LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 06/2013

Bible Quotation for today/A Tree and Its Fruit
Matthew 07/15-20: "Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside they are really like wild wolves. You will know them by what they do. Thorn bushes do not bear grapes, and briers do not bear figs. A healthy tree bears good fruit, but a poor tree bears bad fruit.18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a poor tree cannot bear good fruit. And any tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown in the fire. So then, you will know the false prophets by what they do.

Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources
Iran's Grand Designs/By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Alshaq Alawsat/February 06/13
Something's Rotten in Syria/By Abdullah Al-Otaibi/Asharq Alawsat/February 06/13
Muslim Persecution of Christians: November, 2012/by Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/February 06/13
The Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation: Threatening Peace Prospects (Part 1)/By: Matthew Levitt/Washington Institute/February 06/13
The People and their Leaders/By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat/February 06/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for February 06/13
Burgas reveals to EU Hezbollah's true nature
Bulgaria: Hezbollah behind Burgas attack
EU says it will discuss 'appropriate response' to Bulgaria bombing
Bulgaria blames Hezbollah for deadly anti-Israeli bomb
Lebanon says ready to work with Bulgaria in bomb probe
Israel bombs Hezbollah site in South Lebanon .
Canada Urges Aggressive Action to Isolate Hezbollah
U.S. official offers condolences to Kahwagi over slain officers
Hezbollah denies involvement in Arsal incident
Army seals off Arsal entrances
Future MPs take Hariri poll plan to Parliament
Roads blocked as protesters voice solidarity with Army
Army seals off Arsal entrances
Wanted Arsal man had links to Al-Qaeda: Lebanese Army
Mikati says lawmakers’ freedom of opinion intact
Activists hopeful of civil marriage law amendment
Iran: Tensions Escalate as Ahmadinejad Ally is Arrested
Ahmadinejad lands in Cairo 4-6 months before Iran reaches nuclear capacity.
Iran's Ahmadinejad lands in Egypt on historic visit
Israel's enemies: They're not all al-Qaeda
Syria attack: Don't ignite entire region
Memo gives basis for drone strikes on U.S. citizens
Syria opposition ponders steps after leader offers talks
Pressure mounts on Assad over Syria opposition offer
Alkhatib Returns to Cairo Amid Wave of Criticism
Prince Muqrin: Reform Will Continue in Earnest
Egypt opposition in muddle over call to oust Mursi

Burgas reveals to EU Hezbollah's true nature
By HERB KEINON, REUTERS 02/05/2013/Israel hopes the attack will convince the EU to place the group on terror blacklist; US hopes Hezbollah brought to account. In the wake of a Bulgarian investigation of the bomb attack that killed five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver last year in Burgas, both Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and the Administration of US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that Hezbollah must be held to account. The EU also responded and said it was committed to the fight against terror, "whoever stands behind it." Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu thanked the Bulgarians for what he said was their solid and professional investigation. Referring to the findings, which blamed Hezbollah’s military wing for involvement, Netanyahu said “there is only one Hezbollah, it is one organization with one leadership.”Netanyahu said the findings are additional proof of what Israel has long known, that Hezbollah and its Iranian sponsors are waging a terrorist war that “crosses borders and continents.” He said that attack in Bulgaria was just one of many that Hezbollah and Iran have planned and carried out, including attacks in Thailand, Kenya, Turkey, India, Azerbaijan, Cyprus and Georgia.
“The attack in Burgas was an attack on European soil against an EU country,” Netanyahu said. “We hope the Europeans will draw the necessary conclusions regarding the true nature of Hezbollah.”
Israel, which has been pressing a reluctant EU to place the group on its terror blacklist for nearly two decades, hopes the attack in Burgas will now convince the Europeans of the need to do so.
Echoing the Israeli response the Administration of US President Barack Obama said that Hezbollah must be held to account for the bomb attack and urged Europe and others to pursue an investigation into the incident.
"We call on our European partners as well as other members of the international community to take proactive action to uncover Hezbollah's infrastructure and disrupt the group's financing schemes and operational networks in order to prevent future attacks," said John Brennan, a top national security adviser to Obama.
"Bulgaria's investigation exposes Hezbollah for what it is - a terrorist group that is willing to recklessly attack innocent men, women, and children, and that poses a real and growing threat not only to Europe, but to the rest of the world," Brennan, Obama's nominee to head the CIA, said in a statement. "The United States will continue to provide the Bulgarian Government assistance in bringing the perpetrators of this heinous attack to justice," Brennan said.  The EU also reacted swiftly to the outcome of the Bulgarian investigation. Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief said, "The implications of the investigation need to be assessed seriously as they relate to a terrorist attack on EU soil, which resulted in the killing and injury of innocent civilians." Ashton added, "The terrorists who planned and carried out the Burgas attack must be brought to justice.
**Jpost.com staff contributed to this report

Bulgaria: Hezbollah behind Burgas attack
By REUTERS 02/05/2013/ After 7-month probe, Bulgarian interior minister announces that 2 Hezbollah terrorists involved in Burgas suicide bombing.
Bulgaria bus bomb. REUTERS
SOFIA - Two individuals with links to Lebanon's Shi'ite group Hezbollah were involved in a bomb attack on a bus in the Bulgarian resort of Burgas that killed five Israeli tourists last July, Bulgaria's interior minister said on Tuesday. The conclusions of the Bulgarian investigation may open the way for the European Union to join the United States in branding the Iranian-backed Hezbollah a terrorist organization since there is now a clear connection to an attack on EU territory. Three people were involved in the attack, two of whom had genuine passports from Australia and Canada, Tsvetan Tsvetanov told reporters after Bulgaria's national security council discussed the investigation. "We have established that the two were members of the militant wing of Hezbollah," Tsvetanov said. "There is data showing the financing and connection between Hezbollah and the two suspects."
Israel blamed the attack in the Black Sea city - which killed five Israeli tourists, their Bulgarian driver and the bomber - on Iran and Hezbollah, a powerful Shi'ite Islamist militia that is part of the Lebanese government.
Tehran has denied responsibility and accused Israel of plotting and carrying out the blast. Hezbollah has not publicly responded to charges by Israel and US agencies that it played a role.
The Netherlands said in August that the EU should follow the lead of the United States, which designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization in the 1990s, a move that would enable the EU to freeze Hezbollah's assets in Europe.

EU says it will discuss 'appropriate response' to Bulgaria bombing
February 05, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: The head of the EU said Tuesday European states needed to reflect carefully on the results of a probe implicating Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the 2012 bombing that claimed the lives of locals and Israeli tourists in Bulgaria. “The implications of the investigation need to be assessed seriously as they relate to a terrorist attack on EU soil, which resulted in the killing and injury of innocent civilians,” a statement from the office of Catherine Ashton, the high representative of the European Union, said. “The EU and member states will discuss the appropriate response based on all elements identified by the investigators,” the statement added.
Earlier Tuesday, Bulgaria’s interior minister said an investigation into the July 18, 2012, bus bombing in the Black Sea resort of Burgas pointed to the involvement of Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said three people were involved in the attack, two of whom had passports from Australia and Canada. "There is data showing the financing and connection between Hezbollah and the two suspects," Tsvetanov told reporters. "What can be established as a well-grounded assumption is that the two persons whose real identity has been determined belonged to the military wing of Hezbollah," he said. Ashton commended Bulgaria on its investigation, which she described as “demanding.” "The High Representative of the European Union Catherine Ashton takes note of the results of the investigation into the Burgas terrorist attack of 18 July 2012. She commends the Bulgarian authorities on the outcome of the demanding investigation process,” the statement said. Meanwhile Israel and the US welcomed the results and urged the EU to take action against the Lebanese group. “The attack in Burgas was an attack on European soil against a member of the European Union. We hope the Europeans will draw the necessary conclusions about the true character of Hezbollah," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. Israel and its ally the United States have pressured the EU to blacklist Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
Ashton stressed Tuesday the “need for a reflection over the outcome of the investigation,” adding that the EU member states would discuss “the appropriate response “based on all elements identified by the investigators." – With Agencies.

Hezbollah denies involvement in Arsal incident
February 05, 2013/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hezbollah denied Tuesday the party was involved in the Arsal incident that left two soldiers dead while Future Movement lawmakers said it was unacceptable to attack the Army or any other security agency.
Meanwhile, the Army remained on high alert in search for the gunmen behind Friday’s ambush as children distributed flowers to soldiers in a sign of solidarity with the military.“The Party has nothing to do with what happened in Arsal,” Hezbollah MP Nawwar Sahili told reporters at Parliament.
“Involving Hezbollah in the incidents is aimed at hurting Lebanon. If strife makes it to Lebanon then it will be impossible to remove and it will burn Lebanon with its Sunnis, Shiites and Christians,” he said.
The lawmaker was referring to remarks by some Future Movement MPs over the weekend who said Hezbollah was behind the clashes between gunmen and soldiers in the east Lebanon town.
Two soldiers were killed when the Army was ambushed Friday in the eastern town of Arsal by gunmen who retaliated after military intelligence personnel apprehended Khaled Hmayyed.
The Army has said that Hmayyed was wanted on several criminal charges, and the head of the Military Intelligence Brig. Gen. Edmond Fadel said Monday he was a member of Jabhat Al-Nusra, an Islamist group fighting alongside the opposition in Syria.
Sahili also said that lawmakers should be objective in such an incident.
“[Future Movement] MPs Mohammad Kabbara, Khaled Daher and Moeen Merehbi claimed that civilian vehicles belonging to Hezbollah were at the scene of the tragic incident and that a third party was involved in the attack,” Sahili said.
“All of that is deceptive and based on lies and fabrications,” he said, adding that the aim of such remarks was to transform the Arsal incident into a sectarian conflict.
Asked about allegations that the resistance group Friday buried one of its members who might have been involved in the clash, Sahili said the man died while performing his “Jihadist duty” in south Lebanon.
He voiced the party’s support for the Army, saying that the military institution is the guarantor of civil peace in the country.
Soldiers of the Army’s elite unit were stationed in five main points on the parameters of the eastern town of Arsal and applied tight measures restricting people’s movement in and out of the area.
Schoolchildren from the town visited the Army’s stations in Arsal and offered them flowers and small Lebanese flags, while voicing their support for the military and its measures.
The Future parliamentary bloc said any attacks on the military were unacceptable, calling for a transparent probe into the killing of Hmayyed and the two soldiers.
“It is unacceptable to attack the Army or any security institution regardless of the party it belongs to and it is also unacceptable to block roads in the face of the Army,” the Future parliamentary bloc said in statement after its weekly meeting. The bloc also said that the incident which they described as both tragic and dangerous “revealed mistakes that worsened the crisis and damaged stability by a media campaign against the town and its residents along with a wave of sectarian and confessional incitements.”
The lawmakers called for a transparent investigation into the incident.
“The bloc calls on President Michel Sleiman, the government and judicial authority to launch a transparent and just probe supervised by the military tribunal to reveal the circumstances of what happened starting with the killing of the victim Khaled Hmayyed particularly that the facts are strange and unclear and should exposed to the public,” the statement said.
The lack of such a probe, the bloc continues, would contribute to the deterioration of the situation that cannot be resolved in "revenge or terror," but in applying the law in a fair manner.
MP Walid Jumblatt also voiced a similar stance as Hezbollah, saying in a statement Tuesday attempts to place Arsal residents against the Army are aimed at creating strife.
Jumblatt also called for a transparent probe into the incident.
“Any attempts to involve Arsal against the Lebanese Army do not only contradict its national path but also aim at planting strife and serving a blow to stability,” Jumblatt said.
“What happened in Arsal, this proud Arab town that has struggled in the past and is always struggling for rightful causes, deserves a clear and transparent probe that clearly identified responsible parties and punish the perpetrators in accordance with the law away from the logic of revenge,” he added.
Prime Minister Najib Mikati, who has urged Arsal residents to cooperate with the Army and hand over the suspects, voiced support for the Army’s work Tuesday, saying that the perpetrators should be punished.
“We reiterate our support for the Army and reject any attack on it from anyone and we also stress the need to punish whoever attacked the military institution as such behavior is rejected and will be followed by the judiciary,” Mikati said. He added that political leaders should contribute to creating peaceful climates to lessen confessional and sectarian tensions.
The head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Michel Aoun said the state should regain its authority over Lebanese regions particularly in Akkar, Tripoli and Arsal, slamming Lebanon’s policy of disassociation from events in Syria. “We have warned so many times against dissociation when it comes to Lebanese lands and here is the state today losing its sovereignty in Akkar, Tripoli and Arsal while some Lebanese were swept into participating in the Syria war,” Aoun told reporters following the weekly meeting of his bloc. “The state should regain its sovereignty over all Lebanese areas that it has lost control over and strike the illegitimate arms,” he added.
Aoun also said that the Army should not avoid clashing with gunmen out of fear of a strife, adding that his party refused to transform events in Arsal into an incident effecting a single party.
“Crime has no religion or sect,” he said. The head of the FPM who has 10 ministers in the current Cabinet also criticized statements that affirm the Army is for all the Lebanese, saying: “Repeating such statements raise suspicions and the Army is for all people and of the people.”

U.S. official offers condolences to Kahwagi over slain officers
February 05, 2013/The Daily Star /BEIRUT: A United States military official visited Lebanon’s Army chief Gen. Jean Kahwagi Tuesday to offer condolences over the killing of two Lebanese soldiers in the eastern town of Arsal last week, a statement on the Army’s website said. U.S. military attaché Colonel David Brener, heading an official delegation, expressed deepest condolences for LAF personnel killed, said the statement.
The ambush that targeted the military on Friday killed Sergeant Ibrahim Zahraman, 32, who was laid to rest Saturday afternoon in his hometown of Akkar, north Lebanon and Captain Pierre Bashalani, 31, who was laid to rest in the Zahle town of Mreijet Sunday. U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Maura Connelly called Kahwagi Monday and offered condolences over the killings, voicing her country’s appreciation for the efforts of the Lebanese government as well as the Lebanese Army and the Internal Security Forces to counter violent extremists who threaten the safety of all those in Lebanon.

The Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation: Threatening Peace Prospects (Part 1)
Matthew Levitt/Washington Institute
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/testimony/LevittTestimony_20130205.pdf
U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Foreign Relations
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/the-fatah-hamas-reconciliation-threatening-peace-prospects-levitt
February 5, 2013
On February 5, Matthew Levitt, director of the Stein Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute, testified before the House regarding the implications of the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and its effects on the propects for Middle East peace. The following is an excerpt from his testimony.
DOWNLOAD PDF
In the eyes of many, reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas is a prerequisite for advancing peace between Israelis and Palestinians. The idea is that Palestinians cannot negotiate with Israel in any serious way when divided between the West Bank under the rule of the Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Gaza Strip under the rule of Hamas. To be sure, PA officials in the West Bank can make neither demands nor concessions when it comes to the Gaza Strip, which they do not control. But the same cannot be said for the West Bank, where the PA is firmly in control. There, in the West Bank, there is much that could be done that would improve the daily lives of Palestinians and Israelis both. But I will leave that line of reasoning to my colleague David Makovsky, with whom I am honored to appear before you today.
The other flaw behind the reasoning that sees Fatah-Hamas reconciliation as some kind of panacea is that Hamas has not changed. It remains committed to violence aimed at destroying Israel; refuses to acknowledge Israel's right to exist; and rejects the idea of a two-state solution. Indeed, Hamas's terms for reconciliation include a cessation of PA security cooperation with Israel, as well as demands that Hamas get control of key ministries like the Ministry of Interior (which oversees security services) and that no changes are made to Hamas's security services in the Gaza Strip. This, of course, would be the equivalent of inviting the fox into the henhouse. Absent reform and concessions on the part of Hamas, reconciliation between Fatah and Hamas would be the death knell of the peace process...
Download the PDF to read his full testimony.
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/uploads/Documents/testimony/LevittTestimony_20130205.pdf


Canada Urges Aggressive Action to Isolate Hezbollah
http://www.international.gc.ca/media/aff/news-communiques/2013/02/5a.aspx
February 5, 2013 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today issued the following statement:
“Canada commends Bulgaria for its thorough investigation of last summer’s heinous attack in Burgas.
“That Bulgaria has found convincing evidence of Hezbollah involvement in this carnage is, sadly, not surprising. It is yet more evidence of the depravity of Hezbollah.
“Canada remains a committed partner in the global struggle against terrorism in all of its forms.
“We urge the European Union and all partners who have not already done so to list Hezbollah as a terrorist entity and prosecute terrorist acts committed by this inhumane organization to the fullest possible extent.”
Canada listed Hezbollah as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code in December 2002 and listed its principal backer, Iran, as a state supporter of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act on September 7, 2012.
Canada takes the reported involvement of a dual national living in Lebanon very seriously and is working with Bulgarian authorities.

Israel bombs Hezbollah site in South Lebanon .
Monday, 04 February 2013 20:30 . .
Israeli aircraft have attacked targets in South Lebanon owned by Hezbollah.
Israeli aircraft have attacked targets in South Lebanon owned by Hezbollah, Lebanese and Israeli media outlets report. The official Lebanese news agency said that the Israeli Air Force flew sorties at supersonic speeds all over the country, especially in the south, creating sonic booms to terrorise the civilian population.
The Israeli government has made no comment about the reports. The only Israeli media outlet which reported the incident was Maariv Hebrew daily, which attributed it to the Lebanese media.
Security sources said that the Israelis attacked an electronic radio centre owned by Hezbollah in Al-Nabateyyeh. Hezbollah's own security officers sealed-off the area. No further details are available and there have been no reports of any casualties.

Ahmadinejad lands in Cairo 4-6 months before Iran reaches nuclear capacity.
DEBKAfile Special Report February 5, 2013
As Israel’s old and new parties face off in the haggling for places in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s third government coalition, they are missing hectic events in the background which spell big trouble on their country’s back, front and side doors. This was heralded not least by the arrival in Cairo Tuesday, Feb. 5, of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his offer of a pact with Egypt to “solve the Palestinian problem,” which in his terms means “wiping Israel off the map.”Iran’s main ally, the Syrian President Bashar Assad is already assured of his coalition with Moscow and Tehran for keeping his regime firmly in power for the foreseeable future. After nearly two years of bloody conflict for his overthrow, the Syrian opposition is knocking on Assad’s door cap in hand to plead with the tyrant for a negotiated end to the agony.
Opposition leader Mouaz al-Khatib has been bustling between US Vice President Joe Biden, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi at the Munich security conference, looking for a concerted multi-national effort to open Assad’s door. Iran’s National Security Director Saeed Jalili’s trip to Damascus Saturday, Feb. 2, was avowedly to plan retribution for Israel’s reported air strike on the Jamraya military complex and arms trucks near Damascus last Wednesday. But he also put in a word on behalf of negotiations and a request for Bashar Assad to state his terms for opening dialogue with the opposition.
The Syrian ruler is playing hard ball. His strongest card is his regime’s proven survivability in defiance of every Western forecast, including Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak’s confident prediction since early last year that he would be gone “in weeks.”
Even the Syrian rebels fighting him are beginning to see that they can’t defeat the Assad regime and his army – as debkafile has been reporting for the past year – so long as their archenemy is sustained by Moscow and Tehran with supplies of arms, oil, money and diplomatic support on call.
The Iranian nuclear front never pauses. Tehran can easily afford the optimism voiced by the Iranian foreign minister in Munich Monday, Feb. 4, about the “bilateral dialogue” offered by Vice President Biden, which he welcomed.
This is because Iran is no more than four to six months away from its goal.
Former Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Asher Yadlin, long perceived as the Israeli prime minister’s unofficial spokesman on the Iranian nuclear issue, spoke Monday in his capacity as the head of an Israel research tank, when he said in a lecture that Iran can “achieve breakout in four to six months.”
This would cross the last “red line” set by Netanyahu in his address to the UN last September.
The twin timelines of Syria and Iran look like converging round about May when Iran may have achieved its nuclear weapon capacity at the same time as Assad launches negotiations with his opponents for their capitulation.
Left in ruins would be the grand strategy the Obama administration sold Israel in the past four years, which many Israelis embraced, that it was necessary to break up the Tehran-Damascus-Hizballah axis before tackling the Iranian nuclear threat.
The approaching spring of 2013 will find Israel facing a hostile axis stronger than ever before and, moreover, armed with a nuclear weapon capability.
Netanyahu’s high-flown words about the first priority for his new government being to keep Iran from procuring a nuclear weapon are fast losing their meaning. Iran has already provided itself with all the necessary components for a nuclear device and needs no more than four to six months to assemble them.
It is therefore hardly surprising to find Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi, in search of help to save his country from disintegration, bankruptcy and chaos, turning to the rising force, Iran.
Last December, debkafile and other Middle East media reported that Morsi had invited the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Al Qods Brigades commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani for a consulation on the establishment of a militia for bolstering his and the Muslim Brotherhood’s hold on power.
This report though widely reported in Egyptian media was generally overlooked by news publications in Israel and the West.
Ahmadinejad lost no time in taking up the invitation to visit Cairo, arriving Tuesday at the head of the Iranian delegation to the 12th summit of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation which begins Feb. 6.
The first Iranian leader to visit Egypt in three decades, Ahmadinejad was already talking about a joint Egyptian-Iranian effort for solving the “Palestinian problem” and allowing him to pray on Temple Mount, Jerusalem. Solving the Palestinian problem in Iranian terms means wiping the state of Israel off the map.
As seen in his mind’s eye, this should be attainable by a powerful world bloc composed of a nuclear-armed Iran, Egypt, Syria and Hizballah which would triumph over Israel and seize Jerusalem from “the Zionist regime.”
Netanyahu and partners had better hurry up and cobble together their coalition before Israel’s enemies pull ahead.

Something's Rotten in Syria
By Abdullah Al-Otaibi/Asharq Alawsat
The title of this article is drawn from a famous line in "Hamlet", one of William Shakespeare's most renowned plays. However the subject of this article is about a reality that is even stranger than the fancies of novelists, playwrights and authors, namely a twenty-first century regime that is utilizing all kinds of weapons to kill its own people in front of a world that is not doing anything to stop this.
Over the past two years, the Syrian tragedy has continued to rage unabated while malice and rancor has spread to the point that this this has transformed into sectarian conflict resulting in oceans of blood. Bashar al-Assad consciously sought to ensure that such a situation prevailed on the scene since his first day in power, virtually guaranteeing sectarian sedition in Syria. This is something that will be exceedingly difficult for Assad’s success–whoever he might be—to quell.
Politically speaking, a humanitarian tragedy such as this could not have continued in Syria were it not already a center for international and regional struggles, particularly during this tense time when western states—led by the US—are attempting to exercise certain options. However it has lately been revealed that these options were not accurately calculated, as reflected by Western officials' comments on what was later dubbed the Arab Spring. These options included the stubborn stances taken by China and the Russian Federation, which has relinquished all the Soviet Union's burdens and is today enjoying a booming economy. For its part, Moscow took the decision not to relinquish its only remaining stronghold in the region before guaranteeing its national interests.
Regionally, Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States have adopted a progressive stance towards the situation in Syria. This stance continues to develop and increase in terms of support at all international summits and conferences held to address the Syrian crisis. In fact, this stance spearheaded the Friends of Syria conference as well as other regional, Arab, and international conferences.
Amid this international movement, which has yet to resolve anything, we have also witnessed appalling human tragedies and unbelievable suffering. As a result of this, the Gulf States have complemented their political project towards Syria with a humanitarian one.
On 30 January 2013, Kuwait hosted an international conference for Syria's donor countries. The Gulf States had the strongest presence among these countries in terms of the support offered to the Syrian people. Kuwait, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE donated nearly one billion dollars—approximately 300 million dollars each—in aid. This was enough to provide humanitarian aid for the next five months, according to the Kuwaiti foreign minister. There can be no doubt that this is important humanitarian work that is complementing the political support. We are now seeing media outlets reporting news that may suggest a shift in international stances. The statements issued last week by Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, and following this by Foreign Minister Lavrov, suggested changes in Russia’s stubborn stance. This could be seen in the blame that was laid on Assad by Medvedev, which reached the point of rebuke.
Newly re-elected president Barack Obama said he will study the “feasibility" of making a move on Syria, while his Secretary of State Hilary Clinton issued a similar statement just prior to leaving office. Israel, with its characteristic security caution, has begun to launch military assaults in order to prevent the Assad regime transporting sophisticated arms with the objective of preventing such weapons being used against them in the future.
Iran, the Assad regime and Hezbollah have failed to take any action in response to the Israeli military assault; their battle is not against Israel but rather against the Syrian people. The Iranian regime relies on mere slogans in its battle with Israel, while over the past 40 years the Assad regime has been the best border guard that Israel could have wished for. As for Hezbollah, it has learned its lesson following past experiences.
In Syria, the Alawi community must find a way to distance itself from Bashar al-Assad and his hopeless political gambling that will only push the entire community towards further sufferings in the days to come.
There is nothing more odious than talk about abhorrent sectarianism, while the worst thing that a politician can do is attempt to exploit or utilize this phenomenon. Nevertheless, this is a fact on the ground in this part of the world which is full of such examples of abhorrent sectarianism. This represents a suppressed instinct throughout history and was present in various different societies; an illness that is either represented or exploited by different parties, groups or organizations.
It is not a historical heresy for the Islamic Republic of Iran to choose sectarianism as an extremely effective political card in many of its struggles since the country’s foundation, while this has only increased in recent years. In fact, Syria’s Alawi sect is at the heart of Iran’s sectarian policy.
The Alawites or the Nusayris in Syria have suffered historical grievances and religious abuse to the point of oppression. This was followed by political exploitation that caused them serious harm. As for historical injustice, this lies in misinformation about their history that long remained an obstinate source of ambiguity and mystery for independent Western and Arab researchers. This was a story each party tried to push towards a direction that suited their own inclinations and desires. Regarding the religious aversion towards the Alawites, this was exhibited equally by both the Sunnis and the Shi’ites. In fact, the Alawites were even ostracized by the Shi’ites who adhere to the same religious school of faith as them. Some Sunnis also exhibited another form of aversion in terms of how they depicted the Alawi community and their relationship with them. Regarding political exploitation, the Safavids attempted to use the Alawites against the Ottomans, whereas the French attempted to turn the Alawi community into an obstacle hindering the independence of the Levant. Following this we saw the manner in which the Alawi community was exploited more than ever before at the hands of Hafez al-Assad in the modern Syrian state, not to mention the Islamic Republic of Iran and more recently, Bashar al-Assad.
It is well known that the Alawites, like any other minorities, suffered historical oppression, however none of these other minorities adopted vengeful stances against the majority, nor did they place historical blame on them and use state powers against them. Here, one must emphasize that it can be useful to look at the current situation through the lens of history, particularly in terms of the historical relationship between doctrines and sects.
Regardless of what is driving today’s occurrences, the Alawi sect must not pay the price for the crimes committed by Assad, the son and the father. This is because viewing people as a whole based solely on their sectarian or tribal identity and loyalties defies logic, civilization and justice.
Numerous Orientalists have provided significant studies and research regarding the state of affairs in the Arab or oriental world, particularly in terms of sectarianism, tribalism and ethnicity. Regardless of these researchers' objectives and the possible exploitation of these studies for political goals, such studies are rich and beneficial and could serve as significant frames of reference for any serious attempt to analyze important changes in our modern history. This is despite the fact that numerous Arab researchers and historians have abstained from monitoring and analyzing the impacts of these facts under the bright and influential slogans of Arabism, Communism or Baathism.
The Syrian state of affairs, like Hamlet, will continue to seesaw between the malice of history, contradictions of reality and hope for the future. We can only hope that Hamlet will eventually find his way to salvation.

Prince Muqrin: Reform Will Continue in Earnest
By Fahd al-Zayabi/Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, the second deputy prime minister of Saudi Arabia, confirmed that efforts will continue in earnest to bring about the reform sought by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Salman bin Abdulaziz.
In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Prince Muqrin asserted that the recent royal decree paving the way for women to participate in the Shura Council comes within the context of a wider push for reform. This is in addition to the establishment of a national anti-corruption body, the development of judicial systems, and the introduction of councils and bodies to regulate and improve the oil and economy sectors. Prince Muqrin believed that any impartial observer would realize the extent of efforts that have been exerted in all areas during the era of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, spanning from scholarship programs to the increased opening of universities, with heavy impetus placed on the education and health sectors.
The second deputy prime minister also elaborated on his own personal drive for greater electronic exchange of information between government departments. According to Prince Muqrin, this will be a comprehensive and integrated service as citizens cannot get the full benefit through one ministry alone, but rather through the exchange and communication of information between various ministries and government sectors, which will benefit everyone. He added, “It is important that this electronic information exchange is linked to the needs of the citizens in various fields. We are living in an age where the pace of technological development is accelerating and we can only respond to this.” He expressed his high hopes of making significant strides in this area in the future.
Prince Muqrin believed he had received an esteemed royal vote of confidence with his appointment as second deputy prime minister, and felt overwhelmed with happiness and pride as a result. He stressed that this confidence is precious and comes with great responsibility, and so he has asked God to help him to bear it and perform to the best of his ability to please God, his king, and his country, especially his beloved citizens.
The second deputy prime minister also pointed out that he will carry out his duties in line with the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, namely giving the citizens the bulk of his attention and prioritizing the development of the homeland. He added that people will always have hopes and aspirations, and for a Saudi leader the major ambition should be for the country to access the ranks of the great powers, and for its people to achieve all their desires in the fields of health, education, the economy and so on.
Prince Muqrin Bin Abdulaziz has already served in several state roles, beginning his career as a pilot in the Saudi Royal Air Force in the 1970s and reaching the rank of “head of plans and operations division”. In 1980 he was appointed as emir of Hail province in northern Saudi Arabia, then as emir of Medina in 1999. At the end of 2005 he was appointed as head of Saudi Arabia’s general intelligence service before becoming a special royal adviser and envoy to King Abdullah in mid-2012. On 1 February 2013, a royal decree was passed announcing Prince Muqrin as the second deputy prime minister.

The People and their Leaders
By Hussein Shabokshi/Asharq Alawsat
The least you can say about Singapore is that it is an impressive and successful country by various standards and in spite of recent global experiences in general. It is no secret that this success is mainly down to the personality of one renowned politician; the former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew. This is the man behind Singapore’s glory; the man who transformed this small island from a port for pirates into an industrial and service engine on a par with the most important and largest economies in the world. He left his post some years ago after spending no less than 30 years as head of state; administering, planning, excelling, and transitioning his country towards the first world.
Today he has published an important new book offering his strategic political vision for China, the US and the wider world. It is a book published in conjunction with two of Harvard University’s most distinguished professors, namely Graham Allison and Ali Wyne, which reiterates the stature of the man, his thoughts, and the relevance of his views when it comes to major international affairs.
Lee’s opinions, with regards to China in particular, set a precedent in his day. Ever since the 1960s and 1970s he insisted that China was a racehorse for the future, and insisted upon basic Mandarin being taught in the official Singapore curriculum. For a country like Singapore that had just emerged from British colonialism, surrounded left and right by English speakers in a world where English was the global language of trade, this was an incomprehensible move at the time.
But Lee realized that China was a commercial force by nature, as proven by its huge diaspora community around the world and their notable successes and excellence. Thus he reasoned it was only a matter of time before the policy of openness adopted by the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, against the teachings of legendary communist leader Mao Zedong, would pay off, because it was consistent with China’s historic nature.
This is what Lee Kuan Yew wagered on. He was sure that China would become a pivotal country both economically and politically because it had already tasted success, and it would be satisfied with nothing other than first place. To this end, it would utilize the enormous cash flow it had generated as a result of ongoing economic successes. Lee also said that China would never be a liberal democracy like those in the West; rather its parliament would simply play an increasing and more advanced role, with a focus on fighting corruption whilst not sacrificing security or the continual development of the country’s education and economy. Lee believed that modern technology would be the most important engine to change the reality in China, and would lead it to change its current method of governance. By the year 2030, 70 or even 75 percent of the population in China’s cities, towns, and villages will have mobile phones or access to the internet and it will not be possible to rule in the same manner as it was in the past.
Lee Kuan Yew is among the exceptional leaders alive today. Other leaders have sought to adopt his vision and apply it to their own countries, like Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia who intends for his state to be the world’s leading industrial power by 2020, and is on track to do so. Likewise there is also the former South African president Nelson Mandela, whose model of governance is legendary. He put forward a genuine national model that united the country on one road on which all parties agreed on, whatever the differences between them. The same goes for Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Turkey, who provided an important example of leadership in a country that was at the wrong end of international lists in terms of production, governance and corruption, and the butt of many jokes. Edrogan directed the country towards a single goal, namely to develop its reputation through opening up to its surrounding environment by developing production, industry and services, along with Turkish politics and culture, but without harboring any colonial ambitions.
Let us compare the above examples with figures such as Saddam Hussein and Bashar al-Assad, who were ‘appointed’ to their countries and their people in the name of the Baath party; a deceptive movement that aimed to spread sedition, enslave the people, destroy their neighbors, and transform the country into a huge prison where people were excluded under the slogans of resistance and Arabism. Likewise, Muammar Gaddafi, with his Green Book project, transformed his country into a massive circus known as a “Jamahiriya”.
When a leader has a great vision, the people gravitate towards them continuously and sustainably. These leaders are the ones who make successful nations, while others are preoccupied with failure, and in his latest book, Lee Kuan Yew reminds us of that.

Iran's Grand Designs
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Alshaq Alawsat
We must commend Iran’s ability to preoccupy the world, financing crises and initiating battles in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Eritrea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, and Bahrain. This is not to mention south-east Asian and Central African countries, in addition to Tehran’s supporting its affiliates and agents in the west. Iran is akin to a superpower with a finger in every pie across the world. The natural question that must be asked here is: Where does Iran get all these funds and capabilities? Why don’t we see a richer country, such as Saudi Arabia, for example, with the same expansionist tendencies?
Iran certainly possesses a desire and enthusiasm to spend, or shall we say squander, its money setting up fires across the world. Iran excels at this type of activity so there can be no doubt that it is better at Saudi Arabia in ensuring the maximum value of every dollar spent to achieve this aim. However at a time when Iran has become financially bankrupt due to sanctions and military spending, Saudi Arabia enjoys a 700 billion dollar reserve. While Iran is wasting its funds on armed groups in Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere, not to mention Hezbollah; Saudi Arabia is spending huge amounts of money on scholarships for 150,000 students to study at western universities.
On the industrial level, Saudi Arabia has a wide industrial base built on petroleum products while the Iranian government spends its funds on developing and manufacturing arms. Two weeks ago, Tehran claimed to have sent a monkey into space as part of advanced scientific tests, however few believe this and the story transformed into a joke. While the day before yesterday, the Iranians claimed to have built a Stealth Fighter which includes the most sophisticated military aviation technology and is undetectable by radar. Prior to this, Tehran celebrated the building and launching of naval submarines that the Iranians claimed could compete with their American counterparts. Iran also periodically announces the development of missile systems, while critics insist that such missiles are similar to Saddam Hussein’s missiles, namely Russian missiles with Arabic or Islamic names. These missiles are then adjusted by reducing their payload, granting them a broader range.
What does Iran mean to say by way of its massive military spending and propaganda regarding its scientific achievements? Perhaps it aims to assert that it will be victorious in the next major war? Or that it is a superpower and therefore deserves a seat on the the UN Security Council? Or that it is a country capable of challenging international sanctions? Or is all of this merely propaganda aimed at the domestic scene in order to soothe the Iranian citizens who have paid for militarization and foreign adventures in order to satisfy the ego of President Ahmadinejad, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and the Supreme Leader. Inflation has eaten up the Iranian citizens savings and they now rely on government aid to buy bread and fuel. This propaganda is similar what the North Korean regime feeds its people, speaking of international conspiracies and military accomplishments. While during the Mao Zedong era, the Chinese state also distracted the people with such rhetoric.
It seems that Iran chooses to announce such achievements to coincide with international summits and conferences that aim to address Iranian issues, such as the nuclear program and economic sanctions.
Even those who say that military procurements, in terms of western arms deal, are terrible, the reality is that these are less than what Iran spends on military projects and foreign adventures that are doomed to failure.
In conclusion, were it not for Iran and its aggressive policy, the Americans would have no justification to deploy their battleships in the Gulf, or establish military bases across the land. Iran is the justification for every defensive weapon deal, and it is therefore the Iranians that are behind the tension that has dominated our region since the 1980s.

Alkhatib Returns to Cairo Amid Wave of Criticism
By Layal Abu Rahal /Beirut, Asharq Al-Awsat—Moaz Alkhatib, head of the Syrian National Coalition (SNC), returned from Germany to his headquarters in Cairo yesterday amid a wave of criticism and calls for his resignation. He subsequently sought to explain to skeptical members of the coalition the reasons behind his decision to hold talks with Russia and Iran, both of whom support the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad.
On Thursday evening Alkhatib met with the Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Salehi, after meeting with the Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and US vice president Joe Biden. All three officials considered the fact that Alkhatib was willing to engage with the Assad regime a “major step” towards resolving the crisis that has been ongoing for two years.
In remarks yesterday, Salehi said Alkhatib’s stance was a “good step forward”, after holding a meeting with the SNC leader on the sidelines of the Munich security conference. The Iranian minister went on to say he was pleased to have met with Alkhatib and the two of them had decided to continue talks in the future.
Alkhatib had previously issued a statement indicating his willingness to talk to representatives of the Assad regime on condition that they release 150,000 prisoners and issue passports to tens of thousands of displaced Syrians. This proposal initially drew sharp criticism from the SNC’s exiled leadership in Cairo.
However, Ali Bayanouni, a member of the SNC and political deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, told Asharq Al-Awsat, “The intention of SNC leader Moaz Alkhatib’s remarks, about his willingness to talk with the Syrian regime, is to enter into a dialogue only with those who do not have blood on their hands to ensure the ruling authority’s departure from power.”
He added, “This stance is in no way contrary to the orientations of the SNC . . . Alkhatib explained the intention behind his statement— which he said reflects his personal opinion—during a meeting of the SNC’s general assembly, and the SNC would welcome any political effort in order to achieve this goal.”
Bayanouni, who accompanied the SNC leader in Munich, believes that some have partially misunderstood Alkhatib’s statement. He was only ever willing to engage in dialogue with those who are not responsible for the Syrian bloodshed, in order to secure the departure of the regime. Bayanouni stressed that Alkhatib’s stance has never wavered from this position.
For his part, Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in Munich that a dialogue between the Syrian regime and the opposition would not provide a solution to the conflict in Syria. He said, “Some say there must be dialogue between the regime and the opposition, but this is the wrong way. It cannot be the solution.”

Muslim Persecution of Christians: November, 2012
by Raymond Ibrahim
Gatestone Institute
February 1, 2013
http://www.meforum.org/3442/muslim-persecution-of-christians-november-2012
Reports of Christian persecution by Muslims around the world during the month of Nove
mber include (but are not limited to) the following accounts. They are listed by form of persecution, and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity:
Church Attacks
Egypt: Following Friday afternoon prayers in northern Cairo, Salafi Muslims went to the construction site of a Coptic Orthodox Church service center, hanging a sign that read, "Masjed El Rahman," or "Mosque of the Merciful." They claimed that the church did not have the necessary permits to exist, even though local officials confirmed the church did have them. The Salafis occupied the construction center for some 24 hours. One of them reportedly said: "We have a small mosque at the end of the street and the presence of a church here will offend us."
Indonesia: Authorities in West Java sealed shut the worship building of yet another Christian Church (HKI) congregation that had been meeting for 20 years, after prominent Muslims persuaded residents to withdraw their signatures approving the church's existence. According to Indonesian law—and echoing Sharia law, which requires local Muslim approval for non-Muslim endeavors—60 non-Christian signatures are required for the church to exist. Because many Muslims withdrew their signatures, police sealed off the building. "While other churches in West Java have faced loud protests from Islamists dedicated to close them down, last week's closure took place quietly in 10 minutes," said one source. Also, a mob numbering in the hundreds and grouped under an Islamic banner surrounded two separate churches, threatening to use force to stop the congregations from building additional structures in their compounds. Some 200 police and military held them at bay.
Kenya: A blast at a church inside a police compound in the town of Garissa killed a police officer, who also served as the church's pastor, and injured at least 13 other people. The Islamic terrorist organization, al-Shabaab ("the Youth") is believed to be responsible. Their latest strategy is to hire "poor youths from Christian backgrounds" and use them to bomb Kenya's churches. "Using Muslims with a Christian background make it difficult to identify and stop would-be attackers, as they can seamlessly blend into a Christian congregation," say church leaders.
Nigeria: November 25 was yet another bloody Sunday for church goers in the Muslim-majority north of Nigeria: 11 people were killed when the Protestant church of St. Andrew was attacked by two consecutive suicide bombings: Shortly after mass, one suicide-bomber drove a minibus, loaded with explosives, into the church. Then, after a group of soldiers and civilians gathered on the spot, another jihadi detonated a car bomb, leaving 11 dead and 30 injured. Most of the victims were members of the church choir. Separately, three more Christians were ambushed and killed as they were traveling to mass.
Syria: Several churches were targeted by U.S.-supported jihadis. A bomb exploded near yet another Syriac Orthodox Church in Aleppo. According to the Assyrian International News Agency, "Scores of people were injured and killed. Estimates put the number killed between 20 and 80. The bomb damaged the Al Kalima ["The Word"] school and the Syrian French Hospital, as well as a nursing home." Also, the historic Arabic Evangelical Church of Aleppo was mined with explosives and blown up "by armed men, for pure sectarian hatred," according to its pastor, Ibrahim Nasir, who further expressed "bitterness and sadness of all Syrian citizens" for an act that makes Christians "inconsolable": "Today is the day when we cry out to Christ to say: my God, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Also a car bomb exploded in front of the Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, in the city of Raqqah, in northeastern Syria, causing two deaths, injuring a woman, and "spreading terror in the population."
Tanzania: According to an activist, "As of May [about] 25 churches and convents have been destroyed. This destruction is mostly confined to [semi-autonomous] Zanzibar where the population is 99 percent Muslim and openly hostile to Christians." One of the latest incidents revolved around a Muslim boy challenging a Christian boy to urinate on a copy of the Koran, and claiming that whoever did so would be transformed into an animal. After the Christian boy took up the challenge, word spread, and Muslims rioted: "the Christian boy was threatened with being beheaded and at least five churches were destroyed," including the Seven Day Church, the Anglican Church and the Assemblies of God Church. "To date, no arrests have been made in connection with attacks on churches in Zanzibar, leading many to question whether the local government condones these activities," observed the activist.
Apostasy, Blasphemy, and Proselytism
Egypt: On November 28, a Cairo court sentenced to death seven Egyptian Christians tried in absentia for allegedly participating in the creation of the YouTube Muhammad movie, which prompted violent protests in many Muslim countries. "The seven accused persons were convicted of insulting the Islamic religion through participating in producing and offering a movie that insults Islam and its prophet," Judge Saif al-Nasr Soliman said. Many of the seven deny any involvement, and say they are being scapegoated for other reasons.
Iran: British Christian legislators expressed concern about the "serious and growing persecution and discrimination" of Iranian Christians and said that at least dozens of believers remain detained amid a crackdown on Christian converts in Iran. Britain's All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) said the British government should pressure Iran "to uphold the fundamental right of religious freedom for all Iranian people." They also urged the release of Christians, including Pastor Farshid Fathi, who has been held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison since December 2010.
Maldives: Officials at the Male' Ibrahim Nasir International Airport seized 11 books about Christianity, from a Bangladeshi expatriate, Jathish Biswas, who came to the Maldives via Sri Lanka. He was arrested, spent 23 days in jail, and was then deported. According to him, "authorities treated me as if I wanted to destroy their nation by bringing in Christian books. They stripped me almost naked to see if I were carrying anything else. Customs and police officials would ask me question after question and deny me proper food." An American Christian was also later arrested and deported for alleged links with Biswas.
Nigeria: A rumor that a Christian man "blasphemed" against Islam sparked a massive riot in the northern Nigeria town of Bichi. Four people were killed and shops were looted. The riot came on the day the incoming head of the Anglican Church launched an initiative to promote "religious tolerance in Nigeria." According to a police official, "Rumors went round that someone blasphemed the Prophet [Muhammad] and there was a breakdown of law and order."
Pakistan: A Christian pastor, Karama Patras, was arrested after a Muslim mob attacked his home, and accused him of committing blasphemy, the highest punishment for which, according to Pakistan's penal code, is death. After conducting prayers in a Christian house, Muslims eavesdroppers overheard a discussion about the meat slaughtered during the Islamic festival of Eid al-Adha, which they reported to other local Muslims; by the time the pastor "reached home, he heard appeals on mosques' loudspeakers of Muslim clerics calling for Muslims to join hands to punish [the] infidel Pastor to teach him [a lesson for prohibition of this feast in Christianity." Muslim imams blasted on the loudspeakers from the minarets that "Pastor Karma Patras is [a] blasphemer and infidel liable to be killed," prompting hundreds of Muslims to attack his home, "mercilessly beating and kicking him and destroying his household," before police took him into custody. He has since been denied bail.
Somalia: Yet another Muslim convert to Christianity, 25-year-old Farhan Haji Mose, was attacked and executed by Islamic terrorists, Al-Shabaab, "the Youth." According to one of the witnesses—a crowd had assembled on a Friday to watch the slaughter of the Christian who embraced the "foreign religion of Christianity"—"His body was split into two, then carried away, only to be dumped near the beach of Barawa city." Friends and family did not risk recovering the body immediately, fearing that the militants would consider them guilty by association and kill them as well. According to the report, Al-Shabaab rebels have killed dozens of Christian converts from Islam since embarking on a campaign to rid Somalia of Christianity. The group seeks to impose an even stricter version of Sharia law on Somalia than the one enforced by the current transitional government in Mogadishu—a transitional government that, although portrayed as "moderate," also mandates the death penalty for apostates.
Dhimmitude
[General Abuse and Suppression of Non-Muslims as "Tolerated" Citizens]
Egypt: A 13-year-old Christian girl, Maggie Milad Fazez, while traveling by subway, had her hair shorn off by a veiled Muslim woman. When the girl entered the crowded train, she had inadvertently pushed the veiled woman to go inside, an act which led to a verbal exchange between them. The veiled woman told Maggie, who had long hair, "You don't know what I will do to you." When the schoolgirl left the train, she was shocked to find her hair cut off and lying on the collar of her jacket. Her Father said that Maggie has abstained from taking food and is suffering psychologically. This was the second time in one week that a schoolgirl has had her hair cut off. The first was a girl in the first grade. One Coptic activist asked the Minister of Interior to find this veiled women who is cutting the hair of students and bring her to trial. Another veiled schoolteacher in Luxor is currently being tried for cutting off the hair of two of her students last month because they did not wear the Islamic hijab headcovering.
Pakistan: In a Catholic church in the diocese of Faisalabad, in Punjab, the destruction caused by throwing stones at the statue of the Virgin Mary "brought horror, fear, dismay and anxiety." According to Fr. Mushtaq, "The author of this latest act of violence was a young 26 year-old local Muslim."
Philippines: In Muslim majority Mindanao, a Christian student and his Muslim girlfriend were shot by two motorcycle assassins. The 21-year-old man died; the woman was in serious condition. The motive of the attack is still unknown, but police is investigating whether the ambush was connected to the personal relationship of the victims. As the report correctly observes, "the relationship between a Muslim woman and a Christian man is considered 'haram' or forbidden among many Muslims."
Saudi Arabia: Following the conversion to Christianity and subsequent escape of a Saudi woman, the Wahhabi nation introduced a tracking system that monitors any cross-border movements by female Saudis. Using SMS technology, the tracking device alerts a woman's male guardian (father, husband, or other male relative) by text message when she leaves the country, even if they are travelling together. According to one Saudi writer, this latest move further shows how women are held under a "state of slavery" in the kingdom.
Sinai: A Christian Eritrean refugee held hostage by Bedouin traffickers for three months was given five days to raise U.S. $25,000 or face illegal organ harvesting. His case highlights a continuing lack of protection and assistance for refugees and migrants who are routinely abducted and abused by people traffickers in the Sinai Peninsular. Philemon Semere, 22, escaped from Eritrea to Ethiopia in 2010, where he sang in the church choir in Adi Harish Refugee Camp. Early in 2012, he traveled to Sudan and was attempting to reach Israel when he was abducted by traffickers, and taken to one of several torture and extortion facilities in the Sinai. He was beaten and abused regularly and, at that time, his captors asked him to provide U.S.$ 33,000 to ensure his release, or lose a kidney. While it is unknown what became of the Christian Eritrean, a more recent BBC report adds: "It is impossible, from so far away, to verify Philemon's case. But Christian Solidarity Worldwide, and other non-governmental organisations who have studied the kidnap trade, say it bears all the hallmarks of what is now an awful but thriving business in the Sinai region. Convinced that his family does not have the money to meet the kidnapper's demands, Philemon is clearly becoming desperate as their deadline nears: 'Please help. Please help me Mike. I haven't enough money, they will kill me. Please help me.'"
Syria: At least three more Christians were kidnapped in the context of the U.S.-supported jihad against Assad. Two of the victims were young men; the kidnappers demanded $100,000 USD in ransom for each. The third victim is a 17-year-old girl, who was abducted from the street by four men after they assaulted her 16-year-old brother, knocked him out, and drove off with her. "Violence against Assyrians has sharply risen in the last 12 months, much of it perpetrated by the rebel militia, especially by the Jihadist elements of the rebels," states the report.
About this Series
Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching pandemic 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; apostasy and blasphemy laws; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; 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.