LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 22/12

Bible Quotation for today/The Sermon on the Mount/True Happiness()
Matthew 05/01-11/: " Jesus saw the crowds and went up a hill, where he sat down. His disciples gathered around him, and he began to teach them: Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them! Happy are those who are humble; they will receive what God has promised! Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires; God will satisfy them fully! Happy are those who are merciful to others; God will be merciful to them! Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God! Happy are those who work for peace; God will call them his children! Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! Happy are you when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of evil lies against you because you are my followers. Be happy and glad, for a great reward is kept for you in heaven. This is how the prophets who lived before you were persecuted.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Muslim Persecution of Christians: April, 2012/by Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/May 21/12
U.S. Leads Effort to Criminalize Free Speech/By Ann Snyder/Gatestone Institute/May 21, 2012
A word on unemployment/By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat/May 21/12
Uneasy calm after army shoots cleric/By: Nadine Elali, Ana Maria Luca and Matt Nash//Now Lebanon/May 21/12
Justifiable and unjustifiable protests/By: Hazem Saghiyeh/ /Now Lebanon/May 21/12

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for May 21/12
North Lebanon hails slain sheikh during funeral procession
Sheikh Ahmad Abdel-Wahed FACTBOX
Prosecutor orders detention of 22 Lebanese soldiers over sheikhs' killing
Clashes in Beirut end, 3 dead
Army, ISF patrol Beirut neighborhood after deadly clashes
Gunbattle in Beirut amid fears of Syria spillover
Leaders united in calls for calm after Akkar killings
Lebanon boils after sheikh killing
UN. says differences in Lebanon should be resolved via dialogue, not violence
U.S. embassy advises citizens to avoid protests, road closures in Lebanon
Aoun sues Geagea for incitement to murder
Kuwait follows other Gulf states, urges citizens to leave Lebanon
Gulf nationals make themselves scarce after warnings against travel to Lebanon
Hariri, Geagea discuss Beirut, Akkar developments
Tourists cancel hotel reservations in Lebanon
Berjawi: No one will force us out of Tariq al-Jedideh
Jumblatt calls for embracing army
Akkar Sunni Mufti calls for expediting investigation into Sheikh killing
Higher Islamic Council wants Justice Council to tackle Akkar sheikh killing
Fatfat says Mikati, Ghosn must resign
Rai “disappointed” by murder of Sunni cleric
Leadership window dressing at G8 and NATO summits
Syria forces kill deserters as NATO nixes intervention
Arab League to Iran: stop anti-Bahrain campaign
Iran hangs 14 for drug trafficking
Yemen violence worsens as suicide bomber kills 90
Brotherhood's Mursi leads in Egypt expat voting
Lieberman: Iran trying to deceive West
Iran issues threats ahead of Baghdad talks
Iran finds first Caspian Sea oil in more than a century
UN nuclear chief says talks in Iran held 'in good atmosphere'
IAEA chief holds 'frank' talks in Iran

North Lebanon hails slain sheikh during funeral procession
May 21, 2012/ The Daily Star
AKKAR, Lebanon: Residents of Akkar prepared Monday to lay to rest Sheikh Ahmad Abdel-Wahed, a day after the religious figure was killed by Lebanese soldiers in the northern region, as Dar al-Fatwa urged residents to exercise self-restraint and called on the government to refer the case to the Judicial Council.
A volley of shots was fired over the coffin of Abdel-Wahed and that of his companion Sheikh Mohammad Mereb, who were killed Sunday at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Kwaikhat in Akkar.
Relatives and supporters flanked the preachers' caskets at Halba hospital in north Lebanon as the bodies were taken for burial after midday.
Several hundred mourners shouted "God is greatest" after shots were fired into the air.
The coffins arrived at the sheikhs' hometown of Bireh, near Halba, as preparations began for a massive funeral.
Future Movement MP Khaled Daher, who attended the mass gathering in the north, called for the death penalty for those behind the incident, which he described as "a crime against humanity and the Lebanese people."
“There has been negligence in defending national sovereignty against the Syrian army's violations which occurred more than 60 times ... because of a political decision by President Bashar Assad in Lebanon." Daher said.
Roads in the area, including the Abdeh road that links the region to the northern coastal city of Tripoli, were closed earlier in the day but reopened by the police. Other streets in the north were similarly blocked for periods of time but later reopened by authorities.
Fears grew over the stability of north Lebanon Sunday after soldiers stationed at an army checkpoint in Akkar shot dead the two religious figures, triggering a wave of anger in several parts of the country.
The army withdrew from Akkar Sunday and returned to its barracks in the village of Qobeiyat in a move aimed at avoiding friction with Abdel-Wahed’s supporters as gunmen were seen in the towns of Bireh, Bebnin, Halba, Aboudieh and Beruqayel at night.
Akkar MP Mouin Merhebi, a member of Saad Hariri's Future bloc, called Monday for the resignation of Army commander Gen. Jean Kahwagi, describing him as a “failure.”
A meeting of religious figures in Akkar called for a major turnout for the funeral of Mereb and Abdel-Wahed, who was a scholar, politician and philanthropist as well as Bireh's imam.
In Tripoli, Lebanon's second largest city, Salafist groups called on people to gather at Nour Square at 1 p.m. to perform the prayer for the departed for the two religious figures.
Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani announced Sunday a three-day mourning period over Abdel-Wahed’s death.
The mufti received calls of condolences Monday from former Prime Minister Salim Hoss, former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir and Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Naim Hasan over the Sunni preachers' deaths. Qabbani also delegated Tripoli and Mount Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Malek Shaar to represent him at the funeral in Akkar.
In a statement following a meeting by the Higher Islamic Council at Dar al-Fatwa, which included Prime Minister Najib Mikati and Sunni religious leaders, the body described Abdel-Wahed’s killing as an “assassination” and called on the Cabinet to bear its responsibilities while urging Akkar’s residents to exercise self-restraint. In the statement, which was read by Mount Lebanon Mufti Mohammad Ali Jouzou, Dar al-Fatwa expressed its condolences to Lebanon in general and Muslims in particular over the death of “two martyrs who died on the national arena by gunfire from an army group.”
It also hailed Akkar residents for taking a “dignified stand” in the face of the strife that the council said lurked in the country. “We urge the political authority to continue bearing its responsibility with regard to what is happening in the country and security agencies should work under the supervision of the political authority,” the statement said. They also asked the government to refer the case of the killing to the Judicial Council and asked Akkar residents “to exercise self-restraint and rise above the pain.” “Lebanon is suffering in this time from the repercussions of its surroundings and particularly what is going on in Syria and this was apparent in a letter sent [by Syria] to the U.N. and we reject and condemn the contents of this letter,” the religious body said. Meanwhile, in the capital, at least three people were killed in pre-dawn clashes between rival groups in the neighborhood of Tariq al-Jadideh, security sources said Monday. Eleven people were also wounded in the fighting between Future Movement supporters and their rival Arab Movement Party headed by Shaker Berjaoui. The five-hour clashes with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades ended after Berjaoui agreed to evacuate his office near the Arab University in the densely populated district Tensions in the country escalated last week after clashes between supporters and opponents of Syrian President Bashar Assad erupted in Tripoli.
Eleven people, including a Lebanese soldier, were killed during the three-day fighting between the neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen. A shaky truce is holding after a heavy army deployment in the area Tuesday.

Prosecutor orders detention of 22 Lebanese soldiers over sheikhs' killing
May 21, 2012 / The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A military prosecutor ordered Monday that 22 Lebanese Army soldiers, including three officers, be detained for interrogation over the weekend killing of two Muslim preachers at a military checkpoint. "Investigations are ongoing” into the killings of Sheikh Ahmad Abdel-Wahed and Sheikh Mohammad al-Mereb, prosecutor Saqr Saqr told The Daily Star. The prominent anti-Assad Muslim preacher and his assistant were shot and killed Sunday at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Kwaikhat, in the northern province of Akkar. Saqr said a committee set up by the Lebanese Army to look into the incident was under his personal supervision. “I will travel to the north again today to continue the probe,” Saqr said, adding that an initial report on the investigation was not likely to come out before three days. Akkar residents prepared Monday to lay to rest both Abdel-Wahed and Mereb.Meanwhile, Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani met with a delegation representing the head of the Lebanese Army, Gen. Jean Kahwagi, which was headed by Military Intelligence chief Edmond Fadel. Discussions centered on the investigation into the incident. According to Qabbani's press office, the delegation told the mufti that the investigation was ongoing and would reveal the perpetrators behind the killing and bring them to account. The delegation expressed Kahwagi's insistence that the army does not support any specific side but that the military is for the Lebanese as a whole and that it is keen on preventing any clashes between citizens and the army and possible strife.

Lebanon boils after sheikh killing
May 21, 2012/By Hussein Dakroub The Daily Star
BEIRUT/TRIPOLI, Lebanon: Fears grew over the stability of north Lebanon Sunday after soldiers shot dead a prominent anti-Assad Muslim preacher and a companion at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Akkar, triggering a wave of anger in several parts of the country. The gravity of the incident, which quickly led to the Army withdrawing from the Akkar region and opening an investigation, prompted leaders on both sides of the political divide to call for calm and restraint to prevent the country from sliding into sectarian strife as a result of a spillover of the 15-month-old uprising in neighboring Syria.
Sheikh Ahmad Abdul-Wahed and his companion, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein al-Mereb, were killed at an Army checkpoint in Kwaikhat while on their way to attend a rally organized by Future MP Khaled Daher in the village of Halba to commemorate the movement’s victims during the 2008 clashes between pro- and anti-government supporters.
The Lebanese Army took responsibility for the incident, saying it had immediately formed a committee to investigate the deaths. The Army said in a statement that Abdul-Wahed and Mereb died of “fatal gunshot wounds in a regrettable incident near an Army checkpoint in the village of Kwaikhat.”
“While expressing its deep regret over the death of the two victims and extending its heartfelt feeling of solidarity and condolences to their relatives, the Army Command points out that it immediately formed an investigation committee of senior military police officers under the supervision of the relevant judiciary,” it added.
Two officers and 19 soldiers were being questioned over the incident, sources said.
Shortly after the incident, the Army pulled out its military vehicles from Akkar and returned to its barracks in the village of Qobeiyat in a move aimed at avoiding frictions with the slain preacher’s supporters as gunmen were seen in the towns of Bireh, Bebnin, Halba, Aboudieh and Beruqayel.
Religious figures called for a general strike Monday to protest over the killings. The opposition Future Movement voiced its support for the strike.
Former premier Saad Hariri, leader of the Future Movement, condemned the killings and urged residents in Akkar to stay calm and avoid the trap of strife.“It is clear there is a plan to destabilize some Lebanese regions and stir up trouble in order to serve the Syrian regime and its tools,” Hariri said in a statement.
“We do not blame the Lebanese Army as a whole for the killing ... But it is clear that there are some infiltrators involved in this killing who want to use the [military] establishment and its symbol to import the Syrian regime’s crisis ... to Lebanon in a desperate attempt to save it from its inevitable doom,” Hariri added.
Hariri contacted President Michel Sleiman and Lebanese Army chief Gen. Jean Kahwagi and demanded the formation of a commission to immediately probe the incident and hold those responsible, “no matter how high their rank is,” to account.
As news of the killing spread, angry residents in several Akkar villages, including Abdeh and in the northern entrance of Tripoli, took to the streets and cut off roads with burning tires, including a highway leading to Syria, while tensions ran high in most northern regions.
Also, protesters briefly cut off the Tripoli-Beirut highway, the coastal road in Naameh linking Beirut with the south, and roads in the west Beirut areas of Mazraa, Verdun, Beshara Khoury and Qasqas. The Army intervened to reopen them.
After the incident, a man identified as Khaled Mereb, who claimed to be Abdel-Wahed’s chauffeur, told local media that an Army soldier had shot the preacher after the latter attempted to drive away from the checkpoint. The chauffeur said the Army had been notified that the convoy would be crossing the checkpoint.
Upon arrival at the checkpoint, the man said several soldiers had waved them through, but one soldier demanded that the preacher step out of the car. Following a verbal altercation with the soldier, the man said he stepped out of the vehicle, when Abdul-Wahed took the driver’s seat and turned the vehicle around to go back. The soldiers then fired at the vehicle, killing the sheikh, he added.
Sleiman expressed regret over the killing, but he praised the Army’s “national role” in maintaining security throughout the country. He held a series of contacts with a number of leaders and officials following the incident, while he received contacts from leaders “stressing the significance of cooling down the situation in Akkar and avoiding a slide toward any strife or a security deterioration.”
Prime Minister Najib Mikati followed up the incident in a meeting with Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn, Interior Minister Marwan Charbel and security chiefs.
“If some problems or mistakes occur on security duty, the laws that govern the work of these [security] agencies will be implemented,” Mikati said. “The judiciary will be the guarantor that ensures neutrality of the work of security agencies along with a political decision that is clear in this regard.”
Mikati warned against political campaigns targeting the Army and security agencies, saying such campaigns would have “negative effects because no state can rise if its security forces are targeted.”
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mikati rejected calls for the return of the Syrian army to Tripoli to impose security in the city. “Any call for the entry of any army is definitely rejected,” he said.
Rifaat Eid, the head of the Arab Democratic Party, which controls the Jabal Mohsen neighborhood, called last week for the return of the Syrian army to Tripoli.
Mikati also rejected calls for his resignation by some Future MP. “Resignation is out of the question,” he said.
Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt phoned Hariri to condemn the killing of Abdul-Wahed and his companion. He urged Akkar’s residents to be vigilant to avoid falling into “the traps set by the Syrian regime.” Jumblatt also called for an immediate probe into the incident to hold these responsible accountable.
Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani described the killing of Abdul-Wahed as “painful, tragic, surprising and condemned.” Demanding a quick probe into the incident, he announced a three-day closure of Dar al-Fatwa, the Sunni mufti’s seat, and its affiliated institutions in Beirut and other areas in mourning for the slain preacher. Qabbani also called for an urgent meeting Monday of the muftis in various Lebanese areas to discuss Abdul-Wahed’s killing.
Tension reached a peak following a call by Akkar MP Daher for the expulsion of the Lebanese Army and tasking the Internal Security Forces with maintaining security, as well as calls for the formation of a “free Lebanese army” along the pattern of the rebel Free Syrian Army.
Daher, who held a news conference outside his party’s office in Akkar following the incident, urged the army to punish the “officers” who shot at Abdul-Wahed. He also canceled the planned rally and held Syria responsible for the incident. He also blamed the Army Command, the government and Mikati for the killing of Abdul-Wahed “because they are not doing their jobs to protect Lebanon.”
“The Army and its intelligence have always played a negative role in the region,” Daher said, accusing the government of acting as “an agent” for Damascus. “We will not allow ourselves to be targeted like this,” he said. The impact of the Akkar killings could be felt in the neighboring city of Tripoli. There was an armed presence in both Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, the two rival neighborhoods that clashed last week. Sounds of gunfire could also be heard. People also gathered in Tripoli’s Nour Square to protest the killings.
Tripoli and North Lebanon Mufti Sheikh Malek Shaar, after chairing a meeting at his residence with ministers, MPs and religious figures from the city, urged Sleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Mikati and Kahwagi to punish those responsible for Abdul-Wahed’s killing. “We call on [residents] of Akkar and Tripoli ... not to block roads or burn tires and commit to public peace and give the judiciary a real opportunity to [finalize] the case,” Shaar told reporters. A prominent Salafist in Tripoli told The Daily Star that calm would return to the city. “Roads will be re-opened in the next few hours, calm will return, and authorities will be given time to conduct their probe,” Bilal Dokmak said. He added that detained Islamist Shadi Mawlawi, the trigger of last week’s deadly clashes in Tripoli, would be released Tuesday.

Sheikh Ahmad Abdel-Wahed: scholar, politician and philanthropist
May 21, 2012/ The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Sheikh Ahmad Abdel-Wahed, who was killed at a Lebanese Army checkpoint Sunday, was a prominent figure in local politics, and a philanthropist. Born in 1969 in the town of Bireh in Akkar, he received his primary education in Bireh’s public school and his higher education in Islamic Shariah at Rashid Karami Institute. He served as imam at Bireh Mosque from 1993 to 1998 and, at the time of his death, was the imam for Al-Majdel mosque in Akkar. Abdel-Wahed established the Al-Nour Islamic School and the Al-Nour Educational and Charity Organization.
He served as a member of the Bireh municipal council in 2001-2004 and earlier this month, headed the Future Movement list “Support for the Syrian Revolution” during Akkar’s municipal by-elections. When the list won, he became the mayor of Bireh. He was also a candidate in an election set for later this month for head of the Union of al-Dreid Municipalities.
Following the assassination of former PM Rafik Hariri, Abdel-Wahed frequented Future Movement gatherings alongside Akkar MP Khaled Daher and took part in the organization of many of the movement’s events. He also spearheaded rallies in support of the popular uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad. Abdel-Wahed is survived by his wife and four children. He will be buried in his hometown of Bireh Tuesday at noon.

Leaders united in calls for calm after Akkar killings
May 21, 2012/AM The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Leaders from across the political spectrum Sunday called for calm in north Lebanon, and condemned the killings of Sheikh Ahmad Abdul-Wahed and Sheikh Mohammad al-Mereb at an Army checkpoint in Akkar.After the two men were shot on the way to a rally to commemorate the deaths of Future Movement supporters during 2008 clashes, comments and condolences began to pour in. Tripoli MP Mohammad Kabbara called for “self-control” and for the people of Akkar “to be calm and rise above this painful incident.” The calls for calm came amid protests across the country, which saw major roads closed by burning tires. The highway that links Tripoli to Akkar was blocked in several places, as were roads inside Akkar and Tripoli. Protesters also closed the highway from Tripoli to Beirut in the Beirut direction, as well as the Sidon-Beirut highway after Naameh residents prevented traffic from heading toward the capital. In Beirut, roads in the areas of Corniche al-Mazraa, Beshara Khoury and Verdun were all blocked.
Kabbara also said that a “huge conspiracy ... today targeted a symbol of the Sunni sect, which is [tantamount to] targeting the whole country.”
The Future Movement MP added that the Army’s leadership must answer the question of “who made the decision to shoot him and why” quickly, and carry out a “comprehensive and fair investigation and punish those behind the incident.”
Future bloc head Fouad Siniora said that the shooting “makes us suspicious that there is someone harboring evil [wishes] for Lebanon and our people in the north and Akkar ... recently Shadi Mawlawi was kidnapped in Tripoli in order to set the city on fire, and now Sheikh Ahmad Abdul-Wahed was killed at an Army checkpoint.”
Mawlawi’s arrest triggered the violence that has rocked parts of Tripoli since last weekend.
Siniora continued that “conspirators are trying to drag our people into confrontation with their heroic Army which is supposed to protect them.”
He called for an investigation and expressed confidence in the Army, appealing to the people of Akkar and the north to “protect the Army from the conspiracy; the members of the Army are your children and your brothers, and it is your institution.”
Also calling for people to refrain from conflict with the Army was Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea, who asked religious and political leaders, as well as ordinary citizens, to “accept this tragedy with great patience, and not to be dragged into what those with suspicious plans want for this country, [that is] conflict between the Lebanese people and the Army.”
Finance Minister Mohammad Safadi promised that “we will confront any strife planned by the enemies of Akkar and Lebanon.” He continued that “during these difficult circumstances that Lebanon is going through, especially in the north, we call for solidarity and the avoidance of speeches that incite strife. We call on our people to preserve calm and cling to stability.”
Metn MP Ibrahim Kanaan, the secretary-general of the Change and Reform bloc, defended the Army, calling it “the protector of the country.”
Offering condolences to the victims, Kanaan asked that people wait for the completion of investigations to find out what occurred. “The Army protects the country and we should not put it on trial,” he said.
Chouf MP Marwan Hamade, a March 14 member, called on “our people in the north and Akkar not to hold the entire military institution responsible for these acts.
“We promise them that we will not be silent in the media or Parliament over practices, of which the least that can be said is that they are part of the attempts of the decaying regime in Damascus to ignite the situation in Lebanon before it [the Syrian regime] falls.”
Amin Gemayel, the head of the Kataeb Party, stressed the need to fortify the country “against the repercussions of events adjacent to us [in Syria] to prevent falling into the traps that Lebanon’s enemies set.” He warned of the country “falling into a cycle of violence and war, which might divide the country into warring statelets and take the country ... into a dark tunnel from which it will be difficult to get out.”
Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya issued a statement on behalf of the party, denouncing the shooting and its “boldness ... especially at men of the cloth.” Saying that “setting things straight will be the only guarantee of security and stability,” the party called for an immediate probe.
The statement directed a call to the people of Akkar for them “not to slip into discord,” particularly with the Army. “This is how we can prevent the conspiracy from dragging our area into a swamp of chaos.”
Marada Movement leader Suleiman Franjieh said “there is a possibility of ... [a fifth column] taking part in the Akkar incident,” linking it to recent Army discoveries of attempts to smuggle weapons into Syria.
Speaking earlier in the day, other politicians called for calm in Tripoli. Hezbollah State Minister Mohammad Fneish said that with its proximity to Syria, “there is pressure to turn Lebanon into a base to implement policies of some states who have clearly expressed their desire to arm the opposition and create a buffer zone.”He said this explained the situation in Tripoli, and called for its violence “to be contained.” While saying that those protesting the ongoing detention of Islamist detainees since the 2007 Nahr al-Bared conflict had valid complaints, he said “this is not a reason or justification for these acts in Tripoli or for fanning the fire of discord and filling the streets with armed men.”Fneish’s fellow Hezbollah member, Nabatieh MP Mohammad Raad, said the north’s crisis should end so the country can prepare for state-building projects, which he said would “secure the unity of the Lebanese so that nothing can threaten Lebanon ... except the Israeli threat and those who support it.”Lebanese Democratic Party head Talal Arslan said the “delicate stage” Lebanon is in threatens the state.

Clashes in Beirut end, 3 dead
May 21, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: At least three people were killed and 10 wounded in pre-dawn clashes Monday between Future Movement supporters and their rival Arab Movement Party headed by Shaker Berjaoui, who is close to Hizbollah, in the Beirut neighborhood of Tariq al-Jadideh, security sources said.The five-hour clashes with assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades ended after Berjaoui agreed to evacuate his office near the Arab University in the densely populated district. A Lebanese Army force entered the area and pulled out Berjaoui and his supporters, al-Jadeed television station reported.The TV station said soldiers deployed in the area after gunmen withdrew from the streets. It reported fires in two buildings and the destruction of several cars and shop windows.Tension flared in Tariq al-Jadideh and several parts of the country after soldiers shot dead a prominent anti-Syrian-regime preacher and his companion at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the northern district of Akkar.The casualties in Tariq al-Jadideh were transferred to the Al-Makassed Hospital in the area.

Justifiable and unjustifiable protests
Hazem Saghiyeh, /May 21, 2012 /Now Lebanon
The so-called “union” between Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries, including Bahrain, is still a mysterious issue raising questions regarding how serious it is. However, it is understandable and justifiable for Bahrain’s Shia to protest against it, knowing that their uprising was quelled by forces that came from these same countries. According to sectarian calculations, Bahrain’s Shia community is wary of becoming a tiny minority as opposed to a large majority of Sunni Gulf nationals. This is reality as we have seen it in other Arab countries moving – like Bahrain – along sectarian lines. For instance, Iraq’s Shia united, toward the end of the 1950s, around Abdel Karim Qassem and the Iraqi Communist Party, as they feared the Nasserite project which had succeeded in uniting Egypt and Syria and started to threaten Iraq with union. The same thing happened to Lebanon’s Christians when they gathered around Camille Chamoun in order to repel the same threat of union.
This remains understandable based on sectarian calculations and community fears, which take root in history and which are merely exacerbated by the facts. Yet one fails to understand why Iranians who support their Khomeinist regime object to Bahrain’s joining such a union. These strange events bring to mind the fact that Iran, under the Shah’s regime and until 1971, considered Bahrain as part of it and only recognized it under intensive British and Western pressure. One cannot help but remember the occupation by the Shah’s Iran of the three Arab islands of Abu Moussa, Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb. It goes without saying that Khomeini’s Iran, which emerged over the body of the Shah’s regime, refused to return these islands to the United Arab Emirates and is still refusing to do so.
This calls for questions regarding Iran’s continuing expansionist trend, whether it is expressed by the Shah, Supreme leader of the Islamic Revolution Ali Khamenei or Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. If such continuity does exist, then the ideological rhetoric about Islam in foreign policy is superfluous. By digressing, one could say that the Islamic rhetorical system in the field of foreign policy serves but one function, namely providing cover to imperialistic tendencies. This is reminiscent of Russia’s imperialistic trend under President Vladimir Putin, as the fall of communism was not followed by that of tsarist or Soviet ideologies. This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Monday May 21, 2012

Uneasy calm after army shoots cleric
Nadine Elali, Ana Maria Luca and Matt Nash, May 21, 2012 /Now Lebanon
Lebanese security forces stand outside the offices of the pro-Syrian Arab Movement Party in Beirut on May 21, 2012, the morning after street battles in the Lebanese capital between groups for and against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime left two people dead and 18 wounded. (AFP) Those who attended Sheihk Ahmad Abdel Wahed’s funeral were angry. The Lebanese Army shot the vocal critic of the Syrian regime Sunday at a checkpoint in the northern district of Akkar, sparking tire burning and road closures there as well as in Tripoli, Beirut and the Bekaa Valley. Demonstrations in the capital escalated into gun and rocket-propelled grenade battles that left two dead.
Haitham, an activist from Wadi Khaled who has been helping Syrian refugees, told NOW Lebanon via telephone from Bireh – Wahed’s village where the funeral was held Monday – that “there’s tension in the area, people are angry.”
Echoing many politicians from the March 14 coalition (mostly from the Future Movement), Haitham, who refused to give his last name out of safety concerns, said, “People here are convinced that [Wahed’s death] was deliberate, to drag the area into chaos and conflict because of the role it is playing in supporting the Syrian refugees and activists.” The Akkar region has also reportedly housed members of the rebel Free Syrian Army. There are conflicting reports about what, exactly, happened Sunday morning. The National News Agency initially reported that Wahed was part of an “armed convoy” that came under fire after refusing to stop at a checkpoint. By Monday morning, many local news outlets were reporting that the car Wahed was in stopped at the checkpoint. The cleric refused to exit the vehicle and reportedly turned the car around to go back the way he came when at least one member of the army opened fire, killing him and a bodyguard.
The army has not released an official account of the story, but it did lament the “tragic incident.” Al-Liwaa newspaper reported on Monday that “that Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Saqr Saqr ordered the arrest of three officers and 19 soldiers” over the deaths. In Beirut, angry Sunnis blocked roads in and around the Tariq al-Jedideh neighborhood with burning tires and dumpsters. Unlike outpourings of anger in other parts of the country, however, the protests turned violent. Residents of Tariq al-Jedideh blamed the start of the fighting on Shaker Berjawi, a Hezbollah ally whose Arab Movement Party had an office in the neighborhood. For his part, Berjawi told local press outlets that supporters of the Future Movement began the violence.
Gun and rocket-propelled grenade battles began around 8 p.m., many residents said, and continued until approximately 3 a.m. when Berjawi fled. His party’s first-floor office facing the Arab University in Tariq al-Jedideh was destroyed as was an apartment on the same floor housing six students.
“My laptop, my senior project, my clothes, even my [blanket]” are gone, Ayman al-Kadiri, one of the students, told NOW in the lobby of the seriously damaged building. “I’m homeless.”
Several people NOW spoke with in the neighborhood said that with Berjawi gone, the chances of violence recurring are nearly zero. However, one university student who lives in the neighborhood, who refused to give his name, said that if Berjawi comes back “people will kill him.”
Wahed’s death did not, however, lead to a renewal of street fighting between Tripoli’s Jabal Mohsen and Bab al-Tebbaneh neighborhoods. The respectively Alawite and Sunni districts – which have a long history of discord – have been intermittently shooting at each other since the May 12 arrest of Islamist activist Shadi Mawlawi.
Anti-Syrian regime activists in Lebanon allege that Mawlawi, accused of ties to an as-yet-unnamed terrorist group, was also targeted because of his criticism of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. A Sunni militant from Bab al-Tebbaneh told NOW that, after a brief exchange of fire on Sunday evening, “it stopped, and suddenly there was calm. People are afraid, there’s no one in the streets. It seems like there’s a decision to calm the situation down, and this decision is never ours, it’s the politician’s decision. But we are still on alert; it can break out in an instant, just like it did the other week.”
Future Movement politicians called for Prime Minister Najib Mikati to resign and accused him of colluding with Syria to Lebanon’s detriment. Former Future MP Mustafa Allouch, who hails from Tripoli, told NOW Lebanon, “To me [Mikati] is a collaborator with the Syrian regime and part of a plot to drag North Lebanon into chaos. He knows what is happening and he keeps silent,” Allouch said.
He called Wahed’s death an “assassination” and warned of an escalation.
“This was not a simple accident. No democratic country in this world can accept that the armed forces kill someone in the street without provocation. He was religious man, and that, in Lebanon, is very important,” Allouch said. “I am not sure that things will be quiet. I think that what is happening now will not stop here. As long as the state institutions will not change, there will always be an incident triggering violence.” Many, including Future Movement leader Saad Hariri – who has not been in Lebanon since April 2011 – called for calm and warned Sunnis not to fall into a Syrian “trap.”
As NOW was going to press, protestors were once again blocking roads with burning tires in the Bekaa and the North while demonstrators remained camped out in Tripoli’s Al-Nour Square. Angered by Wahed’s death, people in the square were also demanding the release of Islamists arrested since 2007 – many of whom have still not been tried in court. The protestors took up Mawlawi’s cause following his May 12 arrest, and they are awaiting an expected verdict in his trial, scheduled for Tuesday. On Monday, Mohammad – who is camped out and refused to give his last name – said the demonstrators in Al-Nour Square will follow the advice of local sheikhs but anticipating a decision in Mawlawi’s case. “We are waiting to see what will happen tomorrow,” he said.
Luna Safwan contributed reporting.

Hariri, Geagea discuss Beirut, Akkar developments
May 21, 2012/ The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri discussed Monday with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea developments in Beirut and the northern region Akkar and ways to confront “the traps set by the tools of the Syrian regime” in the country.“They discussed the developments in Beirut and Akkar, and the ways to face the traps set by the tools of the Syrian regime in Lebanon, as well as the means to defend the sovereignty and independence of Lebanon and the project of the State,” a statement from Hariri’s office said. The two spoke over telephone.Fears grew over the stability of north Lebanon Sunday after soldiers shot dead Sheikh Ahmad Abdul-Wahed, a prominent anti-Assad Muslim preacher and his companion, Sheikh Mohammad Hussein al-Mereb, at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in Akkar, triggering a wave of anger in several parts of the country.At least three people were also killed and 11 were wounded in pre-dawn clashes Monday between Future Movement supporters and their rival Arab Movement Party headed by Shaker Berjaoui in the Beirut neighborhood of Tariq al-Jadideh, security sources said.The statement from Hariri’s office said the lawmaker had spoken with Kataeb party leader Amin Gemayel Sunday and that the two discussed the killing of Abdel-Wahed and Merheb as well as the efforts to thwart attempts to “ignite discord in the north and in Lebanon in general.”

Tourists cancel hotel reservations in Lebanon
May 21, 2012/ By Mohamad El Amin The Daily Star
Many Arab tourists are cancelling reservations at Beirut hotels after Gulf states issued travel warnings.
BEIRUT: North Lebanon’s volatile security conditions could threaten the country’s peak tourist season as hotels started to report cancellations Sunday, only one day after three Arab Gulf States warned citizens against vacationing in Beirut. All except one of several hotels contacted by The Daily Star admitted that they have started to see cancellations since last week, when clashes started in Tripoli, Lebanon’s second-biggest city. While some hotels reported that only a handful of clients have cancelled so far, others said they have already seen cancellations as high as 30 percent. Many hotels admitted seeing cancellations but refused to provide numbers, citing confidentiality issues.
A staff member at Monroe Hotel, located on the seaside of the Beirut Central District, told The Daily Star that cancellations have ranged from 25 to 30 percent of all reservations since the clashes started last week. “Today alone we received a cancellation request for a 50-person tourist group,” said a reservation desk employee at the hotel.
The reservation desk of the Commodore Hotel in Hamra said their cancellations amounted to the equivalent of 50 nights of rooms. “The figure stands between 5 and 10 percent of all reservations,” the employee said, adding that the majority of cancellations came from citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council states. The employee noted that many Arab and Western countries are taking measures to prevent citizens from visiting Lebanon because of security conditions. Staff at Sheraton Four Points, a four-star Sheraton hotel in Verdun, reported that some 11 percent of bookings were cancelled since the fighting in Tripoli started. The employee added that Sunday saw many GCC citizens cancelling reservations based on warnings issued by their respective countries.
The cancellations followed statements issued by the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain Saturday. The three countries called on their citizens to avoid travel to Lebanon and asked for those in the country to depart given the tense security situation.
The situation was only slightly better at Phoenicia and Habtoor Grand, two of the capital’s biggest hotels, where reservation desk staff said they have seen cancellations at a rate of around 5 percent each.
But staff at the two hotels said they expected more cancellations to follow next week, as many travel agencies were closed Sunday. Last week armed clashes between the rival neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen in Tripoli claimed the lives of 11 people. The Lebanese Army, which deployed to the area Tuesday, brought an end to the fighting and imposed a truce. But security across north Lebanon deteriorated Sunday when two Muslim preachers were killed in Akkar. The events raised questions on whether Lebanon would be able to attract the number of tourists and expats that it usually expects this time of year. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, Lebanon depends on tourism for 10 percent of its GDP, equivalent to around $4.3 billion.
Ernst & Young’s benchmark survey of the Middle East hotel sector indicated last month that the average occupancy rate at hotels in Beirut increased to 66 percent in the first quarter of 2012 compared to 47 percent in the same quarter last year. The stronger figures had suggested recovery from 2011 slump, when turmoil across neighboring Syria and other Arab countries took a heavy toll on the tourism sector. Tourism Minister Fadi Abboud earlier called on the authorities to contain the clashes in the north, warning that further escalation would harm summer tourism.

Arab League to Iran: stop anti-Bahrain campaign
May 21, 2012/Daily Star /CAIRO: The Arab League called on Tehran on Monday to halt what it described as a media campaign against Bahrain over a proposal for political and military union between Gulf Arab states. Saudi Arabia has been pushing the idea of closer Gulf integration to contain Shi'ite Muslim unrest in Bahrain and counter the influence of regional Shiite power Iran.
Riyadh's initial goal appears to be a merger with Bahrain, where majority Shi'ites have been staging pro-democracy demonstrations targeting the Sunni Muslim ruling family for over a year. Bahraini leaders have been publicly receptive to union. "The Iranian government must stop its media escalation campaign and provocative statements from Iranian officials ragarding the situation in Bahrain," Arab League Secretary General Nabil Elaraby said in a statement. "Any union steps between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are a sovereign issue of the two states and other Gulf countries and no other country has the right to interfere in it," he said. Iranian state television aired last week footage of thousands of people holding rallies around the country protesting against the proposed Manama-Riyadh union and an influential cleric denounced the idea as an "ill-fated plot". Tension between Iran and U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states has run high in recent months, with Arab leaders accusing thei Islamic Republic of fomenting Shi'ite Muslim unrest in Bahrain - a charge that Tehran and the protesters deny. Bahrain, the base for the U.S. Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since pro-democracy rallies first erupted in February 2011, inspired by successful uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. (Reporting by Tamim Elyan; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Kuwait follows other Gulf states, urges citizens to leave Lebanon
May 21, 2012/ The Daily Star /BEIRUT: Kuwait called on its citizens Monday to leave Lebanon and avoid traveling to the country due to its growing unrest, reported state-run news agency KUNA, citing a Foreign Ministry source, as Lebanese Foreign Affairs Minister Adnan Mansour urged the Gulf country to reconsider its decision. The source, KUNA reported, said the Foreign Ministry called on its citizens in Lebanon to return to Kuwait and contact the embassy in Beirut in case of any emergency. Tensions in the country have risen with clashes in the northern coastal city of Tripoli last week that claimed the lives of 11 people and the weekend killing of two religious figures by the Lebanese Army in the northern region of Akkar. At least two people were also killed in Beirut Monday, in pre-dawn clashes that left at least 11 people wounded. Kuwait’s travel advisory comes only days after the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain issued similar warnings to their citizens in Lebanon.
Mansour sought clarification regarding the decision in a telephone conversation with Kuwait’s Ambassador to Lebanon Sheikh Sabah Khaled al-Sabah, according to the National News Agency.
Sabah indicated that the move came “as a result of the events in a number of Lebanese areas,” the NNA reported. He promised that his government would reconsider its decision once the reasons for it dissipate. Mansour also spoke with Arab League chief Nabil Elaraby in a separate conversation. Elaraby said he would put at Lebanon’s disposal the organization’s services to help restore security and stability in the country, the NNA reported.The foreign affairs minister also discussed with Elaraby the latest developments in Lebanon, it added.

Leadership window dressing at G8 and NATO summits
DEBKAfile Special Report May 21, 2012/On the return flight to Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov filled in the space left by his Prime Minister Dmitri Medvadev’s silence at Camp David Saturday, May 20 with a large dose of skepticism on Iran. Contradicting President Barack Obama’s statement that diplomacy was preferable to military action, Ryabkov said that the G8 leaders’ readiness to tap into emergency oil stockpiles quickly this summer “is one of the many various signals coming from various sources that the military option (on Iran) is considered as realistic and possible.”
He added: “We are receiving signals, both through public and intelligence channels, that this option is now being reviewed in some capitals as more applicable in this situation,’ said the Russian official.
debkafile: His words to reporters were in fact a Russian signal to Tehran not to trust American diplomacy and concessions because the US and its allies were at the same time preparing for war.
As for the NATO weekend summit in Chicago, the decisions taken under Barack Obama’s leadership appear even less feasible. NATO issued a strong statement of support for the Eurozone. However, none of the leaders present came with remedies for pulling the continent out of its existential economic crisis.
Sunday, May 20, a former Greek finance minister warned that kicking Greece out would “open the gates of hell for Europe,” while British economists warned the UK economy “would never recover” if the euro collapsed. The decision to withdraw all alliance troops from Afghanistan by the year 2014 is technically unfeasible so long as Pakistan refuses to allow them to cross through its territory and depart from its Indian Ocean and Arab Sea ports.

IAEA chief holds 'frank' talks in Iran
AFP Published: 05.21.12/Ynetnews
Yukiya Amano in first visit to Tehran in effort to garner cooperation on nuclear issue ahead of talks with major powers
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Yukiya Amano began Monday in Tehran "frank" talks with Iranian authorities in an effort to garner more cooperation on the nuclear issue ahead of crucial negotiations between the Iran and the 5+1 powers, which include the US, Russia, China, France, Britain, and Germany. Amano, who is making his first visit to Tehran since his appointment to head the UN agency in late 2009, spoke of the difficult relations between the IAEA and Iran with the head of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program Fereydoon Abbasi Davani. The existing issues were discussed openly and proposals were made to clarify ambiguities and develop cooperation," a brief account of the meeting published on the official website of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) stated, giving no further details. The Director General of the IAEA was to meet in the afternoon with Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Iranian nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. While Tehran claims its activities are purely peaceful, the IAEA, which monitors most of Iran's nuclear facilities under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been concerned for years about a possible military dimension Iran's nuclear program. Amano stressed that "good progress" had been recorded during two days of talks with Iran in Vienna last week after months of deadlock, and felt that it was "a good time to have a direct dialogue with Iranian officials." Iran has so far refused to let IAEA inspectors access any sites that are not listed among the nuclear facilities subject to review by the agency.
The major powers on Saturday called on Iran to "seize the opportunity" during talks in Baghdad by taking "concrete steps" to "restore international confidence in the fact that (its) nuclear program is entirely peaceful."

A word on unemployment
By Hussein Shobokshi/Asharq Alawsat
If it is true that the Arab Spring revolutions have exposed numerous considerable and complex issues, then we must say that one of the most significant is the magnitude of unemployment and corruption, and its subsequent impact. This is compounded by the prevailing fragile work culture within Arab society, specifically among the youth category, and the dramatic changes that have occurred over time.
The Arab states have contracted an economic illness whereby an individual tends to rely primarily on grants and support in order to live and survive. This is done in two major ways: Either the individual will send his children abroad to work and then rely on the remittances which they send home, or he will directly benefit from the domestic surplus derived from oil, minerals and natural resources. This is in addition to other sources of income that are classified outside the traditional economic system, such as donations extended from abroad.
Perhaps, one of the chief reasons behind our deplorable labor system and the severely aggravated unemployment problem is the perception of inferiority surrounding craftsmanship and manual labor, and the misleading social stigma around it. In recent years there has been a grossly exaggerated push towards the service economy, whereby people have gravitated towards this sector more than any other, claiming that it is superior, more worthwhile and more profitable.
The business sector began to instill a sense of disdain towards industrial and agricultural occupations, giving preference to more “elegant” and “white collar” careers such as those in the trade, banking, communications, tourism, marketing, insurance, and real-estate sectors. The image of “manual” professions in the media became associated with negative stereotypes such as body odor, dirt, fatigue, exhaustion, illness and inferiority. This was further consolidated by the vocabulary that was used to describe the people who undertook such professions, such as laborers, navvies or servants, instead of using words that accurately reflect the reality of such crafts, such as farmer, security-guard or traffic conductor.
In all Arab societies, family names reflect traditional professions, such as: al-Lahham [the welder], al-Jazzar [the butcher], al-Tajir [the merchant], al-Attar [the spice dealer], al-Sabbagh [the dyer], al-Khabbaz [the baker], al-Hallaq [the barber], al-Qadi [the judge], al-Khayyat [the tailor], al-Sayegh [the jeweler], al-Moallem [the teacher], al-Hakim [the wise man], al-Fakahany [the fruit vendor], al-Khudari [the greengrocer] and so on.
However, the majority of families bearing such names have abandoned the "crafts" from which their names were derived, turning their back on pivotal sectors of the society's economy. Hence an imbalance began to emerge and the early seeds of unemployed were sown, and over time, this reached alarming levels. This contributed to a fundamental change and a rapid increase in consumption culture, where the concept of “local produce” was gradually eroded as people found it easier to import goods for a cheaper price, even if the quality was poor, as long as the money was available. This came as a direct result of the negligence towards maintaining, respecting and supporting the domestic production system.
As a result, today our economy has become rich in revenue, but it is devoid of production and recruitment, and fails to add any value. It is crucially important to point out that the major developed countries, despite their active involvement in the service economy and their significant investments in the new digital economy are without exception agricultural and industrial countries first and foremost. These two sectors make up a significant proportion of gross national product and the lure of the service economy, no matter how dazzling it may seem, remains wholly insufficient to form the basis of transitional change. In a country with a large and growing population, and with a high proportion of youth citizens, a domestic industrial system is invaluable.
The problem of unemployment in the Arab world requires a new solution, but perhaps this can be obtained from old experience. We must rebuild trust in the sectors that have suffered negligence, despite the fact that they were successful and proved their worth in the recent past.

U.S. Leads Effort to Criminalize Free Speech
by Ann Snyder/Gatestone Institute
May 16, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3235/criminalize-free-speech
The Human Rights Council concluded its nineteenth session on March 23, 2012 and adopted, without a vote, yet another resolution aimed at restricting freedom of speech throughout the world. While its title[1], as usual, suggests it is about combating intolerance based on religion, its plain language shows that, once again, speech is the real target.
One of its sponsors, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (formerly the Organization of the Islamic Conference or "OIC" ), has, for over a decade, introduced speech-restrictive resolutions at the United Nations. In the past, these resolutions contained explicit language about "defamation of religions." Last year, however, when the OIC introduced Resolution 16/18 without the term "defamation of religions," the West's resistance to the OIC's efforts faltered (discussed here). The "defamation of religions" concept had been easy for Western countries to rally against, in part, because it seemed to attach rights to a concept (here, religion) rather than to individuals. But, dropping that term was little more than a cosmetic change leaving speech-targeting language behind and the OIC's speech-restrictive agenda intact.
Resolution 19/25, like 16/18, specifically "condemns" certain types of speech and "urges States to take effective measures as set forth in the present resolution, consistent with their obligations under international human rights law, to address and combat such incidents." (emphasis added) In short, it is an explicit call to action for states to curtail certain types of speech.
The "advocacy" (read: speech) that the resolution "condemns" and calls on states to limit is "any advocacy of religious hatred against individuals that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence" using "print, audio-visual or electronic media or any other means." This language almost directly parallels International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights Article 20(2), which reads: "Any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence shall be prohibited by law."
At the time Article 20 was being debated, there was little doubt that it was about limiting speech; and indeed, concerns were raised about the potential for abuse of the provision to limit an essential right. Further, when the United States finally ratified the ICCPR in 1992, it did so with an explicit reservation to Article 20, reading: "That Article 20 does not authorize or require legislation or other action by the United States that would restrict the right of free speech and association protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States."
The language of ICCPR Article 20 and Resolutions 16/18 and 19/25 bears a striking resemblance to the "hate speech" provisions that have proliferated throughout Europe and that are already being used to silence speech (as the trials of Geert Wilders, Lars Hedegaard, and others demonstrate).
Further, conceptually, "defamation of religions" and "hate speech" were already linked in prior resolutions. It is puzzling, therefore, that the West was so easily duped into believing that dropping the "defamation of religions" language was any kind of substantive victory. Although the most recent resolutions stop short of Article 20's language, leaving out "shall be prohibited by law," it hardly matters. The OIC's agenda can simply be pushed instead through "hate speech" laws that already exist. (By its own statements, the OIC has not changed its goals, nor has it abandoned the concept.) The shift in wording has simply lost us allies in resisting it.
That a resolution without an explicit reference to "defamation of religions" but that retained "hate speech" language would be more appealing to European allies is not surprising. Most European countries have already adopted some form of "hate speech" laws -- but to terrible effect -- on freedom of speech. With regard to this issue, the United States had stood alone—"hate speech" is currently not proscribed here, although we appear headed in that direction: since the United States supported the resolution, how could we expect our Western allies to resist?
Our Secretary of State applauded the OIC and described efforts leading to Resolution 16/18 as beginning "to overcome the false divide that pits religious sensitivities against freedom of expression." Far from demanding a "reservations clause" of any kind, the United States, instead, sponsored a three-day, closed-door meeting in Washington, DC last December on implementing 16/18 —a meeting in a series called the "Istanbul Process." Taking its lead from the US, the European Union then offered to host the next session, an initiative the OIC hailedas a "a qualitative shift in action against the phenomenon of Islamophobia."
In short, a mere cosmetic change in a resolution has resulted in a radical shift in the West's—and specifically United States' and therefore Europe's —policy toward the OIC's efforts to restrict free speech..
If we do not wake up, recognize the implications of that policy shift, and reverse course, this "mere" cosmetic change may result in a radical shift in the protections for freedom of speech in the United States.
Ann Snyder serves as a Senior Fellow of The Legal Project, an activity of the Middle East Forum.
[1] "Combating intolerance, negative stereotyping and stigmatization of, and discrimination, incitement to violence and violence against, persons based on religion or belief"

Muslim Persecution of Christians: April, 2012
by Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute
May 18, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3247/muslim-persecution-of-christians-april-2012
Considering that Easter, one of the highest Christian holidays, comes in April, Christian persecution in Muslim nations—from sheer violence to oppressive laws—was rampant last month: In Nigeria, where jihadis seek to expunge all traces of Christianity, a church was bombed during Easter Sunday, killing some 50 worshippers; in Turkey, a pastor was beaten by Muslims immediately following Easter service and threatened with death unless he converts to Islam; and in Iran, Easter Sunday saw 12 Christians stand trial as "apostates."
The persecution of Christians has come to regions not normally associated with it. As in Nigeria, Muslim militants are running amok in Timbuktu, Mali—beheading a Christian leader and threatening other Christians with similar treatment. Sharia law has been imposed, churches are being destroyed, and Christians are fleeing Timbuktu in mass.
Categorized by theme, the rest of April's batch of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed in alphabetical order by country, not severity:
Church Attacks
Azerbaijan: A church in the Muslim-majority nation has "become the first religious community to be liquidated by a court" since the country's "harsh new Religion Law," requiring all previously registered religious institutions to re-register, came into force in 2009. Greater Grace Protestant Church in the capital, Baku, "was stripped of its registration at a 15-minute hearing on 25 April. The decision, which was made in the absence of any church representatives, makes any activity by the church illegal and subject to punishment."
Indonesia: Gunmen opened fire on the GKI Yasmin church, causing much damage in the latest attack on the building, which has been illegally sealed off by authorities since 2008, due to Muslim demands. Another Protestant church unlawfully sealed off by the authorities—despite meeting all requirements for a permit—was met with violent opposition from Muslims for trying to hold a service on the street in front of their sealed-off church building. Muslim residents made death threats, played loud music, and even rode a motorcycle through the congregation. A church spokesman said: "We are constantly having to change our location because our existence appears to be unwanted, and we have to hide so that we are not intimidated by intolerant groups… We had hoped for help from the police, but after many attacks on members of the congregation, we see that the police are also involved in this."
Kenya: Two separate grenade attacks on churches occurred: 1) Muslims threw grenades into an open-air Christian church gathering, killing a woman and a boy, and wounding some 50 other Christians: Muslims had been holding a meeting near the gathering, and Christians could hear their preachers railing against Christianity right before the attack took place. 2) In a separate incident, a Muslim man pretending to be a worshipper at a church threw three grenades during service, killing a 27-year-old university student and injuring 16. The terrorist, who, according to eyewitnesses, appeared to be of Somali origin, "looked uncomfortable and always looked down. He threw three hand grenades and only one exploded. He took off, and he fired in the air three gunshots."
Nigeria: An early morning attack on a Christian church service left at least 16 people dead: Jihadi gunmen on motorcycles stormed Bayero University in the city of Kano on a Sunday morning during a Catholic mass held in the school's theater hall, hurling improvised explosive devices, and opening fire as people fled. "The attack follows a string of violent incidents against Christians in the predominantly Muslim north."
Sudan: A Christian compound in Khartoum was stormed by a throng of Muslims "armed with clubs, iron rods, a bulldozer and fire," the day after a Muslim leader called on Muslims to destroy "the infidels' church." Shouting "Allahu Akbar [God is greater]" and "No more Christianity from today on—no more church from today on," the jihadis stormed the Bible school bookstore, burning Bibles and threatening to kill anyone resisting them. "What happened could not be imagined—it was terrible," said an eyewitness. "They burned all furniture of the school and the church as well." As usual, "Police at the compound stood back and did nothing to prevent the mob from vandalizing the compound."
Tunisia: The Christian Orthodox Church in Tunis, one of very few churches in the nation, is being "abused" and receiving "threatening messages." Church members are "living in a state of terror," so much so that the Russian ambassador in Tunis specifically requested the nation's Ministry of Interior to "protect the church." The abuse has gotten to the point where "Salafis covered the cross of the church with garbage bags, telling the church members that they do not wish to see the vision of the Cross anywhere in the Islamic state of Tunisia." Separately, a Muslim burst into a church to deliver a letter from an Islamist party inviting the archpriest to convert to Islam or to take down the church's crosses and pay jizya, Islamic subjugation tribute.
Apostasy and Blasphemy: Death and Prison
Algeria: A Christian was sentenced to five years in prison for "shaking the faith" of Muslims. He had discussed his faith with a Muslim man at a food court when the Muslim became angry and accused the Christian of "insulting Muhammad." Police arrested the man and found a large amount of Christian materials in his apartment. The judge gave him the maximum sentence of five years in prison, even though the prosecutor himself had recommended a lesser sentence.
Bangladesh: A former Muslim prayer leader who converted to Christianity was "welcomed by threats and violence." Members of his Muslim community "beat him almost to death," causing him to be hospitalized for almost two months: "the same Muslims who followed him and held him in high esteem when he was their imam now cannot accept his new status."
Egypt: Two incidents of "blasphemy" convictions occurred: 1) A juvenile court sentenced a Coptic Christian teenager to three years in prison for allegedly "insulting Islam," due to claims that he posted unflattering cartoons of Muhammad on Facebook. When the incident originally came to light, Muslims rioted, fire-bombing his home and at least five other Christian-owned homes. 2) Another judge upheld a six-year prison sentence for a Christian convicted of "blasphemy": after a Muslim had told the 49-year old Christian convict that Jesus had illegal sex with at least ten women, the Christian countered "by stating that Muhammad, the founder of the Islamic religion, had more than four wives—a view commonly held by Islamic scholars." Police subsequently arrested him and, in a 10-minute mock trial with no defense attorney present, the judge sentenced him to six years in prison for "insulting the prophet."
Iran: A Christian convert from Islam has been sentenced to six years in prison. Originally arrested in December 2010 as part of a major crackdown on the country's house church movement, "the married father of two has been held in the notorious Evin prison ever since, spending several months in solitary confinement," where he was likely goaded into returning to Islam. He is accused of "action against the regime's security, being in contact with foreign organizations and religious propaganda." In short, according to Iranian Christians, "his 'crime' was practicing his Christian faith."
Pakistan: Two incidents of "blasphemy" charges occurred: 1) A Christian man was arrested and charged with "blasphemy" for rescuing his 8-year-old nephew from a beating at the hands of Muslim boys who sought to force the boy to convert to Islam. "Seeing the attack from a distance, Masih [the man] shouted and rushed to the scene, rescued his nephew and then went to his work as a painter. Soon after the incident, a Muslim mob of about 55 led by the village prayer leader besieged Masih's house," insisting that "the blasphemer" be turned over to them. He was eventually released from prison, after being threatened and harassed by Muslim inmates and jail officials. 2) The mother of a newborn baby has been illegally jailed for over a month: authorities have failed to file a charge sheet within the mandatory 14-day period against the 26-year-old Christian woman accused of "blaspheming" the prophet of Islam. The woman was arrested after neighbors accused her of "uttering remarks against Muhammad."
Philippines: Two pastors were slaughtered by Muslim assailants: 1) A former Muslim who became a Christian pastor was murdered in front of his wife in his home: "My husband staggered into our bedroom and I was shocked because he was full of blood," she recalled. "I brought him to the hospital right away. He was operated on for eight bullet wounds, but did not survive." The Philippines is a mostly Christian nation, but in the south, "Muslim fundamentalists are trying to build an Islamic state. Christians there face persecution and even death…. This year, at least four house churches closed down after their pastors and lay leaders were killed by Muslim extremists." 2) Another pastor was shot in the head five times and killed by two "unknown gunmen" in front of his teenage daughter.
Dhimmitude
[General Abuse, Debasement, and Suppression of non-Muslims as "Tolerated" Citizens]
Egypt: A recent "reconciliation meeting" between members of a sword-wielding Muslim mob that earlier brutalized a Christian school proved to be "nothing less than an attempt at legalized extortion." In exchange for peace, members of the mob that stormed the school last month without provocation—holding two nuns hostage for several hours—demanded in the meetings that the school sign over land that includes the guesthouse they attacked. "Human rights groups and Coptic rights activists, say the meetings are just a way to pressure powerless groups and people into giving away what little rights they have." Likewise, the judges appointed to investigate the Maspero massacre, which claimed the lives of 27 Christians and injured 329, closed the case, due to "lack of identification of the culprits." As one Christian lawyer put it: "We said all along that it was just a show and this is the outcome we got."
India: Muslims stormed and terrorized a home where a Christian prayer meeting was being held, beating the Christians, including a 65-year-old widow. The Muslims "called them pagans as they kicked, slapped and pushed the Christians…. The Christians were running in all directions for their lives, including the children who were crying in fear," even as one Muslim, "brandishing a sickle, chased many of them, hurling all kinds of insults and attempting to murder them all…. 500 Muslims had gathered and were watching in amusement as the extremists chased and harassed the Christians for about 90 minutes."
Iran: Historical Christian monuments, including churches and Christian cemeteries, continue to be destroyed or allowed to fall into a state of decay as the Islamist authorities try to wipe out the country's Christian heritage: "It seems that Islamic Republic officials, unsuccessful in stopping the growth of Christianity among the people by pressuring them, arresting them and banning Christian converts from attending church services, want to destroy historical Christian monuments to totally wipe the Christian heritage from the face of Iran."
Pakistan: Yet another study demonstrates that Pakistani school textbooks "promote religious fanaticism, discriminate against minorities and trigger religious conflicts." Christians and Hindus "are obliged to learn the basics of Islam"—studying the Koran is mandatory—while their own religions are openly denigrated. Even in subjects like social science and linguistics, "about 20% of the content is linked to Islam"; and non-Muslim students receive "bonus points" if they excel in Islamic studies.
Syria: Almost the entire Christian population—nearly 60,000—of the city of Homs, the nation's third largest, have fled as fighting between the government and anti-government, largely Islamist, forces continues. Reportedly only 1,000 Christians remain. Opposition forces are attacking churches and other Christian centers; "Muslim neighbors are turning on the Christians. Christians have also suffered kidnappings and gruesome murders. Some Christian families, unable to pay a ransom for their relatives' release and fearing that they may be tortured, have been driven to ask the kidnappers to kill their loved ones at once."
Tunisia: After the Russian ambassador stood up for an Orthodox church under attack (see above, under "church attacks"), the Russian school located behind the church as well as the Christian cemetery in Tunis were vandalized. The walls of the school and religious frescoes were smeared with fecal matter, while the cemetery's crosses were destroyed. Meanwhile, the new "Arab-spring" government has shown its "manifest indifference with regard to minorities' right to protection."
Turkey: The nation's Greek Orthodox citizens living on the island of Gökçeada (Imbros) in the north Aegean cannot buy property on the island, though it is an easy matter for Muslims: "The Land Registry office has admitted to preventing non-Muslims from buying property, citing a National Security Council (MGK) decision, but refused to give further details."
About this Series
Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching epidemic proportions, "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes:
Intrinsically, to document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, Muslim persecution of Christians.
Instrumentally, to show that such persecution is not "random," but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Sharia.
Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; apostasy and blasphemy laws; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (tribute); overall expectations for Christians to behave like cowed "dhimmis" (barely tolerated citizens); and simple violence and murder. Oftentimes it is a combination thereof.
Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales—from Morocco in the west, to India in the east, and throughout the West, wherever there are Muslims—it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.
**Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.