Elder Of Ziyon - Israel News

Friday, November 06, 2009

Marriage in Somalia

An interesting article in Al Arabiya discusses how marriage has turned into a legal way of sleeping around for young Somalians, helped by random calls on inexpensive cell phones:

Bile Farah, 25, said marriages nowadays have become more of an "entertainment."

"I don't think I'd be sane if it were not for the 'Qudbasiro', free-of-charge secret marriages," the unemployed secondary school graduate told Reuters, sitting cross-legged on a ragged mattress and sending a text message with his phone.

"I've divorced nine women already. Voluntary brides and cheap phone services, it is the only life we have."

Unsurprisingly, such behavior is frowned upon by hardline Islamist Shabaab insurgents who rule over much of central and southern Somalia and want to impose their own austere version of Sharia law on the whole country.

They have banned elopement in the areas under their control. But for Halima Osman, a Mogadishu mother-of-three, the mobile phone helped her run away with the love of her life.

I am very proud. I would not have these three kids if it were not for the cheap calls and elopement," the 20-year-old told Reuters, covering her face with a scarf.

She said her sister lived a "dog's life" being beaten for seven years after being married to an old man against her will.

"She suffered. But you can just dial a number or pick up a ringing phone. You make an appointment then elope. Life is so easy if you are lucky."

Aden, the shop owner, said he was shocked when his own daughter eloped and gave birth to a child with a young man he had never met. But he also had a confession.

"I enjoy this lifestyle myself, to some extent," he said.

Apart from an older wife in a "far away" region, he said he had three younger spouses in the capital: one through an arranged marriage and the other two "secretly."

"I call them day wives, because we usually have to meet discreetly during the daytime, the other one will take it out on the children if I'm missing from her nightly roll call," he said.

"But the recent insecurity has favored us. You hear gunfire, and you have an excuse to be absent."

The article started off with that same shop owner describing how things were in the good old days:

Somali courtship was different in Hassan Aden's day. When he was a teenager, you gave the girl's parents 11 camels and an AK-47 assault rifle as bride price and then waited respectfully.

More brilliant Arab military analysis

Arab military analysis is a pretty simple affair. It can be summed up in one sentence:

If someone does something you don't like, they must be working for Israel.

The latest example comes from pan-Arab newspaper Asharq al-Awsat. It quotes a Lebanese military analyst as saying that the recent rocket attack against Israel from the town of Hula was probably done by the extremist Sunni Fatah al-Islam group...and they did it to help Israel.

You see, Fatah al-Islam agrees with al-Qaeda philosophy. As such, it is trying to embarrass "moderate" Arab regimes by instigating terror attacks against the West and shooting rockets into Israel. This is all, of course, in order to help Israel create a rift between the West and the Arabs as well as between Arabs themselves.

See how easy it is?

Syrian minister says UN is pro-Israel

On the very same day that the UN General Assembly (for the umpteenth time) voted overwhelmingly against Israel, a Syrian minister and columnist for Asharq Al Awsat writes that the UN is just another Zionist tool:

The shy and shameful language of the UN’s call [for Israel not to evict Palestinian Arabs in jerusalem] comes in the context of the submission of the Security Council to the Zionist will, and consequently commits a historic disgrace in the form of ignoring the legitimate political, civil and human rights of the Palestinian people including their right to life and freedom like other peoples of the world.

For the UN not to take any initiative or measure which leads to giving the Palestinian people the right to self determination will remain a disgrace in the history of the organization which will never be removed except with the removal of Jewish colonialism in Palestine. The Palestinians have been under a racist settler form of colonialism for over sixty years; and they are targeted with a campaign of ethnic cleansing launched by armed gangs of settlers supported by the Israeli police and army. This is unparalleled in the 21st century in terms of the crimes which include siege, murder, food poisoning, starvation, assassination, demolishing houses, scorching crops, destroying farms, raping prisoners, trafficking in the organs of martyrs and preventing Palestinians from moving between their villages, farms and schools.
All this happens under the full gaze and silence of the ‘civilized’ world which fully supports the Israeli government and fully ignores the daily savage crimes committed by Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers.

Ms. Shaaban seems not to inhabit the same world that the rest of us live in.

If all these crimes committed daily against Palestinians do not amount to ethnic cleansing and genocide, what does?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe Hama?

More details on the Hezbollah weapons cache

The shipment included:

20,000 fragmentary grenades
9000 mortar shells
3000 106 millimeter artillery shells
2000 122 and 107 millimeter rockets
600,000 7.62 millimeter rounds for AK47 assault rifles

(source: IDF email)

[Considering that the Jews run Hollywood, this is an extraordinarily bad slide show. It looks like it was made in Microsoft Movie Maker by a ten year old. ]

Saudi Cast Lead

AP reports:

Saudi Arabia has launched a large military incursion across the border into northern Yemen, using fighter jets and artillery bombardments to try to end a Shiite rebellion inside its troubled southern neighbor, Arab diplomats and the rebels said Thursday.
The northern rebels, known as Hawthis, have been battling Yemeni government forces intensively over the past few months in the latest flare-up of a sporadic conflict that has lasted five years. The Hawthis are based in northern Saada province, which borders Saudi Arabia.

"Saudi jets dropped bombs on a crowded areas including local market in the northern province of Saada," Hawthi spokesman Mohammed Abdel-Salam told The Associated Press. "They (Saudis) claim they are targeting al-Hawthis, but regrettably they are killing civilians like the government does," he added.

"The attacks were followed by hundreds of shells from the border," Abdel-Salam said.

There was no immediate word on casualties.

Two Arab diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AP Saudi Tornado and F-15 warplanes have been bombarding targets inside Yemen since Wednesday afternoon, inflicting significant casualties on the rebels. The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not allowed to talks to the media.

They said army units and special forces have been sent to northern Yemen, and that several Saudi towns on the border have been evacuated.

The BBC adds that the Houthis claim that Saudi Arabia dropped phosphorus bombs on them.

So a Western-backed nation, using American and European airplanes, struck against an Islamist extremist group across its border, killing innocent civilians.

According to the Goldstone Standard, it sounds like numerous war crimes are occurring.

I would love to see copies of the leaflets that the moral Saudis no doubt dropped ahead of the bombing of the market, as well as the results of the internal investigation that Saudi Arabia is certainly embarking on right now.

(h/t Capt Diggs in an LGF link)

UPDATE: I don't know if it is true, but the Houthis are claiming that Saudi Arabia is putting up a "separation fence" in Yemen territory:

Saudi forces opened fire on the crowd following conflicts with local residents over the construction of a separation fence on Yemeni soil," said a Wednesday statement released by members of the Shia group.

Consequently, the incident inflicted the loss of numerous lives, as well as serious injuries upon both sides.

"Residents of the area reject any fence which would have a negative economic impact on them and cut them off from their brethren on the other side," the statement also noted.

We need more international law experts to specify all the clear legal distinctions between the good Saudis and the evil Israelis, and between the evil Houthis and the good Hamas members.

Lebanese upset over prize for Israeli falafel

Al Arabiya (Arabic) reports that the president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Fadi Abboud, is protesting the fact that an Israeli company won an award at a New Jersey food expo for a falafel product.

He is sending a letter to the organizers emphasizing that falafel is a Lebanese product, not Israeli, and to give such an award in an insult to Lebanese falafel vendors.

He says that Israel persists in stealing Arab food like falafel, hummus and tabbouleh,

Abboud will send a letter to the Lebanese Economic Minister to formally protest to the United Nations that "Israel's efforts strive to give the impression in the international markets that falafel is one of its culinary heritage, as they did with other dishes" like tahini.

Lebanon will also respond to this insult by making the world's biggest falafel ball, similar to last month when they prepared the world's largest hummous and tabbouleh dishes.

And what was this food fair in New Jersey that has Lebanon so upset?

It was the annual Kosherfest fair! The award that irks him so much was the "best food from Israel" award, which would make it difficult to give to a Lebanese company (unless you want to include Lebanon in Biblical Israel, which might upset them a bit more.)

I suggest that Lebanese vendors who are so upset over Israeli companies stealing their cuisine feel free to obtain kosher certification for their products and to display them in next year's Kosherfest so they can be judged and compared with Israel's entries. And I wish them much luck in cracking the kosher consumer market.

Muslims protest Holocaust survivor talk, flirt with denial

From the Gorey (Ireland) Guardian:

A MUSLIM GROUP is calling for a mass protest at Gorey Community School later this month when a Jewish Holocaust survivor comes to talk about his experiences in a World War II concentration camp.
MPAC, which describes itself as a non-profit organisation that 'helps Muslims to help themselves', is objecting to the visit by Slovakian native Tomi Reichental as he subsequently went on to serve with the Israeli defence forces during the 1950s.

The Islamic group maintains this made him part of a 'Jewish Zionist Army' which systematically persecuted Palestinians.
'How a man who had allegedly survived the Belsen concentration camp, witnessed its supposed horrors and lived to tell the tale could then, as part of the IDF, enact the same terror upon an innocent Palestinian population beggars belief,' reads a statement from the group.

'Reichental is due to speak in Gorey Community School this November. We urge all concered individuals to protest,' it continues.

The MPAC-IE page is sarcastic in its description of Reichental and dismissive of his story. It even casts doubts on the Holocaust itself:

Holocaust Industry Rolls out its Irish Survivor

He’d never spoken about his alleged time in Belsen until recently, but after being ‘discovered’ by the Holocaust Educational Trust, he apparently changed his mind because as Katie Roche says, “he has realised that he must speak out so that this horrific event will never be forgotten,” – it seems the hundreds of films, books, magazines and museum displays simply aren’t enough.

And so the tours of Irish schools began, and the name Tomi Reichental cropped up in newspapers and even a short film was made about his story. Yet, it seems we were only told part of the story. In a happy ending story, we’d like to be able to say Reichental learned from his ordeal and that his alleged suffering made him a better person. We’d like to be able to say that, but we can’t, for in 1956 Reichental, then living in Occupied Palestine since 1949, fought with the Zionist state’s army in the Sinai Campaign. ...

How a man who had allegedly survived the Belsan concentration camp, witnessed its supposed horrors and lived to tell the tale could then, as part of the IDF, enact the same terror upon an innocent Palestinian population beggars belief. Even more astounding perhaps is that he’s given a platform to tell of his woes yet remains silent regarding his own actions.

While we believe that the horrible event that saw not only Jews but millions of Gypsies and other minorities slaughtered simply because they were different, should be remembered. We must ask if Reichental is the right person to remind us?

As far as we’re concerned inviting Reichental into any Irish school to talk about suffering is akin to inviting Mad Dog Adair to give a talk about loyalist torment in Northern Ireland, or the butcher of Belsen to discuss morality. This is nothing short of shameful and disingenuous exploitation of the good nature of Irish people.

Reichental is due to speak in Gorey Community School this November. We urge all concerned individuals to protest this exploitation of what Finkelstein calls the Holocaust Industry.

MPAC-IE, despite its lukewarm paragraph saying that a "horrible event" should be remembered, also casts doubt on the Holocaust by saying that the horrors at Bergen-Belsen were "alleged."

An even worse form of Holocaust denial is the equation of Israel's War of Independence with the Holocaust ("the same terror.") This is, simply, a sickening perversion and MPAC-IE should be ashamed.

Of course, no one in the Muslim community will stand up and shame them.

Arab "experts": Weapons ship a Zionist conspiracy!

You just knew this was coming....

Islam Online (Arabic only) discusses Israel's seizure of the weapons ship:

Military experts have questioned the validity Israel's declaration on Wednesday that they intercepted a ship loaded with the "huge" shipment of weapons that was heading from Iran to Hezbollah, adding that if it is true then the actions of the Israeli navy is "piracy".

In separate comments for "Islam Online.Net" the experts emphasized that the occupation is trying to "divert attention from the report of the Goldstone and the Israeli position that refuses to stop the settlements," referring to the declaration that this is not the first of its kind, though differing in details.

Meanwhile, a Syrian official denies everything:

In Tehran, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem dismissed Israeli allegations the ship carried arms.
"Unfortunately, some official pirates in the seas, sometimes in the name of the navy, sometimes in the name of inspection, obstruct trade movement between Syria and Iran," al-Moallem said a joint news conference with his Iranian counterpart.
"This ship does not carry Iranian weapons to Syria and does not contain military material to manufacture weapons in Syria. This ship carries imported goods from Syria to Iran," al-Moallem added. His comments in Arabic were carried by Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV station and other Lebanese stations.

I guess this video is all part of the conspiracy. I mean, we do own Hollywood.

Pedro not on his game, will the Phillies' bats make up for it? Discuss.

UPDATE: L. King asks in the comments for gratuitous pictures of Phillies Ballgirls. I am, of course, duty bound to comply, especially as it seems increasingly unlikely that I will have another chance until next year.

Journalists and International Law

Just Journalism, the relatively new and excellent organization that looks at media bias in UK media, hosted a fascinating roundtable discussion in August on the topic of how international law is described in the media. The summary of that discussion is now available as a PDF document. Here are the conclusions:

Conclusions

Whilst a broad set of views were represented at the cross-disciplinary roundtable, Just Journalism has extracted some key observations with the aim that these will be further debated by journalists, the public and all interested parties:

The politicisation of international law by parties to conflicts and their supporters is inadequately addressed by journalists. Allegations of disproportionality against Israel or genocide against Sri Lanka and other states can be politically motivated and inaccurate.

Many principles of international law are heavily contested but are often not presented to news audiences as such. News audiences need to be informed about the various interpretations of these terms in order to be aware of differing claims.

The liberal view of international law as a protector against human rights violations prevails in the public consciousness and is perpetuated in the media. In fact, international law often legitimises conflict as well as limiting it.

Most journalists reporting accusations of breaches of international law are themselves not lawyers, making it difficult to adjudicate between competing legal claims or to appropriately position them.

Journalists must strike a balance between providing detail on the complex legal concepts they refer to, and ensuring their reports remain accessible to their audiences. There is a lack of consensus on the right way to strike this balance at present and this needs further discussion.

The document is worth reading in its entirety, and it is especially relevant in the wake of the Goldstone report with its own shoddy interpretations of international law and highly politicized and questionable assumptions about the legal statuses of Gaza, Hamas, the Hamas police and the Al Qassam Brigades.

Video of intercepted Hezbollah arms cache (UPDATED)

From the IDF Spokesperson:

Roughly 500 tons of weapons, rockets, and missiles was uncovered aboard the cargo vessel “Francop” flying an Antiguan flag, which was intercepted and brought to the Ashdod port. The Israel Navy force which intercepted the ship included naval commandos, missile boats, intelligence and explosive experts.

36 shipping containers with 500 tons of weaponry were found on the ship disguised as civilian cargo, and hidden among hundreds of other containers onboard.

Israel Naval and Engineering Corps forces are currently unloading the containers and are sorting through the various types of weaponry found aboard.

The naval commando force boarded the vessel and conducted an initial search. The search was conducted in accordance with the usual search protocols as dictated by International Law.

Following the initial search and after it became clear that the vessel was carrying weapons, the vessel was directed by the Israel Navy to dock at the Israeli Ashdod Naval base for additional searches and a detailed inspection of the hull’s cargo. It should be emphasized that the captain of the ship agreed to the search. The Israel Navy conducted all activity without any force.

The weapons found onboard the ship originate from Iran, and were intended for the Hezbollah terror organization, for use against the State of Israel and its citizens. The weapons uncovered at sea last night constitute a harsh violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1747 and 1701 that strictly forbid Iran from exporting or trading any form of weapons.

This is a well-known Iranian technique, taking advantage of cargo ships flying different flags in order to smuggle containers loaded with large amounts of highly volatile weaponry to terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah.

This ship had ten times the weapons that the infamous Karin-A had.

Here are the UN Security Council Resolutions that were violated by this shipment (from an IDF briefing:)

UN Security Council Resolution 1737 (December 23^rd, 2006)
A UN resolution determining, inter alia, a limit on export of certain Iranian products and items	-"Decides that Iran shall not export any of the items in documents S/2006/814 and S/2006/815 and that all Member States shall prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in the territory of Iran."
UN Security Council Resolution 1474 (March 24^th, 2007)
Explicitly forbids all export of arms from Iran (not only to terrorist organizations), without relating to methods of enforcement.	"Decides that Iran shall not supply, sell or transfer directly or indirectly from its territory or by its nationals or using its flag vessels or aircraft any arms or related material, and that all States shall prohibit the procurement of such items from Iran by their nationals, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, and whether or not originating in the territory of Iran."
UN Security Council Resolution 1803 (March 24^th, 2008)
Calls for supervision over the movement of aircraft and naval vessels owned by the companies Iran Air and IRISL (Annexes 11 and 12)	"Calls upon all States, in accordance with their national legal authorities and legislation and consistent with international law, in particular the law of the sea and relevant international civil aviation agreements, to inspect the cargoes to and from Iran of aircraft and vessels, at their airports and seaports, owned or operated by Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, provided there are reasonable grounds to believe that the aircraft or vessel is transporting goods prohibited under this resolution or resolution 1737 (2006) or resolutions 1747 (2007);"

UN Security Council Resolution 1835 September 27^th, 2008

Reconfirms earlier resolutions dealing with the issue of Iranian exports and arms trading, and calls on Iran to immediately fulfill its obligations as they appear in prior resolutions.

“Reaffirms the statement of its President, S/PRST/2006/15, of 29 March, and its resolution 1696 (2006) of 31 July 2006, its resolution 1737 (2006) of 23 December 2006, its resolution 1747 (2007) of 24 March 2007, and its resolution 1803 (2008) of 3 March 2008…

Calls upon Iran to comply fully and without delay with its obligations under the above-mentioned resolutions of the security council…

UPDATE: I was on an IDF conference call for bloggers where details were being mentioned. Here are some highlights:

The weapons were Chinese and Russian.

There are so many weapons containers that only one third of the contents have been uncovered so far.

They were being hidden in polyethylene that would have made remote scanning impossible.

They included 122mm Katyushas made in Russia with a range of over 40 km. Also 107mm rockets (possibly these.)

All of the weapons were brand new.

From AFP:

South African Judge Richard Goldstone's name may be infamous in Israel, but in the Gaza Strip it is sewn onto souvenir Palestinian headscarves in honour of his controversial war inquiry.

Tariq Abu Dia, owner of the President Arafat souvenir shop in Gaza City, says Goldstone, who is Jewish, deserves the honour of appearing on the iconic Palestinian keffiyeh made famous by Yasser Arafat, for whom the shop is named.

"Today we put out 50 keffiyehs made of white fabric with the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the name 'Goldstone' embroidered on them, to honour his work," Abu Dia says, as he shows off one of the scarves.

The shop, which mostly caters to foreign aid workers and activists working in the besieged and impoverished territory, will be selling the scarves, which Abu Dia insists are handmade, for around 20 dollars (15 euros).

(h/t t34zakat and Vicious Babushka)

Today's news 11/4

Some Middle East news you might not have seen elsewhere...

Israel intercepted a ship carrying arms illegally, presumably from Iran to Hezbollah. Also, Hamas denied Israeli accusations that it tested rockets with a range of 60 kilometers.

There is a lot of discussion about today's UN General Assembly debate on a resolution supporting Goldstone. The Arab League has a draft resolution and the EU has some proposed changes, mostly to refer the matter back down to the UNHRC in three months rather than up to the Security Council. There is sharp debate within the Arab camp (including Richard Falk) as to which method is most effective.

The PFLP and Fatah took credit for firing mortars at Israel yesterday. In this case, it was in reprisal for...the 92nd anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. See, they never initiate hostilities, it is always in reaction to Zionist crimes!

The number of articles in the PalArab press about negotiations for Gilad Shalit have been increasing lately. Today, PalPress quotes a Kuwaiti newspaper (not usually very reliable, IMHO) that Hamas has taken Marwan Barghouti off the table in exchange for Israel releasing Hamas prisoners with "blood on their hands." Yesterday an article was claiming that there will be some significant movement ahead of Eid al Adha, at the end of November.

There is controversy in Egypt over a Beyonce concert scheduled for later this week. There is resentment both for the high ticket prices ($400) and the fact that only rich Egyptians can go. Also, religious Muslims aren't happy with her outfits. 15 girls fainted at her recent concert in Abu Dhabi.

Dubai is reportedly going to appoint female muftis next year, who can issue fatwas - even for men.

Daily Goldstone 11/4

Richard Landes at Augean Stables takes a deeper look at the "36 incidents" that Richard Goldstone has alternatively characterized as "illustrative" and as to "appear to represent situations where there was little or no military justification for what happened." Those two characterizations are contradictory, to say the least.

What’s missing here, of course, is any investigation into the extensive evidence that Hamas used the civilian population as a shield, that they deliberately fired from the midst of civilian neighborhoods in order to provoke attacks, that they dressed as civilians, commandeered ambulances, stole food supplied by Israel to the Gazan population… in short that they did everything they could to maximize their own civilians’ casualties. All these matters are, of course, critical to assessing the behavior of Israeli troops. And yet, Goldstone explicitly refused to look into this material.... We didn’t want to investigate situations where we would be called upon to second-guess decisions made by Israeli Defense Force leaders or soldiers, in what’s called the “fog of battle”. It’s really unfair to do that, especially without hearing the other side. So we tried to concentrate on issues which seem to be less likely to be justifiable by applying those standards.

In other words, we didn’t look specifically into incidents of Hamas using human shields, didn’t listen to witnesses who, taking that information into account, found the IDF took remarkable risks to avoid hitting civilians. Instead, they chose 36 incidents to investigate which “appear to represent situations where there was little or no military justification for what happened,” and nonethess, found Israel guilty of targeting civilians. ...

Indeed, the FFM, even as it only tangentially considered evidence of Hamas’ military strategy of human shields, consistently dismissed any evidence to the contrary. The trope “The Mission found no evidence… did not find any evidence… for illegitimate behavior by Hamas and other Palestinian combatants runs through the report like a scarlet thread...
If you seek not, how will you find?

Read the whole thing.

Saudi TV show has hosts covered head to toe

From Arab News:

JEDDAH: A new TV show that discusses issues concerning teenage girls and female university students was recently broadcast with Saudi presenters dressed in black from head to toe.
The show — named Asrar Al-Banat (The Secrets of Girls) — is broadcast on Awtan TV, a Saudi religious channel that was first aired in August 2008 and has women broadcasters who are covered in the all-enveloping abaya and niqab.
Presenting Asrar Al-Banat is Sawsan Salah Al-Deen, a 26-year-old Saudi BA graduate in Media and Guidance.
Sawsan, who is appearing on TV for the first time, said she was initially anxious. Her family has, however, been supportive, particularly since “people will not see me” and the program reaches out to young women.
Something that has also appealed to her family is the fact that her work environment is women-only; male technical assistants do not enter the studio while women are inside and carry out their duties from outside.
Answering a question about some opposing religious views that regard the voice of women as Awrah (something that cannot be revealed in the presence of men), Sawsan said that scholars deem women’s voices as Awrah only if they are speaking softly or on immoral topics.
Commenting on whether her appearance on TV would now lead to women appearing on cooking and children programs, she said, “When it comes to cooking, men can present them. However, there are some issues relating to women which men cannot handle in the way we can.”
Asrar Al-Banat, which discusses different issues relating to teenage girls, has so far broadcast four episodes. It is aired from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday and receives live phone calls from members of the public.

I've seen this sort of show before. It was called "radio."