Showing posts with label wahabism. Show all posts

Tuesday, 23 January 2018

The Rise of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Reveals a Harsh Truth

23-01-2018 | 11:37

Many journalistic accounts of Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, Prince Mohammed bin Salman (often referred to as MBS), depict him as power-hungry and corrupt, and cite these two impulses for his behavior and policies.

When King Salman designated MBS as his heir in June 2017, MBS effectively became the most powerful man in the kingdom. And despite ill-advised purchases (including a yacht and a French chateau, which have cemented the impression of the crown prince’s greed), power consolidation and money alone cannot explain recent developments.

The fact is that MBS is trying to deal with a harsh truth about Saudi Arabia: The kingdom is economically and politically unsustainable, and is headed toward a disaster.

The crown prince inherited a sclerotic state with limited administrative capacity and an economy that is largely reliant on declining oil revenues. The country is burdened by a venal elite comprised of thousands of royals and hangers-on who operate with impunity and are a huge drain on the economy. It is saddled with a bloated public sector which employs 70 percent of working Saudis, and its military is incapable of defending the homeland despite billions spent on armaments. The nation’s religious elite prevents social change to maintain its dominance and privileges. And on the international front, Iran seeks to destroy the kingdom’s system of rule.

Additionally, there is almost no taxation in Saudi Arabia, and the government provides a generous system of entitlements that can only be maintained at ever higher oil prices. To top that off, women – the better educated and more motivated portion of the population – are largely left out of the workforce.

The system of rule up until MBS’s rise to power depended on an unwieldy process of consensus building between various royal factions that has proven incapable of reforming the system. For change to happen – and for the dynasty to survive – it became necessary for a leader to emerge who would disenfranchise large sections of the royal family, force the religious establishment to relinquish its monopoly on public morality and space, as well as lead a reform of the economy and the military.

But what has MBS accomplished so far? On the domestic front, he has emasculated the royal family and is in the process of ending their culture of immunity from legal and financial responsibility. The arrest of 11 Saudi royals on January 6th and several others in November during the anti-corruption drive should be understood in this vein.

In addition, the country is socially transforming, as the religious establishment and the “Islamist” opposition have been tamed through a combination of threats and imprisonments. Women will be driving soon in Saudi Arabia, cinemas will be opening, and weekend musical concerts are now held, attracting large throngs of young people who can be seen singing and dancing. MBS is trying to appeal to young Saudis, who form the majority of the population. His message is one of authoritarian nationalism, mixed with populism that seeks to displace a traditional Islamic hyper-conservatism – which the crown prince believes has choked the country and sapped its people of all dynamism and creativity.

Internationally, MBS can claim two important successes. First, he has resumed the strategic relationship with the United States (and the Trump administration, specifically) after relations between the two countries reached its nadir under President Barack Obama.Secondly, he has developed a strong relationship with President Vladimir Putin of Russia, evidenced by successive oil production agreements and the beginning of coordination between the two countries on the matter of Syria.

But the economy represents MBS’s Achilles’ heel. On one hand, the crown prince is keen to balance the fiscal budget, and to do so by ending the regime of subsidies and entitlements that represent a massive drain on the government’s finances. On the other hand, he also wants a bullish economy and for the private sector to become more dynamic and the principal generator of employment.

The difficulty lies in that the private sector’s performance has historically correlated with the scope of government spending. The government has pursued inconsistent economic reform policies, such as cutting energy subsidies, imposing a value-added tax on goods and services, and increasing allowances and salaries to government employees. The state’s administrative capacity must improve, along with better signaling of policies: Economic malaise has the potential of generating widespread displeasure among the population, especially because Saudis have placed very high expectations of MBS’s ability to improve their lives.

Ultimately, MBS wants to base his family’s legitimacy on the economic transformation of the country and its prosperity. He is not a political liberal. Rather, he is an authoritarian, and one who sees his consolidation of power as a necessary condition for the changes he wants to make in Saudi Arabia.

Source: WP, Edited by website team

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Saturday, 4 July 2015

Terrorist Blast Kills Grand Mosque Imam in Damascus

Local Editor

A terrorist explosive device planted inside the Grand Mosque in Syria's Damascus went off on Friday, killing the Imam Sheikh Salman al-Afandi, state-run TV reported.

Local sources told SANA news agency that a terrorist group planted the IED under the platform of the mosque and detonated it during the Imam's speech.

Sheikh Afandi was martyred at once, and five other worshippers were wounded.

The explosion caused much destruction inside the mosque.

In a statement issued afternoon, the Ministry of Awqaf announced the martyrdom of Sheikh Afandi, stressing that the blood of the martyrs "will only increase our determination to defeat the takfiri terrorism and forces of darkness and evil anytime, anywhere."

In June 23, a group of terrorists blew up a car bomb in front of Maath bin Jabal mosque in Baydar al-Sultana neighborhood in central Damascus, at the time when worshippers were getting out from Taraweeh prayers, killing several people and injuring several others.


Source: Websites	03-07-2015 - 19:00 Last updated 03-07-2015 - 19:00

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Sunday, 28 June 2015

Kuwait Arrests Suspects in Mosque Attack, Mourns Martyrs

Local Editor

Kuwait detained the owner of a car that took a bomber to Imam Sadek (AS) mosque to carry out the country's worst ever militant attack, officials said on Saturday, as thousands calling for national unity turned out to bury some of the 27 martyred.

ISIL claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing against 2,000 worshippers praying at the Imam al-Sadek mosque on Friday.

Officials said the bombing was clearly meant to stir enmity between majority Sunnis and Shiites and harm the comparatively harmonious ties between the sects in Kuwait.

In a statement, the information ministry said Kuwait would face the situation with "unity and solidarity". It reiterated what it called the government's strong stance on the freedom of religion and opinion, noting these were rights protected by the constitution.

The interior ministry, which reported the vehicle owner's arrest, said it was now looking for the driver who vanished shortly after Friday's blast in Kuwait.

A security source told Reuters "numerous arrests" had been made in connection with Friday's bombing.

At the burial site in the Sulaibikhat district, some waved Kuwaiti flags while others bore the large mourning banners.

Chants from the crowd included "Brothers of Sunni and Shia, we will not sell out our country," "No Sunni, no Shia, we are one Islam", "The martyrs are the beloved of God" and "Down with ISIL! Down with ISIL".

One group of mourners said they had traveled from Qatif in Saudi Arabia where 21 people were killed by an ISIL suicide bombing in May.

Two Iranian nationals were among those killed, foreign ministry spokeswoman Marzieh Afkham was quoted as saying by Iranian state media on Saturday.

Relatives of seven of those killed wept and prayed over their shrouded corpses at a mosque on Saturday, where they were waiting to be taken to the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq for burial.

Interior Minister Sheikh Mohammed al Khaled al Sabah was quoted as saying by state news agency KUNA, "We will cut the evil hand that interferes with our homeland's security."


Source: Agencies	27-06-2015 - 19:27 Last updated 27-06-2015 - 19:27

قضية ساخنة | رسائل داعش عبر تفجيرات الكويت وتونس وفرنسا

“All-Out Confrontation” with Terrorism after Mosque Attack

Local Editor

Kuwait declared an “all-out confrontation” with terrorism, as the death toll of the terrorists attack which hit a Mosque on Friday rose to 27 martyrs.

The interior ministry said an unspecified number of suspects were held for questioning in connection with the attack that shocked the society of this small oil-rich Gulf state. No details were provided.

Suicide attack on Kuwaiti Mosque

The cabinet announced after an emergency meeting that all security agencies and police have been placed on alert to confront what it called “black terror”.

“The cabinet stresses that it will take whatever measures necessary to root out this scourge, and declares a relentless all-out confrontation with these terrorists,” said a statement after the meeting.

It also declared Saturday a day of mourning.
For his part, Health minister Ali al-Obaidi told Kuwait Television the number of dead had risen to 27 in addition to 227 wounded in the first ever suicide attack on Shiite mosques in the Gulf state.

The funerals of those martyred in the attack will take place on Wednesday.

An ISIL-affiliated group in Saudi Arabia, calling itself Najd Province, claimed responsibility for the terrorist blast, saying militant Abu Suleiman al-Muwahhid bombed the mosque.

ISIL (so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant), is a Takfiri group which operates in Iraq and Syria.


Source: Agencies	27-06-2015 - 10:55 Last updated 27-06-2015 - 10:55

تغطية خاصة لتفجير مسجد الصادق في الكويت | محمد نزال ~ ندى يوسف | نبأ الفضائية

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Thursday, 25 June 2015

Divine Time Import – An Analysis by Lawrence Davidson

"So let’s show some appreciation of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. When they separated religion and government, they had a strong and accurate sense of history. It was a good move, even if not a divinely inspired one. It was also the implementation of a fine Enlightenment principle – a good match for modern society. " Dr. Lawrence Davidson

Comment:

I can't blame Dr. Lawrence Davidson for the conclusion he reached. I blame enlightened Jews, Christians and in particular Enlightened (Sectarian)Muslim Activists who never dared to talk , write about Takfirs and blamed me for considering them more dangerous than Zionism and Christian Zionism. Nasrallah hit the nail in considering Takfiris ‘A Danger Unprecedented in History’

Islamic jurisprudence crisis is the issue and it is the time expose our huge historical dirty laundry being the only way to present the divinely inspired religion where human freedom is the first pillar.

In fact its is Mohammed who first separated religion and government.

The First Constitution

The peace treaties that the Prophet worked out in Madinah is known as Sahifah. It was at once judicial, civil and defensive in nature, and was “The First Written Constitution of the World.” Its translations are available at least in five European languages, viz. English, French, German, Italian and Dutch.

Full Text of Medina Charter

Short Note on Medina Charter

دستور المدينة أو صحیفة المدینة: تم كتابته فور هجرة النبي محمد إلى المدينة المنورة وهو يعتبر أول دستور] مدني في التاريخ، وقد أطنب فيه المؤرخون و المستشرقون على مدار التاريخ الإسلامي، واعتبره الكثيرون مفخرة من مفاخر الحضارة الإسلامية، ومَعلَمًا من معالم مجدها السياسي والإنساني.

إن هذا الدستور يهدف بالأساس إلى تنظيم العلاقة بين جميع طوائف وجماعات المدينة، وعلى رأسها المهاجرين و الأنصار والفصائل اليهودية وغيرهم، يتصدى بمقتضاه المسلمون و اليهود وجميع الفصائل لأي عدوان خارجي على المدينة.

وبإبرام هذا الدستور –وإقرار جميع الفصائل بما فيه- صارت المدينة المنورة دولة وفاقية رئيسها الرسول-صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ-، وصارت المرجعية العليا للشريعة الإسلامية، وصارت جميع الحقوق الإنسانية مكفولة، كحق حرية الاعتقاد وممارسة الشعائر، والمساواة والعدل.

يقول المستشرق الروماني جيورجيو:

"حوى هذا الدستور اثنين وخمسين بندا، كلها من رأي رسول الله. خمسة وعشرون منها خاصة بأمور المسلمين، وسبعة وعشرون مرتبطة بالعلاقة بين المسلمين وأصحاب الأديان الأخرى، ولاسيما اليهود وعبدة الأوثان. وقد دُون هذا الدستور بشكل يسمح لأصحاب الأديان الأخرى بالعيش مع المسلمين بحرية، ولهم أن يقيموا شعائرهم حسب رغبتهم، ومن غير أن يتضايق أحد الفرقاء. وضع هذا الدستور في السنة الأولى للهجرة، أى عام 623م. ولكن في حال مهاجمة المدينة من قبل عدو عليهم أن يتحدوا لمجابهته وطرده.

Divine Time Import – An Analysis by Lawrence Davidson

By Dr. Lawrence Davidson

Part I – Importing the “Divine Past” into the Present

Prior to the 18th century – that is prior to the Enlightenment – if you had asked a literate Westerner when he or she thought the most ideal of human societies did or would exist, most of them would have located that society in the past. The religious majority might have placed it in the biblical age of Solomon or the early Christian communities of the 1st century after Christ. Both would have been considered divinely inspired times. Now, come forward a hundred years, say to the beginning of the 19th century, and ask the same question. You would notice that the answer was beginning to change. Having passed through the Enlightenment and with the Industrial Revolution in process, the concept of continual progress had been invented, and with it some (but by no means all) people started to place that hypothetically ideal society in the future. For the futurists the question of divine guidance no longer mattered.

Today, many folks worldwide believe in progress and assume that tomorrow not only will be different from today, but will in some scientific-technological way be better. The question here is not whether they are correct, but why there isn’t a unanimous consensus in favor of progress – for clearly there is not.

The truth is that there are millions of people, Muslims, Jews and Christians and others who not only still idealize a religiously imagined past, but want, in one way or another, to import that past into the present – and not only their present but everyone else’s as well. Whatever one might think of the teachings of the Bible and Quran, this is a highly problematic desire. In fact, it is downright dangerous. The following examples will prove this point.

Part II – The [Zio] -Muslim Version

The Guardian newspaper recently carried a shocking article entitled “Isis Slave Markets Sell Girls .…” As the story goes, ISIS, or the self-proclaimed “Islamic State,” has set up slave markets where young girls are sold. Most of the girls seem to be war booty acquired during raids on areas populated by minorities, such as the Yazidis, who are not considered Muslim.

According to the Zainab Bangura, the UN envoy investigating the issue of sexual violence stemming from the wars in Syria and Iraq, the abduction of young girls is a ploy to attract male recruits. “The foreign fighters are the backbone of the fighting,” Bangura says, and “this is how they attract young men: we have women waiting for you, virgins you can marry.”

The UN envoy then adds that ISIS seems determined “to build a society that reflects the 13th century.” Actually, she is off by some 500 years. The time frame ISIS leadership is aiming for is the 7th century CE. That was the time of the first Islamic community, and from the ISIS point of view it was a divinely appointed one. Therefore its cultural and social practices, allegedly sanctioned by the Quran, are as legitimate today as they were in the time of the Rightly Guided Caliphs. So, first and foremost, the slave trade is sanctioned as a revival of a divine past. If it lures new male recruits, that is no doubt seen as a bonus.

From the point of view of modern secularized society, this is pretty crazy stuff. However, it is not unique to ISIS.

Part III – The Jewish Version

There is a sect of religious Jews who are equally determined to import into the present an aspect of an ancient, supposedly divine, past. Their aim is to resurrect Solomon’s temple, an artifact of the 6th century BCE. Rebuilding the original temple (which would them be called the “third temple” because the first two were destroyed by the Babylonians and Romans, respectively) would, according to the advocacy organization the Temple Institute, “usher in a new era of universal harmony and peace.”

Given that this divine import would have to be built on the site now occupied by the al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place in the Islamic world, it is hard to see how peace can be the outcome. Nonetheless, according to its advocates, the Jews “have a biblical obligation to rebuild it. And, it would seem, some 43 percent of religious Israelis agree with this assertion. That means in the eyes of these particular people, the recreation of Solomon’s temple is as divinely legitimate as the slave markets run by ISIS. The major difference between the Temple Institute and ISIS is that, as of yet, the institute does not have the power to move from theory to practice.

Part IV – The Christian Version

It is bad enough to reestablish slavery in the name of religion, as some fanatical Muslims have done. It is not much better to advocate rebuilding Solomon’s Temple on stolen land in the name of religion, as some fanatical Jews now want to do. Yet it is quite another thing to conspire to bring about global war in the name of religion. This seems to be the special providence of fanatical Christians.

According to TV investigative journalist Bill Moyers, Christian fundamentalist organizations with millions of members financially support Israel in order to encourage expansionism, ethnic cleansing, and preemptive war against Iran, and ultimately to trigger a third world war. What is the point of this allegedly divinely inspired mayhem? According to such Christian fundamentalist sages as John C. Hagee, all of this is necessary to pave the way for the Second Coming of Christ. Hagee knows this is so because he read it in the apocalytic writings of the New Testament.

And just who might have sympathy with such dangerous efforts to transform the present on the basis of dubious past prophecy? How about Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and Tony Blair, along with growing numbers of voters and legislators both in the U.S. and the UK?

Part V – Conclusion

How is it possible, in our scientific age, that millions, including powerful political leaders, hold to such dangerous beliefs? Obviously the Enlightenment and its humanistic teachings did not work for everyone, and even the Industrial Revolution, in its capitalist manifestation, has proved persistently unsettling. That is, unsettling to community based on age-old – and allegedly divine – principles. After all, seemingly divine teachings were the basis for Western societies, as well as those in the Middle East, for over a thousand years. Counting from the Enlightenment, competing modernity has only been around for three hundred or so years.

In other words, our material world might be thoroughly grounded in applied electrical engineering and computer science, but for a surprising number of us, the emotional world seems to still be grounded in the imagined words of God. No wonder religion in all its various forms makes periodic comebacks. As part of this phenomenon, some of us select a part of the “divine past” as our ideal time. Some of us even convince ourselves that the world would be so much better if we could reconstruct the present along the lines of that imagined past.

Of course, most of those who think this way never get enough power and influence to actually move from theory to practice. Occasionally, however, someone, or some group, does. In the case of the Islamic world, the leaders of ISIS seem to have achieved this status, and so what do we get? Slave markets. In Israel the Knesset is full of folks who yearn for the some variation on biblical Israel, so what do we get? Well, if not yet the rebuilding of Solomon’s Temple, we get all that illegal expansion into “Judea and Samaria.” And, in the case of the Christians like George W. Bush and Tony Blair, both of whom seem to have used their worldly power to kill and maim millions in the name of prophecy, we get one war after another.

This suggests that the socio-religious outlook of Solomon, Mohammed, and Jesus Christ are simply not translatable into the modern world. Oh sure we have the Ten Commandments and all that. However, adherence to these rules should no longer be enforced as the word of God. In the West at least, they are, in a selective, updated fashion, part of the promulgated laws of multi-cultural communities – no more and no less – and it is best to keep it that way.

So let’s show some appreciation of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. When they separated religion and government, they had a strong and accurate sense of history. It was a good move, even if not a divinely inspired one. It was also the implementation of a fine Enlightenment principle – a good match for modern society.

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Tuesday, 23 June 2015

ISIL Hangs Two Boys for Not Fasting during Ramadan

Local Editor

Members of the Takfiri group ISIL (so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant) have reportedly hung two teenage boys ceremonially for not fasting during the holy month of Ramadan.

The Takfiri militants hung the two young boys, both under 18, from a crossbar outside an office belonging to the extremists’ so-called religious police in Mayadeen in the eastern Deir Ezzor province, the residents of the village said, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights.

ISIL militants

"The children have been suspended by ropes from a pole since noon, and they were still there in the late evening," AFP quoted the head of the London-based group, Rami Abdel Rahman, as saying.

Placards reading “They broke the fast with no religious justification," were placed upon the adolescents’ bodies, Abdel Rahman added.

Deir Ezzor fell into ISIL’s hands last year when the militant group overran large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria.

Based on reports, since Kurdish fighters retook the strategic northern border town of Tal Abyad from ISIL militants last week, the Takfiri group has beefed up its severe crackdown on those who disobey the Takfiri rulings, blaming the defeat on the sins committed by the residents.


Source: Agencies	23-06-2015 - 10:27 Last updated 23-06-2015 - 13:16

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Sunday, 21 June 2015

Yemeni Imam Assassinated for Opposing Saudi Aggression

Local Editor

Al-Qaeda militants shot dead a Yemeni Imam known for opposing the Saudi aggression on the Arab impoverished country.

Two bike-riding al-Qaeda terrorists assassinated on Friday Sheikh Abdul Bari Al-Aidrus, the Imam of al-Hazm mosque in Shibam district, which lies in the central province of Hadhramaut.

Qaeda militants near Yemeni mosque

Yemen’s official Saba News Agency said the religious figure was famous for his opposition to the Saudi military aggression against Yemen.
Yemen has been since March 26 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led coalition. Thousands have been martyred and injured in the attack, with the vast majority of them are civilians.

Riyadh launched the attack on Yemen in a bid to restore power to Yemen’s fugitive president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi who is a close ally to Saudi Arabia.


Source: Websites	20-06-2015 - 10:25 Last updated 20-06-2015 - 10:25

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Yemen’s Ansarullah, Political Factions: Saudi Derailed Geneva Peace Talks

Local Editor

Yemeni delegation comprising representatives of Ansarullah revolutionaries and other political factions accused Saudi Arabia of derailing UN-backed peace talks in Geneva, shortly after the UN envoy announced the end of negotiations without reaching an agreement.

In a press conference following the end of the Geneva Talks, the delegation stressed that the political transition in Yemen is possible just when Saudi Arabia stops pounding the impoverished country.

Yemeni delegation of Ansarullah and political factions

Yemeni delegation of Ansarullah and political factions

The delegation who firmly refuses the Saudi-led aggression on Yemen slammed “deliberate obstructions from certain sides” during the negotiations, saying the Saudi-backed group, which is representing the fugitive president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, refused to engage in “profound issues”.

Meanwhile, the delegation of the political factions warned against threat imposed by al-Qaeda militants in Yemen, noting that the Saudi-backed delegation was ignoring such a threat, and rather justifying and backing the Saudi aggression, al-Manar correspondent in Geneva reported.

He quoted the head of the delegation, Hamza al-Houthi as welcoming a humanitarian pause in Yemen.

عضو وفد صنعاء حمزة الحوثي في مؤتمرٍ صحفي في جنيف أمس (أ ف ب)

“We’ve come to Geneva and we were hoping that the negotiations would come up with solutions. We say that we welcome any truce during the next stage,” Hamza al-Houthi said, stressing that the implementation of the ceasefire should be without any precondition.

For his part, Yehya Duwaid, the representative of General People's Congress party, urged the United Nations to take its ethical role based on international law.

Earlier on Friday, UN special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced the end of Geneva talks without reaching any agreement or scheduling of new rounds of negotiations.

Ahmed said that the United Nations would intensify its efforts to reach a solution in Yemen, calling on the different Yemeni factions to get committed to a ceasefire during the Holy month of Ramadan, due to the "catastrophic humanitarian situation" across the country.

Yemen has been since March 26 under brutal aggression by Saudi-led coalition. Thousands have been martyred and injured in the attack, with the vast majority of them are civilians.

Riyadh launched the attack on Yemen in a bid to restore power to Yemen’s fugitive president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi who is a close ally to Saudi Arabia.