Quotes of the week—follow the links to read the whole thing.
The Egyptian ambassador to the Palestinian Authority warned Friday that Israel planned to take control of Egypt's Sinai.
Yasser Othman told Ma'an that the tone of recent remarks by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-level ministers indicated "the presence of an Israeli plan aimed at controlling Sinai."
“Envoy: Israel plans to take control of Egypt's Sinai,” Ma’an, September 30, 2011
A Mauritanian official says that police have arrested 56 people following violent clashes over a population census. . . .
The protesters are upset about a government census, fearing it will discriminate against black Mauritanians and call their citizenship into question.
Black Mauritanians have long faced repression in this West African country. Although slavery was banned in 1981, it was not established as a crime punishable by prison time until 2007.
“Mauritania police arrest 56 demonstrators after clashes over population census turn violent,” Associated Press, September 30, 2011
Syrian dissidents meeting in Turkey have formally announced the creation of a council designed to overthrow President Bashar Assad's regime. . . .
The council aims at "achieving the wishes and hopes of our people in overthrowing the current regime ... including the head of this regime," according to a statement read by opposition figure Bourhan Ghalioun in a news conference in Istanbul. . . .
The organizers have not named a leader for the national council, but appeared to give a leading role to Ghalioun, a respected and popular opposition figure who is also a scholar of contemporary oriental studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
“Syrian dissidents form leadership council,” Associated Press, October 2, 2011
Tunisia's cities were decorated with posters for hundreds of candidates from scores of new parties when campaigning began on Saturday for what is billed as the first free election in the country's history.
Nine months after an uprising that deposed former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and inspired the Arab Spring, Tunisians elect politicians on October 23 to an assembly that will rewrite the country's constitution. . . .
Political analysts expect Ennahda, an Islamic party, to win the most seats in the assembly. The Progressive Democratic Party and the Congress for the Republic are also expected to poll strongly. . . .
Coinciding with the start of the election campaign, a conference of Arab bloggers was scheduled to begin in Tunisia on Monday.
“During the Arab revolutions, activists learned from each other, and Arab governments also learned from each other – new methods of suppression and intimidation,” read the website of the bloggers conference. The avowed purpose of the meeting, it said, was for Arab bloggers to “create coalitions amongst themselves to face new realities and future challenges.”
“Tunisia opens first election campaign since uprising,” Haaretz, October 2, 2011
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said over the weekend that he prayed for the protection of former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, and sent his “solidarity” to Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
“From here, we send our solidarity to the Syrian people, to President Bashar. They are resisting imperial aggression, the attacks of the Yankee empire and its European allies,” Chavez said.
“Chavez: Prayers for Qaddafi, Solidarity for Assad,” Israel National News, October 2, 2011
Turkish has once again emerged as a candidate language for recognition as the seventh official language of the UN, a costly and lengthy process if Turkic speaking countries decide to push for their language to be added to the organization's six official languages. . . .
The UN currently has six official languages, namely Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. It is, however, very costly and difficult to add a new language to the list. When Arabic became an official language, Anatolia noted, Arabic-speaking countries had to pay three years' worth of translation costs in order to use Arabic as a working and official language at the UN.
So far, Bengali, Indian and Portuguese have been discussed as candidates for the seventh language, but no solid development has surfaced regarding the process. Turkish is also noted to be at a disadvantage since the language is spoken only in Turkey.
On the other hand, Turkish is a part of the Turkic language family, the members of which are spoken in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan among the member countries. The UN receives constant criticism for using mainly English, while other languages usually end up being ignored in the translation process.
“Turkish emerges as candidate for official UN language,” Today’s Zaman, October 2, 2011
The parliamentary officials who participated in the 5th International Conference in Support for Palestine’s Intifada in Tehran issued a statement on Sunday, in which they called for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on all of the occupied territories.
“Palestinian state must encompass entire homeland: parliament speakers,” Tehran Times, October 2, 2011
It is unconscionable that a Jew would harm something that is holy to another religion. This act is not-Jewish, illegal, immoral, and brings upon us heavy shame. I strongly condemn this horrible act in every language. This is not only a difficult day for the residents of Tuba Zangria, it is a difficult day for all Israeli society. As the President of Israel, during these days of introspection between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, I call upon all to denounce these terrible acts. These acts, destroy relations between us and our neighbors, and between the various religions in Israel.
We will not allow extremists and criminals to undercut the need to live together equally in equality and mutual respect. Arabs and Jews as one.
Shimon Peres, quoted in Marc Tracy, “A Mosque Is Burned, This Time In Israel,” Tablet, October 3, 2011
Iran criticized Turkey on Tuesday for agreeing to allow NATO to station an early warning radar in the southeast of the country that will serve as part of the alliance's missile defense system.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claimed the defense system was meant to protect Israel against Iranian missile attacks in the event a war breaks out with the Jewish state.
"The missile defense shield is aimed at defending the Zionist regime. They don't want to let our missiles land in the occupied territories (Israel) if one day they take action against us. That's why they put it there," Ahmadinejad said in an address to the nation on state TV late Tuesday.
Ali Akbar Dareini, “Iran criticizes Turkey over missile defense shield,” Associated Press, October 4, 2011
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in a meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmad Davutoglu threatened the western countries that if Syria comes under a NATO attack, it would set fire on the Middle-East, specially [sic] Israel.
"If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need not more than 6 hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv," Assad said after Davutoglu conveyed the United States' warning message to him.
He also reiterated that Damascus will also call on Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch such an intensive rocket and missile attack on Israel that the Israeli spy agencies could never imagine.
"All these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack the US warships in the Persian Gulf and the US and European interests will be targeted simultaneously," Assad said.
“Assad Warns to Set Fire on Middle-East in Case of US Attack,” Fars News Agency, October 4, 2011
Steve Jobs’ biological father wanted to make contact with his son before his untimely death but said his “Syrian pride” prevented him from doing so. On Wednesday, upon hearing the news of his son’s passing, he told the media he had “no comment.”
Abdel-Fattah Jandali, the biological father of the legendary Apple founder, an 80-year-old Syrian-American Muslim and former political science professor, now living in Nevada, had expressed regret at giving up his son for adoption and had hoped the two could meet before it was too late. . . .
Jandali was a political science student from Homs at the American University of Beirut when he met Carole Schieble, an American graduate student. In 1955, when Jobs was born, the young couple was unmarried. According to Jandali, Schieble’s conservative father forbade her from marrying him, leading her to give their son up for adoption. The baby was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, and was named Steve.
Brooke Anderson, “‘Syrian pride’ kept Steve Jobs' estranged father from reaching out,” Daily Star, October 6, 2011
We all know the reason for the deep vein of anti-Americanism in the Arab world. It is the US’ blind support for Israel, both in the massive amount of American taxpayers’ money handed over to it and in the use of its veto powers to protect it at the United Nations. The US is seen as being on the side of the oppressor of the Palestinians. That makes it an oppressor itself.
Russia and China have long tried to present themselves as friends to the Arabs, particularly over the Palestinian issue. No one is going to believe them after their use of the veto on Tuesday to protect the Assad regime in Syria. Countries such as Germany and Britain have called the decision “regrettable.” It is far more than regrettable. It shows total contempt for the people of Syria, brutalized and yearning for freedom. It is outrageous.
“Editorial: Vetoing the freedom,” Arab News, October 6, 2011
So-called “dream interpreters” are causing immeasurable harm to stable families and causing divorce and destroying human bonding, Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Abdullah Aal Al-Sheikh, Grand Mufti of the Kingdom and Chairman of the Board of Senior Ulema (Scholars), has said.
These charlatans, he said, are also minting money in the business of dream interpretations.
The Grand Mufti denounced the false innovation of dream interpretation and the proliferation of TV channels and Internet websites which are approached by gullible viewers with a request to interpret their dreams.
“All these are based on intentions to make money from innocent viewers. The so-called dream interpreter, satellite channels and telecommunication companies divide among themselves the ill-gotten profits they gather from people,” the Grand Mufti was quoted by Al-Madina Arabic newspaper as saying.
“Dream interpretation has become a lucrative trade. Actually, many of the interpretations cause only concern and harm,” he was quoted as saying.
Owing to this phenomenon, he said, several couples have resorted to divorce and stable families have been broken up and destroyed. People have been seen neglecting or even boycotting their relatives due to such bogus dream interpreters, he said.
“Wrong interpretations of dreams cause family chaos: Grand Mufti,” Saudi Gazette, October 7, 2011
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