. During a visit to Damascus last month, al-Arabi criticized
foreign "interference" in Syrian affairs. At least 60 Syrian civilians were
killed in armored military assaults by President Bashar Assad's forces on Sunday
to crush a five-month uprising against his rule, a grassroots activists'
organization said. Among them were 38 in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor and 13
in the Houla Plain, 30 km (19 miles) north of the city of Homs, which were
stormed by tanks and armored vehicles early on Sunday, the Syrian Revolution
Coordinating Union said. "These are preliminary figures. The numbers of
casualties are escalating by the hour," activist Suhair al-Atassi, a SRCU
member, told Reuters by phone from Damascus.
US envoy vows to monitor Syrian violence firsthand
August 7, 2011 /The US envoy to Syria has returned to monitor the "grotesque"
crackdown there, placing himself on a collision course with Damascus, which has
imposed strict constraints on diplomats. Washington on Thursday sent Ambassador
Robert Ford back to Syria, where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops and
tanks have stormed major cities in an effort to suppress a months-long
pro-democracy revolt.Last month Ford infuriated the Syrian government with his
visit to the flashpoint city of Hama, a major protest hub where scores of people
have been killed in the past week in a massive military raid. But in an
interview with US broadcaster ABC, conducted before he left Washington and aired
on Sunday, he vowed to continue traveling across Syria to observe the crackdown
firsthand. "I don't particularly care [about angering Damascus], because we have
to show our solidarity with peaceful protesters," he told ABC's Sunday political
talk show "This Week." "I'd do it again tomorrow if I have to. I'm going to keep
moving around the country. I can't stop."
Ford stopped short of calling for Assad to step down. The Obama administration
has said the leader has lost all legitimacy to govern but has not directly
called for his exit.
Washington has been eyeing additional sanctions against Damascus, and on Friday
the State Department urged US citizens in Syria to "depart immediately while
commercial transportation is available."-AFP/NOW Lebanon
Jordan
says Syria violence “worrisome”
August 7, 2011 /Jordan said on Sunday the bloody crackdown on the pro-democracy
revolt in Syria is "worrisome," and called for dialogue and reforms to end the
crisis in the neighboring country. "What is happening in Syria now is worrisome,
unfortunate and sad," Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh told the state-run
Petra news agency in an interview.
"We hope that dialogue is restored and reforms are achieved in order to get
Syria out of this impasse."Judeh also said Jordan does not interfere in Syria's
internal affairs."For Jordan, Syria's unity and security are a red line," he
said. Syrian forces backed by tanks killed more than 50 people on Sunday,
activists said, as the government sought to crush the democracy movement.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 2,059 people have
been killed, including 391 members of the security forces, since the protest
movement erupted in mid-March. -AFP/NOW Lebanon
Syrian forces kill dozens in Deir az-Zour
August 7, 2011 /Syrian forces backed by tanks killed at least 27 people on
Sunday, activists said.
Security forces killed at least 20 civilians in the city of Deir az-Zour,
activists said, and at least seven more died in Houla, a town in Homs province,
in a separate assault with tanks.
"The operations are focused on Al-Joura district where the army and security
forces opened fire, killing at least 20 and wounding dozens of others," Syrian
League for the Defense of Human Rights head Abdel Karim Rihawi told AFP.
Hundreds of tanks and armored cars have been deployed in Deir az-Zour, said Rami
Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, adding many
residents had fled in fear of the assault on the largest city in east Syria.
Syria's government has sought to crush the democracy movement with brutal force,
leaving at least 2,059 people dead, including 391 members of the security
forces, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory. -AFP/NOW Lebanon
Hezbollah: UNHCR report on Syria false
August 08, 2011/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah has denied reports that its members were involved in the
killing of Syrian soldiers who had deserted the regime, the party said in a
statement Sunday.
Radio France, citing an as-yet unpublished report from a United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees committee, reported over the weekend that Hezbollah
members, as well as members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, had killed Syrian
Army defectors.
Hezbollah slammed the U.N. study as a fabrication and part of a wider plot
against the resistance.
“Hezbollah has already issued many statements denying the claims from the Syrian
opposition, as well as other parties, on Hezbollah’s interference on the events
taking place,” the party said in its statement. “Hezbollah condemns these false
accusations – which are not based on facts – and sees in them proof that some
international organizations are joining the conspiracy targeting these forces
that are against the Zionist-American project in the region,” it added.
“Hezbollah believes that [the accusations] reveal the depth of this conspiracy
and its wide expansion to such an extent that many international actors are now
involved in it,” the statement added, referring to the U.N.
The radio station said the 20-page report will be published in the coming days,
and includes testimonies from former Syrian Army members.
The UNHCR report will, according to Radio France, say that those Syrian soldiers
who refused to shoot protesters were detained by Hezbollah and Revolutionary
Guards members present in Syria, before being killed.
Hezbollah, in the statement, called on the U.N. to remain accurate in its
coverage. “The party calls on the U.N. and its various institutions to be
accurate and credible when issuing statements and reports so that it doesn’t put
itself in the position of instigating strife and disturbances, instead of being
[an] organization [which] spread[s] peace and security in the world.”
While denying the claims, the party reiterated its commitment to “Syria’s
safety, that of its leaders, its people and institutions, and Hezbollah’s hopes
of reaching solutions that will achieve all Syrians’ aspirations for reform and
stability.”
The statement added that Hezbollah was keen to respond to the U.N. claims, due
to “our interest in clarifying the whole picture and preventing international
and Arab public opinion from being deceived by those who wish to support the
international conspiracy against the resistance forces in the region in order to
achieve narrow personal goals at the expense of the Syrian people’s blood and
the expense of truth and reality.”
Thousands of civilians have been killed during the popular uprising in Syria –
and thousands more arrested – in demonstrations.
Ahmad Hariri: We are committed to equity between Muslims
and Christians
August 7, 2011 /Future Movement Secretary General Ahmad Hariri said on Sunday
that his party is still committed to the equity [in power] between Muslims and
Christians and to the Taif Accord. “[March 8] is trying to say that if the Arab
regimes are [overthrown], especially in Syria, it will pose a danger to
Lebanon’s minorities,” a statement issued by the party’s press office quoted him
as saying. Hariri also announced that a rally will be held Monday in
Beirut’s Martyrs Square in support of the Syrian people.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 2,059 people have
been killed, including 391 members of the security forces, since the protest
movement erupted in mid-March. -NOW Lebanon
Kataeb Party elects new 16-member politburo, adopts bylaws
August 08, 2011/By Van Meguerditchian The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Kataeb (Phalange) Party elected new members to its top office
Sunday, following a three-day conference over the weekend.
The conference, which also voted on several amendments of the party’s bylaws,
kicked off on Friday in Metn’s Grand Hills Hotel in Broummana.
The names of the 16 new members of the party’s political bureau were announced
later Sunday in an official statement by the Kataeb Party.
According to the statement, George Greij, Maria Joud al-Bayeh, Shaker Salameh,
Elie Dagher, Salim Sayegh, Majid Aila, David Awkar, Elie Nassar, Thomas Wakim,
Tanios Habeis, Tanous Qordahi, Fadi Ardou, Joseph Nohra, Naji Butros, Mounir al-Dik
and Fadwa Yaacoub received the highest number of votes.
More than 350 members visited the party’s headquarters in Beirut’s Saifi
neighborhood Sunday to cast their ballots, electing 16 members of the party’s
political bureau, five members of the honorary board and four treasury staff.
While former ministers, including Salim Sayegh and Elie Marouni, placed their
votes in the ballot box, several groups at the party’s headquarters were
engaging in last minute lobbying to have their candidates elected to the new
bureau.
A senior Kataeb official described Sunday’s election as one of the few
democratic events in the country. “It’s really a relief to see a democratic
competition within a political party in times like these,” said Sejaan Azzi,
whose term as deputy head of the party was renewed Sunday.
However, unlike the 16-member political bureau, which was battled among 30
candidates, Azzi along with Shaker Aoun, another deputy head, and Kataeb leader
Amin Gemayel won an uncontested election.
“I think we were uncontested today because of the confidence we provide to the
people,” Azzi told The Daily Star, adding that confidence is a key factor in a
representative democracy.
“There have been some changes throughout the decades in how the party held its
elections for the political bureau … but in most cases it has remained in its
original democratic form,” another high ranking official at the party said.
According to the Kataeb official, elections for the party’s political bureau are
carried out at the end of the party’s general conference, held every four years.
Founded in 1936 by Pierre Gemayel, the father of the current Kataeb leader Amin
Gemayel, the right-wing, nationalist party has had three of its leaders elected
as president: Charles Helou from 1964 to 1970; Bashir Gemayel, assassinated
after taking office in 1982 and Amin Gemayel from 1982-1988.
Speaking during the conference Saturday, Metn MP Sami Gemayel called on
strengthening the role of the party in the country’s politics and society.
“There is an important role that the party must play in getting Lebanon to the
level of the people’s hopes for the future,” said Gemayel on the second day of
the conference.
Kataeb secretary-general Michel Khoury called on establishing a shadow
government to closely monitor the work of the Parliament.
He also called on buttressing the vital role of the youth and women within the
party.
Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai calls for new social
contract among Lebanese
August 08, 2011/By Mohammed Zaatari, Maher Zeineddine/ The Daily Star
DEIR AL-QAMAR/SIDON, Lebanon: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai voiced hopes Sunday
that the national dialogue which President Michel Sleiman has called for would
develop into a national conference, laying down a “new social contract” between
the Lebanese, stemming from the National Pact.
Rai’s remarks came during a visit to the Chouf, one day after he paid a historic
visit to Sidon and the surrounding area, 275 years after a head of the Maronite
Church last visited the southern coastal city.
Delivering Sunday’s sermon in a church in the town of Deir al-Qamar in the
presence of Sleiman, Rai said he was “praying” for the success of the
president’s efforts to resume national dialogue among Lebanese leaders.
“We are praying for you to be able to boost national dialogue with leaders of
the country … which aims at building confidence among them and among different
components of the Lebanese people and to protect Lebanon,” Rai said.
“We hope with your excellency that the national dialogue will turn into a
comprehensive national conference, laying down a new social contract stemming
from the National Pact and Coexistence formula to cope with the challenges of
the Arab world and requirements of globalization,” Rai added.
In July, Sleiman called upon Lebanese leaders to resume national dialogue
sessions, stalled since this past year.
But both March 8 and March 14 coalitions have set pre-conditions before
rejoining dialogue. The March 14 coalition says that it will only take part if
Hezbollah’s arms were the only item on its agenda, while the Hezbollah-led March
8 coalition voices its readiness to discuss several issues, aside from the
resistance’s arms.
Rai said that the Chouf was pleased with the presence of Sleiman, who recently
moved to his summer residence at nearby Beiteddine Palace.
Attending the Mass were Minister of the Displaced Alaaeddine Terro, Taymour
Jumblatt, on behalf of his father Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid
Jumblatt, and MPs Akram Shehayeb, Elie Aoun, Marwan Hamade, George Adwan and
former Culture Minister Naji Bustani.
Chouf MP Dori Chamoun, who is from the town, did not attend the Mass.
The patriarch received a public welcome at the entrance of Deir al-Qamar, the
first town that he visited in the Chouf, where locals accompanied him to the
church.
Rai’s visit to the Chouf comes exactly 10 years after a similar visit paid by
his predecessor, Cardinal Nasrallah Butros Sfeir.
Rai later visited the town of Baaqlin. The tour in the Chouf is part of series
of pastoral visits which Rai began after his election in March.
Prior to the prayers, Rai held talks with Sleiman at the Beiteddine Palace.
In a mass welcome prepared by Sidon’s municipality and its Maronite diocese
Saturday, hundreds braved the hot weather in a fasting day and gathered at the
coastal city’s Nejmeh square to welcome Rai. Banners welcoming the patriarch
were on display in the city’s streets.
Rai greeted the crowds, comprised of people from Sidon and surrounding villages,
before he made his way to the nearby headquarters of Sidon’s municipality. He
was welcomed by the city’s figures, led by former Prime Minister and Sidon MP
Fouad Siniora, Sidon MP Bahia Hariri, Nabatieh MP Abdel-Latif al-Zein, Zahrani
MPs Ali Osseiran and Michel Moussa.
Sidon’s Mayor Mohammad Saudi was also present to welcome the Maronite patriarch.
Saudi delivered a speech in which he said that Rai was behaving in line with his
slogan of “partnership and love” which he had announced upon his election. “He
is simply the right person in the right place.”
When he spoke after, Rai said that Sidon is a city “of coexistence and great
heritage.”
“How beautiful to see Christianity and Islam meeting in Lebanon to adopt one
culture, one civilization,” Rai said, wishing the Arab and Muslim world a
blessed Ramadan.
Rai praised “martyred politicians” hailing from Sidon, including former Prime
Minister Rafik Hariri and former MP Maarouf Saad along with other deceased
figures.
Attendees then walked to Sidon’s Maronite diocese, where Rai led prayers for
those in attendance joined by Jezzine MP Ziad Aswad.
At the diocese’s main hall, Rai was welcomed by MP Mohammad Raad, the head of
Hezbollah’s Loyalty to the Resistance bloc, former MP Osama Saad and other
religious figures.
The patriarch headed to the nearby village of Qrayyeh, where he laid down the
corner stone of a residential project funded by the Maronite fund.
Prior to his arrival in Sidon, Rai stopped at the nearby coastal village of
Rmeileh where he received a mass welcome as well.
Rai also toured the southern mountainous town of Jezzine and the district’s
villages. In Jezzine, Rai stressed that there was no fear of economic, social or
political hardship in the district “because the district of Jezzine is an
example for coexistence.”
Is Walid Muallem joking?
07/08/2011
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
While Bashar al-Assad’s troops are using tanks and heavy weaponry to tear into
the heart of Hama and other Syrian cities, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem
accused the Syrian opposition – in front of the eyes of the Arab world and the
international community – of taking “negative stances” and being responsible for
the absence of a national dialogue [in Syria].
The accusations that Muallem leveled at the Syrian opposition, in front of Arab
and foreign ambassadors, is nothing more than uninformed hype, and confirmation
that the Syrian regime is completely incapable of reform. Muallem previously
spoke of “forgetting that Europe exists on the map”, and the Syrian Foreign
Minister has today come out in front of the representatives of the international
community to say that the Syrian opposition is to blame for what is happening in
the country’s cities. Muallem’s statement in this regard is no different than
the well-known scene in a famous Egyptian play in which one character, after
slapping another in the face, repeats “he is hitting my hand with his face!”
This is precisely what Muallem is saying in his statement, as he is placing the
blame on the Syrian opposition that is being suppressed by all kinds of arms.
However the question that must be asked now is: why did Muallem say what he did
in front of this meeting of ambassadors posted to Damascus?
The clear answer is that the Syrian regime is now beginning to feel the
authenticity of the international – and now the Arab – pressure [to stop the
violence], particularly following the statement issued by the Gulf Cooperation
Council [GCC]. This was an extremely important statement, although issued late.
One Gulf official informed me that this GCC statement was not issued on the spur
of the moment, but rather following precise deliberations which concluded that
“we [the GCC] cannot wait any longer.” This was made clear in light of the
Qatari position – and later the Kuwait position – expressing the popular anger
in the Gulf with regards to what the al-Assad regime is doing in Syria. This
popular anger is also something that can also be seen in Saudi Arabia, for
example, and is something that I have seen for myself in Riyadh and Jeddah in
recent days.
We have today witnessed a public position [condemning Syria] from 8 Arab states;
the 6 Gulf states in addition to Egypt and Jordan. This state of affairs
requires us to ask a direct question to Arab League Secretary-General Nabil
Elaraby – who previously stated that the Arab League is concerned with state
policies, not peoples – namely; what is his response to what is happening in
Syria today, particularly as he was one of those who recently defended the
al-Assad regime? Everything that has happened in Syria confirms that what
Muallem said to the ambassadors meeting in Damascus is the result of the
Baathist regime’s concern about the Arab and international position,
particularly the Russian position. Indeed another Gulf source informed me that
Muallem’s speech could be considered to be primarily addressed to the Russians,
as the Syrian Foreign Minister wants to convince Moscow not to rush and join the
international community in its opposition to the al-Assad regime.
We must not ignore Walid Muallem’s statement; however his statement does merit
derision! The international community must move to impose sanctions on Syria’s
oil sector which is funding the killing of the people of Syria, as well as
obtain a decision from the International Court of Justice against the regime’s
figures, particularly with regards to the crimes against humanity that are being
committed in Syria today. The Arabs must also take a public stand against Iran,
especially after Turkey announced that it had intercepted a suspected arms
shipment from Tehran to the al-Assad regime.
In conclusion, if the al-Assad regime manages to walk away clean from the second
Hama massacre then the blame must not solely be placed on the Syrian Baathist
regime, but rather the Arabs and the international community must share a
portion of this blame. Our duty is to protect the innocent people of Syria, by
all means necessary.
Egypt: Islamists hijacking the revolution
07/08/2011
By Diana Mukkaled/Asharq Al-Awsat
The scenes and images of millions of people marching and chanting in Cairo’s
Tahrir Square no longer fills us with hope and admiration. Indeed today, months
following the success of the Egyptian Revolution, there can be no doubt that
such scenes fail to move us in the same manner as they did before.
The scenes that could be seen last Friday at Tahrir Square, and which were
unenthusiastically broadcast by a number of Arab satellite channels, seem to
indicate that Egypt will be facing some dark political times ahead. What
multiplied the feelings of anxiety was the occurrence of other deplorable
incidents across Egypt that did not receive much attention from the media. One
such incident was the armed attack on a police station in northern Sinai, whilst
the second incident was an attack targeting four Coptic Christians in Upper
Egypt.
The reason for this anxiety and concern is the dominance that the Islamist trend
enjoyed in last Friday’s million-man march at Tahrir Square. We saw a huge
number of bearded youth, raising black banners and chanting zealous slogans
calling for the implementation of Islamic Shariaa law and the establishment of
an Islamic state.
An official representing an Islamist group later stated that the “dregs” had
withdrawn from the street, in a reference to the [Egyptian] liberal and secular
protests that had refused to come out and join with the Islamists protests in
Tahrir Square.
However how did the situation in Egypt reach this state?
It is clear that the strength and influence of such Islamist groups predates the
revolution. Islamist groups’ popularity in Egypt developed under the severe
suppression and corruption that only intensified following decades of despotic
rule. The political and media openness that can be seen following the 25 January
revolution has allowed these Islamists to appear more frequently in the media,
and work towards establishing media outlets of their own, whether this is
newspapers, satellite television channels, radio stations, or internet websites.
There can be no doubt that the Islamist currents that flexed their muscles last
Friday in Tahrir Square were only allowed to do so after the revolutionaries
broke through the barrier of fear; they are today benefitting from the current
openness following this revolution. More importantly that this, this [political]
trend has benefited from the strong relationship that was forged between the
Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist currents, and the Egyptian military.
However we must not forget that the Islamists came to the revolution in its
final stages. The Muslim Brotherhood was not part of the initial spark that lit
the Egyptian popular uprising that overthrew the Mubarak regime, whilst the
Salafists remained completely out of the picture until the very end.
They benefited from the social freedom granted to them by the former regime to
establish a strong and popular presence on the ground, which they are now using
as a spring-board into [organized] politics following the revolution. This
represents a form of cunning that is based on the logic of the former regime,
namely the idea of taking advantage of the situation – the protests and
revolution – to suddenly pounce onto the [political] scene.
How can we forget the huge number of extremely backward fatwas that these
Islamists issued and promoted in order to distract people during the former
regime’s rule? Is celebrating Sham el-Nessim [the first day of Spring]
religiously permissible or not? Should a woman who dies whilst committing
adultery be allowed an Islamic burial? This is just two examples of the torrent
of trivial issues that these Islamists brought into the lives of the people of
Egypt. It was these same Islamists who took to the streets to protest in Tahrir
Square last Friday. These fatwas carried these Islamists from the side-lines to
the heart of the game, where they are now seeking to shape a dark political
future for Egypt.
The people of Egypt from across the political spectrum have been denied the
right to express themselves and exchange ideas. Today there is a chaotic scene
in Egypt, particularly with regards to the different ideologies, political
beliefs, and even media, competing with one another. This is a natural course
that Egypt must follow, namely the natural course of a country that is finally
seeing the light after decades of darkness and despotism.
The people of Egypt today are seeing the light, but it may take some time for
their eyes to adjust to the brightness!
For or against Mubarak
07/08/2011
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashid/Asharq Al-Awsat/Asharq Al-Awsat
Those who saw the trial of deposed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak have split
into two groups. One felt a sense of pride and triumph, while the other felt
sorrow and defeat. The happy ones believe the trial is an enforcement of justice
and a route for legitimacy and stress that it is a revolution against tyranny
and corruption. The sad ones view the trial as the victorious party's revenge
and a political ploy in which the ruling parties today are taking part so as to
search for legitimacy for themselves. More seriously, it is a door to a bleak
future the like of which even the 1952 revolution which deposed the monarchy did
not practice.
Even Mubarak's supporters do not deny the regime's problems and mistakes but
believe the man has lost everything and this is a very heavy price and the new
rulers should establish for a better future that is not based on exacting
revenge from the past. They believe that Mubarak's era was the most tolerant and
freedoms of the Egyptian eras and that generations should read history as it
really is.
Anyone who hears the two sides' opinion finds it reasonable. What is reasonable?
In my opinion, the trial should indeed lay the foundation for justice and
prudent governance, as its advocates say, but the world and the Egyptians in
particular should see that it is based on law, and law alone, and not turned
into a political trial. Leveling accusations, which mean presenting facts and
giving the defendants their full rights to defend themselves, will be a source
of pride for Egyptian justice and will in fact lay down the foundation for the
concept of respecting the rule and applying it to all, starting with the head of
the state. The fear, reiterated by the rejectionists, is that there is no
possibility of justice with all the voices of revenge and the intimidation of
adversaries and that the trial was rushed to placate the demonstrators and not
in accord with the rule of litigation and defense in Egyptian law.
Campaigns have appeared in the Egyptian arena attacking the defendants' lawyers
and inciting against them while Egyptian justice itself guarantees the
defendant's right to the best possible defense system. Following the first
session of Mubarak's trial, criticisms spread against allowing television
cameras through which the defendants, such as Ala and Jamal, are seen in the
cage behaving to suit the camera and that they were not shackled and were jovial
when they left. These criticisms express the desire to shorten the trial to just
condemnation and criminalization and this indicates it might be like the trials
of coupists in the Arab countries, just a television spectacle for the new
legitimacy.
Amidst this argument, no one denies bringing the deposed ruler to account, but
not by the victors but by a really independent judiciary wherein the trial is a
deterrent against a repetition of wrong practices later on by the new regime and
thus it fears the abuse of power and society establishes the principle of
accountability itself.
The fact is that, despite the media pressure on it, the judicial system in Egypt
differs from other Arab systems by a considerable experience even under previous
governments. Several judges during Mubarak's rule did not agree with his
decisions and had a unique role in objecting to the laws of extension [of
emergency laws] and the elections practices. When we hear today the legal
argument outside the court we find that the culture of law in Egypt's society is
refined and the legal argument dominates the discussions of politicians and
media figures and not just the judicial establishments' circles.
I am absolutely certain that we will hear in future a lot of blame for and
disavowal of what is happening today being exchanged unless the victors use
today the road of accountability to record stands and amend the writing of
history and not for exacting revenge with jail and execution.