LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 18/12

Bible Quotation for today
Matthew18/7 “Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling! For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person through whom the occasion comes! 18:8 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire. 18:9 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire. 18:10 See that you don’t despise one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. 18:11 For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost. 18:12 “What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine, go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray? 18:13 If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray. 18:14 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
The envoy who implicated al-Assad and Baghdad/By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/July 17/12
Egypt: “Slavery marriage” case sparks controversy/By Waleed Abdul Rahman/Asharq Al-Awsat/ July 17/12
Islamic Sodomy or 'Islamophobic Hoax'/By Raymond Ibrahim/Jihad Watch/July 17/12
Can the Brotherhood triumph in defeat/By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid/Asharq Alawsat/July 17/12

President Michel Suleiman Holds Talks in Turkey with Gul, Erdogan on Fate of 11 Pilgrims
Naharnet/ 17 July 2012/..President Michel Suleiman held talks with Turkish leaders on Tuesday about the fate of the 11 Lebanese Shiite pilgrims who were kidnapped in Syria two months ago.
"We told the Lebanese side that we will do our best to find the kidnapped pilgrims but our opportunities are also restricted," a diplomatic source told Agence France Presse after Suleiman's meeting with Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Ahead of his trip to Turkey, Suleiman told reporters earlier in the day that “there are some good signs” about the case of the 11 pilgrims. “I am exerting all efforts and holding contacts and routine meetings to secure their release,” he added.
Their abduction is not a democratic act and does not serve any cause, the president said.
Separately, Suleiman shrugged off fears of a civil strife in Lebanon, saying protestors who are blocking roads throughout the country are only harming themselves.
“There won’t be civil war in Lebanon and those who are carrying out such acts are only harming themselves and won’t find any benefit in their actions,” Suleiman told a delegation from the Kuwaiti Journalists Association in Baabda.
“As long as we are committed to the Taef (Accord), there is no fear on Lebanon from wars or civil strife,” he added.
Protestors have recently resorted to blocking streets and major highways throughout Lebanon to vent their anger at the kidnapping of the 11 Lebanese pilgrims in Syria, severe power cuts and the arrest of Lebanese soldiers in the killing of two Sheikhs at an army checkpoint in Kweikhat in Akkar district.
Salafist cleric Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir has also launched a sit-in in the southern city of Sidon, blocking its northern entrance, to protest the government’s failure to control non-state arms.
Describing it a “big mistake,” Suleiman said “there are efforts to reopen this road and hopefully the protestors would take the initiative to remove the sit-in at the start of Ramadan.”
On the situation in Syria, the president reiterated that the violence should stop.
The Syrian regime and the opposition “should agree on the (political) system, an electoral law accepted by everyone and head towards democracy,” he told the delegation.
“Eventually, there is no solution but through dialogue,” he said.

Aoun: Some Sides are Seeking to Break up Army into Militias
Naharnet /17 July 2012/Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun defended on Tuesday the Lebanese army, warning of attempts to create division among its ranks.
He said after the Change and Reform bloc’s weekly meeting: “Some sides are seeking to create division in the army to break it up into militias.”“We will not let this happen,” he declared.“We are reliving the period of the 1970s when the army was divided,” he noted.
“No minister can state that this issue is too great for us. Whoever says so can step down,” said the MP in an indirect reference to Interior Minister Marwan Charbel.The minister had said that the issue of Salafist Imam Sheikh Ahmed al-Asir is too great for his ministry and government to handle.
Aoun continued: “We do not oppose justice, but we object to its violation.”“Our past indicates that we have always defended the unity of the army and we reject its slaughter at the hand of fundamentalists,” added the lawmaker.
He explained that the FPM rally from Beirut’s Mathaf area to the Military Tribunal is in protest “against the blackmailing of the judiciary.”
“We are above the executive authority and we are responsible for Lebanon. We will not allow the repetition of the events of the 1970s,” stressed Aoun.
On the arrest of officers linked to the death of Sheikhs Ahmed Abdul Wahed and Mohammed Merheb, he asked: “Can we be informed of what was found in Abdul Wahed’s car? We heard that it contained alcoholic beverages. Were any RPGs found?” “We are taking this position first and foremost for the sake of the residents of Akkar,” said the FPM leader. “The justice, security forces, or the army cannot distance itself from Akkar, Beirut, and Electricite du Liban,” he added. The relatives of the officers detained in the case of Abdul Wahed and a number of army supporters on Monday blocked the Sarba-Jounieh road near an army barracks, declaring that they will not leave before the release of the generals. The military examining magistrate issued on Saturday arrest warrants against three army officers, who were released last week, in the case of the killing of Abdul Wahed and his companion at an army checkpoint in the Akkar town of al-Kweikhat in May.
Judge Riyad Abu Ghida questioned the three officers and ordered their re-arrest, the National News Agency reported. The three officers were transferred back to the military police jail.
Their release on bail last week along with eight soldiers arrested over the case angered the residents of the district of Akkar where Sheikhs Abdul Wahed and Mohammed Merheb were killed. Five other soldiers remain in custody. On the latest protests at EDL, he remarked: “The protesters are violating the law by holding their demonstration at a state institution.”
“Those inciting the workers should be imprisoned,” he stated. “The issue cannot be resolved without ending the protest and those involved in it,” he said. EDL contract employees, who have erected tents inside the EDL headquarters in Mar Mikhael, stressed that they would not end their sit-in until their salaries are paid and they officially become full timers. On Monday, the workers clashed with angry citizens who demanded to end the strike and allow full-timers to resume work normally. The employees launched a sit-in to call for their full-time employment and the payment of their June and July salaries.

IDF intelligence chief: Fall of Assad regime in Syria only a matter of time
By Jonathan Lis and The Associated Press | Jul.17, 2012/Haaretz /Maj. Gen. Aviv Kochavi tells Knesset committee that Golan Heights region could become like the Sinai Peninsula, due to growing presence of global Jihadists in Syria.
The regime of Bashar Assad in Syria will not overcome the uprising against it, although it might survive for anywhere between another two months and a little more than two years, Military Intelligence Chief Major General Aviv Kochavi told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday. Kochavi said that the Golan Heights region could turn into a theater of anti-Israel operations, similar to the Sinai Peninsula region, due the growing presence of global Jihadists in Syria. Kochavi showed the committee satellite photographs of Syrian artillery batteries firing indiscriminately into urban populated areas. Kochavi said that the Syrian military is acting in a "brutal" manner, indicating the Syrian military's despair over the fact that it can't find an effective way to suppress the riots. Kochavi said that the clashes in Syria are worsening on a daily basis, with 500 to 700 people being killed every week, and that the country is experiencing an accelerated process of Iraqization. The chances of a war between Israel and Syria are low, even as a last resort for Assad, Kochavi said. Assad has moved many of his forces from the Golan region to Damascus because he is not concerned about a conflict with Israel. Kochavi said that Iran and Hezbollah are preparing for the day after Assad's fall from power. "In Lebanon, there are today between 70,000-80,000 rockets that could hit Israel," he said. "The smuggling of rockets from Iran to Lebanon continues." According to Syrian activists, Syrian government forces used helicopter gunships to battle rebels in the capital Damascus overnight.
UN leader Ban Ki-moon was headed to China on Tuesday amid alarm over the spiraling violence in Syria and a diplomatic push to get Russia and China to back a tougher response to attacks by the Assad regime. Ban's trip comes ahead of a UN Security Council vote this week on whether to allow sanctions and military intervention in Syria if Assad's regime or insurgent forces fail to comply with a UN peace plan. Russia and China have blocked previous efforts to sanction Syria.

Mofaz announces Kadima leaving Netanyahu coalition
By Jonathan Lis | Jul.17, 2012/Haaretz
Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of Kadima Shaul Mofaz says 'there is no choice' but to end the 70-day partnership with Likud Party after talks on a new universal national service law failed.
Deputy Prime Minister and chairman of Kadima Shaul Mofaz announced on Tuesday that his Kadima party is leaving the governing coalition following disagreements over a universal draft law.
"Netanyahu has chosen to side with the draft-dodgers," Mofaz said after a Kadima meeting. "I have reached an understanding that the prime minister has not left us a choice and so we have responded."
He added that "there is an attempt here to bypass principles and confuse the public. It doesn’t fool me and it doesn’t fool the public."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu submitted early Tuesday afternoon what he termed a new and far-reaching legislative proposal intended to resolve the quarrel between Likud and Kadima regarding the wording of a new law which would equalize the burden of army service. The document was forwarded by Netanyahu confidant attorney David Shimron to attorney Alon Gellert, who has represented Kadima in talks between the parties. Sources close to the negotiations claimed that the proposal is intended to partly accept Kadima's demand that Haredim up to age 23 be drafted.
According to the Netanyahu proposal, the oldest age at which ultra-Orthodox would be drafted into the army will be 23. At the same time, incentives will be granted to Haredim who enlist at age 18. However, based on the Netanyahu proposal, young Haredim would be able to continue to push off their draft: Anyone who does not enlist until age 23 will not be able to enlist into the army, but only into an operational civil service that would include firefighting units, Magen David Adom, the Israel Police and the Prisons Service.
"Netanyahu thinks this is a proposal on the basis of which it is possible to reach agreement and bring about a historic and responsible change, the likes of which have not been seen since the establishment of the state," said sources involved in the negotiations.
Mofaz rejected the prime minister's proposal, which was submitted this morning. "Based on the proposal that was rejected, between the ages 18-23, for a lengthy period of time, only 50 percent of target subjects for the military draft would be drafted. Whereas 50 percent of those subject to the draft at ages 23-26 would be directed toward civil service," Mofaz explained. "Netanyahu's proposal contradicts the ruling of the High Court of Justice, does not conform to the principle of equality, is disproportionate and does not meet the tests of effectiveness that are set down in the High Court's ruling, or the principles of the committee on equalizing the burden of IDF service. Let's make this clear: We are referring to enlistment targets that do not include all of those eligible for the draft, and we are therefore countenancing a 'word- laundering' that in effect leaves the situation as it was." A senior Kadima official stated in response that the proposal is complete rubbish. "This is the same proposal that has been sent to us before, one time through (Ya'alon) and another time through (Ze'ev) Elkin. There is no compulsory draft here up to age 23."
On Monday, Netanyahu expressed optimism regarding the two parties' ability to formulate a joint legislative bill. Mofaz refused to say if he is set to leave the coalition, only stating, "We still face lengthy negotiations." Chairman of the Yisrael Beiteinu faction Avigdor Lieberman announced Monday that his party had received an irregular sanction by the coalition executive to support the draft law initiated by the party, even though the coalition had decided to oppose the law unilaterally. The law will be put up for the vote on Thursday.
In the past few days, feverish contacts have been held in an attempt to instigate a splintering of the party, such that seven faction members identified with the right would link with the Netanyahu coalition following the party's withdrawal from the coalition. Nonetheless, this number of MKs has not yet been reached. In the meantime, neither has the possible withdrawal of another group, supporters of Tzipi Livni, been resolved; such a group would serve as the vanguard of a new centrist party in the Knesset

Shabiha member: I raped and killed for $450 a month
Asharq Al-Awsat
London, Asharq Al-Awsat - A Shabiha member has revealed how he was transformed into a killer-for-hire at the hands of the Bashar al-Assad regime, and how he used to kill and rape for the equivalent of $450 per month before he fell captive to the Syrian rebels.
Mohammed (not his real name) who is currently being held in a cave in the Idleb province in northern Syria told the British Sunday Telegraph, that he knows his death is imminent. According to the newspaper, for the equivalent of $450 plus a $150 bonus for each victim, Mohammed became a hired killer. Worse still, Mohammed told the newspaper that he had enjoyed every minute of it. He said: "We love Assad because the government gave us all the power - if I wanted to take something, kill a person or rape a girl I could…The government gave me 30,000 Syrian pounds per month and an extra 10,000 per person that I captured or killed. I raped one girl, and my commander raped many times. It was normal."
Mohammed was captured a few weeks ago during an exchange of fire with units from the Free Syrian Army (FSA). He was imprisoned in the highland caves that were previously used by rebel units to hide from al-Assad’s forces and store weapons. However, after 16 months of the revolution, these caves have since transformed into prisons to house those captured from the regime’s forces.
According to the report in the Sunday Telegraph, Mohammed has a muscular, strong physique that meant he could be easily identified as a member of the Shabiha when he was caught, an affiliation that will ultimately seal his fate. Al-Assad’s ordinary soldiers may be treated as prisoners of war, but Shabiha figures such as Mohammed will be executed, given their notorious reputation across the province. Since he was under no illusions of mercy, Mohammed spoke to the newspaper openly about his crimes.
The Shabiha member said: “My friends were joining the Shabiha, and they encouraged me to come with them. I hesitated, and men in the local Air Force base beat me up until I agreed…I informed on people who didn't like Assad, I captured them and I put them in jail. The government gave me a gun”.
Mohammed recounted one of the calculated rapes that he and his associates would often commit, saying: “She was a student of Aleppo University. It was daytime and I was driving around the city with my boss. She was passing on the street. I said to my boss, 'What do you think about this girl? Is she not beautiful?'…We grabbed her and put her into the car. We drove to an abandoned home and we both raped her. After we finished we killed her. She knew our faces and our neighbours, so she could not live." He also admitted that he killed a man during an anti-Assad demonstration in the city.
According to the newspaper, Mohammed did not display any signs of nervousness that the reporter previously encountered when visiting those being held in rebel prisons in Libya, “where it was often obvious that some were following a confessional "script"”. The reporter went on to say that: “Instead, the only glimmer of emotion came when I asked him just why he seemed so emotionless.”
“I grew up in a normal family, and I was taught to respect women," he said. "But the devil took hold of my mind in those days."”

Uncertainty surrounds defection of Syrian intelligence chief Brigadier General Rustom Ghazali
By Caroline Akoum./Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat – Uncertainty surrounds the possible defection of senior Syrian military officer, Brigadier General Rustom Ghazali, head of Branch 227 of Syrian military intelligence. This comes after conflicting information has been reported regarding Ghazali’s defection, with Syrian opposition sources claiming that the high ranking officer has indeed defected from the al-Assad regime, with members of his family arriving in Amman. However other pro-regime sources have claimed that the report of Ghazali’s defection is a fabrication by the Syrian opposition with the objective of raising the morale of the “armed terrorists”.
The 59-year old general, Brigadier General Rustom Ghazali, who is a Sunni, was appointed as head of Syria’s military intelligence in Lebanon in 2002. He is considered to be part of Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle, and has served as head of Branch 227 of Syria’s military intelligence since the beginning of the revolution. Branch 227 has been implicated in cases of torture and crimes against humanity by Human Rights Watch.
Corroborating reports of Ghazali’s defection, Syrian opposition sources have claimed that the pro-regime Shabiha militia stormed the village of Qarfa in Daraa governorate, the hometown of the Ghazali family. Reports indicate that the Shabiha burned down cars and houses, and specifically targeted the Ghazali home. This comes after confirmation that members of the Ghazali family – not including Rustom – had fled the country for Jordan. Brigadier General Rustom Ghazali’s brother-in-law appeared on a YouTube video announcing his own defection from Daraa’s Air Force Intelligence Bureau to join the opposition Free Syrian Army [FSA] Saif al-Din Battalion.
However Rustom Ghazali himself, or at least somebody claiming to be the Syrian Brigadier General, conducted a telephone interview with the pro-Assad Addounia TV yesterday, during which he stressed that the reports of his defections were untrue and “evidence of the bankruptcy of the instigating media outlets.” Ghazali asserted “I continue to carry out my normal duties and operations along with all members of my family.”
However a senior FSA source denied this, informing Asharq Al-Awsat that Ghazali had indeed defected from the al-Assad regime, stressing that “information in our possession confirms that Ghazali has fled the country.” The source, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, revealed that “Ghazali has been trying to flee the country for quite a while, because he knows that he has been sentenced to death by the Syrian regime in light of the fact that he is one of the major witnesses in the case of the assassination of former [Lebanese] prime minister Rafik Hariri.”
For his part, Ahmed Ramadan, a member of the Syrian National Council [SNC] Executive Bureau told Asharq Al-Awsat that “we have received information about the defection of Rustom Ghazali, however we have been unable to confirm this, and the regime’s denial of this defection may be along the lines of what it did when General Manaf Tlass defected, which was later proven true.”
Ramadan revealed that this represents Ghazali’s third attempt to flee the country, adding that “approximately six weeks ago, Ghazali contacted the Syrian opposition and informed them of his desire to flee to Jordan and then to Paris, and preparations were made in this regard, however Ghazali soon retreated from his position for personal reasons which may be tied to his family’s departure from Syria.”
The senior SNC member informed Asharq Al-Awsat that after the al-Assad regime discovered Ghazali’s intentions to flee the country, it attempted to assassinate him with a car bomb that detonated too late
Ramadan also said he expected more defections to take place in the forthcoming period, adding this will include defections from al-Assad’s inner circle, some of whom are working to guarantee their family’s safe departure from Syria before joining them abroad. He also stressed that this state of affairs is evidence that the al-Assad regime is facing its end.
For his part, Samir al-Nashar, also of the SNC, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the defection of Rustom Ghazali – if confirmed – is evidence that the al-Assad regime is disintegrating from the inside. He expressed his regret that only Sunni figures are defecting, which is a dangerous indication that Syria is entering a state of civil war, which is the main objective of the al-Assad regime.
Al-Nashar stressed that “the massacres that are being committed by the Syrian regime against the Sunnis are all serving this objective and this therefore pushes Syria and the region as a whole towards a sectarian war. This war is being backed by Russia, which is providing al-Assad with political cover, namely the Annan plan, which supports his survival in power.”
He also indicated that the Syrian opposition, including the SNC, welcomes any defections from the al-Assad regime, particularly those figures whose defections contribute to the collapse of the regime. Al-Nashar confirmed that this does not mean that the Syrian opposition is coordinating with or aiding these defectors, particularly with regards to those officials who have been implicated in the deaths of the Syrian people, stressing that they will later be brought to trial for any crimes they committed for the al-Assad regime.
For his part, Adel al-Omari, a Daraa-based Syrian dissident told Asharq Al-Awsat that al-Assad regime forces raided the home of Rustom Ghazali yesterday morning. He revealed that “yesterday, one of his [Ghazali’s] relatives defected, and he is an officer in the Air Force Intelligence Bureau. As for today, we received information that Rustom Ghazali has defected, but we have not been able to obtain any other information.”
Al-Omari also denied the description of Ghazali as a defector, saying that all that is certain is that he has fled the country. He stressed that “he [Ghazali] is a traitor and we will not accept him joining the ranks of the opposition, particularly as he played a big part in suppressing the protests and killing Syrian people…so he is embroiled in the violence against the revolution, and he personally gave orders to kill and arrest.” He added “although we consider the SNC to be our legitimate representative, we – as the political activists on the ground – are well aware of the reality of the situation and are suffering more than the members of the SNC abroad.” As for Ghazali’s operations during the Syrian revolution, al-Omari told Asharq Al-Awsat that “he was head of operations at the Baathist party headquarters in Daraa, and he issued orders to kill families and arrest political activists.” He added that a large number of Ghazali family members had previously joined the Syrian revolution, many of whom defecting from the al-Assad military forces. Al-Omari also revealed that Ghazali’s duties for the al-Assad regime in Daraa included negotiating with the families of Daraa since the outbreak of the Syrian revolution.
For her part, prominent Syrian dissident Suhair al-Attasi revealed that “when we were imprisoned [in Daraa], Rustom Ghazali came to us to inform us of the forces that the Syrian people would face if they dared to do what the Libya people did. He made us understand and sent the message that the regime would kill the people [if they revolted]."

The envoy who implicated al-Assad and Baghdad
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
The Syrian Ambassador to Iraq’s defection was not only a slap in the face for the tyrant of Damascus; it also came as a blow to Nuri al-Maliki’s government, especially when you take into account the Iraqi president’s famous assessment of the events in Syria, when he said: “It has been one year and the regime did not fall, it will not fall, and why should it fall?”
After Syrian Ambassador Nawaf al-Fares defected, he revealed in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph that the al-Assad regime used to send terrorists to fight the Americans in Iraq and carry out terrorist operations there. It is amazing that al-Fares says he used to oversee this when he was governor of Deir Al-Zour, receiving “verbal commandments” from the al-Assad regime itself, which according to al-Fares had formed an alliance with al-Qaeda! Of course, the Iraqi government immediately felt confused [by this revelation], especially as al-Maliki has been a prominent defender of al-Assad, and Ali al-Moussawi, an advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, responded by saying: “We will pursue dissident Ambassador Nawaf al-Fares by all means possible, because he covertly facilitated the entry of criminal terrorists [into Iraq]”.
This is an incredible response, and it warrants several questions. Did the Iraqi government have to wait for the dissident ambassador’s revelation in order to know that al-Assad was behind the entry of terrorists into Iraq? Is it conceivable that when the Iraqi government wants to punish those who shed the blood of its citizens, it seeks to prosecute only Ambassador al-Fares, rather than taking a firm stand against the tyrant al-Assad who today is terrorizing his own people? This is unbelievable. Furthermore, ever since Hoshyar Zebari’s comments against al-Assad last week, the Iraqi government has been trying to mitigate the situation and display neutrality towards the Syrian regime, resorting to ridiculous statements about the need for a peaceful solution with al-Assad and ruling out the military option.
Therefore, it is clear that dissident Ambassador Nawaf al-Fares’ comments not only pose a problem for al-Assad, but also for the current Baghdad government blinded by sectarianism and Iranian influence. Iraq refuses to take the righteous stand with the Syrian people against the tyrant al-Assad, who has contributed significantly to instability in Iraq for almost 8 years. Even when al-Fares declares that he witnessed the smuggling of terrorists into Iraq via the Syrian border, under the orders of the al-Assad regime, the Iraqi government announces its intention to hunt down the dissident ambassador, rather than seeking to address the crimes of the al-Assad regime and alleviate the suffering of the Syrians and the wider region!
The truth is that al-Fares’ defection, whatever his previous positions, is an important development and represents a shock to the al-Assad regime, because it opens the door for further divisions within the tyrannical regime’s diplomatic corps, and this can only benefit the Syrian revolution.
The sole defection of a Syrian Ambassador served to confirm al-Assad’s crimes in Iraq and expose al-Maliki’s sectarian government. Imagine what would happen if the Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon defected, for example, and what we would learn about al-Assad’s crimes in that country! But what if al-Assad himself were to fall, surely this would mean that our region, and first and foremost the Syrians, would be free from a horrendous, bloodthirsty, criminal regime that has plagued the Middle East for the past 40 years!

Can the Brotherhood triumph in defeat?
By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid/Asharq Alawsat
During the days of the Libyan revolution’s conflict with the Gaddafi regime, one witty commenter observed a commander in the battlefield with a long beard, turban and traditional Arab clothing, with a group of similarly-dressed fighters behind him and cries of “Allahu Akbar” reverberating around, and said: “It was like watching a television series about Qaqaa ibn 'Amr al-Tamimi preparing to fight the battle of Qadissiya!”Those who closely observed the Libyan facts on the ground would have concluded logically that a battle spearheaded by the Islamists to overthrow Gaddafi was a stark indicator that the Islamists would be successful in the subsequent Libyan parliamentary elections. The Libyan Revolutionary Brigades, with their Islamic spirit, contributed to a brilliant victory over Gaddafi’s forces, and the revolutionaries cheered, chanted God’s name and fired their weapons in memory of the fallen martyrs. Most of the Libyan people are religious and tribal, and when Gaddafi first came to power, the opposition movement was originally fuelled by the religious forces. Hence, any close observer would have thought that the Libyan Islamists, in their various guises, would have swept the recent parliamentary elections with a landslide victory.Let us consider the parliamentary election results in other countries where revolutions broke out, such as Egypt and Tunisia. In these countries, societies are more open and the liberal currents are the oldest and most deeply rooted in the region, with considerable control over the traditional media. After the revolutions in Egypt and Tunisia, the heads of the old regimes fell but the state systems were fiercely maintained, with their respective joints and sovereign ministries. Despite all this, the Islamists achieved remarkable victories in the parliamentary elections, and so it seemed inevitable that the Libyan Islamists would score major victories in a country where both the leader and the regime have fallen, with the latter noticeably falling first.
However, when the winds of the Libyan election blew, there was no momentum for the Libyan Islamists’ ship, and suddenly the (liberal) National Forces Alliance (NFA), led by Mahmoud Jibril, imposed itself on the electoral scene. The Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Justice and Construction Party subsequently floundered, turning the balance upside down and leaving the door wide open to ponder what had happened, analyzing and interpreting the results of the Libyan political scene. Prior to the elections, some of the Islamists accused Jibril of being a remnant of Gaddafi’s regime, so will their subsequent loss prompt them to challenge the credibility and integrity of the process?
One of the factors behind the NFA’s triumph lies in the charismatic personality of its leader Mahmoud Jibril, whose term as interim Prime Minister of the Transitional National Council immediately after the revolution served as an early personal campaign drive. His political efficiency led to him becoming the trusted political face of the Libyan revolution, since the Western world mistrusted its flagrant Islamic roots. Along with President Abdul Jalil, he was able to form an influential connection with the outside world, especially the Western countries whose military intervention contributed to the revolution’s outcome and the overthrow of Gaddafi.
Another reason accounting for the success of Jibril and his alliance was the fact that he began his campaign immediately after his resignation from government, at a time when the Muslim Brotherhood and the rest of the Islamist factions were busy developing their party infrastructure.
Fragmentation is another contributing factor to the Islamists’ poor results in Libya, and this is a phenomenon that barely any Islamic faction in the Muslim and Arab world has been spared from. The Islamists in Libya put forward a number of competing parties and individual candidates; completely the opposite approach to Mahmoud Jibril who sought to galvanize different entities into one harmonious alliance.
The Islamists in Libya, under the leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood, now have no option but to accept the election results and even congratulate the winner, so as to demolish the pyramid of myths that have been constructed about them by their opponents, alleging that they would dismantle democracy if they came to power, or completely reject the democratic process if they were defeated. This is the only way the Islamists can triumph in defeat.

Egypt: “Slavery marriage” case sparks controversy
By Waleed Abdul Rahman/Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – The first case of a “melk al-yameen” [slavery] marriage in Egypt stirred religious controversy amongst Islamic scholars. This issue entered the spotlight after privately owned Egyptian television channel Dream TV, during its daily show “al-Haqeeqa” [The Truth], broadcast a “melk al-yameen” marriage ceremony earlier this month. “Melk al-Yameen” is referred to in the Holy Quran as “those whom your right hand possesses” and denotes women that have either been taken captive during battle and enslaved or are the descendants of slaves.
This marriage ceremony prompted Egypt’s Grand Mufti, Dr. Ali Gomaa to issue a fatwa describing “melk al-yameen” marriages to be religiously impermissible and akin to “adultery.” Whilst al-Azhar’s Islamic Research Centre described this form of marriage as an example of “apostasy and a return to jahiliyyah [state of ignorance of the divine guidance of God]” adding “this is not a marriage.” Islamic Religious scholars also informed Asharq Al-Awsat that this form of marriage is absurd and has no connection whatsoever to Islam today, adding that “melk al-yameen” marriages are extinct.
Egypt has witnessed the first case of “melk al-yameen” marriage following the 25 January revolution and the rise of the Islamist trend. This marriage ceremony was performed by a Muslim cleric who gave his name as “Abdul Raouf Aun”, and was conducted on the basis that the woman voluntarily gave ownership of herself to her husband, with this form of marriage not requiring witnesses or official confirmation. This marriage was between Aun himself and a woman who was identified as Nadia. The ceremony began with Nadia asserting that she “enslaved” herself to him, with the groom then accepting this “enslavement.” Following this, both Aun and his wife recited Surat al-Ikhlas.
Aun, who is promoting this form of marriage in Egypt, said “we, Muslims, usually complicate things a lot…the ‘melk al-yameen’ and mutaha [Shiite temporary] marriages were allowed during the time of Prophet Muhammad. We only acknowledge the normal, traditional marriage and even that we have complicated.”
In the first official response to this promotion of “melk al-yameen” marriages, the al-Azhar Islamic Research Centre issued a statement asserting that “melk al-yameen” is a form of marriage affiliated to the system of slavery that existed in the world during the early days of Islam, and Islam gradually clamped down on this system in terms of legislation. The statement stressed that Islam sought to end all forms of slavery. Dr. Ali Abdul Baqi, head of the al-Azhar Islamic Research Centre, stressed that “international laws and charters have been issued prohibiting slavery and enshrining human freedom, and so ‘melk al-yameen’ has ended, and it is no longer present and will not return.”
He added “talking about ‘melk al-yameen’ now represents a return to the era of jahiliyyah and an invitation to forbidden and sinful sexual relations; this does not constitute a marriage in any way, shape or form.” For his part, Egyptian Grand Mufti Dr. Ali Gomaa said that the objective of raising this issue today is to promote religious confusion and misunderstanding. He said “this is something that we have become used to from the enemies of Islam over the centuries…and we will not fall into this trap, but rather will explain and clarify the truth.”
He added that Islam had been subject to many distortions and suspicions, and has been attacked and besieged, with questions being raised about many cultural and economic religious issues.
The Egyptian Grand Mufti asserted that “every now and then we see such lies being repeated and witness a return to such suspicions, as if we have not addressed these issues…this is a form of…dressing up falsehoods as the truth.” He clarified that when Islam was being revealed, slavery was predominant across the world, describing slavery as a system by which human beings enslaved one another, so that a man or woman could be considered property, and sold.
Gomaa stressed “there were four types of slavery [during the early Islamic period]. Slavery of debtors, namely if somebody owes somebody else money and cannot pay him back, then the creditor owns him, whilst if the debt is greater than this man’s value, he would also own his wife and children. Then there was forcible slavery, namely if a man, woman or child is kidnapped or abducted and forcibly sold into slavery, and Islam came and banned this form of slavery, declaring it religiously impermissible. Then there is the issue of starvation, namely if somebody cannot feed their children then they can sell them, and this is something that is happening even today in India, and is something that was also prohibited by Islam. Islam prohibited the killing or selling of one’s children. Finally there is slavery by warfare, namely war captives, and so the imam or Caliph would be in charge of the captured prisoners, and it would be his decision whether to exchange captured prisoners for Muslim prisoners or to sell them into slavery, however Islam also asserted that it is a good deed to free prisoners or slaves, and that one may atone for his sins by freeing slaves.”
He said “Islam came and prohibited three forms of slavery, whilst one remained. Islam also encouraged the freeing of slaves, to the point that freeing a slave became a means of worshipping God and atoning for one’s sins” adding “Islamic Sharia law yearns for freedom.”
Dr. Gomaa also asserted that in the 19th century slavery was abolished worldwide, whilst slavery was abolished in Egypt in 1877, whilst anybody found guilty of owning a slave was sentenced to hard labor under the law. He added “the woman who comes to the man and says that she has ‘enslaved’ herself to him, and who lives with the man as if this were a marriage, this is adultery and haram, for a free person cannot be under the hand of another person, even voluntarily. Even if somebody says this or is forcibly enslaved…they remain free.”
The Egyptian Grand Mufti said “whoever does this are slandering God, Islam and Muslims and changing what is religiously permissible and impermissible, for this is a form of adultery. This is all due to aggression and ignorance, for slavery in the Islamic world ended more than 153 years ago.”
For his part, Dr. Abddl Muti Bayoumi, a member of the al-Azhar Islamic Research Center, said “this form of marriage is a misunderstand” stressing that “melk al-yameen” marriage is a form of adultery, and calling on anybody who is marriage in this fashion to marry legitimately to ensure that they are not living in a state of sin.
Whilst Dr. Mohamed Rafat Osman, also of the al-Azhar Islamic Research Center, stressed that “melk al-yameen” marriage is nothing more than “flagrant adultery”, calling anybody who is married in such a manner to be punished under Islamic Sharia law. He said “God Almighty said ‘and those who guard their chastity, except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess – for (then) they are not to be blamed [Surat Al-Maarij, Verse 29 -30].’” He added “‘melk a-yameen’ [captives whom their right hand possess] was present in this time as prisoners were considered of this category…but this is something that only exists in ancient Islamic history.” Dr. Osman stressed that if there were a war between Muslims and non-Muslims today, Islam would not consider captured prisoners to be “melk al-yameen” because of the existence of international laws and decrees – which Islamic scholars and clerics unanimously approve – that prohibit slavery and govern the manner in which prisoners are dealt with.
For his part, al-Azhar University professor, Dr. Muhammad Wahdan, described the call for “melk al-yameen” marriages as “absurd” stressing “‘melk al-yameen’ ended in the first era of Islam, and the promotion of this form of marriage is a return to slavery, something that Islam freed the Muslims from.”
Whilst Dr. Amina Nasir, professor of religion and philosophy at al-Azhar University, stressed that “‘melk al-yameen’ was known to humanity centuries before Islam, and when Islam came it opened the door to get rid of this” adding “those who call for a return to the past are ignorant.”
For his part, Sheikh Mohamed Osman Bastawisi of Egypt’s Ministry of Awqaf [Islamic Endowments], stressed that “‘melk al-yameen’ marriage included certain conditions that do not apply to this era and which are not in our time, namely there are no captives and slaves in this era today, whilst this is something that only applied to wars between Muslims and non-Muslims, and in defense of land, honor and money, according to the scholars.”
He added “‘melk al-yameen’ marriage had its time, and Islam made this the least permissible option, as God Almighty said ‘this (permission) is for those among you who fear sin; but it is better for you that ye practice self-restraint. [Surat al-Nisa, Verse 25].’ Therefore scholars agree that this form of marriage was only applicable under two conditions, firstly inability to marry a freewoman, and secondly fear of sin.” He stressed that this Quranic verse, dealing with “melk al-yameen”, begins “if any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women” [Surat al-Nisa, Verse 25] and therefore this is something that was only applicable in the past under very specific conditions, and is not applicable today whatsoever.

If Damascus falls, Israel and its gas fields feared threatened
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 17, 2012ظSyrian military forces were gathered in Tuesday, July 17, to save Damascus.
Tanks and armored vehicles were positioned in strength in the capital’s center and around government buildings. However, the noise and fury of battle in the Syrian capital Tuesday, July 17, were produced, debkafile’s military sources report, by six battalions of Bashar Assad’s loyal Allawite militia in clashes with the rebels who captured the two southern suburbs of Meidan and Tadmon Monday. They are trying to pound the enemy into extinction before its forces reach central Damascus.
The two beleaguered districts are home to a quarter of the capital’s 1.8 million inhabitants.
The Syrian general staff has withdrawn its command headquarters to a well-fortified complex on Shuhada Street in the capital’s center. If Damascus falls and Assad is cornered, the entire region stands in peril of wider repercussions, because neither he nor Tehran will take defeat lying down. debkafile’s military sources report their campaign will be paced and scaled according to the momentum of the Syrian rebels’ advance on Bashar Assad’s door-step, which could be drawn out and bloody.
On the Iranian-Hizballah list are Middle East oil installations as well as Israeli, US, Turkish, Saudi and Jordanian strategic targets.
Saturday, the Cypriot police captured a Hizballah terrorist before he could blow up an Israeli El Al flight and tourist buses in Limassol.
Tehran is feared to be focusing on the Mediterranean island as part of a plot to set Israel’s Mediterranean gas field Tamar on fire. The field is 80 kilometers west of Haifa
It would be a spectacular curtain-raiser for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and for strikes against Gulf oil installations.
Navy Commander, Maj. Gen. Ram Rothberg called last week for an extra five warships and submarines to safeguard Israel’s burgeoning gas fields at the cost of a billion dollars.
The Syrian ruler has stoked up the menace by moving out of storage missiles and shells armed with mustard gas, sarin nerve gas and cyanide stockpiled for years.
They are on operational readiness at Homs, Latakia and Aleppo and, according to Nawaf Fares, Syrian ex-ambassador to Iraq who defected to the opposition, may already have been used against rebel concentrations.The longer the battle for Damascus goes on, the greater the danger that the Syrian ruler will release his poison-tipped missiles against Israel, Turkey and Jordan.

Two of 11 Lebanese abducted in Syria to be released: captors
July 17, 2012/ The Daily Star ظBEIRUT: Two of 11 Lebanese kidnapped in Syria in May of this year will be set free, their captors said in a statement carried by Al-Jazeera television Tuesday.
“In response to the calls by the committee of Muslim scholars in Lebanon we will release two of our guests to their families under the auspices of the committee ... and the state of Qatar,” the statement, the third to be carried by the Doha-based channel, said.The 11 men were kidnapped in the northern Syrian province of Aleppo on May 22 while on their way back from a pilgrimage in Iran.
The statement from the captors comes on the same day that President Michel Sleiman held talks with officials in Ankara on the issue of the 11 pilgrims.Local newspapers said Tuesday that Sleiman would likely seek to win the release of the hostages before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins Friday.In their statement, the captors said they held no enmity toward any sect in Lebanon but only objected to a speech by Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, “who justified the acts of Syrian President Bashar Assad and claiming that what was happening in Syria was just media fabrications.”

Lebanese Army accuses some MPs of incitement against the military
July 17, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The Lebanese Army accused some politicians Tuesday of inciting citizens against the military institution and urged those calling themselves friends of the Army to refrain from blocking roads.
“At a time when citizens are suffering from political and social [issues] and are demanding a variety of things, some parliamentarians and political leaders continue to incite against the army and defame some of its officers on a personal level, particularly on matters related to the Kwaikhat incident,” the army said in a statement. On May 20, two Muslim preachers were shot dead at a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Kwaikhat in the north of the country. In its statement Tuesday, the army said the behavior by some politicians indicated “intentions against the military institution” and accused them of purposely increasing the level of tension and chaos, which it said served at striking a blow at general stability in the country.
Citing the critical stage that the county was going through, the military called on politicians to demonstrate their national responsibilities. Tensions ran high Monday night when residents calling themselves friends of the Army blocked the vital highway connecting Beirut to Jounieh after the judiciary re-arrested army officers involved in the Kwaikhat case. The army said Tuesday it was not above the law and that it adhered to the judiciary in incidents involving the military, “and not to the objections of some groups or the wishes of street [action] from here and there or the scoring of cheap political and electoral points.” It also warned that it reserved the right to sue those harming the army and “the dignity of its soldiers.”“[The army] calls on media to cooperate with it and return to [the army] to elicit accurate information,” the statement added. Turning to the issue of groups voicing their support to the military, the army urged “those sympathizing with the army for any reason to take down their signs of support and stop protests and road blocking which harms the interest of citizens and their daily lives.”The army also criticized the dissemination of false information by some media outlets about the army’s movements as well as security leaks that “threaten national security in the country and the safety of the judicial investigation in the Kwaikhat incident.”

Islamic Sodomy or 'Islamophobic Hoax'?
by Raymond Ibrahim/Jihad Watch
July 14, 2012
http://www.meforum.org/3286/islamic-sodomy-islamophobic-hoax
In "Sodomy for the Sake of Islam," I wrote about Abdullah al-Asiri, the 2009 suicide-bomber who inserted explosives in his rectum, and how news emerged later that he likely relied on a fatwa permitting sodomy to "widen" his anus to accommodate the explosives. (Click here for a graphic picture of the aftermath of this approach.)
It wasn't long before the infamous "hoax!" charge appeared—this time over at the anti-Israel, pro-Palestinian website, Electronic Intifada (henceforth EI). Writing that "The Advocate, an important US-based national gay and lesbian news magazine, has published a homophobic, racist, sectarian and Islamophobic hoax as if it is actual news," one Benjamin Doherty unequivocally denounces my article, the Advocate's source, as "pure nonsense," a "vile Islamophobic hoax," and a "defamatory joke targeting Muslims."
Amazingly, despite all this sure language, the fact is, EI does not offer a shred of evidence to counter my article.
Consider:
The first couple paragraphs are, as mentioned, devoted to portraying my article as a "homophobic, racist, sectarian and Islamophobic hoax," with sporadic attacks on the David Horowitz Freedom Center, where I am a fellow.
So far, no evidence, just the usual smear campaign and ad hominem attacks to set the stage and influence the gullible and naïve.
Next EI spends time bemoaning how the Advocate mistakenly thought that the man who appears in the video I linked to was the actual cleric issuing the anus-fatwa, when in fact he is the man reporting on it, Abdullah al-Khallaf.
I had written, "A 2010 Arabic news video that aired on Fadak TV gives the details. Apparently a cleric, one Abu al-Dema al-Qasab, informed al-Asiri and other jihadis of an innovative and unprecedented way to execute martyrdom operations…" By linking to that video, I was indicating my source of information—not saying "the man who appears talking is Abu al-Dema."
Either way, this misreading by Advocate is neither here nor there, and has absolutely nothing to do with the issue at hand: does such a fatwa exist or not? It's just filler dressed as "evidence."
Then, as if more unnecessary fluff was needed, EI offers a long retranslation of the sodomy fatwa, with no discernible difference between the substance of their translation and mine.
Mind you, we are more than halfway through this rambling diatribe that began by repeatedly screaming "hoax," and still no evidence, though language implying the "proof" has already been given begins to appear. For example, EI casually goes on to declare that "Al-Khallaf reads the item [the fatwa] from the website as if it is real." Well, why shouldn't he? EI has yet to give evidence that it is not real.
Finally, we come to the "proof"—the only section that is bolded in the EI article, to emphasize its "importance." EI claims that al-Khallaf
also characterizes the alleged protagonists as "Wahhabis." It appears his intention is to incite his audience's disgust at the supposed thinking and behavior of Wahhabi Sunni Muslims who, he suggests, will justify anything in pursuit of their goals.
And there it is—EI's "ironclad proof" that the sodomy fatwa is a hoax: Al-Khallaf must be an anti-Wahabbi Shiite, and "it appears his intention" is less than honest.
Sorry, EI: "appearances" and "intentions" do not constitute proof. After all, I can easily argue that it "appears" EI's "intention" in writing this article is simply to save face, since, as a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli website, it does not wish to see the recruitment of suicide bombers diminished by this scandal.
But that wouldn't be "proof," would it?
Needless to say, the rest of EI's arguments consist of (second-rate) sophistry, lies and contradictions.
EI asserts that the fatwa's
text appears to be at best an extremely vulgar joke and at worst sectarian defamation. It is written in a style commonly used for stories in which both the teller and listener know it is a joke or fiction…
Once again, EI continues treating "appearances" as proof. Whether it appears to be a "vulgar joke" or "sectarian defamation" is hardly evidence that the fatwa is a hoax. After all, fatwas almost always look like jokes to Western people, which is what EI is counting on.
Next, EI contradicts itself. First, Al-Khallaf is portrayed as reading the fatwa on the air to "incite his audience's disgust." Yet now, EI claims that the fatwa "is written in a style commonly used for stories in which both the teller and listener know it is a joke or fiction."
Question: How can al-Khallaf "incite his audience's disgust," if the fatwa, which he read in its entirety, "is written in a style commonly used for stories in which both the teller and listener [i.e., his audience] know it is a joke or fiction"?
EI continues grasping at straws:
Several features identify this story as a tasteless joke, especially the name "Sheikh Abu al-Dema al-Qasab." It translates to Sheikh Bloody Butcher. This is not a real person. The post is peppered with phrases like "it is said" and "only God knows" which indicate storytelling.
"Sheikh Bloody Butcher" is a typical pseudonym to preserve the identity of the cleric who came up with this anus-idea over at the frontlines of the jihad, where an extra level of anonymity is always expected and respected among Muslims; moreover, amongst jihadis, "Bloody Butcher" is a compliment—something of a "heroic" name. Even so, odd names for prominent sheikhs are not uncommon. Consider popular Sheikh Huwaini—whose name means "animal" no less than his behavior, including his desire to plunder non-Muslims of their money and buy infidel sex-slaves.
As for the claim that the fatwa is "peppered with phrases like 'it is said' and 'only God knows' which indicate storytelling," this is another barefaced lie by EI—not because those phrases do not appear in the fatwa, but because those phrases are standard and always appear in fatwas. I have yet to read an Arabic fatwa—past or present—that is not "peppered" with "it was said" and "Allah only knows." Yet, EI twists these authentic points to cast doubt on the fatwa among unsuspecting non-Muslims.
In short, for all its triumphant howling, EI fails to deliver, abysmally. The facts remain: such a fatwa does exist; it is written exactly like a fatwa (despite EI's intentional distortions); and a well-known Arabic program quoted it as fact—which is precisely what I originally reported in the first place.
Despite all this, weak knees quickly buckled before EI's hoax accusations. After demanding that Advocate retract their article, including through the usual "how could you of all people spread such hate" line, Advocate revised their article, including by changing the title from "Sodomy for Suicide Bombers" to "Researcher's Claim [that would be me] About Suicide Bombers Called False."
More comically, another website, Gay Star News, prompted by EI's lies, ran with an article titled "Anus gay terror video a hoax" (apparently now the actual video of talk show host al-Khallaf—who may be interested to learn he no longer exists—is also a "hoax").
Ironically, the editors of these websites seem to be unaware that EI is angry—not because of the well-documented facts that al-Asiri inserted explosives in his anus in order to murder someone he deceived into meeting by feigning goodwill, all in the name of Islam—but because the portrayal of this "noble jihadi" as a sodomite "incites … disgust" among Muslims, as EI clearly stated above in bold, thus demoralizing the jihad.
Get it? Suicidal jihadist killing apostates and infidels—no problem. But a homosexual?—never!
Update: Gatestone Institute, where my sodomy article first appeared, just forwarded me an email from EI's Doherty, where, in his attempt to get Gatestone to retract the article, he offers more "proof," writing "The Advocate, Gay Star News and The Electronic Intifada have all published evidence that the fatwa does not exist." This is yet another distortion: only Electronic Intifada—that is, Doherty himself—published "evidence," which we just saw, though his disingenuous wording suggests that Advocate and Gay Star News, who simply followed his lead, had independently verified the hoax charge, which they did not.
*Raymond Ibrahim is a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center and an Associate Fellow at the Middle East Forum.