the news in arabic

(Image of the 5-month-old killed in an Israeli attack from al-Jazeera.)

The heading is not an exaggeration or a misstatement. Over the past 48 hours, the Israeli military launched 30 incursions into Gaza that have left 31 Palestinians dead, including a 5-month-old boy and nine children. Al-Jazeera now reports that Israeli tanks are stationed on the northern border of Gaza signaling the possibility of a widespread Israeli ground incursion.

The photos below are the victims of the Israeli incurisons into Gaza. From al-Jazeera

A 17-year-old American traveled to Egypt for a year-long exchange program where he stayed with a family of Coptic Christians and claimed that they withheld food from him. Over the course of a year (correction: 6 months), he dropped down to 97 pounds. This is, of course, a story being spread in the English-language media under the above headline as well as, “Emaciated in Egypt: Exchange gone wrong.” Click here for the story and the pictures.

The student’s story seems legit and it does appear that the host family did not provide all the food they should have, but does this constitute “starvation”? It’s slightly ridiculous, but I only posted it because the host father’s reaction to charges of “starving the boy” is priceless. He said:

“The truth is, the boy we hosted for nearly six months was eating for an hour and a half at every meal. The amount of food he ate at each meal was equal to six people,” Hanna said.

I think most people that stay in the Middle East for a year come back practically obese. Plus, a shawarma in Egypt costs about 75 cents! Eating a meal of meat covered in sheep fat is kind of a solution to starvation, no? Markets are also plentiful. And besides, the student’s diet doesn’t seem tantamount to starvation.

He said he never got breakfast and his first food of the day usually was a small piece of bread with cucumbers and cheese that he would take to school for lunch. There was a late-afternoon dinner consisting of beans, vegetables and sometimes fish, and a snack of bread later in the evening.

Late-afternoon? Beans and vegetables, but only sometimes fish? The horror!

(Image of Mughniya and Nasrallah from al-Arabiya.)

Al-Arabiya reports that the wife of assassinated Hezbullah military leader ‘Amad  al-Mughniya has accused Syria of playing a role in the assassination of her husband. Al-Arabiya conveniently has the article in English and Arabic. Here’s an excerpt from the English article:

“The Syrian traitors assisted in killing my husband,” the Italian news agency AKI quoted Mughniah’s widow as telling an Iranian website. She asserted that the Syrians’ refusal to allow Iranian investigators to probe the assassination proves their involvement in the murder of Mugniah.

(Image of the Imam Husayn shrine during Arba’een in Karbala from al-Manar.)

Arba’een means 40 in Arabic and it is the length of time which Shi’i Muslims commemorate the martyrdom of Imam Husayn, the son of Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad. Yesterday was Arba’een and 7-9 million Shi’a visited the Iraqi city of Karbala where Imam Husayn was killed in battle in the year 680.

People wore black. Some hit themselves. Attacks were thwarted. No one was killed.

(Image from al-Rai.)

(Above image of the USS Cole from al-Jazeera English.)

Al-Jazeera reports that three U.S. warships, including the USS Cole, have been stationed off the Lebanese coast. One U.S. official is quoted as saying this is a measure which shows the U.S.’s commitment to stability in the region. Here is an article in English.

Are you kidding me? Docking your war ships off the coast of Lebanon is not a stabilizing act — it is a blatant provocation and an attempt to intimidate Syria and Hezbullah a week after Nasrallah said he welcomed an open war with Israel.

Al-Jazeera ran the above photo — which shows the USS Cole after a 2000 bombing off the coast of Yemen — with their story.

This man –

is not this man –

but some media institutions and “terrorism experts” can’t tell the difference between Abbas al-Musawi (top photo) and Hassan Nasrallah (bottom photo).

Musawi was the second secretary general of Hezbullah and Nasrallah is the current secretary general.

The Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism might have a better shot at preventing “terrorism” if they could actually identify the supposed terrorists. Their information page on Hassan Nasrallah labels the poster below as a “poster of Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah,” but it is actually Ragheb al-Harb on the left and Musawi on the right.

The group took the above image from PBS who also erroneously labeled Musawi as Nasrallah, but it seems PBS is a repeat offender. In this web-version of a FrontLine documentary from 2004, the poster below of Musawi is labeled again as Nasrallah. They have had four years to correct this error!

Hezbullah’s weekly journal “al-Intiqad” meaning “review” or “critique” publishes political, cultural, and analytical articles. The textual fare is pretty standard, but some of their covers deserve a look.

“Sign of the definitive victory.” From left: Hezbullah military commander ‘Amad al-Mughniya (assassinated 2008); Sayyid Abbas al-Musawi (assassinated 1992); and Shaykh Ragheb al-Harb (assassinated in 1984). Underneath Mughniya, the text reads, “Commander of the Resistance”; Musawi “Sayyid of the Resistance”; and Harb “Shaykh of the Resistance.”

“After August 14th 2006 — a different ‘Middle East’.” August 14th is the day the 2006 July War ended — a day celebrated by Hezbullah as “yom al-intisar” or “day of victory”. The image of Nasrallah in the upper corner of this cover was part of a widespread ad campaign in the summer of 2007 which touted the much-awaited one-year anniversary of Hezbullah’s victory in the July War. Billboards promising a new era of victories popped up all over southern Beirut.

“Defeat.” Most likely in reference to the July War, or possibly a reaction to the findings of the Winograd Commission.

To see more covers, click here.

Here are some posters submitted to the website Wa’ad.

The text reads: Lebanon

(Image of Imam Musa al-Sadr from here.)

The Imam Musa al-Sadr Foundation for Research and Studies brings us this report via Press TV:

Lebanon has called Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi to a court hearing on Shia leader Imam Musa Sadr who was abducted in Libya 30 years ago

Examining magistrate, Samih el-Haj, has summoned Qaddafi to report to the Beirut Justice Ministry in April, in connection with his alleged role in the 1978 mysterious disappearance of Imam Musa Sadr, chairman of Lebanon’s Shia Islamic Council, and two of his aides

In case Qaddafi fails to report on schedule, an arrest warrant would be issued in absentia in line with Lebanon’s criminal law, Lebanese News Agency reported without further elaboration

In August 1978, Iranian-born Lebanese philosopher and prominent Shia religious leader, Sayyid Musa Sadr, and two of his companions departed for Libya to meet with officials from Qaddafi’s government.

They were never heard from again.

Libya has constantly denied responsibility, claiming that Sadr and his companions left Libya for Italy. Some have reported that he remains secretly incarcerated in the North African country. His disappearance continues to be a major source of dispute between Lebanon and Libya

(Image of the Leader of Libya Muammar Qaddhafi from here.)

Al-Jazeera reports this morning on a European Union plan to start talks with Libya which could lead to “normalization” of relations between the two entities. This comes as the United States is denying any plan to “normalize” relations with Sudan after the Sudanese foreign minister had announced the possibility of talks the other day.

Why are countries so eager (or are they) to “normalize” relations with the European Union or the United States? And if a country is willing to undergo a process of “normalization” what does that mean?

From the Arabic and English articles surrounding the Libya-EU talks, the key issue in “normalization” is integrating the “normalizing” country, in this case Libya, into global financial institutions. The EU has proposed an “ambitious” free-trade agreement with Libya which would incorporate energy resources. Libya is simultaneously pursuing a bid to join the World Trade Organization, a move that an EU representative said symbolizes “a vital first push forward in Libya’s re-integration into the world trading system.” Sounds beautiful, but I think this sentence from a Reuters article says it all:

“Europe takes the bulk of Libya’s oil exports and European firms are keen to expand energy investment there. The EU also wants Libya to help in sea patrols aimed at stemming a flood of illegal migrants from Africa.”

So, essentially, the EU wants Libya to open its economy to further external exploitation AND keep illegals from entering the EU. This type of one-sided relationship reeks of the colony-colonizer relationships of the 19th century. In this sense, the promise of normalization is just another mechanism by which economically privileged countries control countries like Libya. To be “normalized” is a great honor — something to be sought after — but to be anything else is to be an outcast in the global economy.

This article from Forbes suggests bypassing normalization and actually encourages investing in southern Sudan as a way to, well, profit from an unstable and vulnerable political situation:

“. . .American and foreign investors can effectively do business in Southern Sudan without having to go through Khartoum. The region’s lack of infrastructure is an opportunity for investors and donors across a variety of sectors, from banking to agriculture to construction and telecommunications.“

AND!

“Furthermore, with Darfur increasingly on the brink, foreign investment in Southern Sudan may be a critical component to stabilizing Darfur, Sudan and the entire region.“

Leave it to two douchebags from Forbes to suggest that capitalism is the solution to genocide! Thanks, dudes

(Note: The word in Arabic for normalization is “al-tatbiyya’” which is literally translated as naturalization or “al-tawteed” which means strengthening.)

Not only did the Lebanese daily run the above photo of ‘Amr Moussa, the secretary general of the Arab League, on their homepage (the original image is twice as large), but they also ran the cartoon below.

Moussa is in the passenger seat and the sign reads “‘Amr Moussa’s school of driving.” Above Moussa’s head it says “Ya Rub” or “Oh God.”

The daily is apparently frustrated at Moussa’s repeat failures in helping Lebanon elect a president.

(Abbas and Mubarak in Cairo via al-Jazeera.)

Radio Monte Carlo reports on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s visit to Cairo for discussions with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. The trip sounds standard enough, but in an interview with RMC, a Palestinian official by the name of Yasar Abutarabu (excuse the transliteration) has given an “unprecedented attack” on Qatar’s involvement in Palestine. (Note: Qatar is the home-base of al-Jazeera.)

There is no transcript of the interview, so here is my summary:

He said that Qatar is intervening in Palestinian internal affairs more than any other country — Arab or non-Arab — except Israel, of course, because Israel is occupying Palestine and interferes the most. The interviewer asks why he believes Qatar is building up Hamas’s point of view. The official says that he does not know if Qatar has some type of political plan in Palestine, but he mentions that Qatar is trying to turn al-Jazeera into an instrument which is very supportive of Hamas, as seen by al-Jazeera’s support of Hamas’s coup (inqilab) in Gaza.

(Addition: A source in the know has told me that this Palestinian official is totally corrupt and likes to get drunk in Tel Aviv.)

Cartoon which reads “Gaza” from al-Quds al-Arabi.

Al-Jazeera

Al-Jazeera reports that 49 Palestinian youths were arrested by Israeli forces while peacefully protesting the blockade on Gaza near the border crossing at Beit Hanoun (also known Erez). Eye witnesses said that several of the youths moved toward the crossing after the demonstrations ended. The Israeli forces were put in a state of alert (halat te’heb) because the area near the crossing is considered a military zone. The al-Jazeera correspondent said that the Israelis used bullets and tear gas on the demonstrators.

An organizer of the demonstration said that the protest was a message to the world that the Palestinians cannot live under the blockade any longer. Sami abu Zahri, a Hamas spokesperson, said that the protest showed that the Gaza Strip is becoming a time bomb waiting to explode if the blockade is not lifted immediately.

NY Times

The lede is decent enough:

Several thousand Palestinians, many of them schoolchildren bused in from their classes, joined peaceful protests in the Gaza Strip along sections of the border with Israel for several hours on Monday. . .

But, wait! The Palestinians still couldn’t pull it off!

But the turnout, estimated at about 5,000, was far smaller than had been expected. . . 

And then they got violent!

After the main protest ended, a group of Palestinian youths rioted at the crossing, throwing stones. When they tried to cross, Israeli troops fired shots into the air, an army spokeswoman said, speaking on condition of anonymity under army rules.

And tucked in the middle of the article is the actual story:

The spokeswoman said 49 Palestinians had been arrested.

And another jab!

Despite the low numbers, the main organizer of the protest, Jamal el-Khoudary, declared the event a success. 

Image of the protest from al-Jazeera.

Al-Arabiya reports that the Electronic Resistance Movement (harakat al-muqawama al-elektroniya) has launched its annual Global Hijab Day on February 25. The group has taken to the internet to protest the immodesty and nudity spread in the world of arts today and has called for a boycott of immodest celebrities. The group says that this is not to be interpreted as negative action against the celebrities, but it is only a call for them to distance themselves from nudity. The group has also called attention to injustices against the hijab.

The group has published the above map which tracks violence and discrimination against the hijab. The red symbolizes violence and discrimination against muhajabba (women in hijab); the orange is societal and work discrimination; the yellow is where the hijab is spreading and having a strong influence. The area with the most red is Tunis which the group says has launched a war against the hijab.

Here is the group’s website in English.

• Iraqi newspaper al-Zaman reports that US forces in Iraq currently have 14 Iranians in custody who pose a “danger” to security in Iraq. This comes a day after the Iranian foreign minister announced that dialogue with the United States regarding Iraq was not a possibility since the problems are too large to be dealt with in a discussion.
• Al-Sharq al-Awsat reports on improved Sudanese-American relations after the Sudanese Foreign Minister Denk Alor announced that he expects normalization of relations between the two countries within four to six months. The US has imposed sanctions on Sudan for the past 11 years. This announcement come after a visit with a US envoy.
• Jordanian newspaper al-Rai reports that King Abullah has met with US General David Petraeus. And that’s it.
• Al-Manar reports that Nazik al-Hariri, the widow of former prime minister of Lebanon Rafiq al-Hariri, has sent Hassan Nasrallah a letter of condolence for the death of Hezbullah military commander ‘Amad al-Mughniya. Al-Manar also reports on a poll conducted by the Beirut Center for Information and Research which states that 85% of Lebanese support the downfall of the Zionist entity; 61% support Hezbullah’s right to respond to Israel’s actions; 61% also said that the response should not be against civilian targets. Only 29% said that they felt the government was fulfilling its duties. The article says that 800 people were interviewed across sectarian and regional lines.

• Al-Arabiya reports that an Egyptian court has — for the first time in “Islamic society” and Egypt — appointed a woman to oversee civil marriages (al-me’dhoor al-sharai). Amal Sulayman Afifi Salim beat out ten men for the position — she was the only candidate with a master’s degree.

(Image of the Lebanese Parliament from al-Jazeera.)

The Lebanese Parliament convened today for the 15th time since late November in an attempt to elect a new president, but an agreement could not be reached. The Opposition and the Loyalists (aka the Majority) have agreed to elect Army Chief Michel Suleiman as president, but the Loyalists have rejected the Opposition’s demand for veto power on governmental decisions and this disagreement has delayed the election process.

Al-Jazeera reports that Shi’i Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has postponed the vote until March 11. In a statement, Berri said that the extra time will allow for more efforts to reach a solution.

Who that?

The Opposition consists of the Shi’i parties Hezbullah and Amal as well as Michel Aoun’s Maronite Christian party. The Loyalists, also known as the March 14th coalition, consists of Sunni Sa’ad al-Hariri, Druze Walid Junblatt, and Maronite Christian Amin Gemayel among several other Christian parties.

The secretary general of the Arab League ‘Amr Moussa has been involved in negotiations with both sides and has been leading the “Arab efforts” to solve the Lebanese presidential crisis. The Opposition has been critical of Moussa, with Hezbullah remarking that Moussa needs to learn how to speak Arabic before he can solve Lebanon’s problems.

The Lebanese Constitution

Article 49 of the Lebanese Constitution describes the process by which the president is elected:

The President of the Republic shall be elected by secret ballot and by a twothirds majority of the Chamber of Deputies. After a first ballot, an absolute majority shall be sufficient. The President’s term is for six years. He may not be re-elected until six years after the expiration of his last mandate. No one may be elected to the Presidency of the Republic unless he fulfills the conditions of eligibility for the Chamber of Deputies.

From left: Sa’ad al-Hariri, Michel Aoun, ‘Amr Moussa, and Amin Gemayel from al-Nahar.

Flattering angles of Sa’ad al-Hariri and ‘Amr Moussa from al-Sharq al-Awsat.