English LCCC Newsbulletin For Lebanese, Lebanese
Related, Global News & Editorials
For July 12/2020
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/eliasnews19/english.july12.20.htm
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Bible Quotations For today
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever
disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 03/31-36: “The one who
comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth
and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He
testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified this, that God is true. He whom
God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.
The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever
believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see
life, but must endure God’s wrath.”
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese &
Lebanese Related News & Editorials published on July 11-12/2020
Iran hurt Lebanon’s people using Hezbollah: US official Brian Hook
Hariri Hospital: 4 critical cases, 2 patients released to be home quarantined
Health Minister from Baalbek: We are living the challenge of expatriates'
return, field data and procedures will be assessed and some measures might be
taken
Report: IMF Won't Tolerate Further Stalling on Lebanon Reforms
Protest march sets out from Riad El Solh Square to Central Bank
Fresh Protests in Several Lebanese Regions over Crumbling Economy
Lebanon 'Spiralling out of Control', Says UN Rights Chief
Fake News’ Says Diab about Govt. Resignation
Army: Israeli Military Boat Violates Lebanese Waters
Hasbani: No one is holding this government responsible for past accumulations,
but it is responsible with its decisions for the extent of collapse, absence of
real reform
Hajj Hassan: 'Loyalty to Resistance' Bloc is working on a mechanism to protect
subsidized commodities from monopolization
Jumblatt calls for electricity reform "so we can see something of their East!"
Diab after meeting with Mufti Derian: Government is working vigorously to ease
the burdens on citizens
Middle East Council of Churches: Turkish Government's decision to convert the
Hagia Sophia Church into a mosque
Hoballah: Our government is cleaning after the previous cabinets!
Alain Aoun: Government is trying to be independent, but has demonstrated the
opposite
Taymour Jumblatt: Cabinet has failed!
Army clarifies circulated news on imposing prior licenses on journalists
Abdel Samad: I withdrew from the dialogue session over Bisri dam because
dialogue entails the presence of two parties
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on July 11-12/2020
Damage to Natanz centrifuge production may be irreparable/DebkaFile/July
11/2020
Iran will develop oil industry despite US sanctions: Minister
Russia, China veto last-ditch UN bid for Syria aid via Turkey for second time
At border with Iran, Iraq PM al-Kadhimi vows to fight customs corruption
WHO Urges Aggressive Virus Measures as Flare-ups Spark New Closures
UN Fails to Find Consensus after Russia, China Veto on Syrian Aid
Iran Says Cannot Shut Down Economy despite Worsening Virus Outbreak
Titles For
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on July 11-12/2020
Aghia Sophia, Erdogan Neo-Ottomanism
and the Delusions of Imperial Islamism/Charles Elias Chartouni/July 12/2020
Hagia Sophia decision reflects Erdogan’s ambitions at home, sparks
criticism‘Disappointment’ and ‘regret’ in Brussels, Washington./The Arab
Weekly/July 11/2020
Europe: Rape Victims Accused of Racism/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/July
11/2020
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News &
Editorials published
on July 11-12/2020
Iran hurt Lebanon’s people using Hezbollah:
US official Brian Hook
Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 11 July 2020
Iran hurt the Lebanese people utilizing its proxy Hezbollah, said Brian Hook, US
Special Representative for Iran on Friday. Tehran backs Hezbollah, a Shia
militia in Lebanon which has a powerful grip on the Lebanese government, among
other militias across the Middle East it uses as proxies to spread its influence
in the region. “Iran midwifed the creation of Hezbollah and that has not been to
the advantage of the Lebanese people,” he said during an online discussion
hosted by the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington DC.
He said that now people are starting to protest against the “Iranian model” and
Hezbollah, even in areas which were considered strongholds for Tehran and its
proxies. Hook added that Iranians are prospering all over the world except in
their own country: “This regime has held back so much potential because they
squander the people’s wealth on their proxies.”He added that Russia and China
have the “same threat assessment” of Iran as the one the United States has: “No
body wants Iran to achieve its hegemonic ambitions to dominate the Middle East
and introduce massive sectarian violence.”
Hook stressed the importance of extending the UN arms embargo against Iran,
adding that if its is not renewed, then Iran would be able to buy fighter jets,
attack helicopters, submarines, missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers,
and large caliber artillery systems. “The arms embargo is not going to expire;
we’re going to make sure that it continues one way or the other.”
Hariri Hospital: 4 critical cases, 2 patients released to
be home quarantined
NNA/July 11/2020
Rafic Hariri University Hospital announced on Saturday, in its daily report on
the latest COVID-19 developments, that the number of examinations performed at
its laboratories during the past 24 hours has reached 380 tests.
The report added that the number of patients infected with the Coronavirus
currently present in the hospital for follow-up is 22, while the number of
suspected cases that were transferred from other hospitals during the past 24
hours has reached 12 cases.
The hospital report also indicated that no new recovery cases have been
registered during the past 24 hours; thus leaving the total number of recoveries
to-date at 249. Furthermore, it stated that 2 infected patients who were
receiving treatment at the hospital were released for home quarantine within the
past 24 hours, after their attending physician indicated their clinical
recovery. It added that 4 critical cases are currently receiving medical care at
the hospital, and no death cases have been recorded. For more information on the
number of infected cases on all Lebanese territories, the hospital called for
referring to the daily report issued by the Ministry of Public. The Hariri
Hospital concluded its report by reminding citizens that "the Coronavirus
Contact Center for emergency response and knowledge of test results, operates 24
hours a day, 7 days a week including public holidays, and can be reached at the
phone number 01-820830 or through the WhatsApp contact service 76-897961."
Health Minister from Baalbek: We are living the challenge
of expatriates' return, field data and procedures will be assessed and some
measures might be taken
NNA/July 11/2020
Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan, referred to the challenge Lebanon
is facing with the return of its excpatriates in regards to the Corona epidemic,
stating that field data and set procedures shall be evaluated and certain
measures might be adopted. "We rely on the societal awareness that we observe,
and we stress today the need to remember how the epidemic began, and how we
coped with it responsibly and through strict measures," he said, adding, "We
must consider that there is a risk, yet with our shared responsibility, this
threat can remain within its controlled dimensions."
Minister Hassan indicated that the National Committee to Combat the Corona
Epidemic will be meeting soon to assess field data in terms of the number of
infections and patients who have been hospitalized, and the outcomes of the
field actions taken during this period. "Accordingly, the Committee can take
some measures, but we are now living the summer season, and the country is open
and we have tourism and expatriates, and we yearn for a normal life, but with
responsibility and caution," he emphasized. Hassan's words came during his
meeting with members of the "Nejmeh Club" team, who visited him in Baalbek
today, on the sidelines of their friendly match with the "Baalbek Youth" team on
the Sports City Stadium this evening, in the absence of a cheering audience. The
Minister welcomed the players, praising their sportsmanship spirit and
perseverance in achieving championships, calling for continuous support to
Lebanon's youth and to the sports sector, since it unites all Lebanese regions
and all groups of Lebanese society. "The friendly match between the Nejmeh and
Baalbek Youth teams, without an audience, is a prelude to the return to normal
life...However, the registration of infection cases requires a joint
responsibility of the community to maintain controls, especially in terms of
mixing and congestion, alongside the responsibility of the Ministry of Public
Health to increase its medical teams and track the cases in different regions,"
the Health Minister asserted.
Report: IMF Won't Tolerate Further Stalling on Lebanon
Reforms
Naharnet/July 11/2020
Lebanon resumed negotiations with the International Monetary Fund in
“unfavorable” atmospheres for the international lender, al-Joumhouria daily
reported on Saturday. Sources following up on the negotiations told the daily on
condition of anonymity that Lebanon's “approach” will not speed up an agreement
on a support program from the fund. They said negotiations “could take years,
instead of months if leaders remain reluctant to enact reforms.”But they added
the “international lender refuses to waste time and therefore will not wait for
long. The Lebanese side faces its last chance and should submit unified numbers
of losses and adopt a scientific and accurate approach in everything proposed,
otherwise the fund will have no choice but to suspend negotiations,” added the
source. Crisis-hit Lebanon resumed bailout talks on Friday with the
International Monetary Fund holding its 17 meeting. Talks are deadlocked with
the IMF as Lebanese leaders seem reluctant to enact reforms. As Lebanon seeks
help from the IMF, arguments are mounting over the scale of total financial
losses for the state, central bank and commercial banks.
Protest march sets out from Riad El Solh Square to Central
Bank
NNA/July 11/2020
Hundreds of activists marched this afternoon from Riad El Solh Square in
downtown Beirut, towards the Association of Banks, and then to the Central Bank
of Lebanon on Hamra Street, carrying Lebanese flags and banners affirming their
continued movement until their demands are met, NNA correspondent reported.
Demonstrators chanted slogans condemning the country's economic and daily-living
situation, and calling for "the resignation of the government" and "holding the
thieves and the corrupt accountable, recovering the looted money, and conducting
early parliamentary elections."
Fresh Protests in Several Lebanese Regions over Crumbling
Economy
Naharnet/July 11/2020
Hundreds of activists gathered Saturday afternoon in several Lebanese regions
protesting the crumbling economy and demanding the resignation of the
government. In Riad el-Solh Square in downtown Beirut protesters brandished
Lebanese flags and banners affirming their continued movement until their
demands are met. They first marched towards the Association of Banks and then to
the Central Bank of Lebanon. Demonstrators chanted slogans against the
government condemning the dire economic and living conditions calling for "the
resignation of the government" and "holding the thieves and the corrupt
accountable, recovering the looted money, and conducting early parliamentary
elections."In the southern city of Nabatieh, groups gathered outside the Central
Bank chanting slogans against the authority.
In Baalbek protesters brandished white flags as a symbol of their white protest.
Lebanon 'Spiralling out of Control', Says UN Rights Chief
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 11/2020
Lebanon's economic crisis is getting out of hand, the UN rights chief warned
Friday, calling for urgent internal reforms coupled with international support
to prevent further mayhem. Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, said the social fabric of the country was at risk
as vulnerable populations are threatened with extreme poverty. "This situation
is fast spiralling out of control, with many already destitute and facing
starvation as a direct result of this crisis," she said in a statement. "The
alarm has been sounded, and we must respond immediately before it is too late."
For months, the Mediterranean country has grappled with its worst economic
crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. Tens of thousands have lost their jobs or
part of their salaries, while a crippling dollar shortage has sparked spiralling
inflation. Bachelet said an unemployment crisis would propel poverty and
indebtedness with "grave implications" in a country with fragile social nets.
She said vulnerable Lebanese, along with 1.7 million refugees, were increasingly
unable to meet their basic needs, as were 250,000 migrant workers, many of whom
have lost their jobs or been left homeless.
"Their situation will only get worse as food and medical imports dry up," the
former Chilean president said. "As we respond to this pandemic and the
socio-economic crisis, we must include and protect everyone, regardless of their
migration or other status."
'Ease the pain'
Economic woes last year sparked mass protests in Lebanon against a political
class deemed irretrievably corrupt. The Lebanese pound, officially pegged at
1,507 pounds to the greenback, reached more than 9,000 to the dollar last week
on the black market in a dizzying devaluation. Prices have soared almost as fast
as the exchange rate has plummeted, meaning that a salary of one million pounds
is now worth a little more than $100, compared with almost $700 last year. After
the country for the first time defaulted on its sovereign debt in March, the
government pledged reforms and in May started talks with the International
Monetary Fund towards unlocking billions of dollars in aid. But after 16
meetings, negotiations between Beirut and the IMF are deadlocked, while leaders
are reluctant to enact reforms. Bachelet urged Lebanon's political leaders to
implement the necessary structural changes, and prioritise the provision of
food, electricity, health and education. The rights chief also called on the
international community to ramp up its help. "Without strengthened social safety
nets and bolstered basic assistance to ease the pain caused by required
structural reform, vulnerable Lebanese, migrant workers and refugees will be
pushed further into poverty and extreme poverty," she said.
Fake News’ Says Diab about Govt. Resignation
Naharnet/July 11/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab on Saturday described reports on the government’s
intention to resign as “fake news”, affirming ongoing government efforts to
“alleviate the suffering of Lebanese citizens” in light of a crunching economic
crisis.
“Reports that the government is going to resign are only fake news,” Diab told
reporters after meeting Sunni Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan at
Dar el-Fatwa. “We rely on the Mufti’s experience. There is no doubt that the
government is working with momentum to alleviate the burden on citizens,
including the financial support for needy families and assistance to the
industrial and agricultural sectors and schools," he added. On his “lengthy”
talks with US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea a day earlier, the PM said:
“Discussions with the ambassador touched on several matters and she expressed
every willingness to help Lebanon.” Diab was accompanied by Interior Minister
Mohammed Fahmi and Diab’s adviser Khodr Taleb.
Army: Israeli Military Boat Violates Lebanese Waters
Naharnet/July 11/2020
The Lebanese Army said in a statement on Saturday that an Israeli boat violated
Lebanon’s territorial waters on Friday off al-Naqoura infiltrating 555 m into
Lebanese waters. The statement said the boat entered Lebanese waters at 22:15 on
Friday coming within 555 meters of shore. Israeli troops fired bomb flares
before leaving at 22:40 heading towards Palestinaian waters. The Lebanese Army
is reportedly following up on the violation in coordination with the Naqoura-bases
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon.
Hasbani: No one is holding this government responsible for
past accumulations, but it is responsible with its decisions for the extent of
collapse, absence of real reform
NNA/July 11/2020
Former Deputy Prime Minister, Ghassan Hasbani, affirmed Saturday that no one is
placing the responsibility of past accumulations on the current government,
while stating that it does shoulder responsibility, through its decisions, for
the extent of collapse in the country and the absence of real reform.
"Unfortunately, this government, which claimed to be the government of
independent professionals, has proven that its ministers are subordinates to
political parties, and some have repeatedly threatened to resign, as they try to
evade their responsibilities," Hasbani said in an interview with 'MTV" Station
this afternoon. He added: "The government has demonstrated its unprofessionalism
and lack of technology during negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,
and it has so far missed the opportunity to initiate the reforms that the IMF
requires and that the Lebanese people demand," Hasbani underlined.
Referring to the siege on Lebanon, both internally and externally, Hasbani
considered that the reason for this lies in "the insistence on quotas in
appointments, default on debt repayment, uncontrolled borders and existing
smuggling, currency value and lack of independence in the government's political
decision."
"Instead of marching forward towards a digital society and keeping pace with
development and modernization, they are taking us back to a finite and
unappealing agricultural community where we import even seeds!" criticized
Hasbani.
"Agriculture is not a substitute for the developed economic community and the
advanced sectors of hospitalization, insurance, and banking," he emphasized,
stressing that "nothing prevents the investor or any supportive country or
expatriate from investing money in Lebanon, other than losing confidence."
"We refuse to have Lebanon conform to the specifications of a failed state, in
light of the existing approach, and if there is no serious change, we cannot
continue with the slightest elements of civilization, for even basic services
will be lost," warned Hasbani.
Hajj Hassan: 'Loyalty to Resistance' Bloc is working on a
mechanism to protect subsidized commodities from monopolization
NNA/July 11/2020
Baalbek - Head of the "Baalbek-Hermel Deputies" Bloc, MP Hussein Hajj Hassan,
declared in a statement on Saturday, that "the 'Loyalty to the Resistance'
Parliamentary Bloc has formed a committee to study the issue of the food basket
presented by the government."He added: "The list of subsidized commodities is
subject to amendments, and we have certain remarks about some of the goods to be
supported, and some of the goods that must be supported by government.""We are
working within the 'Loyalty to the Resistance' Bloc on a mechanism to protect
the subsidized goods from monopolization, so that they would reach the citizen
without any exploitation," Hajj Hassan underscored.
Jumblatt calls for electricity reform "so we can see
something of their East!"
NNA/July 11/2020
Progressive Socialist Party Chief, Walid Jumblatt, tweeted Saturday over the
government's heading towards the East, saying: "Our motto and heritage is
crossing from the caves of the East, from the East's swamp, to the New
East...For the sake of this new East, Kamal Jumblatt died a martyr...Today, in
light of the new equation, we hope that the people of decision in this
government...would get us out of this darkness by reforming the electricity
sector, so that we can see and begin to realize something of their East!"
Diab after meeting with Mufti Derian: Government is working
vigorously to ease the burdens on citizens
NNA/July 11/2020
Prime Minister Hassan Diab visited Saturday the Mufti of the Lebanese Republic,
Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, at Dar Al-Fatwa, accompanied by the Minister of
Interior and Municipalities, Mohammad Fahmi and PM Advisor, Khodor Taleb.
After the meeting, PM Diab said: "The visit of His Eminence the Mufti and Dar Al
Fatwa has a special essence. Talks with Mufti Derian focused on the prevailing
social, economic and daily-living conditions. We rely on his Eminence's wisdom
and expertise in dealing with such issues."
He added: "The government is undoubtedly working vigorously to ease the burdens
on citizens and is providing assistance to underprivileged families; 140 000
families are currently benefitting from our assistance, and we hope to reach 200
000 families, which is equivalent to more than 1.5 million Lebanese citizens. We
are also providing assistance to industrial and agricultural sectors, in
addition to small and medium-sized enterprises, out of the 1200 million Lebanese
pounds allocated for assistance."
"We have recently submitted a bill to the Parliament to disburse 500 billion
Lebanese pounds to help schools overcome the difficult economic situation for
the next academic year, in addition to other projects aimed at supporting the
social situation, especially the food basket comprised of around 300 basic food
commodities, covering more than 80 to 90% of citizen's daily needs, thus
separating the cost of these goods from the dollar's exchange rate fluctuation,"
disclosed Diab.
"We are always acting under the auspices of Dar Al Fatwa and we thank His
Eminence for all his suggestions and directives," he asserted.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, PM Diab answered the following
questions:
Q- You have held a lengthy meeting with U.S. Ambassador yesterday; did this
meeting yield positive results?
A- We discussed several topics, and HE the Ambassador expressed full willingness
to help Lebanon with various fields.
Q- Is Lebanon still under control?
A- Lebanon will not be under anyone's control as long as I am in this position.
Q- AUB president said yesterday that your government was the worst government.
What do you have to say?
A- This reflects his personal opinion, and I will not respond to this issue.
Q- How do you reassure citizens regarding the dollar and the daily living and
political conditions?
A- Undoubtedly, several factors play a role in all this, including negotiations
taking place with the International Monetary Fund; thank God, we turned the page
on the discussions that took place over the past six weeks; from this
perspective, we started talking about basic required reforms and the program
that must be agreed upon between the IMF and Lebanon; this will play a key role
in restoring confidence and opens doors for many projects including Cedre and
other funds.
Q- How true is the information circulating about the Cabinet's or some
ministers' resignation?
A- This is included under daily fabricated and fake news. [PM Diab's Press
Office]
Middle East Council of Churches: Turkish Government's
decision to convert the Hagia Sophia Church into a mosque
NNA/July 11/2020
Following the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's signature on the Turskish
Supreme Court's decision to transform the Hagia Sophia Church into a mosque, the
Middle East Council of Churches issued a statement through its General
Secretariat considering that this decision "is an assault on religious freedom,
the freedom that has become the cornerstone in international consciousness and
that is protected by international laws." Therefore, the MECC calls for a
decisive position from the United Nations and the League of Arab States by
filing a legal appeal of the Turkish Supreme Court's decision to find justice
based on the principles of religious freedom, as well as preserving the
historical symbolism represented by the Church of "Hagia Sophia", the statement
said. The General Secretariat added: "The most dangerous element is that this
decision comes out of the context of the Christian-Muslim coexistence journey,
the most prominent manifestation of which was on February 4, 2019 in 'The
Document on Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together', which
concluded in the historic meeting between Pope Francis and Sheikh Al-Azhar
Al-Sharif Ahmed Al-Tayeb, as well as all ecumenical initiatives and interfaith
dialogues in the last three decades, which makes this decision to go beyond a
pure process of convergence on the common good and peace in the face of
radicalism and extremism.""By this decision, the whole World is called upon to
stand together and conscientious, and calls on the societal and religious
authorities living in Turkey to get mobilized at all levels to put an end to
this aggression and transgression in a way that preserves the true meaning of
coexistence in all its profundity," the statement concluded. [Middle East
Council of Churches General Secretariat - Communication and Public Relations
Department]
Hoballah: Our government is cleaning after the previous
cabinets!
NNA/July 11/2020
Industry Minister Imad Hoballah defended the current cabinet in the face of all
those trying to hold it responsible for the prevailing situation, saying via his
Twitter account that "the current government is trying to clean up the dirt of
past governments," adding, "Our government is patient and works with
determination."In a second tweet, Hoballah said: "As for those lecturing against
the policies of our government with unsuccessful videos, give us your
suggestions! Our government is following up on matters and setting things right,
and it did not throw a quarter of its employees on the street...! Fear the Lord,
and if you know not how to fear God, limit such frivolous videos...Scream in the
face of those threatening and attempting to starve and intimidate the Lebanese!"
Alain Aoun: Government is trying to be independent, but has
demonstrated the opposite
NNA/July 11/2020
Member of the "Strong Lebanon" Parliamentary Bloc, MP Alain Aoun, considered
that the cabinet is trying to be independent, yet its actions have proven
otherwise. "The responsibility of those in charge of this government is to push
it in the direction of the required reforms, and to go in the direction of
positive signals, instead of negative indications as it appears," said Aoun.
Speaking in an interview with 'Voice of All Lebanon 93.3" Radio Station this
morning, the MP touched on the IMF negotiations, considering that "we ought to
have a unified approach to the numbers that are being discussed with the
International Monetary Fund," calling on the government to "search for solutions
instead of continuing with the logic of clinging to its opinion.""The Minister
of Finance is about to end the last stage of the discussion to reach a unified
approach," he revealed.
On the Electricity Board appointments, MP Aoun indicated that they are being
conducted according to the balance of power in the government. He stated that he
is not opposed to the appointment mechanism, yet "if the Constitutional Council
decides that the mechanism adopted is not constitutional, then we must, by
definition, resort to a constitutional amendment."Over the French Foreign
Minister's recent statements, Aoun considered that his words are "a cry of a
friend, since France was among the most enthusiastic about helping this
government and giving it a chance...Unfortunately, the disappointment came as
high as the hopes that were set.""We do not deal with the government with a
political background, but rather we base our input on the situation that we have
reached," explained Aoun, emphasizing that the status quo cannot continue. "In
the event that positive results are not reached, alternatives must be sought,"
he stressed, noting that his words are intended for motivation, away from any
"malicious political goals." Regarding the possibility of Lebanon heading East,
the MP pointed out that "Lebanon, by composition, cannot be centered politically
or economically on one party or axis without another," calling for "extending a
cooperating hand to any side that may assist Lebanon, which, in turn, must
perform its duties to alleviate the repercussions of its current stage."On the
recent position of the Maronite Patriarch, Aoun deemed his call to be "pivotal"
and "a beneficial invitation to openly propose matters as they are and seek
answers to them."
Taymour Jumblatt: Cabinet has failed!
NNA/July 11/2020
Democratic Gathering Head, MP Taymour Joumblatt, considered Saturday that the
current government has demonstrated its failure, by not taking any single step
towards reducing the repercussions of the burdening crisis on citizens nor the
heavy accumulations that are stifling the lives of the Lebanese.
"Instead, we see it taking steps that deepen the financial and daily-living
problems," Joumblatt said, adding that the cabinet "has failed in everything
that must be done to stop the collapse."His words came during his meeting in al-Mukhtara
today with prominent officials of the Progressive Socialist Party, during which
talks centered on the political and economic conditions prevailing in the
country and relevant party affairs. Jumblatt stressed "the importance of
pursuing the significant efforts undertaken by PSP across all its branches and
crisis cells in the areas of health awareness towards the re-emerging Corona
epidemic, and in social work to support citizens and ensure their steadfastness
in this difficult stage that Lebanon is going through." He also highlighted the
need to "pay attention to the individual and youth initiatives in various fields
and encourage all ideas that would help to advance the local economic cycle."
Army clarifies circulated news on imposing prior licenses on journalists
NNA/July 11/2020
The Lebanese Army Command - Orientation Directorate issued a statement on
Saturday, clarifying the recently circulated news on social media about imposing
prior licenses on media professionals. "It is important for the Army Command to
clarify that the issue of media licensing is not new, and it falls within the
framework of measures and procedures that are in force according to the
applicable laws, and simultaneously aims to ensure the safety of media personnel
themselves," the statement indicated. The statement pointed out that all media
outlets are required to obtain licenses that are approved on a quarterly basis
and renewed upon request, while exceptional permits are issued pursuant to the
areas subject to exceptional security measures. "The Army leadership affirms its
keenness on freedom of media work, its appreciation towards the contributions of
various media outlets and the response to the adopted measures to preserve the
safety of the media, its national role and supreme mission," the statement
underlined. In this context, the Army Orientation Directorate called on all
media outlets wishing to obtain licenses to visit the website to view the
required information and documents in the respect.
Abdel Samad: I withdrew from the dialogue session over Bisri dam because
dialogue entails the presence of two parties
NNA/July 11/2020
Minister of Information, Dr. Manal Abdel Samad Najd, explained Saturday via her
Twitter account the reason behind withdrawing from the dialogue sessions devoted
to discussing the Bisri dam, held at the Grand Serail. "To clarify, and avoid
any confusion, I left the session devoted to discussing the Bisri Dam an hour
and a half before the session ended, because the dialogue requires the presence
of two parties and two opinions," Abdel Samad said.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on July 11-12/2020
Damage to Natanz centrifuge production may
be irreparable
DebkaFile/July 11/2020
Iran is caught in a dilemma between hiding the true scale of damage caused to
its nuclear program by the Natanz explosion and fire and the urge to punish the
culprit. On July 10, Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi warned of
“consequences” to foreign elements proved to be involved. He also hedged it
round by saying it was “too early” to judge “the main cause and reason for the
blast.”. He criticized media reports attributing the explosion to Israel for
“portraying Israel as powerful.”
Tehran knows perfectly well the exact cause and reason for the Natanz blast on
July 2 (which occurred less than a week after an explosion at a secret
underground tunnel system and missile production site east of Tehran.) They may
not admit this, but they know that the damage to the Iran Centrifuge Assembly
Center (ICAC) at the Natanz enrichment center was “extensive, severe and
possibly irreparable,” according to analysts David Albright, Sarah Burkhard, and
Frank Pabian of the Institute for Science & International Security.
The ICAC, inaugurated in 2018, was critical to the mass production of advanced
centrifuges, in particular the assembly of rotor assemblies and its key
component, the rapidly spinning part. An annex to the building was intended to
assemble electrical components, including motors.
Enriched uranium is essentially used for both civil nuclear power generation and
military nuclear weapons. Iran’s new advanced uranium centrifuges at Natanz were
intended to accelerate its ability to produce enough enriched uranium to make a
bomb in the short term.
Satellite imagery further shows that the damage appears to have been caused by a
large single point detonation, possibly creating a crater that is centered at
the northwest corner of the ICAC. That explosion, evidently causing or
coinciding with a fire, may well have involved an explosives device.
The true extent of the damage was publicly withheld by Iran. It was not until
commercial satellite imagery became available that the true nature of the damage
could be observed. It is clear from the imagery of Airbus/CNES and Planet Labs
that a major explosion took place, destroying nearly three quarters of the main
centrifuge assembly hall, generating a fire that blackened a major portion of
the building, the blackening visible where the roof had been blown away by the
explosion. Although we had originally concluded, based on the ground imagery,
that the explosion and fire had most likely occurred in the northeast corner of
the building in an area of the building that likely contained auxiliary diesel
generators, it is now clear from the overhead satellite imagery that the
explosion was actually centered at the northwest corner.
Unlike the northeast corner, which was blackened by fire and exhibited signs of
some structural damage, the northwest corner of the ICAC building, including a
large portion of a brick-walled annex, was completely obliterated. Moreover, a
debris field of building materials (primarily roofing panels) is also
distributed in a roughly radial pattern, extending to a radius of over half a
football field, from that same point. What we perceive might be a crater,
roughly 10 meters in diameter, that is visible in the center of that circular
pattern. What appears to be some gray concrete throw-out material is also
visible in the area where the corner of the building had been. That center-point
of the possible crater is located just outside the building, which would be
accessible by vehicle, suggesting that a vehicle-borne explosives device cannot
be ruled out at this time.
The centrifuge assembly building was said to be intended to mass produce IR-2m,
IR-4, and IR-6 centrifuges. Mass production translates to the combined
production of thousands of such centrifuges per year. Iran placed
next-generation uranium enrichment centrifuges at its Natanz enrichment facility
as part of a program it could tap to produce a nuclear weapon. Under its 2015
nuclear deal with six powers, Iran agreed to install no more than 5,060 of its
oldest centrifuges at Natanz until 2026. Last year, Tehran began rolling back
its commitments to the accord in reprisal for US withdrawal. And by November,
Iran had doubled the number of advanced centrifuges operating at Natanz.
Although the explosion and fire at the Iran Centrifuge Assembly Center does not
eliminate Iran’s ability to deploy advanced centrifuges, such as the IR-2m’s,
its destruction must be viewed as a major setback to Iran’s ability to deploy
advanced centrifuges on a mass scale for years to come. Some estimates say that
the Islamic Republic nuclear weapons program has suffered a delay of up to two
years.
Erdogan criticized for double speak
President Erdogan has come under fire for framing the conversion of the mosque
differently in his English and Arabic announcements.
The president’s office released two signed letters announcing the declaration,
but observers were quick to note that the English content did not match up to
the Arabic.
While the English was far more conciliatory and talked of the “shared heritage
of humanity,” the Arabic content described the move as “fulfilling the promise
of [Ottoman Sultan] Mehmed II” and said the “The revival of Hagia Sophia is a
sign toward the return of freedom to al-Aqsa mosque,” the Islamic holy site in
Jerusalem. On Twitter, commentators pointed out that Erdogan was likely trying
to appeal to his core support in Arabic while presenting a more conciliatory
tone in English.
“Two Completely Contradictory Messages. As #Erdogan uses phrases such as ‘open
to all’ and ‘shared heritage of humanity’ in English. In Arabic it reads as a
romanticized Sultan-like speech appealing to a certain ‘fan base’ to trigger
extremist ideology and action,” tweeted the London School of Economics’ Juhaina
Al Ali.
Some critics pointed out that Erdogan has increased trade with Israel despite
his claim to want to liberate al-Aqsa, which implies removing Israeli control
over Jerusalem.
Erdogan himself has rejected criticism, insisting that Turkey has sovereignty
over the Hagia Sophia.
Is Hagia Sophia decision the end of secularism?
Erdogan has been accused of attacking longstanding traditions of secularism in
Turkey.
Erdogan’s AKP party promotes an ideology that has been described as “Islamist,”
and the president has sought close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.
This latest move has been interpreted by onlookers as a symbolic attack on
secularism, with the Wall Street Journal covering the decision under the
headline: “Symbol of Secular Turkey to Reopen as
Other analysts saw the conversion of the Hagia Sophia as a “crowning moment” in
Erdogan’s much broader plans to revolutionize Turkey.
“Erdogan has been flooding Turkey’s public space, education policy and
government with a brand of conservative Islam, and Hagia Sophia is the crowning
moment of Erdogan’s religious revolution which has been unfolding in Turkey for
over a decade,” Soner Cagaptay, Director of Turkish research program at
Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Reuters.
“Just as Ataturk nearly 100 years ago ‘unmosqued’ Hagia Sophia to underline
commitment to his own secularist revolution, to take religion out of politics,
Erdogan is now doing nearly the opposite. He is reconverting the building into a
mosque to underline his own religious revolution,” he added.
“This regrettable move Mr President makes Istanbul poorer culturally. There are
over 3,000 mosques in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia is much more than a physical
building, it is a unifying symbol for various faiths,” tweeted the Emirati
commentator Sultan Saoud al-Qassemi.
Religiously divisive – but backed by some
Christian leaders also criticized the decision, with a senior Russian Orthodox
official warning that it could lead to “greater divisions.”
“It is a real shame that the concerns of the Russian Orthodox Church and other
Orthodox churches were not heard. This decision, alas, is not aimed at
reconciling existing differences, but on the contrary, may lead to even greater
divisions,” said Russian Orthodox Church official Vladimir Legoida to Reuters.
Turkey’s Christian neighbors Cyprus and Greece, with whom it has poor relations,
also criticized the move.
It is a historical appropriation and desecration of a World Heritage monument of
particular value to the world’s Christians,” said Cypriot President Nicos
Anastasiades.
The move was an “open provocation to the civilized world,” said Greece’s Culture
Minister Lina Mendoni, adding that it “absolutely confirms that there is no
independent justice” in Turkey.
Other analysts suggested that Erdogan would attempt to benefit from a spike in
religious tensions by positioning himself as a defender of Islam.
“One of the effects of the conversion of Hagia Sophia from a museum into a
mosque will be a spike in Islamophobia in the West and elsewhere. Which, of
course, Erdogan will then use to his advantage,” tweeted Dimitar Bechev of the
Atlantic Council.
However, some organizations voiced their support for the move.
Turkey’s Hagia Sophia mosque move sparks controversy, Erdogan accused of double
speak
Tommy Hilton, Al Arabiya English/Saturday 11 July 2020
Turkey’s decision to turn Istanbul’s 6th century Hagia Sophia cathedral from a
museum into a mosque has sparked controversy across the world including
accusations that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has framed the issue differently
based on his audience. The UNESCO World Heritage Site was originally built as an
Orthodox Christian cathedral before being converted into a mosque after the
Ottoman conquest of the city in 1453.
In 1934, the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Atatürk turned the iconic
building into a museum as part of his secularization drive, but on Friday
Erdogan proclaimed the Hagia Sophia as a mosque after a court annulled the
site’s museum status.
The move has since sparked controversy, with a range of domestic and
international voices criticizing Erdogan – but some voices from organizations
affiliated with the president and his Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated allies
supporting it.
The Palestinian militant group Hamas, which is affiliated with the Muslim
Brotherhood, welcomed the verdict.
“Opening of Hagia Sophia to prayer is a proud moment for all Muslims,” said
Hamas’ press office head Rafat Murra, according to Turkey’s Anadolu Agency.
Al Jazeera English also quoted the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus – which
is only recognized by Turkey - as approving of the move.
“Hagia Sophia has been Turkish, a mosque and a world heritage since 1453. The
decision to use it as a mosque, at the same time to be visited as a museum, is
sound and it is pleasing,” the Prime Minister Ersin Tatar reportedly said.
Iran will develop oil industry despite US sanctions:
Minister
Reuters, Dubai/Saturday 11 July 2020
Iran is determined to develop its oil industry in spite of US sanctions imposed
on the country, Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh said in a televised speech
on Saturday. “We will not surrender under any circumstances ... We have to
increase our capacity so that when necessary with full strength we can enter the
market and revive our market share,” said Zanganeh. Hit by reimposed US
sanctions since Washington exited Iran's 2015 nuclear deal in 2018, Iran's oil
exports are estimated at 100,000 to 200,000 barrels per day, down from more than
2.5 million bpd that Iran shipped in April 2018. The Islamic Republic's crude
production has halved to around 2 million bpd.
Russia, China veto last-ditch UN bid for Syria aid via
Turkey for second time
Reuters, New York/Friday 10 July 2020
Russia and China vetoed a last-ditch attempt by Western members of the UN
Security Council to extend approval -- which expires on Friday -- for
humanitarian aid to be delivered across two border crossings into Syria from
Turkey for the next six months.
The United Nations says millions of Syrian civilians in the country's northwest
depend on the humanitarian aid delivered from Turkey, describing it as a
"lifeline." The remaining 13 council members voted in favor of the resolution on
Friday.
The 15-member council has been split, with most members pitted against Syrian
ally Russia and China, who want to cut the number of border crossings to one,
arguing those areas can be reached with humanitarian help from within Syria.
This was the third failed vote on the issue by the council and the second vetoes
by Russia and China this week. The Security Council first authorized the
cross-border aid operation into Syria six year ago, which also included access
from Jordan and Iraq. Those crossings were cut in January due to opposition by
Russia and China. On Tuesday, Russia and China vetoed a bid to extend for a year
approval of the two Turkey crossings. The remaining 13 members voted in favor of
the resolution, drafted by Germany and Belgium. Russia then failed to win enough
support on Wednesday for its proposal to authorize one crossing for six months.
The council is now expected to vote on a second Russian draft text to approve
aid deliveries for one Turkish crossing for one year. But because the council is
operating virtually during the coronavirus pandemic, members have 24 hours to
cast a vote so a decision would not be known until Saturday. Russia has vetoed
16 council resolutions on Syria since Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad cracked
down on protesters in 2011, leading to civil war. For many of those votes,
Moscow has been backed in the council by China.
At border with Iran, Iraq PM al-Kadhimi vows to fight
customs corruption
AFP/ Mandili Border Crossing, Iraq/Saturday 11 July 2020
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi launched a new campaign on Saturday
against corruption at the country’s borders, saying millions of dollars were
being lost by not properly taxing imported goods. Speaking at the Mandili
crossing on the border with Iran, Kadhimi said Iraq’s frontier had become “a
hotbed for corrupt people.”“This is the beginning of our promise to combat
corruption. The first phase is to protect border crossings with new security
forces,” he said. The second is to fight ‘ghosts’ trying to blackmail Iraqis,
and the third is to automate the crossing with new technology,” the premier
said, standing alongside Border Crossing Commission head Omar al-Waeli.In
response to a question by AFP, Kadhimi added: “We encourage businessmen
(importing goods) to pay the customs, not the bribes.”
“This will serve as a message to all corrupt people.”Iraq imports virtually all
of its consumer goods from either its eastern neighbor Iran or its northern
neighbor Turkey. But government officials, foreign diplomats and businessmen
have long complained that the import process at both borders is complicated and
rife with corruption. They accuse customs offices of getting kickbacks from
traders in exchange for charging no or low import duties. In June, Finance
Minister Ali Allawi said the government would seek to boost its non-oil
revenues, including through import duties, to make up for the collapse in state
income from falling oil prices. “The ports should give us revenues of seven
trillion Iraqi dinar a year. We only get one trillion right now,” he told
reporters at the time. “To close that gap, we’ll need a string of reforms to the
customs administration,” he said. Mandili was established in 2014 and is
currently controlled by a mix of intelligence forces and the Hashed al-Shaabi, a
state-sponsored network of groups including many close to Tehran. There was no
noticeable activity at the border on Saturday, as all of Iraq’s 32 crossings
remain officially closed to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Hashed fighters could be seen standing in the blistering midsummer sun. Iraq is
ranked one of the top 20 most corrupt countries in the world according to
Transparency International, with some $450 billion in public funds vanishing
into the pockets of shady politicians and businessmen since 2003.
Every premier has pledged new measures to fight corruption but few have been
able to make a dent in the deep-rooted practices across the public and private
sector.
WHO Urges Aggressive Virus Measures as Flare-ups Spark New
Closures
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 11/2020
The World Health Organization has urged countries grappling with coronavirus to
step up control measures, saying it is still possible to rein it in, as some
nations clamp fresh restrictions on citizens. With case numbers worldwide more
than doubling in the past six weeks, Uzbekistan on Friday returned to lockdown
and Hong Kong said schools would close from Monday after the city recorded
"exponential growth" in locally transmitted infections. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom
Ghebreyesus called on countries to adopt an aggressive approach, highlighting
Italy, Spain, South Korea and India's biggest slum to show it was possible to
stop the spread, no matter how bad the outbreak.The health agency's comments
came as US President Donald Trump was forced to cancel an election rally in New
Hampshire, citing an approaching storm.
Trump has pushed to hold large gatherings against health advice as
epidemiologists warn of the dangers posed by the virus moving through the air in
crowded and confined spaces.
Lashing out at China -
On a visit to Florida on Friday, Trump hit out at Beijing over the pandemic.
"(The) relationship with China has been severely damaged. They could have
stopped the plague.... They didn't stop it," he told reporters. The virus has
killed at least 556,140 people worldwide since it emerged in China last
December. More than 12.3 million cases have been registered in 196 countries and
territories, triggering massive economic damage. The United States, the country
worst hit by the illness, reported almost 64,000 new cases Friday and the death
toll now stands at just under 134,000, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Brazil, the second-hardest hit, surpassed 70,000 deaths and reported 45,000 new
infections, the health ministry said. In Uzbekistan, citizens were from Friday
facing lockdown restrictions again that were originally imposed in March but
lifted gradually over the past two months.
The Central Asian country's return to confinement followed a decision by
Australia to lock down its second-biggest city Melbourne from Thursday.A police
officer manning a checkpoint on the outskirts of the former Soviet republic's
capital said only drivers with "a good reason" to enter Tashkent -- such as
delivering food or other vital supplies -- could pass. Restaurants, gyms,
swimming pools and non-food markets have all shut their doors until at least
August 1. Private transport within cities will be limited to morning and early
evening journeys and essential purposes such as travelling to work and
purchasing food or medicine. In Hong Kong, the spike marks a setback for the
city after daily life had largely returned to normal with restaurants and bars
resuming regular business and cultural attractions reopening. Despite being
right next to mainland China where the virus first emerged, the city had managed
to quash local transmission in recent months. But new clusters have started to
emerge since Tuesday, including at an elderly care home that reported at least
32 cases and a housing estate with 11.
- 'Turn this pandemic around' -
"Across all walks of life, we are all being tested to the limit," the WHO's
Tedros told a virtual news conference in Geneva. "From countries where there is
exponential growth, to places that are loosening restrictions and now starting
to see cases rise. "Only aggressive action combined with national unity and
global solidarity can turn this pandemic around," he said. Elsewhere, French
officials warned of rising cases in metropolitan France as the death toll topped
30,000. In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted a decision to
allow businesses, including bars and event spaces, to reopen may have been made
"too soon". The Middle Eastern country recorded its highest number of infections
over a 24-hour period, at nearly 1,500. In Australia, meanwhile, authorities
said they would slash by half the number of people allowed to return from
overseas.
From Monday, only 4,000 Australian citizens or permanent residents will be
permitted to enter each day.
UN Fails to Find Consensus after Russia, China Veto on
Syrian Aid
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 11/2020
The UN Security Council failed to find a consensus on prolonging cross-border
humanitarian aid to Syria on Friday after Russia and China vetoed an extension
and members rejected a counter proposal by Moscow.
Without an agreement, authorization for the transport of aid to war-torn Syria,
which has existed since 2014, expired Friday night. Germany and Belgium were
working on a final initiative to save the effort, with hopes of bringing it to a
vote this weekend. "We are ready to work round the clock, and call on others to
think of the millions of people in Syria waiting for the Security Council to
decide their fate," said German Ambassador Christoph Heusgen, who holds the
rotating presidency of the Security Council this month. After Moscow and Beijing
wielded vetoes for a second time this week, only three countries joined Russia
in backing its proposal to cut the number of aid transit points from two to one.
China supported Russia, but seven countries including the United States,
Britain, France, Germany and Belgium voted against, with four abstentions.
An attempt by Russia to pass a similar resolution also failed earlier this week.
The NGO Oxfam had warned that stopping cross-border aid would be "a devastating
blow to the millions of Syrian families who rely on this aid for clean water,
food, health care and shelter."Thirteen countries voted in favor of an earlier
German-Belgian draft, but Moscow and Beijing opposed the extension because they
favor a more limited proposal. European countries and the US want to maintain
two crossing points on the Turkish border -- at Bab al-Salam, which leads to the
Aleppo region, and Bab al-Hawa, which serves the Idlib region.
The UN authorization allows the body to distribute aid to displaced Syrians
without needing permission from Damascus. Russia and China argue that the UN
authorization violates Syria's sovereignty, and that aid can increasingly be
channeled through Syrian authorities. The latest proposal by Russia, which
claims to want continued aid for the insurgent Idlib region, would have kept
only the Bab al-Hawa access point open, and for one year. Moscow claims that
more than 85 percent of current aid goes through Bab al-Hawa and that the Bab
al-Salam entry point can therefore be closed.
Western countries oppose it, with the US having described two entry points as "a
red line."In January, Moscow, Syria's closest ally, succeeded in having the
crossing points reduced from four to two and in limiting the authorization to
six months instead of a year.
- 'Dark day' -
According to Washington's ambassador to the UN, Kelly Craft, keeping only one
border crossing open would cut off 1.3 million people living north of Aleppo
from humanitarian aid. Another diplomat noted that "if the authorization is
renewed a few days late, it is not the absolute end of the world. It suspends
the convoys for a few days, it does not put them in danger." For the UN, keeping
as many entry points open as possible is crucial, particularly given the risk of
the coronavirus pandemic, which is spreading in the region. In a report in June,
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a one-year extension of the aid
to include the two current access points. When asked Thursday if the UN would be
satisfied with a single entry point into Syria, body spokesman Stephane Dujarric
said: "We need more aid to go through the border. We do not need less to go
through."David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, called
it a "dark day" for Syrian civilians and the UN. He added it "defies logic or
humanity to dismantle a system designed to bring life-saving aid to Syrians in
the form of food, health supplies, vaccines, and now critical COVID-19
provisions."
Iran Says Cannot Shut Down Economy despite Worsening Virus
Outbreak
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 11/2020
Iran said on Saturday that it cannot afford to shut down its sanctions-hit
economy, even as the Middle East's deadliest coronavirus outbreak worsens with
record-high death tolls and rising infections.
Iran must continue "economic, social and cultural activities while observing
health protocols", President Hassan Rouhani said during a televised virus
taskforce meeting. "The simplest solution is to close down all activities, (but)
the next day, people would come out to protest the (resulting) chaos, hunger,
hardship and pressure," he added. The Islamic republic has been struggling since
late February to contain the country's COVID-19 outbreak, which has killed over
12,400 people and infected more than 252,000. Deaths from the respiratory
disease hit 221 on Thursday -- a single-day record for Iran. The country closed
schools, cancelled public events and banned movement between its 31 provinces in
March, but Rouhani's government progressively lifted restrictions from April to
reopen its sanctions-hit economy. The outbreak's rising toll has prompted
authorities to make wearing masks mandatory in enclosed public spaces and to
allow the hardest hit provinces to reimpose restrictive measures. Iran has
suffered a sharp economic downturn after US President Donald Trump withdrew from
a landmark nuclear agreement in 2018 and reimposed crippling sanctions. The
International Monetary Fund predicts Iran's economy will shrink by six percent
this year. "It is not possible to keep businesses and economic activities shut
down in the long-term," Rouhani said, emphasising that "the people will not
accept this". Health Minister Said Namaki warned on Wednesday of a potential
"revolt over poverty" and blamed US sanctions for the government's "empty
coffers".The reopening of the economy "was not over our ignorance (of the virus'
dangers), but it was due to us being on our knees against an economy that could
take no more", Namaki said on state television. US sanctions targeted vital oil
sales and banking relations, among other sectors, forcing Iran to rely on
non-oil exports, which have dropped as borders were closed to stem the spread of
the virus.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on July 11-12/2020
Aghia Sophia, Erdogan Neo-Ottomanism and the Delusions of Imperial Islamism
Charles Elias Chartouni/July 12/2020
شارل الياس الشرتوني: كنيسة أيا صوفيا واردوغان العثماني الجديد وأوهام الإسلام
الإمبراطوري
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/88145/charles-elias-chartouni-aghia-sophia-erdogan-neo-ottomanism-and-the-delusions-of-imperial-islamism-%d8%b4%d8%a7%d8%b1%d9%84-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%a7%d8%b3-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b4%d8%b1%d8%aa%d9%88%d9%86/
The conversion of the Aghia Sophia Museum ( 1934 ) into a Mosque
comes at the heels of a systematic campaign to re-islamize social and political
life in Turkey, eradicate its secular culture, and engage a Neo-ottoman
imperialist drive across multiple geo-political spectrums ( Middle East / Syria,
Iraq, Lebanon, Lybia, European Community, Balkans and Central Asia ). This
forced political momentum encounters several obstacles caused by worn
credibility, pervasive corruption and cronyism, undermined political economy,
strident political polarization and lingering cultural wars and unsustainable
war mongering. However distanced are the electoral deadlines, Erdogan is
planning to cash on the change of status of St. Sophia to organize anticipated
elections, forestall his inevitable downfall and give a renewed lifeline to his
Sultanist autocracy.
His political frenzy needs to be constantly nurtured by unconventional
undertakings and he presumes that the re-Islamization of St. Sophia might be the
metaphor to uphold his tattering legitimacy. His miscalculation is proven all
along wrong, bet it domestically or at the international level, Turkish society
is deeply divided over his political legacy and ongoing political dynamics of
deliberate subversion all across the board. The resuscitation of conflict
imaginaries is part of a Neo-Ottoman imperial agenda paired with an active
policy of geopolitical destabilization, ethno-religious polarization, illiberal
demagoguery and instrumentalization of the regalian functions of the State to
promote his Sultanist stature.The impact of the re-Islamization of St. Sophia
is a highly symptomatic gesture which features the growing radicalization of a
fascist Islamist autocracy, and elicits an inevitable collision course with the
internal oppositions, the European Community, the Orthodox Churches and their
political conglomerates.
Erdogan’s political tenor is an outright illustration of the compelling "
Civilizational Clash " template investigated by Samuel Huntington and amply
testified throughout different geopolitical configurations. The thrust of
Neo-Ottoman imperialism is questioning geopolitical equilibriums, European and
Western security, religious ecumenism, democratic pluralism and civil concord
along various political topographies. International reactions to this act of
subversion, be they on the part of States, Churches, or international
institutions are quite indicative of the worries it causes, and the toxic
effects it propounds all along. It’s about time to challenge Erdogan, question
his totalitarian and imperial aspirations, sabotaging politics and discretionary
membership and partnership with NATO and the EU, and repression politics in
Turkey itself. The undermined democracy within Turkey is the premiss to his
international imperial drive, and both should be questioned, thwarted and
reversed, the support to Turkish oppositions is corollary to a bold containment
policy in the various geo-strategic terrains. Reversing fascism before it grows
bolder and sinks poisonous roots is an utmost assignment at a time when Turkish
Islamist fascism is attempting to broaden its canopy. The decree came after a
Turkish court revoked the site’s 80-year-old status as a museum and is likely to
provoke an international furor.
Hagia Sophia decision reflects Erdogan’s ambitions at home,
sparks criticism‘Disappointment’ and ‘regret’ in Brussels, Washington.
The Arab Weekly/July 11/2020
ISTANBUL--Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to convert
Istanbul’s Byzantine-era cathedral Hagia Sophia to a mosque has unleashed a
current of criticism in Western capitals and is being interpreted by experts as
an attempt by the Turkish leader to improve his political fortunes at home.
Through his decision, Erdogan is trying to expand his Islamic and nationalist
base and divide the opposition at home at a time when his support is declining,
analysts say.
“The decision is intended to score points with Erdogan’s pious and nationalist
constituents,” said Anthony Skinner of the risk assessment firm Verisk
Maplecroft.
“Hagia Sophia is arguably the most conspicuous symbol of Turkey’s Ottoman past —
one which Erdogan is leveraging to strengthen his base while snubbing domestic
and foreign rivals,” he said.
The court ruling Friday on Hagia Sophia’s status comes amid escalating tensions
between Turkey and the European Union over Ankara’s controversial drilling
strategy in the eastern Mediterranean and its involvement in the Libyan
conflict.
Turkey has sent drones, military advisers and thousands of Syrian mercenaries to
support the Islamist-dominated Government of National Accord in Tripoli.
Hagia Sophia’s transformation into a mosque in defiance of the West “is
consistent with Turkey’s muscular foreign policy”, said Skinner.
“It is consistent with the government’s projection in the east Mediterranean and
Libya.”
Jean Marcou, associate researcher at the French Institute for Anatolian Studies,
said altering Hagia Sophia’s status would “move Turkey even further away from
its Western allies, affect Greek-Turkish relations and likely hamper
Russian-Turkish ties.
“Symbolically, such a decision would appear as the culminating point for Turkey
which has systematically gone on the offensive in all theatres of regional
conflicts: Syria, Iraq, Libya and eastern Mediterranean,” he said.
“I was not surprised at all that the court weighed to sanction Erdogan’s moves
because these days Erdogan gets from Turkish courts what Erdogan wants,” said
Soner Cagaptay, of the Washington Institute.
“Erdogan wants to use Hagia Sophia’s conversion into a mosque to rally his
right-wing base,” said Cagaptay, the author of “Erdogan’s Empire.” “But I don’t
think this strategy will work. I think that short of economic growth, nothing
will restore Erdogan’s popularity.”
The debate hits at the heart of Turkey’s religious-secular divide at home.
Critics accuse Erdogan of undermining the secular credentials laid down by Kemal
Ataturk — the founder of modern Turkey.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has chipped away at the
Muslim-majority country’s secularism, announced Muslim prayers on July 24 at the
UNESCO World Heritage site.
Founded 1,500 years ago as a cathedral, the Ottomans made Hagia Sophia a mosque
but it was turned into a museum in 1934 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Erdogan, who has in the past repeatedly called for the historic building to be
renamed as a mosque, signed a presidential decree on Friday, handing over Hagia
Sophia to Turkey’s religious affairs directorate for reopening to Muslim
worship.
Aside from Nationalist and conservative groups, many others in Turkey have
believed it should remain a museum, as a symbol of Christian and Muslim
solidarity.
“It was a structure that brought together both Byzantine and Ottoman histories,”
said Zeynep Kizildag, a 27-year-old social worker, who did not support the
conversion. “The decision to turn it into a mosque is like erasing 1,000 years
of history, in my opinion.”
Garo Paylan, an ethnic Armenian member of Turkey’s Parliament tweeted that it
was “a sad day for Christians (and) for all who believe in a pluralist Turkey.”
“The decision to convert Hagia Sophia into a mosque will make life more
difficult for Christians here and for Muslims in Europe,” he wrote. “Hagia
Sophia was a symbol of our rich history. Its dome was big enough for all.”
Through his move, Erdogan is taking the risk of heightening tensions with the
West as his country is embroiled in several regional conflicts.
Turkey’s fellow NATO members — the US and Greece — as well as Russia, have
warned Ankara against reopening the Hagia Sophia to Muslim worship.
“The ruling by the Turkish Council of State to overturn one of modern Turkey’s
landmark decisions and President Erdogan’s decision to place the monument under
the management of the Religious Affairs Presidency is regrettable”, said EU
Foreign Policy chief Josep Borrell.
The United States said Friday it was unhappy with the decision.
“We are disappointed by the decision by the government of Turkey to change the
status of the Hagia Sophia,” State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said.
She said the US looks forward to making sure the monument “remains accessible
without impediment for all. ”
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden also said Friday he deeply regretted
Turkey’s decision.
Biden called on Erdogan to reverse it “and instead keep this treasured place in
its current status as a museum, ensuring equal access for all.”
The move threatens to deepen tensions with neighbouring Greece, whose prime
minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, condemned the decision as an affront to Hagia
Sophia’s ecumenical character.
“It is a decision that offends all those who recognize Hagia Sophia as an
indispensable part of world cultural heritage” Mitsotakis said. “
Cyprus condemned “Turkey’s actions on Hagia Sophia in its effort to distract
domestic opinion and calls on Turkey to respect its international obligations,”
tweeted Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.
Vladimir Dzhabarov, deputy head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian
upper house of parliament, called the action “a mistake.”
“Turning it into a mosque will not do anything for the Muslim world. It does not
bring nations together, but on the contrary brings them into collision,” he
said.
UNESCO chief Audrey Azoulay said she “deeply regrets the decision of the Turkish
authorities, taken without prior dialogue, to modify the status of the Hagia
Sophia”.
The Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, considered the spiritual
leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, warned last month that the building’s
conversion into a mosque “will turn millions of Christians across the world
against Islam.”
On Friday, Archbishop Elpidophoros of America said the decision runs counter to
the vision of secular Turkey’s founder, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk “who understood
that Hagia Sophia should serve all Turkey’s people and indeed the whole world.”
“The days of conquest should remain a closed chapter of our collective
histories,” he said.
Europe: Rape Victims Accused of Racism
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute/July 11/2020
"[W]e are neglecting to properly address the religious and racist aspects of
grooming gang crimes.... It's telling them that it's OK to hate white people." —
Sarah Champion, British Labour MP, YorkshireLive, April 29, 2020.
Advice against alcohol, drugs, and reckless behavior would be more compelling if
it were not made under duress.
Even when it comes to rape, then, if the victim is white and the rapist is not,
she is no victim at all; worse, she is a "racist" and "hater" who, if anything,
apparently deserves what she got and more. "Blame the victim" is back with a
vengeance and gaining ground throughout the West.
According to Sarah Champion, a UK Labor politician and MP for Rotherham (the
epicenter of sex grooming gangs), "We need to understand racially and
religiously aggravated crime if we are going to prevent it and protect people
from it and if we are going to prosecute correctly for it." (Photo by
Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
An increasingly popular idea is that whenever races clash, only minorities can
be victims. The notion is hardly limited to the recent riots in America.
Elements of such thinking often appear in other contexts.
British women, for instance, including rape victims who drew attention to
"Asian" (Pakistani and South Asian) sex grooming gangs, are also being attacked
by the "woke" establishment.
Earlier this month in the UK, Sarah Champion, a Labor politician and MP for
Rotherham (the epicenter of sex grooming), was accused of "fanning the flames of
racial hatred" and "acting like a neo-fascist murderer." Her crime? She had
dared to assert that "Britain has a problem with British Pakistani men raping
and exploiting white girls."
The same elements accusing Champion of being a "murderer" also characterized the
UK's anti-extremism program, Prevent, as being "built upon a foundation of
Islamophobia and racism."
A few weeks earlier, an article titled, "I was raped by Rotherham grooming
gang—now I still face racist abuse online," appeared. In it, a British woman
(alias, "Ella") revealed that her Muslim rapists called her "a white whore, a
white b***h," during the more than 100 times she was raped in her youth by the
Pakistani grooming gang.
"We need to understand racially and religiously aggravated crime if we are going
to prevent it and protect people from it and if we are going to prosecute
correctly for it," Champion said in a recent interview.
"Prevention, protection and prosecution—all of them are being hindered because
we are neglecting to properly address the religious and racist aspects of
grooming gang crimes.... It's telling them that it's OK to hate white people."
Ella's attempts to highlight the "religious and racist aspects" of her and many
other girls' similar abuse led only to "a lot of abuse from far-left extremists,
and radical feminist academics," she said. Such groups "go online and they try
to resist anyone they consider to be a Nazi, racist, fascist or white
supremacist".
"They don't care about anti-white racism, because they appear to believe that it
doesn't exist. They have tried to floor me and criticise me continually and this
has been going on for a couple of months. They tried to shut me down, shut me up
... I've never experienced such hate online in my life. They accuse me of
'advocating for white paedophiles' and being a 'sinister demonic entity.'"
Placing the blame -- or at least responsibility -- on the victim is not limited
to the UK. According to an August 9, 2019 report, "in the Swedish city of
Uppsala ... four women were raped in as many days." Although police failed to
issue descriptions of the rapists -- usually a sure sign of their origins --
they did issue warnings for women to "think how they behave," to "think ahead,"
and not "go out alone."
Advice against alcohol, drugs, and reckless behavior would be more compelling if
it were not made under duress.
After mobs of Muslim migrants sexually assaulted as many as a thousand women on
New Year's Eve 2016 in Cologne, Germany, the city's mayor, Henriette Reker,
called on women to "be better prepared, especially with the Cologne carnival
coming up. For this, we will publish online guidelines that these young women
can read through to prepare themselves."
In Austria, after a 20-year-old woman waiting at a bus stop in Vienna was
attacked, beaten and robbed by four Muslim men -- including one who "started
[by] putting his hands through my hair and made it clear that in his cultural
background there were hardly any blonde women" -- police responded by telling
the victim to dye her hair.
"At first I was scared, but now I'm more angry than anything. After the attack
they told me that women shouldn't be alone on the streets after 8pm. And they
also gave me other advice, telling me I should dye my hair dark and also not
dress in such a provocative way. Indirectly that means I was partly to blame for
what happened to me. That is a massive insult."
In Norway, Unni Wikan, a female professor of social anthropology at the
University of Oslo, insists that "Norwegian women must take their share of
responsibility for these rapes," because Muslim men found their manner of dress
provocative. So much for the feminist claim that women are free to dress as
seductively as they want -- and woe to the man who misinterprets this, unless he
is from a racial or religious minority group.
Professor Wikan's conclusion was not that Muslim men living in the West need to
adjust to Western norms, but the exact opposite: "Norwegian women must realize
that we live in a Multicultural society and adapt themselves to it."
Even when it comes to rape, then, if the victim is white and the rapist is not,
she is no victim at all; worse, she is a "racist" and "hater" who, if anything,
apparently deserves what she got and more. "Blame the victim" is back with a
vengeance and gaining ground throughout the West.
*Raymond Ibrahim, author of the recent book, Sword and Scimitar, Fourteen
Centuries of War between Islam and the West, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at
the Gatestone Institute, a Shillman Fellow at the David Horowitz Freedom Center,
and a Judith Rosen Friedman Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
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