LCCC ENGLISH NEWS BULLETIN
September 21/06
Biblical Reading for Today
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
according to Saint Luke 7,31-35.
Then to what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like?
They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another, 'We
played the flute for you, but you did not dance. We sang a dirge, but you did
not weep.' For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking
wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and
drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax
collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."
Opinions
Brammertz and the Truth-By:
Randa Takieddin 21.09.06
Benedict, Bush and the minefield of emotion politics.By
Michael Young
Rialto politics and the American republic-By
David Ignatius
Release from the National American Coptic Assembly (NACA)
Save Our Christian
daughters from the Islamic extremists 20.09.06
Latest New from the Daily Star for September 21/06
Pope insists he was 'misunderstood' by Muslims
Israel delays withdrawal from Lebanon
Siniora: 'We prevented an Israeli victory'
Refugees protest disparity in UN aid distribution
Jumblatt blasts Hizbullah as 'hostage' to Iran
Donors demand reconstruction master plan
'Nasrallah' tops list of dates as Egypt prepares for Ramadan
UK arrests female terror suspect
Hizbullah clears ground for rally
World Bank approves $70 million grant to support reconstruction
Head of Beirut Traders Association seeks rescue plan for merchants
BLC boss calls for separating reconstruction from politics
Doctors threaten to bail unless government pays up
'The state isn't properly constructed yet'
Ahmadinejad and Bush shows hopeful signs of wanting to talk
Qatar, UAE urge UN to take part in Mideast peace process
Jordanian press slams HRW's rights report
Ankara asks Baghdad to list PKK as terrorists
Bush lauds Abbas' efforts to form unity government
Benedict, Bush and the minefield of emotion politics.By
Michael Young
Rialto politics and the American republic-By
David Ignatius
Latest
New from Miscellaneous sources for September 21/06
Halutz: IDF soldiers will remain in Lebanon during new year-Ynetnews
Syria criticizes Western 'intimidation' of Iran-Jerusalem Post
Germany's MPs back Lebanon force-BBC News
WB approves $70m grant to help Lebanon-Times of Oman
Italy's premier says Lebanon experience shows potential of UN-UN News
Lebanon war veterans heckle Olmert-Reuters
Jumblatt: Syria wants Lebanese gov't overthrown-Ynetnews
Lebanon evacuation cost Ottawa $85M-Toronto Star - Ontario
Iran, Syria show stronger ties-Washington Times
Malaysia gets green light for Lebanon peacekeepersReuters
German Parliament Approves UN-Led Naval Force for Lebanon Coast-Bloomberg
DM Peretz: Our Hand is Outstretched to Lebanon, Syria-Arutz Sheva
Facts and Myths About the Israel-Hezbollah War-Washington Post
Israel Warned War With Hezbollah Was Approaching-All Headline News
Hezbollah gained on intelligence front-Boston Globe
Kidnap of soldiers in July was Hezbollah's fifth attempt-Ha'aretz
Israel Indicts Hezbollah Members In Lebanon Attacks-New York Sun
UN Representative: Israel Has Used Cluster Bombs Against Hezbollah-Focus News
Arab Israelis are crossing a line-Ha'aretz
UN peacekeepers will not disarm Hezbollah, commander says-Boston Globe
People of southern Lebanon bound to Hezbollah-San Jose Mercury News
Deportation to Syria Backed-Los Angeles Times
Russian combat engineers to start working in Lebanon in October-RIA Novosti
Israel to leave Lebanon by weekend-Daily Telegraph
Pope insists he was
'misunderstood' by Muslims
Pakistani president calls for ban on 'defamation of islam'
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Denis Barnett -Agence France Presse
VATICAN CITY: Pope Benedict XVI told thousands of pilgrims at the Vatican on
Wednesday that worldwide Muslim anger over his speech last week was the result
of an "unfortunate misunderstanding."Benedict also expressed respect for
followers of all religions, "particularly Muslims," during his weekly general
audience in St Peter's Square.
He reiterated that parts of the speech which offended Muslims did not reflect
his personal opinion, and hoped it could yet lead to dialogue between religions.
In his speech, the pope quoted a medieval emperor criticizing some teachings of
the Prophet Mohammad as "evil and inhuman."
"I included a quotation on the relationship between religion and violence. This
quotation, unfortunately, was misunderstood," he said.
"In no way did I wish to make my own the words of the medieval emperor. I wished
to explain that not religion and violence, but religion and reason, go
together," the pope explained to pilgrims on Wednesday.
"I hope that my profound respect for world religions and for Muslims, who
'worship the one God' and with whom we 'promote peace, liberty, social justice
and moral values for the benefit of all humanity' is clear," he said.
"Let us continue the dialogue both between religions and between modern reason
and the Christian faith!" he concluded.
On Sunday, the pope had said he was "deeply sorry" for the reaction to the
speech, after which much of the anger expressed in street protests across the
Muslim world appeared to subside.
However, in a sign that much diplomatic ground remained to be covered, Pakistani
President Pervez Musharraf called for a ban on the "defamation of Islam" in a
speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.
"We also need to bridge, through dialogue and understanding, the growing divide
between the Islamic and Western worlds," Musharraf told the 192-member assembly.
"It is imperative to end racial and religious discrimination against Muslims and
to prohibit the defamation of Islam."
Referring indirectly to the pope, Musharraf said: "It is most disappointing to
see personalities of high standing oblivious of Muslim sensitivities at these
critical moments."
Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood also said the Pope's explanation on Wednesday was
"definitely not an apology."
"The Pope says it does not express his views. So what are his views?" said
Mohammad Habib, deputy head of the group. "He must say these views [in the
quotes] are incorrect."
In Turkey, Mehmet Ali Agca, who tried to kill Pope John Paul in 1981, warned
Benedict not to make a planned visit to the country in late November, saying his
life would be in danger.
"As someone who knows these matters well, I say your life is in danger. Don't
come to Turkey," Agca, who is serving a sentence for the killing of a newspaper
editor in the 1970s, said in comments released in a statement by his lawyer.
The Vatican wants to convene a meeting with envoys from Muslim countries in Rome
as soon as the furor has calmed, possibly by the end of this month, the Corriere
della Sera reported Wednesday.
In a welcome sign of subsiding anger, Italian news agency ANSA reported that
Morocco's ambassador to the Holy See is to resume his functions in Rome on
Thursday. Rabat recalled Ambassador Ali Achour on Saturday for consultations at
the height of the furor over Benedict's "offensive remarks."
Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, also told NBC television in New York that
now that the Pope has taken back his statement "there is no problem."
Support came from an unexpected quarter when Spain's Prime Minister Jose Luis
Rodriguez Zapatero, a Socialist, expressed his "full understanding and support"
for the pope. Zapatero's attempts to bring social reform to Spain have dismayed
the Roman Catholic Church.
Lebanon war veterans heckle
Olmert at party parley
20 Sep 2006
JERUSALEM, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Veterans of Israel's offensive in Lebanon and
parents of slain troops disrupted a speech by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on
Wednesday in the most aggressive show yet of public unhappiness with his
government.
"Olmert, we'll see you booted from office!" yelled one of dozens of hecklers who
stormed into a Tel Aviv session of the ruling Kadima Party, which Olmert helped
form last year only to see its popularity sapped by the war and political
infighting.
Scuffles between some of the protesters and Kadima faithful ensued, broadcast
live on Israeli television. Olmert, who was elected in March on a platform of
imposing an end to conflict with the Palestinians, wiped his brow but spoke on
defiantly. "We in Kadima made a promise, and we remain faithful to it," he said
as the hecklers were shoved out by security men. "Thank God the majority of the
people here think differently to you."
Israel went to war after Lebanese Hizbollah guerrillas killed eight soldiers and
abducted two in a July 12 border raid. Some 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly
civilians, and 157 Israelis, mostly soldiers, died before the Aug. 14 ceasefire.
With the Israeli captives unrecovered and the effectiveness of a bolstered U.N.
peacekeeping force for southern Lebanon yet to be proven, many in the Jewish
state believe the fight against the Iranian-backed Hizbollah only undermined
national security.
Hundreds of Israelis who served as military reservists in the offensive have
also complained of poor planning and tactics.
Fuelling anti-Olmert sentiment was his decision on Sunday to appoint a
government-mandated commission of inquiry into the war, rather than an
independent probe that might be freer to apportion blame among Israel's
political and military leadership.Olmert has said an independent probe would be
too time-consuming given the challenges facing Israel.One of these appears to be
the redesigning of Kadima's diplomatic vision in the aftermath of the war in
Lebanon, from which Israel withdrew unilaterally in 2000 after a 22-year
occupation.Olmert has shelved a vision of similar redeployments in the occupied
West Bank, where, along with Gaza, Palestinians have been fighting for statehood
over the past 6 years. With U.S. backing, Olmert has proposed renewing peace
talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. But this has been complicated by
the fact Abbas shares power with Hamas Islamists who reject Israeli and Western
preconditions of recognising the Jewish state and renouncing violence.
Jumblatt blasts Hizbullah as 'hostage' to Iran
Thursday, September 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Two days ahead of a scheduled "victory celebration" in Beirut's southern
suburbs, MP Walid Jumblatt said Hizbullah is a "hostage" to Iran, which
"provides the party with money and artillery." Jumblatt also reiterated his
claim that the opposition's calls for the formation of a national unity
government were aimed at preventing the establishment of an international
tribunal to try former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri's assassins.
"This situation is similar to the period that preceded the assassination of
former Premier Rafik Hariri," Jumblatt told television personality May Chidiac
on LBCI Tuesday night.
"The Syrian regime wants to topple the government to create a political vacuum
through a coup or security incidents aimed at hampering the creation of an
international tribunal and the implementation of international resolutions
concerning Lebanon," the head of the Democratic Gathering parliamentary bloc
said.
Hizbullah and MP Michel Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement have repeatedly demanded
that Premier Fouad Siniora step down and allow the formation of a national unity
government.
Jumblatt further alleged that "Hizbullah remains in control of some ports and
border areas where it has the final say."Jumblatt also refused to rule out the
possibility of a regional war "if the United States decides to confront Iran -
Hizbullah's main backer - over its nuclear program."
As for the occupied Shebaa Farms, he said that "Syria will not prove the
Lebanese identity of the farms in order to keep its stranglehold on Lebanon."
The victory rally set for today in the Dahiyeh will be followed by a separate
rally in Harissa on Sunday organized by the Lebanese Forces, during which a mass
will be held by Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir to honor LF members
who died during the 1975-1990 Civil War. Following a meeting with the prelate on
Wednesday, LF MP Strida Geagea urged all Lebanese to attend the mass.
Meanwhile, the Higher Shiite Council said Wednesday that Lebanon "has completed
the implementation of [UN Security Council Resolution] 1701," warning against
attempts to widen the role of UNIFIL forces.
"It is true that Lebanon has achieved victory through its resistance and the
people's unity, but it has suffered major losses," council vice president Sheikh
Abdel-Amir Qabalan said after a meeting of the body.
"That's why we should support the resistance and stick to its weapons to protect
the citizens from any Israeli threat," Qabalan added. Separately, former Prime
Minister Najib Mikati said Wednesday that he feared calls for the creation of a
national unity government would lead to "a constitutional vacuum."Following a
meeting with Aoun, Mikati said that he had discussed with the opposition leader
the means to resolve internal problems and put an end to political bickering.
Mikati said Aoun believed that a unity government would represent the adequate
framework for dialogue. - The Daily Star, with Naharnet
Israel delays withdrawal from Lebanon
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Israel is unlikely to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by the weekend,
Israel's army chief said Wednesday, backing away from earlier predictions. "We
very much hoped it would happen by Friday, but in the dialogue we have been
holding with the UN and the Lebanese Army there are a few issues to be wrapped
up," Lieutenant General Dan Halutz told Israel Radio Wednesday.
"I hope it will take place in the next few days, but it looks likely to be after
the holiday," he said, referring to the Jewish New Year, which begins Friday
night.
Halutz said earlier this week that Israeli forces would be able to quit Lebanon
by Friday.
That timetable was confirmed earlier Wednesday by Israeli Defense Minister Amir
Peretz. "This is our intent, we definitely want to complete it," Peretz said
during a tour of southern Israel. "Let's hope there are no hitches and delays in
the coordination with the Lebanese Army and the international forces."
The United Nations secretary general's representative in Lebanon also said early
Wednesday that the remaining Israeli troops would withdraw from Lebanon by the
weekend.
"The UN is looking forward to achieving a full Israeli withdrawal and ensuring a
successful cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL," Geir Pedersen said
after meeting with Defense Minister Elias Murr.
Halutz did not specify what was holding up the withdrawal.
Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) told AFP that the number of its peacekeepers in South Lebanon
had more than doubled to 5,000 - a key condition that Israel has demanded before
completely exiting its northern neighbor.
"We have reached the 5,000 troops. The first phase of the UNIFIL deployment is
now completed," said Alexander Ivanko in the Mediterranean coastal town of
Naqoura on the border with Israel.
The prewar number of about 2,000 UNIFIL troops, Ivanko said, had been boosted by
three new battalions from France, Italy and Spain, although it would still take
weeks for all the new troops to be deployed in the South.
Troops from other countries, notably Indonesia, will follow in October and
November, he said, adding that the operation posed a "logistical nightmare".
In Berlin, German lawmakers were voting by a large majority to send warships to
the
UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon with a mandate to stop arms shipments to
Hizbullah.
"There is perhaps no other area of the world where Germany's unique
responsibility, the unique responsibility of every German government to heed the
lessons of our past is so clear than it is here," Merkel said.
Norway, Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands are also sending warships to join
the expanded UN force.
The Swedish military said Wednesday that a Swedish coastal patrol vessel has
left for the Mediterranean.
"The corvette HMS Gaevle set sail late on Tuesday as part of its transfer to the
Mediterranean," the military said in a statement. No date has been set yet for
the ship's arrival off the Lebanese coast.
To defuse opposition at home, Merkel has ruled out sending combat troops in an
attempt to ensure that German soldiers will not get caught up in a confrontation
with Israeli forces. Malaysia also got the go-ahead to send troops to Lebanon
despite initial objections from Israel, the Malaysian state news agency said
Wednesday. Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the UN had invited Malaysia to
join the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, although it will send less than the
1,000 troops originally offered. "The UN has approved the deployment of 360
Malaysian peacekeepers in Lebanon," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the
official Bernama news agency in New York Tuesday. In South Lebanon, 17 Israeli
soldiers interrogated three Lebanese civilians fishing in the Wazzani River. The
National News Agency reported that Maher Ibrahim Sayyed, Moussa Suleiman al-Hadi
and Ali Mohammad Qassem Khalil were questioned "for some time" before the
Israelis asked them to leave the land they claimed belonged to the Israeli Army.
In other developments, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
spokesperson said Wednesday an ICRC team in Tel Aviv had visited four Lebanese
detainees."The ICRC has conveyed oral messages to the detainees' families,"
Hisham Hassan said but refused to reveal any names. - With agencies
Israel delays withdrawal from Lebanon
Compiled by Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Israel is unlikely to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon by the weekend,
Israel's army chief said Wednesday, backing away from earlier predictions. "We
very much hoped it would happen by Friday, but in the dialogue we have been
holding with the UN and the Lebanese Army there are a few issues to be wrapped
up," Lieutenant General Dan Halutz told Israel Radio Wednesday. "I hope it will
take place in the next few days, but it looks likely to be after the holiday,"
he said, referring to the Jewish New Year, which begins Friday night. Halutz
said earlier this week that Israeli forces would be able to quit Lebanon by
Friday. That timetable was confirmed earlier Wednesday by Israeli Defense
Minister Amir Peretz. "This is our intent, we definitely want to complete it,"
Peretz said during a tour of southern Israel. "Let's hope there are no hitches
and delays in the coordination with the Lebanese Army and the international
forces." The United Nations secretary general's representative in Lebanon also
said early Wednesday that the remaining Israeli troops would withdraw from
Lebanon by the weekend.
"The UN is looking forward to achieving a full Israeli withdrawal and ensuring a
successful cooperation between the Lebanese Army and UNIFIL," Geir Pedersen said
after meeting with Defense Minister Elias Murr.
Halutz did not specify what was holding up the withdrawal.
Earlier on Wednesday, a spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon (UNIFIL) told AFP that the number of its peacekeepers in South Lebanon
had more than doubled to 5,000 - a key condition that Israel has demanded before
completely exiting its northern neighbor.
"We have reached the 5,000 troops. The first phase of the UNIFIL deployment is
now completed," said Alexander Ivanko in the Mediterranean coastal town of
Naqoura on the border with Israel. The prewar number of about 2,000 UNIFIL
troops, Ivanko said, had been boosted by three new battalions from France, Italy
and Spain, although it would still take weeks for all the new troops to be
deployed in the South.
Troops from other countries, notably Indonesia, will follow in October and
November, he said, adding that the operation posed a "logistical nightmare".
In Berlin, German lawmakers were voting by a large majority to send warships to
the
UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon with a mandate to stop arms shipments to
Hizbullah.
"There is perhaps no other area of the world where Germany's unique
responsibility, the unique responsibility of every German government to heed the
lessons of our past is so clear than it is here," Merkel said. Norway, Sweden,
Denmark and the Netherlands are also sending warships to join the expanded UN
force.
The Swedish military said Wednesday that a Swedish coastal patrol vessel has
left for the Mediterranean.
"The corvette HMS Gaevle set sail late on Tuesday as part of its transfer to the
Mediterranean," the military said in a statement. No date has been set yet for
the ship's arrival off the Lebanese coast. To defuse opposition at home, Merkel
has ruled out sending combat troops in an attempt to ensure that German soldiers
will not get caught up in a confrontation with Israeli forces.
Malaysia also got the go-ahead to send troops to Lebanon despite initial
objections from Israel, the Malaysian state news agency said Wednesday.
Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the UN had invited Malaysia to join the
peacekeeping force in Lebanon, although it will send less than the 1,000 troops
originally offered. "The UN has approved the deployment of 360 Malaysian
peacekeepers in Lebanon," Abdullah was quoted as saying by the official Bernama
news agency in New York Tuesday. In South Lebanon, 17 Israeli soldiers
interrogated three Lebanese civilians fishing in the Wazzani River. The National
News Agency reported that Maher Ibrahim Sayyed, Moussa Suleiman al-Hadi and Ali
Mohammad Qassem Khalil were questioned "for some time" before the Israelis asked
them to leave the land they claimed belonged to the Israeli Army. In other
developments, an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) spokesperson
said Wednesday an ICRC team in Tel Aviv had visited four Lebanese detainees."The
ICRC has conveyed oral messages to the detainees' families," Hisham Hassan said
but refused to reveal any names. - With agencies
'Nasrallah' tops list of dates as Egypt prepares for
Ramadan
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Karim Fawal and Alain Navarro- Agence France Presse
CAIRO: Cairo fruit-sellers have a tradition of giving nicknames to their
selections of dates before Ramadan and this year the leader of Lebanon's
Hizbullah topped the unofficial popularity ratings, with the "Nasrallah" the
most expensive in town. The charismatic Shiite cleric, who earned great support
from Arabs during his resistance movement's month-long war with Israel,
surpassed the presidents of Iran and Venezuela - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Hugo
Chavez - two other prominent Israeli foes."There's no doubt, it is 'Nasrallah
the victorious' who gets first place," said Abdou Kashush, who has 60 kilograms
of different types of dates laid out in little piles on his stall in the popular
Cairo market of Rod el-Farag.
Emulating the Prophet Mohammed, Muslims traditionally eat a date to break the
dawn-to-dusk fast during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, whose beginning is
set according to the sighting of the moon.
This year, a kilogram of "Nasrallah" dates goes for 24 Egyptian pounds ($4.20),
while "Ahmadinejad" dates sell for 18 pounds and "Chavez" dates for 14.
The Iranian and Venezuelan presidents, whose opposition to Israel and the United
States has earned them vast popular support in Egypt, will have to wait another
year before they can hope to succeed French President Jacques Chirac and the
late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in the Ramadan dates hall of fame.
Equally predictable was Ehud Olmert's poor performance on the dates' market,
with the Israeli premier duly succeeding Ariel Sharon in lending his name to the
cheapest date on the market at 1.5 pounds. There was no date bearing the name of
Pope Benedict XVI, whose use last week of a medieval quotation describing some
of the Prophet Mohammad's teachings as "evil and inhuman" caused a public uproar
in many Muslim countries.
Kashush, who even pinned a poster of Nasrallah on his stall, said political
nicknames appeared after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, when one of
the best varieties of dates was dubbed "bin Laden." "In the past, we'd use names
from movie stars," he said.
Karim Ghazi, another fruit-seller at the Rod al-Farag market, said: "The supply
and quality of dates this year is generally on the rise while prices have gone
down slightly." "The Nasrallah date is not cheap however and even if it only
represents around 1 percent of my sales, I'm expecting to make a hefty profit,"
he added, displaying his own poster of the Shiite leader. Egypt is the world's
top date producer with 1.1 million tons a year, accounting for 16 percent of
world production, ahead of Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Hizbullah clears ground for rally
Center of dahiyeh readied to accommodate hundreds of thousands
Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 21, 2006
BEIRUT: Beirut's southern suburbs were busy Wednesday with preparations for the
"Divine Victory" rally to be held Friday. Hizbullah workers have prepared a plot
of land in the center of the Dahiyeh that can hold hundreds of thousands of
persons, in addition to the surrounding streets and alleys in which speakers
will be installed. Hajj Rahhal, Hizbullah's media officer, told The Daily Star
on Wednesday that Hizbullah had "spoken to the owners of the land, who agreed to
provide it for this rally." Some 250,000 chairs will be placed in the main
square for the event on the 1,000 square meter plot, in addition to a massive
platform capable of holding up to 3,000 people. Nasrallah had called on all
Lebanese on Sunday to join in celebrating the resistance's "divine victory" over
the Israeli Army last month.
The rally "will be massive," Rahhal said, although he said it was "too early" to
provide specific estimations of how many people would be in attendance.
"Several parties, including the Free Patriotic Movement, Marada Movement,
Communist Party, Hizbullah and the Amal Movement and most of their supporters
will be attending," he said.
All the "patriotic parties ... and those who consider themselves as part of this
divine victory or support it will be attending," he added.
There has been no word as to whether Hizbullah's secretary general will speak at
the rally, or whether a pre-recorded address will be aired.
Nor is it clear whether speeches will be made by the various heads of the
parties participating in the rally, namely MP Michel Aoun, former Interior
Minister Suleiman Franjieh, and Speaker Nabih Berri, heads of the FPM, Marada
and Amal, respectively.
The media officer said no announcement on appearances was due to security
concerns. Meanwhile, acting Interior Minister Ahmad Fatfat told The Daily Star
on Wednesday that the organizers of Friday's rally had not "asked for permission
or for a license from the Interior Ministry to hold such a rally."
Rally organizers are required to ask for permission to do so from the Interior
Ministry and submit information on the nature of the gathering, who will be
attending and the location for the demonstration and routes to be used. Once a
license is given, the Interior Ministry puts in place security measures to
prevent any clashes that may arise between attendants or rabble rousers. Fatfat
said the ministry "will not seek a confrontation [on the lack of such a license]
... but there are procedures that the organizers must follow." Rahhal said
Hizbullah has coordinated with the Defense Ministry on security and traffic flow
concerns.
Meanwhile, Labor Minister Tarrad Hamade said on Wednesday that the rally "is not
a provocation by any side ... Nasrallah's call was directed to everyone."
The minister added it is "the government's duty to maintain the security of its
citizens and leaders." - The Daily Star
Benedict, Bush and the
minefield of emotion politics
By Michael Young -Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 21, 2006
When politics turn into rows over comparative "hurts," they become terribly
boring. And yet that seems to be the standard these days, in the aftermath of
the speech given last week by Pope Benedict XVI, in which he quoted a Byzantine
emperor saying unpleasant things about the Prophet Mohammad; or President George
W. Bush's address to the United Nation's General Assembly on Tuesday, in which
he assured Muslims that the US "desires peace" and that Americans "respect
Islam."
Benedict's failure to grasp that public affairs are now about feelings more than
about objective calculations is what led him to write, or have ghostwritten,
such a clumsily insular passage. Any provincial subdeacon could have guessed
that Muslims would gripe over Benedict's bestowing high ecclesiastical blessing
on a medieval emperor hostile to Islam, but somehow the Bishop of Rome couldn't
see it.
Christopher Hitchens wrote the final word on the matter in Slate, observing that
Benedict had committed two cardinal sins: he managed to gratuitously insult
Muslims, but, more importantly, he used his pulpit to assert the superiority of
religious revelation over reason. As Hitchens concluded, "Now [the Church's] new
reactionary leader has really 'offended' the Muslim world, while simultaneously
asking us to distrust the only reliable weapon - reason - that we possess in
these dark times. A fine day's work, and one that we could well have done
without."
But if we can agree that Benedict blundered, does that make any more desirable
the transformation of our politics into sensitivity contests?
The question is relevant at a time when the United States seems
disproportionately preoccupied with how to increase its popularity in the Middle
East. The Bush administration, for all the unconstrained power it deploys, is
anxious about its image; it wants America to be loved.
So, it seems, do American journalists. Rare are those media outlets that fail to
milk the topic. Hacks will start by turning to the Pew Global Attitudes Project,
confirming America's talent for instigating opprobrium, before interviewing
luminaries who can corroborate that the US is "losing hearts and minds." The
conclusion writes itself for having been employed so often: Because Washington
is disliked, it cannot hope to advance its interests among the Arabs.
This inference is an odd one, based on a presumption that the real obstacle is
American behavior. It often may be, but if ideas matter, then why assume that
dislike of the US is necessarily a product of American wrongs? Can't many in the
Middle East have a marked distaste for the US simply because it represents ideas
or concepts they find distasteful? In other words, and accepting that attitudes
toward the US fluctuate, isn't a foreign policy based on popularity destined
somewhere to hit up against a brick wall of ideological rejection? Aren't there
hearts too hard and minds too dubious out there for us to expect greater
fondness for America?
But let's also ask, When was the US ever loved in the Middle East? The
statistics may show a bump or dip depending on the circumstances, but the people
of the region have for decades been consistently critical of America's
performance in their midst - its support for Israel and alleged indifference to
Arab aspirations. Sounding what would become a neoconservative trope, many Arabs
consistently lamented Washington's support for the despots abusing them (a
lament that, strangely, gained momentum when the US removed the worst despot
around). That's why America's desire to be loved is jarring in a region where
leaders are universally loathed. Since when has Arab public opinion, let alone
Arab esteem for the US, helped advance or delay American regional interests?
America's conversation has always been mainly with ruling elites.
Of far greater threat than Arab aversion is the perception that America is
incompetent. If Washington can afford to be hated (though there are no gains in
being hated gratuitously), it cannot long afford to be disparaged. All too often
that rule has been interpreted by administrations as a blank check to become
more violent in defense of eroded "credibility." But violence usually represents
a failure of policy. What is needed is an understanding of the complexities of
the Middle East, so that the US can mount successful campaigns there; but also
foresight in determining how American actions might be interpreted, and the
nerve to stay in for the long haul.
Such recommendations, however, are sure to be ignored, because the perception of
politics has today changed. Politics have largely become an effort to enforce
good feelings and avert emotional minefields. This is not necessarily bad, since
the aloofness of a "realist" foreign policy, with its pursuit of interests over
values, can be even more dismal. The hard part, however, is finding a middle
ground between heart and mind.
**Michael Young is opinion editor of THE DAILY STAR.
Rialto politics and the American republic
By David Ignatius -Daily Star staff
Thursday, September 21, 2006
What do the struggles of 15th-century Venice have to do with America's troubles
in Iraq? A lot, in the view of a group of old-guard Washington conservatives who
sponsored a conference last week to discuss the lessons for today of La
Serenissima, as the "serene republic" of Venice was known.
The sponsors of the conference, about whom more later, began with a question:
How did the Venetians maintain their far-flung Mediterranean empire and also
prosper as a free republic for more than five centuries? Was their model of
empire - heavy on mercantile trading relationships, lighter on military
intervention - an example for the United States in the era of globalization? Did
Venice practice a version of "Empire Lite" that America might emulate?
The conference organizers had gathered a retinue of professional historians, so
the answers were far more hedged than the questions. The scholars described a
Venetian republic that was far from democratic, vesting political power in a
small circle of aristocratic families. The imperial ambitions of the city-state
were founded on a carefully cultivated myth of Venice's divine right to power,
backed by the strongest fleet in the Mediterranean.
But compared to America's current imperial troubles, Venice was serenity itself.
One secret was that its empire sought trade, not territory. "The Venetians tried
to keep local people and institutions in power. It was very much a hands-off
model," explained Edward Muir, a professor at Northwestern University who spoke
at the conference.
The Venetians' imperial difficulties came on dry land - "Terrafirma," as the
island state called the territories it administered in northeast Italy. But even
there, says Muir, the Venetians sought to extend their power through a system of
laws and patronage, rather than military occupation. "The Venetian empire was a
judicial network, more than an economic or political one," he argued.
John Martin, a history professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, suggested
a comparison between Rome and Venice. If the Roman Empire was about hard
military power, imposed by the Roman legions, Venice was "soft power," to use
the term popularized by Harvard professor Joseph Nye. It survived so long
because it recognized limits to its ability to impose its will abroad.
The canny mercantilism of Venice's ruling families was another advantage for La
Serenissima. The merchant families protected their republican form of government
at home, even as their trading empire expanded. In contrast to imperial Rome,
whose senate became a shell, Venice maintained its system of a non-hereditary
ruler, known as the "doge," its Great Council where every adult male aristocrat
was represented, and its secretive Council of Ten that supervised a vast
intelligence network. A far-flung empire required a strong executive, but
Venetians resisted the temptation to turn their doge into an emperor or king,
noted Martin.
Now who might be inquiring into the contemporary lessons of an empire that died
more than 200 years ago? The answer is as intriguing as the conference itself.
The sponsor was a little-known group called the Committee for the Republic,
which was formed back in 2003 by a group of establishment Washingtonians -
paleoconservatives, one might call them - who were concerned about
neoconservative enthusiasm for foreign interventions. The group briefly got into
trouble in 2005 after it sponsored a discussion of the Palestinian issue that
riled pro-Israel groups in Washington.
A leading member is C. Boyden Gray, former White House counsel in George H.W.
Bush's administration and a longtime amateur historian of Venice. Gray, now the
US representative to the European Union in Brussels, wasn't able to attend the
gathering. Presiding in his place was William Nitze, the son of former arms
negotiator Paul Nitze.
Gray explained his interest in the Venetian model in an e-mail to other members
of the group: "Whenever Venice won a naval battle, it asked not for territory,
taxes or tribute but free trade zones," he noted. "As part of its commercial
empire, Venice had to rely on extensive intelligence in order to avoid foreign
troop basing. As a result, its intelligence service was unmatched and its
diplomacy unrivaled."
The quirky Venice conference is important less for any precise parallels it may
offer for contemporary America than as an example of the debate that's growing
among both liberals and conservatives in the wake of the Iraq war about the
limits of American power. It raises the big strategic questions that too often
get overlooked in Washington's endless round of seminars: How does a nation
maintain a far-flung network of commercial interests without subverting its
values at home? How does a nation have the benefits of imperial reach without
the ruinous costs of empire? It's a debate that will widen as America moves
toward its post-Iraq introspection.
*Syndicated columnist David Ignatius is published regularly by THE DAILY STAR.
Brammertz and the Truth
Randa Takieddin Al-Hayat - 20/09/06//
The Commissioner of the UN International Investigation Commission into the
assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, Judge Serge
Brammertz, is to submit his report by the end of this month.
Will this report be the beginning of a new phase, which moves from the manner in
which the crime was committed and its circumstances, which were dealt with in
his previous report, to the identification of specific responsibilities and
detailed results obtained through the interrogation of a number of people? Or
will he settle for a few details to preserve discovered information to include
in his final report at the end of his mission, next December?
The timing of Brammertz's report is also critical, since, even if he does not
specify the conclusions of his investigations, the results are expected to give
an idea on the extent to which these investigations have progressed; a step of
critical importance on the path toward revealing the truth.
Brammertz is renowned for his professionalism and seriousness, and has earned
the respect of all those who know him. He works away from the limelight, the
media and political interferences. He is also extremely reserved, and he rarely
reveals what he has up his sleeve. I dare say that only a few of his close
acquaintances and advisors have knowledge of what conclusions he has arrived at,
or the content of his upcoming report.
But despite the secrecy he shrouds his work in, information indicates that he
has specific results and names of accomplices, both in Syria and in Lebanon,
which poses a question: will he disclose these findings now or in his final
report next December?
The report to be presented by Brammertz by the end of this month will be
followed by talks between UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and members of the UN
Security Council on setting up an international tribunal on the murder.
Annan is expected to possess concrete information based on Brammertz's report to
convince reluctant Security Council member States to urgently work for the
setting up of the tribunal, for if these member States see no new elements in
the report, they will urge Annan to postpone making a decision on the setting up
of the international tribune. Accordingly, it is almost certain that Brammertz's
upcoming report will not only be the beginning of a new phase, but also
extremely progressive. Setting up an international tribunal depends on the
Lebanese government's decision, and in this context, Lebanon's Minister of
Justice Charles Rizk - and this has been acknowledged by the international
parties involved - has proven independence and latitude in dealing with the
international community's Resolutions. However, the sensitivity of the issue,
the fragile situation in Lebanon, the timing of Brammertz's report, and the
eminent setting up of an international tribunal: all these factors combined will
push Syria and its allies within Lebanon to pursue endeavors to depose the
government, calling for a national unity government, whose foremost task will be
to impede the setting up of a tribunal that will put the culprits on trial after
the truth has been revealed.
This truth is fundamental to Lebanon's future and to the end of all murders
planned abroad. Prime Minister Hariri, according to a statement by Jordanian
King Abdullah II in an interview with 'Al-Hayat', was a "moderate politician and
Muslim". He is a man who paid with his life for the independence of Lebanon, and
his murder was a disaster for Lebanon and the region.
Is it acceptable for this deplorable crime, others that followed, and precedent
crimes since the attempted assassination of Minister Marwan Hamada, to go
unpunished? From Bassel Fleihan and those who were martyred along with PM Hariri,
to Gibran Tweini, Samir Kassir, George Hawi, and May Chidiac, who is still alive
through her writings: will it be possible for international justice not to shed
light on these facts? The presence of nearly 5000 foreign troops within the
framework of the UN forces supporting Lebanon's army and its still fragile
sovereignty is proof that the entire world is concerned with Lebanon's
integrity, stability and sovereignty. Sovereignty will not be possible without
unveiling the truth and trying the culprits. Unveiling the truth of these crimes
and putting those behind them on trial should also be a future lesson and
deterrent to regimes that plot crimes in other nations. What is wished and
prayed for, however, is that Lebanon, from this moment until the unveiling of
the truth and the trying of the culprits, does not witness another wave of
murders or bombings. Any new crime will only help tightening the noose around
its plotters and intensifying the expected punishment.
Lebanon evacuation cost Ottawa $85M
15,000 Canadians fled war zone
Sep. 20, 2006. 01:00 AM
The tab for the large-scale evacuation of Canadians from Lebanon during
Hezbollah's conflict with Israel cost taxpayers $85 million, according to a
report last night from CTV News.
The government won't officially divulge what the running total is, nor will it
say how many people returned to Lebanon after fighting stopped in August.
Canada hired several ships and chartered aircraft to ferry about 15,000 of the
estimated 50,000 Canadians living in Lebanon to safety in July and August.
But sources told CTV that about 7,000 evacuees have returned to Lebanon since
hostilities ended last month.
As a rule, Canada asks citizens to reimburse government for their evacuation
from foreign lands, but decided taxpayers would foot the bill in this case.
Ontario Conservative MP Garth Turner told CTV News that Canadian taxpayers have
every right to be "ticked" at what happened.
Turner said citizenship rules need to be revamped."Should citizenship expire after a certain period of time if you don't live in
Canada anymore? Should it take longer occupancy to get Canadian citizenship?" he
asked.
Others said dual citizens should pay taxes.
"We should do our tax treaties with other countries and see if we can ensure
that the tax is collected so that Canadians holding dual citizenship pay tax,"
Ontario Liberal MP Yasmin Ratansi told CTV.
But Lebanese-Canadians said they see it differently.
"Once you are Canadian, it's either you are a Canadian or you are not Canadian.
There is no second-class citizenship," said Khalid Hashem of the Canadian
Lebanese Cultural Association.
Canadian Press
Canadian evacuation from Lebanon cost $85M:
CTV-Updated Wed. Sep. 20 2006
CTV.ca News Staff
The tab for the large-scale evacuation of Canadians from war-torn Lebanon during
Hezbollah's conflict with Israel cost taxpayers $85 million, CTV News has
learned.
The government won't officially divulge what the running total is, nor will it
reveal how many people returned to Lebanon after the fighting stopped in
mid-August.
But sources have told CTV News about 7,000 evacuees have returned to Lebanon of
an estimated 50,000 Lebanese-Canadians who live there permanently.
Ontario Conservative MP Garth Turner says citizenship rules need to be revamped.
"I think Canadian taxpayers have every right in the world to be ticked at what
happened," Turner told CTV News.
"Should citizenship expire after a certain period of time if you don't live in
Canada anymore? Should it take longer occupancy to get Canadian citizenship?" he
asked.
Turner said he is trying to "raise the alarm" that while Canada took these
Lebanese-Canadians away from harm's way, "it was to be expected that they would
find their way back when the hostilities ceased."
Others want to see that dual citizens who are living outside the country are
paying taxes.
"We should do our tax treaties with other countries and see if we can ensure
that the tax is collected so that Canadians holding dual citizenship pay tax,"
Ontario Liberal MP Yasmin Ratansi said.
Canadian Taxpayers Federation federal director John Williamson agreed, saying
that "If you don't want to pay taxes to the government of Canada, you give up
your citizenship."Williamson added that he thinks a lot of taxpayers will find it difficult to
digest the sum of "tens of millions of dollars."
"I think a lot of taxpayers across this country are going to be wondering why so
much money was spent on people -- (who are) citizens, but who don't reside in
Canada. I think there's going to be a lot of questions for the government of
Canada," he said.
But many Lebanese-Canadians see it differently.
"Once you are Canadian, it's either you are a Canadian or you are not Canadian.
There is no second-class citizenship," said Khalid Hashem of the Canadian
Lebanese Cultural Association.
Canada's first evacuees were rescued by boat from Beirut on July 19, days after
the beginning of Israeli-Hezbollah hostilities.
A sluggish start to Canadian evacuation efforts triggered a firestorm of
criticism of the government's handling of the crisis, including accusations of
micro-managing from Prime Minister Stephen Harper's office.
But other observers said the government did its best given it was faced with the
largest number of evacuees of any country.
Between July 19 and mid-August, chartered ships and planes ferried approximately
14,000 Canadians out of Lebanon from Beirut and the southern port city of Tyre
to Cyprus and Turkey. The passengers were then flown home.
Up to 40,000 Canadians were registered with the embassy -- the largest
population of expatriates in the country.
As a rule, Canada asks citizens to reimburse the government for their evacuation
from foreign lands.
But the federal government decided in this case that taxpayers would foot the
bill for costs related to the evacuation of Canadian citizens from Lebanon.
Ottawa similarly agreed to waive evacuation charges after the devastating 2004
tsunami.
With a report from CTV's Ottawa Bureau Chief
الجمعية الوطنية القبطية
National American Coptic Assembly NACA
Washington DC-morrissadek@yahoo.com
-morrissadek@gmail.com
Save Our Christian daughters from the Islamic extremists
The American Coptic Assembly calls for an immediate release of Mona Jeccob
Keriaco, a Catholic Christian, from the custody of the Islamic fundamental
groups. Mona Keriaco was abducted by Muslim extremists on August 17
2006. Ms. Keriaco is 23 years old who works as a teacher in a school in
the Governorate of Fayom, North West of Cairo, Egypt. After two weeks of her
abduction, she appeared with Kalid Taha Omaran, 40 years old, one of the
members of Al Jama El Slamia (Muslim extremist group) in the governorate of Fayoum.
Kalid Omaran claimed that he has married Mona Kerico (an Aourfy marriage)
secretly without her family approval. In an interview at the Egyptian TV that
took place on September 1, 2006, Mona Kerico appeared completely
drugged and was coerced to say that she is currently married to Omarran.
Subsequent to this TV Interview, Mona Keriaco’s family members along with
members of clergy at the Catholic Church requested from the Egyptian police to
meet her. Their numerous requests were denied by Officer Ahmed abd El twaab,
the head of the criminal investigation unit in the Governorate of Fayoum.
Officer Abd El Twaab even threatened to detain Ms. Keriaco’s family if they
kept requesting to meet their abducted daughter and ask about the reason behind
her disappearance.
According to Mona’s sister, Mona Kericao was engaged to a Christian Youngman
and was supposed to get married on September 7th. Accordingly, The Assembly
is calling for an immediate investigation about this case of abduction and
Officer Abd El twaab’s unfair treatment to Mona Keriaco’s family members
Also, The Assembly is asking all the human rights organizations to force the
Egyptian government to take the responsibility to return the abducted girl to
her family.
Washington 9/20/2006
Mr. Morris Sadek-ESQ President
Crescent leads ME peace plan
Posted on 9/19/2006
By Ahmed Al-Jarallah
Editor-in-Chief, the Arab Times
EGYPT, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan occupy
the most important positions in Africa, western parts of the Arab world, Arabian
Peninsula and the Gulf region. The crescent formed by these three countries will
soon take the responsibility for initiating political dialogue with the Western
countries to implement the Middle East peace plan according to the initiative
taken by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz.
This crescent will be fully responsible for the present and future of the Arab
world and we can confidently say that we have a competent group which is capable
of projecting the true image of Arabs as peace loving people. Some people are
still against the idea of allowing peace to return to the Arab world. These
groups, such as Hamas and Hezbollah which have strategic ties with Iran’s plans
for expansion, are afraid their revenues from selling their national cause and
the practice of trading their stand on important political issues will dry up.
People of Arab countries are no longer in the mood to allow anybody to trade on
their suffering and political issues. This explains the dispute between the
people of Palestine and the Hamas-led government. Less than seven months after
Hamas came to power, the Palestinians have understood they have been deceived
and are going to starve to death.
While urging its people not to kneel even if they starve, Hamas has seized the
opportunity of being in the government to politically trade this position with
Iran and Syria. According to a recent opinion poll conducted in Palestine the
popularity of Hamas has gone down to 25 per cent while that of Fatah Movement
has increased to 47 per cent. It is obvious the Palestinians are against selling
their cause to serve foreign interests or providing Director of Political Office
at the Hamas Movement Khalid Mishaal with a safe place in Damascus.
We are counting on Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan to project the true image of
Arabs to the world. We are confident they will succeed, especially as Custodian
of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz is a political reference in
the Gulf region, President Hosni Mubarak is popular and has a remarkable
influence in Africa and western parts of the Arab world, and King Abdullah II of
Jordan is an important political figure in the Mediterranean Arab region.
Unfortunately, Syria has become an international pariah after being linked to
Iran. The Arab crescent formed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan will soon play
a crucial and strategic political role by presenting Arab issue to the
international community in a logical and acceptable manner. They will lead the
Arab world in formalizing ties with the international system. Other countries,
which are still refusing to respond and cooperate, will continue to live in the
Cold War era and its ruins.
Muslims react to the speech of Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict and the Islamic Reaction
By: Gabriel Sawma
In a meeting with representatives of science in Germany on September 12, 2006,
Pope Benedict XVI quoted a short segment of a dialog between Byzantine Emperor
Manuel II Paleologus and an educated Persian. The Pope said:
“In the seventh conversation, from an edition by Professor Theodore Khoury, the
emperor must have known that Surah 2: 256 reads: There is no compulsion in
religion.” According to the experts, this is one of the suras of the early
period, when Muhammad was still powerless and under threat. But naturally the
emperor also knew the instructions, developed later and recorded in the Qur’an,
concerning holy war. Without descending to details, such as the difference in
treatment accorded to those who have the ‘Book’ and the ‘infidels,’ he addresses
his interlocutor with a startling brusqueness on the central question about the
relationship between religion and violence in general, saying: ‘show me just
what Muhammad brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and
inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.’ The
emperor, after having expressed himself so forcefully, goes on to explain in
detail the reasons why spreading the faith through violence is something
unreasonable. Violence is incompatible with the nature of God and the nature of
the soul. ‘God,’ he says, ‘is not pleased by blood—and not acting reasonably is
contrary to God’s nature. Faith is born of the soul, not the body. Whoever would
lead someone to faith needs the ability to speak well and to reason properly,
without violence and threats…to convince a reasonable soul, one does not need a
strong arm, or weapons of any kind, or any other means of threatening a person
with death…”.
The Pope certainly does not suggest that the emperor was right in the quoted
remark. If anything, he implies that its “starting brusqueness” was a rhetorical
used for argumentative or discursive purpose. The statement is placed in the
context of theological debate, which the pope clearly suggests has value and
importance. As a result, segments of Muslim community around the world
demonstrated and demanded an apology from the pontiff. They argue that Islam did
not use the sword to convert people. They also stated that Islam is a “peaceful
religion”. Some demanded that the pope be executed. This article gives
background about the Islamic conquest of the Middle East and parts of Europe.
Before the rise of Islam in the seventh century, The Middle East was inhabited
by Semites mainly Christians and Jews in addition to Tribes whose origin was
Arab. There were also Greeks and Persians. Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, died
in 632 A.D. He was succeeded by the first caliph Abu Bakr (632-634) who defeated
the so-called false prophets, Tulayha and Musaylima and reduced the rebellious
tribes. Abu Bakr initiated the first incursion into Iraq under Khalid ibn al-Walid
(633). Hira, the ancient Lakhmid capital, and Obolla were taken and its
population were put to ransom.
In Syria, the Muslim Arabs defeated Theodore, brother of the Emperor Heraclius
at Ajnadyn (Jannabatayn) between Gaza and Jerusalem (634). Abu Bakr died in 634,
he was succeeded by Omar, who first assumed the title of Amir al-Mu’mineen
(Prince of the Faithful) and established the primacy of the Muslim Arabs over
their taxpaying subjects. He defeated the Byzantines at Marj al-Saffar, near
Damascus by Khalid (635). Damascus and Emessa were taken after the defeat of the
Byzantines at Yarmuk, south of the Tiberias (636). Alepo and Antioch were taken
in the same year. Jerusalem was capitulated in 638 and Caesarea was captured in
640. Mesopotamia was subjugated between 639 and 641. The Persians were defeated
by Sa’ad ibn abi-Waqqas at Qadisiya (637); Stesiphon (Al-Madain) was taken in
637. The final defeat of the Persians took place at Nahawand in 641.
Egypt was attacked by the forces of Amr ibn al’As in 639 and Babylon fell to the
Muslim Arabs in 642. In 642 All of Egypt was capitulated to the Muslim forces.
In 644 Omar was assassinated, he was succeeded by Othman (644-656). Under his
leadership, Cyprus was captured (649). Between 673 and 678, the Muslim fleet
besieged Constantinople, but was unable to occupy the city. They invaded Cilicia
(710-711) and pacified North Africa between 708 and 711.
In 711 Muslim Arabs invaded Spain under Tariq ibn al-Walid, they defeated the
Goths in Wadi Bekka. Cordova and the capital of Toledo were captured. Half of
Spain was under the rule of Tariq. Muslim Arabs crossed the Pyrenees and invaded
southern France, but were defeated at Poitiers (Tours) by Charles Martel. They
conquered Georgia between 727 and 733.
Throughout the period, Christian, Jews and pagans were forced to convert to
Islam; otherwise, they had to pay what is known as the “Jizya”, which means
‘head tax’. Paying off the “Jizya” would allow the person to protect his head
from the sword.
From the eleventh to the thirteenth century, the Crusaders attempted to bring
Christianity and Christian rule to the Holy Land. From the fourteenth to the
seventeenth century, the Ottoman Turks reversed the balance and expanded their
rule over the Middle East and the Balkans. Nicaea was taken in 1331; in 1345 the
Ottomans crossed into Europe, their first settlement in Europe occurred in 1354
at Tzympe on Gallipoli. Between 1369 and 1372, the Ottomans conquered Bulgaria
to the Balkan Mountains; they defeated the Serbs at Cernomen on the Maritza
River; they captured Sophia, and in February-May 1453, they laid siege to
Constantinople (modern Istanbul) and captured the Byzantine capital once and for
all.
Muslim occupation of the Middle East and elsewhere was not tolerant towards
their subjugated people, mainly the Christians, the Jews and the Hindus. They
confiscated Christian churches, Jewish synagogues and Hindu temples; they
instituted the “Jizya” system (paying off head tax to protect one’s head from
the sword), which is stated in the Quran; they forced non-Muslims subjects to
wear special garments for identification; they refused to accept testimonies in
the courts from non-Muslims; they called their subjugated people “dhimmi”. i.e.
the ‘insulted ones’.
The Quran calls Christians and Jews: “Kafir” (i.e. infidel, disbeliever in
Islam), “Apes”, “Pigs” (Q.5: 61), “Those who incur Allah’s wrath”, and “Those
who have gone astray”, “Whose adobe in Fiery Hell.” Christians and Jews did not
choose these names for themselves. Yet Muslims benefit from the civilization of
the people the Quran calls “Kafir, Apes, Pigs, etc. These are the people who
make their cars, airplanes, television sets, radios, computers, etc.
On the political side, every single constitution of the Muslim States of the
Middle East (except Lebanon and Turkey) stipulates that the religion of the
state must be Islam, or the laws of the state should be bases on the Islamic
Shari’a (i.e. the Quran, the Hadith and other interpretations given by Muslim
commentators). In other constitutional articles in those Islamic countries, the
religion of the head of state must be Islam.
Muslims have not recognized the fact that their culture seems much less likely
to develop stable democratic political systems, or advance human rights and
freedom of expression. Bombing of mosques, churches and synagogues, and sending
out suicide bombers to kill innocent men, women and children and destruction of
property does not advance a civilization, to the contrary, it pulls it backward.
In a recent speech, Muammar Qaddafi, president of Libya, insulted Christians by
saying that “Christians should put photos of naked women next to Jesus”. There
were no Christian demonstrations in Europe or the United States or elsewhere in
the world to protest his statement. The Libyan Embassies were not attacked
anywhere in the world. Yet not a single Muslim leader or religious authority
voiced an objection to Qaddafi’s statement.
Pope Benedict expressed the feelings of a Byzantine Emperor in his speech. He
did not defend the speech nor did he agree to what the Emperor said in the
fourteenth century. Yet Muslims around the world demonstrated against the Pope
and the United States; they call for the execution of the Pope; they attacked
innocent Christians by killing a nun in Somalia, whose job was to help Muslim
children in that war stricken country. Again, not a single Muslim leader or
religious authority objected to these acts of violence.
If the world has to submit to these outrageous demonstrations and acts of
violence for a speech given by the Pontiff, then the freedom of speech, freedom
of expression, freedom of religion and other freedoms that the free world has
adopted --and are expressed clearly in the Constitutions throughout Europe and
the United States--, all of those should be nullified so that the Islamic mob
will run the lives of the Europeans and the Americans.
In the seventh century, Christians who were subjugated agreed to give the second
successor of the prophet of Islam Umar bin khattab, a proclamation know as “The
Pact of Umar”. Here are some of the conditions put on the Christians:
• We (Christians) shall not build in our cities or in their neighborhood, new
monasteries, churches, covenants, or monk’s cells, nor shall we repair, by day
or by night, such of them as fall in ruins or are situated in the quarters of
the Muslims.
• We shall not manifest our religion publicly nor convert anyone to it. We shall
not prevent any of our kin from entering Islam if they wish it.
• We shall not mount on saddles, nor shall we gird swords nor bear any kind of
arms nor carry them on our persons.
• We shall not sell fermented drinks.
• We shall clip the fronts of our heads.
• We shall always dress in the same way wherever we may be, and we shall bind
the zunnar (belt) round our waists.
• We shall not display our crosses or our books in the roads or markets of the
Muslims. We shall use only clappers in our churches very softly. We shall not
raise our voices when following our dead. We shall not show lights on any roads
of the Muslims or in their markets. We shall not bury our dead near the Muslims.
The Arab historian, al-Tartushi, Siraj al-Muluk says that when this letter was
brought to Umar, he added, “We shall not strike a Muslim”. Christians accepted
these conditions for themselves and for the people of their community, and in
return they received safe-conduct. The author claims that Umar ibn al-khattab
replied: Sign what they ask, but add two clauses and imposed them addition to
those which they have undertaken. These are: “They shall not buy anyone made
prisoner by the Muslims,” and “Whoever strikes a Muslim with deliberate intent
shall forfeit the protection of this pact.”
Muslim demonstrators do not have to pour their anger on the Pope who, during an
academic gathering, quoted a Byzantine emperor. All they have to do is read the
books that were written by their own historians about the Islamic occupation of
other countries, they all mention the sword as a means of “jihad”. The emperor
was not the first person to ask the question about the use of the sword during
the “jihad”. In his book “al Itqan fi ‘Ulum al Qur’an”, the author “al Suyuti”
states clearly that some of the interpreters of the Qur’an call the Quranic
verse 9:5 as the verse of the sword. What does the verse say? “And when the
forbidden months have passed, kill the ‘MUSHRIKOON’ (Christians and Hindus, who
worship someone else beside God) wherever you find them and take them prisoners,
and beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if
they repent and observe Prayer and pay the zakat, then leave their way free.”
This verse became a pretext for executing people who do not believe in Islam.
About the author.
Gabriel Sawma is a lawyer dealing with international law, mainly the European
Union Law, the Middle East and Islamic Shari’a Laws. Author of a book titled,
“The Qur’an: Misinterpreted, Mistranslated, and Misread. The Aramaic Language of
the Qur’an”, available on amazon.com. http://www.syriacaramaicquran.com
See also:
http://www.syriacaramaicquran.com
http://www.gabrielsawma.blogspot.com
International Legal Consultant
by Gabriel Sawma Esq.
Email: gabrielsawma (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!)
Phone: 609-915-2237
Address: P.O. Box 112, Plainsboro, NJ 08536 19 Sep 2006
Face aux intimidations islamistes, que doit faire le monde libre ?,
par Robert Redeker
Par Robert Redeker (Philosophe. Professeur au lycée Pierre-Paul-Riquet à Saint-Orens
de Gammeville. Va publier Dépression et philosophie (éditions Pleins Feux)Publié
le 19 septembre 2006
Actualisé le 19 septembre 2006 : 09h03
Les réactions suscitées par l'analyse de Benoît XVI sur l'islam et la violence
s'inscrivent dans la tentative menée par cet islam d'étouffer ce que l'Occident
a de plus précieux qui n'existe dans aucun pays musulman : la liberté de penser
et de s'exprimer.
L'islam essaie d'imposer à l'Europe ses règles : ouverture des piscines à
certaines heures exclusivement aux femmes, interdiction de caricaturer cette
religion, exigence d'un traitement diététique particulier des enfants musulmans
dans les cantines, combat pour le port du voile à l'école, accusation
d'islamophobie contre les esprits libres.
Comment expliquer l'interdiction du string à Paris-Plages, cet été ? Étrange fut
l'argument avancé : risque de «troubles à l'ordre public». Cela signifiait-il
que des bandes de jeunes frustrés risquaient de devenir violents à l'affichage
de la beauté ? Ou bien craignait-on des manifestations islamistes, via des
brigades de la vertu, aux abords de Paris-Plages ?
Pourtant, la non-interdiction du port du voile dans la rue est, du fait de la
réprobation que ce soutien à l'oppression contre les femmes suscite, plus propre
à «troubler l'ordre public» que le string. Il n'est pas déplacé de penser que
cette interdiction traduit une islamisation des esprits en France, une
soumission plus ou moins consciente aux diktats de l'islam. Ou, à tout le moins,
qu'elle résulte de l'insidieuse pression musulmane sur les esprits. Islamisation
des esprits : ceux-là même qui s'élevaient contre l'inauguration d'un Parvis
Jean-Paul-II à Paris ne s'opposent pas à la construction de mosquées. L'islam
tente d'obliger l'Europe à se plier à sa vision de l'homme.
Comme jadis avec le communisme, l'Occident se retrouve sous surveillance
idéologique. L'islam se présente, à l'image du défunt communisme, comme une
alternative au monde occidental. À l'instar du communisme d'autrefois, l'islam,
pour conquérir les esprits, joue sur une corde sensible. Il se targue d'une
légitimité qui trouble la conscience occidentale, attentive à autrui : être la
voix des pauvres de la planète. Hier, la voix des pauvres prétendait venir de
Moscou, aujourd'hui elle viendrait de La Mecque ! Aujourd'hui à nouveau, des
intellectuels incarnent cet oeil du Coran, comme ils incarnaient l'oeil de
Moscou hier. Ils excommunient pour islamophobie, comme hier pour anticommunisme.
Dans l'ouverture à autrui, propre à l'Occident, se manifeste une sécularisation
du christianisme, dont le fond se résume ainsi : l'autre doit toujours passer
avant moi. L'Occidental, héritier du christianisme, est l'être qui met son âme à
découvert. Il prend le risque de passer pour faible. À l'identique de feu le
communisme, l'islam tient la générosité, l'ouverture d'esprit, la tolérance, la
douceur, la liberté de la femme et des moeurs, les valeurs démocratiques, pour
des marques de décadence.
Ce sont des faiblesses qu'il veut exploiter au moyen «d'idiots utiles», les
bonnes consciences imbues de bons sentiments, afin d'imposer l'ordre coranique
au monde occidental lui-même.
Le Coran est un livre d'inouïe violence. Maxime Rodinson énonce, dans
l'Encyclopédia Universalis, quelques vérités aussi importantes que taboues en
France. D'une part, «Muhammad révéla à Médine des qualités insoupçonnées de
dirigeant politique et de chef militaire (...) Il recourut à la guerre privée,
institution courante en Arabie (...) Muhammad envoya bientôt des petits groupes
de ses partisans attaquer les caravanes mekkoises, punissant ainsi ses
incrédules compatriotes et du même coup acquérant un riche butin».
D'autre part, «Muhammad profita de ce succès pour éliminer de Médine, en la
faisant massacrer, la dernière tribu juive qui y restait, les Qurayza, qu'il
accusait d'un comportement suspect». Enfin, «après la mort de Khadidja, il
épousa une veuve, bonne ménagère, Sawda, et aussi la petite Aisha, qui avait à
peine une dizaine d'années. Ses penchants érotiques, longtemps contenus,
devaient lui faire contracter concurremment une dizaine de mariages».
Exaltation de la violence : chef de guerre impitoyable, pillard, massacreur de
juifs et polygame, tel se révèle Mahomet à travers le Coran.
De fait, l'Église catholique n'est pas exempte de reproches. Son histoire est
jonchée de pages noires, sur lesquelles elle a fait repentance. L'Inquisition,
la chasse aux sorcières, l'exécution des philosophes Bruno et Vanini, ces mal-pensants
épicuriens, celle, en plein XVIIIe siècle, du chevalier de La Barre pour impiété,
ne plaident pas en sa faveur. Mais ce qui différencie le christianisme de
l'islam apparaît : il est toujours possible de retourner les valeurs
évangéliques, la douce personne de Jésus contre les dérives de l'Église.
Aucune des fautes de l'Église ne plonge ses racines dans l'Évangile. Jésus est
non-violent. Le retour à Jésus est un recours contre les excès de l'institution
ecclésiale. Le recours à Mahomet, au contraire, renforce la haine et la
violence. Jésus est un maître d'amour, Mahomet un maître de haine.
La lapidation de Satan, chaque année à La Mecque, n'est pas qu'un phénomène
superstitieux. Elle ne met pas seulement en scène une foule hystérisée flirtant
avec la barbarie. Sa portée est anthropologique. Voilà en effet un rite, auquel
chaque musulman est invité à se soumettre, inscrivant la violence comme un
devoir sacré au coeur du croyant.
Cette lapidation, s'accompagnant annuellement de la mort par piétinement de
quelques fidèles, parfois de plusieurs centaines, est un rituel qui couve la
violence archaïque.
Au lieu d'éliminer cette violence archaïque, à l'imitation du judaïsme et du
christianisme, en la neutralisant (le judaïsme commence par le refus du
sacrifice humain, c'est-à-dire l'entrée dans la civilisation, le christianisme
transforme le sacrifice en eucharistie), l'islam lui confectionne un nid, où
elle croîtra au chaud. Quand le judaïsme et le christianisme sont des religions
dont les rites conjurent la violence, la délégitiment, l'islam est une religion
qui, dans son texte sacré même, autant que dans certains de ses rites banals,
exalte violence et haine.
Haine et violence habitent le livre dans lequel tout musulman est éduqué, le
Coran. Comme aux temps de la guerre froide, violence et intimidation sont les
voies utilisées par une idéologie à vocation hégémonique, l'islam, pour poser sa
chape de plomb sur le monde. Benoît XVI en souffre la cruelle expérience. Comme
en ces temps-là, il faut appeler l'Occident «le monde libre» par rapport à au
monde musulman, et comme en ces temps-là les adversaires de ce «monde libre»,
fonctionnaires zélés de l'oeil du Coran, pullulent en son sein.