Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Tuesday, February 02, 2010

12-year old Saudi bride drops divorce petition

A follow-up to this story, from Arab News:

A 12-year-old girl who was married off to an 80-year-old man in Buraidah has dropped her request for a divorce just one day before a court hearing to annul the marriage.
A source at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) said the girl, her mother and legal representative came to court and withdrew the request.
The girl failed to appear in court on Monday when the hearing was originally supposed to be heard. Her legal representative did not provide a valid reason for her absence.
The HRC, which had formed a committee to investigate the marriage, was stunned that the girl had dropped her request. “No one really knows the real reason behind the change of heart,” said the source, adding that although the HRC cannot interfere in people’s personal lives, it would continue lobbying for a minimum marriage age.
The case has attracted a lot of interest. The girl’s father married her off to his 80-year-old cousin in exchange of SR85,000 in dowry money. However, the girl’s mother, who is separated from her father, accused the man of raping her daughter.
The girl had also told a local journalist over the phone that she “doesn’t want him, save me.” When the mother’s lawyer failed to get the marriage annulled, she brought the case to the attention of the Kingdom’s media.

Something fishy is going on....

Egyptian convert to Christianity barking up the wrong tree

From Daily News Egypt:

The lawyer of a man who converted from Islam to Christianity sent a memo to the United Nation’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), in a bid to urge the Egyptian government to allow him to change his religious affiliation on official documents.
Ashraf Edward Kirolos called on the OHCHR to intervene in the case of Mohamed Ahmed Hegazy, who converted to Christianity and sought legal action to have his religious affiliation recognized on his national ID card and other official documents.
Kirolos’ memo urged the organization to pressure the Egyptian government into honoring its pledges and international commitments with regards to religious freedom, namely when it comes to converts to Christianity.
“While the government facilitates the conversion from Christianity to Islam, it refuses to recognize citizens who choose to convert from Islam to Christianity, which is a double standard and a violation of citizens’ rights and religious freedom,” the memo read.

He expects the UN Human Rights Commission to actually try to defend human rights?

HRW slams Jordan - but avoids slamming the Arab world

Human Rights Watch just wrote a report slamming Jordan for arbitrarily revoking the citizenship of a few thousand Palestinian Arabs. I had covered the phenomenon here as well as Jordan's absurd defense of the practice.

What is interesting is HRW's legal arguments against Jordan's actions. After the organization goes into detail on the right to nationality, it adds this paragraph:

Prevention of statelessness

In addition to the prohibition on arbitrary deprivation of nationality, the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness provides additional guidance on situations in which nationality must not be withdrawn: states must not "deprive a person of his nationality if such deprivation would render him stateless."[28] To the contrary, article 1 of the convention stipulates that a state "shall grant its nationality to a person born in its territory who would otherwise be stateless."[29] The convention also declares that states must not "deprive any person or group of persons of their nationality on racial, ethnic, religious or political grounds" and that a "transfer of territory shall include provisions designed to ensure that no person shall become stateless as a result of the transfer."[30] Jordan has not yet acceded to this convention. It is, however, a party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which requires it to "respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality."[31]

Jordanians of Palestinian origin whose nationality is withdrawn become stateless because, under international law, Palestine in 2009 is not a state and has not been one at any time since Jordan's independence.[32]

While it is true that HRW's legal arguments are a bit of a stretch - as they mention, Jordan never accepted the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness and indeed most nations did not, including the US (Israel did) - nevertheless it is interesting that HRW is using it as a basis for an argument that what Jordan is doing is wrong.

Because by that very same argument, every Arab country is equally wrong by refusing to grant citizenship to people of Palestinian origin born in their countries - who now number in the millions. Not only is the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness being violated, but also the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which states:

Article 7

1. The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name, the right to acquire a nationality and. as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.

2. States Parties shall ensure the implementation of these rights in accordance with their national law and their obligations under the relevant international instruments in this field, in particular where the child would otherwise be stateless.

Article 8

1. States Parties undertake to respect the right of the child to preserve his or her identity, including nationality, name and family relations as recognized by law without unlawful interference.

As HRW notes earlier, "Palestine" is not a nation that is recognized under international law, which means that between the two conventions, every Arab nation is violating international law by refusing to allow children of Palestinian Arab origin to become citizens. (Even if you expand the definition of "nationality" and "identity" to include Palestinian Arabs, keeping children stateless is proscribed in this Convention.) Practically every nation on the planet has ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child. (Somalia and the US are the only exceptions, UNICEF explains why here.)

Human Rights Watch is not afraid to take on Jordan in defense of Palestinian Arab rights to a nationality. Do they have the guts to take on the entire Arab world - including the Palestinian Arab leadership who oppose the naturalization of their own people in other countries, against their will?

The legal and moral arguments are identical. But it is a lot less politically correct.

Another car bomb in Gaza

There has been a series of car bombs in Gaza over the past month. The latest from this morning targeted the car of Hamas leader Abu Omar.

On January 26, a naval police officer's car was blown up. On January 13th, a police officer's car and another naval police officer's car was blown up.

No serious casualties yet, but there is something going on there.

PA "maliciously" associates Qaradawi with Jews

Sheikh Yusuf Al Qaradawi has caused some controversy by publicly siding with Hamas and against the PA and its leaders.

The PA responded by insulting Qaradawi.

According to Middle East News Agency, one of the PA's "malicious" attacks was publishing a picture of Qaradawi with a rabbi.

Qaradawi was unfazed, saying that the "rabbi" was from Neturei Karta.

The interesting part is that the PA continues to try to delegitimize its opponents - from the more extreme position. Just like they have made fun of Hamas for not being committed enough to "resistance," the PA tries to attack one of the most extreme mainstream preachers as a lover of Jews.

This is Israel's "peace partner."

Palestine Today has a story about a baby born in a Gaza hospital. He has dark skin, short arms and legs, and is very hairy, so much so that he has the nickname "gorilla."

The horrified parents refuse to take him home.

So who are the Palestinian Arabs blaming? Why, Israel, of course.

You see, every Gaza baby born over the past few months who is less than perfect is automatically considered to be a victim of "white phosphorus." So even though this baby is apparently a newborn, and was conceived months after the war, the puerile Palestinian Arabs love to say that Israel is the reason for all of their problems, which includes birth defects.

Moderate PA TV: "Jews are the enemy of humanity"

From Palestinian Media Watch:

The following is the transcript of excerpts of the hate speech in a mosque broadcast on PA TV [this past Friday:]

"The loathsome occupation in Palestine - its land and its holy places - by these new Mongols and what they are perpetrating upon this holy, blessed and pure land - killing, assassination, destruction, confiscation, Judaization, harassment and splitting the homeland - are clear proof of [unintelligible word - Ed.] hostility, of incomparable racism, and of Nazism of the 20th century. The Jews, the enemies of Allah and of His Messenger, the enemies of Allah and of His Messenger! Enemies of humanity in general, and of Palestinians in particular - they wage war against us using all kinds of crimes, and as you see - even the mosques are not spared their racism...

"Oh Muslims! The Jews are the Jews. The Jews are the Jews. Even if donkeys would cease to bray, dogs cease to bark, wolves cease to howl and snakes to bite, the Jews would not cease to harbor hatred towards Muslims. The Prophet said that if two Jews would be alone with a Muslim, they would think only of killing him. Oh Muslims! This land will be liberated, these holy places and these mosques will be liberated, only by means of a return to the Quran and when all Muslims will be willing to be Jihad Fighters for the sake of Allah and for the sake of supporting Palestine, the Palestinian people, the Palestinian land, and the holy places in Palestine. The Prophet says: 'You shall fight the Jews and kill them, until the tree and the stone will speak and say: 'Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah' - the tree and the stone will not say, 'Oh Arab,' they will say, 'Oh Muslim'. And they will not say, 'Where are the millions?' and will not say, 'Where is the Arab nation?' Rather, they will say, 'Oh Muslim, Oh servant of Allah - there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.' Except for the Gharqad tree [tree mentioned in the Quran - Ed.], which is the tree of the Jews. Thus, this land will be liberated only by means of Jihad..."

The next time that Abbas claims that the PA is adhering to the Road Map, ask him about that part that mentions "incitement."

Hamas/Galloway fundraiser in Boston tonight

From "Justice With Peace":

When: Monday, February 1, 2010, 6:30 pm
Where: Palestinian Cultural Center for Peace • 41 Quint Ave • (Green Line B to Harvard Stop, Glennville Ave to Quint) • Allston

Fundraiser for Viva Palestina

Gaza Aid Convoys

with

The honorable
GEORGE GALLOWAY
Member of British Parliament
Leader of the Viva Palestina convoys to Gaza
Lifelong international activist

Tickets at the door – General: $20 - Students with ID: $10
Limited capacity private reception with Mr. Galloway: $1000

You give money to Galloway, he gives it to Hamas! How much easier can fundraising for terror be on US soil?

h/t ckb at lgf

PalArabs vs. Kurds in their quest for freedom

An interesting article from The National (UAE):

Success stories of state-building in the Middle East have been few. The United Arab Emirates has certainly been one. Qatar, and to an extent Bahrain and Jordan, are now featuring high on good governance indexes. Yet the most impressive of all has been Iraqi Kurdistan.

Less than 25 years ago, Iraqi Kurds suffered one of the Middle East’s worst genocides of modern history. In 1986, Iraq’s former president Saddam Hussein ordered Operation Al Anfal, killing close to 150,000 Kurds over the course of three years. That number exceeds all the deaths resulting from more than 60 years of conflict between the Arabs and Israel, which has seen at least half a dozen wars. [Actually, it is about triple the numbers killed in Arab-Israeli wars. - EoZ]

In the aftermath, Iraqi Kurdistan has emerged from civil war to become one of the Middle East’s most promising regions. One can only hope that the way Iraqi Kurds did it might inspire the Arabs.
...
The Kurds understood that the international status quo would force them to reconnect with Baghdad. Thus, they moved to their second best option: they rejoined Iraq but made sure it would be a federal union that would give their northern region enough cultural, economic and political independence.
Since then, the Kurds have not wasted time in crying foul over surrendering their historic quest for independence. Instead, they founded a new formula: Iraqi Kurdistan would remain part of Iraq as long as Baghdad has democratic rulers. The emergence of a dictator would force the Kurds to go their separate way, fair and square. This position won the Kurds further kudos in the capitals of the world.

More importantly, unlike some Arab leaders and their signature policies of double talk about Israel – promising peace in English and talking war in Arabic – Kurdish leaders have preached to their people that the autonomy or rights they had earned, whether in Iraq or Turkey, were the best they could get.

Meanwhile, the Kurd’s quest for an independent state has all but vanished. This means that Kurds would not be blowing themselves up, and that their leaders would not be insisting on independence in a populist manner like several Arab and Iranian leaders often do regarding Palestine.
This newfound Kurdish wisdom has penetrated all the way into Kurdistan, as Iraqi Kurds held free and fair elections for their regional parliament last year, when a considerable opposition bloc emerged. Mr Barzani himself was re-elected Kurdistan’s president with 68 per cent of the vote, a percentage that makes many Arab presidential elections, with poll numbers exceeding 90 per cent, look silly.

Democracy, still not ideal, is now taking root in Iraqi Kurdistan.

And with democracy comes good governance and economic prosperity. For that, the Kurds have been tapping their human capital assets from their diaspora. Again, compare that to most Arab countries where brain drain has become an unstoppable trend.

The Kurdistan state-building experiment in northern Iraq, even if only within the limits of autonomy, is far from perfection. Yet it is one of the most impressive in the Middle East. It should certainly serve as a model for several Arab countries to emulate.

While the analogy is not exact, the lesson that the author seems to be saying is that, for people who want to be free, official statehood is not the only option and that most of the benefits can come from autonomy and compromise. Furthermore, the hardheaded insistence on a state naturally leads to terrorism and is counterproductive to those who want true freedom and democracy.

However, this argument makes sense to Palestinian Arabs only if the point of a "Palestinian state" is to protect the lives of PalArabs, to end decades of misery,to build institutions and preserve an identity and bring freedom.

But given the negotiating pre-requisites of the "moderate" Palestinian Arab leaders, it is clear that their real goals have little to do with helping their people. Their goal, as it has been since 1948, is really only to destroy Israel, and as a result the wise advice that is given here will fall on deaf ears.

Dangerous marriage in Gaza

From The Media Line (h/t Media Backspin tweet):

Ehsan fell in love with his wife A’isha, a girl from the neighborhood, when he was 14 and she 13.

Eight years later they are still together, with Ehsan is about to graduate with a degree in pharmacology from Gaza’s Al Azhar University and A’isha studying journalism at the same school.

But after being together for years, the couple is still no closer to being able to expose their marriage.

“I am a religious person and well mannered, and so is A’isha,” Ehsan told The Media Line. “We know right from wrong. Whenever we sneak our the back door of the university so that we can walk in the street for five minutes, we feel guilty and ashamed.”

“Then I remind myself that it’s not wrong, even though our parents don’t know,” said the black-haired young man with cautious honey eyes. “I have never even touched her hand, or degraded her in any way, be it hurting her feelings or her dignity. How can I hurt a person I love more than myself? Love is not wrong even though it’s considered ‘scandalous’ and unacceptable here in Gaza.”

A’isha and Ehsan’s status is what is known in Gaza as a ‘conventional marriage’, a union recognized by law, but often without the approval of the religious authorities or the couple’s families - an anomaly in a society in which religion, law and cultural legitimacy are so intricately weaved together.

“Conventional marriage, in its real meaning, is just like the real legitimate marriage but lacks the court papers, appearance and approval,” Dr Hassan Al Juju, Head of the Supreme Council of Sharia Law in Gaza told The Media Line. “Instead of the sheikh, a lawyer does his usual work in the presence of the man and woman. The bride’s father or legal guardian has to be present even if she is over 18.”

‘Conventional marriages’ occupy an uncertain space in Gazan society and are frequently known to stir controversy. The debate on whether they can be considered legal and culturally legitimate often appears irresolvable and the boundary between ‘conventional marriages’ and ‘secret marriages’ is often blurred.

In a society in which women’s ‘honor’ can impinge upon a family’s reputation, secret marriages and love affairs are a dangerous business, and often end in ‘honor killings’ – the murder by a family member of a female seen to have shamed the family name.

Men began knocking on A’isha’s door to ask for her hand in marriage when she was 16. Although she would always find a reason to refuse, she knows it won’t be long before her parents would start asking questions and force her to get married.

“I hope it never happens,” A’isha said through tears. “I am trying my best to buy him time and I don’t know how my destiny will end once my family knows I am married.”

“I am sure my family will either kill me or lock me up forever,” she said. “I want to live my life and be happy. Is that too much to ask?”

Many say they got into a conventional marriage by chance.

Nur, 31, holds a prestigious position in a Gazan civil society organization. With a degree in social science from the Islamic University, she has a tall fit frame, grey eyes, looks younger than her age and is smartly dressed.

“Every one who meets me thinks I am very happy and that I am lucky to have such an open minded father that lets me work and not get married,” she told The Media Line. “But the truth is much more complicated and painful.”

“My father has been refusing every man that knocks on our door for over nine years,” Nur said. “I am tired of him taking my salary and preventing me from marriage. Now I see education, work and independence as a burden, not a privilege.”

“Eight months ago a man came to ask my father for my hand,” she said. “After two months my father said he wasn’t fit and that I should forget about him but it was too late, we are in love.”

“I know it might sound too bold or maybe wrong but what could I do?” she said. “I had to turn to Dr. Hassan and tell him to give my father his last ultimatum or I will use conventional marriage to marry this man. I just want to be happy and be a mother. Isn’t that my right?”

Though the consequences for those who chose traditional marriage can be very severe, the desire to find love and happiness is often too big a draw.

“You know what would happen if we revealed our marriage right now?” Ehsan said. “She would be killed and I would be either locked up or have to go into hiding to keep myself alive. But I can never let them separate us and I will do everything to fight them if they try. I am willing to take her and live somewhere else or hide or even get out of Gaza.”

Hamas threatens to attack international (Jewish) "targets"

Hamas has threatened to retaliate for Al Qassam Brigades co-founder's assassination by attacking "targets" worldwide, as the PLO used to do.

Asharq Alawsat reports:

[Hamas official Yahya] Moussa told Asharq Al-Awsat that Hamas was examining the changes in the rules of the game, saying "Hamas was careful not to carry out operations abroad in order not to put the security of any country at risk, and it respects the sovereignty of countries, but now institutions of the movement will study the possibility of reversing this decision."
In a press conference held yesterday, Hamas senior figure Mahmoud al-Zahar said "We kept the arena of confrontation between us and the Israeli enemy within the occupied territories, and if Israeli wants – as it wants now to change the rules of the game –to open the international arena to attacks, then in this case Israel will be responsible for the repercussions of this."
He added "Israel has experienced this, and was burned by this in its conflict with the PLO, and it knows that Hamas is no less able to reach its targets in any place." He also said "we are capable of hurting the Zionist enemy, and this is something that is known by the occupation forces, whether on this arena or elsewhere."

In practical terms this means that they are threatening to attack Jews worldwide, like the terror attack against the Argentina Jewish center in 1994 or the 2002 Ghriba synagogue bombing.

One Arab columnist interprets Hamas' threat, and other things that Zahar said, as a threat to the sovereignty of Arab nations who have ties with Israel.

Hamas is also trying to be a part of the investigation of the assassination of Mahmoud al Mabhouh, the the Dubai police are telling them to get lost.

According to Palestine Press Agency, Dubai police chief Dahi Khalfan refused to allow Hamas anywhere near the investigations, saying that they only deal with the Palestinian Authority and does not deal with private individuals or other entities during investigations.

Khalfan also denied that there were any previous attempts on Mabhouh's life in Dubai, as his brother claimed, saying that if there were any, why weren't the police involved?

He also wondered why Hamas would let Mabhouh go to Dubai alone and without bodyguards if he was so important. (Hamas had already said that they couldn't get air tickets for the bodyguards so they were due later that day.)

Meanwhile, the Dubai police announced that Mabhouh was killed within five hours of arrival in the emirates.

UAE "black magic" scam

The best part of this story is the last sentence:

Two men who thought they could double Dh250,000 (US$68,000) in a black magic scheme ended up with a bag full of counterfeit money, the Federal Supreme Court heard today.

An Emirati and an Omani man first heard late last year of two Africans who would supposedly double an investment using black magic, the court heard. They invited the men into the home of the Emirati and handed them a briefcase with Dh250,000, officials said.

The two Africans went into a bathroom and switched the money with counterfeit bills. They poured powder on the fake money and told them not to open the transparent bag until six hours had passed, officials said. They immediately left and switched off their phones.

Six hours later, the men opened the bag and discovered the currency was clearly counterfeit. They reported the incident to the police. Because black magic is illegal, the "investors" were also charged.

Prominent Dutch socialite proves her seething Jew-hatred

Islam Online had an interview with Gretta Duisenberg, the wife of the former first president of the European Central Bank.

She already had a history of outrageous actions -

participating in rallies where the demonstrators sang "Hamas, Hamas, send Jews to the gas!", where she herself sang "Intifada! Intifada!," hanging a PLO flag from her balcony during the height of the suicide bombings, meeting with (and holding hands with) Arafat who she said "hates killing," and similar actions.

This interview does not disappoint. To her adoring Islamic audience, she says everything they want to hear, with a litany of lies that it is difficult to consider any intelligent person would admit to believing in:

I have seen these films on YouTube showing how Palestinians put the dead bodies on donkeys, because there are no ambulances.
While the Palestinian people are using these little wagons, Israelis shoot the donkeys from their watching towers.

Therefore, Palestinians have to carry all the goods themselves.
Have you heard about the human organs that Israelis are taking from the Palestinians?

It is true; I saw the pictures. The Israeli soldiers are taking away young men and five days later, they brought them back cut open.

Israel has admitted committing such a crime.
The Jewish lobby in Holland, like in the United States, is very strong and powerful, and it is still playing on our guilt feelings, although it is 63 years since the Holocaust.

In addition, whenever you have something against the Jewish people in Holland, they call you an anti-Semite.

My opinion is that Hamas was chosen by people, not Fatah, so Hamas should be the leader, not Abbas.

Hamas — Israelis, Europeans, and Americans say — is a terrorist organization, which I believe it is not.

Hamas is now being collectively punished by the whole world, more or less, and Gaza borders are closed.

The Zionist idea is to create a big Israel only for Zionists. Israelis want to annex the whole of Palestine, and all Palestinians have to go out.

Israel wants Palestinians to be servants for Jews. Many Israeli leaders have said that Palestinians are like cockroaches and that Israelis will crush them.

I have all those quotes at home with the date and where they were said.

This prominent socialite, good friends with the Queen, gets her "facts" from YouTube videos and Jew-hating conspiracy sites in the Internet!

When anti-semites want to believe something, they don't let mere facts get in their way. Mrs. Duisenberg is proof of this.

Iranian official threatens to destroy Tel Aviv

Palestine Press Agency quotes Esfandiar Rahim Mashaei, advisor to Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as saying that Tel Aviv would be "erased from existence" in case Iran is attacked.

The implication seems to be that Iran will act out this threat even if it is threatened by the US, as he was speaking in reaction to the news that the US was deploying missile defenses around the Persian Gulf.

In other news, the Organization of the Islamic Conference has made yet another special holiday in support of Palestinian Arabs, taking an Iranian idea to make January 18th into an annual "Day of Gaza and Resistance."

The illustration to that story in the print edition of the Tehran Times couldn't possible be construed as anti-semitic, could it?

Dueling PalArab responses to Goldstone

The PA announced that they will do their own investigation of Goldstone report claims, and Hamas is not happy.

To meet Ban Ki Moon's deadline for responses, the PA instead submitted a report describing how it will create a commission of inquiry to investigate the very few claims that Goldstone had against "armed groups." Hamas, in turn, is saying that they will not cooperate with any PA investigation, saying that the PA is not qualified to write such a report - and besides, Hamas already released their own investigation that found that everything they did was perfectly legal.