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Bible Quotation For Today/
Luke 11/49-54: "Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, "I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute",so that this generation may be charged with the blood of all the prophets shed since the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against this generation. Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge; you did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.’When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be very hostile towards him and to cross-examine him about many things, lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say."

Bible Quotation For Today/
Letter to the Romans 16/07-20: "I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offences, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. For while your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I want you to be wise in what is good, and guileless in what is evil. The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you."

LCCC Latest analysis, editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 30-31/15
Mullah Omar’s death and the whirlwinds of Afghanistan/Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/30 July/15
Turkey’s ‘safe zone’: Another chapter in Syria’s disintegration/Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/30 July/15
Iran’s nuke deal: Israel’s best hope or worst nightmare/Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/30 July/15
French coming to Crimea does not thaw diplomatic ice/Maria Dubovikova/Arabiya/30 July/15
Where you can design your own lifestyle/Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabiya/30 July/15
Palestinians: A Rare Voice of Sanity/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 30/15
Open Letter to the Archbishop of Westminster/ Denis MacEoin/Gatestone Institute/July 30/15
Lebanon’s Ills Summed Up by Garbage/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/30 July/15
Why Muslim Rapists Prefer Blondes: A History/Raymond Ibrahim /FrontPage Magazine/July 30/15
Critical Points To Consider In Understanding The Iranian Nuclear Deal: Part II/The Middle East Media Research Institute/Y. Carmon, and A. Braunstein/July 30/15
Liberal Writer Mansour Al-Hadj Proposes Founding An Independent Islamic Organization To Address Root Causes Of Violent Extremism, Promote Peaceful Aspects Of Islam/MEMRI/July 30/15
Following Reports Of Death Of Lebanese Terrorist Samir Al-Quntar, MEMRI Presents Archival Statements By Him From Interviews And Addresses/July 30/15

LCCC Bulletin titles for the Lebanese Related News published on July 30-31/15
Saudi Executes Syrian for Drug Trafficking
Ministry: Kuwait Breaks up New IS Cell
Netanyahu: The more one looks at the Iran accord, the worse it looks
Israel yet to receive all annexes of Iran nuclear deal, says NSC advisor
Carter: Successful Iran nuclear deal better than strike
Afghan Taliban Say 'Unaware' of Peace Talks, No Comment on Mullah Omar
Syrian group says Nusra abducted its leader, in blow to U.S. plan
Egypt and Saudi leaders of Arab security, says Sisi
Yemeni forces seize Houthi positions in Aden
Kuwait uncovers ISIS network
U.S. ‘deeply concerned’ on new Israeli settlements
Three Turkish troops killed in PKK attack, army says
Erdogan taking Turkey to war to avenge Kurdish gains: OppositionYemen: Iranian fighters caught among Houthi militias, says Aden governor
Taliban say Mullah Omar dead, appoint successor
Afghan Taliban appoints new leader
Iran orders from China 150 J-10 fighter jets that incorporate Israeli technology
Christian Pastor Dies Two Years After Beating by Hindu Radicals
Canada Concerned by Delay of Mohamed Fahmy Trial

LCCC Bulletin Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 30-31/15
Sources: Iran Not Ready to Resolve Baabda Crisis despite French Pressure
No Plan for Salam to Resign despite Growing Crises
Mountain Says No Intention to Naturalize Syrians in Lebanon
U.S. Extends National Emergency with Respect to Lebanon
Man Abducted after Being 'Lured' to Syria Border
Army Officer Dies of Wounds Sustained in Shooting, Road Blocked in Protest
U.S. Defense Secretary Says Iran, Hizbullah Present Security Challenges
Salam Blames Political Conflict for Waste Deadlock
Beirut Municipality Asks Cabinet to Allow It to Send Garbage Abroad
Jumblat Ready to Accept Waste Bulk but Urges Christian Action
Al-Rahi Meets Qahwaji: Army Last Safe Haven for People
Army Arrests Lebanese and Foreigners in Anti-Extremism Sweep
Geagea: Trash Crisis Will not Pass Without Accountability
Family denies death of Hezbollah fighter in Syria

Sources: Iran Not Ready to Resolve Baabda Crisis despite French Pressure
Naharnet /30 July/15/French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has urged his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif to exert efforts to end Lebanon's presidential crisis, informed sources said.The Iranian sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat published on Thursday that Fabius told Zarif about the importance of contacting Lebanese parties that are allied with Iran to urge them to find a solution to the deadlock.But according to the sources, Zarif said it was not up to the Iranian foreign ministry to interfere in the issue, urging Fabius to discuss the matter with President Hassan Rouhani. When the French official brought up the issue during his talks with Rouhani, the Iranian leader distanced himself from the matter, bringing up subjects such as the nuclear deal signed between Tehran and world powers earlier this month, the sources told al-Hayat. The Iranian officials hinted to Fabius that Tehran is not yet ready to use its influence in the region to interfere in Lebanon's presidential crisis as long as the nuclear deal is still in its implementation stage, the newspaper quoted French sources as saying. Baabda Palace has been vacant since President Michel Suleiman's six-year tenure ended in May last year. France sought Wednesday to relaunch diplomatic ties with Iran in the hope of boosting business in the country, following the key nuclear deal.
Fabius called his one-day visit to Iran "an important trip" and tried to soften tensions created by France's hard line on the nuclear issue. The July 14 deal between Iran and six world powers — the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany — is meant to curb Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions.

No Plan for Salam to Resign despite Growing Crises
Naharnet /30 July/15/Prime Minister Tammam Salam has stressed that he will not resign despite growing political and environmental crises that are threatening to spiral out of control. According to the Kuwaiti al-Anbaa daily published on Thursday, Salam told religious officials and diplomats that the country's political situation is grave but that he would not announce his resignation. His decision might have come as a result of pressure exerted by top diplomats, mainly the Saudi Ambassador, not to take any resignation decision over fears that the country's crises would worsen. Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Awadh Asiri said following talks with Salam on Tuesday that “the Kingdom is keen on the continued functioning of state institutions, chiefly the premiership.” Al-Anbaa said that Asiri traveled to Riyadh on Wednesday to brief the Saudi leadership on Lebanon's political situation. On Wednesday, Salam headed the fourth meeting that the ministerial waste management committee has held since Monday. But the conferees failed to reach any solution to the garbage crisis that erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17. The landfill, which opened in 1997, in the town of Naameh south of Beirut, was meant to receive trash from the capital and the heavily-populated Mount Lebanon area for only a few years until a comprehensive solution was devised. But that plan never came to fruition, as efforts to pass waste legislation withered in Lebanon's notoriously fractured and stagnant parliament. After the landfill's closure, streets overflew with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting garbage. The committee found a temporary solution to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations. But its decision was met with severe criticism and protests by residents and local officials who refused the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon to be dumped in their areas. The garbage crisis came amid a gridlock in the cabinet over its decision-making mechanism. The Free Patriotic Movement has stressed that its ministers should have the right to coordinate with Salam on setting the cabinet's agenda because they consider themselves as representatives of the president in his absence. Their conditions intensified the tension between the different parties.

Mountain Says No Intention to Naturalize Syrians in Lebanon
Naharnet /30 July/15/The United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ross Mountain, has said that the U.N. does not intend to keep Syrian refugees in Lebanon. “There is no intention by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees or the U.N. or any other party to naturalize people here,” Mountain told An Nahar daily published on Thursday. “We are aware of the sensitive situation in that regard,” he said in the interview. “Lebanon is hosting the highest number of refugees,” he added. “Despite everything, Lebanon is immune,” Mountain told An Nahar. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil accused the UNHCR of sparking a rise in the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon. He said some of its practices could lead to the naturalization of newborn Syrians. The number of displaced Syrians began to rise again last April because of the UNHCR, he added, despite a decision to restrict the entry of Syrians last October. Mountain refused to say whether the country's situation is worse than in the 1990s when he assumed his duties.He only said: “The political situation seems today more complicated ... there is concern over the absence of a president and huge pressure on Prime Minister Tammam Salam.”

U.S. Extends National Emergency with Respect to Lebanon
Naharnet /30 July/15/U.S. President Barack Obama has extended the national emergency with respect to Lebanon that was declared in Executive Order 13441 of August 1, 2007.He said in a statement released by the White House on Wednesday that “the national emergency is to continue in effect beyond August 1, 2015.”Referring to Hizbullah's arms, the statement read: “Certain ongoing activities, such as continuing arms transfers to Hizbullah that include increasingly sophisticated weapons systems, undermine Lebanese sovereignty, contribute to political and economic instability in the region, and continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. “For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13441 with respect to Lebanon.”

Man Abducted after Being 'Lured' to Syria Border
Naharnet /30 July/15/A Lebanese man was kidnapped on Wednesday after being “lured” to the border with Syria, state-run National News Agency reported.“Lebanese national Khalil Faddoul was abducted after unknown individuals lured him to an area on the Lebanese-Syrian border,” NNA said.“A ransom worth $200,000 has been demanded,” the agency added. On July 16, Mahmoud Abou Jakh, the manager of al-Mawarid bank branch in Chtaura was freed in return for a $200,000 ransom after a several-day kidnap ordeal in the Bekaa region. Earlier this month, security forces arrested the ringleader of a gang that had kidnapped a child from the town of Amchit near Jbeil, north of Beirut. Authorities also managed to recover a $50,000 ransom that had been paid to secure the release of the boy.

Army Officer Dies of Wounds Sustained in Shooting, Road Blocked in Protest
Naharnet /30 July/15/Army officer Major Rabih Kahil died in hospital Wednesday after succumbing to wounds sustained in a shooting in the Aley District town of Bdadoun. A statement issued by the Army Command said Kahil was “shot by a criminal as he was passing in the Bdadoun area on July 26.” According to his family, he was heading to his house in the nearby Aley District town of al-Qmatiyeh. Several TV networks said the officer was shot during a quarrel with two men after he parked his car on the side of the road in Bdadoun to make a phone call. The dispute erupted after the two men arrived in a car and asked Kahil to leave the area, although he identified himself as an army officer. A fistfight ensued before one of the men opened fire at Kahil from a weapon equipped with a silencer. According to relatives, the officer received four gunshot wounds to the legs and was left to bleed in the location for several hours. “Investigations have revealed that three suspects from the Daou family which hails from the (Aley District) town of Houmal were involved in the crime,” LBCI television said. “The shooter has been identified as Hisham Daou and he is believed to have left Lebanon, probably to Turkey,” LBCI said. It noted that two of the suspects are the sons of Houmal municipal chief Khalil Daou. Media reports said on Wednesday evening that Daou had handed over his son, Elie, to the army's Intelligence Directorate. The municipal chief had earlier issued a joint statement with Bdadoun's municipal chief and the two towns' mayors, in which they described Kahil as their “martyr.”They also called for a “full investigation and the fulfillment of justice,” pledging that they will abide by the Lebanese judiciary's rulings.Meanwhile, some of Kahil's relatives warned against leniency in the pursuit of the culprits, vowing to take justice on their own hands if the state fails to act. In the afternoon, a number of young men had briefly blocked with burning tires the key Ring road in Beirut in protest at the crime.

U.S. Defense Secretary Says Iran, Hizbullah Present Security Challenges
Naharnet/30 July/15/U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has sought to reassure worried lawmakers on the nuclear deal with Iran and stressed that the Islamic Republic and its proxies, including Hizbullah, continue to be a threat. Iran and its proxies still present security challenges, Carter said on Wednesday at a committee hearing as part of the White House's aggressive campaign to convince Congress to back the Iranian nuclear deal, which calls on Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Carter noted Iran’s support of Hizbullah and the Assad regime in Syria, its contribution to disorder in Yemen and its hostility and violence toward Israel. Congress, which has begun a 60-day review of the deal, is expected to vote in September. If the Republican-controlled Congress passes a resolution of disapproval for the deal, U.S. President Barack Obama has said he will veto it. The administration is hoping to secure the backing of Democrats to sustain the veto. At the same hearing, General Martin Dempsey, the outgoing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that Iran's ballistic missile, weapons trafficking, mine usage and related efforts were still a primary concern."We have to pay more attention to the malign activities," Dempsey said.

Salam Blames Political Conflict for Waste Deadlock
Naharnet/30 July/15/The government failed on Thursday to agree on measures to manage the country's waste crisis, which Prime Minister Tammam Salam blamed on the political conflict as he issued a veiled warning that he could resort to resignation if the deadlock on several issues continued.Information Minister Ramzi Jreij said following the session that was chaired by Salam at the Grand Serail that the PM described the country's environmental situation as a “disaster.”Jreij said Salam told the cabinet that “the crisis erupted because over the years, there had only been temporary solutions.”The premier urged all sides to put aside the political conflict and work for the benefit of the country, said the information minister. He also urged all parties “to work with devotion to find a solution to the garbage crisis.” Salam lamented that the political conflict was stopping a ministerial committee from tackling the issue although it is “exerting strong efforts” to resolve the waste crisis. “If we don't find serious solutions to guarantee the continuation of the work of the cabinet in the absence of the president, then we will hit a dead-end,” the PM warned. Salam also told the cabinet that he had “several options (on the table) and could resort to any of them if the deadlock continued,” said Jreij, in reference to a possible resignation.
No date was set for another session, a sign that any solution to the waste crisis or to the government's decision-making mechanism was not looming on the horizon. The committee that is chaired by Salam found earlier this week a temporary solution to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations. But its decision was met with severe criticism and protests by residents and local officials who refused the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon to be dumped in their areas. The garbage crisis, which erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17, came amid a gridlock in the cabinet over its decision-making mechanism. The Free Patriotic Movement has stressed that its ministers should have the right to coordinate with Salam on setting the cabinet's agenda because they consider themselves as representatives of the president in his absence. Their conditions intensified the tension between the different parties.

Beirut Municipality Asks Cabinet to Allow It to Send Garbage Abroad
Naharnet/30 July/15/Beirut Municipality on Thursday called on the council of ministers to allow it to “hire specialized firms to send garbage abroad as a solution to the problem of disposing of the waste of the city of Beirut.”
The municipality reached its decision during an extraordinary meeting dedicated to the garbage crisis.The conferees agreed that the capital is going through “a disastrous environmental situation,” noting that they aim to “prevent the recurrence of the painful experience that Beirut's residents have suffered.”During the meeting, the municipality members were briefed by environmental experts on “the consequences that might befall the capital as a result of another accumulation of trash in its streets.”In their statement, the conferees also noted that “the temporary solution that the Beirut Municipality started implementing yesterday will not last for long.”On Wednesday, garbage trucks belonging to the capital's waste collector, Sukleen, started removing garbage from Beirut's streets and dumping them in the Karantina area on the capital's eastern peripheries, as part of an “emergency plan.”Earlier on Thursday, the government failed to agree on measures to manage the country's waste crisis, which Prime Minister Tammam Salam blamed on the political conflict.A ministerial committee chaired by Salam found earlier this week a temporary solution to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations. But its decision was met with severe criticism and protests by residents and local officials who refused the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon to be dumped in their areas.The unprecedented garbage crisis erupted after the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17.The crisis has seen streets overflowing with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting garbage for around two weeks.Experts have urged the government to devise a comprehensive waste management solution that would include more recycling and composting to reduce the amount of trash going into landfills.But so far there has been no evidence of such a plan, and there is already opposition to the temporary solutions.

Jumblat Ready to Accept Waste Bulk but Urges Christian Action
Naharnet/30 July/15/Progressive Socialist Party chief MP Walid Jumblat has allegedly expressed readiness to accept the dumping of around 2,000 tons out of 2,500 tons of waste in Dahr al-Baydar in return for stashing the rest of the garbage in the districts of Metn and Kesrouan. Al-Akhbar daily said Thursday that 3,000 tons of waste are collected from Beirut, its suburbs, and the districts of Shouf, Aley, Baabda, Kesrouan and Metn daily. Sukleen treats around 500 tons while the rest are dumped in landfills. A member of the waste management committee that has been holding consecutive meetings since the garbage crisis erupted earlier this month, said: “Jumblat guarantees the transfer of waste – around 2,000 tons - from Beirut, its suburbs, and the southern part of Mount Lebanon to Ain Dara.”
“But the Christian parties should assume their responsibilities in guaranteeing a location to dump the remaining 500-ton garbage of Metn and Kesrouan in the two areas,” the source told al-Akhbar. Trash collection resumed in Beirut over the weekend after an almost week-long crisis that has seen streets overflowing with waste and the air filled with the smell of rotting garbage. The collection restarted after a temporary deal was found to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations. But the deal led to protests in several areas, where residents refused to accept the waste of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The protesters blocked roads in Jiyeh to stop trucks from transporting garbage to Iqlim al-Kharroub and in Dahr al-Baydar, where the residents of Ain Dara have warned against dumping waste in the area's old stone crushing plants. Meanwhile, in remarks to As Safir daily, Jumblat expressed concern over the fate of the cabinet, saying he is carrying out intense consultations along with Speaker Nabih Berri to prevent the possible collapse of the government. Prime Minister Tammam Salam's government is the “last safety valve,” which the Lebanese should preserve, he said. Its collapse would lead to a “reckless adventure” particularly that the presidential elections are not looming on the horizon amid a failure to reach an agreement on a consensual candidate, Jumblat warned. Recently, there have been rumors that Salam would resign over the failure to bridge differences between the bickering parties and his inability to find a solution to the government's decision-making mechanism and the waste crisis. The situation worsened when on July 17 the Naameh landfill, which used to receive trash from the capital and Mount Lebanon area, was closed.

Al-Rahi Meets Qahwaji: Army Last Safe Haven for People
Naharnet/30 July/15/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held talks on Thursday with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji on the latest developments in Lebanon ahead of Army Day. Al-Rahi said on the occasion: “The military is the last safe haven for the people.” “Its members are the true defenders of the nation,” he added from al-Diman. Army Day falls on August 1. Al-Rahi also offered his condolences to Qahwaji over the death of Major Rabih Kahil. Kahil died on Wednesday after succumbing to wounds sustained in a shooting in the Aley District town of Bdadoun. A statement issued by the Army Command said he was “shot by a criminal as he was passing in the Bdadoun area on July 26.”Al-Rahi then threw a luncheon banquet in Qahwaji's honor.

Anti-Trash Protesters Charged with Defamation, Trial Set for August
Naharnet/30 July/15/The State Prosecutor for Appeals, Judge Ziad Haidar, charged on Thursday four anti-trash demonstrations with defamation over the interception of the car of Social Affairs Minister Rashid Derbas, the state-run National News Agency reported.
NNA said Tareq Mallah and the three others, Bilal Allaw, Firas Bou Zeineddine and Ihab Yazbek, were charged and referred to Beirut Judge Iman Abdallah.Their trial was set for August 4, said the agency. Two sit-ins were held Wednesday to protest the continued detention of the anti-garbage activists. The first was held near the Justice Palace while another was organized outside the nearby Social Affairs Ministry. The protesters later marched to the Justice Ministry building. The Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch arrested the four protesters after Derbas filed a lawsuit accusing Mallah and others of “insulting” him and attacking his car during a protest in Beirut's Spears Street. But on Thursday, Derbas denied that he had taken such a move, only saying “let justice take its course.”Mallah and his comrades belong to the “You Stink” anti-trash campaign, which on Tuesday blocked several roads in Beirut to protest the authorities' failure to find a permanent solution to the waste crisis.

Army Arrests Lebanese and Foreigners in Anti-Extremism Sweep
Naharnet/30 July/15/The Lebanese army announced on Thursday the arrest of Lebanese citizens and foreigners suspected of belonging to armed groups and terrorist organizations.Lebanese Abdullah Mahmoud Massoud and his brother Azzam, in addition to Ali Ahmed al-Abdo and Odai Ahmed al-Obaid, were apprehended during a raid that an army unit carried out in the area of al-Zahrieh in the northern city of Tripoli on Wednesday night. The army said in a communique that the unit seized rifles, guns, rocket launchers, hand grenades and military gear during the raids. In the area of Haret Hreik in Beirut's southern suburbs, the military arrested Palestinian Ali Mohammed al-Abed, who is wanted on suspicion of tossing grenades and opening fire on several occasions in Borj al-Barajneh last year, said the communique. Troops also arrested several Syrians during raids in the areas of Torza in Koura, Labweh in Baalbek and the Metn town of Jdeideh, it said. According to the army, the six Syrians are suspected of belonging to terrorist organizations. The communique also said that soldiers have arrested ten other Syrians for entering the country illegally.

Geagea: Trash Crisis Will not Pass Without Accountability
Naharnet/30 July/15/Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea stressed on Thursday that the waste management crisis that drowned the capital and Mount Lebanon with trash for almost 10 days will not pass by without accountability. “In all cases, the trash crisis issue will not pass without accountability,” said Geagea via Twitter. “Today, no human mind can accept landfilling waste at an altitude above 1,000 meters because that contaminates the groundwater and destroys the health of the Lebanese,” he added. Beirut has drowned in a trash crisis management and the streets overflew with waste since the closure of the Naameh landfill on July 17. Naameh landfill receives the trash from Beirut and Mount Lebanon. The main company in charge of collecting trash stopped its work as well amid a dispute over the country's largest trash dump. The collection restarted after a temporary deal was found to begin taking trash to several landfills in undisclosed locations.Some of the temporary deals suggested by few parties was to dump the garbage in areas of Mount Lebanon mainly in areas that have been eroded by stone crushers.However, officials of the said areas refused the suggestion saying that dumping trash at high altitudes affects the groundwater and harms the residents.

Family denies death of Hezbollah fighter in Syria
By Staff writer | Al Arabiya News/Wednesday, 29 July 2015/The family of Hezbollah's commander of operations in the Golan Heights has denied that he was killed during an Israeli attack inside Syria.The family of Samir Kuntar said, via Twitter, that the reports “which were spread via some social accounts and some Israeli sites were false.” On Wednesday, Lebanese Al-Manar TV station said two Hezbollah fighters were killed in an Israeli drone strike near the Syrian town of Hadar. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three other men were also wounded in the strike. "An Israeli plane hit a car inside the town of Hadar, killing two men from (Lebanese Shiite group) Hezbollah, and three men from the pro-regime popular committees in the town," Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told Agence France-Presse. Hadar is a Druze village that lies along the ceasefire line, with the Israeli-occupied portion of the Golan Heights plateau to the west, and the border with Damascus province to the northeast. Asked about the reported strike, an Israeli military spokeswoman in Jerusalem declined comment to Reuters. Recent insurgent advances near Druze areas in southern Syria have triggered concern among the Druze community in Israel. In January, Israel carried out a helicopter attack in Quneitra province that killed a top Iranian Revolutionary Guard general and several Hezbollah members, including the son of the group's late military commander, Jihad Mughniyeh.(With AFP)

Saudi Executes Syrian for Drug Trafficking
Agence France Presse/Naharnet /30 July/15/Saudi Arabia on Thursday beheaded a Syrian for drug trafficking, bringing to 108 the total number of executions this year, the interior ministry announced. Qassem Mohammed al-Hilal had been convicted of importing a "large amount of amphetamine pills" into the ultra-conservative Muslim kingdom, said a ministry statement carried by state news agency SPA. Authorities resumed executions last week after a pause for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr holiday that followed it. The number of locals and foreigners put to death this year is up sharply from 87 during the whole of 2014, according to AFP tallies.But this year's figure is below the record 192 that human rights group Amnesty International said took place in 1995. Human Rights Watch has accused Saudi authorities of waging a "campaign of death."Echoing the concerns of other activists, the New York-based group said it had documented "due process violations" in the legal system that make it difficult for defendants to get fair trials even in capital cases.Under the kingdom's strict Islamic sharia legal code, drug trafficking, rape, murder, armed robbery and apostasy are all punishable by death. The interior ministry has cited deterrence as a reason for carrying out the punishment. It has also talked of "the physical and social harm" caused by drugs.

Ministry: Kuwait Breaks up New IS Cell
Agence France Presse/Naharnet /30 July/15/Kuwait has broken up a new five-member cell of alleged members of the Islamic State jihadist group one month after a deadly bombing at a Shiite mosque, the interior ministry said Thursday. Authorities arrested four men while the fifth was killed in a "terrorist" operation in Iraq, the ministry said in a statement. All the members are thought to be Kuwaiti nationals. Four cell members have allegedly taken part in fighting in Iraq, including the member who was killed, while another "facilitated and supported their travel to Iraq to take part in terrorist operations," the ministry said. The statement said "the terrorists have confessed to undergoing... advanced training on the use of arms and took part in fighting in Iraq and Syria," where IS controls vast areas.
All the suspects were born between 1982 and 1990. The case has been referred to the public prosecution for legal action, the ministry said without stating when the arrests were made. IS claimed a suicide attack on a Shiite mosque in Kuwait City in June that killed 26 people and wounded hundreds. Authorities have charged 29 people, including seven women, in connection with the worst attack in the oil-rich Gulf state. A trial is set to open on August 4, which will see five of the suspects tried in absentia.

Netanyahu: The more one looks at the Iran accord, the worse it looks
HERB KEINON/J.Post/07/30/2015/The more one looks at the Iranian nuclear agreement, the worse it looks, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday. “The more you know about the accord, the more you oppose it,” he said during a briefing with diplomatic reporters in which he passionately argued against the agreement. Netanyahu said that it was clear that the accord paved two paths for Iran to a bomb. The first is if Iran abides by the agreement, and within 10-15 years will be able -- without any breakout time at all -- to build dozens of bombs. The other path is if it violates the accord and will be able to build one or two bombs within a decade. “Just because we identify existential threats does not mean we will give in to them,” Netanyahu said. “Without our efforts, Iran would already have had a nuclear weapon. This agreement is terrible, it would have been preferable had there been no agreement, rather than this one.”Netanyahu stepped away from the briefing momentarily to speak for about 30 minutes with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Netanyahu said the call dealt with Iran, regional issues, and bilateral ties. The Kremlin put out a readout of the call, saying that it was initiated by Netanyahu, and that they had a “comprehensive discussion on the situation in the Middle East.”According to the Kremlin, Putin said that the nuclear deal "envisages reliable guarantees of the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program.” Putin expressed confidence that the deal will “strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime and “have a positive impact on security and stability in the Middle east. Putin also stressed the “need for joint efforts by all parties concerned to combat the threats from the Islamic State terrorist group.”

Israel yet to receive all annexes of Iran nuclear deal, says NSC advisor
Ynetnews/Itamar Eichner/Published: 7.29.15/Israel News/Israeli officials following the US Senate hearing on the Iran deal were shocked to learn about classified details of the agreement, of which the had no previous knowledge. Israel has not received all the details of the nuclear deal between Iran and the powers, National Security Advisor Yossi Cohen said Wednesday. Cohen was speaking before the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. "In contrast to the promises we have heard, Israel has yet to receive all of the annexes of the Iran deal," he said.This is not the first time in which members of Israel's defense establishment have complained that Israel was not given all of the agreement's details. After a hearing in the US Senate on the Iran deal, an Israeli minister claimed that the fact that US Senators were not afraid to publicly question issues regarding the classified elements of the deal "showed that they wanted to sound the alarm on the bad deal." Officials in Israel followed the hearing closely, and were shocked when classified portions of the deal were exposed, of which the US did not officially notify Israel. One of the classified annexes revealed that Iran would collect its own samples from the Parchin site. Officials in Jerusalem were quick to label the annex as resounding proof of the deal's weak nature, that it was a "historic mistake," and that the Iranians had cheated the US and other world powers. "Not only do the Iranians get 24 days to clean up their sites, but it seems that they don’t even need to be worried, because they are the ones collecting the samples. That means they are alloweing the Iranians to fake the samples, and there is no way to discover violations. The meaning is that there won't be real inspections," a high ranking official said. An Israeli analysis of the deal also noted that the deal does not prevent Iran from testing ballistic missiles. "The time that has passed since the deal's signing continues to expose the amount of risk the West has taken upon itself, and its flexibility in making unprecedented concessions towards the tyrannical Iranian regime," Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said. "As time passes, we can see that the deal places the Western world at unprecedented and severe risk, in the face of an ambitious and unstoppable terror-based regime, which won't hesitate to act against, and from within, the same states with which it signed this bad agreement."

Carter: Successful Iran nuclear deal better than strike
Associated Press/Ynetnews/Published: 7.30.15/ Israel News
WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday that the US armed forces stand ready to confront Iran, but told lawmakers that a successful implementation of the nuclear agreement with Tehran is preferable to a military strike.
Carter, Gen. Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and three members of President Barack Obama's Cabinet testified at a committee hearing as part of the White House's aggressive campaign to convince Congress to back the Iranian nuclear deal, which calls on Iran to curb its nuclear program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. Carter said there is a possibility that the nuclear agreement will move forward, but will not be "successfully implemented.""That's why we are under instructions from the president to preserve, and indeed we are improving - and I can't get into that here - the military option," Carter said. "Temporary as it is, it needs to be there because that's our fall back."
At the same time, Carter said that the successful implementation of the agreement would be better than taking military action because a strike would be temporary and likely would make Iran "irreconcilably resigned" to getting a nuclear weapon.Dempsey added that implementation of the nuclear deal actually strengthens the military option because with enhanced inspections and access to sites in Iran, the US would be able to obtain more knowledge about nuclear sites "that we might strike."Congress, which has begun a 60-day review of the deal, is expected to vote in September. If the Republican-controlled Congress passes a resolution of disapproval for the deal, Obama has said he will veto it. The administration is hoping to secure the backing of Democrats to sustain the veto.
On Tuesday, the White House won the backing of Democratic Rep. Sander Levin, a Jewish lawmaker from Michigan. His support was critical because Iran has threatened to destroy Israel.
But underscoring the hard-fought gains and losses, New York Rep. Grace Meng, a Democratic member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, came out against the deal on Wednesday. She said the inspections protocols in the agreement are "flawed" and that she's concerned that Iran's nuclear infrastructure will remain intact.
"This leads me to believe Iran would simply resume its pursuit of a nuclear weapon at the conclusion of the deal in a decade's time," Meng said, adding that she also fears the sanctions relief will give Iran more money to fund terrorism.
Nicholas Burns, former undersecretary of state for political affairs and ambassador to NATO, met with House Democrats at the invitation of Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat who is leading the effort to round up Democratic support for the deal. House Democrats also were scheduled to meet with Obama at the White House later in the day. At a breakfast with reporters before the hearing, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew, who also testified, said he believed the White House would gain enough support in Congress to sustain a veto if Congress votes to reject the Iran nuclear deal. There would be sufficient support - "enough for this to be sustained," he said - if Congress rejects the agreement and Obama vetoes the resolution of disapproval. Secretary of State John Kerry, the lead negotiator of the deal, tried to allay the concerns of Republican senators who complained that they are being asked to vote on the Iran nuclear deal without being privy to verification documents being separately negotiated by international nuclear inspectors.
"That is absolutely astounding," said Sen. John McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Iran, he said, has a "clear record of cheating." Kerry said there is no side deal or secret agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. There are, however, technical documents that are standard practice and not released publicly.
"We are aware of what the basics of it are," Kerry told the committee members. "It is standard procedure for 189 counties that have an agreement with the IAEA. ... We don't get that. It is not shared with the world, but we do get briefed on it."

Afghan Taliban Say 'Unaware' of Peace Talks, No Comment on Mullah Omar
Agence France Presse/Naharnet /30 July/15/The Taliban on Thursday distanced itself from peace talks that had been expected this week with the Afghan government, while making no comment on Kabul's reported death of their leader Mullah Omar. Afghanistan on Wednesday said Omar died two years ago in Pakistan, in the first such official confirmation from Kabul after unnamed government and militant sources reported the demise of the reclusive warrior-cleric. The insurgents have not officially confirmed his death, and the claim -- just two days before a fresh round of talks were expected -- cast doubt over the tenuous peace process. "Media outlets are circulating reports that peace talks will take place very soon... either in the country of China or Pakistan," the Taliban said in an English-language statement posted on their website on Thursday. "(Our) political office... are not aware of any such process," added the statement, which has prompted no official reaction so far from the Afghan government. The statement marked the first comment from the group, which has waged an almost 14-year insurgency against Afghan and foreign forces, since Kabul's dramatic announcement on Wednesday citing "credible information". Mullah Omar has not been seen publicly since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan that toppled the Taliban government in Kabul. Haseeb Sediqi, the spokesman for Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, told AFP that Omar died in hospital in the Pakistani city of Karachi "under mysterious circumstances". Rumours of Omar's ill-health and even death have regularly surfaced in the past, but the White House added weight to Kabul's latest assertion, calling reports of his demise "credible".
'Existential crisis'
Omar's death would mark a significant blow to the Taliban, which is riven by internal divisions and threatened by the rise of the Islamic State group, the Middle East jihadist outfit that is making steady inroads in Afghanistan. Afghan officials sat down with Taliban cadres earlier this month in Murree, a holiday town in the hills north of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, for their first face-to-face talks aimed at ending the bloody insurgency. They agreed to meet again in the coming weeks, drawing international praise, and Afghan officials pledged to press for a ceasefire in the second round, expected to kick off on Friday. "The talks have... certainly lost their momentum," said Michael Kugelman, Afghanistan expert at the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. "Announcement of Omar's death will spark an existential crisis for the Taliban, and the last thing that will be on its mind are peace talks. It will need to focus on its survival, not talks," Kugelman told AFP. A statement from the Afghan presidential palace on Wednesday, however, said grounds for the discussions are more solid now than before, and implored all insurgents to join the peace process. Mohammad Natiqi, who was part of the government's peace delegation in the first round, said Omar's death could possibly delay the peace process but "will not stop it". But many of the insurgents' ground commanders have openly questioned the legitimacy of the Taliban negotiators, exposing dangerous faultlines within the movement. The split within the Taliban over the peace process has been worsened by the emergence of a local branch of the Islamic State group, which last year declared a "caliphate" across large areas of Iraq and Syria under its control. The Taliban warned IS recently against expanding in the region, but this has not stopped some fighters, inspired by the group's success, defecting to swear allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi instead of the invisible Mullah Omar.

Syrian group says Nusra abducted its leader, in blow to U.S. plan
By Reuters | Ankara, Beirut/Thursday, 30 July 2015/The al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front has abducted the leader of a U.S.-backed rebel group in north Syria, opposition sources and a monitoring group said, in a blow to Washington's efforts to train and equip fighters to combat ISIS. A statement issued in the name of the group, "Division 30", accused the Nusra Front of abducting Nadim al-Hassan and a number of his companions in a rural area north of Aleppo. It urged Nusra to release them. A Syrian activist and a second opposition source said most of the 54 fighters who have so far completed a U.S.-led train and equip programmed in neighbouring Turkey were from Division 30. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war, said the men were abducted while returning from a meeting in Azaz, north of Aleppo, to coordinate efforts with other factions. The opposition source said they were abducted on Tuesday night. The train and equip programme aims to bolster Syrian insurgents deemed politically moderate enough by the United States to fight ISIS that has seized wide areas of Syria. The Nusra Front, which Washington has designated a terrorist organisation, has a track record of crushing U.S.-backed rebels in Syria. Last year, it routed the Syria Revolutionaries Front led by Jamal Maarouf, viewed as one of the most powerful insurgent leaders until his defeat. It was also instrumental in the demise of the U.S.-backed Hazzm Movement, which collapsed earlier this year after clashing with the Nusra Front in the northwest. The U.S. military launched the program in May to train up to 5,400 fighters a year in what was seen as a test of President Barack Obama's strategy of getting local partners to combat ISIS. But many candidates were declared ineligible and others dropped out. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said it has fallen far behind plans. Washington and Ankara this week announced their intention to provide air cover for Syrian rebels and jointly sweep ISIS fighters from a strip of land along the border, with U.S. warplanes using bases in Turkey for strikes. But the United States and Turkey have not yet agreed which Syrian rebels they will support in the effort.

Egypt and Saudi leaders of Arab security, says Sisi
Staff writer, Al Arabiya News/Thursday, 30 July 2015
Egypt and Saudi Arabia are vital for the security in the Arab region, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Thursday. The two allies, who are partners in the kingdom-led coalition striking Houthi militias in Yemen, are the “wings of Arab security,” Sisi told graduates of the military academy. Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who also serves as defense minister, was also at the ceremony. Sisi added that the deputy crown prince’s presence at the ceremony sent a “strong message” of cooperation to their people. “You will not see us but together,” state-owned paper al-Ahram reported him as saying.The “highly difficult regional circumstances,” would require “security vigilance and extra effort.” Since the ouster of Islamist President Mohammad Mursi in 2013, Saudi was quick to back Sisi, seeing him as a bulwark of regional stability. On the same day, Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister and his Egyptian counterpart expressed their keenness to further develop relations between the two countries, dubbed key to regional security. A handout picture provided by the Office of the Egyptian Presidency on July 30, 2015 shows Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi (R) sitting next to Saudi deputy Crown Prince and Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Salman as they attend a military academy graduation ceremony in the Egyptian capital, Cairo. (AFP) Egypt’s Foreign Minister Samih Shoukry described “solidarity” between Cairo and Riyadh as important to protecting regional security in a joint press conference with Saudi’s top diplomat Adel al-Jubeir. Jubeir said Riyadh is keen to further develop its relations and cooperation with Cairo. He also said communication is continuing with Egypt to build a unified military Arab force. In March, Arab foreign ministers met Egypt and agreed to establish a unified military force for rapid intervention to deal with security threats to Arab nations, including Islamist militants who have seized large swathes of land in Syria and Iraq. While the ministers agreed in principle, no major development materialized.

Yemeni forces seize Houthi positions in Aden
By Mohammed Mukhashaf and Mohammed Ghobari | Reuters, Sanaa/Aden/Thursday, 30 July 2015/Yemeni forces backed up by Saudi-led coalition airstrikes have recaptured positions on the outskirts of Aden used by the Houthi group to fire rockets into the southern port city, local officials said on Thursday. Forces loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, which retook Aden from the Iran-allied Houthis on July 17, seized the town of Muthalath al-Ilm, at Aden’s eastern entrance. The fighters, who call themselves the Southern Resistance forces, also recaptured neighborhoods to the north of Aden from the Houthis, including Ya’wala, Al-Basateen and Qariat al-Falahi, the officials said. They said the two sides were still fighting in al-Houta, the capital of the southern province of Lahj, 30 km (20 miles) from Aden, where clashes have persisted for several days.Saudi air raids also targetted locations across the south, including Dhalea and Aland airbase, Houthi media Saba News reported quoting a security source at Yemen’s interior ministry. An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has been carrying out air strikes in Yemen since March in an effort to drive back the Houthis, who are aligned with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and fight alongside his forces. The four-month-old war is rooted in political strains that escalated last year when the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and pushed out Hadi, a U.S. ally. Nearly 4,000 people have been killed and more than 1.2 million displaced, the United Nations says. A five-day truce put forward by the Saudi side to allow delivery of aid that began on Sunday ended almost immediately, with resistance fighters accusing the Houthis flouting the deal. More than 6 million people in Yemen are on the verge of starvation, Oxfam said on Tuesday. Also on Thursday, residents and local officials said four suspected members of the al Qaeda affiliated Ansar al-Sharia militant group were killed in an overnight air strike by an unmanned aircraft, or drone, in the southern province of Abyan.

Kuwait uncovers ISIS network
Reuters , Kuwait/Thursday, 30 July 2015/Kuwait said on Thursday it had uncovered a network of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group including five Kuwaitis and referred them to judicial authorities for prosecution. An interior ministry statement carried by the official KUNA state news agency added that the individuals had been active in neighboring Iraq and also in Syria. The individuals admitted receiving lessons in the "science of a terrorist organization" and military training, the statement said. "They were involved in fighting operations in both Syria and Iraq."The Gulf state launched a security crackdown on Islamist militants after a June 26 attack claimed by ISIS, when a Saudi suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shi'ite Muslim mosque, killing 26 people. The government declared itself at war with militants and said the bombing, Kuwait's worst militant attack, was aimed at stoking sectarian strife in the majority Sunni state, where the two sects have traditionally co-existed in peace. An interior ministry source told Reuters the individuals named in Thursday's statement were not connected to the June 26 attack and it was being treated as a separate case.

U.S. ‘deeply concerned’ on new Israeli settlements
By AFP, Reuters/Wednesday, 29 July 2015/The United States said it was "deeply concerned" about Israel's decision to build 300 new homes in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. "Settlement expansion threatens the two-state solution and calls into question Israel's commitment to a negotiated resolution to the conflict," the State Department said in a statement. Additionally, U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday condemned Israel’s approval of new settler homes in the West Bank and called on the government to reverse its decision. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the “immediate” construction of the 300 homes in Beit El and planning for another 504 homes in annexed east Jerusalem, his office said. Ban reiterated that “settlements are illegal under international law, an impediment to peace and cannot be reconciled” with Israel’s “stated intention to pursue a two-state solution,” his spokesman said in a statement released in New York. Ban urged Israel “to halt and reverse such decisions in the interest of peace” his spokesman said. The U.N. secretary general also expressed concern about the threat of demolitions in the West Bank village of Susiya ahead of an August court hearing. “The destruction of private property in occupied territory is prohibited under international humanitarian law, and for which actions there must be accountability,” his spokesman said.

Three Turkish troops killed in PKK attack, army says
By AFP | Ankara/Thursday, 30 July 2015/Three Turkish troops were killed on Thursday when Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants opened fire on their convoy in the southeastern province of Sirnak, the army said. "As a result of an attack by the Separatist Terror Organisation three of our brave personnel -- one officer, one non-commissioned officer and one private -- were killed," said the army, using its customary phrase for the PKK which it never refers to by name. The army said that the military convoy was ambushed by PKK members as it was travelling along a road while carrying out a security operation in the Akcay district of Sirnak province, which borders both Syria and Iraq. "Drones, helicopter gunships and commando units have been despatched to the scene," it said, adding that one "terrorist" had been killed in the clashes and operations were continuing. The killings are the latest in a spike in unrest as Turkey carries out a bombing campaign against targets of ISIS jihadists in Syria and PKK militants in northern Iraq. The PKK has largely observed a ceasefire since 2013 but over the last week deadly attacks on the security forces blamed on the militants have occurred almost daily.

Erdogan taking Turkey to war to avenge Kurdish gains: Opposition
Reuters, Ankara/Thursday, 30 July 2015/The leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition accused President Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday of launching air strikes in Syria and Iraq to prevent Kurdish territorial and political gains, and of using the war against Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as a cover. Turkey launched near-simultaneous air strikes on Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps in northern Iraq and ISIS fighters in Syria last Friday, in what Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has called a “synchronized fight against terror”. Western allies, including NATO and the United States, have voiced political support for Turkey’s actions but several nations have also urged it not to use excessive force or to let years of peace efforts with Kurdish militants collapse.
Military action
In an interview with Reuters, Selahattin Demirtas, leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), said the main aim of the military action was not to combat Islamist jihadists but to prevent Kurds from unifying areas they control in Syria.
“Turkey carried out a couple of air strikes against ISIS just for show, without causing serious damage to it, nor is ISIS feeling serious pressure from Turkey,” he said. “Turkey’s operations do not aim at taking measures against ISIS. The main objective is to prevent the formation of a Kurdish entity in northern Syria.” Demirtas, a charismatic former human rights lawyer, led the HDP into a parliamentary election in June at which it seized enough seats to deprive the AK Party, founded by Erdogan, of a working majority for the first time in more than a decade. The left-wing HDP gained traction after Demirtas campaigned on a progressive platform that took the party beyond its origins in Kurdish nationalism, appealing to a broader range of minorities and opponents of the Islamist-rooted AKP.
Fresh vote
Erdogan was taking Turkey to war in revenge, Demirtas said, seeking to discredit the Kurdish movement ahead of a possible repeat election. The AKP is in talks to find a junior coalition partner, but should it fail, Erdogan could call a fresh vote at which he hopes the AKP would win back its majority. “The AK Party is dragging the country into a period of conflict, seeking revenge for the loss of its majority in the June election,” Demirtas said. “HDP passing the threshold and the AK Party losing its parliamentary majority are being used as a pretext for war.” Erdogan has made his personal disdain for Demirtas clear. “He can’t take a stand against the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by Europe and the United States,” Erdogan told reporters in China, when asked about Demirtas, whose brother Nurettin was imprisoned in the past and fought alongside Kurdish forces in the mountains of Iraq. “His brother was trained in the mountains ... he would run to the mountains himself if he could find the opportunity,” Erdogan said.
Kurdish gains in Syria
Turkey’s assaults on the PKK have so far been much heavier than its strikes against ISIS, fuelling Kurdish suspicions that its real agenda is keeping Kurdish political and territorial ambitions in check, something the government denies.Ankara is uncomfortable with the steady advance of Syrian Kurdish PYD forces, helped by U.S. air strikes, against ISIS. Around half of Syria’s 900 km (560 mile) border with Turkey is now controlled by Kurds. Erdogan and the AKP worry that those advances will embolden Turkey’s own 14 million Kurdish minority and rekindle a three-decade insurgency by the PKK, deemed a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and Europe. After Ankara agreed to open its air bases to the U.S.-led coalition last week following years of reluctance, Turkey and Washington are working on plans to provide air cover for Syrian rebels and sweep ISIS fighters from a strip of northern Syria along the Turkish border. But the move will also ensure that territory remains out of the hands of the PYD, preventing Syria’s Kurds from joining up areas under their control into what could otherwise become a strip of Kurdish land running from the Iraqi border almost to the Mediterranean. “Erdogan stressed in the past that they would never allow the unification of Kurdish cantons in northern Syria. Jarablus is the only obstacle for this unity,” Demirtas said, referring to a Syrian town on the edge of the proposed “safe zone."
Targeted killings
Turkish officials have said the aim in Syria is to push ISIS away from the border and their operations will not target Syrian Kurdish groups. They say the strikes against PKK camps in northern Iraq, meanwhile, are a response to increased militant violence in recent weeks, including a series of targeted killings of police officers and soldiers blamed on the Kurdish militant group.At least twelve members of the security forces have been killed over the past week by suspected Kurdish militants. Erdogan initiated negotiations in 2012 to try to end the PKK insurgency, largely fought in the predominantly Kurdish southeast and which has killed 40,000 people since 1984. A ceasefire, though fragile, had been holding since March 2013. Demirtas, whose party has been a facilitator in negotiations, said Davutoglu’s calls to the PKK to lay down arms and leave the country were “one-sided and impossible to achieve”. But he said it was too early to declare the peace process over and the PKK should respect any call for a truce.The militant group has said the air strikes are an attempt to “crush” the Kurdish political movement and create an “authoritarian, hegemonic system” in Turkey.

Yemen: Iranian fighters caught among Houthi militias, says Aden governor
Sana’a and Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—The governor of Yemen’s southern Aden province revealed on Wednesday that Iranian fighters have been caught among the Houthi militias currently in control of large parts of Yemen. Naif Al-Bakri told Asharq Al-Awsat forces loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognized President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi “have taken hostage a number of Iranians and fighters from other nationalities” following their recent victories in the Aden, Lahj, and Abyan provinces. Bakri added that “among the hostages and those killed are several specialists, fighters, and military cadres” from different nationalities including Iran and that the hostages were currently being questioned. Recent reports from Aden and elsewhere in the country have suggested the presence of Iranian fighters among the Houthis, with fighters from the Popular Resistance telling Asharq Al-Awsat in recent weeks they had found Iranian-marked weapons and supplies in Houthi positions vacated by the group. Several sources have also told Asharq Al-Awsat in recent months that Iranian operatives including military experts have been present in Yemen’s capital Sana’a, which the Houthis currently control. The latest revelation by Aden’s governor would, however, if true be the first time direct proof has been uncovered of an Iranian presence among Houthis ranks in Yemen. The Houthis, backed by Iran and ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have been in control of Sana’a since September of 2014 and launched a coup in February this year deposing President Hadi and the country’s government. After a month-long house arrest imposed on him by the Houthis, Hadi fled to Aden and then Saudi Arabia in March and requested the Kingdom and its Arab allies intervene with military force in the country in order to restore political legitimacy in the country. The Saudi-led air campaign against the Houthis in Yemen began on March 26. The campaign was briefly paused from Sunday evening due to a five-day ceasefire declared by the Saudi-led coalition to allow humanitarian supplies to reach Yemenis caught up in the conflict, which in addition to the strikes has also seen fierce fighting on the ground between the Houthis and Hadi loyalists. However, the airstrikes quickly resumed after the Houthis broke the terms of the truce and continued military action and targeting civilians throughout the country as the ceasefire began. A previous ceasefire offer from the Arab coalition was extended to the Houthis in May, but the group again resumed hostile activities just as the truce began, leading the coalition to resume airstrikes. The coalition said in a statement last week that it reserved the right to restart airstrikes should the Houthis fail to respect the current ceasefire. On Wednesday the coalition said it had launched a series of air raids on Houthi militias and forces loyal to Saleh in the Houthis’ northern stronghold of Saada. Fighting also continues on the ground between Hadi loyalists and Houthis militias for the strategic Al-Anad Airbase, some 35 miles (60 kilometers) north of Aden, in the southern Lahj province. Fahd Al-Zayabi contributed additional reporting to this article.

Taliban say Mullah Omar dead, appoint successor
Peshawar and Kabul, Reuters—The Afghan Taliban have appointed Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as leader of the insurgency, two Afghan commanders present at a meeting of the militant movement’s most senior figures said on Thursday, following reports that Mullah Mohammed Omar is dead. “The shura held outside Quetta unanimously elected Mullah Mansour as the new emir of the Taliban,” said one commander who attended the Wednesday night meeting. “The shura will release a statement shortly.”Mansour has been acting as Mullah Omar’s deputy for the past three years. Afghanistan said on Wednesday that Mullah Omar, the elusive leader of the Taliban movement fighting to topple the government, died more than two years ago. The announcement came a day or so before a second round of peace talks had been tentatively scheduled. Taliban senior figures have been split over the talks, but Mansour is known to be in favor of them. Omar had not been seen in public since fleeing when the Taliban was toppled from power by a US-led coalition in 2001, and there has been speculation for years among militant circles that he was either incapacitated or had died. “The government . . . based on credible information, confirms that Mullah Mohammed Omar, leader of the Taliban, died in April 2013 in Pakistan,” the presidential palace said in a brief statement, without specifying what the information was. “The government of Afghanistan believes that grounds for the Afghan peace talks are more paved now than before, and thus calls on all armed opposition groups to seize the opportunity and join the peace process.” The Taliban’s regular spokesman could not be reached for comment through normal channels. The White House said it was aware of reports of the death of Omar and believed them to be “credible.” Spokesman Eric Schultz said US intelligence continued to look into the matter. Preparations had been under way for the next round of talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban, provisionally planned for Thursday or Friday in a location yet to be confirmed. President Ashraf Ghani is keen to broker a settlement with the insurgents, who have been gaining territory in pockets of the country and intensifying their attacks on military and political targets.

Afghan Taliban appoints new leader
By Al Arabiya with Agencies | Peshawar, Pakistan/Thursday, 30 July 2015/The Taliban on Thursday confirmed the death of their leader Mullah Omar in a statement, a day after it was announced by the Afghan government. “The leadership of the Islamic Emirate and the family of Mullah Omar... announce that leader Mullah Omar died due to a sickness,” a Taliban statement said, using the movement’s official name. The news comes after the Afghan Taliban appoint Akhtar Mohammad Mansour as the new leader of the insurgency. Two Afghan commanders present at a meeting of the militant movement’s most senior figures made the unofficial announcement on Thursday. “The Shura held outside Quetta unanimously elected Mullah Mansour as the new emir of the Taliban,” said one commander who attended the Wednesday night meeting. “The shura will release a statement shortly.” The Afghan government announced on Wednesday that Omar had died more than two years ago. A second round of peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban militants due to be held in Pakistan has been postponed due to the reports of Omar’s death, the Pakistani foreign office said Thursday. “In view of the reports regarding the death of Mullah Omar and the resulting uncertainty, and at the request of the Afghan Taliban leadership, the second round of Afghan peace talks, which was scheduled to be held in Pakistan on 31 July 2015, is being postponed,” the statement said. (With Reuters)

Iran orders from China 150 J-10 fighter jets that incorporate Israeli technology
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report July 30, 2015/Iran is about to conclude a transaction with China for the purchase of the Chengdu J-10 multirole jet fighter, known in the West as the Vigorous Dragon, according to an exclusive report from debkafile’s military and intelligence sources. Beijing has agreed to sell Tehran 150 of these sophisticated jets. While the Chinese J-10 is comparable to the US F-16, our sources report that it is virtually a replica of the Lavi, the super-fighter developed by Israel’s aerospace industry in the second half of the 80s. Israel sold China the technology, after Washington insisted on Its discontinuing the Lavi’s production. The US also objected to the sale of the Lavi’s avionics, claiming that it contained some American components. The Chinese plane comes in two versions – the multirole single-seat J-10A and the two-seat J-10B, which serves for training, ground assaults and electronic warfare. Iran has additionally weighing the purchase in Moscow of 250 highly-advanced Sukhoi-Su-30MK1 twinjet multirole air superiority fighters, known in the West as Flanker-H. On Wednesday, July 29, an Indian Air Force Su-30MK1 took part for the first time in a British air maneuver, Rainbow, where it dueled with the European Typhoon fighter. The sophisticated Flanker has been found to have a major shortcoming. To carry eight tons of ordnance, it must use both of its AL-31FP engines, and the transition from one to two – and the reverse - often causes engine failure. The Indian Air Force has reported three such malfunctions in a month, as well another shortcoming: The time needed for making the aircraft serviceable is too long. As a result, only half of the Indian fleet can be airborne at one time. In a confrontation, the Iranian Air Force may find that, because of these drawbacks, the Chinese Su-30MK1 is outmatched by its American and European counterparts in the service of the Israeli, Saudi and UAE air forces. On July 22, debkafile revealed that Moscow and Tehran had concluded a giant transaction for the acquisition of a fleet of 100 IL78 MK1 (Midas) in-flight refueling planes for extending the range of its warplanes up to 7,300 km and able to refuel 6-8 planes at once. debkafile: The scale of Iran’s multibillion acquisitions from China and Russia – 550 warplanes in all so far - indicates that Tehran’s top spending priority upon receipt of the funds released by the removal of sanctions, is to be a spanking new air force.

Christian Pastor Dies Two Years After Beating by Hindu Radicals
By ICC's India Correspondent
07/30/2015 Washington, D.C. (International Christian Concern) - "Till his last breath, he endured the path of suffering while serving God," said 65-year-old Rodemma, wife of the late Pastor Krupaiah, who died of internal injuries on July 22, 2015. Pastor Krupaiah, 70, was a victim of a brutal attack by Hindu radicals two years ago in Tukkuguda on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Rodemma recalled, while talking to International Christian Concern (ICC), how her husband had endured many trials for the sake of preaching the Gospel during the early days of their ministry. In 1984 in Ameerpet, Hyderabad, Pastor Krupaiah, a young minister at the time, was brutally assaulted by Hindu radicals while he was distributing Bible Tracts and Christian literature. Pastor Krupaiah was caught at the market place and stripped while the Hindu radicals destroyed the Gospel tracts and Bibles. Since then, trials have been a part of the late Pastor Krupaiah's life and ministry; the latest trial was the deadly attack that left over a dozen pastors injured, including Pastor Krupaiah.
"It was on June 4, 2013," said Pastor Timothy. "We were over 50 pastors gathered for prayer and fellowship in an independent church in Tukkuguda. All of sudden over 40 Hindu radicals stormed into the church hall and started beating us all. Soon we realized that some of us were bleeding with injuries all over the body. The blood spilled all over the place [and] we were locked up in the hall. We did not have a choice but to receive blows and kicks."
Pastor Krupaiah was seriously injured, with a wound on his head and kicks to the chest; he had already collapsed when the attackers left the place according to witnesses. Pastor Krupaiah was immediately rushed to the hospital while other pastors proceeded to the police station. Unfortunately, the Hindu radicals were already at the police station when the pastors arrived, accusing the pastors of being involved in forced conversion activities.
Fortunately, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the attackers at the Pahadisharif police station on the complaint given by the wounded pastors who went to the police straight from the church.
For Pastor Krupaiah, it was a daily battle when it came to his health after the attack. Weeks passed and the visible wounds healed. Months passed and the sensation created by the violence died down. However, the internal injuries continued to pose a constant threat to Pastor Krupaiah's life. Reportedly, the injuries caused many blood clots in Pastor Krupaiah's head. Over the course of time, the heavy blows to his chest resulted in multiple organ failures. Pastor Krupaiah breathed his last on July 22, 2015; he was 70 years old.
Rodemma said that, "The road ahead for me also is very tough." She requested prayers for the comfort of the bereaved family and for the ministry that Pastor Krupaiah left behind.
Often, the aftermath of religiously motivated attacks and the long term needs of the victims are forgotten. At times, news of pastors and Christian workers facing situations similar to that of Pastor Krupaiah are never heard, leaving their needs unaddressed.
Pastor Timothy, leader of a local pastor's fellowship, observed, "More often it is the rural pastors who are the targets of the right wing Hindu nationalist groups. These pastors have no medical insurance and [are] without adequate support, which will make things more difficult when they become victims of persecution."
Christians in India are being persecuted on a daily basis. Pastors and Christian workers are often the first to be targeted because of their visibility and mission to carry out the Great Commission. Regardless of where or when they are persecuted, these Christians are truly deserving of our prayers and support. Please remember to pray for persecuted Christians in India today.

Canada Concerned by Delay of Mohamed Fahmy Trial
July 30, 2015 - Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular), today released the following statement:
"We are deeply concerned over Mr. Fahmy’s current situation and disappointed by the continued delay in his trial.
"Canada calls on the Egyptian government to use all tools at its disposal to resolve Mr. Fahmy’s case and allow for his immediate return to Canada. We ask that all branches of the Egyptian government work together in a concerted manner to address the situation of Mr. Fahmy.
"Canadian officials will continue providing consular assistance to Mr. Fahmy and will continue to press Egyptian officials for a resolution on Mr. Fahmy’s case.
"Canada calls on the Egyptian government to protect the rights of all individuals, including journalists, in keeping with the spirit of Egypt’s new constitution and its transition to democracy."
Contacts
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700

Mullah Omar’s death and the whirlwinds of Afghanistan
Dr. John C. Hulsman/Al Arabiya/Thursday, 30 July 2015
The first great work of American fiction is undoubtedly The Sketch Book by Washington Irving, first published in 1820. The jewel in the crown of that surprisingly still readable series of short stories is undoubtedly The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, which recounts how the superior rationalist Ichabod Crane is nearly frightened to death by a Headless Horseman, an apparition appearing from nowhere before heading mysteriously off into the mists, imparting terror and then slipping away as if he had never been there. Irving makes the telling point that just beneath the facade of supposedly modern man, primeval fears and fixations lie unquenched, ever waiting to be stirred. Mullah Omar conjured up similar feelings of power and dread for both friend and foe alike. If the reports emanating from the Afghani government prove true, they amount to a mysterious death of a mysterious man. The undisputed spiritual leader of the Afghani Taliban and ruler of Afghanistan from 1996-2001, Mullah Omar died due to complications from tuberculosis two years ago in a remote southern Helmand province, according to Pakistani sources. His death, like much of his life, after last being seen fleeing his Kandahar stronghold on a motorcycle as American troops took the citadel, is shrouded in fog. Over time, his mythical qualities have come to serve the interests of both his Taliban followers as well as his enemies; ironically both may come to miss the iconic qualities of the man, more than anything he did materially himself.
Titular head of the Taliban
Since the Taliban’s ousting by the U.S.-led invasion in 2001, Omar has functioned as the reclusive, titular head of the Taliban, all through the bloody guerrilla fight that has ensued. Serving more in the vital role of political unifier of his fractious movement rather than taking any operational control of the struggle, Mullah Omar’s supposed pronouncements have become ever rarer as the years went on. But feared warrior that he was in life, serving in the vanguard of the mujahedeen resistance to the Soviet Union (where he lost his right eye due to a shrapnel wound), it is in death that Omar could well have his greatest impact.
For President Ghani, ironically the death of his greatest adversary is bound to prove a particular blow
First, if his death proves to be true, it could well lead to a splintering of the Taliban itself. The group’s ruling ‘Quetta Shura’ must have falsely propagated the myth of his continued existence, knowing that without Omar the continued unity of the Taliban becomes a tenuous question. Just as the Taliban have finally entered into talks in July 2015 with the new, earnest, if embattled, Afghan government of President Ashraf Ghani, some Taliban commanders openly questioned whether Omar is alive, stirring speculation about who should now head the movement. A succession struggle just at this vital diplomatic juncture is bound to ensue, probably centring on a contest between Omar’s eldest son, 26-year-old Mullah Mohammed Yaqoub, and the movement’s official second-in-command, Mullah Akhtar Mansoor. In such divisive circumstances, there is a very good chance that the Taliban itself splits into a series of factions, some advocating the nascent peace process and some virulently opposing it. This amounts to the worst of all possible worlds, for both the Afghan government and for its American patrons, desperate as they both are to finally bring this seemingly endless war to a close.
A particular blow
For President Ghani, ironically the death of his greatest adversary is bound to prove a particular blow. Ghani has made bringing peace to Afghanistan the cornerstone of his presidency, and in conjunction with his newfound Pakistani allies quite amazingly just managed to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, with a second official round of talks due to commence in just days. Indeed, following the first round of talks, a statement was released in Mullah Omar’s name endorsing the new negotiations (probably collectively composed by the Quetta Shura). To have all that diplomatic spadework undone by any coming succession infighting is a bitter blow. At a minimum, Omar’s death will complicate the peace process, as without him it is much harder for the Taliban to accept collective responsibility for launching the talks, let alone for delivering on the concessions that will prove necessary to bring the negotiations to a successful conclusion. And without Mullah Omar’s mesmeric, almost mythological quality, worse lies on the horizon for Afghanistan as a whole. Recent failures to prove Omar was alive were a major factor behind the defection of several senior Taliban commanders to ISIS, which is beginning to gain a real foothold in Afghanistan for the first time. The Quetta Shura may have largely propagated the falsehood of Mullah Omar’s continued existence with this seminal threat in mind, in an effort to keep the Taliban rank and file loyal in the face of siren calls from ISIS. With the talismanic Omar’s death, it is more than likely that the Taliban will weaken in the face of its rival’s dubious charms.
Ironically, just as Washington Irving understood that the power of menace, charisma, and mystery bind men to primeval understandings of the world, so Mullah Omar’s death may ironically unleash far worse forces than even he himself ever stood for.

Turkey’s ‘safe zone’: Another chapter in Syria’s disintegration
Joyce Karam/Al Arabiya/Thursday, 30 July 2015
In his interview with Jonathan Tepperman of Foreign Affairs earlier this year, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad declared that “as a country, as Syria, we would never allow any country to influence our sovereignty.” Assad’s words ring hollow as 10 countries with the anti-ISIS coalition bomb Syria on a daily basis, while Israel’s routine strikes against the regime or Hezbollah continue, and now Turkey is carving out a “safe zone” on the northern border. Turkey’s safe zone in Syria stands as an attempt to reverse the backlash from the war, offering the coalition a chance at a more vigorous battle against ISIS
Turkey’s latest foray into the Syrian quandary has less to do with resolving the conflict and more with micromanaging and containing the backlash from Syria’s disintegration. As Ankara and Washington work out the logistics and the defense framework for the 100 km zone in Syria, its timing and scope are more tied to Turkish and U.S. interests rather than upending the situation inside Syria. It comes at a time when the threat of ISIS is increasing inside in Turkey’s border areas, and more unease with a strengthened Kurdish autonomous movement in Northern Syria and Iraq.
Incirlik in return for PKK?
Turkey’s “safe zone” or what U.S. officials are calling an “ISIL-free zone” (using another acronym for ISIS) to avoid legal ramifications, does not promise to be a game changer given its small size and strict focus on ISIS . According to the Washington Post, the Turkish-U.S. agreement “includes a plan to drive the Islamic State out of a 68-mile-long (109 Km) area west of the Euphrates River and reaching into the province of Aleppo” in the hopes that the Syrian opposition would eventually take control of the territory.
The size of the area at 109 km is much smaller than Israel’s buffer zone in South Lebanon from 1985-2000 (328 square miles) and constrains its mission in terms of accommodating or resettling more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Turkey.
For the U.S. and Turkey, the safe zone agreement offers a trade off by which Washington gains access to Turkish airbases in the fight against ISIS, while Ankara receives support in its battle against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and tests a new concept for the rebels in Syria. Access to Incirlik air base for the coalition cuts tremendously the flight and refueling time to target ISIS’ strongholds in Raqqa, Syria (500 km) and Mosul, Iraq (900 km). This is a much closer distance than the airbases in Kuwait or Qatar that the coalition has been using over the last year. In return, Turkey has secured few demands in the process. It intensified its attacks against its archenemy the PKK in Iraq, with public support from Washington and more importantly its safe zone will block the Kurdish area in Syria (Rojava) from connecting contiguously in the north.
As far as the Syrian calculus plays out, both Turkey and the U.S. are hoping that the safe zone could provide a testing ground for the Train and Equip program and the rebels’ ability to self-govern without being hindered by their own infighting and Assad’s barrel bombs. These hopes, however, are far from being tangible, and face unanswered questions as to which rebel groups would control the area, and what the rules of engagement are vis-a-vis Assad.
Disintegration continues
For the U.S. and Turkey to be parsing out an area of Syria without prior consultations with Damascus shows the degree of disintegration and rupture that the country has encountered in the last four years. Today, Turkey is the 12th country that will be dropping bombs inside Syrian territory. This number pales when compared to the almost hundred militias on both the regime and the rebels’ side operating in the country. Syria is transpiring into a mix of Afghanistan and Somalia, whereby foreign fighters from as far as Australia and as close as Lebanon and Iraq are flooding the country to fight with ISIS, or Hezbollah or Nusra or other groups vying for territorial control. Some observers who have gone into Syria in the last two years, speak of a newly ingrained militia and war culture in the country. The heavy toll that the continued atrocities have had on the population (+250,000 dead) and more than 3.5 million refugees, complicate the prospects of any political solution. Former U.S. official and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Fred Hof said in press call on Tuesday that “any prospect at all of a negotiated political settlement is zero, as long as these daily outrages, these daily atrocities, these daily abominations are taking place.” In his last speech on Monday, Assad showed no indication of compromise, vowing to “cleanse the terrorists.”
In this light, Turkey’s safe zone in Syria stands as an attempt to reverse the backlash from the war, offering the coalition a chance at a more vigorous battle against ISIS, while reining in the PKK. The safe zone, in its current balance and structure, does not promise to be a turning point for the conflict in Syria, nor a cure for its disintegration.

Iran’s nuke deal: Israel’s best hope or worst nightmare?
Yossi Mekelberg/Al Arabiya/Thursday, 30 July 2015
International treaties are not designed for those who are either eternally gullible or incurably skeptical. The success of international agreements is measured in terms of a combination of factors: their overall vision, how well they express the reconciliation of conflicting interests, and meticulous and smart implementation. Such agreements are always less than perfect for both sides (which is also their strength), and therefore must be considered as a living organism which has to be constantly nurtured and coaxed. The agreement between Iran and the world’s main powers regarding the Iranian nuclear program is no exception, and out of the thousands upon thousands of words in it that outline all the details, the two key words that are repeated often in the document are “good faith.” Supporters of the agreement see only the hope in it and its detractors only the dangers. Neither sees it for what it is – a working compromise which is less than perfect. The hope, in the words of the agreement itself, is that Iran “… under no circumstances will… see, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons,” and in the process will become a much more agreeable participant in international affairs. The fear on the other hand, is that Iran will lull the international community, which is unwilling to confront it militarily or even economically anymore, into a false sense of security. This would, so the argument goes, enable Iran to covertly develop nuclear military capability and become an undisputed regional hegemon in the Middle East.
Is an Iran with less financial and other constraints more likely to increase its support of, for instance, Hezbollah in Lebanon or the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria? It would be foolish to dismiss these concerns as out of hand. However, they represent a worst case scenario
Predictably, the Israeli government has been the most vociferous in its objection to the agreement between the P5+1 and Iran, which was approved on July 14. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a mistake of historical proportions, which will grant Iran a sure path to nuclear military capability. In his usual brazen manner, he argued that the removal of the international sanctions awards the “the terrorist regime in Tehran, with hundreds of billions of dollars in cash bonanza which will fuel Iran’s terrorism worldwide…” Netanyahu claims that the negotiators, in their haste to reach an agreement with Iran, struck a bad deal with a country which aspires to destroy Israel. Within mainstream Israeli politics there is a broad consensus that the agreement is a bad one, and that the country’s security is worse off as a result of it. A major source of criticism in Israel is what is perceived as unsatisfactory safeguards intended to prevent Iran from deceiving the international community about its supposedly ‘real’ intentions over developing nuclear weapons.
Fuelling the rumor mill
Domestically, the agreement fuelled the rumor mill which suggested potential reconfiguration of the Israeli government by adding the Zionist Camp (Labour), a left of center party, to the coalition. The aim of this political maneuver is claimed to be an attempt to help the campaign to thwart the agreement with Iran. It is a rather obvious ploy by a number of the Likud Party and certain Zionist Camp leaders to exploit security concerns over Iran in order to change the makeup of the current Israeli government, despite strong opposition from within their own parties.
It would surely be irresponsible to ignore Israel’s and other countries’ legitimate concerns, mainly in the Gulf region, as to whether the deal can provide an absolute guarantee that Iran has abandoned ad infinitum their aspiration to become a nuclear military power. Moreover, it understandably has not allayed deep concerns over the direction that a sanction free Iran will take. Is an Iran with less financial and other constraints more likely to increase its support of, for instance, Hezbollah in Lebanon or the murderous regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria? It would be foolish to dismiss these concerns as out of hand. However, they represent a worst case scenario, ignoring the opportunities presented in the deal, and its potential to lead to rapprochement with Iran –a move that could result in empowering the more pragmatic elements in Iranian politics and society. Furthermore, this approach ignores that possible transforming impact this agreement could have on Iranian society.
The P5+1 negotiators have never pretended that the deal they reached was a miracle solution for stopping nuclear proliferation in the region, or eliminating the challenges presented by Iran’s behavior. Nevertheless, at least on the nuclear issue, they brought about an Iranian commitment backed by a U.N. Security Council resolution to abandon the military aspect of its nuclear program. It allows for the establishment of an inspection regime and provides for sanctions to be reinstated almost immediately in case Iran attempts to violate the terms of the agreement. Indeed the agreement as such has a life span of 10 to 15 years, but this should provide a clear enough indication of the direction Iran will take. This would require a very alert international community that does not accept the development of nuclear weapons by Iran or subversive actions by it, but that also within reason accepts that Iran is a major regional power with its own strategic concerns and interests.
Left with few options
Despite its protestations, Israel is left with very few options to oppose the agreement. Increasingly former officials in Israel’s security establishment either question whether in fact the Iran nuclear agreement is that bad for Israel, or suggest that Israel has no other option but to accept it as a fait accompli. Considering that Iran agreed to rigorous inspection arrangements, it is a far better situation that the pre-existing one. Moreover, in opposing the agreement, Israel finds itself increasingly isolated. To choose a military option would be a declaration of war not only against Iran, but against the international community which supported the deal through the Security Council. It is inconceivable that Israeli leadership would embark on such a politically suicidal course of action.
Another option that seems to be favored by Netanyahu’s government to derail the agreement is lobbying an already skeptical U.S. Congress to reject the deal with Iran. The American legislators seem to be bent on opposing any policy originating in the White House, though the two-thirds necessary to bury the agreement is unlikely. Secretary of State Kerry has warned Israel that it might regret getting her wishes of convincing the U.S. Congress to kill the deal, since the world would hold it responsible. The relationship between the Obama administration and Prime Minister Netanyahu seems to be beyond repair, and an active campaign by Israeli officials in Congress to vote against the wishes of the American administration over Iranian nuclear agreement might push Obama’s patience to the limit.
For all the Iran nuclear agreement’s merits and faults, for Israel the biggest challenge is to avoid exacerbating relations with its major ally, the United States. Netanyahu’s approach to the negotiations failed miserably. Instead of playing a constructive role in raising legitimate concerns and suggesting constructive solutions, he preferred to present a dogmatic uncompromising approach, which leaves his country isolated and out of touch, and worse with no influence on the negotiations and their outcomes. It left an impression that the decision makers in Jerusalem are behaving less rationally than their counterparts in Tehran. Not an achievement to boast about.

French coming to Crimea does not thaw diplomatic ice
Maria Dubovikova/Arabiya/Wednesday, 29 July 2015
A totally French restaurant in the heart of Moscow. Cameras, journalists, more than 120 people, French snacks and wine on the restaurant’s bill. Laughter. The clinking of glasses. Only the French language is heard. It was in these surroundings that a delegation of 10 French MPs returning from Crimea held their most recent press conference. The visit made much noise in international media. “Courageous,” “promising,” “important” were words used to describe the visit on one side, while the other side branded it “illegal,” “breaking international law,” “forbidden,” “provocative,” “shameful.” This visit took place despite pressure coming from the top of the French government. The MPs ignored all the threats, all the requests to cancel the trip, demonstrating enough courage, a love for freedom and an enviable French stubbornness towards insubordination. The motive to go to Crimea was simple – to see events on the ground with their own eyes, not through the distorting mirror of the press. But this was also a step taken to show that politicians in France are not in unanimous agreement with the government on the issue of Crimea. The French government and other MPs also didn’t fail to express their disagreement with the ten “renegades.” Pro-government French and mainstream Western media didn’t hold back on the negative labels to describe how awful their deed was. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government depicted their visit to Crimea as “an act of disrespect to the national sovereignty of Ukraine and conscious violation of the law of Ukraine” and they were announced persona non grata on Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine is alongside the majority of the Western countries that still don’t understand what these ten French MPs have understood. Crimea will not return to Ukraine. The French delegation has witnessed this reality, have admitted that there are problems and know that not all is perfect. But the situation in Crimea is for now stable, with no military uniforms seen at each corner of the peninsula. A main point of angst for the people of Crimea has been the Western sanctions imposed on them as punishment for expressing their will, which the West didn’t find corresponding to its interests.
Ukraine is alongside the majority of the Western countries that still don’t understand what these ten French MPs have understood
There is no point in making poker faces and declaring that the West is guarding international law and is concerned about the future of Ukraine as a country. History is already full of examples that don’t add up in favor of this ideal explanation of the Western stance. It’s quite clear that in the Ukrainian mess, the West is motivated by its own geopolitical interests. Crimea was a geopolitically strategic point for which Western powers have certain plans. Ukraine was meant to be an ideal strategic point to counter Russian expansion and power. The future of the Ukrainian people is the last thing that interests Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and especially, Washington.
Nevertheless, there is no need to overestimate the importance of the French parliamentarians' visit to Crimea, both in negative and positive terms, by all sides. The situation is still far from the point at which we can say “the glacier began to melt”. There is traditionally a part of French society and political circles that always sympathizes with Russia. Russia historically has a special affection towards France. No wonder why even in crisis, the states are bounded by the once forged good relations between the two countries. Thus nothing completely extraordinary has happened, if we do not to take into account the presence in the French delegation of one left wing representative of the political establishment, that is completely hostile towards Russia now.
Not the first time
It’s not the first visit of French parliamentarians to Russia in crisis times. And even if it was the first, their visit to Crimea won’t bring to the peninsula the raising of the sanctions and the acknowledgement of the territory as a part of Russia. Even if many of the visiting MPs have influence and power inside the French political system, their voices are still mostly the voices in the wilderness. However, they are strong enough alongside the noise raised by the media, to make people who are in doubt, resort to analysis themselves. This visit changes nothing, but it already entered history as the first Western delegation of politicians to come to Crimea after its “annexation by Russia” or “reunification with Russia”. A group of Italian parliamentarians have also expressed their intention to visit Crimea, following their French counterparts, hoping to see how the peninsula lives after the historical referendum and its consequences. They have already admitted that they are a minority in the Italian parliament, but they want to see what is going on there with their own eyes.
The Crimean problem remains as long as the Russia-West crisis is far from being over. The separate thaws don’t make the spring come. And new layers of frost freeze the achievements of separate diplomatic maneuvers and modest attempts to break the ice. The visits of the French political minority representatives don’t influence the climate as a whole. And the consequences can even be the opposite to what was expected by the visitors due to the reaction of the French political majority. But this will become more evident in the near future.

Where you can design your own lifestyle
Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor/Al Arabiya/Thursday, 30 July 2015
Life in the United Arab Emirates is the whole package. It is competitive, challenging and interesting for those pursuing a career and employees are required to stay on top of their game. This is the place where residents work hard and have on hand every facility imaginable to play hard. Everyone is free to go out and about enjoying all that life has to offer at any time of the day or night in complete safety. Personal freedoms are on par with those enjoyed by citizens of Western democracies provided the country’s laws and norms are respected. Ours is a vibrant multicultural society where dozens of different languages can be heard and just about every cuisine on earth can be discovered. The UAE plays host to over 200 different nationalities and is a magnet for tourists from all corners of the world attracted by pristine fine sand beaches and clear aquamarine waters, super-luxurious hotels as well as a wealth of sporting, shopping and entertainment facilities.
The UAE today is a land of diversity and plenty. Our rulers never stop striving for excellence and the end product is something to boast about
Here is where the daily round is made hassle-free. Telecommunication companies, banks, car hire firms, taxis and all other essential services can be communicated with on line or can be found a stone’s throw away from most hotels and residences. Supermarket staff will carry your shopping to your car or when you are in the mood to put up your feet at home, you can order online or just dial a number. Petrol station employees will ‘fill her up’ and more often than not, you will drive away with a clean windscreen.
Envious critics claim we are spoilt. Why shouldn’t we be? I do not deny it. Who in the world wouldn’t want their daily chores minimized permitting extra time to socialize, to devote to sports and hobbies, to be entertained or just to have fun!
When I was a boy…
When I was a boy we had to concentrate on survival first and foremost. We had to gather dates to feed our camels, tend to our goats, catch fish to eat, dig wells for water and when we had free time the only pursuits available were swimming, diving, camel racing and falconry, which were not only exciting but served to toughen us up for the harsh conditions we faced. We were forced to become men at an early age. We were happy because we did not know anything else but I am glad my children grew up in a different environment where all they were required to do was to enjoy their childhood years. And just when I think things can not get better, they do.
The UAE today is a land of diversity and plenty. Our rulers never stop striving for excellence and the end product is something to boast about. We make no apology for always aiming to be the best. This year, the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index named the UAE as the most tourist-friendly country in the Middle East and North Africa. Last year, the Emirates was ranked by the “Expat Insider” third on its list of “top ten countries for residence” and was recognised in the U.N. International Organization for Peace, Care and Relief 2014 report as the global first in terms of “peaceful coexistence among nationalities.”
Nowadays, residents and visitors are spoilt for choice in terms of sporting and leisure opportunities, too numerous to mention. Let’s just say, if you can dream it, we have got it from ski slopes and skating rinks to paragliding, skydiving, polo, dune driving and horseracing. Dubai is the venue for numerous events on the global annual calendar, such as the annual World Cup, the biggest in the world; the Dubai Open tennis championship, the Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series plus international speedboat races and professional golfing championships.
There is no excuse for anyone here not to stay fit. I reluctantly took up tennis when one of my hotel’s coaches repeatedly presented me with a racquet and a pair of shorts and now hardly a day goes by when I do not take to the courts no matter the temperature. I became so enamored of the energizing adrenalin rush and the health benefits tennis provides that I was driven to host the annual Al Habtoor Tennis Challenge for professional world-class female players.
A major center
The Emirates has also emerged as a major center for mega exhibitions. Some of the best known fixtures are: GITEX unveiling the technology of tomorrow; the Arabian Travel Market showcasing new hotels, tourist attractions and airline developments; the Sharjah World Book Fair, a must for literary enthusiasts, authors and publishers, the glitzy Dubai Motor Show, and Arab Health where healthcare professionals can network and view state of the art medical technologies.
Much-awaited biannual events include the Dubai Air Show that has evolved from modest beginnings into one of the World’s largest and most important reflecting Dubai’s status as the region’s fastest growing aviation hub, and IDEX Abu Dhabi where international companies present innovative advances in the field of security and defense. Enhancing the UAE’s unrivalled reputation for glamour is the annual Dubai Film Festival which has been featured in “Conde Nast Travelers” list of the world’s best. Established in 2004 to raise the international profile of Arab cinema and to celebrate Arab filmmaking talent it evolved into an international forum, where celebrity spotters can see gracing the red carpet some of the best known actors, directors and producers. In recent years, Hollywood has increasingly seen Dubai as a unique movie-making location. “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”, “Syriana”, “Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” and “Fast and Furious 7” shot in my hometown while “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is currently under production.
You do not have to be on the go 24/7 to enjoy what the United Arab Emirates has to offer. Take a leisurely stroll around Dubai’s Marina district. Stop at a cafe for a cappuccino and watch the boats sail by. Picnic on the beach or in one of Abu Dhabi’s many public parks. Get in touch with nature at Sir Bani Yas Island where wildlife roams free or wait for the opening of Dubai Safari Park scheduled to be a world standard for wildlife habitat when it opens at the end of this year. Ultimately just open your eyes to the beauty all around and you will be sure to have a nice day, every day.

Palestinians: A Rare Voice of Sanity
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/July 30, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6236/palestinians-sanity
While many in the international community and media hold Israel fully responsible for the plight of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Abrash offers a completely different perspective. Referring to widespread corruption under the Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank, the former Palestinian minister reveals that Palestinian academic institutions, including universities and colleges, have become "commercial projects for granting certificates that have no scientific value or content." This is a voice that is rarely given a platform in mainstream media outlets in the West, whose journalists continue to focus almost entirely on stories that reflect negatively on Israel. Western journalists based in the Middle East tend to ignore Palestinians who are critical of the PA or Hamas, because such criticism does not fit the narrative according to which Israel is solely responsible for all the bad things that happen to the Palestinians.
Abrash's criticism of Hamas and the PA -- whom he openly holds responsible for the suffering of their people -- actually reflects the widespread sentiment among Palestinians. Over the past few years, a growing number of Palestinians have come to realize that their leaders have failed them again and again and are now aware that both Hamas and the PA, as corrupt as ever, are hindering efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip. It is almost unheard of for a prominent Palestinian figure to hold the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Hamas equally responsible for corruption and abuse of power. Dr. Ibrahim Abrash, a former Palestinian Minister of Culture from the Gaza Strip, recently surprised many Palestinians by publishing an article that included a scathing attack on both the PA and Hamas, holding them responsible for the continued suffering of their people. In his article, Dr. Abrash also holds the two Palestinian parties responsible for the delay in rebuilding thousands of houses that were destroyed or damaged in the Gaza Strip during last year's military conflict between Israel and Hamas. He points out that Hamas and the PA have been holding each other responsible for the suffering of Palestinians. "Sometimes, they also put all the blame on Israel for all that is happening in the Gaza Strip," he said.
Referring to the ongoing power struggle between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which reached its peak with the violent takeover by Hamas of the entire Gaza Strip in the summer of 2007, Dr. Abrash accused the two rival parties of exploiting their dispute to cover up corruption in vital sectors of Palestinian society.
"In light of the division [between the PA-controlled West Bank and Hamas-run Gaza], corruption and absence of accountability have become widespread," Dr. Abrash wrote. "This division has led to the collapse of the political system and the system of values, and an increase in corruption. This has also allowed many opportunists and hypocrites to reach important positions, where they do anything they want without being held accountable."J'Accuse. Dr. Ibrahim Abrash, a former Palestinian Minister of Culture (left), accuses Palestinian Authority and Hamas officials of corruption, extortion, opportunism and hypocrisy. Pictured in the middle is PA President Mahmoud Abbas, and at right Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. And while many in the international community and media continue to hold Israel fully responsible for the plight of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Dr. Abrash offers a completely different perspective.
Noting that the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip have fallen victim to the power struggle between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, he says that no one today knows who is supposed to be helping the people living there. "The interests of the people have been lost as result of the two parties' rivalry," Dr. Abrash said. "No one knows who is in charge of the people's needs in the Gaza Strip -- Hamas, which is the de facto authority in the Gaza Strip, or the Palestinian Authority and its national consensus government. Or is it UNRWA and the donors who are responsible? Or is it the sole responsibility of Israel as an occupation state? To whom should the people direct their complaints?" Referring to widespread corruption under the PA in the West Bank, the former Palestinian minister reveals that Palestinian academic institutions, including universities and colleges, have become "commercial projects for granting certificates that have no scientific value or content."
Dr. Abrash points out that no one knows whether universities and colleges in the Gaza Strip are subject to the supervision of the Ministry of Education in the West Bank or the Gaza Strip. He also blasts the PA's Ministry of Civilian Affairs for exploiting and extorting Palestinians who seek travel permits, especially those wishing to leave the Gaza Strip. He goes on to hold Hamas responsible for "harassing" Palestinians who wish to leave the Gaza Strip through the Erez border crossing (to Israel). Dr. Abrash claims that some Palestinians are forced to pay bribes to Palestinian officials to obtain a travel permit.
"Many people have been subjected to blackmail and procrastination [by Palestinian officials] after Israel eased travel restrictions at the Bet Hanoun [Erez] border crossing," he said. "But the people are afraid to complain, out of fear that they would be denied travel permits in the future. What is happening at the border crossing has created favoritism and bribery."Dr. Abrash concludes his article with a rhetorical question: "Isn't it shameful and irritating that while Israel has been issuing travel permits for those with special needs, some influential [Palestinian] officials are placing obstacles? Until when will they continue to manipulate and blackmail the people of the Gaza Strip?"Dr. Abrash's article represents a rare voice of sanity among Palestinians. This is a voice that does not blame all the miseries of Palestinians on Israel alone and holds the Palestinians leadership also responsible for the continued suffering of their people.
However, this is a voice that is rarely given a platform in mainstream media outlets in the West, whose journalists continue to focus almost entirely on stories that reflect negatively on Israel. Western journalists based in the Middle East tend to ignore Palestinians who are critical of the Palestinian Authority or Hamas. That is because such criticism does not fit the narrative according to which Israel is solely responsible for all the bad things that happen to the Palestinians. Dr. Abrash's criticism of Hamas and the PA -- whom he openly holds responsible for the suffering of their people -- actually reflects the widespread sentiment among Palestinians. Over the past few years, a growing number of Palestinians have come to realize that their leaders have failed them again and again. Today, many Palestinians are aware of the fact that both Hamas and the PA are responsible for hindering efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip and that the two parties are as corrupt as ever. But when will the international community and media wake up and comprehend what many Palestinians came to understand years ago, namely that the real tragedy of the Palestinian people has been -- and remains -- bad and irresponsible leadership? Unfortunately, this is unlikely to happen as long as the world continues to see Israel as the villain.

Open Letter to the Archbishop of Westminster
Denis MacEoin/Gatestone Institute/July 30, 2015
http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/6191/archbishop-westminster
With Islam, how it is possible to dialogue with a faith that denies the divinity of Christ, regards the Bible as corrupt, believes that all Christians are the inferiors of Muslims and are destined to hell fire? What is there to talk about if both sides are to be honest about their beliefs? When members of ISIS murder apostates, it is hard to condemn them, as that is what the Prophet did. When they take slave girls as war booty, that is what the Prophet did. Waging jihad is an injunction in many chapters of the Qur'an. I do not know what copy of the Qur'an Pope Francis has been shown, but it is clearly very different to any copy in my possession, whether the original Arabic or a translation. When hate preachers in British mosques convey a violent or intolerant message to their congregants, they do so by quoting the Qur'an as the Word of God, thereby sanctioning acts of jihad. To ignore this is to hamper us in our efforts to bring Muslims into peaceful relations with the West, with all non-Muslims and especially with one another.
What was striking was that, instead of successive generations of Muslims becoming better integrated into British society, the younger they are, the more radical they become. Apparently the majority of Muslims do not feel particularly progressive. Only 34% of British Muslims believe the Holocaust happened. 62% of Muslims here do not support freedom of speech. Only 7% of Muslims in the UK consider themselves as British first. CSP Poll this year reported that 38% of Muslim-Americans say Islamic State (ISIS) beliefs are Islamic or correct. Figures such these are indicative of a wider level of acceptance of extreme ideas than your comments and those of many politicians suggest. On June 19, when Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, spoke at the 2015 Global Security Forum in Bratislava, one section (under the heading 'Clarity') drew widespread attention from the media and politicians, and from some the religious realm. In that passage, Cameron spoke about the threat posed by the Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL, or, in Arabic, Da'ish). "In ISIL," he started, "we have one of the biggest threats our world has faced." He went on to express concern about the way in which young British Muslims were being drawn into the ISIS web through the internet or within their communities:
The cause is ideological. It is an Islamist extremist ideology -- one that says the West is bad and democracy is wrong that women are inferior, that homosexuality is evil. It says religious doctrine trumps the rule of law and Caliphate trumps nation state and it justifies violence in asserting itself and achieving its aims. The question is: how do people arrive at this worldview? How does someone who has had all the advantages of a British or a European schooling, a loving family, the freedom and equality that allow them to be who they want to be turn to a tyrannical, murderous, evil regime?
There are, of course, many reasons – and to tackle them we have to be clear about them. I am clear that one of the reasons is that there are people who hold some of these views who don't go as far as advocating violence, but who do buy into some of these prejudices giving the extreme Islamist narrative weight and telling fellow Muslims, "you are part of this".This paves the way for young people to turn simmering prejudice into murderous intent. To go from listening to firebrand preachers online to boarding a plane to Istanbul and travelling onward to join the jihadis. We've always had angry young men and women buying into supposedly revolutionary causes. This one is evil; it is contradictory; it is futile – but it is particularly potent today. I think part of the reason it's so potent is that it has been given this credence. So if you're a troubled boy who is angry at the world, or a girl looking for an identity, for something to believe in and there's something that is quietly condoned online, or perhaps even in parts of your local community, then it's less of a leap to go from a British teenager to an ISIL fighter or an ISIL wife, than it would be for someone who hasn't been exposed to these things.
For what may be the first time, a head of state dared to make a connection between ordinary Muslims and extremism, by arguing that fundamentalist views might be quietly condoned online, or perhaps even in parts of a local Muslim community.
A report written in 2007 by this author for the British think tank Policy Exchange, titled "The Hijacking of British Islam," exposed the existence of hate literature in mosques across the UK. As soon as it was published, all hell broke loose, and everything possible was done to pretend that our evidence had been somehow faked. Many British writers and journalists such as Douglas Murray, Samuel Westrop and myself have tried over the years to draw attention to the realities of Islamic ideology and practice in schools, shari'a courts, and in politics, but we were severally rebuffed. But now, over one thousand young British men and women have travelled to Syria and Iraq to support the Islamic State, and it is becoming clear to everyone that something is amiss -- not with British society, values or aspirations, but in parts of our two million strong Muslim community. Innes Bowen's study of the UK Muslim population, "Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Brent: Inside British Islam," shows in some detail just where these radical influences may come from.
Inevitably, Cameron's references to the Muslim community brought condemnation from the usual suspects (and one unusual one). Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of a Muslim think tank, the Ramadhan Foundation, found the remarks "deeply offensive." The Muslim Council of Britain found Cameron's statement "wrong and counter-productive." In a radio interview, Muslim Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi argued that, "To make the comparison he has done the way he has done, it is not only unhelpful but actually wrong." Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, who sits in the House of Lords, described the speech as "misguided" and "demoralizing."
That Muslim leaders might respond this way was not surprising. Muslims in the UK, with several notable exceptions such as Haras Rafiq and Majid Nawaz, have been in denial for decades, and show few signs of facing up to the dangers facing them any time soon.
The unusual rebuke came, not from a Muslim, but from Britain's most important Catholic prelate, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster. Speaking on LBC Radio on the day of Cameron's speech, the Archbishop spoke unfavourably about the Prime Minister's remarks on Muslims. His remarks bear quoting almost in full here: The interviewer started by saying that "he [Cameron] seems to be laying this squarely at the door of the Muslim community. Too many people in the UK are sliding into violent extremism. He's warned that British Muslims risk quietly condoning ISIS. Do you think that's fair?"
To this, Nichols answered:
No. I think the community is a very diverse community. I was at a Muslim meeting last Saturday week. It was a Shi'a Muslim meeting. It was looking at dialogue and how people live together. And then they were absolute in their condemnation of ISIS. So there are many voices, Muslim voices in this country, that condemn ISIS and condemn it absolutely. We don't hear those [voices] in the public media very often, but they're there. It is an enormous challenge to Islam in this country, and I know many of the Muslim leaders are deeply, deeply concerned about this. I would say for most of them and the families they represent, they feel a bit helpless in terms of the access to the Internet and to that whole seduction and manipulation that goes on. I think they need help with that. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster (center). Image source: Catholic Church England and Wale On the face of it, the Archbishop's remarks are worthy of respect, since he is active in interfaith work and considers it to be his mission, like that of the current Pope Francis, to work for peace and conciliation. But interfaith work can often be marred by an underlying refusal to come clean about beliefs that contradict those of others.
With Islam, I have to ask how it is possible to dialogue with a faith that denies the divinity of Christ, denies that he was crucified or resurrected, denies the Trinity, denies Mary as the mother of God, denies the belief in original sin and salvation through Christ, regards the Bible as corrupt, believes that all Christians are the inferiors of Muslims and are destined to hell fire? What is there to talk about if both sides are to be honest about their beliefs?Even if a majority of Muslims may be concerned about extremism in their midst, there are reasons to think that David Cameron's view is close to the mark: that some Muslims unwittingly or wittingly condone what goes on because much of it is in keeping with the Qur'an, the hadith [traditions], the Shari'a law books, and Islamic practice from the time of Muhammad.
Here is what I wrote. I await his reply.
An open letter to
His Eminence Vincent Cardinal Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster
Your Eminence,
I have listened with interest to your interview last Friday on LBC Radio, when you were asked to comment on David Cameron's speech at the 2015 Globsec conference in Bratislava, specifically his remarks concerning British Muslims and the role he wants them to take in defeating the radicalization of Muslim youth. You took issue with him, and gave reasons for a different approach to the problem.
May I comment on the things you said in turn? I write as someone with a lifetime's experience with Islam and Islamic Studies. My second degree was a four-year MA from Edinburgh University in Persian, Arabic and Islamic History, when I studied the life of Muhammad and the Qur'an (in Arabic) with the late William Montgomery Watt, the world's leading authority on both subjects at that time. I also have a PhD from Cambridge in Persian Studies, researching aspects of Iranian Shi'ism. I have taught Arabic-English translation and Islamic civilization in Morocco and Arabic and Islamic Studies at Newcastle University. I have written many books, academic articles, entries for scholarly encyclopaedias (including the second edition of The Encyclopaedia of Islam).
More pertinent to what I want to say here is my authorship of think tank reports on hate literature found in British mosques, on Shari'a law in the UK, and two reports on Muslim schools in this country, when I was the first person to identify the problems revealed by the Trojan Horse scandal.
I say all this, not to brag, but to show that I come to this subject as an informed and experienced commentator. I am, as much as yourself, an active opponent of genuine Islamophobia, but not of honest criticism of Islam, whether from religious or secular points of view. I have often collaborated with and written about Muslim reformers here and abroad, and I regard them as the chief hope of the Muslim community in the years to come. And I frequently criticize the treatment of such fresh thinkers by Islamist governments, whether in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, or elsewhere.
I also take a deep interest in the fate of the Baha'i community of Iran, a religious group I have studied and written about for many years. I fear that the Shi'a meeting you attended recently would have asked you to leave had you spoken up in defence of the Baha'is and asked for an end to their persecution. You say you spoke about dialogue and how people live together. Shi'a Muslims almost to a man curse the Baha'is in their prayers and support the Iranian government's treatment of them. They are, may I say it, often vociferous in their hatred for Jews as well.
Like yourself, I have great hopes for Muslims, above all in their integration within this country and their adjustment to the British way of life while retaining those aspects of their faith that blend best with our own values -- notably their spirituality, prayerfulness, and their pursuit of the various cultural achievements they bring here, from Qawwali music to one of the highest art forms of all civilization: Arabic and Persian calligraphy.
But I fear I am not as sanguine as you are about the possibilities of finding genuine opposition to radicalism. Some form of intolerance, and acceptance of violence, seems to pervade so many Muslim communities around the globe. You say, "there are many voices, Muslim voices in this country that condemn ISIS and condemn it absolutely." That is undoubtedly true, but Muslim voices openly condemning radicalism remain muted, especially within the more closely knit communities, not least those where hate preachers still lecture in the mosques and intolerant literature is still to be found. As you yourself say, "we don't hear those [voices] in the public media very often." You add that "many of the Muslim leaders are deeply, deeply concerned about this." But rather more Muslim leaders, especially those from Deobandi, Salafi, Wahhabi, Muslim Brotherhood and similar circles do not seem at all concerned.
There is a simple reason. All Muslims, if they are at all pious, believe that the Qur'an is the unassailable Word of God, dictated by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad. They also believe that it is a complete and perfect transcript of a book that has existed with God for all eternity. Sunni Muslims (and Shi'is using a different corpus) believe that the ahadith -- the passages of hadith literature recording the sayings and actions of Muhammad -- are beyond criticism, since centuries of scholarship have winnowed out anything unauthentic. And all Muslims, however diverse their origins, believe that the Sira, the historical biography of the Prophet, reveals words and actions that serve as models for the behaviour of all believers.
Salafi Muslims, who are the most radical, are far from a modern suddenness. They believe that Muslims must act in accordance with the path laid down by the Prophet and his companions (the salaf), the first three generations who lived in Muhammad's lifetime.
Where does this lead? No Muslim may criticize or seek to re-interpret the Qur'an (some who have tried have been killed), the six canonical hadith volumes, or the behaviour of the Prophet and his companions. When members of ISIS murder apostates, therefore, it is hard to condemn the ISIS members, as that is what the Prophet did. When they take slave girls as war booty, that is what the Prophet did. When they impose the jizya or poll tax on Christians, or execute any who refuse to pay it, that is what the Prophet and his companions did. Waging jihad is an injunction in many chapters of the Qur'an. Taking concubines as part of war booty is ordered explicitly in the Qur'an. Killing non-Muslims who take up arms against the Muslims is repeatedly urged in the Qur'an. Killing apostates is enjoined by a Tradition in the most authentic book of hadith, the Sahih al-Bukhari. Beheading those deemed to have acted against the Muslims is an act approved of by Muhammad, famously when he allowed the beheading of some 700 male members of the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza.
Of course, many Muslims in this country are horrified by the things ISIS fighters do, above all by the non-Qur'anic punishments they carry out, such as killing Christians and others without offering them a chance for conversion, killing Muslims who have opposed them without giving them an opportunity to repent, or burning a prisoner alive. But where extremists act in accordance with Islamic law or scriptural commandments, criticism is far harder to express. I have heard only the tiniest number of British Muslims condemn Hamas, its terror tactics or its covenant to kill all Jews in the world.
After the terror recent attacks in Tunisia, Paris and Kuwait, David Cameron said that these had nothing to do with Islam and that "Islam is a religion of peace." This is a frequent assertion by politicians. It has also been echoed by Pope Francis in his apostolic exhortation "The Joy of the Gospel," in which he writes: "Faced with disconcerting episodes of violent fundamentalism, our respect for true followers of Islam should lead us to avoid hateful generalizations, for authentic Islam and the proper reading of the Quran are opposed to every form of violence."
Much as I respect Pope Francis and find him a man of goodwill and understanding, I fear I find him much mistaken in this. It is a simple fact of Qur'an commentary, since the earliest period until today, that early, Meccan verses, which express a tolerant and peace-loving attitude, although applicable within the Muslim community, have been abrogated by later, Medinan, verses, which call for jihad, the beheading of non-Muslims, outright hatred for Jews and Christians, generalized hatred for all non-Muslims (who are destined for hellfire), and the need to use violence to impose Islamic rule across the world.
I do not know what copy of the Qur'an Pope Francis has been shown, but it is clearly very different to any copy in my possession, whether the original Arabic or a translation. When hate preachers in British mosques convey a violent or intolerant message to their congregants, they do so by quoting the Qur'an as the Word of God, thereby sanctioning acts of jihad. And the history of "authentic Islam" has been a constant story of acts of violence punctuated by periods of peacefulness within the Islamic realm. Muhammad led jihad armies and sent others out -- that history is regarded by all Muslims as "authentic." The first four caliphs (authentic to all Sunni Muslims) directed major campaigns of conquest that finally brought Muslim armies to India in the East, and the Iberian peninsula, the south of France, southern Italy and to the gates of Vienna.
The Ottoman Empire, between 1346 and 1918, conquered and enslaved much of Eastern Europe. Even several of the mystical Sufi orders, thought by many to be non-violent, fought jihad wars in North Africa, the Caucasus and elsewhere. From the 18th to the 20th century, jihad wars were waged against heretical Muslims and Westerners in India, Algeria, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, Libya, British Mandate Palestine, against Israel, and in Arabia (twice). Today's wars in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen, and elsewhere are a powerful testimony to the attractions of fundamentalist Islam.
There are many kinds of jihad, but violent jihad -- war in the cause of Islam -- has been constant throughout Islamic history. To that extent, Islam and violence are far more closely associated with each other scripturally and historically than in any other religion. To ignore this is to hamper us in our efforts to bring Muslims into peaceful relations with the West, with all non-Muslims and especially with one another.
It also does not help if we ignore another basic Islamic doctrine, something called Al-wala' wa'l-bara' -- meaning something like "loyalty and enmity," as it has been translated in several English-language Muslim publications issued in the UK. While the real meaning is more complex, what it amounts to is an assertion that Muslims must have as little as possible to do with non-Muslims. Muslims should not celebrate Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries or anything else with their non-Muslim workmates or neighbours. They must not take part in interfaith gatherings where they may be called on to compromise their faith. They must expose the falsehoods of Christianity and Judaism (based on passages in the Qur'an that treat both the Old and New Testaments as hopelessly corrupt); deny the sonship and godhood of Jesus; reject the crucifixion; condemn monks and priests, and so on. This doctrine has been widely preached and published in this country. It represents a significant challenge to your own interfaith work. Even the most moderate and companionable Muslims find it impossible to deny these things, because to do so would mean denying the veracity of the Word of God.
Those who ignore such passages in the Qur'an are to be commended for making an effort to engage with non-believers, but as often as not, doing so becomes a challenge to their faith or brings them closer to secularism.
Many convert to Christianity, but in doing so they expose themselves to threats or acts of violence from their families and other local Muslims. Many converts have paid the ultimate price.
There is strong statistical evidence to show that more than a negligible number of Muslims in the West subscribe to what we consider radical views. In survey after survey, polls taken by well-regarded agencies such as Pew, NOP World (a UK company now within the German Gesellschaft für Konsumforschung [GfK], one of the top five marketing research organizations in the world), the British public opinion researcher ICM Research, the Center for Security Policy, Policy Exchange, and Civitas show high figures for support for violence, honour killings, stoning adulterers, executing apostates and much else. There is far too much material to discuss in any detail here, but a thorough compilation of such findings is available. The figures are worrying in the UK, but grow even more alarming when surveys are conducted in Muslim countries.
In 2007, the conservative British Think Tank, Policy Exchange, published a groundbreaking survey of Muslim attitudes in the UK, "Living Apart Together: British Muslims and the paradox of multiculturalism." What was striking in it was that, instead of successive generations of Muslims becoming better integrated into British society, the younger they are the more radical they become. Overall, 53% of Muslims prefer Muslim women to wear a veil. Only 16% of 45-54-year-olds prefer shari'a to UK law, but this rises to 37% of 16-24-year-olds. Conversely, 75% of those aged 45-54 prefer UK law, but this drops to 50% of 16-24s. 56% of this youngest generation insist that a Muslim woman may not marry a non-Muslim; 56% insist that a woman may not marry without the consent of her male guardian (father, brother, uncle); 52% say a man may have up to four wives, a woman only one husband; 36% believe apostasy is punishable by death; 71% insist that homosexuality is wrong and should be illegal. Whereas 56% of 45-54 year-olds want some reform of shari'a law, this drops to 37% of 16-24 year-olds. While a mere 2% of 45-54s support al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations, this rises to 13% among the youngest.
These numbers go some way to confirming Sarfraz Manzoor's conclusion that apparently the majority of Muslims do not feel particularly progressive, especially in areas such as permitting homosexuality, mixing with members of the opposite sex, in reining in the application shari'a law.
The Policy Exchange survey must be read in its entirety. It is long, detailed, and sophisticated in its nuance. Overall, a majority of Muslims seem to be well integrated and do express loyalty to Great Britain. We should not go too far in claiming there are no progressives or that they are not in large numbers. But it remains worrying that the younger generations are clearly much less well-integrated than their fathers and grandparents.
Most immigrant communities go in the other direction. According to a 2011 report on integration by the US Migration Policy Institute, "Full integration into U.S. society and economy generally takes more than one generation, with children of immigrants reliably outperforming their parents in educational attainment, occupational status, wealth, and home ownership. Residential segregation also decreases between first and second generations, and rates of intermarriage between ethnic and racial groups increase. Language proficiency improves dramatically as well." Clearly, this does not seem to apply as strongly among British Muslims, and a similar pattern can be seen across Europe.
Other surveys are even more disturbing. An ICM Unlimited poll in 2006 found that a full 40% of British Muslims wanted shari'a law and that as many as 20% approved of London's 7/7 bombings. The 7/7 bombers seemed to be well-integrated young men, with jobs and educational qualifications. An NOP World Ltd. survey at the same time put the figure of support higher, at 25%. In 2005, the Federation of Islamic Students in the UK indicated that one in five Muslim students would not report other Muslims known to be planning terror attacks.
CSP Poll this year reported that 38% of Muslim-Americans say Islamic State (ISIS) beliefs are Islamic or correct. A 2010 survey of 600 Muslim students at 30 universities throughout Britain found that 32% of Muslim respondents believed that killing in the name of religion is justified; and that 40% wanted shari'a law. A 2006 NOP Research survey showed that as many as 78% of British Muslims supported punishing the publishers of Muhammad cartoons. The same survey found that fully 29% of British Muslims would "aggressively defend" Islam. It also showed that 68% of British Muslims support the arrest and prosecution of anyone who insults Islam. When compared with the views of Christians and Jews, this is a very high figure indeed. One in ten British Muslims supports honour killings.
This is only support for violence. There are other areas for concern. Only 34% of British Muslims believe the Holocaust happened. 51% believe a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim. 62% of Muslims here do not support free speech. Only 7% of Muslims in the UK consider themselves as British first: with the passage of so many generations now, this is a disturbing indication of non-integration. 54% believe a Muslim man may marry up to four wives. 61% want homosexuality punished. According to Pew (2011) 21% of Muslim-Americans say there is a fair to great amount of support for Islamic extremism in their community. 43% of Muslim-Americans believe people of other faiths have no right to evangelize Muslims. That, of course, includes the Catholic Church. In 2013, 1 in 3 Muslims in Austria said it is not possible to be a European and a Muslim, and 22% oppose democracy.
I have, I fear, gone on too long citing statistics. But figures such these are indicative of a wider level of acceptance of extreme ideas than your comments and those of many politicians suggest. I do not envy you in your work to find reconciliation, and I do commend your efforts in seeking solutions to this problem, now a problem of overwhelming proportions across the world. Nothing here is remotely Islamophobic, insofar as it is based wholly on a direct reading of Islamic scripture and texts, of Islamic history, and of statistics for modern developments and attitudes. I do, therefore, ask you to take some measure of my comments simply on their own merits. My arguments are not subtle, and of course there are many other perspectives on all the matters covered here. As a professional, however, who has spent a lifetime studying many facets of Islam, perhaps my views deserve to be taken into account alongside the important work you do to secure closer relations with those sections of Britain's Muslim community, who show themselves willing and even eager to forge close ties with their fellow citizens, regardless of faith or its absence.
Apologies for subjecting you to such a lengthy exposition, but I simply hope that you will see that David Cameron did not speak out of turn when he expressed concern at Bratislava.
With best wishes,
Dr. Denis MacEoin/ born in Belfast, where he learned at first hand the dangers of religious strife

Lebanon’s Ills Summed Up by Garbage
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/Wednesday, 29 Jul, 2015
I remember from my youth the popular Lebanese saying, “Everything in Lebanon is ‘zift’ [asphalt] except the roads!”Metaphorically, asphalt, or rather, “zift,” came to mean any bleak and slimy bad situation. However, the Lebanese now recall those “zift” days with nostalgia, simply because their current situation is much worse. In the good old days the Lebanese used to bemoan their “political class” and criticize “political feudalism” and “traditional leaderships”; little did they know what the future held. For example, they never thought they would see the day when one man claimed to be the sole representative of the whole Christian community, the same community whose arena was large enough to accommodate longstanding competition between Émile Eddé, the leader of the National Bloc, and Bechara Al-Khouri, the leader of the Constitutional Bloc—whose groups both transcended sectarian divides. It was also capable not only of living under the high statures of ex-president Fuad Chehab and the Maronite Patriarch Paul Peter Meouchi, but also the popular “triumvirate” of Camille Chamoun, Pierre Gemayel, and Raymond Eddé. Even during the Lebanese civil war, when charismatic Bachir Gemayel sought “to unite the Christian guns,” there were still many Christians occupying prominent positions in the Leftist and Arabist parties of the now defunct National Movement, which refused to tie down the fate of the country’s Christians with to that of its right wing parties.
The scene was similar in the Muslim camp, where the field was also open to multipolar politics. Among the Sunnis not one leader could monopolize Arabism, patriotism, or moderate Islam. As for the Shi’ites, multipolarity was even more clear-cut, whether in northern Beqaa or south Lebanon where no single clan was in control. And, last but not least, the Druze were originally living under the ancient historical Arab bipartisanship of Qays and Yemen, which later reinvented itself under various guises. Back to today: as Beirut and other Lebanese areas struggle to breathe under mountains of garbage, the problems of the past seem blessings in comparison.
A couple of days ago, Lebanon’s Environment Minister Mohamed Al-Mashnouq—who is a decent and rational man—asked the public to be patient for a few months and give the government time to find a new and suitable place to dump all the accumulated garbage, and thus solve the niggling problem. The minister, however, seems to have forgotten that a serious crisis threatening the very existence of Lebanon still remains unsolved after more than a year. He forgot, or seems to have forgotten, that the country’s presidency is still vacant because there is one man named Michel Aoun who insists on being the sole and exclusive spokesman of Lebanon’s Christians, and resurrects his old slogan, “freedom, sovereignty, and independence,” in a country that, thanks specifically to him, has in fact ceased to be free, sovereign, and independent!
Aoun claims that he alone is the “guarantor” of Lebanese Christians’ rights, and their secure “shield” in the face of “political ISIS-ism”—as his son-in-law the Lebanese foreign minister informed us. This is indeed strange, since conventional wisdom tells us that in a state created specifically to fulfil the wishes and ensure the security of its Christians, those Christians should seek no refuge but that state itself. Yes, this state—not Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which pretends to be infatuated with “the protection of minorities” while in order to further its own interests and influence is engaged in a mad genocidal project against a colossal sea of Sunni Muslims extending from Indonesia in the east to Guyana in the west!
Today, when Michel Aoun, an MP, obstructs the work of the state, while his son-in-law opens up sectarian wounds in an attempt to sell the Christian man on the street fake heroisms achieved by the “savior hero,” he, Aoun, is gambling on the naïveté of those who refuse to see that Hezbollah, the Lebanese branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, is the conductor, motivator, and decision-maker in an illusory and lopsided “pact” whose task is to cover up plans for foreign hegemony in the Middle East.
Furthermore, the Aounists think, first, that Hezbollah is ignorant of Aoun’s political past, and second, that it is ready to hand over real power to their leader. However, the truth is that Hezbollah is quite knowledgeable of who Aoun is, and that Hezbollah’s strategic aim is total hegemony over Lebanon, leading to tying it up with Tehran’s hegemonic “bloc” extending from Iran to the Mediterranean, and including Iraq and Syria. It is unfortunate for Lebanon’s Christians that general circumstances in the region seem ostensibly to favor Iran’s plans. Thus, instead of holding Aoun responsible for his actions and dangerous gambles, there are those who whisper that the guy is a “visionary” and even “wise,” and that his bet on a US–Iran alliance against Sunni Islam is well-placed.
Yet, this may not necessarily be true. Actually, it is still too early to expect solid political results from the Iran nuclear agreement, more so while there are still regional players Washington is loath to openly alienate. Another fact worth remembering is that “Political Sunnism” is too large, flexible, and capable of acclimatizing both regionally and globally, to be exemplified by ISIS and its ilk. As such, Washington is deep down quite aware that it would be risking too much if it chose the road of open confrontation in the Middle East; it has been justifying its recent concessions through its desire to settle problems, minimize costly tensions, and keep away from military trouble-spots.
Naturally, in Lebanon Aounists, Assad “Arabists,” and Hezbollah “sectarianists” would all like to forget that while Iran is a theocracy headed by the Vali-e Faqih and controlled by the Revolutionary Guard, the US is a democracy based on the principle of change of government through the ballot box. Hence, tying the existence of Christians—in fact, all minorities—to an agreement between the Vali-e Faqih and a constitutional head-of-state with a limited term in office would be a disastrous adventure indeed.
In any case, some observers are associating the loud noises coming from Aoun and his followers with reports from Tehran claiming that the Iranian leadership is now ready to contemplate three names seriously suggested for the Lebanese presidency; Aoun is not one of them.
This is surely a welcome development. It may solve Lebanon’s problem with one man, facilitate government work, and end the garbage crisis; but on its own, it will certainly not cure those in the country with sick mentalities.

Why Muslim Rapists Prefer Blondes: A History
Raymond Ibrahim /FrontPage Magazine/July 30, 2015 in Islam
The Muslim penchant to target “white” women for sexual exploitation—an epidemic currently plaguing Europe, especially Britain and Scandinavia—is as old as Islam itself, and even traces back to Muhammad.
Much literary evidence attests to this in the context of Islam’s early predations on Byzantium (for centuries, Christendom’s easternmost bulwark against the jihad). According to Ahmad M. H. Shboul (author of “Byzantium and the Arabs: The Image of the Byzantines as Mirrored in Arabic Literature”) Christian Byzantium was the “classic example of the house of war,” or Dar al-Harb—that is, the quintessential realm that needs to be conquered by jihad. Moreover, Byzantium was seen “as a symbol of military and political power and as a society of great abundance.”
The similarities between pre-modern Islamic views of Byzantium and modern Islamic views of the West—powerful, affluent, desirable, and the greatest of all infidels—should be evident. But they do not end here. To the medieval Muslim mind, Byzantium was further representative of “white people”—fair haired/eyed Christians, or, as they were known in Arabic, Banu al-Asfar, “children of yellow” (reference to blonde hair).
Continues Shboul:
The Byzantines as a people were considered as fine examples of physical beauty, and youthful slaves and slave-girls of Byzantine origin were highly valued…. The Arab’s appreciation of the Byzantine female has a long history indeed. For the Islamic period, the earliest literary evidence we have is a hadith (saying of the Prophet). Muhammad is said to have addressed a newly converted [to Islam] Arab: “Would you like the girls of Banu al-Asfar?” Not only were Byzantine slave girls sought after for caliphal and other palaces (where some became mothers of future caliphs), but they also became the epitome of physical beauty, home economy, and refined accomplishments. The typical Byzantine maiden who captures the imagination of litterateurs and poets, had blond hair, blue or green eyes, a pure and healthy visage, lovely breasts, a delicate waist, and a body that is like camphor or a flood of dazzling light.[1]
While the essence of the above excerpt is true, the reader should not be duped by its overly “romantic” tone. Written for a Western academic publication by an academic of Muslim background, the essay is naturally euphemistic to the point of implying that being a sex slave was desirable—as if her Arab owners were enamored devotees who merely doted over and admired her beauty from afar.[2]
Indeed, Muhammad asked a new convert “Would you like the girls of Banu al-Asfar?” as a way to entice him to join the jihad and reap its rewards—which, in this case, included the possibility of enslaving and raping blonde Byzantine women—not as some idealistic discussion on beauty.
This enticement seems to have backfired with another Muslim who refused Muhammad’s call to invade Byzantine territory (the Tabuk campaign). “O Abu Wahb,” cajoled Muhammad, “would you not like to have scores of Byzantine women and men as concubines and servants?” Wahb responded: “O Messenger of Allah, my people know that I am very fond of women and, if I see the women of the Byzantines, I fear I will not be able to hold back. So do not tempt me by them, and allow me not to join and, instead, I will assist you with my wealth.”[3] The prophet agreed but was apparently unimpressed—after all, Wahb could have all the Byzantine women he desired if the jihad succeeded—and a new Sura for the Koran (9:49) was promptly delivered condemning the man to hell for his reported hypocrisy and failure to join the jihad.
Thus a more critical reading of Shboul’s aforementioned excerpt finds that European slave girls were not “highly valued” or “appreciated” as if they were precious statues—they were held out as sexual trophies to entice Muslims to the jihad.
Moreover, the idea that some sex slaves became mothers to future caliphs is meaningless since in Islam’s patriarchal culture, mothers—Muslim or non-Muslim—were irrelevant in lineage and had no political status. And talk of “litterateurs and poets” and “a body that is like camphor or a flood of dazzling light” is further anachronistic and does a great disservice to reality: These women were—as they still are—sex slaves, treated no differently than the many slaves of the Islamic State today.
For example, during a recent sex slave auction held by the Islamic State, blue and green eyed Yazidi girls were much coveted and fetched the highest price. Even so, these concubines are being cruelly tortured. In one instance, a Muslim savagely beat his Yazidi slave’s one year old child until she agreed to meet all his sexual demands.
Another relevant parallel between medieval and modern Islamic views exists: white women were and continue to be seen as sexually promiscuous by nature—essentially “provoking” Muslim men into lusting after them.
Much of this is discussed in Byzantium Viewed by the Arabs by Nadia Maria El Cheikh. She writes:
Fitna, [an Islamic term] meaning disorder and chaos, refers also to the beautiful femme fatale who makes men lose their self-control. Fitna is a key concept in defining the dangers that women, more particularly their bodies, were capable of provoking in the mental universe of the Arab Muslims.
After explaining how the fair haired/eyed Byzantine woman exemplified Islam’s femme fatale of fitna, Cheikh writes:
In our [Muslim] texts, Byzantine women are strongly associated with sexual immorality…
Our sources show not Byzantine women but [Muslim] writers’ images of these women, who served as symbols of the eternal female—constantly a potential threat, particularly due to blatant exaggerations of their sexual promiscuity….
Cheikh documents how Muslims claimed that Byzantine (or “white Christian”) females were the “most shameless women in the whole world”; that, “because they find sex more enjoyable, they are prone to adultery”; that “adultery is commonplace in the cities and markets of Byzantium”—so much so that “the nuns from the convents went out to the fortresses to offer themselves to monks.”
Concludes Cheikh:
While the one quality that our [Muslim] sources never deny is the beauty of Byzantine women, the image that they create in describing these women is anything but beautiful. Their depictions are, occasionally, excessive, virtually caricatures, overwhelmingly negative….
Such anecdotes [of sexual promiscuity] are clearly far from Byzantine reality and must be recognized for what they are: attempts to denigrate and defame a rival culture through their exaggeration of the laxity with which Byzantine culture dealt with its women….
In fact, in Byzantium, women were expected to be retiring, shy, modest, and devoted to their families and religious observances…. [T]he behavior of most women in Byzantium was a far cry from the depictions that appear in Arabic sources.”[4]
Based on all the above, some historic facts emerge: Byzantium was long viewed by early Muslims as the most powerful, advanced, and wealthy “infidel” empire, one highly desired—not unlike modern Islamic views of the West today. And Byzantine women, or “white women,” were long viewed as the “femme fatale” of Islam—from a carnal perspective, the most desired, from a pious perspective, the most despised of women.
Turning to today, we find all these same patterns at work—including the idea that “white women” are naturally promiscuous and provoke pious Muslim men into raping them. Thus last December in the UK, while a Muslim man raped a British woman, he told her that “you white women are good at it”—thereby echoing that ancient Islamic motif concerning the alleged promiscuity of white women.
Swedish woman beat and gang raped by Muslims
The UK is also home to one of the most notorious Muslim-led sex ring scandals: in Rotherham and elsewhere, thousands of young native British girls have been systematically groomed, trafficked, beaten and sexually abused by Muslims—even as the “multiculturalist” authorities and police stood by and watched. (For more on the UK scandal and Islamic law on sex slavery click here).
In fact, all throughout Europe—particularly in the Nordic nations—thousands of “Byzantine-type” women have been violently raped and egregiously beaten by Muslims. In Norway, Denmark, and Sweden—where fair hair and eyes predominate—rape has astronomically risen since those nations embraced the doctrine of multiculturalism and opened their doors to tens of thousands of Muslim immigrants.
According to Gatestone Institute, “Forty years after the Swedish parliament unanimously decided to change the formerly homogenous Sweden into a multicultural country, violent crime has increased by 300% and rapes by 1,472%.” The overwhelming majority of rapists are Muslim immigrants. The epidemic is so bad that some blonde haired Scandinavian women are dying their hair black in the hopes of warding off potential Muslim predators.
Nor is this phenomenon a product of chance; some modern day Muslims actually advocate for it. Back in 2011, a female politician and activist trying to combat sexual immorality in Kuwait suggested that Muslims import white sex slaves. After explaining how she once asked Islamic clerics living in the city of Mecca concerning the legality of sex slavery and how they all confirmed it to be perfectly legitimate, she explained:
A Muslim state must [first] attack a Christian state—sorry, I mean any non-Muslim state—and they [the women, the future sex slaves] must be captives of the raid. Is this forbidden? Not at all; according to Islam, sex slaves are not at all forbidden. [See here, here, and here for more on Islamic law and sex slavery.]
As for what sort of “infidel” women are ideal, the Kuwaiti activist suggested Russian women (most of whom are fair haired and eyed; ironically, Russia is often seen as Byzantium’s successor):
In the Chechnya war, surely there are female Russian captives. So go and buy those and sell them here in Kuwait; better that than have our men engage in forbidden sexual relations. I don’t see any problem in this, no problem at all.
In short, the ongoing epidemic in the UK, Scandinavia and elsewhere—whereby Muslim men sexually target white women—is as old as Islam, has precedents with the prophet and his companions, and, till this day, is being recommended as a legitimate practice by some in the Muslim world.
[1] Shboul’s essay is found in Arab-Byzantine Relations in Early Islamic Times (ed. Michael Bonner, Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, 2004), 240, 248.
[2] This apologetic approach is also found in modern academic works discussing the janissaries—European Christian boys who were seized by the Ottoman Empire, converted to and indoctrinated in Islam, trained to be jihadis extraordinaire, and then unleashed on their former Christian families. Although young, terrified boys were seized from the clutches of their devastated parents, modern academics claim that Christian families actually hoped their boys would be taken and trained as janissaries, as this would ensure that they have a “bright future” in the Ottoman hierarchy.
[3] Arabic tafsir here: http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=1&tTafsirNo=5&tSoraNo=9&tAyahNo=49&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=1 A shorter version of the narrative also appears in Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad (trans. A. Guillaume, NY: Oxford University Press, 1997), 602-603.
[4] Nadia Maria el Cheikh, Byzantium Viewed by the Arabs (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2004), 123-129

Critical Points To Consider In Understanding The Iranian Nuclear Deal: Part II
The Middle East Media Research Institute/By: Y. Carmon, and A. Braunstein
Inquiry and Analysis | 1178 | July 30, 2015
Introduction
The following analysis is the second in a series which discusses the Iranian nuclear deal and examines the JCPOA as a legal document from an American perspective. This analysis will identify and explain various loopholes and their consequences in the JCPOA. Loopholes are common in the JCPOA and occur most often in the form of a prohibition or provision set forth in clear terms, followed by a statement or paragraph either negating or providing a possible alternative to the stated prohibition or provision. The decision to negate or to provide a possible alternative is dependent on the Joint Commission. In making so much dependent on the Joint Commission, the JCPOA has been turned into a provisional document which stands to be altered by the Joint Commission at its discretion. This analysis will also draw on United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2231 which endorsed the JCPOA for reference. It does not intend to be an overall assessment of the deal.
Nuclear Activity "Suitable For The Development Of A Nuclear Explosive Device" Could Be Allowed
If there is any area in the JCPOA where prohibitions should be absolute, it should be the section regarding the development of nuclear weapons since the reason for the whole agreement is — as per statements by President Obama and Secretary Kerry — to prevent nuclear weapons development.[1] However, the JCPOA provides alternatives even to this provision.
Under the JCPOA, Iran is prohibited from: "Designing, developing, fabricating, acquiring, or using multi-point explosive detonation systems suitable for a nuclear explosive device…" as well as from "Designing, developing, fabricating, acquiring, or using explosive diagnostic systems (streak cameras, framing cameras and flash x-ray cameras) suitable for the development of a nuclear explosive device…"[2]
However, the abovementioned provisions prohibiting any activity with systems suitable for nuclear weapons disappear if the Joint Commission approves the activities for "non-nuclear purposes" and provided that they are "subject to monitoring."[3] There are many ways to take advantage of this loophole: for example, even if the Joint Commission declares that a certain activity is subject to monitoring, that does not necessarily mean that Iran will allow the IAEA to monitor said site if it "interferes with Iranian military or other national security activities."[4]
Re-Imposition Of Sanctions Will Not Apply To Contracts Signed After JCPOA Implementation, Iran Views Re-Imposition Of Sanctions As Grounds To Withdraw — Unresolved Contradiction In The JCPOA
The re-imposition of sanctions should Iran violate the JCPOA may be circumvented. The JCPOA states that if the Security Council decides to re-impose sanctions, "…these provisions would not apply with retroactive effect to contracts signed between any party and Iran or Iranian individuals and entities prior to the date of application, provided that the activities contemplated under and execution of such contracts are consistent with this JCPOA and the previous and current UN Security Council resolutions."[5] This means that Iran can sign as many new contracts as possible between the time when sanctions are lifted and when they are (potentially) re-imposed, because those contracts will be grandfathered as long as they are within the limitations of the JCPOA. This clause effectively weakens the prospect of re-imposing sanctions: if Iran signs enough new contracts before sanctions are re-imposed, then those sanctions will be meaningless because they will not apply to the new contracts.
Iran, for its part, has explicitly stated in the JCPOA that, "…it will treat such a re-introduction or re-imposition of the sanctions specified in Annex II, or such an imposition of new nuclear-related sanctions, as grounds to cease performing its commitments under this JCPOA in whole or in part."[6] This is a loophole in and of itself: if Iran will withdraw upon re-imposition of sanctions, then the sanctions are meaningless.
The JCPOA is inherently flawed because of this contradiction regarding Iran's declared position on sanctions. One of the most important safeguards that has been stressed by the negotiating team while defending the agreement is that if Iran violates the JCPOA, sanctions will be quickly re-imposed. President Obama himself has framed this provision in the context that Iran will be incentivized to remain within the boundaries of the JCPOA in order to maintain sanctions relief.[7] However, because of the inclusion in the JCPOA that Iran openly regards any re-imposition of sanctions as grounds to withdraw from the agreement, this safeguard is invalidated.
Keeping Arms Embargo For 5 Years Does Not Exist In JCPOA, Only Referenced In UNSCR 2231
Contrary to what many analyses of the JCPOA have reported, there is no mention of keeping the arms embargo for 5 years in the JCPOA. The only time it is mentioned is in UNSCR 2231.[8] UNSCR 2231 also notes, "The provisions of this Resolution do not constitute provisions of this JCPOA."[9] Therefore, violating the Resolution is not the equivalent of violating the JCPOA, and Iran does not necessarily have to wait 5 years before trading arms to stay within the limits of the JCPOA. Deputy Foreign Minister of Iran Abbas Araghchi affirmed this in an interview on July 20, 2015 by stating that even if Iran did not abide by UNSCR 2231 and traded arms before the 5-year limit, such a violation would not be tantamount to violating the JCPOA.[10]
Accumulation Of Enriched Uranium Could Be Greater Than 300 kg, Not All Enriched Uranium Monitored By IAEA
Although the JCPOA stipulates that Iran will only be allowed to have 300 kg of enriched uranium for 15 years, there are loopholes which actually allow for a much greater amount of enriched uranium to accumulate: "Russian designed, fabricated and licensed fuel assemblies for use in Russian-supplied reactors in Iran do not count against the 300 kg UF6 stockpile limit."[11] This provision may seem trivial because it is very clear that the fuel is to be used only in Russian-supplied reactors. However, the following provisions are not as clear.
The JCPOA further states that enriched uranium coming from sources outside Iran "which are certified by the fuel supplier and the appropriate Iranian authority to meet international standards"[12] will not count toward the 300 kg limit and furthermore will be left unchecked by the Joint Commission and/or the IAEA. The JCPOA does not account for Iran receiving fuel from a country that may not comply with international standards, nor does it account for the fact that Iran itself may not comply with international standards if left unmonitored.
Contrastingly, the JCPOA makes it a point to declare that enriched uranium and products produced within Iran will be closely monitored and inspected, and will not count against the 300 kg limit only in the case that they are declared safe from being converted to UF6.[13] While it is important to monitor the substances coming from within Iran, there is a gaping loophole through which Iran could potentially acquire much more than its designated 300 kg of enriched uranium from outside sources.
TRR Fuel For R&D At Necessary High Level Enrichment Could Be Permitted Before 15-Year Limit, Additional Fuel To Be Made Available To Iran As Needed
The Tehran Research Reactor (TRR) is monitored by the IAEA and has been operating using low-enriched uranium (LEU) since 1993. However, even while under supervision, Iran conducted "undeclared plutonium experiments and polonium production" in the early 1990s, both of which materials are used to develop nuclear weapons. Iran denied allegations of using the materials with the intent to create nuclear weapons and instead claimed to be using them for peaceful purposes.[14]
Under the JCPOA, Iran is prohibited from producing or conducting R&D on plutonium or uranium metals or their alloys for 15 years.[15] This R&D involves enriching uranium higher than the permitted 3.67%. However, the JCPOA simultaneously presents a loophole to circumvent this provision by saying, "If Iran seeks to initiate R&D on uranium metal based TRR fuel in small agreed quantities after 10 years and before 15 years, Iran will present its plan to, and seek approval by, the Joint Commission."[16] Iran will also be able to acquire additional fuel for the TRR from the international market as needed.[17] These two loopholes open the way for Iran to continue experiments similar to those conducted in the 1990s, even while under the supervision of the IAEA as before. At the very least, Iran will be able to acquire such necessary material to be able to develop its nuclear capabilities after the termination of the JCPOA.
New Centrifuges Could Proceed To Prototype Stage Prior To 10-Year Limit
Iran will continue to conduct R&D on its centrifuges through computer modeling and simulations, but is not allowed to test any models for 10 years.[18] However, the JCPOA states, "For any such project to proceed to a prototype stage for mechanical testing within 10 years, a full presentation to, and approval by, the Joint Commission is needed."[19] It is thus fully possible for Iran to continue developing its centrifuge capabilities if approved by the Joint Commission. This, in turn, will speed up their nuclear development and serve as preparation for the years after the termination of the JCPOA.
Timeframe For Resolving Issues Of Contention Could Be More Than 30 Days
The JCPOA states that if Iran or any of the E3/EU+3 are not meeting their commitments, the issue can be presented to the Joint Commission and a resolution should be expected within 15 days "unless the time period was extended by consensus." Similarly, if the Joint Commission cannot present a solution, the issue can be referred to the Ministers of Foreign Affairs for a resolution within 15 days unless, again, "the time period was extended by consensus."[20] These time extensions provide ample time for delay, especially if Iran is attempting to prevent inspection of suspicious sites, military or otherwise.
*Y. Carmon is President and Founder of MEMRI; A. Braunstein is a Research Fellow at MEMRI.
[1] President Obama said in an interview with Tom Friedman of The New York Times on July 14, 2015, "We are measuring this deal — and that was the original premise of this conversation, including by Prime Minister Netanyahu — Iran could not get a nuclear weapon. That was always the discussion. And what I'm going to be able to say, and I think we will be able to prove, is that this by a wide margin is the most definitive path by which Iran will not get a nuclear weapon, and we will be able to achieve that with the full cooperation of the world community and without having to engage in another war in the Middle East." See link for full text: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/15/opinion/thomas-friedman-obama-makes-his-case-on-iran-nuclear-deal.html
[2] "Iran will not engage in the following activities which could contribute to the development of a nuclear explosive device: Designing, developing, fabricating, acquiring, or using multi-point explosive detonation systems suitable for a nuclear explosive device, unless approved by the Joint Commission for non-nuclear purposes and subject to monitoring. Designing, developing, fabricating, acquiring, or using explosive diagnostic systems (streak cameras, framing cameras and flash x-ray cameras) suitable for the development of a nuclear explosive device, unless approved by the Joint Commission for non-nuclear purposes and subject to monitoring." JCPOA, Annex I, Article T, Paragraph 82. See link for full text: http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/world/full-text-of-the-iran-nuclear-deal/1651/
[3] See Footnote 2.
[4] See MEMRI Report 1177: http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/108/0/8676.htm
[5] JCPOA, Section I, Article C, Paragraph 37. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[6] JCPOA, Section I, Article C, Paragraph 26. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[7] President Obama said in his initial remarks on the Iran deal on July 14, 2015, "All of this [the specific terms with which Iran will have to comply to have the sanctions lifted] will be memorialized and endorsed in a new United Nations Security Council resolution. And if Iran violates the deal, all of these sanctions will snap back into place. So there is a very clear incentive for Iran to follow through and there are very real consequences for a violation." See link for full text: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/14/us/ap-us-obama-iran-nuclear-talks-text.html?_r=1
[8] UNSCR 2231, Annex B, Paragraph 5.
The fact that the arms embargo is only mentioned here was referenced by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in an interview on Iranian TV Channel 2 on July 20, 2015 when he said that maintaining the restriction on arms is only mentioned in UNSCR 2231 because Iran insisted on excluding it from the JCPOA. See link for text in Farsi: http://www.isna.ir/fa/news/94042915462/%D9%85%D9%85%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B9%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D9%88-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B4%DA%A9%DB%8C-%D8%A8%D9%87-%D9%85%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%88%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%AF%DB%8C%D9%84
However, this 5 year limit could also arrive sooner: UNSCR 2231 says the arms embargo will lift 5 years after Adoption Day or "the date on which the IAEA submits a report confirming the Broader Conclusion, whichever is earlier." See link for full text: http://www.un.org/en/sc/inc/pages/pdf/pow/RES2231E.pdf
[9] UNSCR 2231, Footnote 1, Article C, Paragraph 18. See Footnote 8 for link to text.
[10] This was stated in the same interview cited in Footnote 8 by Deputy Foreign Minister Araghchi, who said, "In the Iranian Foreign Ministry statement, it was said explicitly that Iran does not attach any legitimacy to any restriction or to any threat, whether past or future, by the Security Council. If UNSCR 2231 will be violated by Iran, it will be a violation of the Resolution only, not of the JCPOA. As it happened 10 years ago, we violated Security Council resolutions, and nothing happened. The JCPOA and UNSCR 2231 are two separate documents."
[11] JCPOA, Annex I, Article J, Paragraph 59. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[12] "Enriched uranium in fabricated fuel assemblies from other sources outside of Iran for use in Iran's nuclear research and power reactors, including those which will be fabricated outside of Iran for the initial fuel load of the modernised Arak research reactor, which are certified by the fuel supplier and the appropriate Iranian authority to meet international standards, will not count against the 300 kg UF6 stockpile limit." JCPOA, Annex I, Article J, Paragraph 59. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[13] "Enriched uranium in fabricated fuel assemblies and its intermediate products manufactured in Iran and certified to meet international standards, including those for the modernised Arak research reactor, will not count against the 300 kg UF6 stockpile limit provided the Technical Working Group of the Joint Commission approves that such fuel assemblies and their intermediate products cannot be readily converted into UF6." JCPOA, Annex I, Article J, Paragraph 59. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[14] http://www.isisnucleariran.org/sites/facilities/tehran-research-reactor-trr/
[15] "For 15 years, Iran will not engage in producing or acquiring plutonium or uranium metals or their alloys, or conducting R&D on plutonium or uranium (or their alloys) metallurgy, or casting, forming, or machining plutonium or uranium metal." JCPOA, Annex I, Article E, Paragraph 24. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[16] JCPOA, Annex I, Article E, Paragraph 26. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[17] "All remaining uranium oxide enriched to between 5% and 20% will be fabricated into fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR). Any additional fuel needed for the TRR will be made available to Iran at international market prices." JCPOA, Section I, Article A, Paragraph 7. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[18] JCPOA, Annex I, Article G, Paragraph 43. See Footnote 2 for link to text.
[19] See Footnote 18.
[20] JCPOA, Section I, Article C, Paragraph 36. See Footnote 2 for link to text.

Liberal Writer Mansour Al-Hadj Proposes Founding An Independent Islamic Organization To Address Root Causes Of Violent Extremism, Promote Peaceful Aspects Of Islam
MEMRI/July 30, 2015 Special Dispatch No.6118
In an article published July 13, 2015 on the reformist website Aafaq,[1] Saudi-born liberal journalist and writer Mansour Al-Hadj argues that simply proclaiming that Islam is unrelated to the violence that is carried out in its name is not a productive way of discrediting extremists and supporting the mainstream, peaceful Islam. In the article, titled "Our Chance to Restore Our Islam, The Religion Of Peace," he proposes that Muslims who reject violence and support peace create an independent Islamic organization representing all branches of Islam to revise Islamic traditional texts, address the root causes of terrorism, and spread Islam's peaceful values. This organization would be vitally important, because it would represent the diversity of the global Muslim community and would provide an alternative to regime-sponsored interpretations of Islam.
The following are excerpts from the article:
I Propose "A Solution To The Complicated Dilemma Between Those Who Describe Islam As A Religion Of Violence... And The Millions Of Muslims Who Consider Their Religion A Peaceful And Loving One"
"...What I am proposing today... will be a solution to the complicated dilemma between those who describe Islam as a religion of violence and the sword and the millions of Muslims who consider their religion a peaceful and loving one. The solution I am proposing is for the overwhelming majority of Muslims who believe that their religion is one of justice, tolerance, cooperation, freedom, equality, and love, and that it is against extremism, oppression and racism, to step up to create an independent Islamic organization in which all sects and groups are represented. This organization should focus on establishing peaceful Islamic values and countering the preachers of violence, extremism, and sectarianism, by revising Islamic heritage and purging it of all the falsifications and politicizations that it has suffered throughout the centuries. This organization should be independent, represent all groups without discrimination or favoritism, and depend solely on Muslim donations.
"I call on all those who have passively rejected terrorist practices, declaring that these do not represent Islam, to play a significant role in establishing this organization. This call is extended to all who have lost family or other loved ones because of terrorism; all who consider amputation, stoning, and crucifixion gruesome punishments which do not belong in our time; all minorities who have faced displacement and whose killing has been justified by so-called "Islamic" reasons; all who reject the exploitation of the religion for political, personal, or sectarian reasons; all who wish their religion to be a symbol of peace, cooperation, and love; all women who have been oppressed in the name of religion, all girls who do not think their faces must be covered; all who have been flogged and humiliated; all homosexual Muslims who reject that they must be thrown off a roof to their deaths for being who they are; all who think that Islamic practices can be improved to positively impact lives; all who think that it is necessary to renew the Islamic discourse; all who believe that religion is a personal issue between an individual and their God; all who have feared to express their ideas for fear of being accused of apostasy; all who have been accused of committing blasphemy because of their ideas or actions; and all who believe that clergy represent only themselves..."
"The Importance Of This Organization
"Creating this organization is vitally important, because the Islamic organizations in existence today do not represent Muslims from all walks of life, and they receive their support from particular countries and serve the interests of their funders. Countering radical Islamist movements, specifically the Islamic State (ISIS), requires a questioning of the legitimacy of all the regimes that claim that their ruling is based on the Koran and the Sunnah of the Prophet. Today's Islamic organizations lack the will to address the deeper causes of the problem, because of their affiliation with regimes which use religion as the source of their legitimacy...
"Countering religious extremism and eradicating all its root causes requires, first, a serious and profound examination of these causes; only then can we bring about a permanent solution. This cannot be achieved as long as we turn a blind eye to other situations in which clerics have a monopoly on interpreting religious texts in a way that fulfils their rulers' wishes.
"Why Now?
"A number of factors prompted me to launch this initiative, in which I hope to be joined by every Muslim who believes that their religion is a religion of peace. Here are the most important factors:
"1. The exacerbation of the phenomenon of religiously based terrorism, to the extent that passivity in the face of it, or simply denying that it has anything to do with the religion, could be considered an irresponsible act, as terrorism claims thousands of lives. Almost every day, attacks and bombings kill hundreds in different parts of the world, and staged Hollywood-style videos of systematic killings are produced by the media branches of the Islamic State.
"2. The failure of the patchy attempts to confront the phenomenon of religiously based terrorism because of a lack of determination to address the root causes of the problem – which is the monopolization by certain groups and regimes of the right to interpret religious texts. Stripping 'Al-Baghdadi's preachers' of the right that they claim to interpret religious texts requires stripping 'Al-Saud's preachers' of it as well. The Saudi de-radicalization and rehabilitation program, and the American-Emirati Sawab Center approach the issue of terrorism gently, avoiding concepts such as reforming Islam and reviewing its tradition. Saudi Arabia and the UAE – like ISIS – follow a narrow Salafi vision, which is itself accused of being the source of religious extremism.
"3. Growing calls for a review of Islamic tradition and the foundations upon which militants base their terrorism. On July 6, 2015, in an article titled 'Religious Tolerance,' Kuwaiti writer Sheikha Al-Jassem called for a review of the Islamic tradition 'with open eyes, a conscious mind, and without stamping approval on everything favored by our predecessors.' She added: 'If the religion is valid for every time and place, it is upon those who support it to make sure that fatwas keep up with the changing times. We have heard that the door of ijtihad [i.e. scholars' efforts to issue shari'a-compatible rulings on contemporary issues] is open.' Likewise, in an article titled 'Which Muslim Are You?' published on the Dutch-sponsored Arabic-language website Here Is Your Voice on July 9, 2015, Muftah Kiafi questioned whether the punishments of flogging and retribution and killing of apostates truly represent Islam, citing the different views of two types of Muslims vis-à-vis these practices, and discussing their appropriateness for our time. In addition, a report published by the Egyptian website Al-Masry Al-Yom addressed the importance of religious reform; in it, intellectuals presented what they viewed as the most important issues to be tackled, such as religion-based states and the concept of jihad.
"4. It is extremely important for those who adhere to the values and concepts which terrorist groups reject to establish this organization, because it is they who would suffer the most under these groups' rule.
"This Is Our Chance To Regain Our Islam
"I fully realize the difficulty of this task, and what criticism to expect from different groups. But I am wagering on the voices of the silent majority – who are the victims of terrorism and also the ones most dishonored by it. Since extremist rhetoric is an integrated idea, it must be countered with a comprehensive Islamic idea, supported by millions of ordinary Muslims who want to practice their religion freely..."
Endnote:
[1] www.aafaq.org, July 13, 2015

Following Reports Of Death Of Lebanese Terrorist Samir Al-Quntar, MEMRI Presents Archival Statements By Him From Interviews And Addresses
July 30, 2015Special Dispatch No.6119
Following reports that Lebanese terrorist Samir Al-Quntar has been killed in alleged Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and Syria,
MEMRI has compiled a number of his statements, from his interviews and addresses. In 1979, Samir Al-Quntar participated in a terror attack in the Israeli city of Nahariya, kidnapping a four-year-old girl and her father from their home and killing them on a nearby beach. He was arrested and sentenced to five life sentences plus 47 years for his role in the attack; on July 16, 2008, he was released along with four other prisoners as part of an Israel-Hizbullah deal, in return for the bodies of two Israeli soldiers kidnapped by Hizbullah two years earlier.After his release, Al-Quntar was given a hero’s welcome in Lebanon, and was decorated by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Al-Jazeera TV reported his release as news and held an on-air birthday party for him, complete with cake, fireworks, and orchestra.Following are excerpts from statements made by Al-Quntar in interviews and addresses following his release in 2008.
Al-Quntar InterviewsAfter his release, on July 16, 2008, Samir Al-Quntar spoke at a mass rally and was interviewed by several Lebanese TV channels (view the MEMRI TV clip here). Following are excerpts from the interview:
Al-Quntar: We Will Force The Enemy To Long For ‘Imad MughniyaAl-Manar TV, July 16, 2008:Samir Al-Quntar (speaking at mass rally): “The weapon of a position that has been turned into a culture builds the homeland of the resistance. It has become the culture of the generations that will realize the dream of annihilating that plundering entity. Allow me to commemorate a great legendary commander, the martyred hero and mujahid ‘Imad Mughniya. I would like to say just one thing: Hajj ‘Imad, we will only be worthy of the blood you sacrificed when we force this enemy to long for your times.”
[...]Al-Manar TV, July 17, 2008:Samir Al-Quntar: “At this time yesterday, I was in the hands of the enemies. This time yesterday, I was still in their hands. But right now, there is nothing I’d like more than to face them again. I ask Allah to make this happen very soon. Whoever thinks that the liberation of the Shaba’ Farms of the Lebanese lands can bring an end to this conflict is deluded. Take my word for it. Even if we let them be, they will not let us be.” [...]
We Need To Put An End To The “Disease” Of The “Plundering Entity” Israel
Al-Jadid/New TV, July 18, 2008:
Samir Al-Quntar (in TV interview): “There is a disease in this region called ‘the state of Israel,’ which we refer to as ‘the plundering entity.’ If we do not put an end to this disease, it will follow us, even if we flee to the end of the world. So it’s better to get rid of it.” [...]
Al-Manar TV, July 17, 2008:
Samir Al-Quntar (in TV interview): “If we consider the history of the conflict… When you read books written by the Zionists about the wars of 1967, 1948, and 1973, you feel that no value was attributed to the lives of the Arabs. Arab soldiers would fall, others would go missing in action… There was a kind of disdain for their lives. This was evident in the lack of seriousness in dealing with cases of Egyptians, Lebanese, and others who went missing in action in the conflict with the plundering entity.
“Hizbullah, however, has been searching for missing people – martyred or alive. They had no reason to carry out a capturing operation for my sake other than their belief in the value of human life. I remember that Secretary-General [Nasrallah] once said: ‘If Samir Al-Quntar is in prison, it means Lebanon in its entirety is in prison.’ This reflects the value of human life… Today, everybody talks about human rights, democracy, and modern development… Human rights begin here – in caring for the individual in society. The individual is everything. To be honest, we used to envy our enemy – how it would go to the end of the world in order to retrieve a body, and how it was ready to go all the way to free one of its captured soldiers. Today, Allah be praised, we have the resistance, which retrieves the bodies of the martyrs, and every single prisoner. It does not leave prisoners in jail or bodies in the hands of the enemies.” [...]
Al-Quntar Vows That His Gun Will Avenge The Blood Of The Martyrs
Al-Jadid TV, July 21, 2008:
Sheikh ‘Atallah Hamoud, head of the Lebanese Society for Prisoners and Released Prisoners, presents Al-Quntar with a rifle:
Sheikh ‘Atallah Hamoud: “This is a gift from the Islamic resistance to the liberated hero, Lieutenant-Colonel Samir Al-Quntar. Mujahideen like Samir Al-Quntar and his brothers do not care about themselves, because they have dedicated themselves to the resistance, the cause, and the homeland.”
Narrator: “The special gift by the resistance merged with the words of Al-Quntar, who vowed that his gun would play a role in avenging the blood of the martyrs.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “This is the most beautiful gift, except for freedom itself. I’d like to salute the Islamic resistance and Secretary-General Nasrallah for their trust. First, this is the Islamic resistance’s way of reaffirming their faith in me as a fighter. Second, this gun will play a role, Allah willing, in avenging the blood of ‘Imad Mughaniya.” [...]
Al-Quntar: I Will Do A Master’s Degree In Military Resistance
Future TV, July 22, 2008:
Samir Al-Quntar: “If you are asking whether I killed Israelis – I did, Allah be praised.”
Interviewer: “Including children?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “No. I am proud of this, and Allah willing, I will get the chance to kill more Israelis. As for the children, that’s another story. A girl was killed during the operation, in the crossfire. In all the operations that involved capturing Israeli hostages, the hostages were killed by the bullets of the Israeli forces. In the operation of Dalal Al-Maghrabi, the [Israelis] fired like crazy on the bus, and killed a large number of Jewish hostages. In the Ma’alot operation, hostages were taken at a high school. [The Israelis] used anti-tank missiles to storm the school, killing many. The same thing happened in my operation. When we fired at them, in response to their fire, they began shooting in our direction like crazy. They are the ones who killed the hostages.” [...]
Interviewer: “What did you study [while in prison]?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Social studies and humanities.”
Interviewer: “Did you complete your master’s degree?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “No. I tried and took six courses, but they stopped it, saying it was forbidden. Other brothers completed their master’s degree, but they prevented me personally from doing so, for reasons unknown to me.”
Interviewer: “Are you considering completing your master’s?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “No. Allah willing, I will do a different one.”
Interviewer: “In what?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “A master’s degree in resistance.”
Interviewer: “What form will it take?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Military…”
Interviewer: “So Samir Al-Quntar is declaring tonight that…”
Samir Al-Quntar: “I’ve already declared this.”
Interviewer: “You declared that you would be a member of the resistance, but today you are declaring that you will be a resistance fighter, and that you will carry out military missions for the resistance.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Without the slightest doubt.”
Interviewer: “The Islamic resistance?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Yes.”
Interviewer: “Is that a done deal?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. I say it three times.” [...]
Sadat’s Assassination Was “A Most Wonderful Operation”
View this MEMRI TV clip here. Following are excerpts:
Al-Jazeera TV, July 26, 2008:
Samir Al-Quntar: “To be honest, our operation had both civilian and military targets. Today, tomorrow, and the next day – our targets are always… There are no civilian targets – it’s ‘civilian’ in quotation marks. The Zionists themselves define the Israeli as a soldier who is on leave for 11 months every year.” [...]
Interviewer: “How did you and your fellow prisoners view the Sadat assassination?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “That was a most wonderful operation – to the point that all the prisoners cheered together when Sadat was assassinated. This man symbolized treason and apostasy. Ever since Camp David… Look at the history – Camp David, the 1982 invasion, and then the strike against Iraq… All the catastrophes that befell the Arab world began with Camp David. It was a wonderful historical moment, which I hope will recur in similar cases.” [...]
“No Entry [To Lebanon] For Stray Dogs And The U.S. Administration”
Al-Jadid/New TV, July 26, 2008:
Samir Al-Quntar: “A country that has sacrificed such a long convoy of martyrs cannot stop at the gates of the Shab’a Farms, and say: The conflict is over.” [...]
“This country will never be a playing ground for that ugly woman, the U.S. ambassador. One day, it will be written on the gates of this country: ‘No entry for stray dogs and the people of the American administration’”
Al-Jazeera Throws A Party For Al-Quntar
On July 19, 2008, three days after Al-Quntar’s release, the Al-Jazeera network broadcast a program that held a “birthday celebration” for him (view the MEMRI TV clip here). Following are excerpts from the interview and celebration:
Samir Al-Quntar: “At 02:00, they asked us to prepare for departure. When we left, the Israeli media filled the corridor, taking pictures of us. They wanted us to wear clothes that they brought over. These clothes were so ridiculous that anybody seeing us wearing them would burst into laughter, no matter what.”
Interviewer: “What kind of clothes?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Long underwear…”
Interviewer: “Do you mean pajamas?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “If only they were pajamas… I asked the brothers to wait. I called the man in charge over and said to him: We will not go out in these clothes. I gave them back to him. He said it was not his decision, and I said: So call off the deal. I said: Call off the deal. We are returning to our cells. He said to me: You’ve waited 30 years, and now you want to call off the deal over this? I said to him: Yes. They started making calls, and then the warden came. I said to him: I want you to call of the deal immediately. We are returning to our cells. He had told me there was a decision that we must wear these clothes. I told him that we have maintained our honor for 30 years, and we refuse to be humiliated in the last half hour. When they realized we were serious about this, they started making calls, and eventually, they backed down. Then we left in a long convoy…”
Interviewer: “So you defeated them even at the last minute.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Yes.” [...]
Interviewer: “To the best of your knowledge, who made the decision to assassinate you?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “The decision was made by a senior officer, who was the head of the research division of military intelligence. His name is Amos Gilad. Today he is a very influential advisor, and his decisions are passed easily in the Defense Ministry – the Zionist Ministry of War. He made the decision, and I think it has political backing. As for me, I vow to make them pay the price for my martyrdom in advance.” [...]
Interviewer: “Brother Samir, we would like to celebrate your birthday with you. You deserve even more than this. I think that 11,000 prisoners – if they can see this program now – are celebrating your birthday with you. Happy birthday, brother Samir.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Thank you.”
Interviewer: “Go ahead… There is a picture here… If the camera can show this… Let’s cut it… Does the camera show this clearly or not? We have a picture here… This is the sword of the Arabs, Samir. Don’t cut the picture, cut on the side.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Here’s Abu Qassam [Marwan Barghouti].”
Interviewer: “Marwan is here.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Abu Qassam is here with Ahmad Sa’dat. That’s our prison warden…”
Interviewer: “This one?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Yes.”
Interviewer: “What is the warden’s name?”
Samir Al-Quntar: “His name is… Never mind.”
Interviewer: “This is when you were released. Here you are with Wafiq Safa.”
Samir Al-Quntar: “Yes, this is Wafiq Safa. This is the most beautiful picture – with Hassan Nasrallah. This is the most beautiful picture. There cannot be anything more beautiful. Me and the secretary-general – the most beautiful picture of me ever taken.” [...]
“Me and Hassan Nasrallah… the most beautiful picture of me ever taken”
Bashar Al-Assad Awards Al-Quntar Highest Decoration
On November 24, 2008, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad awarded Al-Quntar the Syrian Order of Merit (view the MEMRI TV clip here). Following is an excerpt from the report that aired on the official Syrian TV channel:
TV Anchor: “President Bashar Al-Assad awarded released Lebanese prisoner Samir Al-Quntar the Syrian decoration of the highest degree, out of appreciation for his record in the struggle, for his steadfastness, and for his patriotic and pan-Arab positions. President Al-Assad, who met with Samir Al-Quntar and his brother Bassam, said that Al-Quntar was not only the leader of the prisoners, but was also the leader among honorable free men, and that his adherence to Arab rights, despite all that he has been through, has made him a symbol of the struggle and freedom in Arab countries and throughout the world.
“Al-Quntar said he was happy and honored to meet the president and to be decorated by him. He added that the brave positions of Syria, under the leadership of President Al-Assad, and Al-Assad’s constant support for the honorable resistance and his rejection of any unjust settlement constitutes a pillar of support for the people of the resistance and free men. This helps the prisoners to remain steadfast, despite their plight in the prisons of the Israeli occupation.” [...]
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