LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS
BULLETIN
January 07/17
Compiled
& Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The
Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com/newsbulletins17/english.january07.17.htm
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Bible Quotations For Today
Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin
of the world! This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks
ahead of me because he was before me.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to
Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war according to human
standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely human, but they have
divine power to destroy strongholds
Second Letter to the Corinthians 10/01-11/:"I myself, Paul, appeal to you
by the meekness and gentleness of Christ I who am humble when face to face with
you, but bold towards you when I am away! I ask that when I am present I need
not show boldness by daring to oppose those who think we are acting according
to human standards. Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage war
according to human standards; for the weapons of our warfare are not merely
human, but they have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and
every proud obstacle raised up against the knowledge
of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. We are ready to
punish every disobedience when your obedience is
complete. Look at what is before your eyes. If you are confident that you belong
to Christ, remind yourself of this, that just as you belong to Christ, so also
do we. Now, even if I boast a little too much of our authority, which the Lord
gave for building you up and not for tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of
it. I do not want to seem as though I am trying to frighten you with my
letters. For they say, ‘His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily
presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.’ Let such people understand that
what we say by letter when absent, we will also do when present."
Titles For Latest
LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on
January 06-07/17
Lebanese President to Discuss kidnapped Soldiers During His Arab Tour/Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/January
06/17
The Latest Ceasefire Will Not Change Hezbollah's Role in Syria/Hanin Ghaddar/The Washington
Institute/January 06/17
Question: "What is the conscience/January 06/17
Iran sees hailing Assad as top priority/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/January
06/17
Why Arabs hate Obama/Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al
Arabiya/January 06/17
Dialogue With Iran is an Unrealistic Idea/Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/January
06/17
Obama and the Palestinian Fig Leaf/Amir Taheri/Asharq
Al Awsat/January 06/17
Egyptian Writers Argue Over Mosques' Calls To Prayer Using
Loudspeakers/MEMRI/January 06/17
UN Security Council Res. 2334: A Victory of Jihadism/Bat
Ye'or/Gatestone Institute/January 06/17
2017 will be another bad year for the Arab world/Smadar
Perry|/Ynetnews/January 06/17
Titles
For Latest Lebanese Related News published on January 06-07/17
Lebanese President to Discuss kidnapped Soldiers During His Arab Tour
Boroujerdi: Iran Willing to Arm Lebanese Military
Shall Government Approve
Report: Hizbullah Has Not Demured
Aoun's Trip to Saudi Arabia
Report: FPM and AMAL in Reconciliation Bid
Saudi Envoy Says Aoun's Visit to SA Reflects
Positively on Relations with Lebanon
Mustaqbal MP Badr Wannous Passes Away
Ibrahim: Two Mediators Negotiating File of Servicemen Abducted by IS
Kanaan: No return to 60's law, mixedjoint
vision within 3 weeks
Chinese Foreign Minister at the House of Center: I explained to PM Hariri our
President's initiative and our welcoming of Lebanon's participation in its
execution
Rahi: Values are lost in our society
UNIFIL informed by Israeli army of shepherd's arrest, efforts underway for his
release
Badr Wannous laid to rest
in his hometown, Dhour alHawa
Armed gang kidnaps Lebanese expatriate in Mozambique
Shepherd disappears near borders with Palestine, Army contacts UNIFIL
Dabbour confers with Egyptian Ambassador over
Palestinian situation
The Latest Ceasefire Will Not Change Hezbollah's Role in Syria
MEF's Legal Project Funds a Major Victory in Canada
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 06-07/17
Gunman opens fire at Florida airport, killing 5
Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri
calls ISIS ‘liars’
US house votes to condemn UN’s Israel resolution
Russia announces reductions in its forces in Syria
Coalition strike kills senior ISIS leader in Syria: US
ISIS militants kill 4 soldiers near Iraq’s Tikrit
Turkey to naturalize Syrian, Iraqi migrants: Erdogan
Syria Truce Enters Critical Phase, Opposition Urges Security Council
Intervention
At Least 150 Pakistanis Arrested after Attempting to March in Support of
Blasphemy Law
Bahraini Authorities Accuse Isa Qassim of
Transferring $14 Million to Iranian Bank
Member of Syrian National Coalition: Iran Regime Is the One to Suffer Syria
Ceasefire
Ankara Threatened That Those Who Violate the Ceasefire in Syria Will Face
Sanctions
Iran: The Conflict Between Government's Branches; Plunders & Loots
Iran: How Trump can help the conflict in Syria
MEF's Legal Project Funds a Major Victory in Canada
Investigators return to question Netanyahu over alleged receipt of gifts
Vice-President Biden tells Trump to ‘grow up’
Four Yemeni nationals from Guantanamo arrive in Riyadh
Egypt Arrests Suspected Cairo Checkpoint Attackers
Arab coalition airstrikes pound Houthis
Vice-President Biden tells Trump to ‘grow up’
Bangladesh police kill prime suspect in July cafe attack
Links From Jihad Watch Site for on January 06-07/17
PA
cartoon: Israel murders Santa Claus
Egypt:
Muslim screaming “Allahu akbar”
cuts Christian shopkeeper’s throat
France:
Peugeot car plant closed as Muslim workers took “too many prayer breaks”
Video:
Robert Spencer on the War on the First Amendment
Reza
Aslan: A Muslim “Will & Grace” will cure “Islamophobia”
Germany:
Muslim migrants who witness “right-wing hate crimes” to be immune from
deportation
Berlin
jihad murderer was on terror watchlist, used 14
different aliases
Muslim
migrant who beheaded Dutch woman admitted to UK, attacks cops with hammer
Uganda:
Muslim relatives force woman to take poison for converting to Christianity
Ingrid
Carlqvist Moment: How Sweden Became Absurdistan
Austria:
Muslims commit wave of sex assaults on New Year’s Eve
Robert
Spencer in PJ Media: Why Do Western Leaders Bother to Condemn Terror Attacks?
UK:
Hundreds of “child migrants” lied about their ages, are as old as 29
Italy:
Muslim sets fire to church Nativity scene
Latest Lebanese Related News
published on January 06-07/17
Lebanese President to
Discuss kidnapped Soldiers During His Arab Tour
Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/January
06/17
The president’s tour will include:
Aoun seems to have given this case his attention now
that a new Lebanese mediator has been assigned to communicate with the
kidnappers, prior to the negotiations that would end up with their release
similar to the case of the 16 soldiers who were taken by al-Nusra
Front.
On Thursday, families of the nine army soldiers held hostage met with President
Aoun at the presidential palace where they received
assurances from President Michel Aoun and General
Security head Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim that
authorities were pushing for a resolution.
National News Agency (NNA) reported that the session was open and President Aoun expressed his determination to follow the case and
ensure the safe return of the soldiers. Aoun said he
would prefer to handle the case away from the media.
The president assured the families that he has been following up on the issue
from the beginning and that he would continue with their case while he makes
international visits.
“Trust that the state will not be relieved before this matter is closed,” Aoun told the families, according to his media office.
Maj. Gen. Ibrahim assured the families that President Aoun
is following the case on a daily basis, saying that “we should hope for the
best.” He gave a comprehensive presentation on the negotiations process so far
and the new mediator who will be number 13.
Sources close to the matter told Asharq Al-Awsat that Aoun is intending to
seek the help of the countries that could be of assistance on the case.
The sources also indicated that the President will do his best to bring the
soldiers back home safe.
“For more than a month, I’ve been trying to follow up on holding a meeting and
this is what prompted me to take a position and talk about the issue on the
media,” Hussein Youssef, the families’ spokesperson.
“The meeting meant a lot for us and it boosted our spirits because the
president showed his understanding in this case,” Youssef
said. Youssef is the father of the kidnapped soldier
Mohammad Youssef.
Youssef told Asharq al-Awsat that they won’t be relieved until they have seen
their children live or on tape.
Later Thursday, Maj-Gen Ibrahim visited the families
at their camp in
“The efforts that are being exerted in this case are serious,” he told the
families. “We hope that we witness a development soon that will bring this case
to happy closure.”
Youssef said that Ibrahim was trying to send a
message of assurance to the families by giving them a new hope … and he’s very
optimistic. He said that he sensed the seriousness of the work of the new
mediators.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat,
Nizam Mogheit, brother of
kidnapped soldier Ibrahim, was also optimistic of the recent updates especially
now that the president had assured them that he would handle the case.
Security forces have no definite information regarding the soldiers or their
whereabouts. Last time their families heard of them was in 2014 when three of
the soldiers appeared on their knees in video being threatened by a militant
who spoke in French.
Recent confessions of
President Michel Aoun presided on Thursday the first
meeting of the Higher Defense Council at the
Aoun stressed the “importance of pre-emptive
confrontation against terrorist groups and the need for coordination between
the security agencies.”
President Aoun added that the country will continue
to “face the Israeli enemy and all forms of terrorism,” saying it is a top
priority of the government.
Boroujerdi: Iran Willing to Arm Lebanese Military Shall
Government Approve
Naharnet/January 06/17/Chairman of Iranian
Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin
Boroujerdi, said on Friday that the Islamic Republic
of Iran is ready to send military aid to the Lebanese army shall the Lebanese
government authorize it.
“
Report: Hizbullah
Has Not Demured Aoun's Trip
to Saudi Arabia
Naharnet/January 06/17/Hizbullah assured on Friday
that its relations with President Michel Aoun and the
Free Patriotic Movement are “firm”, and assured that the party does not demur Aoun's travel to Saudi Arabia as the first trip the
president is scheduled to take abroad, al-Joumhouria
daily reported on Friday. Following the latest reports alleging that Aoun's scheduled visit to
Report: FPM and AMAL in Reconciliation Bid
Naharnet/January 06/17/A meeting between a key member
of the AMAL Movement, Ali Hassan Khalil and head of
the Free Patriotic Movement Jebran Bassil took place on Thursday, marking an improvement in
ties between the two parties after some conflict emerged against the backdrop
the presidential elections, media reports said Friday. Khalil,
who is also Finance Minister, and Bassil, a Foreign
Minister, met at a luncheon banquet held in the foreign ministry and in the
presence of General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas
Ibrahim, who has been working on mending ties and ending the conflict between
AMAL Movement and the FPM. Al-Joumhouria daily
reported the atmospheres during the meeting as very positive and eager for a reconciliation. It has also been agreed to hold more
future contacts in order to reach an agreement on various issues. Relations
between the two parties were shaken after AMAL leader Speaker Nabih Berri nominated Marada Movement MP Suleiman Franjieh
for the presidential post, while the FPM was backing its founder Michel Aoun --who won the elections in October 31,
2016.Fight over the distribution of ministerial portfolios aggravated the
conflict further. Each party holds the other responsible for the strained ties, and for transforming a previously political,
governmental coalition into a rift that made Speaker and AMAL leader Berri announce that he will join the ranks of the
opposition in the new term of newly elected president Michel Aoun. Although Hizbullah party
had tried to improve the relations between its two allies and was successful in
getting their pledge to reduce tense media rhetoric, but a number of
controversial issues similar to the electricity file, continue to shake the
ties.
Saudi Envoy Says Aoun's Visit to SA Reflects
Positively on Relations with Lebanon
Naharnet/January 06/17/Saudi chargé d'affaires in Lebanon Walid al-Bukhari stressed on Friday that Lebanon's president visit
to Saudi Arabia will have positive results on the Saudi-Lebanese ties, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Friday. “The visit will have
positive outcome on the relations between
Mustaqbal MP Badr Wannous
Passes Away
Naharnet/January 06/17/Al-Mustaqbal MP Badr Wannous has passed away on
Friday at the age of 80. Born in
Ibrahim: Two Mediators Negotiating File of
Servicemen Abducted by IS
Naharnet/January 06/17/The file of servicemen
abducted by the Islamic State extremist group is back in the spotlight,
following Thursday's meeting between their relatives and President Michel Aoun, and the declaration of General Security chief Maj.
Gen. Abbas Ibrahim that new mediators are negotiating
to reveal their fate. Ibrahim, who attended the meeting between the relatives
and Aoun, told al-Joumhouria
on Friday: “We have been communicating with two mediators for the past two
months. The first mediator is in the outskirts of Arsal,
and the second is in
Kanaan: No return to 60's law, mixedjoint
vision within 3 weeks
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - "Change and Reform" Parliamentary Bloc
Secretary, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, ruled out, on Friday,
any discussion of returning to or amending the 1960 electoral law, adding that
"in the next 3 weeks, we should reach a common perception among the
various parliamentary blocs regarding the electoral law, before the pressing deadlines."Speaking in an interview to "MTV"
Channel, Kanaan indicated that, "discussions are
underway regarding the mixed visions proposed with amendments to the terms of
partition and seats." He pointed out that "amongst the dossiers
subject to cooperation with House Speaker, Nabih Berri, is the electoral law, with the aim of reaching an
intersection at this level."Kanaan concluded by
saying that, "The page of presidential elections has been turned, and the
approach today is between President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, representing the Constitution, and House Speaker Berri as Head of Parliament."
Chinese Foreign Minister at the House of
Center: I explained to PM Hariri our President's initiative and our welcoming
of Lebanon's participation in its execution
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - Prime Minister, Saad al-Hariri,
met on Friday evening at the "House of Center" with Chinese Foreign
Minister, Zhang Ming, on head of an official delegation, in the presence of
Chinese Ambassador to Lebanon Wang Kiqian. Following
the meeting, Ming said: "I met with Prime Minister Hariri and we exchanged views on how to strengthen the friendly
cooperation between
Rahi: Values are lost in our society
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - "Values in our society are being lost and the
Lebanese society needs to be developed," Maronite
Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi said during a mass service in Bkirki
on Friday upon the Epiphany Day. In his sermon, Rahi
hoped that peace would prevail in the region especially in the countries that
were witnessing fierce violence, terrorism and infringement on innocent lives.
After the mass service, the Patriarch welcomed well-wishers upon Epiphany Day
UNIFIL informed by Israeli army of
shepherd's arrest, efforts underway for his release
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - In an issued statement by the UNIFIL, it indicated
that "around eight o'clock this evening, the UNIFIL was notified by the
Israeli army that it has captured a shepherd who had crossed over the Blue Line
in the vicinity of Aita al-Shaab
in the South," adding that the UNIFIL immediately informed the Lebanese
army, NNA correspondent in Tyre reported. The statement also indicated that
"the head of the UNIFIL mission and its General Commander, Major General
Michael Perry, as well as the UNIFIL correlation team are in touch with the
parties concerned in this regard, focusing their efforts on securing the
shepherd's release." In the meantime, UNIFIL is working to verify the
circumstances of the incident, including the identification of the place where
the shepherd was detained.
Badr Wannous laid to rest in his
hometown, Dhour alHawa
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - The town of
Armed gang kidnaps Lebanese expatriate in
Mozambique
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - The family members of Lebanese Expatriate, Communications
Engineer Hassan Ali Karim, who hails from the
Southern town of Yater, have received news of his
kidnapping overnight by an armed robbery gang in Maputo, capital of Mozambique
in West Africa, while on his way back from work as manager of a supermarket,
NNA correspondent reported on Friday. His relatives have indicated that
contacts are underway with the kidnappers to release him in exchange for a
ransom.
Shepherd disappears near borders with Palestine, Army contacts UNIFIL
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - The citizen, Abdullah Hassan Rahma,
disappeared on Friday, as he was grazing a herd of cattle in his hometown of Aita al-Shaab in the South, near
the border region with occupied Palestine, NNA correspondent in Tebnin reported.
Dabbour confers with Egyptian Ambassador over Palestinian
situation
Fri 06 Jan 2017/NNA - Ambassador of the State of Palestine, Ashraf Dabbour, met on Friday
with Egyptian Ambassador Nazih el-Najari,
at the Embassy headquarters, with talks cantering on conditions inside the
Palestinian occupied territories. According to a statement by Dabbour's Media Bureau, it indicated that "discussions
touched on the Palestinian situation and the Israeli government's measures to
impose a certain reality on the ground, as well as its attempts to undermine
the Palestinian national project to establish an independent state with
The Latest Ceasefire Will Not Change
Hezbollah's Role in Syria
Hanin Ghaddar/The
Washington Institute/January 06/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/06/hanin-ghaddarthe-washington-institute-the-latest-ceasefire-will-not-change-hezbollahs-role-in-syria/
Iran and Russia may find a way to push past their strategic differences and
make the ceasefire work, but it will be much more difficult to forge agreements
on Syria's other intractable issues at the upcoming peace conference.
In mid-December, after a final military assault on
Yet the ceasefire is under threat only days after it began, with Hezbollah and
Assad regime forces fighting rebels in the
Wadi Barada has been under
siege since July, when Syrian and Hezbollah troops cut access routes to a
spring that provides much of the capital's water. Under the direction of its
Iranian patron, Hezbollah has been working diligently to strengthen its control
over the suburbs, in line with a wider plan to establish a Sunni-free corridor
linking
For its part,
This does not mean that
DISPARATE INTERESTS
In contrast,
These differences between
STUMBLING BLOCKS
Shortly after the ceasefire was announced, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu declared to
reporters back home, "All foreign fighters need to leave
Hezbollah responded the next day with a series of statements. Political Bureau
chief Ibrahim Amin Assayed declared that the group
will not leave
Likewise, Ali Akbar Velayati, a close advisor to
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, issued a
statement on January 3 insisting that Hezbollah will remain in
In short,
Another stumbling block is
BEYOND THE CEASEFIRE
Although Iran and
For its part, the
**Hanin Ghaddar, a veteran
Lebanese journalist and researcher, is the Friedmann
Visiting Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published on January 06-07/17
Gunman opens fire at
Florida airport, killing 5
By Reuters, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Friday, 6 January 2017
A gunman wearing a “Star Wars” T-shirt opened fire at a baggage carousel at
Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Friday, killing at least
five people before being taken into custody, officials and witnesses said. Five
people died and eight were wounded in the incident, the local sheriff’s office
said. Police shot the shooter as he attempted to reload, MSNBC reported, citing
witnesses. It said the man, who said nothing, appeared to be in his 20s and was
wearing a “Star Wars” T-shirt. He carried a
Mark Lea, another eyewitness, told MSNBC “there was no rhyme or reason to it.”“He didn’t say anything, he was quiet the whole time,
he didn’t yell anything,” Lea said. Security officials corralled passengers
underneath jetways and on the runway apron, according
to images on television. A woman tended to a bleeding, seated man outside an
airport building, according to a photo posted on Twitter by a
History of shootings
Friday’s attack comes nearly two months after a former Southwest Airlines
worker killed an employee of the company at
Al-Qaeda chief Ayman
al-Zawahiri calls ISIS ‘liars’
AFP, Washington Friday, 6 January 2017/Al-Qaeda leader Ayman
al-Zawahiri has denounced what he said was a
dishonest propaganda campaign by rival group ISIS against his organization, in
an audio message released Thursday. In the message found and translated by
US-based watchdog the SITE Intelligence Group, the Egyptian extremist accuses
US house votes to condemn UN’s
AFP,
Russia announces reductions in its forces
in Syria
Agencies Friday, 6 January 2017/Russia says it is withdrawing its aircraft
carrier and some other warships from the waters off Syria as the first step in
drawing down forces in Syria.
Russian General Staff chief Gen. Valery Gerasimov
said on Friday that the Admiral Kuznetsov carrier and
accompanying ships are to be the first to leave. He was quoted as saying by the
state news agency Tass that "in accordance with
the decision by the supreme commander-in-chief (President) Vladimir Putin, the Defense Ministry is starting to downsize the grouping of
armed forces in
Clashes in al-Bab
Additionally, Turkish-backed Syrian rebels are fighting street battles with
ISIS militants in the city of al-Bab, and progress in
taking it from the militants has been slowed by efforts to avoid civilian
casualties,
‘Paying the price’
Meanwhile, Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Friday that Turkey and the region are paying
the price for the United States choosing the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia as a
partner in the fight against ISIS. Speaking to broadcaster Haberturk,
Isik said
Coalition strike kills senior ISIS leader
in
AFP, Washington Friday, 6 January 2017/The US-based coalition has killed a
senior ISIS group facilitator in an air strike in the extremists'
self-proclaimed capital of Raqa, the
ISIS militants kill 4 soldiers near
Reuters,
Turkey to naturalize Syrian, Iraqi
migrants: Erdogan
AFP,
Syria Truce Enters Critical Phase, Opposition
Urges Security Council Intervention
Paula Astih/Asharq Al Awsat/January
06/17
French President Francois Hollande demanded that
pro-regime forces abide completely by the ceasefire and save no effort in
giving the
U.N. Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura
told international correspondents that preparations for
Preparations are currently underway for the multilateral meeting, led by
The talks aim at implementing the comprehensive ceasefire in
De Mistura has set Feb. 8 for the next round of
U.N.-mediated talks on
He considered the case on Russian and Turkish influence reaching out to
conflicting sides in
The U.N. plans on sending a representative to attend the Astana talks, in
addition to employing any positive outcomes in order to ensure the steady
progress of Syrian reconciliation during the February Geneva talks, de Mistura noted.
De Mistura’s humanitarian advisor
Jan Egeland told reporters that
Despite the ceasefire agreement, U.N. aid convoys are currently still
struggling to gain access to a number of Syrian cities to deliver humanitarian
aid and assistance to stranded civilians, Egeland
noted, adding that U.N. relief teams were prevented from accessing areas in
Rural Damascus, Homs, and Hama.
At Least 150 Pakistanis Arrested after
Attempting to March in Support of Blasphemy Law
Asharq Al Awsat/January
06/17/Police arrest supporters of a Pakistani hardline
group trying to rally in support of blasphemy laws, on the anniversary of the
death of Salman Taseer,
Pakistani governor of Pakistan's Punjab province, who was killed by his
bodyguard in 2011 for opposing the country's harsh blasphemy laws, in Lahore,
Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Police arrest supporters of a Pakistani hardline group trying to rally in support of blasphemy
laws, on the anniversary of the death of Salman Taseer, Pakistani governor of Pakistan's Punjab province,
who was killed by his bodyguard in 2011 for opposing the country's harsh
blasphemy laws, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Police
authorities in
Last February,
Bahraini Authorities Accuse Isa Qassim of
Transferring $14 Million to Iranian Bank
Obaid Al-Suhaymi/Asharq Al Awsat/January 06/17/
Manama – A high court in Bahrain adjourned the trial of Isa Qassim
and two of his deputies which was closed on June 14, 2016 in the case of
illegal fundraising and money laundering by the Islamic Awareness Society. The
case was postponed to January 30. Bahraini authorities that investigated
several local societies accused of money laundering and illegal fund-raising
acts had frozen Qassim’s bank account. He has been
charged along with two other suspects of “illegal fundraising, money laundering
and financial transactions to conceal their source and add legitimacy to them.”Earlier, the court requested the Central Bank of
“The religious figure succeeded in sending a large amount from the funds raised
to
Member of Syrian National Coalition:
NCRI/Jaqnuary 06/17/ Following
the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution on
Orient TV: how does the Syrian National Coalition see the UN Security Council
resolution?
Yasser Farhan, Syrian National Coalition member:
Naturally, ceasefire is an absolute necessity for Syrian people. It’s a real
interest and the main demand of the revolutionary forces and the Syrian
opposition. The ones who open fire on the citizens and use different kinds of
banned weapons are Assad and Iranian regimes. The Free Syrian Army is most
committed to the ceasefire. The Free Syrian Army has made the ceasefire happen.
The other side has recognized the revolutionary forces and the armed opposition
as the main negotiator. Actually, the Free Syrian Army has succeeded to force
the other side into granting this right. The Free Syrian Army is honestly
committed to this agreement. The problem is the deceptive, hypocritical
practices Assad and Iranian regime keep resorting to. One of these hypocritical
measures is changing the ceasefire deal which the Free Syrian Army has signed
and reached an agreement with
NCRI/Jaqnuary 06/17/ The Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Turkey, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu
stated that
On 5th of January 2017, Al-Jazeera TV reported that the Minister of Foreign
Affairs of Turkey has accused Assad regime, Hezbollah and the backed-up
militants of the Iranian regime of violating the ceasefire in
On 5th of January 2017, Al-Arabiya TV also reported
that
The area of Wadi Barada is
being bombed and shelled for several consecutive days by the Assad forces and
militants affiliated with the regime. The Human Rights Organization of Syria
announced that Assad forces have advanced to this area and they have reached
near the city of
Despite the ongoing protests that threaten the ceasefire agreement signed by
In order to protest against the wars and violation of ceasefire, the militants
of the Syrian Opposition have recently announced that they have suspended the
peace negotiation with the Assad regime which is going to be held in the
capital of
The militants of the Syrian Opposition call for stopping the military attacks
of the Assad regime and its militia, redeployment of the international
observers to monitor the ceasefire and also fixing the main water power station
of Al-Fije which has been damaged due to bombings.
According to the news, the Assad regime fired Wadi Barada area on Wednesday 4th of January 2017. However, the
local authorities reached an agreement with the Russian officers.
According to the agreement, the Russian officers would be deployed to the area
in order to monitor the ceasefire. Nevertheless, the Hezbollah forces prevented
these officers from entering to Wadi Barada area. As a result, the Russian officers returned to
NCRI/Jaqnuary 06/17/ Hassan Rouhani's
government has conflicted with the Judiciary of Iran on a case of robbery to an
amount of 3 billion dollars. The conflict has arisen at the peak of public
hatred regarding social disasters. The plunders and loots done by the Iranian
regime are disclosed more than ever.
The first Deputy of the Judiciary accused the government of cheating. He
requested that the financial resources of Rouhani's
campaign in the last presidential election have to be announced.
On Wednesday of December 4th 2016, the first Deputy and the Spokesman of the
Judiciary, Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'I
in a meeting stressed that the bank accounts of the Judiciary are completely
transparent. As Hassan Rouhani has twitted yesterday
that the government is ready to set up a system to reveal all income and
expenditures, Eje'I responded:"Well,
why not? Nobody has stopped you."
Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje'I also addressed Akbar Torkan
who was the Deputy Campaign Manager of Hassan Rouhani
in 2013, saying that he should unconditionally release the sources of the
campaign.
Akbar Torkan had earlier stated that Rouhani's campaign will release the accounts information
provided that all candidates also announce that whom they have received money
from in the presidential election of 2013.
The spokesman of the Judiciary said:"I ask you
how much does a person require for a presidential campaign?
Certainly more than 20 billion Tomans.
Well, you tell, where did this money come from?"
The conflict between two branches of the regime started when Hassan Rouhani announced in the last week that the Judiciary has
prevented to deliver Babak Zanjani
to the Ministry of Intelligence and it has not yet been ascertained who his
accomplices were and why they are in such positions now.
The head of the Judiciary of the Regime, Sadegh Larijani on 3rd of January 2017 retorted to Rouhani that Babak Zanjani has donated to Rouhani's
campaign in the presidential election of 2013, as he claims.
Sadegh Larijani reiterated that:"we do not have anything to say now. We can
summon those who are alleged by Babak Zanjani and if needed we will apprehend them to figure out
the case."
One day after that, Hassan Rouhani twitted that he is
ready to establish a system to provide clarification about the government's
accounts. Meanwhile, he asked the Judiciary to release its accounts information
as well.
The two MPs have asked Sadegh Larijani
to clarify about the amount of deposit which has been transferred from the
Judiciary to his personal bank account.
The Senior Advisor of Hassan Rouhani, Akbar Torkan (who was also his Deputy Campaign at the time of
presidential election) in an interview with Jamaran
Website claimed that Babak Zanjani
has never donated to Rouhani's campaign and this is a
blatant lie.
In the midst of this conflict, the Spokesman of the Guardian Council implicitly
threatened Rouhani that he will be disqualified for the
next presidential election.
Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei
contended that the Guardian Council has always assessed the eligibility of
presidents closely and there is no guarantee that a president would be
qualified for the second pres
Iran: How Trump can help the conflict in
Syria
NCRI/Jaqnuary 06/17/ On 12th December
last year, President-elect Donald Trump told Gerald Seib
of The Wall Street Journal that during his presidency the U.S. will “stop
looking to topple regimes and overthrow governments”. However, it is possible
that Trump can help the situation in
Trump could urge countries with foreign fighters in
Why is the Iranian regime so desperate to stay in
In
In 1988, the Islamic Republic ordered the execution of over 30,000 political
prisoners with the hope of destroying the MEK. Yet it is still around and has
more support than ever. In fact, it is a major part of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and is a friend of the Syrian opposition.
On 3rd December last year, President Obama shunned
If Trump were to keep the same policies in place as Obama, the Syrian
opposition would never be able to survive. If however Trump manages to pull all
foreign influences out of
MEF's Legal Project Funds a Major Victory in Canada
News from the Middle East Forum/ January 5, 2017
http://www.meforum.org/6471/mef-legal-project-funds-major-victory-in-canada
Djemila Benhabib was
sued for criticizing the "indoctrination" of students at a Muslim
private school.
"From now on freedom of expression will be better off in our
democratic society," said Ms. Benhabib. "In
helping me, the Middle East Forum's Legal Project has played such an important
part in that matter."
In 2012 radio interviews, Ms. Benhabib
criticized the school for teaching "extremely violent" and
"misogynistic" Koranic verses to students,
and for "spreading a message of hatred." She said the school "is
creating fundamentalist activists who in a few years will be demanding
accommodations and all sorts of bizarre things."
Ms. Benhabib also blasted the school for
creating an alternate society "where women walk behind men with their
heads down ... and men are probably going to commit honor
crimes against their sisters."
The school sued Ms. Benhabib for CAD 95,000.
The Legal Project helped fund her legal defense.
According to Marc-André Nadon, Ms. Benhabib's attorney, "The Superior Court's decision
will undeniably have a substantial impact ... on the right to comment on and to
criticize religious beliefs and education."
The Legal Project protects the public discussion of Islam and related
topics in the West, by assisting victims of predatory lawsuits and malign
legislation.
The Middle East Forum promotes American interests through activist,
intellectual, and philanthropic efforts.
For immediate release
For more information, contact: Gregg Roman,
Director
Roman@MEForum.org
Investigators return to question Netanyahu
over alleged receipt of gifts
Reuters,
Vice-President Biden tells Trump to ‘grow
up’
AFP Friday, 6 January 2017/US Vice-President Joe Biden has a blunt suggestion
for President-elect Donald Trump: It is time to “grow up.”Asked
about a few of Trump’s controversial remarks and tweets since winning the
November election, Biden had some intemperate comments of his own. “Grow up
Donald, grow up, time to be an adult, you’re president,” he told television
station PBS in an interview broadcast Thursday. “Time to do
something. Show us what you have.” Trump earlier on Thursday described
Four Yemeni nationals from Guantanamo
arrive in Riyadh
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 5 January
2017/Four Yemenis from Guantanamo Bay military prison arrived in Riyadh on
Thursday evening , in President Barack Obama’s final
push to shrink the inmate population there despite pressure from the
president-elect to halt such releases.Last April,
Saudi Arabia - one of the top US allies in the region - accepted nine Yemenis
under a long-negotiated deal between Washington and Riyadh. It will be the
first in Obama’s final flurry of transfers aimed at sending as many as 19
prisoners to at least four countries, including
Egypt Arrests Suspected Cairo Checkpoint Attackers
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/January
06/17/Egyptian authorities have detained three people suspected of planning and
carrying out a Cairo police checkpoint bombing that killed six policemen last
month, the interior ministry said Thursday. In footage published by the
interior ministry, one of the suspects, Mahmoud Ahmed
Mohamed Ahmed, confessed he planted an explosive device at the checkpoint on
December 9 in
On the day of the explosion, the attackers moved close to the checkpoint
and pretended their car had broken down. Ahmed placed an explosive device shaped
like a rock near the checkpoint before another attacker set it off as they left
in their car, he said in the video confession. Attacks on security forces have
escalated since the military's July 2013 ouster of former Islamist president
Mohamed Morsi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood
group, and a crackdown on Islamists. Analysts had warned that Islamists
affiliated with the Brotherhood, though not necessarily under their control,
could step up violence in the face of the crackdown. Militants in
Arab coalition airstrikes pound Houthis
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 6 January
2017/Arab coalition airstrikes pounded scores of positions of Houthi militias and their ally, former Yemeni President Ali
Abdullah Saleh, while the Yemeni government army and
Popular Resistance forces steadily score remarkable advances by pushing forward
on all fronts. During the 24 hours, the coalition carried out 20 airstrikes on
various militia targets in Saada, Lahaj
and Taiz, which also destroyed a ballistic missile
launch pad in the Directorate of Zibab. The aerial
bombardments followed a missile attack launched by the militias group against
Yemeni government forces positioned in Bab al-Mandab.
Pushed out
On the ground, Yemeni government forces progress
incessantly, recovering a strategic mountainous area in Bihan
valley exposing the supply lines of the militias to al-Safra
area. Meanwhile, the militias have been pushed out of several tactical
highlands and spots in Taiz, amid fierce clashes
between the warring sides in Shabwa governorate.
Vice-President Biden tells Trump to ‘grow up’
AFP Friday, 6 January 2017/US Vice-President Joe Biden has a blunt suggestion
for President-elect Donald Trump: It is time to “grow up.”Asked
about a few of Trump’s controversial remarks and tweets since winning the
November election, Biden had some intemperate comments of his own. “Grow up
Donald, grow up, time to be an adult, you’re president,” he told television
station PBS in an interview broadcast Thursday. “Time to do
something. Show us what you have.” Trump earlier on Thursday described
Reuters, Dhaka Friday, 6 January 2017/Bangladesh counter-terrorism police shot
dead two militants on Friday in a gunfight in
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis
& editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 06-07/17
Question: "What is the
conscience?"ما هو
الضمير
بالمفهوم
الإنجيلي
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/2017/01/06/what-is-the-conscience/
GotQuestions.org
Answer: The conscience is defined as that part of the human psyche that induces
mental anguish and feelings of guilt when we violate it and feelings of
pleasure and well-being when our actions, thoughts and words are in conformity
to our value systems. The Greek word translated “conscience” in all New
Testament references is suneidēsis, meaning
“moral awareness” or “moral consciousness.” The conscience reacts when one’s
actions, thoughts, and words conform to, or are contrary to, a standard of
right and wrong.
There is no Hebrew term in the Old Testament equivalent to suneidēsis
in the New Testament. The lack of a Hebrew word for “conscience” may be due to
the Jewish worldview, which was communal rather than individual. The Hebrew
considered himself as a member of a covenant community that related corporately
to God and His laws, rather than as an individual. In other words, the Hebrew
was confident in his own position before God if the Hebrew nation as a whole
was in good fellowship with Him.
The New Testament concept of conscience is more individual in nature and involves
three major truths. First, conscience is a God-given capacity for human beings
to exercise self-evaluation. Paul refers several times to his own conscience
being “good” or “clear” (Acts 23:1; 24:16; 1 Corinthians 4:4). Paul examined
his own words and deeds and found them to be in accordance with his morals and
value system, which were, of course, based on God’s standards. His conscience
verified the integrity of his heart.
Second, the New Testament portrays the conscience as a witness to something.
Paul says the Gentiles have consciences that bear witness to the presence of
the law of God written on their hearts, even though they did not have the
Mosaic Law (Romans 2:14-15). He also appeals to his own conscience as a witness
that he speaks the truth (Romans 9:1) and that he has conducted himself in
holiness and sincerity in his dealings with men (2 Corinthians 1:12). He also
says that his conscience tells him his actions are apparent to both God and the
witness of other men’s consciences (2 Corinthians 5:11). Third, the conscience
is a servant of the individual’s value system. An immature or weak value system
produces a weak conscience, while a fully informed value system produces a
strong sense of right and wrong. In the Christian life, one’s conscience can be
driven by an inadequate understanding of scriptural truths and can produce
feelings of guilt and shame disproportionate to the issues at hand. Maturing in
the faith strengthens the conscience.
This last function of the conscience is what Paul addresses in his instructions
regarding eating food sacrificed to idols. He makes the case that, since idols
are not real gods, it makes no difference if food has been sacrificed to them
or not. But some in the Corinthian church were weak in their understanding and
believed that such gods really existed. These immature believers were horrified
at the thought of eating food sacrificed to the gods, because their consciences
were informed by erroneous prejudices and superstitious views. Therefore, Paul
encourages those more mature in their understanding not to exercise their
freedom to eat if it would cause the consciences of their weaker brothers to
condemn their actions. The lesson here is that, if our consciences are clear
because of mature faith and understanding, we are not to cause those with
weaker consciences to stumble by exercising the freedom that comes with a
stronger conscience. Another reference to conscience in the New Testament is to
a conscience that is “seared” or rendered insensitive as though it had been
cauterized with a hot iron (1 Timothy 4:1-2). Such a
conscience is hardened and calloused, no longer feeling anything. A person with
a seared conscience no longer listens to its promptings, and he can sin with
abandon, delude himself into thinking all is well with his soul, and treat
others insensitively and without compassion.
As Christians, we are to keep our consciences clear by obeying God and keeping
our relationship with Him in good standing. We do this by the application of
His Word, renewing and softening our hearts continually. We consider those
whose consciences are weak, treating them with Christian love and compassion.
Recommended Resource: Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those
Who Differ by Naselli & Crowley
Iran sees hailing Assad as top priority
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Al Arabiya/January 06/17
While images of Iran homeless living in graves sock the nation, Iran’s state
outlets and Persian-language newspapers decided instead to focus on the
economic and strategic cooperation between Damascus and Tehran, and the
meetings between the Syria’s Foreign Minister Walid Muallem and senior Iranian officials in Tehran including
Iran’s President Hassan Rowhani, Foreign Minister
Mohammad Javad Zarif and
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani.
Oscar-winning film director Asghar Farhadi wrote an open letter to Rowhani.
Farhardi suggested Iranian politicians to go into the
streets to see how people are living. “Today, I read a shocking report about
men, women and children who are living in graves of a cemetery near Tehran in
these cold nights and now I am full of shame and have tears in my eyes,” Farhadi wrote. Although the lifting of sanctions and the
release of billions of dollars to the Iranian governments have provided
significant economic boost to Iran’s officials, the living standards of Iran’s
ordinary people are becoming harder and harder. Unemployment and inflation have
reached record high. One crucial factor behind the increasing poverty in
Assistance to Assad
The high-level meetings between Iranian and Syrian leaders were to reassert
Iran’s financial, military, strategic, and geopolitical support to Assad’s
forces. The meetings were also to send a message to the world that
Muallem also met with Ali Akbar Velayati,
close advisor of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
and director of the Strategic Studies Center of Iran’s Expediency Council. To
boast about
One crucial factor behind rising poverty in Iran is its spending of national
wealth on supporting Assad and its proxies rather than assisting its own
people.
“Moderates” and “hardliners” support Assad equally
Iran’s publicized reception of Muallem and his
delegation is aimed at sending a message to anti-Assad forces that the Islamic
Republic’s support for Assad and his forces will remain robust as it has been
in the nearly six-year Syrian war.
Iranian leaders, across the political spectrum, agree on
As long as there exist no powerful collation to
counter
Why Arabs hate Obama?
Mamdouh AlMuhaini/Al Arabiya/January 06/17
President Obama’s relations with Arabs and Muslims started on a good note, then witnessed betrayal and ended up with hatred. The
most powerful president of the world ignored the massacres that took the lives
of Arab and Muslim children. He continued to remain silent despite terrorist
Sunni and Shiite militias targeting towns and villages. He even entered into a
deal with their biggest enemy.
But who is guilty – us or him? May be both. In fact,
we did not understand his approach and policies properly. We had high
expectations and insisted on seeing him as an exceptional president who will
change the face of the world, even before he entered the White House.
In just two weeks, Obama will leave office and it is not difficult to analyze
his legacy. He has been neither great nor miserable. He is neither
extraordinary – as we expected – nor bad. He seemed to be a technocrat steeped
in local issues without a global vision as president of the most powerful
nation in the world should have.
The first mistake we made was in reading and understanding his
His speech was entitled “The New Beginning” but those who carefully listened to
it knew that its real title should have been more like “goodbye.” He used
Arabic words in his speech and talked about his memories in
All this psychological manipulation was to calm them down following the wave of
anger toward
Understanding foreign policy
The second mistake was in understanding his foreign
policy. On an intellectual level, Obama did not believe that diluting the
monopoly over global affairs, which was constantly echoed by his predecessors,
would devalue the “greatness of
The only moment that Obama expressed a strong desire to intervene in foreign
affairs was a mere emotional outburst that ended right after stepping into the
White House. That was the famous threat of taking Assad down; which is now
infamously known as the “red line”.
Obama’s critics were asking things from him that he did not have. Those who
begged, out of humanitarian and moral duties, for the
On an intellectual level, Obama did not believe that diluting the monopoly over
global affairs, which was constantly echoed by his predecessors, would devalue
the “greatness of America”
He appeared stubborn and lacked compassion toward the terrible events that
shook the world, like for instance the images of Aylan
Kurdi, the Syrian child who was found drowned and Omran Daqneesh. His disdain for
what happens outside his country’s borders was clear as he used to receive
terrible news of tragedies in
The only argument that he used to resort to repeatedly was that the
He did not even take into consideration the American intellectual and
politicians’ criticism. It was not a matter of morality, but rather a matter of
maintaining international order, interests and influence toward a “world that
the US had created” as stated in the title of a book written by one of his
critics.
Approach to terrorism
Moreover, we did not understand Obama’s approach toward terrorism. It was
perplexing to see ISIS, one of the most evil organizations, expanding during
his tenure and committing dreadful massacres that no one had imagined in the
21st century. The
The social media generation
He currently does not have Republican friends or allies; therefore, his Obamacare program might be under threat of revocation by
Trump. Obama believes that he belongs to the Facebook
and Twitter generation yet he does not need to shoot short clips to communicate
with his supporters and admirers. He does not either believe that he should be
sitting with political figures who are opposed to his vision. Obama is not a
president who failed domestically. He has contributed to economic reforms and
saving the automobile industry. He also endorsed an important health project
even though it had several weaknesses. He is a good orator and his book “Dreams
from My Father” is one of the best biographies. However, the
Obama is the first
**This article is available in Arabic at Al-Arabiya.net
Dialogue With Iran is an Unrealistic Idea
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al
Awsat/January 06/17
http://english.aawsat.com/2017/01/article55365044/opinion-dialogue-iran-unrealistic-idea
The story is not about the terrorist attack on a prison in Bahrain using
pistols and automatic rifles in the style of films that resulted in a police
officer being killed and 10 dangerous prisoners to escape. Nor was it about the
planning that accompanied the operation which seems more likely to be carried
out by intelligence services than members of a gang.
The real story is about
Since the conclusion of the Iranian nuclear deal, there is an idea circulating
in western circles that government officials and western ministers are speaking
frankly about and promoting. This idea is that the agreement provides an
opportunity to take the first step in establishing a new security system in the
Arabian Gulf in order to improve relations between
This is great, the terms are impeccable and the ideas on paper are wonderful
and extremely ideal. Unfortunately, however, this is not applicable, and is
closer to impossible. It is highly unlikely that
The dialogue between any two parties in diplomatic relations is never an
objective, rather it is a means. Repeated terms such as resolving political
differences through negotiation and dialogue are correct in principle but
impossible to implement when one of the parties refuses to give up its
aggressive policy which has become a structural part of the nature of its
political system, and when it wants to begin the dialogue from the point where
its militias, which are scattered in the region, left off. Every time that the
Dialogue and negotiation to make viewpoints converge have never been a Gulf
demand whilst
This week last year,
In light of the dangerous escalation of
Obama and the Palestinian Fig Leaf
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/January
06/17
http://english.aawsat.com/2017/01/article55365068/opinion-obama-palestinian-fig-leaf
In the days that Fleet Street was the home of the British press many clichés
circulated in the public bars as gospel truth of journalism. One such was the
claim that the safest issues to write an editorial about were
It seems that the administration of President Barack Obama has adopted at least
part of the cliché by suddenly feeling an upsurge of sympathy for the
Palestinian cause. For more than a week the White House has been spreading the
news that the
The resolution, numbered 2334, is marketed as an attempt at reviving the
mythical peace process by fomenting confusion regarding other key resolutions
of the Security Council, on the subject, notably the famous 242. It makes a set
of recommendations to
You need not be an expert in diplomacy to know that the resolution reduces any
chance there might have been for a two-state solution, a chimera put in
circulation by the then juvenile United Nations and later given a second life
by President George W Bush. Because Obama is intelligent enough to know this,
the only reason for his 11th hour activism on this issue must be his desire to
hide the total favor of his lackluster
presidency, especially in international affairs. One could already imagine him
claiming in his memoirs that he had “worked hard” for a two-state solution
until the last moments of his presence in the White House. (I wish Senator
George Mitchell would write about his experience as Obama’s
Those who might ask why Obama didn’t do a thing eight years, or even two years
ago, must remember that he was more concerned with his petty electoral
calculations than any desire for justice for the Palestinians. In 2008 he
needed the support of Jewish Americans in such crucial states as
Obama’s foreign policy factotum John Kerry has also been searching for a fig
leaf to hide the nakedness of his failure as Secretary of State. His entourage
tells me that he wanted to make a big speech on the subject in 2014, presumably
to divert attention from his and Obama’s abject failures on
With that order no longer in force, Kerry, too, could build a bit of a legacy
with a 60-minute diatribe that is bound to be studied as a model of confusion
and dishonesty in diplomacy. According to French officials, Kerry has also
asked to be allowed to make another lengthy speech in
Obama, Kerry and Hollande are not the first to try to
look heroic at the expense of the Palestinians, and the Israelis who suffer and
die in a 70-year old zugzwang carted by the so-called
international community which has told Arabs, and more specifically
Palestinians, that they need do nothing themselves to achieve a peace
settlement with Israel: the UN is there to do the work by passing endless
resolutions with no mechanism for implementation.
For people far from the conflict and with no real interest in it, adopting a
heroic posture at the expense of the Palestinians, or the Israelis for that
matter, is no big deal.
The problem is that such heroism bought at the expense of others who pay with
their lives could only prolong a conflict that might have been resolved decades
ago hadn’t others, starting with the British, the UN, the Arab League, the US,
Soviets etc. not intervened, often with empty promises or self-centered
schemes, on one side or another.
The Obama-Kerry tandem may yet engage in other shenanigans before they ride
into the sunset. Their political careers over in disaster across the board,
they have nothing to lose by posing as peacemakers while settling personals
scores on the side.
The Palestinians and Israelis should learn that no outsider, even with the best
of intentions, which is not the case with Obama and Kerry, could solve their
problems for them. It is up to the Palestinians and Israelis to decide whether
they could live together and on what terms. Big speeches and meaningless
resolutions might camouflage that fact for a while but won’t deprive it of its
urgency.
Egyptian Writers Argue Over
Mosques' Calls To Prayer Using Loudspeakers
MEMRI/January 06/17
For several years,
Additionally, in late November 2016, it was reported that the ministry was
testing a system for broadcasting a single series of calls to prayer and a
single Friday prayer service across the country, to be rolled out first in
Cairo and its environs, in order to prevent the cacophony of multiple
simultaneous calls and prayers.[2]
A debate recently developed on this issue among journalists writing for the
Egyptian daily Al-Masri Al-Yawm.
The debate followed the November 14, 2016 publication of an article by the
paper's owner and founder Salah Diab,
a businessman who also writes under the pen name Newton, criticizing mosques'
use of amplification, and arguing that the public calls themselves had been
necessary in the early Islamic period when people did not have watches and
everyone needed reminding that it was time to come pray. Today, he wrote, the
amplified calls constitute "noise pollution" that damages the
environment, and particularly disturbs children and the sick and elderly. Diab added that some Islamic countries currently ban
amplified calls to prayer, and that it detracts from the importance of the
religion and the respect due it.
Nihad 'Asqalani, a former
aide to Egypt's foreign minister and former ambassador to Lebanon, wrote an
article supporting Diab's view, as did senior Al-Masri Al-Yawm writer Osama Al-Ghazali Harb, who stated that
amplification is an environmental and public nuisance and that it should be
banned entirely for smaller mosques. Both argued that, unlike the imams
themselves, there is nothing in the religion that promotes amplification and it
does not indicate piety.
On the other hand, Al-Masri Al-Yawm
columnist 'Abd Al-Nasser Salama,
who is a former editor of the official daily Al-Ahram,
criticized Diab and the others, saying that the calls
to prayer disturb no one, and they should not provoke the public in this way.
If they don't like the noise, he wrote, they should keep their distance from
mosques.
In a rebuttal article, Diab stressed that he was not
complaining about the calls to prayer, only about their volume when amplified,
and reiterated that they do indeed harm the environment and disgrace the
religion.
It should be mentioned that this debate took place as
The following report will highlight excerpts from the debate in the Egyptian
press on this issue:
Salah Diab (image: Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Egypt, June 21,
2014)
Owner Of Egyptian Daily: Amplification Of Call To Prayer Constitutes Noise
Pollution
In a November 14, 2016 article titled "The Minaret Wars," Salah Diab, writing under the pen
name Newton, criticized the use of mosque loudspeakers due to the excessive
noise it creates. He wrote: "My grandson came to visit me; I live in an
area that is packed with mosques, both large and small. We strolled together in
my garden, conversing quietly and innocently, as is natural for a grandfather
and his grandson. The time for afternoon prayer came, and suddenly we heard a
sound like an explosion, bursting forth from dozens of loudspeakers in the area
all at once. I was startled to see my grandson start
to cry, and that he was fearful and terrified.
"I drew him close to me in an attempt to reassure him. I was at a loss –
what should I say? Should I apologize for what scared him? Should I tell him, 'Don't be afraid, my little one – these are merely
innovations in our praiseworthy religion?' How could I explain to him that
ignorance prevails in the country?
"The mosques have been taken over by those who are boastful and who
compete with each other to have the loudest voice, by means of microphones!
Perhaps the loudspeakers will increase the value of the religion!
"Since then, I have been confused and ashamed. Every time voices burst
forth from the loudspeakers all around me, I remember that day, and that little
one's terror, and it deeply saddens me.
"The same thing happens with Friday sermons – dozens of sermons mix
together, blaring from mosque loudspeakers in every neighborhood,
and it is impossible to tell them apart, or to focus on a single one; they
infiltrate, uninvited, into homes.
"I neither support nor oppose a [countrywide] uniform sermon [in all the
mosques],[3] but I condemn this noise pollution that recurs five times every
day, without an explanation – it is just pointless clamor.
What would be the harm if every preacher focused solely on his own worshippers
– that is, on those who answered the call to come hear his sermon without the
noise pollution that he produces outside his mosque?
"[Islam's first muezzin] Bilal bin Rabah[4]
would call people to prayer without using a microphone. His voice was extremely
pleasant. At that time, there was no such thing as a clock, [so] there was a
reason for announcing the prayers so that everyone would know it was time [to
come pray].
"Unfortunately, we use every new Western invention for harming the
beautiful manifestations of our religion. The fundamental [things] that we were
used to 1,400 years ago no longer give us pleasure. Moreover, we have made them
into a source of noise and of torment for the sick, children, and the elderly.
"
"The Prophet, peace be upon him, said in a respected hadith:
'Allah is beautiful and loves beauty.' By Allah, is
this racket, these clashing voices, this harassment, and this harm done to
Allah's words related to beauty [in any way]?"[6]
Excerpt from Diab's first article on this issue
Former Egyptian Diplomat: Small Mosques' Amplification Is Pointless – And Is
Rooted In Rivalry And The Wish To Promote Their Own Imams
As noted, Diab's article launched a debate among Al-Masri Al-Yawm writers. Thus, on
November 17, three days after his original article was published, he published
in his column a response by Nihad Asqalani,
a former aide to Egypt's foreign minister and former ambassador to Lebanon,
seconding Diab's criticism of mosques' use of
amplification and expressing the hope that the government would ban it for
small mosques: "My dear Newton, I agree with the premise of your article
'The Minaret Wars' dealing with the amplification used by large and small
mosques. [In the past,] I yearned for legislation that criminalizes the use of
outside loudspeakers other than for the call to prayer and the prayers
themselves. But now I hope for a total ban on use of outside speakers, except
perhaps for calls to prayer for large mosques, but not small ones. Then we can
implement Allah's command: 'Do not pray [too] loudly or softly – find the
middle way.' Meaning that [Allah commanded that we seek] moderation and the
middle path...
"As for small mosques – this is a big problem. I live near
"I hope you agree with me that unlike large mosques, small ones require no
amplification, because all the worshippers can hear the muezzin or preacher
just fine. But [the amplification] is for the rivalry among the small mosques,
and for promoting their imams.
"Therefore, I hope that the government decides to ban amplification in
small mosques and restrict it to large mosques only. I also hope that they only
will use them for the calls to prayer, and not for broadcasting the prayer
itself. These are only hopes, since [state] officials would never dare make
such decisions..."[7]
Egyptian Writer: We Cannot Actualize Islam's Supremacy By Loudly Broadcasting
Calls To Prayer And Friday Sermons
Egyptian journalist Osama Al-Ghazali Harb also wrote in support of Diab's
position, adding that today there are many technological solutions allowing
people to keep abreast of the correct times for prayers. He also, like Diab, argued that Islam's supremacy can only be actualized
through good deeds, not through loudly broadcasting the muezzin's call to
prayer and the prayers themselves: "Newton's November 15 [sic] article
'The Minaret Wars' in Al-Masri Al-Yawm,
and Nihad Asqalani's
November 18 [sic] follow-up piece, are worthy of debate, because the chaos
surrounding the use of amplification in mosques, large and small, persists.
Indeed, there might be no solution, even with [intervention by] religious
endowments ministers, many of whom have tried to fight this, such as former
minister Dr. Hamdi Zaqzouq
and current Minister Dr. Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa...
"I completely agree with
"Why does this exalted religious act [meaning prayer] become something
that harms people, many of whom are too scared to complain? The supremacy of
Islam and Muslims will never be realized by amplifying calls to prayer and
Friday sermons, but only by good deeds that save the Islamic world from its
sordid reputation of least developed and advanced relative to other world
cultures. Do you remember Samuel Huntington's famous book Clash of
Civilizations?[8] Take another look at it, because, unfortunately, its
prophecies were accurate and are now coming true..."[9]
Egyptian Journalist Criticizes Call To Ban Amplification: If The Noise Bothers
You, Stay Away From The Mosques, And Leave The Rest Of Us Alone
On November 24, 'Abd Al-Nasser Salama,
a columnist for Al-Masri Al-Yawm
and former editor of the Egyptian state daily Al-Ahram,
rebutted the other writers' positions. Nowadays, he maintained, children are
used to loud music, so it is pointless to complain about amplified calls to
prayer which are, after all, a source of blessing for the Muslims and the
secret of Allah's protection of them. He also criticized
"I believe that all those who live in closed compounds and areas far away
from [densely] populated areas can choose not to use amplifications in their
mosques as long as they are happy with that. But we, in the populated,
unplanned, or rural areas, are happy with the calls to prayer by all the
mosques, large and small. We are blessed by them and they do not bother us at
all – on the contrary. So leave us alone, and don't annoy us – at least not on
the grounds of freedom of worship. You can stay away from these areas so you
are not exposed to the hazard of the mosque loudspeakers...
"Incidentally, for those who do not know, [the need for] the call to
prayer was explicitly set out by Allah; it was revealed in the dreams of some
of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, and the Prophet said that these
visions are real and not a human invention that can be permitted or banned. One
may ask for guidance [on this], or ask that [the call to prayer] be pleasant,
or ask that all [calls to prayer] be the same, or anything else – all these are
fundamentally legitimate demands. But [demanding] that they be banned on the
pretext that they [cause] disease, [impact] sleep and study, [make] noise, or
anything else of this nature is unacceptable, since there are even worse noises
in society that no one seeks to prevent...
"What I find sadder – without condemning those who imitate European
practices – is
"There are some among us who call to prayer, some who read the Koran, and
some who wake at night when everyone else sleeps, and some who turn to Allah
all the time in prayer and supplication. They are the secret of [Allah's ] protection [of us]. Leave them alone. Maybe we
will remain alive [by virtue] of their prayers..."[11]
Diab Responds: My Request To Ban Amplified Broadcasts
From Mosques Is Rooted In Protecting The Sanctity Of The Religion
In an article responding to Salama, Diab explained that his statements had been misinterpreted,
that he had no problem with the call to prayer, just with its overloud
amplification which disturbs people: "I am one of the many who read 'Abd Al-Nasser Salama's writings.
But I am surprised that he always [insists on arguing] with any opinion, idea,
or position [that is expressed]. He chooses the opposite position, even when
the argument is sound.
"That is what he did in his article of two days ago on calls to prayer.
There is a big difference between
"On November 14, in my article 'The Minaret Wars,' I criticized the chaos
of the calls to prayer and the loudspeakers. I was not criticizing the call to
prayer [itself] – this would be unthinkable for any Muslim or Coptic Egyptian.
But [the wish] to purify the call to prayer of the [damage] done by
broadcasting it loudly actually reflects adherence to the religion and to its
commandments... According to [Salama], Islam is based
on six principles, not five, with the sixth being jihad of the loudspeakers –
and there are so many kinds of jihad that have been brought down on us
recently.
"[Salama] is defending the dozens of voices
emanating from the loudspeakers of the mosques, large and small, in every neighborhood, that clash with each other and that are indistinguishable
from each other, when it is impossible to focus on any one of them – they
infiltrate homes without permission... Abd Al-Nasser
[Salama] misunderstood this message, deciding that I
wanted to stop the calls to prayer [altogether], while my statements concerned
only their amplification. There are many who are negatively impacted by the
chaos – some sick people are disturbed by it, children are startled by it, the
elderly suffer from it. What harm would it do for this voice to come from a
single source? Undoubtedly, it would make a better impression on all of us, and
would be better received by the non-Muslims even before the Muslims...
"Such cacophony exists only in
"Will our religion be harmed if we control the use of amplification? If we
choose a pleasant sound that people like? Begging your
pardon, my friend 'Abd Al-Nasser."[12]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi' (
[2] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi' (
[3] On the initiative to introduce uniform Friday sermons in ministry-funded
mosques across the country, see MEMRI
Inquiry and Analysis No. 1263,
[4] 580-640 CE. The first muezzin in Islam, appointed by the
Prophet Muhammad.
[5] This is inaccurate; to wit,
[6] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (
[7] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (
[8] Samuel Huntington (1927-2008) was a professor of political science at
Harvard. His book Clash of Civilizations predicted that culture and religion
will be the main sources of global strife in the post cold war era.
[9] Al-Marri Al-Yawm (
[10] In response to the Israeli government’s plan to prohibit the call to
prayer, churches in
[11] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (
[12] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (
UN Security Council Res. 2334: A
Victory of Jihadism
Bat Ye'or/Gatestone Institute/January 06/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/9725/security-council-resolution-israel
Led astray from their primary mission, these international organizations
have become tools of corruption or terrorism, reinforcing global Islamic power.
Those who vote are heads of state, motivated by interests and ideologies that
are often criminal, and not all of which represent the opinions of their people
whom they tyrannize, including those from European "democracies".
In 1948-49,
In 1967, once again, the combined armies of Egypt, Syria and Jordan
invaded Israel to destroy it, but this time Israel took back all the land that
had been lost in 1949, that had become Judenrein
[free of Jews], Arabized and Islamized. These were
areas from which the Palestinian Jews had been driven out, and that
No European nation protested against the Islamic colonization of
Jewish-Palestinian areas, the expulsion of their Jewish inhabitants and the
seizure of their belongings, or against the persecution of Jews in Arab
countries.
An artificial Palestinian Arab "people" was created in order to
replace the people of
Israelis, guilty of existing, were expected to apologize for that, humbly
to maintain their enemies and suffer their terrorism without protesting or
defending themselves. Their crime? They refused to
mingle with and disappear into dhimmitude by giving
up their rights and their history to the people created by the Euro-Arab
alliance to replace them.
It is the turn of Europeans to see a replacement population be created in their countries, with all the rights that are
being taken away from them. It is their turn to be forced to renounce their
national, historic, cultural and religious identity, to apologize and take the
blame for existing. It is their turn to be forced to monitor their borders and
guard their airports, their schools, their trains, their streets and their
cities with soldiers. European governments that contemplated the destruction of
The recognition of the legitimacy of
UN Security Council Resolution 2334, adopted on December 23, 2016,
politically reinforces UNESCO's resolution that erased the history of
A vote at the UN Security Council (illustrative).
[Image source:
This UN resolution once again proves that there is Islamic control over
the politics and culture of international institutions. Led astray from their
primary mission, these international organizations have become tools of
corruption or terrorism, reinforcing global Islamic power. But let us not
forget that those who vote are Heads of State, fully conscious and responsible
individuals, motivated by interests and ideologies that are often criminal, and
not all of which represent the opinions of their people whom they tyrannize,
including those from European "democracies". Their latest resolutions
not only confirm the victory of jihadism and
illiteracy: they also express the success of the years of effort made by this
post-war Europe that continues to destroy, defame and delegitimize the Hebrew
State in the name of Islamic justice. The beginning of this long journey dates
back to 1967, in
So what are these Israeli "settlements" that obsess nations so
much? Are they vast territories thousands of kilometers
from
In 1967, once again, the combined armies of Egypt, Syria and Transjordan
invaded Israel to destroy it, but this time Israel took back all the land that
had been seized in 1949, and that had become cleansed of Jews [Judenrein], Arabized and
Islamized. These were areas from which the Palestinian Jews had been driven
out, and to which
The 1967 war ended with an Arab defeat. Once again, the Arab camp refused
peace, and armistice lines separated the fighters. UN Security Council
Resolution 242 (November 22, 1967) recommended the solution of two waves of
refugees – both Arab and Jewish - and the conditions of a peace, to be
negotiated between Israel and the Arab States that had occupied and colonized
Palestinian territories, expelling or killing all its Palestinian Jewish
inhabitants in 1949. It did not mention the Palestinians Arabs as a distinct
people: they did not exist at that time. The Arabs, determined to destroy
In October 1973,
To begin with, an artificial Palestinian Arab "people" was
created in order to replace the people of
Names of towns and regions were Islamized:
The Euro-Arab alliance did its best to criminalize the Israelis for
having restored their State to their historic homeland. The Israelis' national
sovereignty, their cultural and historic roots, their survival, their successes
and spectacular military victories earned them
reproaches and denigration. Reinvigorated by Palestinian hatred, the post–war
Nazi-Islamic alliance did its best to neutralize the success of the Jewish
State on a political level, to make sure it remained unstable and insecure.
Endlessly harassed by European governments and their armies of dhimmis, the Israelis, guilty of existing, were shamed for
it, forced to apologize for it, and expected humbly to maintain their enemies
and suffer their terrorism without protesting or defending themselves. Their crime? They refused to mingle with and disappear into dhimmitude by giving up their rights and their history to
the people created by the Euro-Arab alliance (Eurabia)
to replace them.
The PLO was the jihadist arm of the Ummah [the
Islamic community], the embodiment of its theological ideology which justified
Islamic expansion and its appropriation of all spaces, while wiping out the
previous cultures and people, imposing its law, its customs and its beliefs
everywhere.
Heads of state, European ministers, the clergy, dhimmi Christians who had become its courtiers, offered it
their help, more than happy to collect its gold, while sweeping away the debris
of people and history before its feet, obstacles to its progress as they
finally managed to rid it of
The European governments, allies of the Palestinian anti-Israeli terrorists,
whom they called a "just cause" - thus feeding them spiritually and
funding them - believed that they were safe. But guess
what? This Ummah policy against
Resolution 2334 is the culmination of this policy, but it is not the last
chapter of the story.
The future may well include the reconciliation of populations based on
the recognition of the legitimacy of
*Bat Ye'or, author of Eurabia:
The Euro-Arab Axis, and of Europe, Globalization and the Coming Universal
Caliphate (winner of a price in London, 2012) received a prize in Israel (1986)
for her study on Oriental Jewry, and a price for the Courage of Free Speech in
Paris (2015) and in Bologna (2015) for her book Comprendere
Eurabia (2015). Her forthcoming book, Understanding Eurabia, will be published by Gatestone
Institute and RVP Publishers in 2017.
© 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.
2017 will be another bad year for the
Arab world
Smadar Perry|/Ynetnews/January
06/17
Analysis: All Mideast experts are predicting that least one leader in our neighborhood will be murdered this coming year. Who will it
be? Each expert has his own guess, each commentator
has his own scenarios.
The New Year catches the Arab world between the sixth anniversaries of the
Jasmine Revolution in
True, they did get rid of dictators - Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak. One disappeared to a
spacious palace in the Saudi deserts, and the other spends his days at the
guarded wing of the
Only few of the experts who pretend to know everything about the Arab world’s
countries are willing to provide a prediction map for the coming year. If 2016
goes down in as the year that produced heartrending images, 2017 won't be much
better. No matter how deep we dig into the list of the 22 Muslim countries,
it’s hard to pull out any good news. Even the body we have been referring to as
“the Arab world” is collapsing and falling apart. In the eyes of the onlooker,
the region is holding onto a division between the “moderate” Sunni camp and the
Shiite “axis of evil.” Above them, the voice of the Arab League umbrella, which
is supposed to unite, sounds weak and frail – if it can even be heard. If last
year’s Man of the Year was Russian President Vladimir Putin, this year’s Man of
the Year is expected to be US President-elect Donald Trump. What do we know
about his world view on issues related to the situation in the
There are optimists in the neighborhood too. They are
clinging to the fact that Trump comes from the business world and believe that
he will shape his foreign policy according to a profit and loss key. It won’t
be simple. The new year is dragging along the threats
and conflicts of 2016. The discreet pursuit of Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, who the world lost trace of three weeks ago, will continue. As
Despite the ceasefire agreement,
It’s interesting to see another evaluation, which all experts are fixated
on: At least one leader in our region will be murdered in 2017. Who will it be?
Each expert has theirown guess, each commentator has
their own scenarios. No one will take the risk of putting the name of the
designated assassination victim in writing.