"(Reuters) - Egypt's government promised "exemplary punishment" on Monday after the mob killing of four Shi'ite Muslims near Cairo raised fears of wider sectarian bloodshed at a time of grave national crisis.
But Shi'ite minority leaders and the liberal opposition accused the government itself, dominated by the Sunni Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, of whipping up sectarian anger over the war in Syria as a means of appeasing its own hardline Salafist allies.
President Mohamed Mursi, under pressure from the army to end broader factional violence, condemned "this heinous crime" and promised "swift justice". Al-Azhar, Cairo's leading Sunni religious establishment, said the killings were contrary to the teachings of Islam and urged "harshest punishment".
In Sunday's violence in the suburb of Zawiyat Abu Musallem, in sight of the Giza pyramids, a crowd ransacked and torched the house of a family, whose members told Reuters the attack began when a Shi'ite dignitary visited them for a religious festival.
They yelled "Infidels!", said one woman who survived and who complained that police failed to intervene during the frenzied violence in the house and rubbish-strewn alley outside. "The Salafis and the Brotherhood - they're the ones who attacked us," added the woman, clearly in shock, sitting in her wrecked home.
A video posted online by rights activists showed dozens of men and youths looking on as several others drag the bloodied body of at least one man along a street, one pulling on what may be a rope around his neck. In other sequences from the events on Sunday, a squad of riot police is present and a group of black-robed women on a crowded, narrow street chant "No God but God!"
Tensions are running high across Egypt between the government and opponents who plan major rallies this weekend to demand Mursi resign. There has been scattered political violence and the army, which effectively ran Egypt for decades before the 2011 revolution, warned it would step in to quell any unrest.
PRIME MINISTER
A government statement issued for Prime Minister Hisham Kandil said he "strongly condemned the terrible incident" and a accused the attackers of importing "sectarian strife" of a kind alien to Egyptian society. He would "ensure justice is done and that the culprits are made examples of by deterrent punishment".
But Mohamed Ghoneim, a leading figure in a Shi'ite community of a few hundred thousand, was quoted by state newspaper website al-Ahram saying the Muslim Brotherhood was trying to appease hardline Salafist allies by not shielding Shi'ites from attack.
Liberal opponents of the Muslim Brotherhood also accused the movement and President Mursi of stirring up sectarian passions by joining this month in Sunni calls for jihad against Syria's president and his Shi'ite allies from Lebanon and Iran.
The opposition Dustour Party said in a statement that it saw "this heinous crime as a direct result ... of the disgusting religious hate speech that goes on escalating with the knowledge of the regime and the blessings of the president".
But Essam el-Erian, deputy leader of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, insisted the movement condemned the killings - comparing them to the deaths of its own Islamist allies and supporters in factional clashes in recent days.
"It is forbidden to Muslims to spill Egyptian blood," he wrote on Facebook. "All Egyptian blood - Muslim or Christian, man or woman, Sunni or Shi'ite, civilian or police. Whoever takes part in shedding blood, even in words ... or by hate speech, is taking part in a terrible crime."
He said Egypt would not slip into civil war and that the army stood ready to step in and defend the nation.
Mursi and the Brotherhood angered their Salafist allies by trying to improve ties with Shi'ite Iran since Mursi was elected a year ago. But as the Syrian civil war has inflamed sectarian passions across the Middle East, Mursi and the Brotherhood joined a Sunni conference in Cairo this month that condemned President Bashar al-Assad and his Shi'ite allies.
Mohamed Zarea of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, said of the mob violence: "This did not just come from incitement by individuals but also the government. After the Syria conference, there was direct incitement against Shi'ites.""
Monday, June 24, 2013
أهالي قرية مصرية يفاخرون بضرب أربعة شيعة حتى الموت وسحلهم
عرب48 /وكالات
"أبدى عدد من اهالي قرية مصرية شعورهم بالفخر بعدما اقدم المئات من سكانها على الاعتداء على أربعة من الشيعة وضربهم حتى الموت وسحلهم بسبب انتمائهم المذهبي، في أول اعتداء عنيف وكبير ضد الشيعة في مصر بعد انتشار التحريض ضد هذه الاقلية مؤخرا.
وقال شهود عيان ومصادر امنية لفرانس برس ان مئات من اهالي قرية زاوية ابو مسلم في مركز ابو النمرس في محافظة الجيزة (نحو 30 كيلومتر جنوب العاصمة القاهرة) حاصروا واعتدوا على منزل احد شيعة القرية بعدما علموا بتواجد القيادي المصري الشيعي حسن شحاتة فيه برفقة اخرين. وحاول الاهالي حرق المنزل المتواجد في حارة ضيقة بزجاجات المولوتوف لكنهم فشلوا في ذلك.
واسفر الاعتداء عن مقتل شحاتة وشقيقه واثنين آخرين وجميعهم من خارج القرية، بالاضافة إلى اصابة خمسة اشخاص آخرين.
ويعد الشيخ حسن شحاتة (66 عاما) أحد ابرز القيادات الشيعية في البلاد، وسبق وان سجن مرتين خلال عهد الرئيس المصري السابق حسني مبارك بتهمة ازدراء الاديان، بحسب ما اكد عدد من اتباع هذا المذهب لوكالة فرانس برس.
وقال الشيعي ضياء محرم باكيا ان “شحاتة كان يحضر احتفالا دينيا مع شيعة القرية بمناسبة ليلة النصف من شعبان”.
وقال النجار ياسر يحيى لفرانس برس “عندما علم الاهالي ان حسن شحاتة في القرية طلبوا من صاحب المنزل تسليمه لهم، لكنه رفض ما جعلهم يهاجمون المنزل”.
واضاف ان “الاهالي احضروا مطارق ضخمة وهدموا جزءا من حائط المنزل واخرجوا الشيعة واحدا تلو الاخر ثم قتلوهم ضربا في تلك الساحة”، مشيرا إلى ساحة كبيرة أمام ورشته شهدت واقعة السحل والقتل.
وقال مصمم الاثاث سامح المصري “حاولت انقاذهم لكن الاهالي كانوا مصممين على قتلهم”، وتابع “سحلوهم حتى مدخل القرية.. لقد كانت لحظات بشعة”.
وقال شهود عيان لفرانس برس إن مئات الاهالي كانوا يرددون “الله اكبر.. الله اكبر” و”الشيعة كفار” اثناء الاعتداء على الشيعة وسحلهم في الشارع.
[IF THIS IS HOW THEY FEEL TOWARDS FELLOW MUSLIMS, IMAGINE HOW THEY FEEL TOWARDS COPTS!]
وسحل الاهالي الجثث إلى خارج القرية حتى سيارات الامن المركزي التي نقلت الجثث الاربع الى المشافي، بحسب شهود عيان.
وتوجد نحو 20 اسرة شيعية في قرية ابو مسلم. ويتهم الاهالي القيادي الشيعي شحاتة بنشر المذهب الشيعي بين اهلها.
وقال احد اهالي القرية لفراني برس طالبا عدم ذكر اسمه ان “الغضب كبير ضد شحاتة لانه تسبب في اعتناق عدد من شباب القرية للمذهب الشيعي مؤخرا”.
واستخدم اهالي القرية، ومعظمهم لا تبدو عليهم مظاهر التدين، كلمة “كفار” لوصف الشيعة اثناء حديثهم عنهم امام مراسل فرانس برس الذي زار القرية.
ولم يظهر الاهالي أي ندم او خجل من الواقعة، لا بل ان شباب القرية راحوا يتبادلون في ما بينهم مقاطع فيديو لسحل الشيعة الاربعة بفخر وحماس واضح.
وقال المدرس محمد اسماعيل وهو يجلس امام منزله “نحن سعداء بما حدث. وكنا نتمنى ان يحدث منذ زمن”.
وعادة ما يجد العنف الطائفي والمذهبي بمصر ارضا خصبة في المناطق القروية خارج المدن مثل قرية ابو مسلم الفقيرة والعشوائية.
ويتهم الشيعة الدولة في مصر بعدم توفير الحماية لهم خاصة من مضايقات وتحريض السلفيين مذهبيا ضدهم. كما يشكون تعرضهم لتحريض مذهبي علني في القنوات الدينية.
وخلال مؤتمر حاشد للاسلاميين عقد قبل اسبوع ل”نصرة سوريا” بحضور الرئيس محمد مرسي، تحدث احد قيادات الحركة السلفية، الشيخ محمد عبد المقصود، واصفا ب”الانجاس من يسبون صحابة النبي” محمد، في اشارة واضحة الى الشيعة.
وقال بهاء أنور، المتحدث باسم شيعة مصر لفرانس برس “احمل الرئيس مرسي المسؤولية كاملة لما حدث لان هناك تحريضا طائفيا مستمرا ضد الشيعة في زاوية ابو مسلم منذ اسبوعين ولم يتدخل احد رغم ابلاغنا السلطات”.
وقال أنور “الدولة تتخاذل مع دعوات التحريض ضدنا بل وتتبناها. ما حدث نتيجة لتحريض منظم ضد الشيعة في مصر وتشترك فيه الدولة”، واضاف ان “الشرطة لم تحم الشيعة المحاصرين رغم تواجدها في القرية”.
وقال بائع الطيور عبد الله حجازي ان “الشرطة كانت موجودة خلال الاعتداء لكنها لم تتدخل لمنعه”.
لكن اللواء عبد العظيم نصر الدين، نائب مدير أمن الجيزة، قال لفرانس برس “حاولنا التدخل لكن التجمهر الكبير للاهالي والشوارع الضيقة منعتنا من التقدم لتفريق الحشود”.
وتابع وهو جالس بين قواته خارج القرية “الاهالي هاجمونا بالشوم والسنج (السكاكين) ما اضطرنا للانسحاب”.
واكد اللواء نصر الدين ان “الشرطة نجحت في اخراج 25 شيعيا من المنزل المحاصر وهو ما قلل من عدد الضحايا”.
وحتى الساعة لم يصدر اي تعليق رسمي من الحكومة على الحادث.
من جهته قال الدكتور محمد البرادعي رئيس حزب الدستور الليبرالي المعارض في تغريدة على صفحته على موقع تويتر ان “قتل وسحل مصريين بسبب عقيدتهم نتيجة بشعة لخطاب ديني مقزز ترك ليستفحل”.
وتنتمي الاغلبية الساحقة من المسلمين في مصر للمذهب السني، علما بان العاصمة القاهرة اسستها الدولة الفاطمية الشيعية التي حكمت مصر لسنين قبل نحو الف عام.
ولا يوجد احصاء دقيق معلن لعدد الشيعة في مصر. وبحسب تقرير الحريات الدينية الذي اصدرته الخارجية الاميركية في العام 2006 فان الشيعة يشكلون أقل من 1% من عدد سكان مصر البالغ في حينه 74 مليون نسمة اي نحو 740 الف شخص.
وظهرت بوادر تشدد مذهبي في مصر مع الصعود السياسي للحركات السلفية التي حصلت على اكثر من 20 في المئة من مقاعد البرلمان المصري في اول انتخابات تشريعية بعد اسقاط حسني مبارك عام 2011.
وانتشر اخيرا توزيع سلفيين لمنشورات وكتيبات تحذر من الخطر الشيعي ومحاولة الشيعة نشر مذهبهم في مصر.
"
"أبدى عدد من اهالي قرية مصرية شعورهم بالفخر بعدما اقدم المئات من سكانها على الاعتداء على أربعة من الشيعة وضربهم حتى الموت وسحلهم بسبب انتمائهم المذهبي، في أول اعتداء عنيف وكبير ضد الشيعة في مصر بعد انتشار التحريض ضد هذه الاقلية مؤخرا.
وقال شهود عيان ومصادر امنية لفرانس برس ان مئات من اهالي قرية زاوية ابو مسلم في مركز ابو النمرس في محافظة الجيزة (نحو 30 كيلومتر جنوب العاصمة القاهرة) حاصروا واعتدوا على منزل احد شيعة القرية بعدما علموا بتواجد القيادي المصري الشيعي حسن شحاتة فيه برفقة اخرين. وحاول الاهالي حرق المنزل المتواجد في حارة ضيقة بزجاجات المولوتوف لكنهم فشلوا في ذلك.
واسفر الاعتداء عن مقتل شحاتة وشقيقه واثنين آخرين وجميعهم من خارج القرية، بالاضافة إلى اصابة خمسة اشخاص آخرين.
ويعد الشيخ حسن شحاتة (66 عاما) أحد ابرز القيادات الشيعية في البلاد، وسبق وان سجن مرتين خلال عهد الرئيس المصري السابق حسني مبارك بتهمة ازدراء الاديان، بحسب ما اكد عدد من اتباع هذا المذهب لوكالة فرانس برس.
وقال الشيعي ضياء محرم باكيا ان “شحاتة كان يحضر احتفالا دينيا مع شيعة القرية بمناسبة ليلة النصف من شعبان”.
وقال النجار ياسر يحيى لفرانس برس “عندما علم الاهالي ان حسن شحاتة في القرية طلبوا من صاحب المنزل تسليمه لهم، لكنه رفض ما جعلهم يهاجمون المنزل”.
واضاف ان “الاهالي احضروا مطارق ضخمة وهدموا جزءا من حائط المنزل واخرجوا الشيعة واحدا تلو الاخر ثم قتلوهم ضربا في تلك الساحة”، مشيرا إلى ساحة كبيرة أمام ورشته شهدت واقعة السحل والقتل.
وقال مصمم الاثاث سامح المصري “حاولت انقاذهم لكن الاهالي كانوا مصممين على قتلهم”، وتابع “سحلوهم حتى مدخل القرية.. لقد كانت لحظات بشعة”.
وقال شهود عيان لفرانس برس إن مئات الاهالي كانوا يرددون “الله اكبر.. الله اكبر” و”الشيعة كفار” اثناء الاعتداء على الشيعة وسحلهم في الشارع.
[IF THIS IS HOW THEY FEEL TOWARDS FELLOW MUSLIMS, IMAGINE HOW THEY FEEL TOWARDS COPTS!]
وسحل الاهالي الجثث إلى خارج القرية حتى سيارات الامن المركزي التي نقلت الجثث الاربع الى المشافي، بحسب شهود عيان.
وتوجد نحو 20 اسرة شيعية في قرية ابو مسلم. ويتهم الاهالي القيادي الشيعي شحاتة بنشر المذهب الشيعي بين اهلها.
وقال احد اهالي القرية لفراني برس طالبا عدم ذكر اسمه ان “الغضب كبير ضد شحاتة لانه تسبب في اعتناق عدد من شباب القرية للمذهب الشيعي مؤخرا”.
واستخدم اهالي القرية، ومعظمهم لا تبدو عليهم مظاهر التدين، كلمة “كفار” لوصف الشيعة اثناء حديثهم عنهم امام مراسل فرانس برس الذي زار القرية.
ولم يظهر الاهالي أي ندم او خجل من الواقعة، لا بل ان شباب القرية راحوا يتبادلون في ما بينهم مقاطع فيديو لسحل الشيعة الاربعة بفخر وحماس واضح.
وقال المدرس محمد اسماعيل وهو يجلس امام منزله “نحن سعداء بما حدث. وكنا نتمنى ان يحدث منذ زمن”.
وعادة ما يجد العنف الطائفي والمذهبي بمصر ارضا خصبة في المناطق القروية خارج المدن مثل قرية ابو مسلم الفقيرة والعشوائية.
ويتهم الشيعة الدولة في مصر بعدم توفير الحماية لهم خاصة من مضايقات وتحريض السلفيين مذهبيا ضدهم. كما يشكون تعرضهم لتحريض مذهبي علني في القنوات الدينية.
وخلال مؤتمر حاشد للاسلاميين عقد قبل اسبوع ل”نصرة سوريا” بحضور الرئيس محمد مرسي، تحدث احد قيادات الحركة السلفية، الشيخ محمد عبد المقصود، واصفا ب”الانجاس من يسبون صحابة النبي” محمد، في اشارة واضحة الى الشيعة.
وقال بهاء أنور، المتحدث باسم شيعة مصر لفرانس برس “احمل الرئيس مرسي المسؤولية كاملة لما حدث لان هناك تحريضا طائفيا مستمرا ضد الشيعة في زاوية ابو مسلم منذ اسبوعين ولم يتدخل احد رغم ابلاغنا السلطات”.
وقال أنور “الدولة تتخاذل مع دعوات التحريض ضدنا بل وتتبناها. ما حدث نتيجة لتحريض منظم ضد الشيعة في مصر وتشترك فيه الدولة”، واضاف ان “الشرطة لم تحم الشيعة المحاصرين رغم تواجدها في القرية”.
وقال بائع الطيور عبد الله حجازي ان “الشرطة كانت موجودة خلال الاعتداء لكنها لم تتدخل لمنعه”.
لكن اللواء عبد العظيم نصر الدين، نائب مدير أمن الجيزة، قال لفرانس برس “حاولنا التدخل لكن التجمهر الكبير للاهالي والشوارع الضيقة منعتنا من التقدم لتفريق الحشود”.
وتابع وهو جالس بين قواته خارج القرية “الاهالي هاجمونا بالشوم والسنج (السكاكين) ما اضطرنا للانسحاب”.
واكد اللواء نصر الدين ان “الشرطة نجحت في اخراج 25 شيعيا من المنزل المحاصر وهو ما قلل من عدد الضحايا”.
وحتى الساعة لم يصدر اي تعليق رسمي من الحكومة على الحادث.
من جهته قال الدكتور محمد البرادعي رئيس حزب الدستور الليبرالي المعارض في تغريدة على صفحته على موقع تويتر ان “قتل وسحل مصريين بسبب عقيدتهم نتيجة بشعة لخطاب ديني مقزز ترك ليستفحل”.
وتنتمي الاغلبية الساحقة من المسلمين في مصر للمذهب السني، علما بان العاصمة القاهرة اسستها الدولة الفاطمية الشيعية التي حكمت مصر لسنين قبل نحو الف عام.
ولا يوجد احصاء دقيق معلن لعدد الشيعة في مصر. وبحسب تقرير الحريات الدينية الذي اصدرته الخارجية الاميركية في العام 2006 فان الشيعة يشكلون أقل من 1% من عدد سكان مصر البالغ في حينه 74 مليون نسمة اي نحو 740 الف شخص.
وظهرت بوادر تشدد مذهبي في مصر مع الصعود السياسي للحركات السلفية التي حصلت على اكثر من 20 في المئة من مقاعد البرلمان المصري في اول انتخابات تشريعية بعد اسقاط حسني مبارك عام 2011.
وانتشر اخيرا توزيع سلفيين لمنشورات وكتيبات تحذر من الخطر الشيعي ومحاولة الشيعة نشر مذهبهم في مصر.
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Syria: Detention and Abuse of Female Activists
Women Detail Torture and Abuse by Government in New Testimonies
Human Rights Watch interviewed 10 Syrian women who were detained, either due to their own engagement in activities related to government opposition, or that of their family members. Eight were themselves activists who had been detained, all of whom said that security forces and shabiha had abused or tortured them in detention. The abuse included electric shocks, keeping them in stress positions, and using metal rods, wires and nightsticks to beat and torture them. The eight women had attended peaceful demonstrations, created posters for opposition groups, provided humanitarian aid and medical care to those affected by the conflict, transported defectors from the Syrian military, and assisted displaced Syrians. All said security forces detained them at checkpoints or during home raids, and held them for periods lasting up to nearly 14 months between February 2012 and April 2013. In two cases, the women said their captors raped them while they were detained at the Military Intelligence Branch in Tartous, and the Air Force Intelligence Branch in Mezze, Damascus.....
“Beyond the daily gun battles, women have been a powerful voice in the opposition in villages and towns across Syria,” said Liesl Gerntholtz, women’s rights director at Human Rights Watch. “In response, the Syrian government is punishing women for delivering humanitarian assistance, participating in protests, and supporting the opposition by subjecting them to detention, torture, and sexual assault.”....."
Egypt Sees a Dam Confrontation
Analysis by Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
"- Ethiopia’s diversion of part of the Blue Nile late last month has both rocked Cairo’s relations with Addis Ababa and provided fodder for Egypt’s ongoing war of attrition between its Islamist government and secular opposition.
“In Egypt’s current state of polarisation, the crisis is being exploited by both sides,” Ayman Shabaana of the Cairo-based Institute for Africa Studies told IPS. “Both government and opposition are using the critical issue of Nile security to bolster their popularity by beating war drums and making jingoistic statements.
“Meanwhile, no concrete steps are being taken to resolve the issue.”
Ethiopia began diverting the course of the Blue Nile, the primary source of Egypt’s Nile water, on May 28 in another step towards construction of its massive 4.2-billion dollar hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam project. When complete, the dam will be capable of producing 6,000 megawatts of electricity, making it Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant......
“Ethiopia’s move was unprecedented. Never before has an upstream state unilaterally built a dam without downstream approval,” said Shabaana. “If other upstream countries follow suit, Egypt will have a serious water emergency on its hands.”
He added: “And Egypt’s reaction to the crisis so far has been marked by confusion, hysteria and infighting – all of which hardly inspire confidence.”"
"- Ethiopia’s diversion of part of the Blue Nile late last month has both rocked Cairo’s relations with Addis Ababa and provided fodder for Egypt’s ongoing war of attrition between its Islamist government and secular opposition.
“In Egypt’s current state of polarisation, the crisis is being exploited by both sides,” Ayman Shabaana of the Cairo-based Institute for Africa Studies told IPS. “Both government and opposition are using the critical issue of Nile security to bolster their popularity by beating war drums and making jingoistic statements.
“Meanwhile, no concrete steps are being taken to resolve the issue.”
Ethiopia began diverting the course of the Blue Nile, the primary source of Egypt’s Nile water, on May 28 in another step towards construction of its massive 4.2-billion dollar hydroelectric Grand Renaissance Dam project. When complete, the dam will be capable of producing 6,000 megawatts of electricity, making it Africa’s largest hydroelectric power plant......
“Ethiopia’s move was unprecedented. Never before has an upstream state unilaterally built a dam without downstream approval,” said Shabaana. “If other upstream countries follow suit, Egypt will have a serious water emergency on its hands.”
He added: “And Egypt’s reaction to the crisis so far has been marked by confusion, hysteria and infighting – all of which hardly inspire confidence.”"
Tahrir to Taksim: West interferes
By Ramzy Baroud
Asia Times
"....But the response of some European Union leaders to the anti-government protests in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir in recent weeks was most sobering. Even Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's best efforts are simply not enough to sway Europe from capitalizing on Turkey's misfortunes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel quickly took a stance to block "moves to open a new chapter in Ankara's EU membership talks", Reuters reported on June 20, supposedly because of her concern regarding the Turkish police crackdown on protesters. Of course the chancellor is often forgiving when extreme violence is applied by Israel against Palestinians, since no political capital can be attained from responding otherwise.
Meanwhile, Western powers will continue to play a most detrimental role in the Middle East, engendering and exploiting further chaos with the help of various regional powers, in the most brazen of ways in order to serve their interests. Not even Turkey, despite proving an irreplaceable asset in NATO's political and military drive, is invulnerable....."
Asia Times
"....But the response of some European Union leaders to the anti-government protests in Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir in recent weeks was most sobering. Even Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's best efforts are simply not enough to sway Europe from capitalizing on Turkey's misfortunes. German Chancellor Angela Merkel quickly took a stance to block "moves to open a new chapter in Ankara's EU membership talks", Reuters reported on June 20, supposedly because of her concern regarding the Turkish police crackdown on protesters. Of course the chancellor is often forgiving when extreme violence is applied by Israel against Palestinians, since no political capital can be attained from responding otherwise.
Meanwhile, Western powers will continue to play a most detrimental role in the Middle East, engendering and exploiting further chaos with the help of various regional powers, in the most brazen of ways in order to serve their interests. Not even Turkey, despite proving an irreplaceable asset in NATO's political and military drive, is invulnerable....."
Our man in Quito
By Pepe Escobar
Asia Times
"The Edward Snowden saga moves fast forward, still fraught with danger, but nearing game, set and match for the runaway revealer of the global scope of US secret surveillance. The Ecuadorian capital, Quito, looms on the horizon as his (final?) port of refuge as Snowden leaves behind him a now passport-less trail of geo-political chaos, with Hong Kong, Beijing (and now Moscow?) gleefully thumbing their noses at Washington....."
Asia Times
"The Edward Snowden saga moves fast forward, still fraught with danger, but nearing game, set and match for the runaway revealer of the global scope of US secret surveillance. The Ecuadorian capital, Quito, looms on the horizon as his (final?) port of refuge as Snowden leaves behind him a now passport-less trail of geo-political chaos, with Hong Kong, Beijing (and now Moscow?) gleefully thumbing their noses at Washington....."
Mob attack kills Shia Muslims in Egypt
Authorities
reluctant to tackle sectarian violence
By Brian Whitaker
"......According to eyewitnesses cited by Ahram Online, police arrived late at the scene and then stood by, watching the attack.
By Brian Whitaker
"......According to eyewitnesses cited by Ahram Online, police arrived late at the scene and then stood by, watching the attack.
Although Sunni Salafists have been whipping up anti-Shia
sentiment recently, a large portion of the blame for yesterday's violence lies
with the Egyptian authorities. Official policies under Mubarak and subsequently
have legitimised prejudice against the Shia (who in Egypt are a tiny minority
thought to account for no more than 1% of the population).
Among those who died yesterday, 66-year-old Hassan Shehata had
been jailed twice under Mubarak for "contempt of religion", Ahram Online
reports. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights has documented a number of cases since
2004 where Shia have been harassed and detained by the authorities.
The authorities have long been reluctant to take a firm stand
against sectarian attacks and perpetrators often avoid serious punishment.
Instead, the authorities encourage "reconciliation" meetings aimed at restoring
calm without necessarily addressing the underlying problems.
Last year, the US State Department's annual report
on religious freedom stated that the lack of prosecutions "contributed to a
climate of impunity that encouraged further assaults". It noted that Egypt's
National Council for Human Rights (a quasi-governmental body) had called for an
end to "reconciliation" sessions on the grounds that they were not only against
the law but also provided "a major reason for sectarian clashes" because of the
resulting impunity......."
Sunday, June 23, 2013
The Palestinians' last option: A struggle for equal rights
Palestinians must shed the illusion of the current peace process and at least push for equitable rights.
A VERY GOOD PIECE
By Ghada Karmi
Al-Jazeera
The Palestinian task now is to fight against this apartheid and mount a struggle, not for an impossible Palestinian state, but for equal rights under Israeli rule. They would need to dismantle the Palestinian Authority, which is now a liability that only camouflages the true situation, and then confront Israel, their actual ruler, directly. As stateless people under military occupation, they must demand equal civil and political rights with Israeli citizens, and apply for Israeli citizenship if necessary. That puts the onus on Israel to respond: either to ignore the five million Palestinians it rules, or vacate their land, or grant them equal rights.
Israel will reject all of these, but whatever it does will be against its own interests. And Palestinians at one stroke will have broken up Israel's hegemonic hold on the political discourse and changed the rules of the lethal game being played against them.
This strategy will not be popular amongst Palestinians, nor will they want to become second-class Israeli citizens. But are their lives now under occupation any better? And is there another option given the present conditions? I would argue that by adopting this plan, they will lose nothing but their illusions, and at this serious juncture in Palestinian history, it may be the only way to avert the annihilation of their cause. It will be a hard road, but the one chance to build a democratic state that replaces apartheid Israel and eventually enables the refugees to return to their ancestral homeland."
Angry mob kills at least 4 Shias in Giza village including leader
Eyewitnesses say that Salafist sheikhs in Giza village led a mob attack on Shia families, accusing them of being infidels and spreading debauchery, leaving four dead and scores injured
IS ISLAM REALLY THE SOLUTION??
OR......MUCH MORE LIKELY, THE PROBLEM!!
Ahram Online
"An angry mob led by Salafist sheikhs torched and attacked houses of Shias in the small village of Zawyat Abu Muslam in Giza governorate Sunday afternoon, killing four citizens including a prominent shia figure.
Five houses were set on fire during the attack. Police are evacuating the rest of Shiite homes in the village.Not less than 3000 angry locals attacked houses of Shias in the village Sunday afternoon after weeks of incitement by Salafist preachers, according to eyewitnesses.
"For three weeks the Salafist sheikhs in the village have been attacking the Shias and accusing them of being infidels and spreading debauchery," Hazem Barakat, an eyewitness and photojournalist, told Ahram Online.
Barakat, who reported the incident live on Twitter, took photos and videos showing one of the Shias began dragged in the street after being beaten. "I saw several Shias stabbed several times while they were being dragged in some sort of public lynching," said Barakat.
At least four have been killed according to the head of the Giza security directorate. According to eyewitnesses, there are not less 30 Shias badly injured who have been transferred to hospital.
The death toll included 66-year-old Hassan Shehata, a prominent Shia figure who was jailed twice under former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for "contempt of religion."
The police force came late according to eyewitnesses and did nothing to stop the attack and public lynching. "They were just watching the public lynching like anyone else and did not stop anything," said Barakat.
"We hold President Morsi responsible for this attack," said Bahaa Anwar, a Shia activist. "There are not less than three million Egyptian Shiias who live in Egypt and last Saturday during the Syria solidarity conference attended by Morsi in the Cairo Stadium, Salafist sheikhs insulted Shias and incited hate against those Egyptian Shia citizens," said Anwar, adding that President Morsi did not refute these insults and incitement, though he claims to represent all Egyptians.
The outspoken Shia activist told Ahram Online that there are not less than 40 Shia families in Zawyat Abu Muslam village. "Some of the families managed to leave while there are families who are still besieged in the village."
Anwar said that Shehata was visiting one of the Shia families in the village when the attack happened.
Salafist Islamist TV host Khaled Abdullah claimed that Hassan Shehata was attacked because he insulted the Prophet Mohamed's relatives, blaming Al-Azhar for being silent on Shias in Egypt hours after the attack on Al-Nas TV channel.
Several Salafist and conservative Facebook pages, like "The Muslim Coalition to Defend the Prophet's Family and Companions," also bragged of the murder of the Shias, claiming that that was just the beginning of ending Shiism in Egypt."
IS ISLAM REALLY THE SOLUTION??
OR......MUCH MORE LIKELY, THE PROBLEM!!
Ahram Online
Angry Mob Beating A Shiite in Zawya Abu Muslam village "Source:Hazem Barakat"
Five houses were set on fire during the attack. Police are evacuating the rest of Shiite homes in the village.Not less than 3000 angry locals attacked houses of Shias in the village Sunday afternoon after weeks of incitement by Salafist preachers, according to eyewitnesses.
"For three weeks the Salafist sheikhs in the village have been attacking the Shias and accusing them of being infidels and spreading debauchery," Hazem Barakat, an eyewitness and photojournalist, told Ahram Online.
Barakat, who reported the incident live on Twitter, took photos and videos showing one of the Shias began dragged in the street after being beaten. "I saw several Shias stabbed several times while they were being dragged in some sort of public lynching," said Barakat.
At least four have been killed according to the head of the Giza security directorate. According to eyewitnesses, there are not less 30 Shias badly injured who have been transferred to hospital.
The death toll included 66-year-old Hassan Shehata, a prominent Shia figure who was jailed twice under former Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for "contempt of religion."
The police force came late according to eyewitnesses and did nothing to stop the attack and public lynching. "They were just watching the public lynching like anyone else and did not stop anything," said Barakat.
"We hold President Morsi responsible for this attack," said Bahaa Anwar, a Shia activist. "There are not less than three million Egyptian Shiias who live in Egypt and last Saturday during the Syria solidarity conference attended by Morsi in the Cairo Stadium, Salafist sheikhs insulted Shias and incited hate against those Egyptian Shia citizens," said Anwar, adding that President Morsi did not refute these insults and incitement, though he claims to represent all Egyptians.
The outspoken Shia activist told Ahram Online that there are not less than 40 Shia families in Zawyat Abu Muslam village. "Some of the families managed to leave while there are families who are still besieged in the village."
Anwar said that Shehata was visiting one of the Shia families in the village when the attack happened.
Salafist Islamist TV host Khaled Abdullah claimed that Hassan Shehata was attacked because he insulted the Prophet Mohamed's relatives, blaming Al-Azhar for being silent on Shias in Egypt hours after the attack on Al-Nas TV channel.
Several Salafist and conservative Facebook pages, like "The Muslim Coalition to Defend the Prophet's Family and Companions," also bragged of the murder of the Shias, claiming that that was just the beginning of ending Shiism in Egypt."
Mr Minister, what are you talking about?
Culture ministers should promote freedom of thought, speech and academic research, not censorship, closure and ignorance. But then in Egypt, avarice and ineptitude reigns from the top
Khaled Fahmy , Sunday 23 Jun 2013
Ahram Online
"..........Societies progress not merely by supporting fields such as medicine, engineering, chemistry and physics; they also develop through endorsing arts and literature. The ministry of culture should create the necessary open environment to enable music and dance and literature and fine art and scientific research to flourish. Sadly, our culture minister’s actions indicate that this regime is deeply suspicious of culture and intellectuals.
Appointing a member of a terrorist group as governor for Luxor is the other side of appointing a culture minister that walks in Goebbels’ footsteps. These twin appointments illuminate the importance of opposing these new cultural policies and working hard to reverse them.
The issue currently on the table is not merely a question of identity. What is at stake now is not only the right to free speech but also the very right to exist. "
Khaled Fahmy , Sunday 23 Jun 2013
Ahram Online
"..........Societies progress not merely by supporting fields such as medicine, engineering, chemistry and physics; they also develop through endorsing arts and literature. The ministry of culture should create the necessary open environment to enable music and dance and literature and fine art and scientific research to flourish. Sadly, our culture minister’s actions indicate that this regime is deeply suspicious of culture and intellectuals.
Appointing a member of a terrorist group as governor for Luxor is the other side of appointing a culture minister that walks in Goebbels’ footsteps. These twin appointments illuminate the importance of opposing these new cultural policies and working hard to reverse them.
The issue currently on the table is not merely a question of identity. What is at stake now is not only the right to free speech but also the very right to exist. "
Palestinians celebrate Mohammed Assaf's Arab Idol triumph. How Pathetic!
Singer's performances have made him a symbol of hope and unity in the West Bank and Gaza
COMMENT
This whole affair reminds me of an old Egyptian joke, which goes like this:
The High Dam in Egypt was designed and built with major help from the former Soviet Union. During the design phase, a journalist went to Cairo to interview the Egyptian engineers supposedly in charge of this audacious design.
He was told that the whole design team was in a high rise building in downtown Cairo. He went there to find that the first 5 floors were occupied by Russian Engineers. He said, "I want to see the Egyptian engineers." He was told to go upstairs; so he did.
The next two floors were occupied by engineers from the former East Germany. Again he said, "I want to see the Egyptian engineers." He was told to go upstairs; so he did.
The next two floors were occupied by Polish engineers busy with their designs and drawings.
This kept on, with the entire building occupied by Russian and Eastern Block engineers, until he got to the roof.
There he found a large group of Egyptians, beating their drums and singing a song that was very popular at the time. The title was, "We have said we were going to build the High Dam and now we have done it!"
Harriet Sherwood in Ramallah and Hazem Balousha in Gaza City
guardian.co.uk,
"A revolution is not just the one carrying the rifle, it is the paintbrush of an artist, the scalpel of a surgeon, the axe of the farmer," he said. "Everyone struggles for their cause in the way they see fit. Today I represent Palestine and today I am fighting for a cause through my art and the message I send out."
In the studio audience his mother, Intisar Abu Shammaleh, a maths teacher from the impoverished Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, waved a Palestinian flag above her hijab. "I am overwhelmed, feelings I cannot describe. Most importantly I am feeling proud, proud of the Palestinian people who showed they are alive," she said....."
COMMENT
This whole affair reminds me of an old Egyptian joke, which goes like this:
The High Dam in Egypt was designed and built with major help from the former Soviet Union. During the design phase, a journalist went to Cairo to interview the Egyptian engineers supposedly in charge of this audacious design.
He was told that the whole design team was in a high rise building in downtown Cairo. He went there to find that the first 5 floors were occupied by Russian Engineers. He said, "I want to see the Egyptian engineers." He was told to go upstairs; so he did.
The next two floors were occupied by engineers from the former East Germany. Again he said, "I want to see the Egyptian engineers." He was told to go upstairs; so he did.
The next two floors were occupied by Polish engineers busy with their designs and drawings.
This kept on, with the entire building occupied by Russian and Eastern Block engineers, until he got to the roof.
There he found a large group of Egyptians, beating their drums and singing a song that was very popular at the time. The title was, "We have said we were going to build the High Dam and now we have done it!"
Harriet Sherwood in Ramallah and Hazem Balousha in Gaza City
guardian.co.uk,
For once, Palestinians had something to celebrate. When the golden boy from Gaza was announced as winner of Arab Idol, the West Bank and Gaza erupted in fireworks, piercing whistles, deafening chants, impromptu dancing and tears of joy.
On stage in Beirut, Palestine's first superstar, Mohammed Assaf, sank to the floor, overwhelmed amid a deluge of celebratory confetti. Later the 23-year-old student showed himself to be a poet as well as an outstanding singer."A revolution is not just the one carrying the rifle, it is the paintbrush of an artist, the scalpel of a surgeon, the axe of the farmer," he said. "Everyone struggles for their cause in the way they see fit. Today I represent Palestine and today I am fighting for a cause through my art and the message I send out."
In the studio audience his mother, Intisar Abu Shammaleh, a maths teacher from the impoverished Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, waved a Palestinian flag above her hijab. "I am overwhelmed, feelings I cannot describe. Most importantly I am feeling proud, proud of the Palestinian people who showed they are alive," she said....."
Al-Jazeera Video: Inside Syria - With friends like these ...
"Why has there been no real action or decision coming from the sixth international meeting of the Friends of Syria? Shiulie Ghosh speaks to General Salim Idriss, the chief of staff of the rebel umbrella group, the Free Syrian Army."
Senior opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei (R) and Leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi stand during a news conference ahead of the planned protest against Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi
Ahram Online
"The opposition National Salvation Front (NSF) has criticised President Mohamed Morsi for failing to condemn speeches filled with "hate and violence" made at a pro-government Islamist rally on Friday
During a conference of the Arab Engineers' Union on Saturday President Morsi said Friday’s 'No to Violence” rally reflected the revolution’s true spirit of peace.The Muslim Brotherhood – from which Morsi hails – and the presidency “continue to deny the reality on the street and their complete failure to manage the country’s affairs,” the NSF said in a statement released late on Saturday.
However, several leaders at the rally called for “crushing” the opposition.
"They threaten us with protests on 30 June, and today we promise [the opposition] they will be crushed on that day," said Tarek El-Zomor, a leader of the ultra-conservative Al-Gamaa Al-Islamiya.
El-Zomor went on to assert – to loud cheers – that Egyptians either "back the president's legitimacy or they are thugs."
In a YouTube video on Thursday, popular Salafist preacher Wagdy Ghoneim said anyone who protests on 30 June is an infidel who must be killed. Other Islamists have portrayed the opposition as consisting mainly of members and allies of the ousted Mubarak regime.
It is clear “the ruling regime is biased toward one political faction and seeks to give it power over Egyptians who oppose their vision,” the NSF said.
This will all add to the “people’s determination to take to the streets on 30 June” for anti-government protests to force Morsi to leave office and call early presidential elections.
The NSF stressed the protests would be peaceful.
Friday's Islamist rally was held in response to calls for anti-government protests on 30 June. Demonstrators carried pictures of Morsi and banners demanding an Islamist state.
Calls for protests on 30 June were made by the Rebel Campaign, a movement launched in May to collect signatures calling for Morsi's removal and early presidential elections.
The campaign has been supported by major opposition groups, including the leftist Egyptian Popular Current and National Salvation Front.
On Thursday, Rebel announced it had reached its target of 15 million signatures......"
Controversial Egypt Islamist quits as Luxor governor
CAIRO |
"CAIRO (Reuters) - The new governor of Egypt's Luxor province, controversially appointed last week despite belonging to a hardline Islamist group that killed 58 tourists there in 1997, announced his resignation on Sunday."We will not accept that one drop of blood be spilt because of a position that I did not personally aspire to at any time," Adel Mohamed al-Khayat said in a news conference, saying the decision had been made after consultations with his party.
A member of al-Gamaa al-Islamiya, which mounted campaigns against Egypt's military rulers and tourist industry at various times from the 1970s to 1990s, al-Khayat was appointed a week ago by President Mohamed Mursi in a move that showed the growing importance of al-Gamaa as an ally of Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood.
Khayat had denied any personal role in militant attacks, having worked as a civil servant after a brief association with al-Gamaa as a student.
But his appointment prompted uproar in Luxor, in the southern heartlands of al-Gamaa support. Workers in the tourist industry around its pharaonic temples feared the new governor could put off visitors at a time when business is already poor due to continued unrest following the 2011 revolution."
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Al-Jazeera Video: حديث الثورة/ أصدقاء الشعب السوري، مظاهرات مؤيدة لمرسي
"تسلط الحلقة في جزئها الأول على اجتماع وزراء خارجية أصدقاء الشعب السوري في قطر لمناقشة المساعدة العسكرية للمعارضة المسلحة. وتتطرق في جزئها الثاني مليونية القوى الإسلامية المؤيدة للرئيس محمد مرسي.
"
Guardian Video: Satirical puppet show mocks Bashar al-Assad
"Anonymous Syrian art group Masasit Mati launched the online finger-puppet show Top Goon: Diaries of a Little Dictator in 2011 to lampoon Bashar al-Assad's oppressive rule. Amid escalating violence, in January 2013 the group secretly travelled to the town of Manbij, north of Aleppo to perform episodes live in support of the peaceful protest movement."
U.S. has secretly provided arms training to Syria rebels since 2012
CIA agents and special operations troops have trained the rebels in anti-tank and antiaircraft weaponry in Jordan and Turkey.
L. A. Times
"WASHINGTON — CIA operatives and U.S. special operations troops have been secretly training Syrian rebels with anti-tank and antiaircraft weapons since late last year, months before President Obama approved plans to begin directly arming them, according to U.S. officials and rebel commanders.
The covert U.S. training at bases in Jordan and Turkey, along with Obama's decision this month to supply arms and ammunition to the rebels, has raised hope among the beleaguered Syrian opposition that Washington ultimately will provide heavier weapons as well. So far, the rebels say they lack the weapons they need to regain the offensive in the country's bitter civil war......
The training, conducted by American, Jordanian and French operatives, involves rockets and anti-tank and antiaircraft weaponry, he said.
Between 80 and 100 rebels from all over Syria have gone through the courses in the last month, he said, and training is continuing. Graduates are sent back across the border to rejoin the battle.
Bittar said sufficient weapons had yet to arrive for the rebel forces and that the Americans had not yet told them when they could expect to receive additional arms.
"Just promises, just promises," he said."
Opposition allies vow to end Syria imbalance
US Secretary of State says Friends of Syria group to decide own 'scope and scale' of military aid to rebel fighters.
Al-Jazeera
"Syrian rebels are to receive increased political and military assistance from the Friends of Syria group of nations - with the "scope and scale" of aid to be chosen by individual members, the US Secretary of State has said.
Speaking at the conference in Doha, Qatar, on Saturday John Kerry said that while the United States did not seek a military solution to the war in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad had crossed a "red line" with its reported use of chemical weapons.
"The United States and other countries, in their various ways - each choosing its own approach - will increase the scope and the scale of assistance to the political and military opposition. That is why we are working with our allies gathered here today to coordinate our support to the Syria [National] Coalition and the Supreme Military Council. And I emphasise, we do so not to seek a military solution. [We seek them to] come to the table to find a political settlement."
"Both sides should be able to compromise. Both sides should come to the table," he said.
Red line
"The regime's use of chemical weapons crosses [US President Barack] Obama's and other nations' red lines. We also condemn any atrocities ... committed by the opposition groups."
Al Jazeera's Basma Al Atassi, reporting from the conference, said Kerry also said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "internationalised the militarisation" of the conflict by allowing Iran's and its proxy Hezbollah's involvement.
Kerry added that this was Assad's response to efforts to organise a peace conference in Geneva.
The Friends of Syria group, which comprises Britain, France, the US, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt, was meeting in the capital of Qatar to decide what levels of military help should be given to rebel groups in Syria.
Saturday's meeting began only hours after Syrian rebels stated that they had received a new shipment of weapons from their allies and just days after the US announced its decision to deliver arms to the fighters.
Kerry's comments were followed by those of Qatar's Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who said "force may be the only way to enforce righteousness and supplying weapons to the opposition may be the only way to reach peace in Syria".
"As we know there are international and regional interventions, especially by Hezbollah, that led to bloodshed, especially in Qusayr and the same thing is being arranged in Aleppo."........"
"Both sides should be able to compromise. Both sides should come to the table," he said.
Red line
"The regime's use of chemical weapons crosses [US President Barack] Obama's and other nations' red lines. We also condemn any atrocities ... committed by the opposition groups."
Al Jazeera's Basma Al Atassi, reporting from the conference, said Kerry also said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "internationalised the militarisation" of the conflict by allowing Iran's and its proxy Hezbollah's involvement.
Kerry added that this was Assad's response to efforts to organise a peace conference in Geneva.
The Friends of Syria group, which comprises Britain, France, the US, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt, was meeting in the capital of Qatar to decide what levels of military help should be given to rebel groups in Syria.
Saturday's meeting began only hours after Syrian rebels stated that they had received a new shipment of weapons from their allies and just days after the US announced its decision to deliver arms to the fighters.
Kerry's comments were followed by those of Qatar's Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, who said "force may be the only way to enforce righteousness and supplying weapons to the opposition may be the only way to reach peace in Syria".
"As we know there are international and regional interventions, especially by Hezbollah, that led to bloodshed, especially in Qusayr and the same thing is being arranged in Aleppo."........"
Current Al-Jazeera (Arabic) Online Poll
Do you believe that solving the current crisis in Egypt involves political agreement between the ruling party and the opposition?
The result of the voting is indicative of the polarized situation in Egypt: 53% said yes, and 47% said no; almost down the middle!
How Israeli Apartheid is Coming Unstuck
Big Racists vs Little Racists
By Jonathan Cook
CounterPunch
"One incident of racism, though small in relation to the decades of massive, institutionalised discrimination exercised by Israel against its Palestinian Arab citizens, has triggered an uncharacteristic bout of Israeli soul-searching.
Superland, a large amusement park near Tel Aviv, refused to accept a booking from an Arab school on its preferred date in late May. When a staff member called back impersonating a Jew, Superland approved the booking immediately.
As the story went viral on social media, the park’s managers hurriedly offered an excuse: they provided separate days for Jewish and Arab children to keep them apart and prevent friction.
Government ministers led an outpouring of revulsion. Tzipi Livni, the justice minister, called the incident a “symptom of a sick democracy”. Defence minister Moshe Yaalon was “ashamed”. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that the “racist” policy be halted immediately...........
This month South Africa’s departing ambassador to Israel, Ismail Coovadia, warned that Israel was a “replication of apartheid”. The idea that the world may soon wake up to this comparison deeply unnerves Netanyahu and the right, all the more so as they risk being identified as the party refusing to make concessions towards peace.
The threat posed by what happened at Superland is that such incidents of unofficial and improvised racism may one day unmask the much more sinister and organised campaign of “grand apartheid” that Israel’s leaders have overseen for decades."
By Jonathan Cook
CounterPunch
"One incident of racism, though small in relation to the decades of massive, institutionalised discrimination exercised by Israel against its Palestinian Arab citizens, has triggered an uncharacteristic bout of Israeli soul-searching.
Superland, a large amusement park near Tel Aviv, refused to accept a booking from an Arab school on its preferred date in late May. When a staff member called back impersonating a Jew, Superland approved the booking immediately.
As the story went viral on social media, the park’s managers hurriedly offered an excuse: they provided separate days for Jewish and Arab children to keep them apart and prevent friction.
Government ministers led an outpouring of revulsion. Tzipi Livni, the justice minister, called the incident a “symptom of a sick democracy”. Defence minister Moshe Yaalon was “ashamed”. Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu demanded that the “racist” policy be halted immediately...........
This month South Africa’s departing ambassador to Israel, Ismail Coovadia, warned that Israel was a “replication of apartheid”. The idea that the world may soon wake up to this comparison deeply unnerves Netanyahu and the right, all the more so as they risk being identified as the party refusing to make concessions towards peace.
The threat posed by what happened at Superland is that such incidents of unofficial and improvised racism may one day unmask the much more sinister and organised campaign of “grand apartheid” that Israel’s leaders have overseen for decades."
Human rights record in Bahrain still abysmal - Europe must act
Mariwan Hama
"When European Union ministers meet their counterparts from the Gulf Cooperation Council states for a summit in Bahrain on June 30, the dismal state of that island kingdom's human rights record needs to have a prominent place on the agenda. Despite King Hamad's claims of reform, Bahrain is clearly heading down the road of greater repression and the EU ministers should make a point of clearly and publicly saying so......"
Egypt Marks a Spring for Islamists
Like Mubarak, like Morsi: the majority of Egyptians disapprove of President Morsi's performance, a new poll shows. Credit: Cam McGrath/IPS.
Analysis by Cam McGrath
Washington-based Zogby Research Services surveyed over 5,000 adult Egyptians in April and May to assess the public’s confidence in state institutions, satisfaction with Morsi’s government, and hopes for the future. Pollsters sought a representative cross-section of Egyptian society, but did not ask respondents about their political affiliation or voting intention.
“What our findings reveal is a deeply divided society fractured not along demographic lines, but on the basis of ideology and religion,” the survey team reported.
They noted that the country’s two main Islamic parties – the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and the ultra-conservative Nour Party – appeared to have the support of nearly 30 percent of those polled.
Major opposition groups, including the National Salvation Front (NSF) and the April 6 Youth Movement, collectively had the support of about 35 percent of respondents. Almost 40 percent of those surveyed were categorised as a “disaffected plurality,” appearing to have no confidence in either the government or any political opposition party.
“These three groups define the deep divide that manifests itself of most issues,” the survey team said.
The new poll shows a striking contrast between the optimism of Islamists and the disappointment of the rest of society in its view of the Arab Spring and its outcome.
More than 90 percent of those who identified with Islamic parties claimed they are better off today than they were five years ago, while over 80 percent of those associated with opposition movements and the “disaffected plurality” said they are worse off.
Minority Christians, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt’s population, were three times less likely than Muslims to view their situation as improved, with 81 percent saying they felt worse off now. Nine in ten are convinced the ruling Muslim Brotherhood is attempting to “Islamise” the state......"
Jon Stewart makes surprise appearance on Egyptian chat show
The Daily Show satirist appears on Egypt's equivalent, Al-Bernameg, whose host lampoons religious hardliners
guardian.co.uk,
Stewart, wearing a scruffy beard, spoke briefly in Arabic as the studio erupted in applause and cheers. "Please sit down, I am a simple man who does not like to be fussed over," he said in Arabic to laughter.
Youssef, host of the show Al-Bernameg and one of Egypt's most popular TV presenters, has previously been questioned by prosecutors on accusations of blasphemy and insulting the president. Stewart defended his counterpart and friend in one of his monologues after Youssef was interrogated earlier this year, and Youssef has appeared as a guest on the popular New York-based show.
Stewart, who is on a summer-long break from anchoring the Comedy Central fake newscast, is in the Middle East making his first movie. He expressed admiration for Youssef in Friday's episode, which was recorded earlier this week during a visit to Cairo.
"Satire is a settled law. If your regime is not strong enough to handle a joke, then you have no regime," Stewart said, adding that Youssef "is showing that satire can be relevant."
True to form Youssef began the weekly show with a series of jokes about Islamist President Mohamed Morsi's appearance and address at a rally last weekend hosted by his hardline Islamist backers. The president, Egypt's first freely elected leader, announced at the rally a complete break of diplomatic relations with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Youssef, however, criticised Morsi for remaining silent and wearing a stone face while one of the rally's organisers denounced as non-believers opposition protesters planning massive, anti-government demonstrations on 30 June, the anniversary of the start of the president's term.
Stewart said he was overwhelmed with the generosity of Egyptians but took a jab at Cairo's horrendous traffic. "I flew in three days ago and I have just arrived to do the show," he joked.
Youssef – known as Egypt's Jon Stewart – was interrogated in April for allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader. His questioning drew criticism from Washington and rights advocates. A trained heart surgeon, Youssef catapulted to fame when his videoblogs mocking politics received hundreds of thousands of hits shortly after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
Unlike other local TV presenters Youssef uses satire to mock fiery comments made by ultra-conservative clerics and politicians, garnering him a legion of fans among the country's revolutionaries and liberals. He has 1.4 million fans on Facebook and nearly 850,000 followers on Twitter.
During his hiatus Stewart will be directing and producing Rosewater from his own script based on a memoir by Maziar Bahari. The Iranian journalist was falsely accused of being a spy and imprisoned by the Iranian government in 2009 while covering Iran's presidential election."
guardian.co.uk,
Jon Stewart has taken the guest's seat on Egypt's top satirical TV show, modelled after his own American programme, The Daily Show.
Stewart was brought to the set wearing a black hood and introduced by host Bassem Youssef as a captured foreign spy, then unmasked by the Egyptian host, to a raucous welcome from the audience.Stewart, wearing a scruffy beard, spoke briefly in Arabic as the studio erupted in applause and cheers. "Please sit down, I am a simple man who does not like to be fussed over," he said in Arabic to laughter.
Youssef, host of the show Al-Bernameg and one of Egypt's most popular TV presenters, has previously been questioned by prosecutors on accusations of blasphemy and insulting the president. Stewart defended his counterpart and friend in one of his monologues after Youssef was interrogated earlier this year, and Youssef has appeared as a guest on the popular New York-based show.
Stewart, who is on a summer-long break from anchoring the Comedy Central fake newscast, is in the Middle East making his first movie. He expressed admiration for Youssef in Friday's episode, which was recorded earlier this week during a visit to Cairo.
"Satire is a settled law. If your regime is not strong enough to handle a joke, then you have no regime," Stewart said, adding that Youssef "is showing that satire can be relevant."
True to form Youssef began the weekly show with a series of jokes about Islamist President Mohamed Morsi's appearance and address at a rally last weekend hosted by his hardline Islamist backers. The president, Egypt's first freely elected leader, announced at the rally a complete break of diplomatic relations with the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Youssef, however, criticised Morsi for remaining silent and wearing a stone face while one of the rally's organisers denounced as non-believers opposition protesters planning massive, anti-government demonstrations on 30 June, the anniversary of the start of the president's term.
Stewart said he was overwhelmed with the generosity of Egyptians but took a jab at Cairo's horrendous traffic. "I flew in three days ago and I have just arrived to do the show," he joked.
Youssef – known as Egypt's Jon Stewart – was interrogated in April for allegedly insulting Islam and the country's leader. His questioning drew criticism from Washington and rights advocates. A trained heart surgeon, Youssef catapulted to fame when his videoblogs mocking politics received hundreds of thousands of hits shortly after the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime leader Hosni Mubarak.
Unlike other local TV presenters Youssef uses satire to mock fiery comments made by ultra-conservative clerics and politicians, garnering him a legion of fans among the country's revolutionaries and liberals. He has 1.4 million fans on Facebook and nearly 850,000 followers on Twitter.
During his hiatus Stewart will be directing and producing Rosewater from his own script based on a memoir by Maziar Bahari. The Iranian journalist was falsely accused of being a spy and imprisoned by the Iranian government in 2009 while covering Iran's presidential election."
Friday, June 21, 2013
Jordanians hold anti-Assad, Hezbollah demo
Members of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood and youth groups chant anti-Assad and anti-Hezbollah slogans as they take to the streets of Amman
AFP , Friday 21 Jun 2013
"Members of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood and youth groups were among 1,500 people who took to the streets of Amman on Friday to protest against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his Lebanese ally Hezbollah.
The protesters chanted anti-Assad and anti-Hezbollah slogans, an AFP journalist reported.Demonstrators gathered outside the Al-Husseini mosque after Friday prayers to protest against Assad and the Lebanese Shiite movement which has sent fighters to bolster regime forces in Syria's bloody civil war.
They called Hezbollah -- the "party of God" in Arabic -- the "party of Satan", saying that the "true place for the resistance is Palestine", referring to Hezbollah's long-term role as champion against Israel.
Marchers also chanted: "Syria, country of free men, with the help of God, Bashar will fall."
Zaki Bani Rsheid, deputy leader of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, said: "The revolution of the Syrian people is a great revolution, not just one against the regime, but a tale of how a nation rose up against tyranny and repression."
"The battle of Qusayr revealed the falsity of the resistance," he said, adding that "the will of the Syrian people is capable of creating a regime of true resistance, not a false one."
Syrian regime troops and Hezbollah fighters assaulted the former rebel stronghold in central Homs province last month. A fierce battle ensued for nearly three weeks, and ended with a regime victory.
Rsheid said "the true place of the resistance is not in Syria but in Palestine", pointing out that "Bashar will share the same fate as (Moamer) Kadhafi and the others, because this is the will of the people," a reference to the late Libyan dictator toppled in 2011......."
AFP , Friday 21 Jun 2013
Protesters from the Islamic Action Front and other opposition parties hold up Jordanian national flags, and Syrian opposition flags during a demonstration to show their support for the opposition against the regime of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and the intervention of the Lebanese Hezbollah and Iran in Syrian affairs after Friday prayers in Amman June 21, 2013 (Photo: Reuters)
The protesters chanted anti-Assad and anti-Hezbollah slogans, an AFP journalist reported.Demonstrators gathered outside the Al-Husseini mosque after Friday prayers to protest against Assad and the Lebanese Shiite movement which has sent fighters to bolster regime forces in Syria's bloody civil war.
They called Hezbollah -- the "party of God" in Arabic -- the "party of Satan", saying that the "true place for the resistance is Palestine", referring to Hezbollah's long-term role as champion against Israel.
Marchers also chanted: "Syria, country of free men, with the help of God, Bashar will fall."
Zaki Bani Rsheid, deputy leader of Jordan's Muslim Brotherhood, said: "The revolution of the Syrian people is a great revolution, not just one against the regime, but a tale of how a nation rose up against tyranny and repression."
"The battle of Qusayr revealed the falsity of the resistance," he said, adding that "the will of the Syrian people is capable of creating a regime of true resistance, not a false one."
Syrian regime troops and Hezbollah fighters assaulted the former rebel stronghold in central Homs province last month. A fierce battle ensued for nearly three weeks, and ended with a regime victory.
Rsheid said "the true place of the resistance is not in Syria but in Palestine", pointing out that "Bashar will share the same fate as (Moamer) Kadhafi and the others, because this is the will of the people," a reference to the late Libyan dictator toppled in 2011......."
لأول مرة: هتافات ضد حزب إلله وإحراق صور قائده ونصر ألله رفض مقابلة شخصيات أردنية تؤيد بشار
"عمان- القدس العربي: صدحت لأول مرة منذ سنوات طويلة وسط العاصمة الأردنية عمان ألاف الحناجر ضد حزب إلله اللبناني وتدخلاته في سوريا فيما أحرقت ولأول مرة أيضا صورا عملاقة للأمين العام للحزب الشيخ حسن نصر ألله.
ونظم ألاف من الأخوان المسلمين في الأردن بمشاركة المئات من السوريين مسيرة إحتجاجية بعنوان (سيهزم الجمع ويولون الدبر).
وخصصت المسيرة التي شارك بها نخبة من قادة الحركة الإسلامية الأردنية و المثقفين والمناضلين القوميين واليساريين في إطار أنصار الثورة السورية لدعم الشعب السوري وثورته والتنديد بالرئيس بشار الأسد وقيادة حزب إلله.
وهتف المشاركون (حرية.. حرية غصبت عنك حزب إلله).
ولم يعتد الشارع الأردني على وقفات إحتجاجية ضد حزب إلله تحديدا حيث كانت الحكومة تفشل دائما في إخراج الأردنيين للشارع نكاية بالحزب الذي خسر الكثير من مؤيديه في الشارع الأردني بعد موقفه الأخيرة من الملف السوري.
ووسط المئات من رجال الدرك أطلقت هتافات تندد بحزب إلله وقيادته وتتوعده بالهزيمة في سوريا كما ندد قادة المشاركين بالتدخل الأمريكي وساندوا الشعب السوري.
......"
Real News Video: A million people across Brazil say "is not about 20 cents"
More than a Million people demonstrate in a hundred cities across Brazil, and raise new demands.
Bahrain: New Associations Law Spells Repression
EU, US Should Press for Release of Opposition Leaders
Human Rights Watch
"(Brussels)--New laws and lengthy jail terms for activists have put freedom of association in Bahrain under severe threat, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Bahraini authorities have left hardly any space for peaceful political dissent. Through a mix of restrictive laws and abusive policies, the government is sending a clear message that it will not tolerate calls for reform that challenge the ruling family’s monopoly on power.
The 87-page report, “‘Interfere, Restrict, Control’: Restraints on Freedom of Association in Bahrain,”examines restrictive laws and policies that stifle civic and political groups and trade unions. The report shows how authorities use unjust laws to restrict freedom of association by arbitrarily rejecting registration applications and intrusively supervising independent organizations. The government takes over and dissolves – more or less at will – organizations whose leaders criticize government officials and policies, and severely limits the ability of groups to raise money and to receive foreign funding.
“Bahrain claims to be on a path to political reform, but it is heading altogether in the wrong direction,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The new draft law on associations – just like the continued imprisonment of opposition activists – shows all too clearly how the ruling family is rolling back genuine reform on so many fronts.”....."
Human Rights Watch
"(Brussels)--New laws and lengthy jail terms for activists have put freedom of association in Bahrain under severe threat, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Bahraini authorities have left hardly any space for peaceful political dissent. Through a mix of restrictive laws and abusive policies, the government is sending a clear message that it will not tolerate calls for reform that challenge the ruling family’s monopoly on power.
The 87-page report, “‘Interfere, Restrict, Control’: Restraints on Freedom of Association in Bahrain,”examines restrictive laws and policies that stifle civic and political groups and trade unions. The report shows how authorities use unjust laws to restrict freedom of association by arbitrarily rejecting registration applications and intrusively supervising independent organizations. The government takes over and dissolves – more or less at will – organizations whose leaders criticize government officials and policies, and severely limits the ability of groups to raise money and to receive foreign funding.
“Bahrain claims to be on a path to political reform, but it is heading altogether in the wrong direction,” said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. “The new draft law on associations – just like the continued imprisonment of opposition activists – shows all too clearly how the ruling family is rolling back genuine reform on so many fronts.”....."
Brazil erupts in protest: more than a million on the streets
Demonstrators accuse police after clashes in Rio and several other cities
Jonathan Watts in Rio de Janeiro
guardian.co.uk,
A vast crowd – estimated by the authorities at 300,000 and more than a million by participants – filled Rio's streets, one of a wave of huge nationwide marches against corruption, police brutality, poor public services and excess spending on the World Cup.
Simultaneous demonstrations were reported in at least 80 cities, with a total turnout that may have been close to 2 million. An estimated 110,000 marched in São Paulo, 80,000 in Manaus, 50,000 in Recife, and 20,000 in Belo Horizonte and Salvador.
Clashes were reported in the Amazon jungle city of Belem, in Porto Alegre in the south, in Campinas north of São Paulo and in the north-eastern city of Salvador.
Thirty-five people were injured in the capital Brasilia, where 30,000 people took to the streets. In São Paulo, one man died when a frustrated car driver rammed into the crowd. Elsewhere countless people, including many journalists, were hit by rubber bullets.
The vast majority of those involved were peaceful....."
Jonathan Watts in Rio de Janeiro
guardian.co.uk,
The streets of central Rio de Janeiro and dozens of other cities echoed with percussion grenades and swirled with teargas last night as ranks of riot police scattered the biggest demonstrations Brazil has seen for more than two decades.
As a minority of protesters threw rocks, torched cars and pulled down lamp-posts, the police fired volleys of pepper spray and rubber bullets into the crowd and up onto overpasses where car drivers and bus passengers were stuck in traffic jams. At least 40 people were injured in the city and many more elsewhere.A vast crowd – estimated by the authorities at 300,000 and more than a million by participants – filled Rio's streets, one of a wave of huge nationwide marches against corruption, police brutality, poor public services and excess spending on the World Cup.
Simultaneous demonstrations were reported in at least 80 cities, with a total turnout that may have been close to 2 million. An estimated 110,000 marched in São Paulo, 80,000 in Manaus, 50,000 in Recife, and 20,000 in Belo Horizonte and Salvador.
Clashes were reported in the Amazon jungle city of Belem, in Porto Alegre in the south, in Campinas north of São Paulo and in the north-eastern city of Salvador.
Thirty-five people were injured in the capital Brasilia, where 30,000 people took to the streets. In São Paulo, one man died when a frustrated car driver rammed into the crowd. Elsewhere countless people, including many journalists, were hit by rubber bullets.
The vast majority of those involved were peaceful....."
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Brazil hit by largest protests yet as hundreds of thousands march
"(Reuters) - Brazil's biggest protests in two decades intensified on Thursday despite government concessions meant to quell the demonstrations, as 300,000 people took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro and hundreds of thousands more flooded other cities.
Undeterred by the reversal of transport fare hikes that sparked the protests, and promises of better public services, marchers demonstrated around two international soccer matches and in locales as diverse as the Amazon capital of Manaus and the prosperous southern city of Florianopolis.
"Twenty cents was just the start," read signs held by many converging along the Avenida Paulista, the broad avenue in central Sao Paulo, referring to the bus fare reductions.
In the capital, Brasilia, tens of thousands of protesters by early evening marched around the landmark modernist buildings that house Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential offices.
The swelling tide of protests prompted President Dilma Rousseff to cancel a trip next week to Japan, her office said.
The targets of the protests, now in their second week, have broadened to include high taxes, inflation, corruption and poor public services ranging from hospitals and schools to roads and police forces.
With an international soccer tournament as a backdrop, demonstrators are also denouncing the more than $26 billion of public money that will be spent on the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, two events meant to showcase a modern, developed Brazil....."
Real News Video: Violent eviction of Gezi Park gives rise to "standing protesters"
Night of "shocking violence" in Turkey's major cities results in wave of silent demonstrations
Understanding the Latest Leaks Is Understanding the Rise of a New Fascism
By John Pilger
"In his book, Propaganda, published in 1928, Edward Bernays wrote: "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country."
The American nephew of Sigmund Freud, Bernays invented the term "public relations" as a euphemism for state propaganda. He warned that an enduring threat to the invisible government was the truth-teller and an enlightened public......"
"In his book, Propaganda, published in 1928, Edward Bernays wrote: "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country."
The American nephew of Sigmund Freud, Bernays invented the term "public relations" as a euphemism for state propaganda. He warned that an enduring threat to the invisible government was the truth-teller and an enlightened public......"
Syria’s internally displaced – ‘The world has forgotten us’
Amnesty International
"On a recent visit to a camp near Atmeh, just inside Syria near the Turkish border, some 21,000 people were sheltering amid hellish conditions.
Heavy rain leaked into the tents and had turned the clay soil into thick slippery mud, raw sewage flowed between the tents. The food being distributed was insufficient and of very poor quality and large numbers of people complained of medical conditions for which they were receiving no treatment.
“When we got here we found that it was impossible to cross into Turkey because the border is closed. So we’ve been stuck here all winter with nothing. There is little food, we don’t even have clothes and blankets to keep warm, we can’t keep the rain out, and everything is wet. The children get sick all the time. The world has forgotten us. What will become of us?” Umm Husam, a mother of five young children sheltering in Atmeh told Amnesty International in March.
Her family’s story is indicative of the dire situation facing many of the close to 6 million people who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria – while death and destruction continue on a daily basis......"
"On a recent visit to a camp near Atmeh, just inside Syria near the Turkish border, some 21,000 people were sheltering amid hellish conditions.
Heavy rain leaked into the tents and had turned the clay soil into thick slippery mud, raw sewage flowed between the tents. The food being distributed was insufficient and of very poor quality and large numbers of people complained of medical conditions for which they were receiving no treatment.
“When we got here we found that it was impossible to cross into Turkey because the border is closed. So we’ve been stuck here all winter with nothing. There is little food, we don’t even have clothes and blankets to keep warm, we can’t keep the rain out, and everything is wet. The children get sick all the time. The world has forgotten us. What will become of us?” Umm Husam, a mother of five young children sheltering in Atmeh told Amnesty International in March.
Her family’s story is indicative of the dire situation facing many of the close to 6 million people who have been displaced by the conflict in Syria – while death and destruction continue on a daily basis......"
Welcome to Russia’s Syria doublespeak
Anna Neistat
"While world leaders managed to produce a joint communique on Syria at the end of the G8 summit, the closing media remarks made it clear that Vladimir Putin hasn’t actually moved an inch on the issue. The Russian president once again lashed out at the European Union and the United States for considering arms shipments to the Syrian opposition, suggesting it will further destabilize Syria. At the same time, he made it clear that Russia will continue supplying a range of weapons to the Syrian government, arguing that this will help stabilize the region while preventing a foreign intervention.
Welcome to Russian doublespeak......"
Jon Stewart in Cairo for Bassem Youssef's El-Bernameg
US satirist Jon Stewart to appear on Friday's episode of Bassem Youssef's El-Bernameg, Egypt's most popular satirical show
Ahram Online
"US satirist Jon Stewart arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for a three-day visit, DPA news agency has reported.
Youssef's weekly show, which is modeled on Stewart's The Daily Show, has been a smash hit with 30 million Egyptian viewers.Stewart will make a guest appearance on Bassem Youssef’s popular satirical show, El-Bernameg.
Often called Egypt's Jon Stewart, Youssef appeared twice on The Daily Show, in June 2012 and April 2013.
Stewart devoted a segment of the show in April to defending Youssef after the latter's arrest for allegedly insulting President Morsi and Islam. Stewart mocked President Morsi for clamping down on freedom of speech while failing to address the country's serious problems.
The 39-year-old Egyptian was included in Time magazine's 2013 list of the world's 100 most influential people.
Youssef's entry on the list was written by Stewart who described the Egyptian as his hero [He is my hero, too!]."
Ahram Online
"US satirist Jon Stewart arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for a three-day visit, DPA news agency has reported.
Youssef's weekly show, which is modeled on Stewart's The Daily Show, has been a smash hit with 30 million Egyptian viewers.Stewart will make a guest appearance on Bassem Youssef’s popular satirical show, El-Bernameg.
Often called Egypt's Jon Stewart, Youssef appeared twice on The Daily Show, in June 2012 and April 2013.
Stewart devoted a segment of the show in April to defending Youssef after the latter's arrest for allegedly insulting President Morsi and Islam. Stewart mocked President Morsi for clamping down on freedom of speech while failing to address the country's serious problems.
The 39-year-old Egyptian was included in Time magazine's 2013 list of the world's 100 most influential people.
Youssef's entry on the list was written by Stewart who described the Egyptian as his hero [He is my hero, too!]."
Syrian rebels get first heavy weapons on the front line of Aleppo
The First new heavy weapons have arrived on Syria’s front lines following President Barack Obama’s decision to put Western military might behind the official opposition, rebels have told The Daily Telegraph.
"Rebel sources said Russian-made “Konkurs” anti-tank missiles had been
supplied by America’s key Gulf ally, Saudi Arabia. They have already been used
to destructive effect and may have held up a promised regime assault on Aleppo.
A handful of the missiles were already in use and in high demand after opposition forces looted them from captured regime bases.
More have now arrived, confirming reports that the White House has lifted an unofficial embargo on its Gulf allies sending heavy weapons to the rebels.
Last week, the White House said it would send military support to Syria’s opposition after concluding that President Bashar al-Assad’s regime had used chemical agents against them.
Unlike rocket-propelled grenades, the Konkurs – Contest in English – can
penetrate the regime’s most advanced tanks, Russian-made T72s.
“We now have supplies from Saudi Arabia,” a rebel source said. “We have been told more weapons are on their way, even higher-end missiles.” ....
On Syria’s front lines, rebels are already using Russian missiles to destroy the regime’s Russian tanks......
But the number of Konkurs missiles seen in videos escalated at the beginning of this month, tangible evidence of the new Saudi supply line.
In the hills above the Syrian village of Kafra Hamra, north of Aleppo, The Daily Telegraph found rebels talking almost lovingly of the Konkurs as they kept watch on the regime’s tanks 800 yards away.
“We have one or two left but my unit has run out already,” said Abdullah Da’ass, a burly, bearded fighter with the Free Men of Syria brigade. “We were given five. We fired four, and took out four regime tanks, and one was a dud.”......."
“We now have supplies from Saudi Arabia,” a rebel source said. “We have been told more weapons are on their way, even higher-end missiles.” ....
On Syria’s front lines, rebels are already using Russian missiles to destroy the regime’s Russian tanks......
But the number of Konkurs missiles seen in videos escalated at the beginning of this month, tangible evidence of the new Saudi supply line.
In the hills above the Syrian village of Kafra Hamra, north of Aleppo, The Daily Telegraph found rebels talking almost lovingly of the Konkurs as they kept watch on the regime’s tanks 800 yards away.
“We have one or two left but my unit has run out already,” said Abdullah Da’ass, a burly, bearded fighter with the Free Men of Syria brigade. “We were given five. We fired four, and took out four regime tanks, and one was a dud.”......."
Syrian tank blown apart by missile
A video has been posted online which purports to show a tank being blown apart by Konkurs anti-tank missile fired by members of the Free Syrian Army.
"Rebels have discovered the value of anti-tank missiles after seizing
Russian-made Konkurs weapons from regime bases and turning them against their
previous owners....."
Real News Video: US Claims of Chemical Weapons Use By Syria A Pretext for Arming Rebels
Pt 1. Omar Dahi: Despite escalating humanitarian catastrophe, G8 summit failed to advance diplomatic settlement
Artists versus Islamists in Egypt's culture war
Battle
raises questions about art and the state
By Brian Whitaker
"In a dictatorship," the Sudanese-born intellectual Abdel-Wahab al-Effendi once remarked, "the role of the minister of culture isn't to protect culture, but to stifle culture and to protect the regime".....
By Brian Whitaker
"In a dictatorship," the Sudanese-born intellectual Abdel-Wahab al-Effendi once remarked, "the role of the minister of culture isn't to protect culture, but to stifle culture and to protect the regime".....
"Doing nothing" is definitely not a charge that can be
levelled against Alaa Abdel-Aziz, the new (Islamist) culture minister. Since
taking office last month he has already dismissed the heads of the General
Egyptian Book Organisation, the Fine Arts Sector, the Cairo Opera House, and the
National Library and Archives.
Amid fears that Abdel-Aziz is on a mission to "Islamise"
Egyptian culture, many of the artistic community – al-muthaqafeen. as
they are known –- have mobilised to oppose him. The Guardian reports:
"As the curtain rose for the evening performance at Cairo Opera House, the cast did not assemble for the opening prelude of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida as they had on previous nights."Instead, more than 300 actors, dancers and theatre staff filled the stage, wearing full costume and clutching protest signs. Addressing the audience, conductor Nayer Nagi announced: 'In a stand against a detailed plan to destroy culture and fine arts in Egypt we abstain from performing tonight's opera'."
Since then, protests have continued outside the culture
ministry building in Zamalek – some of them in the form or music or
dance.
New minister Alaa Abdel-Aziz
At a meeting on Sunday, members of the Supreme Council for
Culture (SCC) announced that they do not recognise Abdel-Aziz's appointment and
regard his decisions as "invalid". There were also calls to make the SCC an
independent body. Ahram Online explains......."
Palestinian children tortured, used as shields by Israel: U.N.
"(Reuters) - A United Nations human rights body accused Israeli forces on Thursday of mistreating Palestinian children, including by torturing those in custody and using others as human shields.
Palestinian children in the Gaza and the West Bank, captured by Israel in the 1967 war, are routinely denied registration of their birth and access to health care, decent schools and clean water, the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child said.
"Palestinian children arrested by (Israeli) military and police are systematically subject to degrading treatment, and often to acts of torture, are interrogated in Hebrew, a language they did not understand, and sign confessions in Hebrew in order to be released," it said in a report......"
Lebanese president urges Hezbollah to pull out of Syria
"(Reuters) - President Michel Suleiman has called on the Lebanese Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah movement to pull its guerrillas out of Syria, saying any further involvement in its neighbor's civil war would fuel instability in Lebanon.
Hezbollah militants spearheaded the recapture of the strategic border town of Qusair two weeks ago by forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, which now appear to be preparing for an offensive in the northern city of Aleppo.
"If they take part in a battle for Aleppo, and more Hezbollah fighters are killed, it will lead to more tension," Suleiman told the Lebanese newspaper As-Safir in an interview published on Thursday. "This should end in Qusair, and (Hezbollah) should return home."
Hezbollah's intervention in Syria against mainly Sunni Muslim rebels has further inflamed sectarian rivalry in Lebanon, where fighting between Alawite pro-Assad and Sunni Muslim anti-Assad gunmen in the northern city of Tripoli has killed dozens.
Since the battle for Qusair started a month ago there have been frequent rocket attacks on Shi'ite areas of eastern Lebanon from suspected rebel-held areas in Syria. A previously unknown Syrian rebel faction claimed responsibility this week for killing four Shi'ite men in the Bekaa Valley on Sunday.
Lebanon is mired in political paralysis which has forced the delay of a parliamentary election and is holding up efforts to form a cabinet. The impasse, along with the influx of half a million Syrian refugees, led former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora to appeal to Suleiman this week to act to stop "state collapse".
STAY AWAY FROM GOLAN
Suleiman, a Maronite Christian, has become increasingly assertive in criticizing Syria, which dominated its smaller neighbor militarily and politically for three decades before the outbreak of the uprising against Assad in 2011.
Lebanon's National News Agency said Suleiman sent the Arab League a memorandum on Thursday requesting an end to Syrian violations of Lebanese sovereignty. He gave a similar note to the United Nations representative in Beirut earlier this week.
Suleiman has spoken out against Syrian military incursions into eastern Lebanon against rebel forces, and become more open in his criticism of Hezbollah's military support for Assad...."
Syria crisis: Unesco puts six world heritage sites on endangered list
Sites include the ancient cities of Aleppo and Damascus
Matthew Weaver
guardian.co.uk,
Matthew Weaver
guardian.co.uk,
The UN's cultural organisation has placed six world heritage sites in Syria on an endangered list because of the continued violence in the country. The sites include the cities of Aleppo and Damascus, the Roman ruins at Palmyra and the crusader castles of Crac des Chevaliers and Qal'at Salah el-Din. In a statement Unesco said: "The danger listing is intended to mobilise all possible support for the safeguarding of these properties which are recognised by the international community as being of outstanding universal value for humanity as a whole."....."
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