LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 09/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today
The Sower Parable/the good soil are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 08/04-15/:"When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: ‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’ Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that "looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand." ‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God
Letter to the Philippians 04/04-10/:"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you. I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published On March 08-09/17
Cabinet set for smooth security appointments/Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star/March 08/17
Jordan at the Precipice/Daniel Pipes/Washington Times/March 08/17
Cannibalism: ISIS Revives Islam’s Original Terror Tactic/Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/March 08/17
The West Submits to Blasphemy Laws/Forward to the Middle Ages!
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 08/17
Canada's New Blasphemy Laws/Khadija Khan/Gatestone Institute/March 08/17
The Western Plot To Treat Muslims As Dangerous Children/Alberto M. Fernandez/MEMRI Daily Brief/March 08/17
It’s the 21st Century, and some people still believe women are inferior/Peter Harrison/Al Arabiya/March 08/17
Humanitarian gestures during King Salman’s visit to Indonesia/Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/March 08/17
On International Women’s Day: Prominent examples of women in power/Diana Galeeva/Al Arabiya/March 08/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published On March 08-09/17
Lebanon raids financial offices over transfers to ISIS
Lebanon appoints a new army chief, ending 2-year impasse
Husseini, Kaag discuss 1701 implementation
Cabinet approves judicial appointments
Maronite Bishops call to speed up electoral law process
Aoun Affirms Commitment to 1701, Says Self-Defense a Legitimate Right
Aoun, Hariri renew Lebanon commitment to resolution 1701 during Cabinet session
On Women's Day, Aoun Advocates Equal Legal Rights between Men and Women
Report: Aoun Resolves Controversy over His Stances on Electoral Law
Lebanon Finalizes Military Appointments, Names New Army Chief
Fresh Raids Target Beirut Financial Offices over Transfers to IS
Three Wounded in al-Beddawi Camp Armed Clash
UK and U.S. Welcome Security Appointments in Lebanon
Twelve Syrians Arrested for Illegal Crossing into Lebanon
British Ambassador Visits UK Supported Projects in Zahle
Abu Assi tweets tribute to Women marking Women's International Day
President signs decrees promoting Osman to Major General, appointing him as ISF Chief
General Security raids foreign exchange companies
Samy Gemayel voices support to endorsing fair wage scale
Shorter welcomes security appointments by Lebanese cabinet
Joint parliamentary committees resume session to discuss wage scale
Guidanian partakes in World Tourism Exchange Fair in Germany
Cabinet set for smooth security appointments

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published On March 08-09/17
PKK affiliated group meets Iranian-backed Hezbollah Brigade
US troops land in Syria to launch Raqqa operation
Ceasefire in Syrian rebel bastion Eastern Ghouta
Two dead in bombing of Syria rebel bastion despite truce
Iraqi forces advance towards Nouri Mosque
Iraqi PM vows to target ISIS in neighboring countries
Israel moves to mute mosques’ call to prayer over loudspeakers
ISIS claims responsibility for Kabul hospital attack
‘Right to bread’: Egyptians protest over fears of subsidy cuts
Arab League to resist embassies moving to Jerusalem
Iran's Zarif in Rare Visit to Qatar
Germany Urges Turkey to Rebuild Friendship
French Ambassador Says Won't Serve Le Pen
Pakistan Gunfights Kill 15 Militants, Two Soldiers

Links From Jihad Watch Site for March 08-09/17
Hugh Fitzgerald: Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl as Scholar of the House (Part II)
More oppression chic: Facebook marks International Women’s Day with image of girl in hijab
Oppression chic: Nike offers “Pro Hijab” for athletic Muslimas
BBC identified man as “Muslim” when he was denied visa, “Indian” when he was arrested for sex abuse
93% of women in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan experience sexual violence
Robert Spencer video: Opposition to Trump immigration ban is based on false pretenses

Links From Christian Today Site On March 08-09/17
Budget 2017: Church Calls For 'Healing' And Warns Poorest Are Hit Hardest By Benefits Freeze And Rising Living Costs
Son Of Boxing Champ Muhammad Ali Invites Donald Trump To 'Step Into The Ring' For Religious Freedom Fight
WATCH: Judge Women By More Than How They Look, Says Bishop Rachel Treweek On #InternationalWomensDay
Catholic Church Moves To Give Women A Stronger Voice On International Women's Day
Women In Sheffield Mark International Women's Day With Humorous Protest At Their New Bishop
Bishops In The Philippines 'Overcome With Grief' After Vote Approves Capital Punishment
How Southwark Cathedral's 'Corrodere' Speaks Of The Excluded Christ
Portuguese Evangelicals Have Planted New Churches, But Their Numbers Are Still Falling

Latest Lebanese Related News published On March 08-09/17
Lebanon raids financial offices over transfers to ISIS
AFP, Beirut/Wednesday, 8 March 2017/Lebanese authorities carried out raids Wednesday against currency exchange offices and money transfer companies on suspicion they sent huge sums to ISIS, a judicial source told AFP. The source said the raids started Tuesday and were continuing on Wednesday against several institutions “on suspicion they transferred huge sums of money to areas controlled by ISIS in Raqqa and elsewhere,” referring to an extremist stronghold in Syria. The source added that a number of people had been detained for investigation but were not yet formally under arrest. “Information is being gathered on the value of the money that was transferred,” the source added. Lebanese media reported that as much as $20 million had been transferred to the jihadist group, which holds territory in Syria and Iraq, as well as Libya. But the judicial source dismissed that figure as “exaggerated” while conceding the suspected sum was nonetheless “huge.” On Wednesday afternoon, an AFP photographer saw security forces raiding three offices on bustling Hamra Street in the west of Beirut, and seizing documents and computer equipment. Afterwards, the raided premises were sealed with red wax and a sign from the military prosecutor warning against their reopening “under penalty of prosecution.”There was no official statement on the raids, or details on the number of companies that had been targeted. Lebanon’s Central Bank imposes strict rules on financial institutions intended to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing, including caps on the amount that can be transferred overseas without additional supporting paperwork. Lebanon has been heavily impacted by the war in neighboring Syria since it erupted in March 2011. Security forces have on several occasions arrested suspected ISIS members, including in February, when two men were detained on accusations they were planning an attack in central Beirut.

Lebanon appoints a new army chief, ending 2-year impasse
The Associated Press, Beirut Wednesday, 8 March 2017/Lebanon’s Cabinet has named a new army commander, ending a two-year impasse over the appointment of the country’s top security and military posts. The government named Brig. Gen. Joseph Aoun to the post on Wednesday. Aoun is replacing Gen. Jean Kahwaji, who has held the top military post since 2008, and whose term was twice extended after political forces failed to agree on security and military portfolios. Aoun led an army unit which served along the border with Israel and is now stationed in the volatile town of Arsal, bordering Syria. Violence from Syria’s civil war has frequently spilled over the border, inflaming Lebanon’s own political divisions. For two years, Lebanon was without a president until political groups agreed last October to name President Michel Aoun, ending the deadlock.

Husseini, Kaag discuss 1701 implementation
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - Former Speaker Hussein Al-Husseini welcomed on Wednesday at his Ain El-Tineh residence Sigrid Kaag the Representative of the UN General Secretary in Lebanon. Discussions reportedly featured high on current developments in Lebanon and the region, mainly the implementation of the international decisions mentioned in UN resolution 1701 in the year 2006 as for the end of the Israeli occupation to the Lebanese territories, implementation of the truce agreement mentioned in chapter 7 of the UN constitution. Husseini confirmed "Lebanon's commitment to the International Convention (...) and to the Human Rights International Declaration."

Cabinet approves judicial appointments
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - The cabinet approved the judicial appointments as mentioned on the agenda, the NNA correspondent said.

Maronite Bishops call to speed up electoral law process
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - Maronite Bishops held their monthly meeting at the Patriarchal See in Bkirki, chaired by Maronite Patriarch, Mar Bechara Boutros Rahi, with talks touching on church affairs and local issues. "His Beatitude has briefed us on the importance of the conference organized by Al-Azhar and the Council of Muslim Elders in Egypt. This initiative is lauded for its importance in the endorsement of Lebanon and the Arab world as a model in conviviality," a statement issued after the meeting read. "The ongoing polarization over the electoral law is reference to the absence of a will to change, and of a common vision of what the law is intended to be," the statement said, calling upon the country's leaders to speed up the process of producing a law so as to avoid falling into vacuum. "Bishops have also discussed the public budget issue and the debate over taxes, hoping that the political class would be aware of the risks entailed by the new budget draft and its subsequent taxation system which would harm both the economic institutions and the Lebanese people," the Maronite bishops' statement warned. Finally, bishops greeted Lebanese women on the occasion of the International Women's Day, and wished them greater roles at all levels in the Lebanese society. Also, they congratulated the teachers on their Day, and utter gratefulness to what they endure and sacrifice in order to fulfill their educational mission.

Aoun Affirms Commitment to 1701, Says Self-Defense a Legitimate Right
Naharnet/March 08/17/President Michel Aoun stressed on Wednesday that UN resolution 1701 must be equally implemented on everyone in Lebanon and affirmed that Lebanon is totally committed to international resolutions. “Lebanon is committed to international resolutions. UN decision 1701 must be applied equally on everyone,” said Aoun at the opening of a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The President stressed that “Lebanon did not assault anyone. Its duty is to safeguard its territory and borders against any aggression. “Self-defense is a legitimate right,” stressed Aoun. Referring to his latest meetings with US diplomats, Aoun said: “I have told the US delegates that Lebanon is protecting its land and people, defending its border and fighting terrorism.” Touching at his meeting with World Bank Deputy, Aoun said: “World Bank Deputy told me that they will increase funding for developmental projects in Lebanon and that interests will be cut.”

Aoun, Hariri renew Lebanon commitment to resolution 1701 during Cabinet session
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - President of the republic Michel Aoun briefed the Council of Ministers on Wednesday over the outcome of his visits in Egypt and Jordan, stressing on bolstering cooperation between Lebanon and the two Arab countries. Aoun also highlighted the importance of national unity, adding that the Lebanese people have become a model of relations among the people of the world. Moreover, he underlined the obligation to protect national stances "away from sectarianism," as well as the importance of dialogue among all the Lebanese. "Lebanon will keep calling for peace and love," Aoun said, vowing to convey this "message" during his visits abroad. It is to note that Aoun's next trip is to The Vatican, before joining the Arab summit in Jordan. He also asserted that he would carry the Palestinian Cause before the regional and international instances. Furthermore, Aoun informed the Cabinet of the outcome of his meeting with the World Bank's Vice President, and U.S. officials, to whom he maintained that "Lebanon is assuming its full duty in protecting its territories and borders, as well as in defending its people and fighting terrorism." The President also said that he renewed to the British Ambassador Lebanon's commitment to international resolutions, in top of which resolution 1701. "Lebanon did not attack anybody. It is a duty to protect borders against any hostility. This is our right to defend ourselves." Afterwards, Prime Minister Saad Hariri renewed his government's commitment to the state policy and respect of UN resolutions and Arab ties.

On Women's Day, Aoun Advocates Equal Legal Rights between Men and Women
Naharnet/March 08/17/President Michel Aoun stressed on Wednesday on the need to eliminate legal differences between men and women in Lebanon, as he praised women's “sacrifices and devotion,” the National News Agency reported. At the Baabda Palace, Aoun received a delegation from the Lebanese Women Council on the occasion of International Women's Day in the presence of First Lady Nadi Chami Aoun, NNA said. During the meeting, Aoun hailed the role women are assuming among their families, society, and the nation. The President assured that “efforts are being exerted to eliminate legal difference between men and women,” vowing to carry on efforts to reach this goal. “I am with full equality between men and women,” concluded the President.

Report: Aoun Resolves Controversy over His Stances on Electoral Law
Naharnet/March 08/17/President Michel Aoun is expected to issue a statement to resolve the controversy over refraining from signing a decree inviting the electorate bodies to begin preparations for the looming parliamentary polls, and the interpretations that spread about his “preference for vacuum at the parliament,” al-Akhbar daily reported on Wednesday. The Directorate General of the Presidency will issue the statement that includes the President's position after he refused to sign a decree --signed by Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq-- that initiates preparations for the parliamentary elections due in May in order to avoid staging the polls based on the current controversial 1960 majoritarian law. It also aims at resolving the controversy after he stated preference for vacuum at the parliament instead of staging the elections based on the current 1960 law or another extension of the parliament's term, added the daily.
Lebanon's political parties are bickering over amending the current election law which divides seats among the different religious sects. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice. Aoun, his Free Patriotic Movement and Hizbullah have repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the proposal. Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Lebanon Finalizes Military Appointments, Names New Army Chief
Naharnet/March 08/17/The cabinet convened in a regular meeting on Wednesday at the Presidential Palace and approved a list of security, military and judicial appointments, including the appointment of General Joseph Aoun as army commander. President Michel Aoun chaired the meeting in the presence of PM Saad Hariri and the ministers. The cabinet made a list of appointments the most important of which were: General Joseph Aoun as Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces replacing Gen. Jean Qahwaji, Maj. Gen. Imad Othman as Commander of the Internal Security Forces, General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim kept his post as a civilian director of the agency despite reaching the military age of retirement, Brig. Gen. Tony Saliba as Director General of the State Security agency and Samir Sanan as his Deputy. Another list of appointments included Asaad al-Tfaili as chairman of the Supreme Council of Customs, Director General of Customs Badri Daher, Head of the Central Inspection Panel George Attieh, and Secretary General of the Higher Council for Defense Saadallah al-Hamad. The appointments ended a deadlock that twice forced an extension of the term of the army commander.A ministerial source told AFP the appointment had "the consensus of all the political forces," adding the new chief was "well-known and removed from any political conflicts."Joseph Aoun is not related to President Michel Aoun, himself a former army chief, although the two served together in the military. Lebanon's already fractious political scene has faced tensions linked to the war in neighboring Syria since March 2011. A political stalemate left the country without a president for over two years until Michel Aoun was elected under a compromise deal in October 2016. Under the deal, rival Saad Hariri was named prime minister and he formed a cabinet in December. Lebanon is due to hold parliamentary elections in May 2017, the first legislative vote in eight years, after the body twice extended its own mandate. The cabinet also approved Wednesday a special draft law on tax provisions relating to petroleum activities. Ahead of the session Aoun and Hariri held a closed door meeting and discussed the latest developments in the country. Before he joined the meeting, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said: “An agreement was reached on tax provisions related to petroleum. It will be approved today.”State Minister for Parliament Affairs Ali Qanso said: “There will be no surprises at the level of appointments today because there is a consensus on the matter.”

Fresh Raids Target Beirut Financial Offices over Transfers to IS
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/17/General Security agents carried out raids Wednesday against currency exchange offices and money transfer companies on suspicion they sent huge sums to the Islamic State group, a judicial source told AFP. The source said the raids started Tuesday and were continuing on Wednesday against several institutions "on suspicion they transferred huge sums of money to areas controlled by IS in Raqa and elsewhere," referring to a jihadist stronghold in Syria. The source added that a number of people had been detained for investigation but were not yet formally under arrest.
"Information is being gathered on the value of the money that was transferred," the source added. In a statement issued Wednesday evening, General Security confirmed it had carried out raids across the country and detained "people of Syrian nationality," without giving figures. It said those detained had admitted "belonging to a terrorist network" and to the transfer of money to "terrorist groups" without specifying which organizations allegedly received the funds. Lebanese media reported that as much as $20 million had been transferred to the jihadist group, which holds territory in Syria and Iraq, as well as Libya.But the judicial source dismissed that figure as "exaggerated" while conceding the suspected sum was nonetheless "huge."On Wednesday afternoon, an AFP photographer saw security forces raiding three offices on bustling Hamra Street in the west of Beirut, and seizing documents and computer equipment. Afterwards, the raided premises were sealed with red wax and a sign from the military prosecutor warning against their reopening "under penalty of prosecution." There was no official statement on the raids, or details on the number of companies that had been targeted. Lebanon's Central Bank imposes strict rules on financial institutions intended to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing, including caps on the amount that can be transferred overseas without additional supporting paperwork. Lebanon has been heavily impacted by the war in neighboring Syria since it erupted in March 2011. Security forces have on several occasions arrested suspected IS members, including in February, when two men were detained on accusations they were planning an attack in central Beirut.

Three Wounded in al-Beddawi Camp Armed Clash
Naharnet/March 08/17/Three people were wounded Wednesday when a personal dispute escalated into an armed clash at the al-Beddawi Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon, state-run National News Agency reported. The wounded were transferred to hospitals in Tripoli for treatment as the camp's joint security committees were trying to contain the situation, NNA said. “A state of anxiety and tension is engulfing the camp,” the agency added, noting that the leaders of the Palestinian factions were holding a meeting at the headquarters of the Popular Committee.

UK and U.S. Welcome Security Appointments in Lebanon
Naharnet/March 08/17/The British ambassador to Lebanon and the U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday welcomed the military and security appointments that were approved by Cabinet earlier in the day. “I welcome the Cabinet’s decision today to make new appointments to the positions of Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Director General of the Internal Security Forces,” British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter said in a statement. “The UK has a close partnership with the LAF and the ISF including equipment provision, mentoring and strengthening of human rights, with funding amounting to a combined total of $100m since 2011 which includes helping set up the Land Border Regiments,” Shorter added. “As such I would like to thank (outgoing Army Commander) General (Jean) Qahwaji and (outgoing ISF) Director General (Ibrahim) Basbous for their huge contribution to the security of Lebanon and the cooperation which we have enjoyed over many years to further our shared interest of protecting Lebanese security, on the borders, in cities, villages and valleys up and down the country,” the ambassador went on to say. He also congratulated General Joseph Aoun and Director General Imad Othman on their appointments as chiefs of the army and ISF, and Major General Abbas Ibrahim on his continued leadership of the General Security agency. “The UK looks forward to continuing to work with both of these institutions, to strengthen the Lebanese state and ensure the success of security institutions which are trusted and respected by the Lebanese people, thanks to their professionalism, effectiveness and respect for human rights,” Shorter added. Earlier in the day, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut General Joseph Aoun on his appointment as army commander. “Looking forward to continued cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces,” the Embassy added in a tweet. “Thank you General Jean Qahwagi for your 43 years of service to Lebanon and your contributions to mutual security, cooperation and friendship,” the Embassy said. The appointments ended a deadlock that twice forced an extension of the term of the army commander.A ministerial source told AFP the appointment had "the consensus of all the political forces," adding the new chief was "well-known and removed from any political conflicts."Joseph Aoun is not related to President Michel Aoun, himself a former army chief, although the two served together in the military. Lebanon's already fractious political scene has faced tensions linked to the war in neighboring Syria since March 2011. A political stalemate left the country without a president for over two years until Michel Aoun was elected under a compromise deal in October 2016. Under the deal, rival Saad Hariri was named prime minister and he formed a cabinet in December. Lebanon is due to hold parliamentary elections in May 2017, the first legislative vote in eight years, after the body twice extended its own mandate.

Twelve Syrians Arrested for Illegal Crossing into Lebanon
Naharnet/March 08/17/Twelve Syrian nationals have been arrested on Wednesday in the northern area of Zgharta for illegal entry into Lebanon, the State-run National News Agency reported. Lebanese army patrol staged raids against encampments of Syrian refugees in the Zgharta town of Mezyara, and arrested 12 Syrians for sneaking into Lebanese territories, said NNA. The security forces have carried out raids against various Syrian refugee encampments in Lebanon in search of wanted suspects. A number of suspects have been arrested, several of whom were charged with belonging to terrorist groups. The un-demarcated porous Lebanese-Syrian border has facilitated the flow of gunmen to and from Syria.

British Ambassador Visits UK Supported Projects in Zahle
Naharnet/March 08/17/With determination, perseverance and training, small and medium enterprises in Zahle have turned into professional businesses with new organizational structures and expanded their market with UK Aid support under the flagship project ‘INTAJ’ led by Mercy Corps. The program is aimed at addressing Lebanese communities’ economic needs in the Bekaa and North Lebanon. British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter visited ‘Agrifresh’ and ‘Kayssar Atta’ businesses that have benefited from this program. Through training of staff and provision of consultancy services both businesses have created new full-time employment opportunities (jobs) and increased their sales. Shorter also held meetings with Zahle Bloc MPs and head of the Municipal Council, Asaad Zgheib, where discussions focused on the overall situation in the country. “It is always a pleasure to return to Zahle to follow-up on UK-funded projects supporting local businesses and communities. We are keen to continue working with Lebanon on opportunities that are making a real difference in people’s daily lives though our strong and longstanding relationship,” said Shorter at the end of his visit. “By March 2018 the UK would have invested £12.7m in this program targeting much needed economic opportunities. You have asked and we are delivering,” the ambassador added. “I had a good meeting with Zahle bloc MPs and the mayor in which I reiterated the UK’s ongoing support to local communities up and down the country. We recognize the huge challenges facing many local businesses and municipalities. I am encouraged by projects like ‘INTAJ’ which by March 2018, will see 2400 people trained, 120 businesses supported and improve waste sorting for over 40,0000 households,” he went on to say. “I was also pleased to meet the female employees today from Agrifresh and Kayssar Atta improving their lives and their communities’ economy and wish them a happy International Women’s Day. With parliamentary elections coming up, I hope that we will see more women participation in the next parliament and government,” the ambassador added. Agrifresh beneficiary Nicole said: “I graduated with a degree in accounting and couldn’t find a job. I’m extremely happy that this program has opened doors for small and medium sized enterprises to grow allowing them to create new jobs. I was successful in the interview process and have been working for Agrifresh for two months.”By creating jobs and identifying economic opportunities INTAJ is working across 3 levels: skills training for individuals; supporting small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs); and working with communities to support the development of solid waste management and recycling, a British Embassy statement said.

Abu Assi tweets tribute to Women marking Women's International Day
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - Social Affairs Minister, Pierre Abou Assi, on Wednesday lauded on Twitter the role of women marking Women's International Day. "I am standing next to the needy, assaulted, disabled, and elderly women," the Minister tweeted.

President signs decrees promoting Osman to Major General, appointing him as ISF Chief
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, signed on Wednesday decree number 307, which includes the appointment of Major General, Imad Osman, as the General Director of the Internal Security Forces. General Osman was earlier promoted to the rank of Major General under Decree number 310. The decrees were signed by the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Finance and Interior and Municipalities.

General Security raids foreign exchange companies
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - The press office of the General Security General Directorate said in a statement on Wednesday that following intensified investigations, the concerned departments raided foreign exchange companies all across Lebanon. Consequently, the General Security arrested a number of Syrian nationals affiliated to terrorist groups and involved in funding terrorist activities through Arsal outskirts. The statement reiterated the General Security's commitment to fight terrorism and its sources of funding, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.

General Security raids foreign exchange companies
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - The press office of the General Security General Directorate said in a statement on Wednesday that following intensified investigations, the concerned departments raided foreign exchange companies all across Lebanon. Consequently, the General Security arrested a number of Syrian nationals affiliated to terrorist groups and involved in funding terrorist activities through Arsal outskirts. The statement reiterated the General Security's commitment to fight terrorism and its sources of funding, in cooperation with other law enforcement agencies.

Samy Gemayel voices support to endorsing fair wage scale
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel received a delegation of the Elementary Education League, to discuss the issue of wage scale and the need to meet fair teachers' demands in this regard. MP Gemayel stressed before the League his support to the endorsement of a salary scale which does justice to everyone without inflicting further taxes on the Lebanese people.The Lawmaker doubted means to secure the scale's resources.

Shorter welcomes security appointments by Lebanese cabinet
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter, welcomed in a press statement the security appointments by the Lebanese cabinet today. In his statement, Ambassador Shorter said: "I welcome the Cabinet’s decision today to make new appointments to the positions of Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces and Director General of the Internal Security Forces. The UK has a close partnership with the LAF and the ISF including equipment provision, mentoring and strengthening of human rights, with funding amounting to a combined total of $100m since 2011 which includes helping set up the Land Border Regiments."Shorter added: "As such I would like to thank General Kahwaji and Director General Basbous for their huge contribution to the security of Lebanon and the cooperation which we have enjoyed over many years to further our shared interest of protecting Lebanese security, on the borders, in cities, villages and valleys up and down the country."The Ambassador concluded: "I would also like to congratulate General Joseph Aoun and Director General Imad Osman on their appointments as chiefs of the LAF and ISF, and General Abbas Ibrahim on his continued leadership at General Security. The UK looks forward to continuing to work with both of these institutions, to strengthen the Lebanese state and ensure the success of security institutions which are trusted and respected by the Lebanese people, thanks to their professionalism, effectiveness and respect for human

Joint parliamentary committees resume session to discuss wage scale
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - Joint parliamentary committees resumed on Wednesday afternoon their session at the House of Parliament to continue discussing the wage and rank scale, under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker Farid Makari. Lawmakers disclosed that agreement was reached on the subject of tables, which constitutes the most essential part of the scale, under the ceiling of one thousand and two hundred billion lira.

Guidanian partakes in World Tourism Exchange Fair in Germany
Wed 08 Mar 2017/NNA - Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian participated in the World Tourism Exchange Fair, which was held from March 8 to 12 March in Germany, accompanied by Ministry's Director General Nada Sardouk and Lebanon's Ambassador to Berlin Mustafa Adib. Minister Guidanian held a series of meetings in the Lebanese pavilion at the Fair, notably with the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, Dr. Taleb Rifai, and discussed with him means of ensuring most effective and efficient Lebanese representation to activate the tourism sector, which constitutes the country's great bedrock.
Guidanian also exchanged visits with his Bahraini and Jordanian Tourism counterparts, and met with a number of concerned tourism officials in Europe and Asia.

Cabinet set for smooth security appointments
Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star/March 08/17/BEIRUT: The Cabinet is slated to meet Wednesday to launch a series of appointments filling key security, military and judicial posts, in a major but rare development that will give a political boost to the government and President Michel Aoun’s term, official sources said Tuesday. Aoun will chair the Cabinet session to be held at 11 a.m. at Baabda Palace with 40 items on the agenda, topped by long-awaited high-ranking security and military appointments, an official source said.
The security and military appointments include the Army chief, the head of Military Intelligence, the head of State Security, the chief of General Security, the director general of the Internal Security Forces, the secretary-general of the Higher Defense Council, the head of the Central Inspection Authority, and the head of the Judicial Inspection Authority among others. “The security, military and judicial appointments are likely to go smoothly within the Cabinet because they come as a result of a political understanding reached beforehand by the main parties represented in the government,” the source told The Daily Star, clearly referring to the Free Patriotic Movement, the Future Movement, the Amal Movement and Hezbollah.
The expected smooth appointments are in sharp contrast with the previous government’s failure in the past two years to fill any key or first-category state position due to sharp differences and jockeying for power among the rival factions that had paralyzed former Prime Minister Tammam Salam’s Cabinet and prevented it from taking any major decisions.
Political sources told The Daily Star that Brig. Gen. Joseph Aoun would be appointed as Army commander replacing Gen. Jean Kahwagi, while Brig. Gen. Imad Othman, the head of the ISF’s Information Branch, would replace Maj. Gen. Ibrahim Basbous as the ISF chief.
Brig. Gen. Khaled Hammoud will be named head of the ISF’s Information Branch, Brig. Gen. Tony Saliba will be appointed chief of the State Security agency and Brig. Gen. Samir Sanan will be named as Saliba’s deputy, a political source said.
He added that Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim will retain his post as chief of General Security but in a civilian capacity after he was reported to have resigned from the military before reaching the retirement age of 59 next year. The retirement age for a civil servant is 64.The appointments also include the naming of Brig. Gen. Badri Daher as new director-general of Customs and a government representative at the Shura Council, the source said.
The Cabinet, which has been debating the country’s draft budget over the past three weeks, decided Monday to hold two sessions this week: one on Wednesday to approve security and military appointments, and one on Friday to pursue discussions and probably endorse the 2017 fiscal plan for the first time in 12 years.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri Tuesday highlighted the importance of the draft budget being passed by the Cabinet and Parliament. Lebanon has not ratified a state budget since 2005 due to political bickering between rivals, leading to uncontrolled extra-budgetary spending in billions of dollars.
“Our attention in the Cabinet today is focused on finalizing the budget. If we go back five months, we notice that then, people did not know where the country was going. But today we are talking about the budget and the shape of an electoral law, whether it will be a proportional, hybrid or fully proportional,” Hariri said during a meeting with members of the consular corps at the Grand Serail.
Referring to the public sector’s controversial salary hike bill, which is currently being discussed by joint parliamentary committees in tandem with the Cabinet’s discussions on the draft budget, Hariri said: “The situation is back to politics. Dialogue is back in the Cabinet and in Parliament. Of course, there is also the issue of the salary scale, which is still being studied and we hope that all things will be solved soon.”
Noting that things are much better today, Hariri said: “We will work together to facilitate investment in the country and the return of investors. This is the government’s duty and the period of instability is over, we will not return to divisions and you will see Lebanon as [former Prime Minister] Rafik Hariri wanted to see it.”
For his part, Aoun reiterated his insistence on the adoption of a new electoral law based proportional representation that would allow minorities to be represented in Parliament.
A proportional vote law “does not aim at allowing one group to overcome another, but is aimed at allowing all the Lebanese to participate in governance and in national decision-making, be they lawmakers or ministers,” Aoun said during meetings with visitors at Baabda Palace.
However, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk sounded skeptical about the chances of an agreement on a new electoral law soon. “As far I am concerned, there is nothing new in this respect [vote law]. I still stick to my opinion that I don’t see the possibility of an agreement on a new electoral law,” Machnouk told reporters after meeting Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea at the latter’s residence in Maarab. He said if elections were to be postponed to allow for time to agree on a new voting system, it would be “a technical delay for a short period.”
The Future Movement’s parliamentary bloc renewed its support for a hybrid vote law that blends provisions of the proportional and winner-take-all systems to replace the disputed 1960 majoritarian formula used in the last parliamentary elections in 2009. Pending an agreement on a new vote law, parliamentary polls are scheduled for May 21.
Finance Minister Ali Hasan Khalil met with a number of lawmakers at the Finance Ministry Tuesday night to iron out differences over the draft budget. Ministers said an agreement to include the cost of the salary scale bill into the state budget has been reached, while a draft law on revenues and proposed taxes to cover the cost will be referred to Parliament. Earlier in the day, joint parliamentary committees resumed talks on the public sector’s salary hike bill and agreed to meet again Wednesday. The committees are discussing the cost of the salary increases for civil servants, military as well as public and private teachers and the proposed taxes to cover it.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published On March 08-09/17
PKK affiliated group meets Iranian-backed Hezbollah Brigade
Baxtiyar Goran Baxtiyar Goran /March 08/17
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – An armed group affiliated with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) discussed strengthening cooperation with the Iranian-backed Shia militia in Iraq on Sunday, reported Hezbollah Brigade’s website.
PKK and its affiliated armed wing in Kurdistan Region, Shingal Resistance Unit (YBS), headed by its commander Saeed Hassan and Khidhir Salih head of PKK-backed Shingal Council held a meeting in Shingal with Iranian-backed Shia militia Hezbollah Brigade. Mustafa al-Daraji head of Public Relations at Hizbollah Brigade’s political bureau said at the meeting that the control of Shingal, southwestern Kurdistan Region, by the Peshmerga forces is part of an international conspiracy that aims to separate Shingal from Iraq. Daraji stated that the main purpose of the Resistance [Hezbollah Brigade] is to keep the unity of Iraq and stand against the divisive plans, the Hezbollah media reported. Daraji believes that the fall of Mosul and Shingal was a conspiracy to control the disputed areas between the Kurdistan Region and the Iraqi government, stating that the conspiracy is ongoing as it has acquired an international nature. He added that the media is trying to give legitimacy to the presence of the Peshmerga forces and Peshmerga’s Roj Brigade Shingal, calling Roj Brigade, a Peshmerga force under the command of Ministry of Peshmerga, a group of militias coming from Syria. Daraji reportedly said that Hezbollah Brigade would support the oppressed from all religious and ethnic groups and no border could stop them. The YBS commander, Saeed Hassan, said, as quoted by the Hezbollah website, "The delay to deploy security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi in our area is a clear shortcoming of our rights."The Head of PKK-backed Shignal Council, Khidhir Salih, praised the role of the "Islamic Resistance" in protecting the country against extremists. Salih stated that they were working on building an autonomy in their areas to get rid of Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) rule, the website concluded.

US troops land in Syria to launch Raqqa operation
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 8, 2017,
Afile’s military and intelligence sources disclose that elements of the 75th Ranger Regiment have arrived in Syria for the Trump administration’s first direct military operation in Syria: the long-delayed offensive to capture Raqqa from the Islamic State. The plan was put before the US, Russian and Turkish chiefs of staff who were getting together for the first time on Tuesday, March 7, in the Turkish town of Antalya, as revealed earlier on this site. Rangers Regiment troops, which will spearhead the Raqqa attack, flew in from Fort Lewis air base, Washington, to the US air facility in Rmeilan, near the Syrian Kurdish town of Hasaka, equipped with light Striker tanks. More tanks and heavy equipment reached the Syrian base overland from Iraqi Kurdistan. According to our sources, President Donald Trump decided, after consulting with Defense Secretary James Mattis and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster, that the US army would go it alone in the Raqqa offensive together with a single local force: the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is composed of 45,000 fighters of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia and 10,000 Arab tribesmen, most belonging to the north Syrian branch of the Shamar. Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the US Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russian Chief of Staff, and Gen. Hulusi Akar, Turkish army chief, were conferring in Antalya when the Rangers landed in Syria. DEBKA Weekly, which comes out on Friday, March 10, will provide the background leading up to the US president’s decision to go for Raqqa. If you are not yet a subscriber, click here for this and other exclusive stories.

Ceasefire in Syrian rebel bastion Eastern Ghouta
AFP, MoscowWednesday, 8 March 2017/A ceasefire has been declared in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, a rebel bastion near Damascus, to run from midnight last Sunday to March 20, Russia's defence ministry said. "A 'regime of silence' has been introduced from 00:01 on March 6 to 23:59 on March 20 (Damascus time) in the area of Eastern Ghouta," the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. It added that "no violations" had so far been reported. The Army of Islam (Jaish al-Islam), a powerful rebel faction, is headquartered in Eastern Ghouta, the last opposition stronghold near Damascus. The district has faced a blistering army offensive in recent months and is near opposition-controlled areas of Damascus increasingly targeted by the government. Hamza Bayraqdar, a spokesman for the Army of Islam, told AFP that the faction had not been notified about the ceasefire, but would not "reject any agreement to stop the bloodshed and suffering of our people". Syria's Al-Watan daily, which is close to the government, on Tuesday quoted a "source close to the state's efforts to conclude national reconciliation in flashpoint areas" as saying he did not have "any information" on a new agreement in eastern Damascus and Eastern Ghouta. The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor of the conflict, reported that raids on Tuesday hit many towns in the Eastern Ghouta district as well as rebel districts in east Damascus, killing three civilians. But the raids stopped in the afternoon after the Russian ceasefire announcement, it said. Syria's conflict has killed more than 310,000 people since 2011. Russia began a bombing campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in September 2015.

Two dead in bombing of Syria rebel bastion despite truce
AFP, Beirut Wednesday, 8 March 2017/Two people were killed on Wednesday in bombardment of a Syrian rebel bastion near Damascus, a monitor said, less than 24 hours after Russia announced a freeze in fighting there. “A young man and a woman were killed in air strikes on Douma,” the largest town in the Eastern Ghouta region, said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Raids also hit the town of Arbin, and regime artillery hit Harasta, leaving nearly two dozen people wounded in Eastern Ghouta. “These are the first air strikes since the truce was announced” on Tuesday afternoon, Abdel Rahman said. An AFP correspondent in Douma told AFP that a warplane had struck the town and that residents who were outside had rushed back into their homes. “The situation is tragic -- the heavy shelling is ongoing,” said Zeina, a resident of Douma who spoke to AFP via the internet.
Russia’s defence ministry on Tuesday declared a two-week “regime of silence” in Eastern Ghouta, the last opposition stronghold near the Syrian capital. Hamza Bayraqdar, a spokesman for the Army of Islam, told AFP on Tuesday that the faction had not been notified about the ceasefire, but would not “reject any agreement to stop the bloodshed and suffering of our people”. And senior Army of Islam official Mohammad Alloush lambasted regime ally Moscow on Wednesday after the strikes. “Russia’s announcement of a cessation of hostilities in Eastern Ghouta is a political announcement -- militarily, it’s not being executed,” he told AFP. “Russia wants to present itself as neutral and a sponsor of a political solution (to the Syrian conflict), but on the ground it’s a different case,” he said. “This announcement came late. It was supposed to be announced on March 5, but the regime did not commit to it. Even with this announcement, there is no agreement from the regime on a freeze.” Eastern Ghouta has been under a devastating government siege since 2012, but has also been the target of a blistering regime offensive in recent months. It is the last remaining opposition stronghold near Damascus, where a string of local “reconciliation deals” have seen villages and towns brought back under the control of President Bashar al-Assad’s government. Russia and rebel backer Turkey sponsored a nationwide truce between Assad’s forces and opposition fighters in December, but fighting has continued across swathes of Syria.
More than 310,000 have been killed since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011.

Iraqi forces advance towards Nouri Mosque
Al Arabiya.net Wednesday, 8 March 2017/Iraqi forces are close to the Nouri mosque where the leader of ISIS Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a speech for the first time in July of 2014. Iraqi television said quoting a military official, that Iraqi and security forces took control of the road leading from Mosul to Tal Afar. According to the state television, the ninth Armored Division and fighters from two other factions seized control on the road from Mosul to Kassik to isolate the western side from Mosul to Tal Afar. Iraqi forces have made further advancements in the southwestern of Mosul, while a US military official stated that ISIS in Mosul is suffering from chaos in its ranks for lack of coordination among them. Furthermore, the Iraqi federal police commander said that the troops set up buffers and barriers to protect themselves, and started inspecting the area to detect the remnants of ISIS in preparation for the completion of the operation. The commander of the Federal Police major Shaker Jawdat explained in a press statement that “the process of restoration of the governmental compound in the heart of Mosul resulted in the death of 139 ISIS fighters and the destruction of 19 wheel bombs. The leader in the Counterterrorism apparatus Maj. Gen. Mouin al-Saadi, commander of the Second Special Operations said on Wednesday, that the anti-terrorism forces are advancing on three neighborhoods in the right side of Mosul. The Iraqi government announced in October 17 of 2016 a large-scale military operation to free # Nineveh and its capital Mosul with the support of the forces of the international coalition led by the United States of America.

Iraqi PM vows to target ISIS in neighboring countries
Associated Press, Baghdad Wednesday, 8 March 2017/Iraq's prime minister says it will continue to target militants in neighboring countries, as it did last month with airstrikes against ISIS positions in Syria. Addressing a forum in the autonomous Kurdish region on Wednesday, Haider al-Abadi said he “will not hesitate” to target terrorism positions that pose a threat to Iraq from inside neighboring countries, adding that such actions would only be carried out with the consent of the neighboring government. Iraqi F-16 warplanes struck the ISIS-held Syrian towns of Boukamal and Husseibah, near the border, in February.
The government said it ordered the strikes in response to bombings in Baghdad that were claimed by the extremist group.

Israel moves to mute mosques’ call to prayer over loudspeakers
Reuters, JerusalemWednesday, 8 March 2017/A law to muffle mosques’ amplified calls to prayer in Israel and occupied East Jerusalem won preliminary approval on Wednesday in a charged parliamentary session where Arab legislators denounced the measure as racist.Supporters of the bill say it is aimed at improving the quality of life of people living near mosques who have been losing sleep. The calls usually begin sounding a little before 5 A.M. through loudspeakers mounted on minarets. Opponents say the legislation, sponsored by right-wing parties, impinges on the religious freedom of Israel’s Muslim minority. Arabs make up almost 20 percent of the population and have long complained of discrimination. Two versions of law won initial approval and will go to committee for further discussion before any final vote in parliament, in what could be a lengthy process. “You are committing a racist act,” said Ahmed Tibi, an Arab lawmaker, told supporters of the legislation. The proposed law refers in general terms to “houses of worship,” but it has been dubbed the “muezzin law” by the Israeli media, referring to the man who chants the Muslim call to prayer. One of the bills would ban a summons to worship via loudspeakers between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. That would effectively mute one of the five daily calls emanating from mosques. The second proposal would bar amplification in residential areas at all hours and impose a 10,000 shekel ($2,700) fine for violations. “This is a social-minded law that aims to protect citizens’ sleep, without, God-forbid, harming anyone’s religious faith,” legislator Motti Yogev, one of the bill’s sponsors, said during a debate punctuated by shouting matches between the bill’s backers and detractors. Tzipi Livni, a leader of the center-left Zionist Union party and a former foreign minister, said “proud Israelis” should join together in opposing legislation that would only “spread hate and ignite tensions” between Muslims and Jews. During the heated debate, Arab legislator Ayman Odeh rose from his seat, with a copy of the bill in his hands. “This law will not be implemented, I am tearing it up,” he said, as pieces of paper fell to the floor. He was ejected from the chamber. Israel has said it is committed to protecting the religious rights of all faiths and battling discrimination against its Arab citizens. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparked outrage during a 2015 election when he urged his supporters to go to the polls because Arabs were “voting in droves”. Under the proposed law, East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed in a move that is not recognized internationally, would be included in the ban. But since the measure covers only residential areas, al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site and located in a religious compound in Jerusalem’s walled Old City, would be exempt.

ISIS claims responsibility for Kabul hospital attack
AlArabiya.netWednesday, 8 March 2017/The ISIS group Wednesday claimed responsibility for an ongoing attack on Afghanistan's largest military hospital in the capital Kabul. The claim was issued via ISIS’s news outlet Aamaq, which said that “ISIS commandos have attacked the military hospital in Kabul.”Amaq did not provide any other details on the ongoing assault. ISIS was responsible for a number of attacks in Afghanistan, including the capital city. The group’s so-called Khorasan Province, which covers Afghanistan and Pakistan, has recently stepped up its activity in both countries. Amaq issued its claim through its outlets on the messaging app Telegram. With AFP

‘Right to bread’: Egyptians protest over fears of subsidy cuts
Haitham El Sheikh and Ahmed Abd Elkawey, Reuters/Wednesday, 8 March 2017 /Hundreds of Egyptians protested around the country on Tuesday, blocking roads and surrounding government offices, after a change to the way bread rations are managed raised fears that the government was cutting food subsidies by the back door. Bread subsidies are an explosive issue in Egypt, where more than 70 million people receive state rations. Core inflation in the country has soared above 30 percent since Egypt floated its currency in November, securing a $12 billion loan package from the International Monetary Fund to support a government austerity programme. Protests began on Monday after changes to a bread subsidy scheme left some people without their ration. Unrest grew on Tuesday, with angry crowds gathering in the port city of Alexandria, in at least one poor Cairo neighbourhood, and several other cities across Egypt. Supply_Uprising became the top trending Twitter hashtag for Egypt as Egyptians posted pictures of confused people outside bakeries and in the street. The government sought to reassure Egyptians the issue would be resolved in days. "We were surprised when the bakers refused to give us bread with the excuse that the Supply Ministry reduced their rations," said Ahmed Faraj, an Alexandria resident. Most protests drew small crowds and dissipated quickly, but offered the first major evidence of public anger over rising living costs. "We are suffering from high prices. We have nothing left to live on but bread and now the government wants to deprive us of it," said Samia Darwish, a 50-year-old homemaker in Alexandria. The dangers are not lost on President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in a country where economic discontent has helped unseat two presidents in five years. He has promised prosperity and stability in the aftermath of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising, and has committed to protecting the poorest from the pain of austerity. "We want the president to know that the poor are dying of the high prices," said Gamal Ahmed, from Alexandria.
'Right to bread'
Egypt operates a system in which each family receives a plastic card to buy five subsidised loaves per person per day. The government then pays bakeries a subsidy per loaf. Bakers also receive "gold cards" to sell bread to individuals without a smart card – generally those waiting for cards who have been issued temporary paper cards in the mean time. The Supply Ministry on Monday denied it planned to cut bread subsidies after local media reported that rations would go from five to three loaves a day. However, last week it did reduce the amount bakers can sell via the "gold card" scheme. The move is likely aimed at reducing misuse of those cards, which costs the government hundreds of millions of pounds a year. Supply Minister Ali Moselhy told a news conference that citizens would not see their bread rations reduced as temporary paper cards are phased out and replaced by smart cards.
"Apologies to all citizens that have not received loaves of bread. Rest assured that this issue will be resolved within 48 hours ... Every citizen has a right to bread," he said. A Reuters report last year revealed flaws in the system allow bakers to overstate sales to profit from the black market, where they sell subsidized flour to private bakeries at a profit, costing the government billions of pounds. Abdel Aal Darwish, the head of the bakeries division at the Alexandria Chambers of Commerce, called on the government to reverse the move and issue all Egyptians with cards.

Arab League to resist embassies moving to Jerusalem
AFP, CairoWednesday, 8 March 2017/Arab League foreign ministers adopted a resolution Tuesday against any attempt to move diplomatic missions to Jerusalem, following Donald Trump's presidential campaign pledge to move the American embassy in Israel. The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest issues in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 1967, later annexing east Jerusalem in a move never recognised by the international community. The League "considers setting up any diplomatic mission in Jerusalem or moving it to the city an explicit attack on the rights of the Palestinian people and all Muslims and Christians", Tuesday's resolution read. The resolution, which did not explicitly mention Trump or the United States which has its Israel embassy in Tel Aviv, was adopted unanimously adopted by the 22-member bloc. Moving diplomatic missions to Jerusalem would be "a serious violation of international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention, and relevant Security Council resolutions," it said. The Palestinians regard east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel proclaims the entire city as its capital. Departing from Washington's long-standing position, Trump promised while campaigning to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocate the American mission there, drawing a fierce rebuke from Palestinian officials and concern from the European Union. Last month Trump said he would "love to see that happen", and on January 29, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged Trump to keep his promise. On Sunday, US Congressman Ron DeSantis, chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, met Israeli leaders to examine the possibility of moving the American embassy to Jerusalem, Israeli officials said. Israel's deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely, who met DeSantis, said she was "optimistic" it would happen. The League resolution asked states and Arab League missions to "monitor and follow up on any move to breach the Security Council resolutions and international law regarding moving diplomatic missions to Jerusalem." The foreign ministers also tasked the Arab Group of States in New York "to study effective measures to counter any such move through the United Nations, including the security council".

Iran's Zarif in Rare Visit to Qatar
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/17/Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks Wednesday with the emir of Qatar, on his first visit to the Gulf state since July 2015. Zarif and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani discussed "regional developments" and bilateral relations, QNA state news agency said. Last month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani visited Kuwait and Oman in a lightning tour aimed at mending ties with his country's Arab neighbors in the Gulf. Tehran's ties with the Arab monarchies have been strained over its support for Syrian President Bashar Assad and alleged backing of Yemen's Shiite Huthi rebels. Qatar recalled its ambassador to Tehran in January 2016 in solidarity with Saudi Arabia after attacks on Saudi missions in Iran by protestors angry at Riyadh's execution of a prominent Shiite cleric.

Germany Urges Turkey to Rebuild Friendship
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/17/Germany on Wednesday sought to end a bad-tempered row with Turkey, stressing their long-standing friendship and urging Ankara to work towards restoring frayed ties. NATO allies Ankara and Berlin have been locked in a new dispute over the past week after several local authorities in Germany blocked rallies by Turkish ministers. The row is the latest in a long list of problems that have plagued relations and comes just after Ankara's arrest of a journalist for German daily Die Welt that sparked consternation in Berlin. On Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the stakes when he told a rally in Istanbul that the blocking of public appearances by his ministers was "not different from the Nazi practices of the past". German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, after hosting his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu for talks, said he had "made clear that comparisons between the Nazi era and the cancellation of rallies or the rule of law in Germany are unacceptable". "Both sides have a responsibility to simply not cross certain red lines, and comparisons to Nazi Germany are one of them," said Gabriel. Despite Berlin and Ankara's deep differences on a host of issues, "there is no alternative to dialogue because that is the only way we can return, step-by-step, to a normal and friendly relationship," he added. Speaking separately after their meeting, Cavusoglu acknowledged that poor relations were in neither side's interests. He said he would host Gabriel for a new round of talks in Turkey "as soon as possible". At the same time, he told Germany to decide "if Turkey is a friend or not." - 'Please don't preach' -Germany and Turkey have a special relationship due to the large community of Turks who have settled in Europe's biggest economy, the legacy of a "guest worker" ("Gastarbeiter") programme dating to the 1960s and 70s. But those ties have been put to the test in the past year over differences on issues surrounding human rights and press freedom, particularly since last July's failed coup aimed at ousting Erdogan. Berlin has emerged as a strident critic of Ankara's vast crackdown in the aftermath of the putsch, which has seen more than 100,000 people arrested, suspended or sacked for alleged links to the plotters or to Kurdish militants. Ankara has in turn accused Berlin of harbouring "terrorists" and failing to respond to requests to hand over suspects from the coup as well as Kurdish militants who it believes are members of the outlawed PKK group. Despite the tensions, Turkish ministers have been seeking to make campaign appearances in Germany ahead of an April referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers. The ministers are anxious to tap into Germany's Turkish community with its 1.4 million people who are eligible to vote -- the fourth largest electoral base after Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir.Cavusoglu had himself travelled to the northern German city of Hamburg where he addressed some 200 supporters at the residence of the Turkish consul on Monday evening. "Please, don't give us lessons in human rights and democracy," the minister said, accusing Germany of failing to practice what it preached in reference to the scrapped rallies. Earlier, during lunch with foreign envoys, the Turkish minister said the cancellations were "unacceptable" and reminiscent of practices in the run-up to World War II. - 'Part of our country' -With the latest feud rumbling on, Gabriel has sought to prevent an 'us-versus-them' sentiment from building up among Turks in Germany. In a special message to the community, Gabriel said: "When there are political differences, Germany must not allow political disputes to be imported from Turkey."Immigrants "from Turkey have played an incredible part in building prosperity in our country," he said. "Much of what we have today would not have been possible without the help of Turkish workers or companies," said Gabriel. "You are a part of our country."

French Ambassador Says Won't Serve Le Pen
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 08/17/France's ambassador to Japan has broken diplomatic protocol and stated publicly that he would refuse to serve far-right leader Marine Le Pen if she becomes president, earning approval from his colleague in Washington. The comments underline growing unease in France's diplomatic corps about the prospect of a Le Pen presidency ahead of a two-stage presidential election on April 23 and May 7. Though no polls currently show her winning, the anti-immigration nationalist is hoping to emulate the success of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has faced his own problems with rebellious diplomats. "If the French tragedy comes to pass and leads to her election, I would withdraw from all my diplomatic functions," France's ambassador in Tokyo Thierry Dana, 60, wrote in a column in Le Monde newspaper on Wednesday. Outspoken ambassador to Washington Gerard Araud praised his colleague for his "excellent article." Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has sent a reminder to all diplomats about the need for "prudence and the principle of neutrality.""Against the backdrop of rising populism, we need to keep cool heads, or else risk encouraging the rise of demagoguery directed against public servants," he wrote in the memo, a copy of which was seen by AFP. Le Pen, 48, frequently rails against "the establishment" for trying to sabotage her campaign and has recently accused civil servants of abetting her worsening legal problems. She faces prosecution for distributing images of Islamic State atrocities over Twitter as well as separate cases over misusing public funds at the European Parliament and campaign financing. Polls currently suggest 39-year-old centrist Emmanuel Macron is the most likely to win the election, but analysts warn against firm forecasts after a highly unpredictable campaign.

Pakistan Gunfights Kill 15 Militants, Two Soldiers
At least 15 militants and two soldiers have been killed in two separate gun battles in a relatively peaceful district of Pakistan just northwest of the capital Islamabad, officials said Wednesday. The shootouts come after a recent resurgence in militant violence, with 130 people killed nationwide in the month of February, ending a lull in Pakistan's long battle against homegrown Islamist fighters. The two raids took place in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province's Swabi district, which is just 100 kilometers (60 miles) northwest Islamabad and far from the border tribal areas that have been the main battlefront over the course of the insurgency. Soldiers on Tuesday conducted a raid on a village in the district, triggering a gunfight. "During exchange of fire Capt Junaid and Sepoy Amjad embraced martyrdom," said a military statement, adding: "Five terrorists killed during the operation." Security forces stormed a second compound in a nearby village on Wednesday, killing 10 militants, a senior security official told AFP. No details regarding the second shootout have yet been released, but the incident came to light after police and security forces brought 10 bullet riddled bodies to a local hospital. "They were militants and killed during an intelligence based operation," the senior security official told AFP. Separately, the military said that five Taliban militants who had been sentenced to death were executed on Wednesday at a prison in northwestern garrison town of Kohat. Pakistan created special military courts by constitutional amendment after the country's deadliest ever extremist attack in 2014. The assault on a school in northwestern Peshawar, in which gunmen killed more than 150 people -- mostly children -- traumatized a country already grimly accustomed to atrocities. The law allowing secret military courts to try civilians on terror charges expired in January, after the controversial tribunals hanged 12 people and ordered the executions of 149 more amid sharp criticism from rights groups. The government is mulling resuming military courts after a fresh constitutional amendment. Pakistan's military announced the launch of a nationwide anti-terrorist operation in the wake of the violence last month. The attacks, most of which were claimed by the Islamic State group or the Pakistani Taliban, dented optimism after the country appeared to be making strong gains in its decade-and-a-half long war on militancy.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published On March 08-09/17
Jordan at the Precipice
Daniel Pipes/Washington Times/March 08/17
http://www.danielpipes.org/17322/jordan-at-the-precipice
"We're in dire straits." So spoke Jordan's King Abdullah a half-year ago. A just-completed week of intensive travels and discussions throughout Jordan finds no one disagreeing with that assessment. Jordan may no longer be hyper-vulnerable and under siege, as it was in decades past; but it does face possibly unprecedented problems.
Created out of thin air by Winston Churchill in 1921 to accommodate British imperial interests, the Emirate of Transjordan, now the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, for almost a century has led a precarious existence. Particularly dangerous moments came in the 1967, when Pan-Arabist pressures led King Hussein (r. 1952-99) to make war on Israel and lose the West Bank; in 1970, when a Palestinian revolt nearly toppled him; and 1990-91, when pro-Saddam Hussein sentiments pushed him to join a hopeless and evil cause.
Today's dangers are manifold. ISIS lurks in Syria and Iraq, just beyond the border, attractive to a small but real minority of Jordanians. The once-robust trade with those two countries has nearly collapsed – and with it, Jordan's lucrative transit role. In a region bountiful in oil and gas, Jordan is one of the very few countries to have almost no petroleum resources. City-dwellers receive water just one day a week and country-dwellers often even less. Tourism has declined thanks to the Middle East's notorious volatility. The king's recent assertion of authority grates on those demanding more democracy.
The core issue of identity remains unresolved. As a country of massive and repeated immigration for over a hundred years (even exceeding the numbers going to Israel), it has received waves of Palestinians (in 1948-49, 1967, and 1990-91), Iraqis (2003), and Syrians (since 2011). The Palestinians, most estimates find, constitute a substantial majority of the country's population, present the deepest division. It's common to speak of "Jordanians" and "Palestinians" even though the latter are citizens and the grandchildren of citizens. As this suggests, the sense of being separate from and superior to the mostly tribal peoples of the East Bank has not diminished over time, and especially not when Palestinians have achieved economic success.
The country's strengths are also formidable. Surrounded by crises, the population is realist and very wary of trouble. The king enjoys an undisputed position of authority. Intermarriages are eroding the historic division of the country between Palestinians and tribals – something the influx of Iraqis and Syrians further erodes. The population enjoys a high level of education. Jordan enjoys a good reputation around the world.
Then there's Israel. "Where are the fruits of peace?" is a common refrain about Jordan's 1994 treaty with Israel. Politicians and press may not say so, but the answer is blindingly obvious: whether it's using Haifa as an alternative to the Syrian land route, the purchase of inexpensive water, or the provision of plentiful gas (which is already being delivered), Jordan benefits directly and substantially from its ties with Israel. Despite this, a perverse social pressure against "normalization" with Israel has grown over time, intimidating absolutely everyone and preventing relations with the Jewish state from reaching their potential.
Israel's embassy in Amman is isolated from other buildings and protected by intimidating Jordanian security forces.
One Jordanian asked me why Israelis accept being treated like a mistress. The answer is clear: because Jordan's welfare ranks as a paramount Israeli priority, so successive governments accept, even if through gritted teeth, the calumnies and lies told about it in the press and on the streets. Though they are too polite to say so, they clearly wish the king would take hold of this issue and point to the benefits of peace.
On a personal note: since 2005, I have been advocating for "Jordan to the West Bank, Egypt to Gaza: The Three-State Solution" as a way to solve the Palestinian problem. Accordingly, I asked nearly all of my 15 interlocutors (who represented a wide range of viewpoints) about a return of Jordanian sovereignty to the West Bank. I regret to report that every one of them thunderingly rejected this idea. "Why," they all seemed to say, "would we want that headache?" Accepting their negative verdict means Israel has no practical solution to its West Bank conundrum, so its reluctant and unwanted sovereignty over Palestinians will likely continue into the distant future.
Summing up the visit: Jordan has muddled through many crises, it may do so again, but the concatenation of current dangers pose an extraordinary challenge to Jordan and its many well-wishers. Will King Abdullah cope with those "dire straits"?
*Mr. Pipes ([twitter.com/danielpipes]@DanielPipes) is president of the Middle East Forum. © 2017 by Daniel Pipes. All rights reserved.

Cannibalism: ISIS Revives Islam’s Original Terror Tactic
Raymond Ibrahim/PJ Media/March 08/17
In light of recent revelations that the Islamic State is teaching its followers to eat non-Muslims, surely we can now all agree that, at least in this, ISIS is truly not Islamic?
Alas, no. Even the eating of “infidels” has precedents throughout Islamic history, especially as a terror tactic. Two well-documented anecdotes come to mind:
The first concerns that jihadi par excellence, Khalid bin al-Walid (d.642). Dubbed the “Sword of Allah” by Muhammad for his prowess, he holds a revered position among jihadi groups (ISIS’ black flag with white Arabic writing is a facsimile of the banner Khalid carried in battle). During the Ridda—or “apostasy wars” on several Arab tribes that sought to break away from Islam following Muhammad’s death—Khalid falsely accused Malik bin Nuwayra, a well-liked Arab chieftain, of apostasy. After slaughtering him, Khalid raped—Muslim sources call it “married”—Malik’s wife. Not content,
He [Khalid] ordered his [Malik’s] head and he combined it with two stones and cooked a pot over them. And Khalid ate from it that night to terrify the apostate Arab tribes and others. And it was said that Malik’s hair created such a blaze that the meat was so thoroughly cooked [from Muslim historian al-Tabari’s multi-volume chronicle, al-bidaya w’al nihaya (“the Beginning and the End”; Arabic excerpt here).
The second anecdote concerns the Islamic conquest of Spain. According to Muslim chronicler Ibn Abdul Hakam, after capturing a group of Christian winemakers, the Islamic invaders
made them prisoners. After that they took one of the vinedressers, slaughtered him, cut him in pieces, and boiled him, while the rest of his companions looked on. They had also boiled meat in other cauldrons. When the meat was cooked, they threw away the flesh of that man which they had boiled; no one knowing that it was thrown away: and they ate the meat which they had boiled, while the rest of the vinedressers were spectators. These did not doubt but that the Moslems ate the flesh of their companion; the rest being afterwards sent away informed the people of Andalus [Christian Spain] that the Moslems feed on human flesh, acquainting them with what had been done to the vinedresser [source].
Tarek ibn Ziyad—another jihadi extraordinaire, revered for burning his boats on reaching Spain’s shores as proof of his commitment to jihad or “martyrdom”—also had Christian captives slaughtered, cooked up, and apparently eaten in front of their fellow hostages. Then, according to Muslim historian Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Maqqari, the jihadi hero “allowed some of the captives to escape, that they might report to their countrymen what they had seen. And thus the stratagem produced the desired effect, since the report of the fugitives contributed in no small degree to increase the panic of the infidels” (The History of the Mohammedan Dynasty, p. 276).
Note that, according to the above cited Muslim chroniclers, the jihadis engaged in these cannibalistic practices to terrorize and create panic among infidels and apostates, that is, as a form of psychological warfare.[1] This is further pronounced when, as they often do, the chroniclers quote or paraphrase Koran verses that call for “striking terror” into the hearts of nonbelievers (e.g., 3:151, 8:12, 8:60) in juxtaposition to the savage accounts they relay.
There are more and related anecdotes. During the earliest Muslim invasions of Christian Syria, one of Muhammad’s companions, ‘Ubadah bin al-Samat, told a Christian commander that “We have tasted blood and find none sweeter than the blood of Romans,” meaning Byzantines and/or Christians. Whether literal or figurative, clearly such bloodthirsty references inspire the Islamic State’s worldview as evidenced by the latter’s assertion that “American blood is best, and we will taste it soon.”
Incidentally, veneration and/or emulation of early jihadi barbarity is not limited to “radical” or extreme outfits that, so we are always told, “have nothing to do with Islam.” None other than Al Azhar—the Muslim world’s most prestigious university, where Obama gave his 2009 “New Beginning” speech—teaches these accounts of Muslims eating infidels. The reason is simple: such a heritage doesn’t belong to ISIS any more than it does to Al Azhar. It belongs to Islam.
A final note: one school of thought maintains that in the aforementioned historical anecdotes, Muslims did not just pretend to devour their victims; they really did. However, later Muslim chroniclers, embarrassed by the bestial savagery of their coreligionists, portrayed the cannibalism as only pretend. If true, this further validates why ISIS isn’t merely teaching Muslims to pretend to devour their infidel victims, but to eat them in reality—as when one jihadi cut out and dug his teeth into the heart of a fallen Syrian soldier, after saying “I swear to Allah, soldiers of Bashar, you dogs—we will eat your heart and livers! Allahu Akbar!” (Yes, video here.)
This may also shed light on the unsatisfactory explanation given by the Daily Mail on why ISIS is promoting cannibalism. According to Haras Rafiq, the Daily’s authority whom it describes as a “practicing Muslim,” ISIS is promoting cannibalism “if there are no food supplies available during what they describe as a time of jihad.” Under such circumstances, “terrorists were encouraged to kill non-Muslims or Muslims who do not share their version of Islam for food.”
To be sure, eating humans in times of extreme duress and starvation—or “non-halal” food—is not particularly shocking and has been committed many times, past and present, by peoples of all races and religions. One is therefore left to wonder if Rafiq is just another in a long line of embarrassed Muslim authorities trying to rationalize away their coreligionists’ depraved practices in the name of Islam.
***[1] I watched and linked to a video some years back of a modern day Egyptian cleric also making it clear that Khalid’s actions were calculated to terrify the apostates. Although YouTube has, as usual, taken the video down by now, here’s my original translation of what he said: “People wonder how our lord Khalid could have eaten from such meat? Oh yes—he ate from it! Our lord Khalid had a very strong character, a great appetite, and everything! All to terrorize the desert Arabs [apostates]. The matter requires determination; these matters require strength—terrorism.”

The West Submits to Blasphemy Laws/Forward to the Middle Ages!
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/March 3, 2017
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10000/blasphemy-laws
"Now that Islamophobia has been condemned, this is not the end, but rather the beginning..." — Muslim Brotherhood affiliate Samer Majzoub, Canadian Muslim Forum.
The motion still does not offer any definition or any statistics to support its claim that "Islamophobia" is a problem in Canada.
However, it should hardly shock anyone that the first motion condemning Islamophobia has so swiftly been followed up by a new motion demanding concrete government measures.
The West is submitting to blasphemy laws. Denmark, for example, has apparently decided that now is the time to invoke a dusty, old blasphemy provision. Denmark still has a provision in the penal code against blasphemy, but until now, it has only been used three times. The last time was nearly half a century ago, in 1971. Denmark's Attorney General has nevertheless just charged a man for burning a Quran.
In the West, blasphemy as a criminal offence has for centuries generally been considered a relic of the past. In a largely godless society, few people take offense to blasphemous comments or acts. Christians do not descend upon alleged blasphemers with guns and knives, and publishers do not worry about "offending" Christians.
In 1997, Danish public service radio financed an artist burning a Bible and broadcast it on national television. No one was charged, even though there were complaints and the state prosecutor investigated the case.
Yet, a Danish man will be prosecuted. He burned his own Quran in his own garden and then posted the video in a public Facebook group, "Yes to freedom, No to Islam," with the accompanying text, "Consider your neighbor, it stinks when it burns". Attorney General Jan Reckendorff stated:
"It is the prosecution's view that the circumstances of the burning of holy books such as the Bible and the Qur'an implies that in some cases it may be a violation of the blasphemy provision, which deals with public mockery or scorn against a religion. It is our opinion that the circumstances of this case require that it should be prosecuted in order for the courts to have the opportunity to take a position on the matter."
The Attorney General may have been mentioning the Bible only out of politeness. After all, no one has been prosecuted for burning the Bible in Denmark, as not even burning it on national television was considered sufficiently offensive. The Quran is clearly a very different matter.
The decision has caused renewed debate about abolishing the blasphemy provision in Denmark -- an issue that regularly pops up.
In Norway, the provision against blasphemy was abolished in 2005. A poll conducted in January showed that 41% of Norwegian Muslims believe that blasphemy should be punished, and 7% believe that the penalty for blasphemy anywhere should be capital punishment.
In Britain, at least one man has been prosecuted and sentenced for burning the Quran (in 2011) and several arrested in 2010 and 2014 .
The enforcement of blasphemy provisions, so out of place in a largely post-Christian Europe, brings back the Middle Ages, when blasphemy was ferociously prosecuted by the Church. Is that really an era for modern European society to be aspiring to after centuries of fighting for freedom of speech?
In Canada, meanwhile, anti-Islamophobia motions, aiming gradually to prohibit all criticism of Islam -- and part of Muslim blasphemy laws -- are being passed. The Ontario Provincial Parliament unanimously passed an anti-Islamophobia motion in February. The motion called on the legislature to "stand against all forms of hatred, hostility, prejudice, racism and intolerance; rebuke the... growing tide of anti-Muslim rhetoric and sentiments" and "condemn all forms of Islamophobia." Needless to say, no such motions were introduced to protect Judaism or Christianity.
In October 2016, Canada's national Parliament unanimously passed an anti-Islamophobia motion, which was the result of a petition initiated by Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Samer Majzoub, president of the Canadian Muslim Forum. At the time, no one knew what they were condemning: Criticism of Islam? Criticism of Muslims? Discussing whether ISIS is a true manifestation of Islam? No one knew, as no one had bothered to define it.
The lack of definition, however, has not stopped Iqra Khalid, a Member of Parliament from the governing Liberal Party, from introducing a new motion on the back of the previous one, Motion M-103, in the Canadian parliament. The motion demands that "Islamophobia" not only be condemned, but that the government develop a comprehensive approach to reducing or eliminating Islamophobia. The motion still does not offer any definition, or any statistics to support its claim that "Islamophobia" is a problem in Canada. However, it should hardly shock anyone that the first motion condemning Islamophobia has so swiftly been followed up by a new motion demanding concrete government measures. After the first motion was unanimously passed, the man who initiated the original petition, Samer Majzoub, had this to say in an interview with the Canadian Muslim Forum:
"Now that Islamophobia has been condemned, this is not the end, but rather the beginning... We need to continue working politically and socially and with the press. They used to doubt the existence of Islamophobia, but now we do not have to worry about that; all blocs and political figures, represented by Canada's supreme legislative authority, have spoken of that existence. In the offing, we need to get policy makers to do something, especially when it comes to the Liberals, who have shown distinct openness regarding Muslims and all ethnicities... All of us must work hard to maintain our peaceful, social and humanitarian struggle so that condemnation is followed by comprehensive policies."
Does the West really want to go charging quixotically off to the Inquisitions of the Middle Ages again?
*Judith Bergman is a writer, columnist, lawyer and political analyst.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Canada's New Blasphemy Laws/قوانين التجديف الكندية الجديدة
Khadija Khan/Gatestone Institute/March 08/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=53094
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10015/canada-blasphemy-laws
Although these motions against "Islamophobia" are not legally binding, extremists have already started demanding them as laws.
People in hostile societies put their lives at risk by speaking against the majority; meanwhile, shutting out any criticism against hardliner behaviour in the West actually means giving extremists a license to keep on committing atrocities.
Motions such as these are how most Muslim societies -- and other authoritarian states -- were founded: by depriving citizens of the basic right to express a difference of opinion, and worse, on the pretense of "doing good." The blasphemy laws of Pakistan were introduced on the premise of protecting the sanctity of the people's religious beliefs, but the laws only ended up meting out public death sentences to innocent and marginalized victims.
A resolution, M-103, seeking to condemn so-called "Islamophobia," was introduced a few weeks ago in the peaceful country of Canada by Liberal Party MP Iqra Khalid in the House of Commons, sparking a controversy.
A similar motion, labelled M-37, was later tabled in the Ontario provincial legislature by MPP Nathalie Des Rosiers on February 23, 2017, and was passed by the provincial parliament.
M-37, like its predecessor, demanded that lawmakers condemn "all forms of Islamophobia" and reaffirm "support for government efforts, through the Anti-Racism Directorate, to address and prevent systemic racism across government policy, programs and services".
Although these motions are not legally binding, extremists have already started demanding them as laws.
There are, of course, no comparable motions against "Judeophobia" or "Christianophobia".
Neither motion M-103 nor motion 37 exactly define "Islamophobia," leaving that to the imagination of the supposed victim(s).
Hardliners who support this form of censorship, and presumably other restrictions required by Islamic sharia law, aim to blur the line between genuine bigotry and criticism of core problems across the Muslim world, such as the murder of apostates and homosexuals, communal hatred, anti-Semitism, violence against women and minors, female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage, unequal legal and inheritance rights for women, stoning, flogging and amputation, and social taboos such as honour killings or right to choose a husband for girls or restrict girls' education.
Those who present these motions claim that "Islamophobia" is rampant across the country, but seem blind to Islamic sharia law's endorsement of killing homosexuals, violence against women and minors, atrocities such as those enumerated above, and notions of Muslim supremacy across the planet.
These issues are genuine concerns for millions of Muslims as well as human rights defenders, but are never addressed by those apologists, who always try to present these atrocities as perfectly acceptable "cultural norms".
People in hostile societies put their lives at risk by speaking against the majority; meanwhile, shutting out any criticism against hardliner behaviour in the West actually means giving extremists a license to keep on committing atrocities.
Broadly speaking, in the West, where people have the opportunity to stand up against persecution, Muslim extremists seem determined to sell themselves as victims and to get rid of whatever obstacles contradict a clearly expansionist agenda.
Motion M-103 claimed: "Recently an infinitesimally small number of extremist individuals have conducted terrorist activities while claiming to speak for the religion of Islam".
Are those who set forth these resolutions oblivious to the clerics who rally hundreds of thousands across the world — organizations such as Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, CAIR, ISIS, Hezbollah, Al-Shabaab, Al-Qaeda, Taliban and Jamat e Islami, Sipah-e-Muhammad, TehrikNifaz-i-FiqahJafaria, JamatudDawa, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-jhangwi, TehrikNifaz-i-Shariat Muhammadi, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Lashkar-e-Islam, Jamiat-ul-Ansar, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Khuddam-i-Islam, Fatah Al Islam (Lebanon), Ansar Al Sharia in Libya, Jabhat Al Nusra (Al-Nusra Front) in Syria, the Haqqani Network in Pakistan and other offshoots of these jihadi movements?
The sales pitch for M-103 was given a pretty façade of human rights concerns, but actually inside was a veiled endorsement of a Muslim supremacist mentality.
While M-103 asks to recognize the need to curb systematic racism and religious discrimination against Muslims, there are no traces of any systematic hatred or racism against Muslims or any religious groups in Canada.
On the contrary, Canada already has laws to curb any discrimination or abuse against individuals or groups. All that is needed is to enforce those laws already on the books.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and the Criminal Code, carry progressive laws to handle hate crimes or racism. Section 318, 319(1) and 319(2) are specifically designed to deal with such offenses.
Moreover, criticizing any genuine social concerns about a community or belief system is the democratic right of every citizen in a civilized country.
Motions such as these are how most Muslim societies -- and other authoritarian states -- were founded: by depriving citizens of the basic right to express a difference of opinion, and worse, on the pretense of "doing good." The blasphemy laws of Pakistan were introduced on the premise of protecting the sanctity of the people's religious beliefs, but the laws only ended up meting out public death sentences to innocent and marginalized victims.
Under Muslim blasphemy laws, such as those being slowly presented to Canada, such deeds are punishable by death or life in prison.
Unfortunately, blasphemy laws are often interpreted as a state's permission to attack, lynch or destroy non-Muslim minorities, while the attackers are regarded as heroes for their crimes.
Victims of these laws also include critics of this barbarism such as Punjab's Governor Salmaan Taseer, Pakistan's Minister for Human Rights Shahbaz Bhatti, and often even human rights activists and the victims' lawyers.
Aren't we setting up the foundation of such norms in the West on pretense of curbing "Islamophobia"?
For example, a supposedly "infinitesimally small" number of jihadis are capable of shutting the mouths of approximately 200 million people (equivalent to the entire Pakistani population), seemingly forever, by literally killing dissent.
In the last century, the jihadis' spiritual father, Sayyid Qutb, commissioned Muslims to impose salafist-style Islamic rule on the world by destroying the "infertile West" and eliminating anything non-Muslim.
Qutb's book, Milestones, would undoubtedly be an eye-opener for those still unaware of what is required of "true" Muslims. The same is true of the writings of Hassan al-Banna, founder of the Muslim Brotherhood.
This ideology is clawing its way into very fabric of the West, in places such as Britain, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, America, Australia and France.
It poses an imminent threat to the free world. Free societies will have to pay a heavy price if they choose to ignore the menace of extremism through a policy of appeasement and accommodation.
There is no need for specific laws about "Islamophobia": it is not even defined. Worse, many extremist clerics also consider as "Islamophobic" any criticism of their jihadism, communal hatred, polygamy and violence against women, minors or possibly anyone else they target.
Canada has always been one of the most tolerant countries in the world; please let us keep it that way.
*Khadija Khan is a Pakistan-based journalist and commentator.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

The Western Plot To Treat Muslims As Dangerous Children
By: Alberto M. Fernandez/MEMRI Daily Brief/March 08/17
One of the bizarre features of today's academic life in the West is the treatment of young adult college students as children. And not just any children, but fragile, delicate creatures who are easily upset by disconcerting ideas or words. The disparaging word "snowflake," originally taken from a Chuck Palahniuk novel, which is used to describe these sensitive people has itself now quickly become an outworn cliché.
This exaggerated care for the exquisite feelings of others has now even bled into the field of counterterrorism among a few experts, and among rather more non-expert journalists and pundits positing variations on the theme of "Trump is helping ISIS" or "Trump's policies will help ISIS's recruitment."[1] Some of those making such an argument are important scholars worthy of respect.[2] But used permissively by others with a political agenda, it actually demeans Muslims, as if they are easily swayed yet dangerous children susceptible to becoming terrorists because of immigration policy or harsh words that supposedly hurt their feelings.
Lacking in much of this coverage is the realization that the process of actual terrorist mobilization is a rather complex one.[3] Any honest person with even a superficial exposure to the research would caveat any sort of sweeping charge with a bit of humility. After all, the great rise of the Islamic State itself and its explosive growth in 2013-2015 occurred with a Democrat in the White House and a Socialist in the Elysee Palace. And even earlier, the announcement of an organization called Al-Qaeda, and its first spectacular acts of mayhem, preceded Guantanamo or the 2003 invasion of Iraq or the rise of right-wing populism in the West. Al-Qaeda meticulously planned 9/11 in the era of President Bill Clinton – which should give us pause about glib claims of causality.
The charges that candidate Trump was a "recruiting sergeant for terrorists" and that his rhetoric was "giving aid and comfort to our adversaries" were made by the Hillary Clinton campaign in 2016.[4] Once inaugurated in January 2017, the new administration faced a flurry of such charges when on January 27 it announced a temporary travel ban affecting seven Muslim majority countries. The step seemed far more modest than candidate Trump's December 2015 call, following the San Bernardino terrorist attack, for a much broader ban, but still provoked a furor.
One respected New York Times correspondent reported that ISIS had called the measure "a blessed ban" (based on something that ISIS members in West Mosul supposedly told a NYT fixer who then told the American reporter).[5] Despite the indirect nature of the claim, the reporter described it as "ISIS members and supporters jumping up and down with glee at the ban."[6] Others relied on online quips from ISIS supporters.[7] Former Obama administration officials seized upon the phrase with delight, as if it was concrete confirmation of their position and as if whatever ISIS says to Westerners or in its propaganda should be treated as gospel.[8]
After some reversals in court, the Trump administration launched a revised temporary travel ban on March 6, 2017, featuring six countries (Iraq was removed from the list). The U.S. does not have a resident embassy in five of the six listed countries, and the sixth is still listed as a State Sponsor of Terrorism.[9] This may trigger another round of "he's doing what ISIS wants."
A similar round of recriminations and punditry has surrounded the new administration's use of the term "radical Islamic terrorism," with articles quoting individuals as varied as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif opining negatively on the matter.[10] It seems strange to quote authoritarian figures – especially these three – as having some sort of insight on the use of such a term. President Erdogan recently compared the government of that "leader of the free world" Angela Merkel to Nazi Germany.[11]
That three-word phrase can mean very little or much, depending on how it is ultimately expressed and translated into policy. If it is part of a smart and subtle effort to challenge the ideological underpinnings of Salafi-jihadism, then it is a good thing and long overdue.[12]
Often missing in the criticism of using the term "radical Islamic terrorism" is that NOT using it can be problematic.[13] In the Obama administration, the avoidance of it was aimed not only at not offending, but also at avoiding the hard discussion and policy formulation required to work behind the scenes to counter a powerful and durable ideological challenge.
The new American administration could very well take positions that will create an environment conducive to the further growth of Salafi-jihadi organizations, but it has not done so yet. And the constant near hysteria of partisan critics makes reasoned discussion more difficult than it should be.
It should be obvious that the principle motivation of groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State is based on a specific view they have of the world and of Islam, and that this view is shared by a substantial minority in Muslim countries. A 2015 Pew poll found small percentages of Muslims who have a positive view of the Islamic State, yet those small percentages still amounted to millions of people. The percentages that claimed to have "no view," that is, not negative, about ISIS were often larger.[14] Interestingly enough, a more recent Pew poll, from February 2017, found that negative Western views of Muslims are matched by negative Muslim views of Westerners.[15]
In my regular monitoring of jihadi propaganda, especially that of ISIS, over the past five years two basic themes drive their views of the Other and have remained consistent in their messaging no matter who is in office in the United States or anywhere else in the "infidel" world:
First, Salafi-jihadi groups see the Other as hostile because they are not Muslims, or, in the case of Muslim governments and their supporters, not Muslim enough or the wrong sort of Muslim. Using chapter and verse about their enemies, about the Kufar (infidels) or Mushrikeen (polytheists) or Murtadeen (apostates), jihadis constantly underscore the conflation of religion and revolutionary goals, which is an essential part of their worldview and the propaganda approach that they take.
Secondly, these groups focus extensively on the foreign policy of their adversaries, in what they do or do not do in the Muslim world, especially in the Middle East.[16] That is why at the height of its recruitment success, the Islamic State focused on the carnage in Syria and on the West's complicity in it to mobilize thousands to either migrate to the region or to try to commit acts of violence in the West. The focus on Syria was ultimately subsumed into the rise of the ISIS Caliphate as the key element in ISIS propaganda starting in 2014.
The fact that the United States under Obama was seemingly complicit in the Syrian slaughter while cozying up to Iran was a major, lasting gift for ISIS and similar groups, and explains why many Arab regimes have openly welcomed the Trump administration and are still saying positive things about it.[17] The same is even true to a certain extent with Erdogan's Turkey.[18] For them, Trump's promise is that he is not Obama.
Obama's actual policies helped the growth of terrorism – both in the rise of ISIS and in the growing ambitions of the Islamic Republic of Iran – in profound ways that Trump has not.[19] Maybe he will surpass his predecessor, but so far there seems to be grotesque exaggeration by his critics, motivated by partisan ire. Jihadi groups will indeed throw out all sorts of messages about all sorts of things to see what sticks. You can find all sorts of comments, and they are nothing if not prolific. ISIS recently has messaged about the killing of Rohingya Muslims by Burmese Buddhists. A February 2017 ISIS video focusing on Uighurs used images of Obama with President Xi Jinping. Controversial right-wing politicians outside of government, like the Le Pens or Geert Wilders, never appear in terrorist videos, yet Pope Francis, that gentle pontiff who downplayed any religiously based terrorism,[20] is frequently featured because his image is an essential part of the toxic jihadi narrative about the infidel Other.[21]
A temporary visa ban alone means very little in a long-term "narrative fight" against ISIS.[22] The same is true about the term "radical Islamic terrorism." They are most certainly not "Islam's own version of Pearl Harbor" as one anti-Trump obsessive put it.[23]
The challenge is more about an overall approach and concrete policies on the ground rather than one or two items plucked by progressives and malcontents to beat Trump with. An administration that finds some relief for the suffering Syrian people or confronts the regime in Tehran, on the other hand, could improve America's battered image in the Middle East. A better sort of governance in Raqqa and Mosul could also have lasting helpful effects.
But even such, in my view, positive and urgently needed steps are only one part of a long, twilight conflict which is ultimately less about us – our good and "bad" deeds – and more about a struggle for supremacy within and about the Muslim world. A foreign policy approach with this in mind at least treats Muslims as adults with real interests, rather than easily tricked children distracted by the latest shiny bauble.
*Alberto M. Fernandez is Vice-President of MEMRI.
[1] CNN.com, January 30, 2017.
[2] March 1, 2017.
[3] Apa.org, November 2009, Vol. 40, No. 10.
[4] Politico.com, September 19, 2016.
[5] Esquire.com, February 8, 2017.
[6] Csmonitor.com, February 9, 2017.
[7] The Washington Post, January 29, 2017.
[8] The New York Times, February 13, 2017
[9] MEMRI Daily Brief No. 118, One Muslim Country Seems Well Positioned To 'Graduate' Off The Visa Ban, February 1, 2017.
[10] The Washington Post, March 1, 2017; Newsweek, February 27, 2017.
[11] Reuters.com, March 6, 2017.
[12] MEMRI Daily Brief No. 108, The Time Is Now For Urgent Middle East Reform, November 1, 2016.
[13] The Washington Times, March 2, 2017.
[14] Pewresearch.org, November 17, 2015.
[15] Pewresearch.org, February 27, 2017.
[16] MEMRI Daily Brief No. 92, Prior To Orlando Attack, ISIS Had Warned, On Social Media, Of Upcoming Attacks In U.S., And Emphasized: If You Stop Attacking Us, We'll Stop Attacking You, June 16, 2016.
[17] MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6807, Saudis Optimistic On Trump Administration's Middle East Policy, Express Hope It Will Act Against Iran, March 1, 2017.
[18] Al-monitor.com, February 8, 2017.
[19] MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 5310, Op-Ed In London Daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat Attacks Obama: The Weakest President In The History Of The U.S., May 23, 2013.
[20] "Message Of His Holiness Pope Francis On The Occasion Of The World Meetings Of Popular Movements In Modesto (California) [16-18 February 2017]," February 10, 2017.
[21] MEMRI JTTM report In Article In Issue 15 Of 'Dabiq', ISIS 'Clari[fies] To The West In Unequivocal Terms – Yet Again – Why We Hate You And Why We Fight You', July 31, 2016.
[22] Thefederalist.com, September 19, 2016.
[23] Newsweek, February 27, 2017.

It’s the 21st Century, and some people still believe women are inferior
Peter Harrison/Al Arabiya/March 08/17
A recent poll that asked more than 17,500 people if men and women should enjoy equal rights, found that the majority said “yes”. But while this is obviously the right outcome, it is frankly shocking that the Ipsos MORI poll also found that 20 percent of those questioned said they believed women were inferior to men. This latest revelation follows the recent outburst by Polish MEP Janusz Korwin-Mikke at the European Parliament in which he said that women “must earn less” than men because they are “weaker”, “smaller” and “less intelligent”. Of course, these comments and the findings of the poll are significant now because they are so absurd, and it is right that news organizations have highlighted them as such. But how depressing it is to feel that there are still people out there that even think this way. Responding to the findings of the poll, Kully Kaur-Ballagan, Director at Ipsos MORI said: “It’s encouraging that the vast majority of both men and women around the world believe in equal opportunity... but at the same time most still believe that true equality of rights is not here yet,” It should be noted that the majority of those who said women were inferior to men, were those surveyed in Russia, China and India. But let’s not be fooled that this is not a global issue – in the same report UN Women were quoted as describing the 24 percent gender pay gap as “the biggest robber” of women. The World Economic Forum said in 2016 that women would not reach economic equality for another 170 years. Women face judgements and opinions that men do not even have to consider. If a woman with children chooses to pursue her career, she is asked “what about her children”, if she puts her career on hold because of her children she is asked “is that a good idea?”. When a woman is friendly toward men she might worry that her kindness is misinterpreted as a come on. We pay women compliments on their looks rather than their achievements. It just seems odd to me that women are still earning less, are less well represented in senior roles, faced with far more prejudice and exposed to harassment and attitudes where they are considered somehow second rate citizens
The mindset
It’s not just an economic factor at play. There is still a mindset that somehow men are the more capable, superior gender. Socially I still hear people talking about women drivers as though they are somehow inferior. But the truth – certainly in the UK – is the complete opposite. So much so, in fact, that the insurance premiums for female motorists were less than men’s because they had less accidents and were served fewer penalties for motoring offences.In October last year, I wrote about my despair at the news that the UN was to make the fictitious comic book superhero Wonder Woman the new Honorary Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls. It struck me at the time that there were surely many real women worthy of the title, not least any mother. In August 2016 the French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said women’s naked breasts were more representative of France than the burkini. He said the burkini represented the enslavement of women. It was staggering to me, that he did not see the irony in his statement. It should surely be up to the woman as to how much, or little of their body that they show? Throughout my life I have encountered both men and women that have left me feeling deeply inspired. So I wonder when I hear comments like those I mention, what these people must think of their own wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters or friends? Women don’t need men like me to speak on their behalf and I would not even begin to condescend them with the idea that they need my support or backing to help highlight the need for greater equality. But it just seems odd to me at this point that women are still earning less, are less well represented in senior roles, faced with far more prejudice and exposed to harassment and attitudes where they are considered somehow second rate citizens.  While International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to mark the achievements of women, we should really be asking ourselves why in 2017 there is a need for such an occasion. Women are not weak, they are no less clever – so why do they get treated so differently?

Humanitarian gestures during King Salman’s visit to Indonesia
Turki Aldakhil/Al Arabiya/March 08/17
When the Saudi royal jet landed at Jakarta’s airport, the world’s eyes were focussed on this visit and its various dimensions. People expressed a lot of interest in Indonesian islands, more than 17,000 in number, and in this good country in general. During an interview Indonesian President, Joko Widodo, told me that it was important for people to see the beautiful scenes in his country. Widodo said that Saudi King Salman’s visit has brought attention to tourism in Indonesia, particularly of the Gulf tourists. The visit also witnessed several humanitarian gestures and introduced Indonesian hospitality to us. While King Salman was dining on soup, the Indonesian president started small social talk with him and then posted a video on his Facebook page to a country of about 250 million people. King Salman talked about how Saudis look at Indonesia, which since the 1980s has been viewed as a vital partner to the Gulf in general and Saudis in particular. The visit highlighted the country’s beauty which Indonesia has in abundance. Its society also distinguishes itself by its simplicity. People of Indonesia were attracted to Islam through Arab traders who displayed high moral authority while doing business. The word “Arab” in trade was characterized with honesty. Trade between Arabs and Indonesia happened through the coasts of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Apart from the economic cooperation between the two countries – which has reached $4 billion – the social aspect is also of major significance. Indonesian community has persisted with its presence in Saudi Arabia despite isolated and complicated incidents. There are more than six religions and thousands of diverse ethnicities in Indonesia and its culture has attracted attention of scholars. There are several beliefs, legends and a legacy of historic relics that co-exist in complete harmony. The country’s musical notes create splendid and mesmerizing works of art. The Indonesian economic needs have not negatively influenced people but rather energized their passion for hard work. The government invested in its people and has managed to overcome difficulties.
There are more than six religions and thousands of diverse ethnicities in Indonesia and its culture has attracted attention of scholars. There are several beliefs, legends and relics that co-exist in complete harmony
Fighting terror
In addition to discussing economic and energy cooperation, the visit also had intellectual and cultural components to it. The Indonesian president also said that the problem of extremism was a priority. He said that fighting terrorism must begin with law and then the matter must be resolved at an ideological level to curb this menace. Indonesia and Saudi Arabia’s interests converge on this challenge. In his address, King Salman said: “Extremism, terrorism and intervening in countries’ domestic affairs call on us to stand united.” This is necessary as both countries have suffered at the hands of brutal terrorism. Saudi Arabia has a strategic religious stature as it has the two holy mosques while Indonesia is the biggest Muslim country in terms of population. When intellectual and security efforts unite, terrorism can be defeated. Saudi King Salman’s Asian tour is also important from the point of view of the ambitious Vision 2030, which necessitates transformation in economy and resources. Countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan and China have useful experience in energy and economic sectors. They facilitate matters within the Saudi economic transformation, which is also linked to cultural and ideological developments needed to keep up with the needs of this era. King Salman voiced the importance of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and these countries in order to establish economic partnership that suits international developments. These are the various dimensions of this historic visit the results of which will not only affect us but also future generations who will one day realize that this land with its deserts has created alternatives to non-depleting resources. There will come a day when there will be no more oil but earth will live on, thanks to the goodness of its people.
*This article was first published in Al-Bayan on March 08, 2016.

On International Women’s Day: Prominent examples of women in power
Diana Galeeva/Al Arabiya/March 08/17
Today on International Women’s Day, which has become one of the most anticipated annual global celebrations, I would like to express admiration and respect for famous women in power. Nowadays, International Women’s Day is becoming more politically motivated – demonstrating the struggle for equal rights and the political and social awareness of women globally. The “Women’s March on Washington”, which was held on January 21, 2017, after Donald Trump’s inauguration as President of the United States, was aimed at promoting women’s rights and racial equality.
Today, on the 8th of March, the same group is organizing another event – “A Day without a Woman”. The organizers encourage women around the world to take the day off from work, to acknowledging the value that women of all backgrounds bring to our economic and social system.
In modern society, it seems that in some parts of the world, women are only able to speak about their rights through demonstrations and protests, however some politicians have responded to these demonstrations with disrespectful comments.
For example, on March, 3rd 2017, an independent member of the European Parliament of a right-wing political party, the Coalition for the Renewal of the Republic Freedom and Hope, Janusz Korwin-Mikke stated: “women must earn less than men, because they are weaker, they are smaller, they are less intelligent” (CNN).
Patterns in modern history
There are some patterns in modern society that suggest that with demonstrations and protests, women do not show respect to men, and as a consequence, some men do not show respect to women. I think these opposite views lead to more confrontation, and that the root of this confrontation is a misunderstanding of the main idea of International Women’s Day, and of the role of women in society. In other parts of the world, International Women’s Day is a day during which women are shown love, respect and admiration for their role in social and political arenas. The nation congratulates mothers, girls, grandmothers, and female colleagues with beautiful words. I strongly believe that International Women’s Day should be understood as a day of respect and love for women. Women’s values should not be expressed in the streets as demonstrations; the importance of women.
Every woman can be a leader by example. This article will discuss the role of women in power throughout history; it will express appreciation of their talent for ruling, their smart advice, and their being the first in particular initiatives. This article is about women with different stories and different struggles, but they have in common their desire to develop their states, their love of their lands and countries, and dedication to the future prosperity of their lands – and this is why they became successful.
Examination of stories of Catherina the Great, Hurrem Sultan, Theresa May and Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi could help to indicate the importance and values of women in general.
I think successful examples of prominent women in power will inspire other women to think that they can also create and make others happy, contribute to the development of socio-political process
Diana Galeeva
“I have no way to defend my borders but to extend them” – Catherina the Great
Catherina II or Catherina the Great, came to power following the coup against her husband Peter III, who was assassinated. Under her reign from 1762 until her death 1796, she expanded the Russian Empire lands making Russia one of the great powers in Europe. She enlarged Russian lands in the South, the West and the East.
For example, having won wars against Ottomans in Russo-Turkish wars, Russia inhabited the huge territories of Novorossiya, along the coasts Azov and the Black Sea. Catherina’s era was proclaimed as the Gold Age of the Russian Empire. She also enthusiastically supported the ideas of the Enlightenment (intellectual movement which was dominant in Europe during the 18th century, centred on ideas of authority, legitimacy, liberty, tolerance, and the separation of church and state).
Catherina was a patron of arts, and she established the first state-financed higher education institution for women in Europe – the Smolny institution. She is remembered as one of the most powerful monarchies in Russian history. Originally she was from Prussia, however, her soul was Russian.
She once said: “I am honoured to be Russian, I am proud of it, I will defend my Homeland and language, with feather and sword, while I have enough life….’. She dedicated all her life to serving the Russian monarchy and to transforming Russian society. With her strong character and opinions, she brought well-being and prosperity to the Russian Empire.
‘The Wife of the Sultan of the World’
Being the “Wife of the Sultan of the World’ meant becoming the first supporter and adviser for the greatening Ottoman Empire by the Hurrem Sultan. Hurrem Sultan was the legal wife of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (who reigned 1520-1566). Despite the 200 year-old custom of the Ottoman Imperial house – sultans were not married to their concubines, Sultan Suleiman became the first Ottoman ruler, who married to Hurrem Sultan in a formal ceremony.
Being brought to Suleiman’s harem captured by Crimean Tatars from her hometown Polish Ruthenia, Hurrem Sultan started one of the essential eras known as the Sultanate of Women. She achieved power and influenced Ottoman politics through her husband. Due to her intelligence, Hurrem Sultan became Sultain’s chief adviser in the domestic and international affairs of the Ottoman Empire.
Contributing to making the Ottoman Empire in that period an economic, military and political power. The Ottoman navy dominated the seas from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. Hurrem’s charity efforts are still remembered and appreciated: public buildings, building mosques, two Koranic schools, a women’s hospital, commissioned by the Haseki Hurrem Sultan Hamami, in Jerusalem, she launched the Haseki Sultan Imaret, a public soup kitchen to feed the poor and the needy, which fed 500 people twice a day.
Hurrem Sultan was one of the most powerful and influential women in the Ottoman history and around the world at that time. Choosing the main commitment of her life – serving her husband, her story demonstrates the ways in which the extent of women’s support and advice could strengthen the marriage, garner respect and appreciation; and how the union between husband and wife can contribute to the strengthening of an entire nation.
“Brexit means Brexit” – Theresa May
The morning after the UK’s decision to leave the EU, the former prime minister David Cameron resigned. There were a lot of pros and cons of the Remain and Leave Campaigns before the referendum. However, it seems that there was no clear plan for what to do if the Leave campaign won. All responsibility of handling the transition in this changeable period for UK history has laid on Theresa May, the new-elected leader of the Conservative Party and the UK’s Prime Minister, who suggested her candidacy promising to bring “strong leadership” and “positive vision” for the country’s future.
In February 2017 the Brexit plan was published in government White Paper, which concerns the trade, immigration, expats, sovereignty, border and devolution. Theresa May promised that formal negotiations will begin once the UK has given notice of Brexit under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of March. On the international level, May became the first world leader to meet Donald Trump since he took office.
After the signed executive order on immigration by Donald Trump, some British politicians demanded Theresa May to block the US leader’s visit to the UK. One of the main opponents became the Labour Party Leader Jeremy Corbyn, who was leading a campaign to block Trump from visiting Buckingham Palace. Theresa May responded to his criticism, saying “he can lead a protest, I’m leading a country”.
These are not only words, Theresa is leading the country, working out all challenges, at a most uncertain time for the UK. History will show what the future of the EU is, but the UK is the first country which without any precedent is finding new strategies and policies after Brexit. The first leader, who took responsibility to make success out of this deal, is the woman – Theresa May.
“I made history for my country not for me” – Dr. Amal al-Qubaisi
Dr. Amal al-Qubaisi became the first female leader of a national assembly in the United Arab Emirates and the Arab world. She is the President of the Federal National Council. She is among the 50 most powerful Arab Women in the World and she supports tolerance and openness. She is one of the main promoters of the idea of political tolerance, which is distinctive for the UAE international and domestic politics, as suggested in my previous article (2017).
Despite all suggestions and concerns about security, she visited Belgium immediately after the terrorist attacks in Brussels to meet the EU Commission, demonstrating solidarity and bearing condolences, and sincerely believing and showing that the friendship between the West and the East cannot be shaken by some groups.
Dr. Amal al-Qubaisi is one of the main leaders in the region who is putting the goal of demonstrating Islam as the religion of peace and ‘that we are against what is happening and we cannot tolerate it and because of that we have zero tolerance with intolerance’ (Euronews, 2016). Alongside criticizing sectarianism and extremism, she also has clear suggestions about how friendship between West and East could be strengthened: “we need more gatherings and more events that bring people culturally together so that they will understand each other’s culture” (ibid, 2016).
Considering the main role of female speakers around the world, Dr. Amal intends “to bring all the goodness we can for our people, so that we can make our people happier and make them safer” (ibid, 2016). She explains that respect to women in the UAE came gradually; they gained it with their good intentions. Promoting a strong vision on suggesting tolerance as one the main drivers for friendship and respect between countries, suggesting clear initiatives for solving one of the most vital problems in the Arab world and in the world in general.
Dr. Amal al-Qubaisi is making the history not only of herself and her country, but for all Arab World women. Representing Islam as a religion of peace, she is contributing to dialogs and friendship between the West and the East, which is sometimes so fragile because of the actions of radical groups. She clearly demonstrates that women should gain recognition by her discourses of tolerance and openness, and implement these beautiful words in action.
Happy International Women’s Day
A good ruler is not a woman or a man; a good ruler is a person who has a talent to rule, and who works hard for the prosperity of the people. Catherina II, Hurrem Sultan, Theresa May and Dr. Amal al-Qubaisi’s intelligence, world-views, and love for their countries have helped them to succeed, and to become respected icons of success in politics.
I think that such successful examples of prominent women in power will inspire other women to think that they can also create and make others happy, contribute to the development of socio-political process. All successful outcomes/ results of women will demonstrate the value and importance of women in the society.
I strongly believe that International Women’s Day should be understood as an expression of love and respect to women for their talents and skills, their smiles and kindness, and their support and inner beauty. If you have women in front of you right now, please congratulate her/them (your wife, mother, sister, daughter) and express your appreciation for her, and International Women’s Day will forever become a day of happiness and smiles.