Syria Lifts Emergency Law, Approves Bill Regulating Demos

In an exceptional move, Syrian authorities lifted on Tuesday the emergency law and approved a bill regulating demonstrations throughout the country.

In this context, the official news agency SANA reported that the Syrian government approved a bill to annul the decades-old emergency law.

According to SANA, the cabinet also approved a bill to abolish the Higher State Security Court and another bill regulating the right to peaceful protest.

Meanwhile, the state of chaos in Syria proceeds as "criminal groups" spread around various Syrian provinces and escalate their crimes against citizens.

Syrian Brigadier Khodir al-Talawi was targeted along with his two sons and nephew on Sunday, the Syrian Official News Agency reported.

SANA quoted Director of the National Hospital in Homs, Dr. Ghassan Tanous who regarded the scene as inhumane, stating that the martyrs’ bodies were disfigured after death using sharp tools.

Since the anarchic acts began, Syrian Policemen, army, and public have been the main targets to the “Salafi” armed groups, according an Interior Ministry statement which described their movement as "mutiny".

Army Colonel Moin Mihla, Major Iyad Harfoush, and various young men were shot to death, while Dozens of Syrian police members were injured due to attacks in the past two days.

The ministry statement pointed out that “these armed groups have committed vicious crimes that the law would punish for with the strongest penalties.”

The statement added that these groups "seek to spread chaos and terrify the Syrian people under the claim of demanding reform and freedom".

It finally called on the citizens to present available information on the “terrorists” and their locations.

• Interior Ministry Urges Citizens for Helping Authorities in Their Missions to Realize Stability and Security
• Al-Moallem to Arab and Foreign Ambassadors: Reform is Underway in Syria… Those who Want it do not Use Violence and Weapons
• Interior Ministry: what Syrian Provinces have witnessed of killing and aggression was Armed Mutiny Led by Salafi Armed Groups

Syria's religious scholars: International Union of Muslim Ulama statement targets Syria's safety, stability

Damascus- Senior Syrian religious scholars said the statement issued by the International Union of Muslim Ulama (religious scholars) on the situation in Syria came as no surprise to them, as it comes from party backgrounds associated with schemes clear enough in terms of dimensions and goals.

In a statement issued on Monday, senior Syrian religious scholars said the statement targets Syria's safety and stability and is inconsistent with the scientific and logical methods in judgment.

They added that those who issued the statement are responsible for their stance before God, peoples and history, as it is clear that the scholars' mission is warding off sedition, achieving Shria (religious law) goals in drawing benefits and fending off evils, based on an understanding of the situation of the Muslim world in general, and Syria in particular.

''The statement of the International Union of Muslim Ulama acknowledges that President Bashar al-Assad decided to lift the state of emergency and put that in effect within a week, and has given directions concerning the issuance of a new Parties' Law, but those who issued the statement pay no heed to all of that, because they are tied to a foreign scheme which seeks to destabilize Syria,'' said the statement.

The scholars affirmed that the members of the Union of Religious Scholars in Syria were not consulted and none of them signed the statement, referring to a foreign agenda behind the statement.

''The solutions proposed by President al-Assad are not partial, as the statement claims; the solutions are, however, radical, including the laws of parties, emergency, media and local administration…they are not mere promises in light of the time frame set to implement them,'' the statement added.

The scholars said Syria's scholars and people are unanimous on rejecting sedition, killing and destruction, and are committed to national unity.

''Subversive attempts can never weaken the determination of the Syrian people, and constant targeting of Syria is testimony to its firm stances,'' the statement concluded.

Minister of Islamic Endowments Mohammad Abdul-Sattar al-Sayed said that Syria's scholars met at the Ministry of Islamic Endowments today and issued a statement in response to the statement issued by the International Union of Muslim Ulama (religious scholars) clarifying that the Union's statement was issued based on a partisan background of a specific gang and within a conspiracy plot targeting Syria's security and stability.

For his part, Grand Mufti of the Republic Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun wondered, "Who consulted the International Union of Muslim Ulama, and who authorized them to issue such a statement", pointing out that some of Syria's scholars are members in this union; however no one of them was informed of this statement.

He added that the Union was supposed to pray for the prosperity of the Syrian people after President Bashar al-Assad's meeting with the ministers. It was not supposed to issue such a statement to provoke people. This is not the mission of religious scholars.

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