Have we surrendered? – Forthright Magazine
▻http://forthright.net/2019/06/29/have-we-surrendered
The Israelites describe the Philistines as “rulers over us” instead of acknowledging that God was their true ruler and king. They had already surrendered to the Philistines.
Considering the text in Judges, one might ask, “Have Christians in our age surrendered to the evil?”
MIT and Harvard reconsidering Saudi ties after Khashoggi murder | World news | The Guardian
▻https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/13/saudi-arabia-mit-harvard-funding-mohammed-bin-salman-reconsidering-khas
Last March, Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, came to the United States with a mission: to boost his image as a moderniser, liberaliser and reformer at a time when he stood accused of war crimes in Yemen and had recently consolidated power by jailing rivals, critics, rights activists and even family members.
Saudi Arabia says it is a beacon of light fighting ‘dark’ Iran
Read more
Over the course of his three-week trip he appeared alongside American giants of government, business and entertainment, inking lucrative business deals while letting the celebrity and reputation of people such as Michael Bloomberg, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Dwayne Johnson rub off on him.
Saudi Arabia’s Tyrant King Misremembered as Man of Peace
▻https://firstlook.org/theintercept/2015/01/23/saudi-arabias-king-misremembered-man-peace
After nearly 20 years as de facto ruler of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah ibn-Abdulaziz al-Saud died last night at the age of 90. Abdullah, who took power after his predecessor King Fahd suffered a stroke in 1995, ruled as absolute monarch of a country which protected American interests but also sowed strife and extremism throughout the Middle East and the world.
Hamas wary of improved Turkey-Israel ties - Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East
▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/05/turkey-israel-reconciliation-let-down-hamas-gaza.html
Despite some advantages, circles in Hamas do not hide their disappointment regarding Israeli reconciliation with Turkey, since they consider Erdogan to be an ideological ally. The organizational bases of Hamas previously relayed their impressions to Al-Monitor, describing Erdogan as “the Caliph of Islam, the ruler who delivered Israel a blow and the one who took vengeance for the killing of Muslims in Syria and Egypt.” To them, normalizing relations with Israel is not in line with these religious descriptions. This would reduce Erdogan’s status as a Muslim leader to a mere political ruler who puts the interests of his people first, as noted by another Hamas official.
Read more: ▻http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/05/turkey-israel-reconciliation-let-down-hamas-gaza.html#ixzz32M5gMHaE
Ousted Libyan PM says preparing return “very soon”
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/ousted-libyan-pm-says-preparing-return-very-soon
Former Libyan prime minister #Ali_Zeidan on Tuesday warned that Islamist groups were sabotaging attempts to rebuild his country in order that it become a haven for extremists, in an interview with Britain’s newspaper The Times. Zeidan, who fled to Germany after losing a parliamentary confidence vote earlier this month, said that he was preparing to return “maybe very soon” to help restore order and repel the threat of extremism, two-and-a-half years after the killing of veteran ruler Muammar Gaddafi. read more
#Egypt's Islamists call for 18 days of protests
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/egypts-islamists-call-18-days-protests
An Islamist alliance backing deposed president Mohammed #mursi called for 18 days of protests from Friday, as Egypt on January 25 marks three years since the revolt that ousted his predecessor. The Anti-Coup Alliance said in a statement on Wednesday that protests will last until February 11 – the day when Mursi’s predecessor, long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak, stepped down in early 2011 after an 18-day uprising against his decades-old regime. Saturday, the third anniversary of the 2011 revolt, promises to be a tense day. read more
Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid speaks about sanctions on Iran, Syria, Egypt, UAE legal system |
The National
13th of January 2013
▻http://www.thenational.ae/uae/government/sheikh-mohammed-dubai-ruler-says-iran-telling-truth-over-nuclear-ambitio
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid has spoken about the UAE’s legal system and human rights record, among other world issues, in a wide-ranging interview with BBC World News.
Speaking to the BBC’s Jon Sopel, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, spoke about a number of political issues in the region, in particular the Syrian conflict, sanctions on Iran and the future of Egypt.
Sheikh Mohammed told Mr Sopel in a recorded interview in Dubai yesterday that the UAE will “help but not interfere” in the Syrian conflict.
The answer came as the Dubai Ruler was asked why the UAE would not get involved in trying to find a solution, following the example of Qatar, which is actively involved with groups in Syria.
“We are supporting the people in Jordan or Turkey, we are helping those but the free [Syrian] army you don’t know, because there’s some extremists, and you don’t know how many groups there are.You hear that some groups are fighting each other.
“Maybe Qatar have a reason or a vision, but here, we don’t want to interfere with other people, we should help but not interfere,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
He also added that while Syrian president Bashar Al Assad is likely to stay in power for a long time, he has no future as a leader of Syria.
“Assad will take a long time, but if you kill your people you can’t stay... eventually he will go,” he said.
The interview mentions the need to lift sanctions on Iran to secure better cooperation in the country’s nuclear disarmament process.
“Iran is our neighbour and we don’t want any problem. Lift the sanctions and everyone will benefit,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
The Dubai Ruler also said he believed Iran is telling the truth when saying they only intend to use nuclear technology for civilian means.
“I talked to Ahmadinejad and he said ‘if I send a rocket to Israel, how many Palestinians will I kill. And then the US and Europe will destroy my cities. I’m not crazy to go for that. It’s a weapon of the past’,” he said.
Sheikh Mohammed also stressed the need to achieve progress regarding the Israel-Palestine peace process.
The future of Egypt was another topic of discussion during the interview.
The UAE Vice President said Egypt is better off without ousted president, Mohamed Morsi, at the helm. He also said that Gen Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the Egyptian army chief who ousted the president, should refrain from pursuing political power.
“I hope he stays in the army,” said Sheikh Mohammed. “And someone else [stands] for the presidency.”
In discussions about the UAE’s legal system and human rights record, Mr Sopel asked Sheikh Mohammed about the release last week of the American prisoner who was jailed for a video mocking youth culture, the Dubai Ruler agreed the treatment was not fair.
“We try to change it. We are not perfect and we try to change it. Any mistakes, we go in and try to change it. We’re not perfect, but we are doing our best,” said Sheikh Mohammed.
The exclusive interview will be broadcast on BBC World News today.
#Suhail_Bawji : #Lebanon’s De Facto Ruler
▻http://english.al-akhbar.com/content/suhail-bawji-lebanon%E2%80%99s-de-facto-ruler
Despite the end of his term and the questionable legality of his appointment, the man has persevered in his position for 13 years. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi) Despite the end of his term and the questionable legality of his appointment, the man has persevered in his position for 13 years. (Photo: Haitham Moussawi)
While Lebanon’s politicians are engrossed in fighting over the shape of the next government, the cabinet’s chief (...)
The Wannabe - Daily News Egypt
▻http://www.dailynewsegypt.com/2013/06/17/the-wannabe
One of the few remaining benefits of living in Egypt these days is the ridiculous amount of entertainment that our Islamist rulers provide. In a scene that’s beyond parody, a number of Islamists held a massive conference to support Syria, which in their world means “Let’s kill those Shi’a Infidels”. In the first ever display of state-sponsored-Jihad-promotion in Egypt’s modern history, a number of Islamists, alongside our great ruler Mohamed Ibn Morsi the first, called upon the Nation’s Muslims to support Syria and, if possible, go fight Jihad there, because, after two years of inaction, they suddenly realised that there was a conflict there and on one side there was some non-Sunni Muslims fighting some Sunni Muslims. Gasp and horror.
In case you didn’t know, that’s completely unacceptable of course. Non-Sunni Muslims have no business being alive to begin with, or at least that’s what the speeches of the day implied. Sectarian rhetoric got spewed for two hours on live television, proving that Morsi doesn’t only have a “Christian problem”, but a “down with anything other than Sunni Muslims” problem, which should console our Christian brothers in so far that it’s not only them he dislikes. Today’s article should then bemoan the first Egyptian democratically elected openly sectarian president. If only it was that simple…
Did you know that when Morsi went to beg Russia for money and wheat, he openly declared that his position is in complete alignment with the Russian position, which is pro-Assad, just because they promised him they might think of lending him money or wheat? Did you know that this conference took place, not two days after the Obama administration’s announcement that they will fund and arm Syrian rebels? Did you know that this conference got held exactly two weeks before the 30 June demonstrations, at a time when the Muslim Brotherhood is desperate for any Islamist support to cling to power? Did you know that in Morsi’s 6th of October speech last year, he managed to fill the 80,000 seats of the Cairo stadium with his supporters, but in this speech he opted for the covered dome, which only holds 16,000 seats? Also, did you know that opposing the ruler in Egypt is against religion and God, but opposing the ruler in Syria is holy Jihad?
How can one not love this mess?
Every map tells a story - The National
►http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/editorial/every-map-tells-a-story
Jan 3, 2011
Old maps tell a story about the people who made them. In 1816, a British map identified the UAE coast as “dangerous and chiefly inhabited by pirates”. But as Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammed Al Qassemi, the Ruler of Sharjah, maintains in his 1986 book The Myth of Arab Piracy, the need to suppress piracy was the excuse for British imperial expansion in the Gulf and any loss of a ship was attributed to bad guys. Hence the British destruction of the Qawasim fleet in Ras Al Khaimah in 1819.
Topic
As reported today, Dr Sheikh Sultan has collected maps for 30 years and has now put hundreds on public display in Sharjah.
One is the first map ever printed in Arabic script by Haj Ahmad from Tunis, dated 1559. A Dutch map from 1666 clearly marks the locations of Kalba, Khorfakaan and Dibba. Dutch maps of the period showed the Tunbs islands in their current positions in the Gulf.
L’article d’As‘ad AbuKhalil refusé par le Akhbar, ici traduit en anglais:
►http://angryarab.blogspot.fr/2012/09/tyrant-son-of-tyrant-in-english.html
Bashar is not the only son of a tyrant among Arab rulers. There is King Mohammed VI of Morocco, and King Abdullah of Jordan, and King Abdullah the Saudi, and the ruler of the UAE, and the Sultan of Oman, and the Emir of Qatar and the King of Bahrain: They are all sons of tyrants. The tyrant’s son toddles within the high palace walls, and the heavily armed cortege rush to him whenever he makes a sound of boredom. He is fed early on caviar and gold: The tyrant’s son will not taste “commoner” food. The King of Jordan once said, while boasting his relationships with the sons of rulers (this Abdullah was a close friend of Uday Saddam Hussein, but he did not dare once tell us about this years-long friendship), that they live the same lifestyle: They eat at the same European and American restaurants, ski at the same Swiss mountain resorts, and stay in the same luxury hotels in the West. He forgot to add that they gamble at the same clubs and visit the same night bars and enlist the same pleasure-advisors while staying in the West.
Hé, Sarko, t’es célèbre : ils parlent de toi sur Al Jazeera (angliche, mais quand même) :
►http://www.aljazeera.com/news/europe/2012/04/201242814462322719.html
The government of the late Libyan ruler Muammar Gaddafi agreed to fund French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s 2007 election campaign with an estimated $66m, a French news website has reported.
[…]
The 2006 document, written in Arabic, was signed by Gaddafi’s intelligence chief Moussa Koussa, who reportedly now lives in Doha, Qatar.
It referred to an “agreement in principle to support the campaign for the candidate for the presidential elections, Nicolas Sarkozy, for a sum equivalent to 50 million euros [$66m]”.
The document refers to a meeting that allegedly took place on June 6, 2006, between Brice Hortefeux, Sarkozy’s close ally, and Ziad Takieddine, a Franco-Lebanese businessman who has been at the centre of a number of political scandals linked to Sarkozy and his inner circle.
Libya revolutionaries burn, loot village homes - latimes.com
►http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/middleeast/la-fg-libya-fighting-20111006,0,3230775.story
Reporting from Abu Hadi, Libya— Forces loyal to Libya’s transitional leaders looted and burned civilian homes Wednesday in the recently captured village of Abu Hadi, near ousted ruler Moammar Kadafi’s besieged tribal homeland of Surt.
Smoke spires rose into the air as fighters, mostly from the western city of Misurata, threw gasoline bombs and grenades into abandoned homes in the village, a center for Kadafi’s tribe, the Kadafa.
À ce rythme, pour protéger les civils libyens, l’OTAN va devoir bombarder les « rebelles ».