newswire

Gunmen kidnap Iraqi Chaldean Catholic archbishop

MOSUL, Iraq -- Gunmen kidnapped the Chaldean Catholic archbishop of Mosul on Friday in the northern Iraqi city and killed his driver and two companions, police said. "He was kidnapped in the al-Nour district in eastern Mosul when he left a church. Gunmen opened fire on the car, killed the other three and kidnapped the archbishop," said provincial police spokesman Brigadier-General Khaled Abdul Sattar.

An assistant to Cardinal Emmanuel III Delly, the Chaldean patriarch of Baghdad and spiritual leader of Iraq's Catholics, said they had heard that three people had been killed and they did not know the fate of the archbishop, Paulos Faraj Rahho.

Christian clergy targeted

A number of Christian clergy have been kidnapped or killed, and churches bombed in Iraq since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.Last June gunmen murdered Catholic priest Ragheed Aziz Kani and three assistants in Mosul, 240 miles north of Baghdad, after stopping his car near a church in the eastern part of the city.

Source: [MSNBC]

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Jordan: More Christians deported; reports condemned

(ISTANBUL) Jordan has continued deporting foreign evangelical pastors, as the government last week admitted to expelling foreigners for "illegal" missionary activities. Acting Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh told the Jordanian parliament on February 20 that authorities had expelled missionaries operating "under the cover of doing charitable work," suggesting that evangelistic activity is illegal in Jordan.

If such evangelistic work were illegal -- with a missionary permit or not -- Jordan could be opening itself to accusations of violating Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which the country published in its official Gazette in July 2006, giving it the force of law.

Article 18 of the covenant states that everyone has the inherent right publicly or privately to "manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance, practice and teaching." It also states, however, that such freedom may be subject to limitations prescribed by law to protect public "order."

Source: [Compass Direct News]

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Saudi Arabian men arrested for flirting

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi Arabia began interrogating 57 men Saturday who were arrested for flirting with women in front of a shopping mall in the holy city of Mecca, a local newspaper reported.

The country's religious police arrested the men Thursday night for behavior that also allegedly included dancing to pop music blaring from their cars and wearing improper clothing, reported the Okaz newspaper, which is deemed close to the government.

Saturday's newspaper report did not say what kind of outfits the young men were wearing, but T-shirts emblazoned with drawings or English writing are often an invitation for harassment by the religious police. Islamic radicals also consider pop music a corrupting force.

Source: [MSNBC]

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Iran bans Laleh Seddigh, the 'female Schumacher'

By Darius Bazargan

Iranian women are exploring new boundaries and opportunities in education and careers -- not least female racing car champion Laleh Seddigh -- until that is she was banned from competitions following allegations of engine tampering.

Laleh's story is a symbol of what women can achieve in today's Iran. But her desire to prove she could compete with men at every level ended up costing her dearly.

Role model

The 31-year-old sportswoman, nicknamed "Little Schumacher" is a minor celebrity in her native country. She has also become a poster girl for Iranian women seeking to better their lot.

Source: [BBC]

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Monopoly contest stirs up Jerusalem conflict

PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (AP) Monopoly, the iconic game of capitalism, has been drawn into the dispute over Jerusalem. Hasbro Inc. issued an apology Thursday after an employee, responding to complaints from pro-Palestinian groups, eliminated the word "Israel" after the city in an online contest to select names for a new Monopoly board game: Monopoly Here and Now: The World Edition.

The company also pulled all country names from other cities on the site when even more people complained, including the Israeli government, because Jerusalem was listed as the only city without a country.

The Pawtucket-based company is asking people to vote at the Monopoly Web site on which cities will be included in the new edition. Until Tuesday, every city on the site listed a country, including Paris, France; Cairo, Egypt and Jerusalem, Israel. But an employee based in London decided on her own without consulting senior management to pull "Israel" from Jerusalem after hearing complaints from pro-Palestinian groups and bloggers who argue that the city is not a part of Israel, Hasbro spokesman Wayne Charness said Thursday.

Source: [MSNBC]

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When We Torture

By Nicholas D. Kristof

The most famous journalist you may never have heard of is Sami al-Hajj, an Al Jazeera cameraman who is on a hunger strike to protest abuse during more than six years in a Kafkaesque prison system. Mr. Hajj's fortitude has turned him into a household name in the Arab world, and his story is sowing anger at the authorities holding him without trial.

That's us. Mr. Hajj is one of our forgotten prisoners in Guantánamo Bay. If the Bush administration appointed an Under Secretary of State for Antagonizing the Islamic World, with advice from a Blue Ribbon Commission for Sullying America's Image, it couldn't have done a more systematic job of discrediting our reputation around the globe. Instead of using American political capital to push for peace in the Middle East or Darfur, it is using it to force-feed Mr. Hajj.

President Bush is now moving forward with plans to try six Guantánamo prisoners before a military tribunal, rather than hold a regular trial. That will call new attention to abuses in Guantánamo and sow more anti-Americanism around the world.

Source: [NY Times]

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Jordan deports Christian missionaries who 'broke law'

(AMMAN) The Jordanian authorities have deported a number of foreign Christians who "violated the law" by carrying out missionary activities, Minister of State for Information and Communication Affairs Nasser Judeh said Wednesday.

"The authorities have deported a number of people who entered the country under the pretext of performing voluntary work but were spotted carrying out missionary activities," Judeh told the lower house of parliament in response to interpolations by deputies. He praised a statement issued earlier by leaders of churches in Jordan, who denied allegations by the deportees that Christians in Jordan were being discriminated against.

"The statement issued by the Council of Churches made it clear that Christians in Jordan lived in peace and security with their Muslim brethren and that the Jordanian constitution guaranteed the rights of all Jordanians regardless of their religion and sect," Judeh said.

Source: [Earth Times]

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Al-Jazeera criticises Middle East media code

Television network al-Jazeera has said a media code adopted by Arab countries could curb freedom of expression. The code allows authorities to withdraw permits from satellite channels deemed to have offended Arab leaders or national or religious symbols.

It was adopted this week by ministers from the 22-member Arab League at a meeting called by Egypt and Saudi Arabia. But Qatar, where al-Jazeera is based, refused to sign up.

The network said on Friday that it considered the charter "a risk to the freedom of expression in the Arab world". It warned that some of the charter's language was ambiguous and "could be interpreted to actively hinder independent reporting from the region".

Source: [BBC]

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Al-Jazeera English TV channel facing 'staffing crisis'

Al-Jazeera's troubled English language news channel is facing a "serious staffing crisis" after scores of journalists left or have not had contracts renewed amid claims of a revolt over working conditions. Staff at the Doha-based 24-hour news channel - which only reached its first birthday in November -- have told MediaGuardian.co.uk of a series of issues including the removal of benefits and a lack of pay rises which have led many to resign or look to leave.

The staff unrest comes amid speculation that al-Jazeera English is set to relaunch in the second quarter of this year with new schedules and new studios in Gaza and Nairobi.

According to insiders, resignations have occurred across the board, including the director of human resources, the director of operations, producers, senior camera operators and editors. One source said that the general belief among staff was that the English language rolling news service "cost so much to set up that they are now cutting costs at the expense of quality and quantity".

Source: [Guardian Media]

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UN shocked by 'grim' life in Gaza

The UN's top humanitarian affairs official has said he was shocked by the "grim and miserable" situation he witnessed on a visit to the Gaza Strip. Undersecretary General John Holmes said it was the result of Israel closing its border crossings and the "limited food and other materials" allowed in. Mr Holmes said 80% of Gaza's 1.5m population now depended on food aid.

Israeli spokesman Mark Regev said the situation could "very quickly return to where it was" if rocket attacks ceased. Israel tightened its blockade of Gaza last month after a sharp rise in rocket attacks by militants based there.

The restrictions prompted militants from the Islamist movement Hamas, which controls Gaza, to blast holes in the border with Egypt on 23 January. The breaches were sealed by Egyptian security forces only on 3 February, by which time hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had taken the opportunity to cross into Egypt and obtain essential supplies.

Source: [BBC]

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Militants bomb Gaza YMCA library

Gunmen have attacked the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) in Gaza City and blown up its library, burning thousands of books, its director says. Eissa Saba said 14 men overpowered the centre's two security guards before placing bombs in the library and main office. The latter did not explode.

The guards said the gunmen had asked them why they worked for "infidels," Gaza, which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas, is home to 3,500 Christians, mostly Greek Orthodox.

A number of Christian and other institutions regarded by Muslim extremists as un-Islamic have been targeted by armed gangs over the past two years in the coastal territory, the BBC's Katya Adler in Jerusalem says. So far no-one has claimed responsibility for the attack, which has been condemned by all the main Palestinian factions.

Hamas, which ousted the rival Fatah movement from the territory in June, has said it is looking into Friday's incident. The YMCA in Gaza City is a social institution open to Palestinians from all communities.

Source: [BBC]

Saudi Woman Faces Death For Witchcraft

A leading human rights group appealed to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Thursday to stop the execution of a woman accused of witchcraft and performing supernatural acts. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the kingdom's religious police who arrested and interrogated Fawza Falih, and the judges who tried her in the northern town of Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence in the face of "absurd charges that have no basis in law."

Falih's case underscores shortcomings in Saudi Arabia's Islamic legal system in which rules of evidence are shaky, lawyers are not always present and sentences often depend on the whim of judges.

The most frequent victims are women, who already suffer severe restrictions on daily life in Saudi Arabia: They cannot drive, appear before a judge without a male representative, or travel abroad without a male guardian's permission. Witchcraft is considered an offense against Islam in the conservative kingdom.

Source: [CBS News]

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Moroccan held for impersonating prince online

By Tom Pfeiffer

RABAT - A Moroccan computer engineer appeared in court on Friday charged with setting up a Facebook account in the name of King Mohammed's brother. Fouad Mortada, 26, could face jail on the charges of falsifying computer data and imitating Prince Moulay Rachid on the social networking site without his consent.

Relatives said he was motivated by admiration for the 37-year-old prince, who is second in line to the throne. Mortada said he was blindfolded and taken to an unknown building where he was beaten, spat on and insulted, according to a Web site set up by his supporters (www.helpfouad.com).

"This is a nightmare," Mortada's uncle Mohamed El Yousfi told Reuters. "Fouad is threatened, as well as his job and his family. He had no evil intent to damage the royal family, which he respects. He has done nothing wrong." Newspapers quoted Mortada as telling the judicial police he had set up the Facebook account to give him a better chance of romantic encounters. Defense lawyer Ali Ammar said that was untrue.

Source: [MSNBC]

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Sharia Delusions in Canterbury

By Mona Eltahawy

NEW YORK -- When it comes to Islamic law, or Sharia, words certainly do come easy if you're a man. You can marry four wives, receive double the inheritance a woman gets and you can end your marriage simply by saying "I divorce you" three times. So why not pontificate?

Words are especially cheap if you're the Archbishop of Canterbury, who ignited a social storm in the UK last week by saying that the adoption of some parts of Sharia alongside Britain's legal system "seems unavoidable" in certain circumstances.

Remember please that Dr. Rowan Williams is the head of the global Anglican community, the U.S. branch of which ordained a gay priest in 2003. But the archbishop clearly does not believe in wishing unto others as you would unto your own. He extends no such progressive ideals to Muslims. Most interpretations of Sharia consider homosexuality an abomination. He probably thinks his "tolerance" for Sharia is progressive enough in light of the rabid Islamophobia that mars parts of Europe today.

Source: [MonaEltahawy]

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Arab TV broadcasters face curbs

Arab countries have agreed to allow punishment of satellite channels deemed to have offended Arab leaders or national or religious symbols.

At a meeting in Cairo called by Egypt and Saudi Arabia, a charter was adopted allowing authorities to withdraw permits from offending channels. The only country to refuse to endorse the charter was Qatar, the home of leading satellite station al-Jazeera.

Correspondents say the satellite channels have thrived on controversy. The often privately financed stations give airtime to government critics and viewers, and discuss issues which state channels would never dare approach, says the BBC's Heba Saleh in Cairo.

Source: [BBC]

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Saudis clamp down on Valentine's Day gifts

Religious police in Saudi Arabia are banning the sale of Valentine's Day gifts including red roses, a local newspaper has reported. The Saudi Gazette quoted shop workers as saying that officials had warned them to remove all red items including flowers and wrapping paper.

Black market prices for roses were already rising, the paper said. Saudi authorities consider Valentine's Day, along with a host of other annual celebrations, as un-Islamic. In addition to the prohibition on celebrating non-Islamic festivals, the authorities consider Valentine's Day as encouraging relations between men and women outside wedlock - punishable by law in the conservative kingdom.

The Saudi Gazette reported that some people placed orders with florists days or weeks before Valentine's Day in anticipation of the ban, which is a regular occurrence. "Sometimes we deliver the bouquets in the middle of the night or early morning, to avoid suspicion," one florist said.

Others were planning to travel to the more religiously liberal neighbouring countries, Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates, to celebrate. Saudi Arabian authorities impose a strict Islamic code that prevents men and women from mixing.

Source: [BBC]

Tourists warned of UAE drug laws

Travellers to the United Arab Emirates are being warned about its severe drug laws which have seen dozens detained for apparently minor offenses. Fair Trials International said arrests were being made over tiny quantities of drugs and over-the-counter medicines.

British tourist Keith Brown was sentenced to four years in prison after Dubai customs officers found a 0.003g trace of cannabis stuck to his shoe. Fair Trials, a legal charity, said it has seen a steep rise in such cases.

Golden beaches

Possession of painkillers like codeine and some cold and flu medication could result in a mandatory four-year prison sentence, Fair Trials International said. In one of the most extreme cases, it reported a man being held after poppy seeds from a bread roll were found on his clothes.

Source: [BBC]

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Saudi religious police grab U.S. woman in Starbucks

An American businesswoman was carted off to jail by religious police in Saudi Arabia for sitting with a male colleague at a Starbucks in Riyadh, the Times of London reported. The woman, who spent a day behind bars, was strip-searched and forced to sign a false confession before being released, the newspaper said. The Times declined to publish her name at her request.

The 37-year-old businesswoman works for a finance company in Riyadh. Her problem began when her office lost electricity. She and her male colleagues then went to a nearby Starbucks to use the coffee shop's Internet connection. She sat with a male colleague in the Starbucks' family area, the only place women are allowed to sit with men.

"Some men came up to us with very long beards and white dresses. They asked 'Why are you here together?' I explained about the power being out in our office. They got very angry and told me what I was doing was a great sin," she told the Times.

Source: [CBS News]

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Danish Muhammad cartoon reprinted

Danish newspapers have reprinted one of several caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad which sparked violent protests across the Muslim world in 2005. They say they wanted to show their commitment to freedom of speech after an alleged plot to kill one of the cartoonists behind the drawings.

Of three suspects detained over the alleged plot on Tuesday, one - a Danish citizen - was released on Wednesday. The remaining two - Tunisian citizens - are set to be deported without trial.

The cartoons were originally published by Jyllands-Posten in September 2005. Danish embassies were attacked around the world and dozens died in riots that followed.

Source: [BBC]

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Press Attack: What's the frequency, Jamil?

By Rita Barotta

BEIRUT: It was 10.30 p.m. on January 25 and Jamil Nimri was at his home in the Gardens District in Amman when there was a knock on the door. Someone asked to see the journalist in person. Nimri opened the door to find a total stranger on his doorstep. After making sure that he was indeed facing Nimri, the stranger said he needed to get something from his car.

He turned, only to turn around again quickly – this time with a knife in his hand. The stranger went straight for Nimri's face but Nimri had a quick reaction and took a step back. He was quick enough to avoid serious injury but not quick enough to get a small cut on his face. His assailant ran away, jumped into a waiting car and disappeared into the night.

This is unfortunately not a scene from an Alfred Hitchcock horror movie. This is what actually happened to Jamil Nimri, a columnist for Jordan's Al-Ghad newspaper, and the host of a political TV talk show, called "Bila Qoyood" (Without restraints). Nimri is a famous media personality in Jordan, and is well respected as an intellectual who approaches issues with total objectivity and a great ability to listen and converse. Yet, someone out there doesn't like him.

Source: [Menassat]

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