Latest analysis, editorials, studies, reports, letters & Releases from miscellaneous sources For October 12/13

Full Executive Powers In Syria… And In Lebanon/By: Walid Choucair/Al Hayat/October 12/13
Searching For Lebanon/By: Husam Itani/ Al Hayat/October 12/13
Stories from the Egyptian Revolution Told by a Film, a Book, and a Journalist’s Testimony/By: Raghida Dergham/Al Hayat/October 12/13

Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources For October 12/13
Lebanese Related News

Singing Legend Wadih al-Safi Passes Away at 92

STL Asks Lebanese Authorities to Publish Merhi's Posters in the Media

Suleiman, Saniora Talks Fail to Reach Breakthrough on Lingering Crises

Man Allegedly behind Dahieh Blasts Killed in Syria Border 'Ambush'

Army Intervenes as Arrest of Jabal Mohsen Man Sparks Clashes with Bab al-Tabbaneh

Aoun Accuses Miqati of Escaping Oil Drilling Responsibilities

Jumblat Suggests Giving Veto Power to March 8 and 14 to Resolve Cabinet Stalemate

Optimism over Release of Aazaz Pilgrims as Families Prepare to Welcome Them

Charbel Says Extension of Suleiman's Mandate 'Inevitable'

Report: Terror Network Bombs Prepared in Syria

FPM Urges Election of 'Strong Christian President'

Saqr: Jumblat Has Repeatedly Mentioned My Links to Syria to Justify Hizbullah, Iran's Invasion

Salam Says Politicians Not Willing to Remove Cabinet Obstacles

Ziad Doueiri Says Risked Jail to Film in Israel

Germany Receives Second Batch of Syrian Refugees

Miscellaneous Reports And News

Netanyahu’s show of muscle comes too late to deter a nuclear Tehran

U.N. Council Backs Ban's Syria Disarmament Plan

Global Chemical Watchdog Wins Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. Captures Top Pakistani Taliban Leader Latif Mehsud

U.N. Leader Says Nobel Win Proof of Chemical Arms Threat
Egypt police fire teargas on pro- and anti-Mursi crowds

Rebels Kill Five Iranian Elite Troops 1

U.S. Air Force Fires General Overseeing Nuclear Missiles

Chemical Arms Team Begins First Syria Mission since Nobel Win, Doubles Team

12 Dead, 116 Saved as Boat Carrying Palestinians, Syrians Sinks off Egypt

6 Blasts Target Egypt Military Vehicles in Sinai, 6 Hurt
Kerry, Hollande Hail Nobel for Chemical Arms Watchdog

U.N. Rights Office Condemns 'Obscene' Iraqi Executions  

Singing Legend Wadih al-Safi Passes Away at 92
Naharnet /Renowned Lebanese singer Wadih al-Safi passed away on Friday after a battle with illness. Al-Safi, 92, died at Bellevue Medical Center in al-Metn's neighborhood of al-Mansourieh, al-Jadeed television reported.
The state-run National News Agency noted that the singer was transferred to the hospital at 7:30 pm, after falling ill at the house of his son, Tony. After the news of his death broke out, many singers took to social media to lament the loss of the cultural icon. Nawal al-Zoghbi took to Twitter to mourn al-Safi. "With great sadness, moments ago we lost a Lebanese mountain and pyramid. The great Wadih al-Safi. May he rest in peace,” she said.
"We have lost a Lebanese cedar. The world will have to wait a long time before witnessing such a voice, such ethics and such humility,” Ragheb Alameh tweeted. Carole Samaha said, also on Twitter: “The great Wadih al-Safi, your memory will never fade away..You have given a lot for art and Lebanon... My deepest condolences to your family.”“A big loss and great sadness towards a huge legend! You will live in our memories and hearts. Rest in peace Wadih al-Safi,” famed singer Elissa tweeted. Born Wadih Francis in 1921, the aspiring singer started his artistic journey at the age of 17 when he took part in a singing contest held by a Lebanese radio and was chosen the winner among fifty other competitors.His experience in the competition rose him to fame. After studying at the Beirut National Conservatory of Music, he began composing and performing songs that drew upon his rural upbringing and love of traditional melodies, blended with an urban sound, and creating a new style of modernized folk music.Al-Safi is a classically trained tenor and has written over 3000 songs.In addition to his Lebanese nationality, he has the French, Egyptian and Brazilian passports, according to the NNA.

Searching For Lebanon
Husam Itani/ Al Hayat
Friday 11 October 2013
Lebanon has disappeared. It is no longer easy to talk about its politics, economy, or any of its current affairs. This country has shriveled and become lost between the lines, while its fate has become linked to the outcome of wars and conflicts happening outside of it. There are no reports about its new government or political developments, the security situation is still witnessing relative mayhem, economy is still in recession and the state institutions are proceeding with their slow collapse. As for the issues tackled on a daily basis, they are closer to a farce than to real political life. They include the obstacles facing the distribution of the discovered oil wealth among the leaders of the sects and the ongoing aggressions against public property - especially maritime property - under official protection, at a time when the armed tribes are mobilized to face any emergency. This situation is encouraging the emergence of all sorts of astrologers and charlatans and rendering despair a key component of the air being breathed by the Lebanese.
But this is the first time in decades that the Arab region is swept by events, without seeing the flames of wars reaching Lebanese soil. At the same time, the paradox resides in the fact that this country's connection to what is happening around it, has grown way deeper than all the transformations it witnessed in the last seventy years since its independence. Indeed, the ongoing Arab changes have revealed Lebanon's drastic ties with its surrounding, more than all the speeches, volumes, conferences, and pacts related to brotherhood and cooperation.
The Lebanese politicians' main preoccupation is the Syrian revolution and the changes it might provoke at the level of the Lebanese situation. Consequently, hordes of strategic analysts are reading the maps and articles featured in the foreign press to see the direction of the coming winds, while the statements of a third-degree employee in the foreign ministry of the farthest country imaginable is seizing the attention of the "followers" and "experts." As for the politically ambitious, they are using the crisis of the Syrian refugees – one which features great dimensions – to serve their electoral interests and fuel the fears and sensitivities. In the meantime, the problems of the refugees and the ones that resulted from their unorganized presence in Lebanon are escalated.
The tight connection between the Lebanese situation and the situation around the region – in Syria in particular – makes it impossible to reach an internal settlement overcoming the fait accompli. In other words, the Lebanese people's contribution to the determination of their country's fate has gone from managing the national crisis to watching it unfold before their eyes.
Today, no major deal similar to the Taif Accord is possible between the Lebanese and there will be no redistribution of powers between the sects in light of the terrifying tensions. It is even impossible to hold a dialogue session in form at the Baabda presidential palace, as long as everyone is anticipating the outside developments and succumbing to their orders and requirements. This "outside" is not limited to a specific state or side. It encompasses the entire system of intertwining interests that have cost the Lebanese their remaining independence and their right to determine their fate, which should exclusively focus on the building of national interests.
In light of the current balance of powers, nothing can be done without threatening with a violent reaction by the injured party, whether this party is in the limelight or in hiding. Hence, the Lebanese are waiting and complaining, as this is the only consensus they have reached after the absence of political life and a serious media, and their distraction with minor issues, have become the main characteristics of this stage which marks the Arab spring countries' transition towards the unknown. Consequently, the caretaker government has turned into the most lively and active phenomenon in the countries of calm stalemate and decay.
In the meantime, the surprises have multiplied around Lebanon to the point where it became paraplegic, just standing by and watching in the hope that the circumstances will allow it to play some sort of role.

Full Executive Powers In Syria… And In Lebanon
Walid Choucair/Al Hayat
There is a story that immediately after the conclusion of the 2006 July 2006 war waged by Israel against Lebanon, Syrian President Bashar Assad asked his allies in Lebanon, via Hezbollah, to do everything in their power to change the government of then-Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. The March 14 coalition had the majority in the government, based on the results of the 2005 parliamentary elections.
Immediately after the war ended, the request came as follows: “You should bring in a government and get veto power in it.” The objective was to block the anti-Assad majority in the Cabinet that was on its way to helping establish the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which would try those responsible for assassinating the former prime minister, Rafik al-Hariri. A broader goal was to pave the way for changing the balance of power in Lebanon that followed the withdrawal of Syrian forces more than one year earlier.
Hezbollah and the allies of Damascus, especially Speaker Nabih Berri, considered the timing that Assad had requested to be considerable. He wanted to see this take place in September of that year. They resorted to a Lebanese scenario for this mission, especially since only days had gone by since Berri himself described the Siniora government as one of “political resistance.” The allies needed to resign from the government (on the pretext of objecting to Lebanon’s submitting a request for the establishment of the STL to the Security Council). When the resignations failed to have an effect, Hezbollah and its allies resorted to the famous open sit-in in downtown Beirut, which lasted for more than 17 months. When the sit-in failed to bring down the government, they resorted to a military invasion of Beirut on 7 May 2008, which ended in enshrining veto power in the Cabinet, via the famous Doha Accord. This agreement lasted until even after the rivals of Assad and Hezbollah won the majority in the 2009 parliamentary elections, whose results were “canceled” when the veto brought down the government of Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the beginning of 2011. This coincided with the STL’s indictment of four Hezbollah members in the assassination of Hariri, who was “brought down” on 14 February 2005, because he was preparing to win in the parliamentary elections and set up a government of “full executive powers.”
It is no coincidence that the efforts of Assad and Hezbollah in 2006 to gain veto power coincided with the former’s attack on Saudi Arabia at the time, when he famously spoke of “half-men.” It was no coincidence that the toppling of the Hariri government of 2011 coincided with the attempt to topple the agreement with Saudi Arabia, or the “S-S” (Syria-Saudi Arabia) initiative, to remove that country from Lebanon’s political equation. And it is no coincidence to see the insistence on wielding veto power in the government, which Tammam Salam is now trying to form, coincide with talk about a return of Saudi influence in Lebanon, with the resignation of the Najib Mikati government in March. But more importantly, it is no coincidence that talk of veto power in Lebanon’s Cabinet is coinciding with the continued search for a way to implement the famous part of the 30 June Geneva communiqué on the Syrian crisis. This provision stipulates the establishment of an authority with full executive powers to lead the transitional phase in that country. The essence of this search, which has been underway for more than 15 months, involves the question of whether Assad will hand over power to this government, to oversee new elections, and rehabilitate the army and state institutions, and conclude a national reconciliation, after the release of several hundred thousand detainees, etc. Or, will the transitional government be made up of loyalists and opposition members selected by the regime, so that Assad retains the fundamentally-important prerogatives of security and foreign policy? Currently, Washington and Moscow are working behind the scenes to prepare a working framework for Geneva 2, with an agreement to permit the implementation of the contentious provision of Geneva 1. Also, Washington continues to believe that Assad’s responsiveness to the Russian-American agreement to get rid of Syria’s chemical weapons does not mean that the US has abandoned its stance that Assad should leave power. Meanwhile, the Syrian president, Iran and Hezbollah believe that an international agreement will result in Assad’s staying on, and thus a transitional government with full executive powers in Syria is not an option. This means that the only political solution for an alliance of the regime with Iran and Syria is to see Assad continue in power. The alternative is the continuation of the war in Syria, with calculations about the regime’s ability to hang on after the specter of a US military strike has disappeared entirely. The same situation exists in Lebanon. There is no room for the establishment of a government with full executive powers, and veto power is a means to block such powers. If the government relies on its parliamentary majority, the threat to block the Cabinet’s actions in the street is the alternative.
It is not in vain that there is a threat of a vacuum in the entire “executive authority” of Lebanon, and not just the Cabinet. There are hints about a presidential vacuum next May as well. As long as the formation of an executive branch with full authority remains rejected in Syria, the same goes for Lebanon.
Assad insisted on veto power in 2006, to prevent the formation of a Cabinet with full powers in Lebanon after Syria’s departure. He is now trying, with Hezbollah and Iran, to prevent the formation of such a government in Syria and in Lebanon, to avoid being chased out of Syria.
 

Netanyahu’s show of muscle comes too late to deter a nuclear Tehran
http://www.debka.com/article/23349/Netanyahu’s-show-of-muscle-comes-too-late-to-deter-a-nuclear-Tehran
DEBKAfile Exclusive Analysis October 11, 2013/Israeli Air Force F-15 and F-16 fighter squadrons this week carried out exercises testing their capability to conduct missions at long ranges from base, the Israeli military said Thursday, Oct. 10. The drills included air-to-air refueling and dogfights against foreign combat planes. They were conducted together with Hellenic Air Force aircraft and naval units over the western Peloponnese and the Myrtoon Pelagos of Greece, shortly before the Six Power talks begin in Geneva on Iran’s nuclear program. Israeli commentators noted that the drill broadcast a message to Tehran that Israel’s military option for bombing its nuclear program was alive and kicking. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu bombarded European TV media with interviews warning their leaders that the Iranians were conning the world while continuing to develop a nuclear weapon capability. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he said. Prime Minister Netanyahu was acting as though he believed he still holds three spanners for throwing into Iran’s nuclear program:
1. The Israeli military as embodied in its air force;
2. European leaders, who are dismayed by President Barack Obama’s precipitate rapprochement with Tehran. Addressing them, Netanyahu warned: “Better no deal than a bad deal.”
3. The US Congress, on which he counts to block future presidential applications to approve the lifting in stages of sanctions against Iran, simply by withholding approval of his agreements with Tehran.
However, the truth which every Middle East and Western leaders knows by now, is that the battle against a nuclear Iran is lost.
President Obama has wound up his secret negotiations with Iran and instructed US delegates to put on the table of the Geneva negotiations on Oct. 15 the understandings or deals he has reached with Iranian leaders.
Those understandings are about to be endorsed by the P5+1 (the five permanent Security Council members plus Germany) for implementation in stages. They will leave Iran with the capacity, reduced but intact, to continue to enrich uranium along with its ability to use clandestine sites to house the nuclear weapons they are able to produce.
Netanyahu may keep on calling this a bad deal. But after all, it took shape on his watch as prime minister. And after Barack Obama became president in 2009, Israel failed to stall Iran’s race for a nuclear bomb – not in Parchin, Arak and Fordo – but in the White House.
The prime minister staged the long-distance air force drill more for domestic consumption than for use as a deterrent to impress Tehran. The Iranians have succeeded far too well in their diplomatic maneuvers to take much notice. They are sure the Netanyahu government will tire of its campaign, end up aligning once again with the Obama administration and swallow its deals with President Vladimir Putin on Iran, just as it did for Syria’s chemical weapons.
 

Salam Says Politicians Not Willing to Remove Cabinet Obstacles
Naharnet/Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam blamed on Friday politicians for his failure to form the new government although he said that he was still "devoted" to come up with a line-up. In remarks to reporters at Baabda palace after talks with President Michel Suleiman, Salam said he “felt that politicians are not willing to remove the obstacles” facing the formation of the cabinet. He promised however to follow up the issue with Suleiman through “transparency and devotion” and the “support of the people.” The PM-designate stressed that contacts with all political parties mainly with Speaker Nabih Berri, who is the head of the Amal movement, have been ongoing although at times at a slower rate. Salam hoped for a clearer picture after the Eid al-Adha holidays next week, stressing that he would not give up his task to form the cabinet unless he realized that his efforts would not bring any result. Salam has been trying since April to come up with a line-up but several conditions set by the rival parties have brought his task to a stalemate.
The PM-designate and Suleiman have backed a 24-member cabinet in which the rival March 8 and 14 camps, in addition to centrists would get eight ministers each. But several formulas have been in circulation, Salam said in response to a question. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat, who along with Salam and Suleiman form the centrist camp, said in remarks published Friday that giving the March 8 and 14 alliances nine ministers each and centrists six ministers would facilitate the PM-designate's task.

STL Asks Lebanese Authorities to Publish Merhi's Posters in the Media
Naharnet /Representatives of the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon delivered Friday posters of the new accused Hassan Habib Merhi to the Lebanese authorities “for the purpose of public advertisement,” the court said in a statement. “According to the Tribunal’s rules, the Lebanese authorities are requested to advertise the poster in the media to notify the public and to call on the accused to surrender to the Tribunal,” the STL added.
“The information given to the Lebanese authorities includes the biographical details of Mr. Merhi along with two identifying photographs,” it said. On Thursday, the STL said Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen confirmed an indictment against Merhi, who is accused of being involved in the February 14, 2005 Beirut attack that killed former Premier Rafik Hariri and 22 others. The confirmed indictment and an arrest warrant were transmitted confidentially to the Lebanese authorities on August 6 so that they could search for, arrest and transfer the accused to STL custody, announced the tribunal in a statement on Thursday. The Lebanese authorities were given 30 calendar days to carry out this obligation and report back on their efforts by September 5, 2013. On September 6, the Lebanese Prosecutor General submitted his confidential report to Tribunal President, Judge Sir David Baragwanath, stating that so far the accused has not been found. Subsequently, the STL President requested additional measures be taken by the Lebanese authorities. All of these steps have been confidential until now to allow the Lebanese authorities the best opportunity to apprehend the accused, continued the STL statement. Merhi, is charged with a number of crimes including the crime of conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act. He is alleged to have acted in a conspiracy with Hizbullah members Mustafa Amin Badreddine, Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hussein Hassan Oneissi, and Assad Hassan Sabra in relation to the attack on February 14, 2005, all of whom have already been indicted. The accused Merhi is alleged to have coordinated the preparation of the purported claim of responsibility as part of the preparations for and in furtherance of, the attack, said the STL statement.
The STL said Merhi is “a supporter of Hizbullah” who was born on December 12, 1965 in Beirut. “He is the son of Habib Merhi and Latifa Abbas,” it added, revealing that he has resided in Burj al-Barajneh and that “he is a citizen of Lebanon” whose “Lebanese civil registration is 1126/Zqaq-EI-Blat.”Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has rejected the STL, describing it as an American-Israeli product bent on destroying the party.
He has vowed never to cooperate with the tribunal, saying that the suspects will never be found.
 

Lebanese Army Intervenes as Arrest of Jabal Mohsen Man Sparks Clashes with Bab al-Tabbaneh
Naharnet/An army soldier was wounded on Friday as sniper gunfire erupted in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen and Syria Street, state-run National News Agency reported. “Gunshots were heard between Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen and sniper activity is taking place around Syria Street,” NNA said. “The army deployed heavily on the longstanding fighting frontiers and is responding to the sources of gunfire firmly and heavily,” the agency added. Meanwhile, al-Jadeed television said an elderly man who was in a public bus was injured at the al-Bazar frontier. It also said that the army diverted traffic to safer routes after sniper gunshots targeted the Abu Ali roundabout. Earlier, al-Jadeed said tension surged on the al-Bazar and al-Mallouleh frontiers after a man from Jabal Mohsen was arrested by security forces. It later identified the man as Arab Democratic Party official al-Nawwaseh, saying he was arrested by the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Bureau. Later on Friday, NNA said the army closed the Tripoli-Akkar international highway after the renewal of sniper activity in the area, as al-Jadeed said a young man identified as S. M. was wounded by sniper fire in the al-Baqqar area. "The sounds of explosions were heard in the area of Bab al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen, specifically in the vicinity of the al-Mallouleh roundabout, and they could have resulted from the explosion of a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG)," NNA added. A few hours later, LBCI said the army largely restored calm in the unrest zone, but noted that gunshots were still being heard. A military source told LBCI: "We fired at the two fighting parties in Tripoli, who shot back and hurled hand grenades at our armored personnel carriers, but no soldiers have been hurt."
Quoting the Arab Democratic Party, the main political and armed group in Jabal Mohsen, LBCI said "the unrest erupted after an Intelligence Bureau unit arrested a young man from Jabal Mohsen called Youssef Diab, which prompted residents to protest and fire shots in the air, the thing that provoked Bab al-Tabbaneh's residents and led to clashes." "The arrest of the young man in Jabal Mohsen is an attempt to eliminate the Alawite sect and it will not go unnoticed and we demand that the detainee be handed over to the army," LBCI quoted the party's leader Rifaat Eid as saying. Meanwhile, Tripoli MP Mohammed Kabbara, a member of al-Mustaqbal bloc, urged "our people in Bab al-Tabbaneh to leave things to the army and not to be dragged into a strife that 'the Assad barracks' in Jabal Mohsen is trying to ignite."
 

Aoun Accuses Miqati of Escaping Oil Drilling Responsibilities
Naharnet/Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Michel Aoun accused Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati on Friday of escaping his responsibilities rather than calling for a cabinet session to approve oil drilling decrees. Describing Miqati as the “hero” of irresponsibility in oil exploration, Aoun said the caretaker PM “is escaping his responsibility in calling for an oil session and everyone is accusing the other of rejecting such a session.”He also accused Miqati of not having the ability to resolve “patriotic issues.” “Is there a decision to dismantle the state,” he wondered ahead of an FPM conclave held at the Deir al-Kalaa country club in Beit Mery.
“Our natural resources should be used for development and not the division of shares. They neither belong to certain people nor to certain sects,” he said. “We should manage them well to prevent the sale of our land,” he added. Two decrees are yet to be approved to award tenders for offshore oil and gas exploration. Their approval would designate Lebanon’s 10 offshore blocks for exploration and determine the model for revenue sharing. Friday's meeting of senior FPM officials and key Change and Reform bloc MPs under Aoun is aimed at reassessing the movement's status and its ties with other parties. Aoun accused the authorities of paralyzing several draft-laws, such as benefits for the elderly and the import of diesel vehicles. He appealed to the people to unite with the FPM to fight corruption rather than cry on their ill fate. “We are not afraid of difficulties but the people should have awareness,” he said. He urged them not to become bystanders in corruption in the sate “because its continuity is the responsibility of all the people.” The FPM chief also called for a “sound executive authority which has an interest to serve the public.” Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has been trying since April to form a cabinet but he has blamed conditions set by the different parties on the failure to come up with a line-up.

Man Allegedly behind Dahieh Blasts Killed in Syria Border 'Ambush'
Naharnet /The man allegedly behind the blasts that rocked the southern suburbs of Beirut in August was killed in Syria, the state-run National News Agency reported on Friday. "Omar al-Atrash was killed in an armed ambush in the Naamat region in the Bekaa town of Arsal on the Lebanese-Syrian border,” the NNA said. It added: “Al-Atrash was killed along with Samer al-Hujeiri and their companion.”"A delegation from Arsal rushed to the site to recover the bodies and lay them to rest.” Al-Jadeed television, meanwhile, said al-Atrash was killed in a rocket attack targeting his group in Syria. But MTV said the men were killed when their car, that was booby-trapped, detonated. "Their bodies were found on the al-Zamarani road that connects Arsal to Ras Baalbek,” MTV added. "Tension was felt in Arsal when the news about their death broke out.” However, radio Voice of Lebanon (100.5) noted that the fugitives were killed on Thursday. Al-Manar television revealed last month several clues in the investigation of Beirut's Dahieh bombings on August 15. Al-Manar said that the car used in the explosion got in the hands of al-Atrash shortly before the blast, noting also that the vehicle underwent several transformations under the fugitive's supervision. The deadly explosion killed at least 22 people and wounded 325 others in Beirut's Rweiss neighborhood. Al-Atrash, who hails from Arsal, is allegedly involved in several other attacks in various Lebanese regions. On august 16, caretaker Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn revealed that “the Intelligence Directorate arrested Hasan Hussein Rayed on July 27, 2013 and he confessed to executing some terrorist operations and preparing booby-trapped cars in collaboration with Omar Ahmed al-Atrash and other culprits.”
“On May 28, 2013, Rayed participated together with Omar Ahmed al-Atrash and others in the killing of several troops on a Lebanese army checkpoint in the Wadi Hmayd area” in Arsal's outskirts, Ghosn said.
He added that Rayed was also involved in the Wadi Rafeq ambush that left four young men dead on June 16 and that Omar and Sami al-Atrash and four Syrians took part in the attack.
Rayed also told his interrogators that the Omar and Sami al-Atrash, along with others, were involved in preparing several booby-trapped cars with the aim of staging attacks in Beirut's southern suburbs and other Lebanese areas, and that Omar al-Atrash is “the mastermind of this group.” SourceظAgence France Presse.

Optimism over Release of Aazaz Pilgrims as Families Prepare to Welcome Them
Naharnet/Lebanese authorities are optimistic that the case of the nine pilgrims, who were being held in Syria's Aazaz region, could reach an end soon amid reports that they might be released ahead of Eid al-Adha.
“We are getting close to a happy ending and we're are optimistic,” Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper on Friday. However, Charbel rejected to set a date for their release. According to the daily, the relatives of the abducted pilgrims began preparing to welcome the nine men. Hayat Awali, a spokeswoman for the families, told Voice of Lebanon Radio (100.5) that there is optimism on official level. “We are hoping that they would be released ahead of Eid al-Adha,” she added. The remaining point of contention lies in whether the nine pilgrims should be released at one go or at different intervals.
However, Awali said on Tuesday that the pilgrims will be released at once and not at different phases. Eleven Lebanese pilgrims were kidnapped in Syria's Aleppo region in May 2012 as they were making their way back to Lebanon by land from pilgrimage in Iran. Two of them have since been released, while the rest are being held in the Aazaz region. Their relatives have repeatedly held Turkey responsible for their ongoing abduction and they have held protests near Turkish establishments in Lebanon in order to pressure Ankara to exert more efforts to release their loved ones.

Charbel Says Extension of Suleiman's Mandate 'Inevitable'
Naharnet /Caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said on Friday that the extension of President Michel Suleiman's mandate “is inevitable, whether he will agree on it or not.”“The extension of Suleiman's term is inevitable if the political foes failed to form a new cabinet before his mandate ends,” Charbel said in an interview published in al-Akhbar newspaper. He expressed pessimism over the possible extension but pointed out that “vacuum in the presidency post will have a negative repercussion amid the cabinet absence.” Suleiman, whose mandate expires in May 2014, said previously that he would challenge the extension of his mandate if the parliament took such a move. The president “will find himself obliged to agree on his extension to avert plunging the country into further political crisis,” Charbel pointed out. “The country can't remain without a president,” the caretaker minister told al-Akhbar. He pointed out that if the political foes failed to reach agreement over the new president, then Suleiman's term will be extended. “If he rejected an extension to his term then we will have a parliament that isn't convening, a caretaker cabinet and a presidential vacuum,” Charbel added. Talks over the presidential elections come amid soaring political tensions and the failure to form a new government.Under article 49 of the Lebanese Constitution, the president shall be elected by secret ballot and by a two thirds majority of the 128-seat parliament.

FPM Urges Election of 'Strong Christian President'
Naharnet/Senior officials of the Free Patriotic Movement and key members of the Change and Reform bloc demanded on Friday that an end be put to the extension of the term of state agencies and figures.
“We demand the election of a strong Christian president," they said in a statement read by MP Ibrahim Kanaan. They made their remarks after a conclave held at the Deir al-Kalaa country club in Beit Mery.
They also rejected the extension of the term of President Michel Suleiman, lamenting that they had to hold the conclave in light of the extension of parliament's term due to the political parties' failure to reach an agreement over an electoral law. “Lawmakers are responsible towards the people and the areas they represent,” they declared, while demanding that an agreement be reached over a new electoral law. Parliamentary elections that were scheduled for June were consequently postponed as a result of the ongoing dispute over the electoral law. They are set to be staged in November 2014. The FPM and Change and Reform bloc blamed the rival political powers' disputes for the failure to stage the elections, saying that parliamentary work should be separated from political interests. They therefore announced that they decided to form a number of committees aimed at tackling pending issues, adding that they will hold talks with all political powers in order to propose their initiative to end Lebanon's deadlock. They demanded that a number of pending issues in Lebanon be resolved, most notably the approval of decrees linked to oil and gas exploration. “The exploration of offshore oil and gas reserves should be sufficient reason to hold an extraordinary cabinet session,” they noted. Moreover, they said: “Balance between various political institutions should be achieved through increasing the authority of the president.” Commenting on the state of Christians in the region, the FPM and Change and Reform bloc said: “Christians are being oppressed in Iraq, Syria, Palestine, and Egypt.”“The fate of Christians in the East is linked to that of the Muslims,” they added They therefore called for joint Christian-Muslim cooperation to stand against religious oppression.
“The weakening of the role of Christians will eventually result in their elimination from Lebanon,” they warned. Earlier on Friday, FPM leader MP Michel Aoun accused caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati of escaping his responsibilities rather than calling for a cabinet session to approve oil drilling decrees. “Our natural resources should be used for development and not the division of shares. They neither belong to certain people nor to certain sects,” he said. Two decrees are yet to be approved to award tenders for offshore oil and gas exploration. Their approval would designate Lebanon’s 10 offshore blocks for exploration and determine the model for revenue sharing.

Saqr: Jumblat Has Repeatedly Mentioned My Links to Syria to Justify Hizbullah, Iran's Invasion
Naharnet /MP Oqab Saqr criticized on Friday Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat's claims that the March 14 camp, starting with Saqr, was the first to meddle in the Syrian crisis. He said in a statement: “The PSP leader has recently resorted, in his contradictory remarks, to mentioning my name when it comes to Syria in order to justify Iran and Hizbullah's invasion of the country.” “He sees this as a normal and balanced response to the meddling of my army and ballistic missiles in Syria,” he continued sarcastically. “I would like to draw Jumblat's attention to the political, media, and humanitarian support that I have provided to Syria, which is the least of what any human being can offer to a people that is being massacred on a daily basis,” he remarked. “Jumblat has been amazing us with his long-winded statements on the need to support him in confronting whom he calls a sick criminal,” added Saqr in reference to the MP's recent labeling of Syrian President Bashar Assad as a “schizophrenic person”.“If he believes that our support for the Syrian people carries equal weight as oppressing the people and killing prisoners, then anyone has the right to reveal the MP's meetings with Muslim Brotherhood members in Istanbul and his attempts to mediate between the Syrian opposition and Russia,” he said.
If he considers aiding the Syrian people a crime, then his attempts with the Syrian opposition and dealings in Istanbul should be labeled as war crimes, he stressed. “We realize that only Jumblat is allowed to change his political positions on an hourly basis and we are aware of his political moodiness, but he must realize the limits of his authority,” stated Saqr. Moreover, he said: “We have sided with the Syrian people since the beginning of their revolt as we have always sided with any Arab people in revolt.” “We have always counted on the will of the people and the martyrs because we believe that freedom may be achieved through powerful speeches, not secret messages appealing to a former U.S. ambassador to plan the assassination of Assad,” he added. Earlier on Friday, Jumblat had criticized the March 14 camp, saying that it has repeatedly slammed Hizbullah's actions in Lebanon and abroad, especially in Syria. He noted: “It has condemned the party's involvement in Syria knowing however that the camp, starting with Saqr, was the first to meddle in the neighboring country.”
 

Jumblat Suggests Giving Veto Power to March 8 and 14 to Resolve Cabinet Stalemate
Naharnet/Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has dropped his support for a new cabinet in which each of the main political camps would get eight ministers, saying the 9-9-6 formula gives the formation of a government a better chance. In an interview with As Safir newspaper published on Friday, Jumblat said giving the March 8 and 14 alliances nine ministers each and the centrists six ministers would be the best solution.
“It prevents a certain party from controlling the government by giving veto power to Hizbullah and its team and another veto power to March 14,” he said. Jumblat denied that he was the first to propose this formula, saying Speaker Nabih Berri had come up with the idea before him to resolve the cabinet crisis. Prime Minister-designate Tammam Salam has been trying since April to come up with a cabinet line-up but he has blamed conditions and counter-conditions set by the rival parties on the failure to form his government. The PSP chief, who is also the head of the National Struggle Front parliamentary bloc, rejected a “fait accompli” government, describing it as a cabinet that challenges Shiites. The resigned government of caretaker Premier Najib Miqati can rule better than any cabinet that is unconstitutional, and which does not include Hizbullah and Amal representatives, he said.
On another crisis that could grip the country in 2014, Jumblat shied away from saying that he expected a vacuum in the presidency, stressing that the country was managing its affairs despite the vacuum in different constitutional institutions. He stressed that the next president should be “consensual” and “should not belong to either the March 8 or 14” alliances. The MP admitted that he played a role as a centrist in the presidential election, but said he could not take any step without an understanding with Hizbullah and Berri, who is the head of the Amal movement. But Jumblat rejected the extension of President Michel Suleiman's mandate, which expires in May next year, and preferred bringing a person from outside the military to the top post. “Wouldn't it be better for him not to be a military man?” he wondered, when asked about the nomination of a personality from the army.
He also refused electing the new president by simple majority, saying such a move would harm the Christians.

Egypt police fire teargas on pro- and anti-Mursi crowds
Reuters – CAIRO (Reuters) - Police fired teargas in Egypt's coastal city of Alexandria on Friday to break up clashes between opponents and supporters of ousted Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, security sources said.
Egypt has been thrown into turmoil by the military's ouster of Mursi on July 3 following mass protests against his rule, a move that prompted his Muslim Brotherhood movement to organise daily demonstrations in cities across the country. Thousands of Mursi's supporters protested on Friday in the capital Cairo, the second biggest city of Alexandria and other coastal and Nile Delta towns, the security sources said.
"Clashes erupted in Alexandria between pro-Mursi protesters and residents who oppose Mursi," said one of the sources, who asked not to be identified. "They were annoyed by the protest that included anti-army chants, and it led to security forces firing teargas to disperse the crowds," he added. Smaller clashes also broke out in the Nile Delta province of Sharqia and the coastal city of Damietta, where one Mursi supporter was injured.
On August 14, Egyptian security forces broke up the two main pro-Mursi sit-ins in Cairo and killed hundreds of civilians. The army-backed government then declared a state of emergency and imposed a curfew. Thousands of Brotherhood members, including Mursi himself, have been arrested. Around 57 people were killed in clashes between Mursi's supporters and opponents last Sunday, one of the bloodiest days since the army seized power.
While the military intervention has the support of most Egyptians, the international community, and many Islamists in Egypt, have looked on with alarm as the army and police crack down hard on Mursi and his backers.
The United States, an ally of Egypt that has long supported its military with cash and equipment, said on Wednesday it would withhold deliveries of tanks, fighter aircraft, helicopters and missiles to Cairo, as well as $260 million in aid. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry had said Washington would consider resuming some of the aid "on a basis of performance" as the interim government seeks to implement a "road map" designed to lead the country to fresh elections next year. Egypt criticised the decision, saying it found it strange at a time when the country was "facing a war against terrorism". However, the U.S. State Department said it would continue military support for counter terrorism and security in the Sinai Peninsula, which borders U.S. ally Israel. Egypt has been fighting an Islamist insurgency in the largely lawless region, which is also near the Palestinian Gaza strip. Sinai-based militants have intensified their attacks on military and police units since Mursi's ouster. Six soldiers were wounded on Friday when a bomb exploded near army vehicles in Rafah city, northern Sinai, according to state media. Around 150 security personnel have died in Sinai's insurgency since Mursi was toppled, according to an army source. (Reporting by Yasmine Saleh, Heitham Fathy, Mohamed Abdellah and Ali Abdelaty, writing by Yasmine Saleh; editing by Mike Collett-White)

U.N. Council Backs Ban's Syria Disarmament Plan
Naharnet /The U.N. Security Council on Friday formally approved a first joint mission with the Nobel Peace Prize winning global chemical arms watchdog to destroy Syria's weapons. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the U.N. already have a team of 60 experts and support staff in Syria destroying Syria's production facilities while the country's civil war rages on. The 15-member Security Council sent a letter to Ban on Friday backing his plan on carrying out the full eradication of Syria's banned chemical arms. "The Security Council authorizes the establishment of the OPCW-U.N. join mission as proposed," said the letter, a copy of which was obtained by Agence France Presse. The formal backing was given as it was announced that the OPCW had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. "This recognition occurs nearly 100 years after the first chemical attack -- and 50 days after the appalling use of chemical weapons in Syria. Far from being a relic of the past, chemical weapons remain a clear and present danger," Ban said in a tribute to the OPCW. Ban said in a draft plan sent to the Security Council that up to 100 experts will be needed to carry out the mission aiming to destroy Syria's sarin, mustard gas and other chemical weapons by the middle of 2014. He has warned they will have to operate in unprecedented danger because of the war that has left well over 100,000 dead. A chemical weapons attack in Damascus on August 21, which left hundreds dead, sparked an international crisis that led to threats of a U.S. military strike against Syrian government targets. However the Security Council passed a resolution on September 27 backing a Russia-U.S. plan to destroy President Bashar Assad's chemical weapons. The team has been doubled to about 60 people in recent days, the U.N. said Friday. The team "has made good progress in verifying the information submitted" by the Syrian government, said a U.N. statement. "At the end of the first 10 days of operations on the ground the verification teams have inspected three sites and plans are underway for further site visits," said the statement. "As OPCW has received initial and supplementary information from Syria on its chemical weapons program, the advance team is now in the process of verifying that information. It has also overseen the destruction by Syria of some of its munitions stockpile, as well as some of its chemical weapons production equipment." Ban is expected to quickly name a leader of the joint mission which will have bases in Damascus and Cyprus. Source/Agence France Presse.

Rebels Kill Five Iranian Elite Troops
Naharnet/Rebels killed five members of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard in a clash Thursday in the Kurdish Baneh region in the northwest, media reports said. "Five members of the Revolutionary Guard were killed in fighting with counter-revolutionaries in Baneh... two others were wounded and taken to hospital," the Fars news agency said, citing sources in the elite military force. The Baneh region is on the border with Iraq's Kurdish region. In April 2012 rebel Kurds, seeking a homeland of Kurdistan, killed four Revolutionary Guards in the same region.Source/Agence France Presse.

Question: "How do I know the Bible is not just mythology?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: That the Bible originated in the mind of God makes it not only unique among all books, it is unique among all the treasures on earth. President Abraham Lincoln appropriately referred to the Bible as “the best gift God has given to man.” Indeed it is. It reveals God’s eternal plan of redeeming the fallen human race. Yet even though billions of copies of it have been distributed throughout the world, many continue to question its truth. Is the Bible is a book of mythology, or is it the true, inspired Word of God? This question is of the greatest importance to every person, whether they know it or not.
Many religious texts claim to convey a divine message. The Bible, however, stands alone in that God left absolutely no room for doubt as to whether or not this is His written Word. If anyone undertakes an honest effort to examine the facts, he will find the Bible most assuredly has God’s signature all through it. The very same mouth that spoke all of creation into existence also gave us the Bible.
Unlike mythology, the Bible has a historical framework. Its characters are real people living in verifiable locations during historical events. The Bible mentions Nebuchadnezzar, Sennacherib, Cyrus, Herod, Felix, Pilate, and many other historical figures. Its history coincides with that of many nations, including the Egyptian, Hittite, Persian, Babylonian, and Roman empires. The events of the Bible take place in geographical areas such as Canaan, Syria, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and others. All this certifiable detail refutes the idea that the Bible is mere mythology.
Unlike mythology, the Bible has many confirmations in sciences such as biology, geology, astronomy, and archaeology. The field of biblical archaeology has absolutely exploded in the last century and a half, during which time hundreds of thousands of artifacts have been discovered. Just one example: at one time, skeptics used the Bible’s references to the Hittite civilization as “proof” that the Bible was a myth. There was never any such people as the “Hittites,” according to the science of the day. However, in 1876, the first of a series of discoveries was made, and now the existence of the ancient Hittite civilization is well documented. Archaeology continues to bolster the Bible’s historicity. As Dr. Henry M. Morris has remarked, “There exists today not one unquestionable find of archaeology that proves the Bible to be in error at any point.”
Unlike mythology, the Bible is written as history. Luke wrote his Gospel as “an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us . . . just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses.” Luke claims that he had “carefully investigated everything from the beginning” and so wrote “an orderly account . . . so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught” (see Luke 1:1-4). Did Luke include miracles in his account? Yes, many of them. But they were miracles verified by eyewitnesses. Two thousand years later, a skeptic might call Luke’s account a “myth,” but the burden of proof rests with the skeptic. The account itself is a carefully investigated historical document.
Unlike mythology, the Bible contains an astounding number of fulfilled prophecies. Myths do not bother with prophecy, but fully one third of the Bible is prophecy. The Bible contains over 1,800 predictions concerning more than 700 separate subjects found in over 8,300 verses. The Old Testament contains more than 300 prophecies concerning Jesus Christ alone, many with amazing specificity. Numerous prophecies have already been fulfilled, and they have come to pass precisely as foretold. The mathematical odds of someone making this number of predictions and having every one of them come to pass are light-years beyond the realm of human possibility. These miraculous prophecies could only be accomplished with the supernatural guidance of Him who sees the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:9-10).
Unlike mythology, the Bible has transformed a countless number of lives. Yet many people allow the views of others—who have never seriously studied the Bible—to shape their own opinions. Each of us needs study it for ourselves. Put it to the test. Live by the Bible’s precepts and experience for yourself the dynamic and transforming power of this amazing Book. Apply its teachings on forgiveness and see how it can mend a broken relationship. Apply its principles of stewardship and watch your financial situation improve. Apply its teaching on faith and feel a calming presence in your heart even as you navigate through a difficult trial in your life. The Bible works. There is a reason Christians in various countries around the world risk their lives daily to expose others to the life-giving truth of this remarkable Book.
Ultimately, many who reject God and His revealed Word do so because of pride. They are so invested in their personal beliefs that they refuse to honestly weigh the evidence. To accept the Bible as true would require them to think seriously about God and their responsibility to Him. To accept the Bible as true might require a change of lifestyle. As Erwin Lutzer stated, “The truth is, few people have an open mind, especially about matters of religion. . . . Thus, perverted doctrines and prejudices are easily perpetuated from one generation to another.”
Millions die every year having bet their eternal souls that the Bible is not true, hoping against hope that it is nothing but a book of mythology, and that God does not exist. It is a risky gamble, and the stakes are very high. We urge everyone to read the Bible with an open mind; let it speak for itself, and may you find that God’s Word is truth (John 17:17).
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Stories from the Egyptian Revolution Told by a Film, a Book, and a Journalist’s Testimony
Raghida Dergham/Al Hayat
Those who shape public opinion – and in particular Western public opinion – really need to watch the documentary film “The Square” (Al-Midan), so that they may get to know the role played by Tahrir Square in forging the new Egyptian identity and laying the foundations for the Egypt of tomorrow, beyond the process of transition. In this film, brilliant director Jehane Noujaim tells the story of the young men and women of change, ever since it began in the square in order to topple a regime, and until it was confronted with the bitterness of the birth of a regime that brought young people back to the square to topple it too. With intelligence and touching humanity, this important film challenges those who have decided to reduce what happened in Egypt to a coup against elections and democracy, and proves the exact opposite, with realism and the greatest simplicity, meaning that what had betrayed democracy had been the greed of the Muslim Brotherhood in power. People also really need to read the book “Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here” by Algerian-American author and college professor Karima Bennoune, published in English. This book recounts the stories of women and men who defied extremist Muslim fundamentalism as well as the kind that puts on the garb of moderation. From doctors to lawyers, and journalists and human rights activists, there is a clear thread in this important book that emphasizes, through the stories, the role of women at the forefront of fighting extremism in Tunisia, Mali, Afghanistan, Algeria, Egypt, and elsewhere. It is also absolutely necessary for people to be informed about what happened to fellow journalist at Al-Ahram newspaper Khaled Dawoud. While driving his car last week, he encountered by chance a demonstration in support of toppled President Mohamed Morsi, and suddenly found himself surrounded by knives, after one demonstrator identified him, yelling “it’s Khaled Dawoud the infidel from the Salvation Front!” Another demonstrator then tried to cut off his hand, saying “we’ve decided to cut off your hands, infidel!”
Let us begin with the story of Khaled Dawoud, a former colleague of mine at the United Nations who used to be a corresponded for Al-Jazeera before returning to Egypt and witnessing the birth of the Revolution three years ago. Khaled is a personal friend and our opinions diverge at times and meet at others. When the news came about what had happened to him, I contacted him to find out the truth.
Khaled Dawoud used to be a spokesperson for the National Salvation Front, but resigned from the Salvation Front on August 16, two days after the protests of Rabia al-Adawiya Square and al-Nahda Square were dispersed, in protest of what he described as excessive use of force on the part of police and security forces against protesters from the Muslim Brotherhood and other Morsi supporters. Khaled Dawoud’s resignation came two days after that of Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei – who had also resigned in protest. Khaled retained the post of Media Secretary of al-Dustur Party founded by Dr. ElBaradei.
Khaled had just returned from a trip abroad, stopping by his home before heading out to a meeting, without realizing or paying heed to the fact that a demonstration was taking place, one which Morsi supporters had decided to hold on October 6, a day of great celebration in Egypt commemorating the country’s sole victory in the 1973 October War. The purpose of the demonstration had been to topple what they call the “coup government,” and what it resulted in was a violent response from security forces, leading to the death of 51 people. That took place later. But when Khaled Dawoud drove by in his car and someone yelled “infidel,” violence and hatred came spontaneously, being integral to the ideology of the demonstrators and to their group’s culture.
Suddenly, more than 40 people surrounded the car, and they started to break the glass of its rear and side windows. One of them stabbed Khaled with a knife near his heart. “I was surprised at how quickly the knife had come in and out, and amazed to see a fountain of blood gushing out of me,” Khaled said. “I was begging the one who was stabbing me with his knife: have pity, enough blood!” But his answer was another stab, this time hitting the bone. The other boys were at the same time hitting him with sticks and punching him in the face repeatedly. Blood started gushing out of his eye as well, as he begged them: enough blood, enough blood! Suddenly, the man who had been breaking the rear window came around and told the one who had been stabbing Khaled with the knife: “leave him to me.” He took out a large razorblade and started sawing at Khaled’s hand and tearing at his ligaments, saying: we’ve decided to cut off your hands.
The car was on a small bridge, “and I was thinking, as I was beginning to lose consciousness, that I was surely going to die, but that I should not get out of the car. The one stabbing me with the knife meant to kill me. He was stabbing to kill, not just to injure. Blood was gushing out of my body and out of my eye, and I was fighting to remain conscious, when some young men from the neighborhood came to my rescue. One of them was named Salim.”
Those protesters, who have perfected the art of appearing as constant victims in front of the cameras of Western and Arab media outlets, only represent half the story of the overwhelming hatred that strips away the claims of peaceful demonstration. The other half of the story is shocking in what it reveals of the Muslim Brotherhood’s ideology, which makes killing and torture permissible with a yell of “infidel!”
“Salim took me to the students’ hospital for health insurance, a hospital of limited means. Most of the doctors there were sympathizers of the Islamist movement. They threw me in an emergency room or a waiting room for more than 20 minutes without any kind of care. I was yelling, begging them: treat me, I’m dying, treat me! No one would answer. I yelled: please give me my medication – I have been suffering from asthma for years. They purposely ignored me. They refused to treat me until Salim called Al-Ahram newspaper, and Al-Ahram called the hospital. Then they began my treatment. They said they did not have the needed anesthetic, and thus inserted a thick tube into my chest without using anesthetic. They stitched up my wounds without using anesthetic.”
Khaled asserts that stitching and inserting the tube without using anesthetic was most likely due to the hospital’s meager means. But he also asserts that “personal hatred was very clear at the beginning, when they purposely left me without care, while I tasted the blood in my mouth and nose, without any doctor or nurse coming near me.”
Khaled Dawoud had yelled at the “boy” who had been stabbing him: “I was against what happened to you in Rabia [Al-Adawiya Square], enough blood!” But it was the boy who surprised 46-year old Khaled Dawoud. This boy did not know him personally. What could then lead him not to fear blood and to stab him again? Why all this? At the end of the day, I was merely a talking head, not a decision-maker.
The answer is that hatred is stronger than ignorance. “The ideology of hatred and killing, and of offering people up as fuel in the battle, represents an essential part of the culture of the Islamist movement – both the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists,” says Khaled, who clings to the soundness of “our ideology, based on elevating the value of human life, which is why we have always chanted in the face of every provocation: peaceful, peaceful!” “I am not Gandhi,” adds Khaled, “but I feel sorry for the boy who stabbed me, as he will now be facing around 15 years in prison, instead of going to school and starting a family.”
Khaled Dawoud also insists on criticizing security forces in the police and in the army, as they “confront the Brotherhood’s protests with a little bit of teargas, quickly followed by a great deal of bullets. I demand that the police and the government also elevate the value of human life. I demand that they stop making excessive use of force. I demand that they stop falling for the provocation of the Islamist movement, which has become expert at promoting horrific images, so as to claim to be the victim, to be peaceful and to represent moderation.”
The film “The Square” (Al-Midan) documents stories similar to that of Khaled, and in fact exceeding it. The film’s producer, like its director Jehane Noujaim, is an Egyptian-American who insists that what Egypt is going through represents “not a process of transition,” but rather the “pillars” of the future. Karim Amer is also a thirty year old young man and a child of “the Square” – just like director Jehane Noujaim, whose record is rife with achievements, including a documentary about Al-Jazeera called “Control Room.” Her latest achievement, the film “The Square”, has won international awards, and could even win the Oscar for best documentary. It is the story of the Egyptian Revolution – a story that goes beyond the headlines. It is the story of the Square that has become a source of inspiration for Egypt’s youth, who toppled two presidents within a single year, resisted the dictatorship of the military and exposed the Muslim Brotherhood’s corruption and its betrayal of democracy.
“Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here” is a book that strips bare the claims made by the Muslim Brotherhood and exposes the false moderation it claims to represent. It is a collection of stories about men who somewhat resemble Khaled Dawoud, and about women who have resolved to represent an essential building block of the “pillars” of creating change and building democratic institutions. Karima Bennoune has written a book whose stories are inspiring because they do not stop at complaining or even at the end.
Indeed, the importance of people like Jehane, Karima and Khaled is that they believe in beginnings.