Another War in South Lebanon?

When rocket fire was exchanged between South Lebanon and Israel last week, the incidents highlighted the tension along the border.But for residents of the South, war is never far from their minds. And many believe that another conflict with Israel is just a matter of time.

The exchange of rocket fire on Friday was considered one of several such isolated incidents since the beginning of the year, all of which resulted in no casualties on either side. But the fact that the attacks in each case were instigated from Lebanon, and no group has claimed responsibility, worries many residents. (The Katyusha rockets fired from Lebanon have been blamed on Palestinian groups).

An ongoing war of words between Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Hezbollah leader Hassan Nassrallah is creating renewed fear of conflict in South Lebanon, an area which has experienced relative calm since the end of the month-long brutal war in 2006.

Earlier this summer, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu warned that Israel “will hold the government accountable for any aggression against Israel coming out of its territory." And his defense minister, Ehud Barak, went further by saying Israel would "go after not only Hezbollah but the entire state of Lebanon." On Sunday, Netanyahu said, “We consider that the Lebanese government as the one responsible for this,” Netanyahu said referring to Friday’s attacks. “We see the Lebanese government as the one responsible for all (ceasefire) violations and all aggressions coming from its territory against us.”

Meanwhile, Nassrallah has threatened Israel that Hezbollah would hit Tel Aviv if Beirut is attacked. He says the group now has more than 30,000 rockets, and that it had a surprise in store for Israel – possibly referring to his longtime promise to avenge the assassination of his deputy Imad Mughniyeh, his deputy who was killed in a car bomb in Syria in February 2008, which he blames on Israel.

Unstable Situation

“The situation here is always unstable. Nobody knows when something will happen. We’ve gotten used to it, but of course it’s not good. Everyone wants stability,” said Walid Matar, a grocery store clerk in the southern city of Nabatia, as he rushed to sell food to customers right before sunset during the last few days of the month of Ramadan fasting.

“The government is responsible for everything if a rocket lands inside Israel. But this is outside our control. Most people here don’t have anything to do with it.”

But Matar says he has never thought about leaving Nabatia, the city where Hezbollah is based, and which suffered some of the worst destruction during the 2006 war.

Indeed, Nabatia is bustling, and the colorful storefronts and streets filled with shoppers give no indication that just three years ago much of the area was leveled.

The owner of a baklava shop down the street, Mohamad Amin, says he is not worried about another war with Israel this time – even though his business was destroyed three times during wars with Lebanon’s southern neighbor, in 1982, 1996 and 2006.

“Israel doesn’t let us live comfortably,” said Amin, as he tended to customers who had all rushed in at once to buy Ramadan sweets for their evening iftar meals. “But I don’t think anything will happen this time. The (Israeli) occupation will never come back, and the resistance is strong.”

Still, he acknowledges, “Every few years there’s a war, and we go backward 20 years. Israel always targets Nabatia because it’s the biggest city in the area. We live in fear.”

In the coastal city of Sidon, mid-way between Beirut and Tyre, there was no destruction during the 2006 war. But some residents still worry about conflict with Israel, particularly after Netanyahu’s comments earlier this week.

At an upscale handmade soap shop near the scenic sea castle, the owner Kassem Hassoun recalled that when he opened in 2002, “business was booming.” He said everything changed in 2005 after the Hariri assassination. “And then there was 2006. We closed for 2 months. Business hasn’t really recovered since.”

Now, he says, in addition to a lack of customers, he also feels uncertain about Sidon’s security.

“Before, Israel’s target was Hezbollah,” he said. “Now they’re saying the entire Lebanese government is responsible. It’s a totally different situation now, and that’s dangerous. If the entire country is responsible, then we’re all targets.”

In a region of Lebanon has been praised for its resilience following the 2006 war large-scale housing and development projects, any renewed conflict would be a major setback, not just to its infrastructure but also its confidence.

A Record Year for Tourism

The year 2009 has been a record year for tourism in Lebanon, and the south has even seen a small share of this success, with summer festivals returning to villages after an absence of 3 years.

At Lebanon’s ministry of tourism, general director Nada Sardouk Ghandour smiles when the south is mentioned. It is a point of both pride and concern for Lebanese – for its indefatigable spirit, hospitable villages and breathtaking scenery of castles in lush green mountains, as well as a point of vulnerability: within firing range of Israel and largely outside the control of the Lebanese government.

“Lebanon has a lot of scars from war, and that affects tourism,” she said. “There’s so much potential for the south. There are fortresses, castles, ancient sites. But we need peace and security.”

She then leaves attend another meeting, the busy schedule of a tourism ministry official during Lebanon’s best year for tourism in decades – but not before furnishing brochures of places to visit in Lebanon, including the south.

It seems to be a part of Lebanon that everyone loves, but no one can predict.

At the office of parliament speaker Nabih Berri from the Amal movement, a secular Shiite party, Ali Hamdan, his senior adviser says he’s always worried about conflict with Israel, especially in light of Netanyahu’s recent statements.

Hamdan, who comes from a village near Nabatia, said, “From our side, I can tell you there’s no intention of war. But I don’t know what Israel has planned. From our side, we need to keep the area quiet and peaceful.”

He added, “The root of the problem is the Palestinian issue. If there’s no solution, the whole region will continue living in turbulence.”

For now, the ongoing war of words between Netanyahu and Nassrallah certainly isn’t inspiring confidence.

“It’s a very serious situation. My sense is the problem is getting worse, not better,” says Paul Salem, director of the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

“Israel is unhappy with the results of the 2006 war,” he says. “Hezbollah is preparing to fight, but I don’t think they want to fight. They might not be ready, but I think they’re working up to it.”

Brooke Anderson is a freelance journalist based in Lebanon.

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A Day of Celebration: Idris Tawfiq's First `Eid

By Idris Tawfiq

Regent's Park Mosque in London, or London Central Mosque as it is more properly known, played a major part in my journey to Islam. It was the first mosque in the UK that I visited. It was there that I attended the Islamic Circle every Saturday afternoon to learn about Islam. And it was at this mosque that I declared Shahadah. London Central Mosque was also part of my first Ramadan as a Muslim and, subsequently, the scene of my first Muslim `Eid.

When someone is new to Islam, everything about it is both fascinating and, at the same time, strange. New Muslims want to do everything right. They want to perform the prayers properly and they want to perform the ablution before prayer in the right way. In fact, they want to know absolutely everything about the religion that has changed their lives and brought them such peace.

I remember during my first Ramadan, for example, going to Regent's Park Mosque for some of the prayers and being very conscious that I should perform them properly in front of other Muslims. Of course, as you become more accustomed to the practices of Islam, what other people think about how you are performing the prayers becomes quite unimportant. You grow into being a Muslim. But, at the beginning, many new Muslims don't know many people at the mosque, so they are cautious about how to act — rather like a child on the first day at a new school.

How surprised I was with the sight when I reached Baker Street Station and began the short walk to the mosque.

My first Ramadan had been a special time. Fasting from dawn to sunset was totally new. Breaking the fast at a prescribed time was also new. In England, of course, Friday is a work day, not a holiday, and since I was teaching at a school, it was never possible to attend Friday Prayers. As a result, visiting Regent's Park Mosque to pray with other Muslims during Ramadan was especially meaningful.

Just when I thought I had understood Ramadan and got into the rhythm of fasting and praying, the holy month was over and it was time for something else that was new: `Eid Al-Fitr. Of course, in those early days I was reading avidly to learn more and more about Islam, so I knew that `Eid Al-Fitr was the feast of breaking fast. It was the feast to celebrate the end of Ramadan. No number of books, though, can replace the experience of `Eid. It was to be a learning experience and also another opportunity to grow.

Just before talking about the `Eid, we need to realize that in the UK there are a large number of religious and ethnic groups. These different groups have come to tolerate one another over the years and some people even speak of the UK as a multicultural society, where different cultures and traditions feed into the mainstream, enriching society as a whole. Whether this is true or not, not much allowance is made for Ramadan. UK Muslims fast and pray while the rest of society goes about its business, rushing around with little thought of the eternal. What a shock the `Eid was to be!

I left home in what seemed the middle of the night and took the underground train to Baker Street, the closest station to Regent's Park. I had been told that Muslims dress in their best clothes for the `Eid Prayers, so I had put on a suit and tie and polished my shoes until I could see my face in them. It was a very cold morning, so I also wore a new coat. How surprised I was with the sight when I reached Baker Street Station and began the short walk to the mosque.

My heart was full of emotion as the imam called out for the first time, Allahu Akbar...

Walking in throngs in the same direction were Muslims of every nationality, each in their own traditional dress. There were Arabs and Turks, Indonesians and Malays, Nigerians, Pakistanis, and Bengalis. In fact, it seemed as though every race on earth was represented. Young children, quite obviously in brand new clothes, clutched the hands of mothers and fathers. Elderly grandparents in their best attire, perhaps reminding them of a childhood in some foreign land, walked proudly by their side. It was an amazing sight. What was even more amazing was that British policemen were stopping the traffic so that this rich assortment of Muslims could cross the street to get to the mosque.

Now, together as a community, we were rejoicing and thanking Allah for all His blessings.

I had never seen so many worshipers in the prayer hall. There were quite literally thousands, with mats outside for thousands more. In fact, the `Eid Prayers were staggered over different "sittings" to accommodate all those wanting to pray. Remember, I had never before been able to attend Friday Prayers in congregation, so this was the first time I had seen so many Muslims gathered together to pray. It was such an inspiration to be present and to know that Allah had called me to be a part of this great Muslim nation.

The prayer hall was filled to capacity. My heart was full of emotion as the imam called out for the first time " Allahu Akbar," and all the worshipers repeated after him. I was at first disappointed that the khutbah was given in Arabic, since I couldn't understand a word and I wanted to understand everything about Islam, but it was repeated in English and I ate up every word.

When the prayers were finished there was a lot of handshaking and embracing. "As-salamu `alaykum" and "`Eid mubarak " could be heard from every corner. To add to the festivity of the occasion, everyone present was given the gift of a package of books about Islam, presented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I still treasure those small books as part of the journey which led me to where I am today.

I traveled back home feeling good, and had breakfast with my Muslim neighbors from Egypt. The children couldn't contain their joy at showing off their new clothes. Their mother, already busy in the kitchen preparing for a festive lunch of lamb and rice, came out only briefly to exchange `Eid greetings, before going back to her kingdom of pots and pans, ready to serve a lunch fit for kings. The father of the family was so proud of his wife and children and so gracious in welcoming me into their home, another expression of the brotherhood of Islam.

Policemen directing traffic and cars stopping for the thousands of Muslims to cross a London street is one of my memories of that first `Eid. I also came away with two very distinct feelings. The first was a slightly sad feeling that I didn't know many Muslims yet and still felt rather alone in my new faith. The second feeling, though, was an overwhelming feeling of celebration. As part of the great community of Islam, we had all fasted together for the sake of Allah. Now, together as a community, we were rejoicing and thanking Allah for all His blessings. My first `Eid as a Muslim was therefore special. It was an experience of all I had come to believe: that Islam is the world's natural religion and that it knows no boundaries of race. Al-hamdu lillah.

Idris Tawfiq is a British writer who became Muslim a few years ago. Previously, he was head of religious education in different schools in the United Kingdom. Before embracing Islam, he was a Roman Catholic priest. He now lives in Egypt. For more information about him, visit www.idristawfiq.com.

CIA Pleads For Muslim Help

CAIRO — Vowing to re-examine security measures that excluded Muslim and Arab candidates from his agency, CIA chief Leon Panetta has called for Muslim help in the fight against terrorism, reported The Detroit News on Thursday, September 17.

"I need you; the nation needs you," Panetta told about 150 Muslim leaders at an iftar banquet Wednesday in Dearborn, which has a large Arab and Muslim population.

The CIA chief said his agency needs American Muslims to join his organization to give a boost to the fight against terrorism.

“As CIA director I can tell you there’s probably no other organization that stands to benefit more from our nation’s diversity than the CIA,” he said.

“That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m committed to making this agency look like the world that we have to operate in.”

The CIA suffers a shortage in staffers fluent in languages deemed critical in its work.

Only 13 percent of CIA employees are fluent in a second language.

The figure is also about 30 percent at the CIA's National Clandestine Service, to which most foreign-deployed officers are assigned.

The CIA has recently launched a five-year program to teach employees languages deemed critical in the fight against terrorism.

“We have to reflect the face of this nation, and we have to reflect the face of the world," said Panetta.

* “We’re ready”

The CIA chief vowed to re-examine security clearances that excluded Muslim and Arab candidates from joining his agency.

"We can't collect the information that we need or the intelligence that we need unless we have language capability," said Panetta.

“And that job, frankly, is the work of all Americans. That’s why I look to welcoming more Arab Americans, Chaldeans Americans, and Muslim Americans to the CIA’s mission.”

The CIA has been struggling to win back the trust of the Muslim minority, who took the brunt of excessive powers granted to the Bush administration in the wake of the 9/11 attacks.

The spy agency was also embroiled in the rendition of terror suspects, without court permits, to third-world countries where they faced torture.

Welcoming the CIA chief’s plea, US Muslim leaders vowed help to protect their country against threats.

“We are ready to serve this country that we love,” Osama Siblani, spokesman for the Congress of Arab American Organizations of Michigan, said.

American Muslims, estimated at between six to seven million, have been in the eye of storm since the 9/11 attacks.

They have become sensitized to an erosion of their civil rights, with a prevailing belief that America was targeting their faith.

“We Arab-Americans and Muslims have suffered since 9/11,” said Siblani, who is also publisher of the Arab American News.

“And it’s time that we were treated like Americans.”

Source: IslamOnline

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Smart Phones for Ka`bah

JEDDAH — For millions of pilgrims who visit the holy sites in Saudi Arabia, the ultimate prize of the day is to get the closest to the Ka`bah and be able to hear the heavenly recitation of the Quran by the imam of Al Masjid al-Haram. But thanks to modern technology, every pilgrim, even those praying hundreds of meters away from the mosque itself, are enjoying the same through new start-of-the-art sound phones.

“When you are some three hundred meters away from the imam, it’s very hard to hear the voice and follow him in the prayer,” Sheikh Mansour Al-Amer, manager of Hajj and `Umrah Gifts Foundation, told IslamOnline.

“But thanks to the new smart phones, that’s history.”

More than 50 high-quality phones, provided by the foundation, have been installed within five meters of each other to transmit sound to the hundreds of thousands of worshippers praying in and near Al Masjid al-Haram.

Amer says the huge numbers of worshippers who flock to Islam's holiest shrine every Ramadan inspired them.

"Necessity is the mother of invention."

Nearly three million Muslims come to Makkah during Ramadan to perform `Umrah.

After breaking their fast, the faithful attend Tarawih, a special nightly prayers which extends for hours.

Laylat Al-Qadr

Pilgrims praised the idea as helpful and creative.

"Everyone tries to pray close to the imam," Ayman Khalil, a 40-year-old pilgrim, told IOL.

"Such smart phones would help people avoid overcrowding inside the mosque and near Ka`bah.”

For Amina Mohammad, the new idea was bringing an end to the exhaustion the 75-year-old pilgrim suffers to find a place where she can hear the imam.

"There is no problem now," she said.

"I can pray in Ramadan nights in any place without suffering."

The new phones were put to the test during the 27th night of Ramadan as millions prayed and supplicated heartily on the night Muslims believe is Laylat Al-Qadr.

“O’ Allah we seek Your refuge,” supplicated Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais as the sea of faithful said “Amen”.

“O’ Allah make our last deeds in this world be the best of our deeds and let the best day be the day we meet You.”

Laylat Al-Qadr is the most virtuous night in the whole year for Muslims as the first verses of Qur'an were revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) during that night.

It falls in the last ten days of Ramadan and is better than a thousand month.

Several Muslim scholars believe it is the 27th night of Ramadan.

Source: IslamOnline

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Malaysians Back Caning for Islamic Ideals

KOTA BHARU, Malaysia – As the Southeast Asian country awaits the first caning sentence on a woman for drinking alcohol, Malaysians are increasingly supporting the penalty to fight illicit behaviour and promote Islamic ideals. "Her punishment is not severe, it will educate people,” Runaidah Abdul Hamid, a housewife, told Reuters on Thursday, September 17.

“It will be a good lesson especially after Ramadan."

Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, is set to be caned with six lashes after the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for drinking alcohol.

The penalty of the mother of two was seen as a warning to other Malaysian Muslims to abide by religious laws.

Kartika herself called for being caned in public, saying the punishment will deter other Muslims from serving the beverage.

Islam takes an uncompromising stand in prohibiting intoxicants.

The general rule in Islam is that any beverage that gets people intoxicated when taken is unlawful, both in small and large quantities, whether it is alcohol, drugs, fermented raisin drink or something else.

Muslim Malays form about 60 percent of the 26-million population of multiracial Malaysia.

The multi-ethnic country applies Islamic Shari`ah law only to its Muslim population.

“City of Islam”

Many Malaysians believe that the caning penalty will discourage Muslims from serving alcohol.

"Kartika (Shukarno) will become more Muslim," said Rahayu Nizam Nawi, a vegetable seller in northern Kelantan's capital, Khota Bharu.

Meaning “The City of Islam”, Khota Bharu is the capital of Kelantan, which is ruled by the Islamic opposition party PAS.

The party has grown in influence since it joined an opposition grouping led by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim.

In 2008, the three-party opposition Peoples Alliance inflicted the biggest ever electoral losses on the National Front government that has ruled Malaysia for 52 years, prompting the Front to replace its prime minister.

PAS now stands a chance of becoming part of any new government. Elections must be held by 2013 at the latest.

Last month, PAS called for an alcohol ban for Muslims in the most developed Malaysian state of Selangor, drawing flacks from foreign groups.

However, this foreign criticism cuts little ice in Kelantan.

"It does not matter what the outside world thinks,” said Nur Manisah Hassim, a snacks vendor at a bustling market in Kota Bharu.

“What matters is that Malaysia is an Islamic country which must practice Islamic laws."

Source: IslamOnline

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Israel Spurns Call For Gaza War Probe

JERUSALEM: Israel has rejected call for an independent inquiry into its conduct in the Gaza war.

UN-appointed investigators who concluded that Israel committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity in Gaza recommended that the UN Security Council call on Israel to investigate crimes committed by its forces. “The probe should be independent and in conformity with international standards,” they said.

The investigating team issued its findings on Tuesday. Israel promptly rejected the conclusions as biased.

Israel’s military is still conducting its own investigations into the troops’ conduct in Gaza. So far, it has cleared itself of wrongdoing.

Government spokesman Mark Regev said on Wednesday that Israel doesn’t need to conduct an independent inquiry.

He says the military probes are open to review by Israel’s independent judiciary and can be appealed. Tel Aviv launched a diplomatic and media war on Wednesday in a bid to prevent the document from being brought before the UN Security Council and the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

The head of the team, which produced the report, former South African jurist Richard Goldstone, criticized the Israeli response. “There hasn’t been any attempt thus far to deal with the contents of the report at all,” he told the Palestinian Ma’an news agency in an interview published on Wednesday.

Palestinian government spokesman Ghassan Khatib welcomed the report, calling it “positive” and saying he hoped it would be the beginning “for the international community to hold Israel accountable for its continuing crimes.”

But Israel, which refused to cooperate with the fact-finding commission, rejected out of hand its findings.

The report, said President Shimon Peres, “makes a mockery out of history,” and fails to “distinguish between attacker and defender.”

He said it was the Hamas movement that had brought on the conflict, because it and other groups had fired a total of more than 12,000 rockets and mortar shells into southern Israel leading up to the offensive. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, in Washington, said Wednesday he was examining ways to control the damage the report is likely to cause. He said he would approach US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice to ask for American support should the commission’s findings be discussed in the Security Council.

Ayalon justified Israel’s decision not to cooperate with the UN investigation, charging its conclusions had been predetermined. “Had we cooperated, we would not have changed even a single word, and only granted it legitimacy,” he told Israel Radio.

Goldstone, in his interview with Maan, complained that Israeli officials opted not to address the charges contained in his report, but instead attacked the report as a concept and criticized its authors. He also denied that Hamas officials had accompanied his team throughout its fact-finding tour of the Gaza Strip, saying the allegation was “without truth at all.”

Hamas, too, issued a reaction. “The report represents a clear conviction of Tel Aviv,” said Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas prime minister in Gaza.

Source: Arab News

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Tel Aviv Rejects Building Freeze

JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday Israel would not freeze all building in West Bank settlements as demanded by Washington but could limit its scope to help restart peace talks with the Palestinians.

Israeli officials have said work would continue on 2,500 homes being built in the occupied territory, and Netanyahu reaffirmed his position in remarks to a legislative panel, before talks on Tuesday with US envoy George Mitchell.

That falls short of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ conditions for resuming talks on establishing a Palestinian state. So Mitchell still must square several diplomatic circles if Obama is to get his wish to see Abbas and Netanyahu meet as early as at next week’s UN General Assembly in New York.

“They (Americans) asked us for a complete freeze and we told them that we will not do this,” Netanyahu was quoted as saying by a parliamentary official, who briefed reporters on his comments to the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee.

“I told the Americans we would consider reducing the scope of construction,” the premier said, according to the official. “But there has to be a balance between the desire to make progress in political negotiations and the need to allow inhabitants of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) to continue to lead normal lives,” Netanyahu said.

Israel Radio quoted Netanyahu, who heads a right-leaning government, as saying any construction restrictions would be in effect only for a limited time, but said he gave no time frame.

Abbas, also due to meet Mitchell on Tuesday, has said he would not return to peace negotiations with Israel until it froze settlement activity in line with a 2003 peace road map.

Talks have been suspended since December.

At its weekly meeting, the Palestinian Cabinet demanded Israel agree to a “comprehensive halt to settlement activities including ‘natural growth’,” a term that refers to construction to accommodate growing families of Jewish occupiers.

Some 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and in Arab East Jerusalem, also captured in 1967, alongside some three million Palestinians.

The World Court calls the settlements illegal and Palestinians say the enclaves could deny them a viable state.

Mitchell, who arrived in Israel on Saturday, has been trying to prepare a package under which Israel would halt construction in settlements and Arab states would take initial steps toward recognizing Israel.

Washington hopes both moves would lead to a resumption of talks. Mitchell and Netanyahu said separately on Sunday gaps needed to be bridged before a settlement deal could be sealed.

Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak drew a US rebuke by approving 455 building permits in settlements in the West Bank, land Israel captured from Jordan in a 1967 war and which Palestinians want as part of a future state.

The move was widely seen in Israel as a bid to placate Jewish occupiers before any construction limitations.

A senior Israeli government official said Monday that it was a step toward a “package” deal that could include “very severe limitations in the growth of settlements — a possible moratorium.”

Source: Arab News

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Gasoline Found at Texas Mosque Site Spurs Fears

ARLINGTON - Vandalism at construction sites is fairly common; but when a crescent moon sits atop the site, any incident can be viewed through the prism of fear.

Mouffa Nahhas is president of the mosque being built at Cooper Street and the Road to Six Flags in north Arlington.

He was called to the mosque Saturday morning.

"The fumes were very strong," he said of the smell of gasoline when he got to the site.

Nahhas said Friday night, someone cut through the fence, draped the inside of the mosque with drywall tape and left an open can of gasoline under the dome. Construction workers found the scene the next morning.

Nahhas said he can’t think of any reason for someone to bring gasoline into the mosque “except to burn it.” But, there was no fire.

Nahhas called police.

Muslims in Arlington were already on edge because of a recent posting to a newspaper blog about the threat of radical Islam and sleeper cells in America.

The writer mentioned revenge and Friday prayers.

"It's going to get bloody this time around Islamo-folks," the post read. (More)

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Source: CAIR

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U.S. Muslims Decry Closed Trial for American Held in U.A.E.

(LOS ANGELES, CA, 7/23/09) – The Greater Los Angeles Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-LA) today expressed deep concern over the lack of openness in the trial of U.S. citizen Naji Hamdan in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.).

Hamdan, 43, was put on trial this week after having been detained for almost a year. Judge Shahab al-Hamadi closed the trial to the public without giving any reasons, according to news reports.

SEE: Emirates closes terror trial of U.S. citizen (AP)

ALSO SEE: American Held in U.A.E.: “Proxy Detention”?

The judge’s decision, a clear affront to international judicial norms, is the latest challenge hampering efforts to bring justice to Hamdan, whose detention since August 2008 has been marred by reports of torture, lack of due process and involvement of one or more U.S. government agencies.

Hamdan lived in Southern California for more than two decades, where he has been a well-respected community leader. He is a father of three children. In a sworn statement to a U.S. consular official in U.A.E., he said he was kicked, made to sit in an electric chair with threats that he might be electrocuted, punched and slapped, blindfolded, and beaten with a large stick and subsequently forced to sign false statements – statements that will likely be submitted as evidence in his closed trial.

Additionally, according to his attorneys, six weeks before Hamdan's arrest by U.A.E. security forces, he was questioned by FBI agents at a U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi. He was also previously questioned and monitored by the FBI while in the U.S. However, no charges were ever filed against him in America.

In April, CAIR-LA along with seven other advocacy, religious and interfaith groups, sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urging her to intervene and investigate immediately allegations of torture, lack of due process and involvement of any government agencies.

SEE: Link to Clinton Letter

“We are appalled by the continued disregard for due process of an American detained and reportedly tortured abroad, coupled with our government’s seeming inaction to protect one of its own citizens,” said CAIR-LA Staff Attorney Ameena Qazi. “Such inhumane treatment flies in the face of President Obama’s message of respect for all Americans and building positive relations with the Muslim world.”

CAIR is America's largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance the understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.

CONTACT: CAIR-LA Communications Manager Munira Syeda, 714-776-1847, info@losangeles.cair.com

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Source: CAIR

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HR Organizations Support Recommendations of UN fact Finding Mission

HR Organizations Support Recommendations of UN fact Finding Mission Date : 17/9/2009 Time : 22:36

RAMALLAH, September 17, 2009 (WAFA)- Palestinian human rights organizations welcomed the report by the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the Fact Finding Mission), released on September 15, 2009.

In a press release, they emphasized the importance of the recommendations of the report for the restoration of justice to the victims of Israel's offensive attack, Operation Cast Lead.

The Fact Finding Mission was established by the President of the Human Rights Council, following Human Rights Council Resolution S-9/1.

Headed by Justice Richard Goldstone, the Fact Finding Mission embarked on a thorough investigation which addressed the violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed both by Israel, Palestinian armed groups and the Palestinian National Authority in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The scope of the investigation by the Fact Finding Mission and its detailed legal analysis is commendable, especially considering the refusal by Israel to cooperate with the Fact Finding Mission. The Fact Finding Mission confirmed the findings and reports of many Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations, and strongly refuted Israeli claims that its military and political operations were conducted in accordance with international law. Investigations conducted by the Fact Finding Mission confirmed that Israel was responsible for the perpetration of grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, war crimes, and serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. The Fact Finding Mission also found sufficient evidence to indicate that crimes against humanity were committed. All allegations, including those relating to both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups, demand effective judicial remedy. Victims' rights must be respected.

In particular, the Mission noted that, 'While the Israeli Government has sought to portray its operations as essentially a response to rocket attacks in the exercise of its right to self defence, the Mission considers the plan to have been directed, at least in part, at a different target: the people of Gaza as a whole.'

These findings by the Fact Finding Mission cannot be left without redress. Consequently, Palestinian human rights organizations concur with the recommendations of the report which emphasize the need for accountability, whether it be through the Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, referring the situation to the International Criminal Court or that by States fulfilling their obligations to bring perpetrators to account under universal jurisdiction. We also support the Mission's recommendations to create a mechanism to compensate Palestinian civilians for damage or losses incurred during the military operations, but contend that such reparations should be made by the State of Israel in accordance with its international legal obligations. The international community has been relieving Israel from the economic burden of the occupation for far too long.

As Palestinian human rights organizations we stress the roles and responsibilities of the international community: the rule of law must be brought to the forefront of international relations. States must re-evaluate their relationship with Israel; normal relations cannot be conducted with States that have committed and continue to commit serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including crimes against humanity. All States must exert real pressure on Israel to ensure its compliance with international law. The illegal blockade on the Gaza Strip must finally be lifted and reconstruction must be allowed to begin. Palestinians' legitimate right to live in human dignity and, as stated in the report, to 'determine their own political and economic system' must be respected.

The reality of Israel's longstanding occupation of Palestinian land was graphically illustrated by the events of Operation Cast Lead. The occupation has been characterized by systematic violations of international law; Palestinians' legitimate rights, including the right to self-determination, have been consistently violated and ignored. To date, the international community has been effectively silent on the commission of these crimes, granting impunity to Israel that has allowed it to act as a State above the law. The results of this impunity are evident. This situation cannot be allowed to persist.

If the rule of law is to be relevant, it must be upheld. As long as individuals and States are allowed to act with impunity, they will continue to violate international law and civilians will continue to suffer the horrific consequences. Individual States and the United Nations must fulfill their legal obligations, and their moral duty, to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for international law can be maintained.

The following human rights organization signed the press release: Adalah, Addameer , Al-Dameer , Al-Haq , Al-Mezan , Arab Human Rights Association , DCIP-alestine, ENSAN , Jerusalem Civic Coalition , Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre, Ramallah Centre for Human Rights Studies , Women's Centre for Legal Aid and Counseling and Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.

Source: AJP

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Goldstone: Punish Commanders Who Broke Laws in Gaza

Goldstone: Punish Commanders Who Broke Laws in Gaza Date : 17/9/2009 Time : 20:59

TEL AVIV, September 17, 2009 (WAFA)- The head of a United Nations commission that charged Israel with committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip during its offensive there earlier last winter wrote Thursday that soldiers and commanders must be held accountable for serious violations during the fighting, the Israeli daily Haaretz said.

Goldstone said that he stood behind his commission's findings and regretted only Israel's refusal to cooperate with the investigation.

'If there is any difference that I would have preferred, [it] would have been that we could have got cooperation from Israel and in particular, I would have liked the Israeli government to assist us and decide what we should investigate because that's what I asked them to do,' he said.

Source: AJP

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King of Jordan Meets with U.S. Middle East Peace Envoy

King of Jordan Meets with U.S. Middle East Peace Envoy Date : 17/9/2009 Time : 20:27

AMMAN, September 17, 2009 (WAFA)- King of Jordan Abdullah II on Thursday discussed with US Middle East Peace Envoy George Mitchell Mideast developments and efforts aimed to relaunch serious and effective negotiations to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the two-state solution within a regional context, that achieves comprehensive peace in the region, Jordanian News Agency, Petra reported .

Mitchell briefed the King on outcome of his talks with regional leaders in a bid to resume stalled Palestinian-Israeli negotiations.

The King lauded Mitchell’s efforts and stance of US President Obama, who earlier said resolving this longstanding Mideast conflict is 'a strategic US interest'.

The Monarch said he is looking forward to working with President Obama to achieve a durable and comprehensive peace in the Middle East according to terms of reference, that ensure the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the national Palestinian soil.

The Monarch warned against wasting the opportunity at hand to make peace and stressed need to stop any Israeli plans aimed to sabotage efforts to relaunch negotiations.

'Any schemes aiming to create a vacuum, which can be seized by Tel Aviv, to impose realities on the ground are rejected.

These can empower it to continue building settlements and unilateral acts , which will impede establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state, ' the King added.

The Monarch stressed the need to end these Israeli unilateral measures , particularly settlements construction.

The King, during a meeting attended by Royal Court Chief Nasser Lozi, Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and US Ambassador to Jordan Robert Beecroft, added resumption of negotiations, that lead to peace are 'a priority'.

'All concerned parties should exert further efforts to achieve this objective because the alternative is political vacuum, that will only contribute to increasing tensions and conflict in the region,' the King underlined.

The King stressed importance of the US leading role in negotiations and drafting mechanisms, that will help carry out the two- state solution, unanimously accepted by int'l community , within a regional context and according to a specific timetable.

The King stressed need to offer Arab and int'l support for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and its leader Mahmoud Abbas in his bid to achieve Palestinians' rights for independence and statehood through negotiations , that need to kick off as soon as possible.

Mitchell, meanwhile, said his meeting with the King was 'excellent' and added Jordan and the US share a strong commitment to comprehensive peace, including a two-state solution to the Palestinian -Israeli conflict.

Mitchell stressed that the United States is urging all the parties P-alestinians, Israelis and Arab states-to take concrete steps in order to create a positive context for the relaunch of negotiations.

Source: AJP

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Israeli Closure Imposed on West Bank

Israeli Closure Imposed on West Bank Date : 17/9/2009 Time : 18:48

TEL AVIV, September 17, 2009 (WAFA)- A general Israeli closure has been imposed on the West Bank starting Thursday night until Sunday night, after the Hebrew New Year holiday. The decision to impose the curfew was received in accordance with security evaluations and the Army minister's decision.

During the closure, crossings into Israel will be opened only for humanitarian or medical purposes in coordination with the Civil Administration.

Source: AJP

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