Rice Addressed Jewish Organization's over Mecca Deal

Rice Briefs Jewish Groups as Palestinians Make Deal

Says U.S. Wants To Create ‘Political Horizon,’ But Won’t Pressure Israel

February 09, 2007

Nathan Guttman

Washington – Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met Thursday with leaders from major Jewish organizations to discuss the latest developments on the Israeli-Palestinian front. The meeting took place minutes after a formal announcement was made in Mecca regarding the agreement reached on a Palestinian national unity government.

Rice, who had yet to read the new Palestinian platform, said that the United States was still insisting that Hamas accept all three conditions set forth by the Quartet: recognizing Israel, renouncing terror and accepting existing agreements with Jerusalem. She told the Jewish leaders that even if Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas sits in a unity government with Hamas, America would continue viewing him as a partner for negotiations. At the same time, Rice added, the United States would not meet with P.A. ministers aligned with Hamas.

As she responded to questions from representatives of Jewish organizations who attended the meeting, Rice detailed her goal of providing the Palestinians with a “political horizon.” She said that the goal of identifying a “final destination,” as she called it, is to eliminate misunderstanding between Palestinians and Israelis and to improve the atmosphere. According to several participants, Rice stressed the need to show the Palestinians that the key to achieving an independent state is in the hands of Abbas, not Hamas.

She also assured participants that the United States would not apply any pressure on Israel and would not come up with its own suggestions for the “political horizon” once negotiations begin.

Rice is sponsoring a February 19 meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

“She was very reassuring,” said one of the Jewish leaders who attended the meeting.

Rice also addressed the issue of Iran, saying that Teheran is vulnerable to international pressure; the international pressure on the Iran, she added, should continue. Contrary to the Russian view, Rice said, the United States believes that the pace of the actions against Iran should be picked up, because of the developments in its nuclear program.

The meeting, which took place at the State Department, lasted 45 minutes and was attended by leaders and Washington representatives of 15 major Jewish groups, including the American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Congress, Anti-Defamation League, the United Jewish Communities, Jewish Council of Public Affairs, Americans for Peace Now, Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs, Hillel, and the Republican Jewish Coalition, as well as Agudath Israel of America, Chabad, the Orthodox Union nd representatives of the Reform and Conservative synagogue movements.

"There is nothing called Israel, neither in reality nor in the imagination."

Quartet: Israel key to Mecca deal

Palestinian leaders signed an agreement on a unity government in Mecca on Thursday [AFP]

February 10, 2007

The Quartet of Middle East mediators has insisted any future Palestinian government must recognise Israel, while expressing "hope" that a deal on forming a unity government in Gaza will end violence.

The statement comes after Nizar Rayyan, a senior Hamas leader, said : "There is nothing called Israel, neither in reality nor in the imagination."

The Quartet - which consists of the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States - issued a statement on Friday saying it "expressed hope that the desired calm would prevail" following the agreement between Palestinian leaders reached in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday.

But Nizar Rayyan, whose comments were backed by a Hamas spokesman, said on Friday: "We will never recognise Israel."Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and head of Fatah, Khaled Meshaal, the political leader of Hamas, and Ismail Haniya, the Hamas prime minister, reached the deal during talks mediated by Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz after days of factional fighting in Gaza.Hamas agreed that it would "respect" past peace deals with Israel as part of the power-sharing accord with Fatah.

Israeli officials have said the unity deal has cast doubt on the summit.

'Hamas victory'

Tzachi Hanegbi, who heads the foreign affairs committee of the Israeli parliament, told Israel Radio: "Abu Mazen failed completely and he awarded a significant victory to Hamas.

"As a result, the chance of advancing an effective initiative and an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians has receded."

The Quartet have said their demands must be met before international relations and financial aid, which were halted after Hamas came to power in March 2006, are resumed.The Quartet will meet in Berlin on February 21 "to continue their consideration of these developments, and to review formation and implementation of the agreement on the government." "The Quartet will discuss the way ahead at the February 21 meeting," the statement added.

'Important step'

The Arab League has hailed the Mecca accord, hoping it would end the political crisis in the territories.

In a statement, Amr Moussa, the league's secretary-general, expressed "hope and trust that the agreement would end the political deadlock ... allowing Palestinians to focus on their primary cause which is the formation of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Moussa called on the Quartet to take note of "this important step" and of the need to lift the financial boycott of the Palestinians.

Abbas, in a letter reappointing Haniya as prime minister, said the new government should abide by "international law" and agreements signed by the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Saeb Erekat, an Abbas adviser and chief Palestinian negotiator, met Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, on Friday to discuss the deal, known as the Mecca Declaration, ahead of a three-way summit scheduled for February 19.

According to Riad Mansour, the Palestinian UN observer, Erekat noted Rice's cautious reaction to the agreement and said it should be judged on actions and results.

"You want to study thoroughly the Mecca agreement and read between the lines, especially with regard to honouring and respecting old agreements," Mansour quoted Erekat as saying.

"One should consider that shifting political positions does not happen overnight and one should be patient and give time to allow these transformations to take place," Mansour said.

Factional fighting

Sufian Abu Zaida, a senior Fatah official, said the goal of the unity government deal was to end the factional fighting that has raged for months between the factions, rather than meet the three conditions set out by the Quartet for ending the economic blockade.

"They did not think of Condoleezza Rice, [US president George] Bush, Israel, the Americans, the Quartet. ... Mainly they considered how to avoid bloodshed," he told Israel Radio.

Hani Habib, a Palestinian political analyst, said an agreement was reached on a unity government because neither side was strong enough to win militarily.

The US has pledged $86m to strengthen Abbas's forces; Hamas receives support for Iran and other Islamic allies.

Source

URGENT! Vigil for al-Aqsa Mosque outside 10 Downing Street

This week in Jerusalem, Israeli troops began demolishing a part of the structure along the wall of al-Aqsa Sanctuary, known as the Meghribi [Moroccan] Gate. This has given rise to increased tensions in and around Jerusalem, and the many protests by Palestinians has gone unnoticed internationally. The destruction of Islamic holy sites constitutes a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law and International Law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949), which prohibits the destruction of civilian properties.

Friends of Al-Aqsa calls upon everyone to attend a vigil outside 10 Downing Street demanding that the government asks for an immediate cessation to this violation.

DATE: Saturday 10th February
TIME: 4pm – 6pm
VENUE: 10 Downing Street

Supported by the British Muslim Initiative, PRC, IHRC, PSC and others.

Please circulate widely.

Israeli Police Storm Aqsa

An injured Palestinian is evacuated after Israeli police entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and fired stun grenades at worshippers at the end of Friday prayers. (EPA)

Hisham Abu Taha, Arab News

GAZA CITY, 10 February 2007 — Hundreds of Israeli police and army special units stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque after Palestinians ended their Friday prayers. Israeli forces hurled stun and tear gas grenades toward the worshippers who were protesting excavation work at the mosque.

Sheikh Tayseer Al-Tamimi, the supreme judge of Palestine, told reporters that a large number of Israeli police stormed the mosque compound under the cover of intensive gunfire. He added nearly 20 worshippers were wounded during the attack and more than 15 were arrested.

Tamimi reiterated yesterday his call for a day of protest against the Israeli excavation work at the mosque, which he slammed as a “crime placing the whole world on the brink of religious war.” He told reporters, “I call on the Palestinians to head to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and I call on the Arab and Islamic masses all over the world to express their anger today regarding this crime.” Tamimi had earlier announced that yesterday was to be “a day of fury” over the Israeli aggression on the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli police raised a security alert in the Old City early yesterday and prevented Palestinian worshippers from reaching the compound of the Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform Friday prayers, fearing a protest against the latest aggression.

However, despite strict Israeli measures thousands of Jerusalemites, Israeli-Arabs and Palestinians from the West Bank managed to reach the Al-Aqsa Mosque to protest the Israeli excavation.

Three thousand Israeli police were operating in the Old City of Jerusalem, security sources said. Palestinians under 45 years of age were prevented from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and those older than 45 years were allowed to enter only on foot.

Four days ago the Israel antiquities authority began a salvage excavation in the area around the Al-Maghrabia gate under the pretext of erecting supporting pillars for an old bridge that leads to the mosque compound.

Israeli bulldozers destroyed the bridge and two ancient rooms in the area of excavation. Palestinians are concerned that the excavation and digging of tunnels in the area could seriously affect Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest mosque.

“Throughout history, the Zionists never respected freedom of religion. It is still fresh in our memories the burning of Al-Aqsa Mosque in 1969,” said Fadi Mahmoud, a Lebanese restaurant worker in Jeddah.

He said the underground tunnel project would affect the mosque’s foundation. He called for stronger reaction from the Muslim world against the Israeli action. “Why the countries that have relations with the Zionist state are not pulling out their ambassadors or terminating the relations with Israel?” he asked.

Hassan Al-Ahmadi, a Saudi government worker, said the Muslim world should take quick action to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque from Israeli aggression. “We should not wait until the mosque is leveled to the ground to react. The Zionists will pay a heavy price if they touch one stone of the mosque,” he said.

Al-Ahmadi said if the Muslim governments fail to react for fear of the superpower then hundreds of thousands of Muslims around the world would go out on the streets to protest Israeli action.

“Demolishing homes around the holy mosque to build the bridge is just a step toward bringing the bulldozers closer to destroy it,” he warned.

“The Zionists are cowards. They will not dare touch the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” said Sultan Al-Muhammadi, a Saudi college student.

Further Reading:

Al-Quds Institution: Israel plans to divide the Aqsa Mosque

“Israel again proved its belligerence and lack of respect for Muslims”

Tamimi: Aqsa Mosque target of destruction, Jerusalem target of racial cleansing

Redwan demands international pressures on Israel to stop Aqsa diggings

Israel Plans to Divide the Aqsa Mosque?

Photo Essay

Sound Link

Israeli occupation excavations at the Aqsa Mosque 6 Feb. 2007

Palestinians demonstrate to protest the Israeli occupation's assault on the Aqsa Mosque

Jordanians demonstrate against the crime

Gates prepares for a large-scale war with Iran, North Korea, China and Russia

February 10, 2007

US Defense Minister Robert Gates called for increasing US army in order to be ready for a large-scale operation. North Korea, Iran, Russia and China are listed among potential enemies.

“We don't know what's going to develop in places like Russia and China, in North Korea, in Iran and elsewhere,” the Pentagon head said at US Senate Armed Services Committee hearings. He supported increasing military expenditures, as it will allow increasing the number of “free detachments.”

The statements seemingly shocked Americans. The current Pentagon head, who worked for the CIA almost 30 years, was considered to be quite a pragmatic person, who apparently was quite sober about the relations with Russia. Quite recently he was speculating on about necessity and usefulness of restoring the bygone Russian authority, Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper (Russia) says.

Meanwhile, Mayak Radio believes that it does not necessarily mean that the Pentagon chief called directly for preparing to a war with Russia. Gates meant that Americans should get ready not only to fighting terrorism, but to large-scale military operations with mass regular armies like Chinese or Russian ones.

Source

Palestinians in Palestine and the Diaspora demonstrate in support of al-Aqsa

February 9, 2007

Occupied Jerusalem – Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians demonstrated after Friday prayers in various towns, villages and refugee camps in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, 1948 occupied Palestine, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

Tens of thousands marched in Gaza city to protest the Israeli excavations at the Magharba gate which constitutes part of the Aqsa Mosque compound. The green flags of Hamas flew along the yellow flags of Fatah and people chanted slogans hailing Palestinian unity and condemning Israeli desecration of the Aqsa Mosque.

Similar demonstrations took place in the West Bank. As well as those demonstrations in occupied Jerusalem, there were demonstrations in Ramallah, Nablus, al-Khalil, Tulkarem and Jenin.

Around 100 Bil’in villagers together with 30 international and Israeli supporters today welcomed the announcement of the Palestinian unity government and condemned the excavation work being done by the Occupation near the Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem damaging the foundations of the Muslim holy site.

Palestinians living in the 1948 occupied areas also demonstrated in huge numbers in the northern Palestinian city of Nazareth where the demonstration was lead by Sheikh Raed Salah, head of the Islamic Movement in 1948 occupied Palestine.

Palestinians and Jordanians demonstrated in Amman in support of the Aqsa Mosque.

There were also demonstrations in the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus, which is the largest refugee camp in Syria.

In Lebanon too, the main refugee camps witnessed demonstrations in support of the Aqsa Mosque.

In all these demonstrations the protest at the Israeli aggressions were coupled with celebrating the landmark agreement between Hamas and Fatah to form a national unity government.

The signing of the Mecca agreement

February 9, 2007

Mecca - Ma'an exclusive - Fatah and Hamas have signed the Mecca agreement. The media advisor to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Nabil 'Amr, read the text of the agreement and the letter of assignment to Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh.

The following came in the agreement text:

• Assuring the prohibition of Palestinian bloodshed and the assurance of national unity to achieve the legitimate aims of the Palestinian people.

• Agreeing on counting the language of dialogue as the basis for solving all conflicts between brothers.

• Agreeing on establishing a unity government and to start taking constitutional procedures to its dedication immediately.

• Agreeing on proceeding in the procedures of reform of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) based on the Cairo agreements and the Damascus announcement.

• Assuring the principle of political partnership on the basis of political pluralism.

Signed in Holy Mecca on 21 Muharam, 1428 in the hegira (Islamic) calendar [8th of February, 2007 A.D.]

The presidential advisor, Nabil 'Amr, also read the text of the letter of assignment that President 'Abbas will send to Prime Minister Haniyeh. The letter said:

"I call on you within the coming period, in accordance with the Basic Law, to form the national unity government.

"I also call on you as a head of the future government to commit to the supreme interests of the Palestinian people and to keep their acquisitions as confessed by the successive national councils and the Arab League's decisions, and to respect the PLO agreements".

President Mahmoud Abbas gave a speech in which he emphasized the complete commitment to the agreement. He also praised the distinguished efforts of the Saudis in completing the agreement.

The head of Hamas' political bureau, Khalid Mash'al, also gave a speech in which he assured the willingness of both sides to implement the agreement and cast aside disagreement. He also promised the Palestinian people and God to be committed to what has been agreed upon, and he praised the significant role of the Saudi monarch in achieving the agreement.

Prime Minister Haniyeh gave a speech in which he praised the significant efforts of Saudi Arabia in achieving the agreement of reconciliation between brothers and to put an end to the difficult and hard days.

For his part, the Saudi monarch, Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz, congratulated the Palestinian leaders for achieving the agreement and for establishing a national unity government.

From his side, Fatah spokesman Maher Miqdad, who took part in the Fatah delegation in the Mecca dialogue, said that the subject of activating the PLO had featured in the discussions and it was agreed to continue the Cairo dialogue and the Damascus announcement. The participation of independent figures and the naming of Fatah and Hamas deputies will be completed within one month, he said, and this will be carried out in Gaza not in Mecca.

Miqdad also stressed the need to follow up the aftermath of the bloody internal fighting. He said that it is important to study the causes of the fighting while also dealing with all its consequences without leaving any dispute unresolved in order to avoid any return to the previous turmoil.

He said that all parties who signed the agreement declared their commitment to accurately following up this issue.

Miqdad also noted the need to respect the people who suffered during the internal clashes.

"It is not possible to summarize the subject of a political agreement without looking at the events … that happened previously," he said.

He added, "Some crimes … we have to deal with at higher levels, taking into consideration that there are lots of wounds and sufferings that are hard to ignore." He said that the situation required "a variety of initiatives by President Abu Mazen [Mahmoud Abbas], or even by the head of government and factional leaders, as well as the tribal leaders."

Typical Day in the White House?

Or Bush and Rice plays,

"Who's on First."

I hope this is a joke,

Could it be this bad?

Abbott and Costello Who's On First?

An Interpretation of What Makes a Suicide Bomber

Parking for Palestinian’s only, All Others Will Be Towed

What is really going on in Palestine, DO Not allow the media to deceive you. Open your eyes and free your minds.




فباسم الله ، ونافعه الرحيم

لقد حان الوقت ، ان الله يجعل كل ما ينبغي ان يكون. نهاية كل المعاناة. آمين

In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

It is time, may Allah help make all as it should be. End all the suffering. Ameen

Note:

Some Palestinian's use the name of the Jewish people interchangeable with Zionism, because some do not know the difference or the fact that the Zionist Political ideology; claim Judaism as their religion.

I am not Anti-Semitic in any manner for two reasons‘, I have nothing against those true to their religion and the Arab people as the Jewish people, are both Semitic in origin.

The Occupation Project

War Opponents Occupy Congressional Offices

February 6, 2007

By MIKE FERNER

From Alaska to Washington, D.C. yesterday, peace activists escalated their tactics and occupied Congressional offices, demanding elected officials vote against George Bush,s request of $93,000,000,000 to extend the war.

The Occupation Project, organized by Voices for Creative Nonviolence (VCNV), kicked off at noon, Eastern Time when four people were arrested holding a funeral service in the Chicago office of Democratic U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and four more people were arrested in the Chicago office of U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), reading names of Iraqis and U.S. soldiers.

At the same the same hour, 10 people sat down and were arrested in the Washington, D.C. office of Senator John McCain (R-AZ), including Garett Reppenhagen, a director of Iraq Veterans Against the War, Franciscan priest Jerry Zawada, and Kathy Kelly, Nobel Peace Prize nominee and co-director of VCNV. McCain's office in Phoenix was also occupied.

On the opening day of the six-week project, a total of eight local congressional offices were occupied across the country, including the San Francisco offices of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA), and the Portland office of Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR). Members of Veterans For Peace, one of the 18 organizations endorsing the campaign, participated in an action at a congressional office in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Dan Pearson, a spokesperson for the Occupation Project, explained the campaign's goal is to defeat the $93 billion "emergency supplemental war funding bill that the Bush administration forwarded to Congress yesterday."

Pearson and three others were removed from Obama's Chicago office yesterday after the office manager told them they could stay until closing time if they stopped reading letters from U.S. soldiers and Iraqis. Pearson responded that "We didn't come here to sit down and be quiet. We are responding to an emergency. If an apartment were on fire across the street I would bang on every door and interrupt whatever the neighbors were doing and I wouldn't feel bad about it."

Today, organizers are targeting congressional offices in Minneapolis-St. Paul, St. Louis, and Seattle. Plans for other occupations are underway in over 20 states as a way to pressure elected officials to "defund the Iraq war.

The Occupation Project got a boost yesterday when United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), the coalition that brought some 300,000 protesters to Washington on January 27, endorsed it and sent an email letter to its 1400 member organizations around the nation, urging their participation.

Mike Ferner is a freelance writer from Ohio and author of "Inside the Red Zone: A Veteran For Peace Reports from Iraq"

Israeli forces arrest Sheikh Raed Salah and other Palestinian dignitaries during a sit-down strike in Jerusalem

7 February 2007

Thousands of Palestinians in various Gaza and West Bank districts on Tuesday marched in protest against Israeli demolition of parts of the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

In the Aqsa Mosque itself hundreds of worshippers who managed to reach the holy site despite Israeli restrictions marched towards Maghareba gate and staged a sit-in to protest the Israeli demolition of the Maghareba Bridge.

The Israeli police arrested nine Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem after clashing with policemen, who blocked the Muslims from reaching the Aqsa compound.

Large numbers of Israeli police cordoned off the entire vicinity of the Aqsa Mosque since dawn Tuesday and prevented all those under 50 years of age from passing.

Friends of Al-Aqsa calls upon the British government to demand Israeli occupying forces immediately stop the vandalising the boundaries of Holy al-Aqsa Sanctuary. We further ask for people to lobby their respective government to condemn Israel and bring an end to the violations.

source

Related Reading:

Israel’s Excavation at Al-Aqsa Stirs ‘Volcano of Anger’

Just Imagine If This Was Your Home Here?

Israeli Soldiers Attack a Palestinian in His Home

British film crew threatened by drunken settler in Hebron

“...We Killed Jesus and We are proud of it…” We are going to kill you and the Palestinians..."

Tel Rumeida is a small Palestinian neighborhood deep in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Palestinian families from whom these settlers occupied lands, live directly next to these settlers and are often virtual prisoners in their homes, subject to the settlers' violent attacks and destruction of property.

Details of evening Mecca discussions emerge

The start of the meeting in Mecca (Ma'anImages)

February 7, 2007

Gaza - Ma'an - Dialogue sessions in Mecca will start on Wednesday evening between different committees within the Hamas and Fatah delegations. They are to determine the issues to be negotiated in the later evening's agenda. According to Fatah's commissioner for public relations, Abdul-Hakim Awad, the members of the two delegations will be divided into specialized committees and each will discuss one of the articles on the agenda.

The Fatah representatives to the committees have been named as follows:

Fatah will be represented on the government's committee by Rawhi Fattooh and Azzam Al-Ahmad.

Fatah will be represented on the political partnership committee by Sameer Mashharawi and Ahmad Hillis.

Fatah will be represented on the PLO committee by Nabil Amr and Nasir Yousif.

The identities of the Hamas representation to each committee has not yet been released.

Awad quoted the meeting conveners as saying that "a positive atmosphere is prevailing, with both sides showing goodwill, affirming that no return is expected without agreement".

He also revealed that the Saudi monarch will take part in some of the sessions, particularly those expected to witness the most contentious points. "No pressure will be exerted on any party by the Saudis, and no time limit is set for the sessions", added Abdul-Hakim Awad.

When the Pot Boil's Over

February 7, 2007

by Housewife4Palestine


Something, I did not realize until recently, that if a family is forced to be a refugee outside of Palestine, how vastly different certain aspect’s of their life can be.

Especially from those who are still in Palestine.

For instance, family member’s can be separated from each other and you never hear from them again.

You may be born and raised to what your identity is as Palestinians that your life outside of Palestine is either a Diaspora or just plain Exile.

There is some who where so threatened by the Zionist’s especially before 1948, that if they tried to stay in Palestine or return it was certain death, so for self survival, for generations now they live as displaced person’s.

Trying with all effort’s to keep that identity and their love for Palestine, with the dream that one day; one member of one of the generations may return home.

For those who have not been silent since this whole holocaust started, there is some family and generations later that voice the appeals and the crimes that are true to the nature of the Zionist.
As the whole Middle East situation has vastly became a boiling pot threatening to burst with the largest scale war in history and the core is the Palestinian/Israeli war. That the voices and peace demonstration’s not just by the Palestinian people, but the world as a whole.

I am yet to wonder when the real terrorist and warmonger’s are going to listen towards putting and end to this crisis?

The pot will boiler over and by then it will be too late.

_______________________________________


عندما تغلي في اناء علي

شيء لم أكن أدرك حتى وقت قريب ، اذا اضطرت اسرة لاجءه خارج فلسطين كيف
تختلف في جوانب معينة من الحياة.
خصوصا من أولئك الذين ما زالوا في فلسطين.
على سبيل المثال ، يمكن لأفراد الاسرة أن تفصل عن بعضها البعض وانت لا
تسمع من جديد.

يمكنكم ان يولد واثار انتباهكم الى ما هو هوية الفلسطينيين حياتك خارج
فلسطين اما في الشتات او المنفى السهل.

هناك بعض من ذلك عندما هدد بها الصهيونية في عام 1948 ، وخاصة قبل اذا حاول البقاء في فلسطين او العودة من موت محقق ، وذلك لبقاء النفس ، ان الاجيال التي تعيش فالمشرد ل.
تحاول بكل جهد للحفاظ على هويتها وحبهم لفلسطين ، حلم يوما ما. عضو واحد من جيل العودة الى ديارهم.

لمن لم كل هذا الصمت منذ بداية محرقه وهناك بعض الاسرة واجيال ذلك الصوت نداءات والجرائم التي لا ينطبق على الطبيعة من الصهيونى. فمنطقة الشرق الاوسط الكبير قد أصبح مهددا غليان القدر الاكبر مع انفجار حرب شاملة والتاريخ هو لب الفلسطينية الاسرائيلية الحرب. ان اصوات السلام وليس فقط في المظاهره الى جانب الشعب الفلسطيني ، بل العالم ككل.

انا لم اتساءل متى الارهابي الحقيقي لدعاة الحرب وسوف نستمع الى وضع حد ل هذه الأزمة؟

القدر سوف يزيد من غلايه وعندئذ سيكون الأوان قد فات.

Women Wearing Hijab

Why Muslimah Wear Hijab and What it Means to Us

Explosion’s Within Question of the Twin Tower’s

The truth about 911 and WTC P3

Did the U.S. Kidnap Iranian Diplomat in Iraq?

U.S. denies hand in Iran envoy's capture

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, left, and Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the Shiite bloc in parliament in Iraq, talk, during their meeting in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Feb. 5, 2007. (AP Photo/Soureh News Agency)

February 6, 2007

By ROBERT H. REID, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq -It was just past sunset when a car carrying an Iranian diplomat was cruising through the streets of a leafy Shiite neighborhood. Suddenly, two cars filled with uniformed men blocked the way, forced him into a vehicle and sped off.

Jalal Sharafi's abduction Sunday evening threatens to escalate the tense standoff between Iran and the United States — and could swell into a major diplomatic crisis for Iraq's fragile, Shiite-dominated government.

Iran has blamed the U.S. for the kidnapping — or possibly arrest — of Sharafi, a second secretary at the Iranian Embassy. Tehran said it holds the Americans responsible for his safety.

U.S. authorities deny any role in the disappearance. "We don't really know a whole lot about it at this point," White House spokesman Tony Snow said. "We know that the Iraqi government is investigating."

Publicly, the Iraqi government is saying as little as possible.

Suspicion also has fallen on a range of possible culprits — Iraqi commandos, rogue elements in the security forces, Sunni insurgents or criminals seeking a big ransom.

Some Shiite lawmakers said the abduction was staged by an Iraqi commando unit that reports directly to the U.S. command — an allegation strongly denied by U.S. spokesmen.

Details of the kidnapping remain murky, but one government official said it began when gunmen wearing Iraqi army uniforms blocked Sharafi's car in the Karradah district, forced him into one of their two vehicles and sped away.

Iraqi police then opened fire, disabling the second vehicle and arresting the four gunmen inside, the official said.

Police took the four to a police station. The next day, Iraqis in uniform appeared there, showed government badges and demanded the four suspects — ostensibly to transfer them to another lockup, the official said.

The authorities complied, and the men disappeared. Spokesmen of both the Interior Ministry and the Defense Ministry, which together control Iraqi security forces, said they had no information and no idea where the suspects went.

Shiite lawmakers said they believed Sharafi was detained in an intelligence operation carried out by the Iraqi Special Operations Command, an elite unit under the direct supervision of the U.S. military.

The lawmakers and officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

But U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Garver said no U.S. or coalition troops were involved in the abduction. "We've checked with our units and it was not an MNF-I (Multi-National Forces — Iraq) unit that participated in that event," he said.

Garver said he was also ruling out involvement by any Iraqi unit that reports directly to the U.S. command — which would include Special Operations troops.

Those denials did little to soothe Iran's anger.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said it had summoned the Swiss and Iraqi ambassadors to Tehran to protest the abduction of the diplomat. Switzerland looks after U.S. interests in Iran since Tehran and Washington have no diplomatic relations.

Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini said Iran "strongly condemns this aggressive act, which is in violation of international law" protecting accredited diplomats.

"Iran holds American forces in Iraq responsible for the safety and life of the Iranian diplomat," he told Iran's official Islamic Republic News Agency.

Karradah is an unlikely venue for an assault on an Iranian diplomat. The heavily Shiite neighborhood is controlled by the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, or SCIRI, a major Shiite party with close ties to Iran.

SCIRI was founded in Iran in 1982 by Iraqi Shiite militants who fled Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime. Iran's Revolutionary Guards organized and trained SCIRI's armed wing, the Badr Brigade, which fought alongside Iranian soldiers in the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war.

The abduction occurred as tension between Iran and the United States is mounting over alleged Iranian support of Shiite extremists in Iraq and U.S. efforts to force Tehran to abandon its suspected nuclear weapons program. Iran says it wants to use the technology to generate nuclear power.

The incident came nearly a month after U.S. detained five Iranians in northern Iraq and accused them of having links to the Al-Quds Brigade — a part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards which trains and finances armed Shiite groups outside Iran.

Two Iranian diplomats also were detained in a Dec. 21 roundup of a group of 10 suspects. The diplomats were interrogated and released to Iranian officials eight days later.

The White House has authorized U.S. troops in Iraq to kill or capture Iranian agents deemed to be a threat, saying evidence is mounting that Iran is supporting terrorists inside Iraq and is a major supplier of bombs and other weapons used to target U.S. forces. Tehran has denied it.

U.S. officials believe Iranian agents may have been behind the Jan. 20 attack in the southern city of Karbala in which four American soldiers were kidnapped and slain. A fifth American was killed in the firefight.

Those suspicions are based in part on the skill and cunning of the attack — in which gunmen more U.S.-style uniforms, drove to the scene in American vehicles and apparently used American weapons.

Meanwhile, U.S. and Iraqi officials said American authorities are investigating allegations that an Iraqi Shiite lawmaker took part in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. and French embassies in Kuwait and is a conduit for Iranian weapons and supplies smuggled to Shiite militias.

Jamal Jaafar Mohammed, who was elected to parliament in December 2005 on the Shiite ticket, was sentenced to death in Kuwait years ago for his role in the bombings, in which five people were killed and 86 wounded, but fled to Iran, CNN reported. CNN said U.S. military intelligence in Iraq believes Mohammed helps Iranian special forces in Iraq as "a conduit for weapons and political influence."

Mohammed returned to Iraq after the fall of Saddam, but has not attended any legislative sessions since last year and is believed to be in Iran, Shiite lawmakers said.

In Iraq, however, there is no shortage of groups capable of a kidnapping — and no shortage of speculation with every spectacular bombing, mass abduction or suicide attack.

Kidnappings by gunmen wearing uniforms and traveling in government vehicles have occurred with alarming frequency in Baghdad over the past two years. Last July, gunmen wearing police uniforms seized the head of Iraq's Olympic committee and dozens of others during a meeting in Karradah.

Most of them are still missing, including the committee president, Ahmed al-Hijiya.

Such kidnappings have been variously blamed on rogue elements within the Shiite-controlled police, Shiite militias, Sunni insurgents and criminal gangs, and intelligence units that detain people secretly to avoid Iraqi laws limiting the amount of time a suspect can be held without charge.

U.S. and coalition forces are holding thousands of people without charge as security risks, citing the U.N. resolution under which the Americans and their international partners operate here. The resolution does not grant Iraqi forces the same authority.
___
AP writer Ali Akbar Dareini in Tehran, Iran, and Qassim Abdul-Zahra in Baghdad contributed to this report.

Soldier on trial for Iraq refusal

Ehren Watada is the first US army officer to publicly refuse orders to go to Iraq [AFP]

February 5, 2007

An outspoken officer in the US army is due to appear before a military court for refusing to serve in Iraq.

First Lieutenant Ehren Watada has described America's involvement in Iraq as illegal and morally wrong.

The 28-year old faces four years in prison if convicted on one count of missing movement and two counts of conduct unbecoming an officer for refusing to go with his unit, the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division.

His court martial, a military trial, is to begin on Monday at Fort Lewis, Washington.

Anti-war activists consider Watada a hero, but the army accuses him of betraying his fellow soldiers.

Denied a chance to debate the legality of the Iraq war in court, Watada's lawyer on Monday hopes to minimise the amount of time he could serve if convicted.

'Illegal' war

Watada, the first commissioned officer to refuse specifically to serve in Iraq, has spoken out against US military involvement in Iraq, calling it morally wrong and a breach of American law.

"As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must as an officer of honour and integrity refuse that order"

Ehren Watada, US army lieutenant

In a video statement in June, Watada said: "As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must as an officer of honour and integrity refuse that order."

Despite having already been charged, he spoke out again in August, at a Veterans for Peace rally in Seattle.

Watada said: "Though the American soldier wants to do right, the illegitimacy of the occupation itself, the policies of this administration, and the rules of engagement of desperate field commanders will ultimately force them to be party to war crime."

The lieutenant and his attorney, Eric Seitz, contend his comments are protected speech, but army prosecutors argued his behaviour was dangerous to "the mission" and morale of other soldiers.

Army 'betrayal'

Captain Dan Kuecker said at one hearing: "He betrayed his fellow soldiers who are now serving in Iraq."

Colonel Dan Baggio, a US army spokesperson, said: "[It] sets a bad example for the soldiers underneath that person. It sets a bad precedent. At that point in time you've lost good order and discipline. You can't have that in a military organisation."

Seitz unsuccessfully sought an opportunity to argue the legality of the war, saying it violated army regulations that specify wars are to be waged in accordance with the United Nations charter.

His final attempt was quashed last month when the military judge, Lieutenant-Colonel John Head, ruled that Watada cannot base his defence on the war's legality.

Head also rejected claims that Watada's statements were protected by the US constitution's free speech rights.

Source

Syria: Talks with U.S. Iraq's only hope

Some hundreds Iraqi refugees in Syria stage a protest before the offices of the U.N. High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) Monday Feb. 5, 2007, to protest against what they say are new visa regulations against displaced Iraqi people. A Syrian government official dismissed Sunday Iraqi accusations that it was taking measures against Iraqi refugees. Protesters carried photos of Syrian President Assad, Iraqi flags and banners declaring their opposition to the visa regulations. (AP Photo / Bassem Tellawi)

February 5, 2007

DAMASCUS, Syria -President Bashar Assad said cooperation — and negotiations — between Syria and the United States could be the "last chance" to avoid full-scale civil war in Iraq.

Assad criticized President Bush, saying his administration does not have the "vision" to bring peace in Iraq. In the interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC News' "Good Morning America," Assad praised Bush's father, saying the elder Bush had the "will to achieve the peace in the region."

Assad said Syria could help negotiate among Iraq's factions.

"We're not the only player, not the single player. But we are the main player in this issue," Assad said. "So that's how we can stop the violence."

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended in December that the Bush administration make diplomatic overtures to Syria and Iran to use their influence with Sunni and Shiite extremist groups to curb the violence and prevent the conflict from spilling over into the rest of the Middle East.

But the White House rejected the recommendation, instead deciding to send another 21,500 U.S. troops mostly to Baghdad for a major security crackdown — the third in a year.
Assad said the Syrians were not optimistic that the Bush administration would pursue diplomatic contacts despite pressure from Congress to do so.

"I think it's too late for them to move toward that. It doesn't mean we can't turn the tide. But (it may be) too late because Iraqis are heading towards civil war. So maybe (this is) the last chance that we have now to start."

Assad insisted that Syria had good relations with all the Iraqi parties.

In recent weeks, however, Iraq's Shiite-led government has become increasingly critical of Syria for allegedly harboring fugitives who finance and support the Sunni insurgency. The government has also accused Syria of turning back Iraqis trying to flee the country and threatening to deport those already living there.

The strident attacks are similar to those leveled by the United States against Iran for allegedly supplying Shiite militias with training, weapons and money. The Iraqi government has so far refrained from criticizing Shiite-led Iran.

Assad insisted that Syria, Iran and other regional powers have a stake in bringing peace to Iraq.

"So if we have this chaos in Iraq, it will spill over to Syria and to other countries. So saying this, like saying that the Syrian government is working against the Syrian interest, this is impossible," he said.

During the interview, Assad also criticized Washington for trying to solve the Iraqi crisis through more troops.

He said the Americans shared the blame for the chaos "because they're responsible for the political situation." That appeared to refer to a U.S. policy early in the occupation favoring the Shiite majority over Sunnis, who were dominant during the Saddam Hussein regime.

"They only talk about troops and power, not about the political process," Assad said.

Hamas invites Fatah to comprehensive national reconciliation

February 5, 2007

Gaza - After days of unfortunate armed clashes in Gaza Strip, Hamas Movement invited on Sunday Fatah faction to a comprehensive national reconciliation in a bid to enhance Palestinian national front and preserve Palestinian unity.

In a statement it issued and a copy of which was obtained by the PIC, Hamas asserted that there was a group of hooligans within Fatah faction with suspicious agenda and carrying out Israeli and American plans in the Palestinian arena, and opposing any Hamas-Fatah harmony and political partnership.

“The problem isn’t between Hamas and Fatah as many would like to think; but, the real problem indeed is between Hamas, Fatah, and the Palestinian community on the one hand, and the mutiny trend in the Palestinian arena on the other hand”, the statement explained.

It further regretted the unfortunate incidents in Gaza Strip that, according to the statement, swerved the Palestinian gun from the right direction although for a while, and gave Israel the ample time needed to execute its plans against the Aqsa Mosque.

The Movement in this regard hailed the swift Palestinian response to the IOA threats against the Aqsa Mosque as thousands of Palestinian Jerusalemites and from the 1948-occupied Palestinian lands rushed to defend it and to block the Israeli conspiracy.

Joint Hamas-Fatah patrols in Gaza streets:
Meanwhile, Hamas and Fatah Movements agreed Sunday night to implement a new mechanism for ceasefire, which calls for the immediate withdrawal of armed elements from the streets of Gaza.

“The two factions agreed to remove all forms of military demonstrations in Gaza streets and to mobilize joint security patrols there”, said Ayman Taha, one of Hamas political leaders.

Both factions further agreed to condemn targeting Palestinian security men, citizens, and public and private institutions among other installations, and vowed to support the PA interior ministry’s efforts in enforcing law and order in the PA-run lands.

Palestinian resistance fires at Beit Hanun crossing

February 5, 2007

Gaza - The Nasser Salahuddin Brigades, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees, on Sunday fired a home made rocket at the Beit Hanun crossing in reprisal to the Israeli attempt to control the holy Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem.

The NSB said in a statement that the crossing, to the north of the Gaza Strip, was hit with Nasser-2 locally made missile on Sunday evening.

It affirmed that the attack was in retaliation to the Israeli threats to the holy Aqsa Mosque and to confirm insistence on resistance till liberation of all Palestinian lands.

The Beloved

A song about Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) from Yusuf Islam from his album, "An Other Cup. "

Hebrew sources: IOF troops gear up for large-scale invasion to Gaza Strip

February 4, 2007

Occupied Jerusalem - The Hebrew daily Haaretz newspaper said on Sunday that the IOF troops were gearing up for possible military invasion to the densely populated Gaza Strip.

The paper alleged that the Israelis were worried that the inter-Palestinian fighting would spell into “Israel”.

But Palestinian analysts opined that the invasion, if it takes place, aims at supporting the mutiny trend of MP Mohammed Dahalan against Hamas Movement in Gaza Strip.

Mohammed Dahlan rose from the ranks of the youth wing of Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement. He is believed to enjoy covert funding from Washington and London. Photo by Matthew Kalman, special to the Chronicle

Weeks ago, high-ranking IOF officers affirmed that the IOF troops will immediately intervene and attack the Strip if the mutiny trend appeared to be defeated at the hands of Hamas, and vowed full protection for Dahalan.

However, the paper quoted IOF officers as saying that the invasion wasn’t urgent, at least at the moment, and that it will be part of a contingency plan in case Palestinian resistance fighters prevailed in Gaza Strip.

Director-general of the Israeli foreign ministry Aharon Abramovich acknowledged that the Israeli occupation government was “passing through hard interval, and that it was closely monitoring what is happening in Gaza Strip.

Israel, according to the Palestinian analysts, fears possible victory of Hamas and the resistance trend over that mutiny trend in Gaza Strip, and that it would completely dominate it which would jeopardize Israeli and American plans in the region.


The USA is strongly participating in the conspiracy against Hamas and the PA government it leads as it released 86 million dollars to forces loyal to PA chief Mahmoud Abbas in the hope that the money will strengthen those forces in beating Hamas.

Palestinian districts suffering acute shortage in medicine

Jenin Hospital Corridor

February 4, 2007

Jenin - Thousands of Palestinian patients in the Jenin district are lacking badly needed medicines and medical supplies especially insulin, for more than 5,000 diabetic patients in the district, and tranquilizers.

Dr. Anan Al-Masri, the PA health undersecretary, said on Sunday that the problem is found in all Palestinian districts in the West Bank and in all kinds of medicines.

Masri said that the shortage is not due to a default on the part of the health ministry but rather due to the World Bank measures that controls the dispensing of medicine to the Palestinian lands.

The ministry exerted strenuous efforts to provide the medicine for the citizens, he said, adding that the World Bank is expected to allow the transfer of a shipment of medicine to Palestine within the few coming days.

Two State Plan for the Palestinians

While imprisoned in Ashkelan prison, Zuhdi Al Adawi taught himself to make art. His expressionist drawings depict the psychological anguish and physical torture he endured there. He now lives in a refugee camp in Damascus, Syria.

February 4, 2007

Editorial

by Housewife4Palestine

Many think the Two State Plan is the way to go, but think again.

As it is written now, more Palestinian land will be confiscated by Israel. Then what is left of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank would eventually appear to be nothing more then a prison camp for the Palestinian people.

As Palestinian’s, do you wish this for your future?

Myself, I think not.

Many have never recognized the State of Israel and I will readily admit I am one Palestinian that does not recognize any form of occupation, especially in my own country.

The only way for real peace in the region, is for the Zionist to relinquish their terror state, for the sake of all, to form a Free Palestine where all religions can once again live in absolute peace.

_________

خطة دولتين للفلسطينيين

4 / 2/ 2007

افتتاحية

كثيرون الدولتين خطة الطريق أمامنا ولكن اعتقد مرة اخرى.

وقد ورد ان اكثر الاراضي الفلسطينية تصادر من قبل اسرائيل. ثم ما تبقى من
قطاع غزة والضفة الغربية في نهاية المطاف يبدو ان لا شيء اكثر من سجن
معسكر للشعب الفلسطيني.

عن فلسطين ، هل ترون ان هذا لمستقبلك؟

شخصيا ، لا اعتقد.

كثير منهم لم تعترف بدولة اسرائيل وأنا اعترف انني واحدة الفلسطيني لا بأن أي
شكل من أشكال الاحتلال ، خصوصا في بلدي.

السبيل الوحيد لتحقيق سلام حقيقي في المنطقة ، ومن اجل الصهيوني على
التخلي عن ارهاب الدولة ، لمصلحة الجميع تشكيل لتحرير فلسطين يها كل
الاديان ان تعيش مرة اخرى في سلام مطلق.

2006 White House Correspondents Dinner

Video

An excerpt from the annual White House Correspondents Association dinner. President Bush’s presentation included an impersonator, Steve Bridges, who "interpreted" the president's remarks for laymen.

U.S.: 4 copter losses due to ground fire

The wife of Jassim Talib (26), one of the victims of Saturday's Sadriyah market bombing, covers herself with dirt as she cries during her husband's funeral in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007.

February 4, 2007

By SAMEER N. YACOUB, Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD, Iraq -The four U.S. helicopters that have crashed in Iraq since Jan. 20 were apparently shot down, the chief American military spokesman said Sunday — the first time the U.S. command has publicly acknowledged that the aircraft were lost to enemy fire.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell told reporters that the investigations into the crashes of three Army and one private helicopters are incomplete but "it does appear they were all the result of some kind of anti-Iraqi ground fire that did bring those helicopters down."

"There's been an ongoing effort since we've been here to target our helicopters," Caldwell said. "Based on what we have seen, we're already making adjustments in our tactics and techniques and procedures as to how we employ our helicopters."

On Friday, Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged that insurgent ground fire in Iraq "has been more effective against our helicopters in the last couple of weeks."

But Pace said it was unclear whether "this is some kind of new tactics or techniques that we need to adjust to."

In the aftermath of the worst single bomb attack in Iraq since the start of the war — 137 people killed in a suicide truck bombing on a Shiite market — stunned Iraqis picked through the rubble of devastated buildings and loaded coffins onto minivans.

The explosion Saturday was fifth major bombing in less than a month targeting predominantly Shiite districts in Baghdad and the southern Shiite city of Hillah. It also was the worst in the capital since a series of car bombs and mortars killed at least 215 people in the Shiite district of Sadr City on Nov. 23.

Bandaged women, children and men filled hospital beds, while several bloodied bodies were piled onto blankets on the floor of the morgue, which was filled to capacity. Minivans carried wooden coffins to funerals.

The blast shaved the walls off nearby buildings, sending bricks, desks and other debris spilling onto Kifah Street, where the Sadriyah market was located. Police used loudspeakers to ask people to leave the area, fearing another suicide bomber could slip into the crowd. Shiite militiamen prevented anyone from entering the emptied buildings.

"It is a tragedy. The terrorists want to punish the Iraqi people. There was no police or American presence in this market yesterday," said Adnan Lafta, a 51-year-old seller of gas cylinders.

The bombing came just days before American and Iraqi forces were expected to start an all-out assault on Sunni and Shiite gunmen and bombers in the capital.

Only a day earlier, 16 American intelligence agencies made public a National Intelligence Estimate that said conditions in Baghdad were perilous.

"Unless efforts to reverse these conditions show measurable progress ... in the coming 12 to 18 months, we assess that the overall security situation will continue to deteriorate," a declassified synopsis of the report declared.

Suspicion fell on Sunni insurgents — al-Qaida in Iraq and allied groups in particular. The militant bombers are believed to have stepped up their campaign against Shiites in the final days before the joint U.S.-Iraqi crackdown in Baghdad. Many saw the operation as a last-chance effort to clamp off violence that has turned the capital into a sectarian battleground.

Saturday's death toll surpassed a Feb. 28, 2005, suicide car bomb targeting mostly Shiite police and national guard recruits in Hillah that killed 125.

In the hours after the explosion, Shiite and Sunni mortar teams traded fire across the darkened city. Two people were killed and 20 wounded in one predominantly Sunni district.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said the bombing was "an example of what the forces of evil will do to intimidate the Iraqi people."

Maj. Gen. Jihad al-Jabiri of the Iraqi Interior Ministry said the truck had been packed with a ton of explosives.

Iraqis elsewhere in Baghdad faced another round of bombings and shootings on Sunday, with at least 22 people killed, including eight people who died in two car bombings.

Iraqi soldiers also detained 32 militants and discovered four weapons caches in western Baghdad, seizing 1,128 mortar rounds, five rocket-propelled grenades, a rocket launcher, 50 anti-aircraft shells and other ammunition, according to the Defense Ministry.

An Iraqi militant group tied to al-Qaida in Iraq announced Saturday it had launched its own new strategy to counter the coming U.S.-Iraqi crackdown.

In an audiotape posted on a Web site commonly used by the insurgents, a voice purported to be that of Abu Abdullah Rashid al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, said the group would "widen the circle of battles" beyond Baghdad to all of Iraq. Al-Baghdadi heads The Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of insurgent groups in Iraq.

The U.S. military reported the deaths of five more soldiers — four in fighting and one of an apparent heart attack. All died Friday.
___
Associated Press writers Sinan Salaheddin and Qais al-Bashir in Baghdad contributed to this story.

Israeli Bulldozer Demolished a Palestinian House in Al-Azariyah

An Israeli occupation bulldozer demolished a Palestinian house in the village of Al-Azariyah, on the edge of occupied Jerusalem, January 30, 2007 at the pretext of lack of building permit. Palestinians view it within the framework of the ongoing ethnic cleansing in and around occupied Jerusalem.

Georgia Mayor Converts to Islam

Hakim Mansour Ellis, whose mayoral term expires this year, said he hasn't calculated how his religious conversion might affect him politically.

MACON, Ga. (Feb. 2) - Mayor Jack Ellis has converted to Islam and is working to change his legal name to Hakim Mansour Ellis.

Ellis, 61, a Macon native who was raised Christian, said he became a Sunni Muslim during a December ceremony in the west African nation of Senegal.

Ellis said he has studied the Quran for years and that his new religion was practiced by his ancestors before they were brought to North America as slaves.

"Why does one become a Christian?" Ellis said Thursday. "You do it because it feels right. ... To me it's no big deal. But people like to know what you believe in."

Name-changing by Islamic converts is a common practice that is considered commendable, though it is typically not required.

Ellis said he would keep his last name at the request of two daughters.

Ellis, whose mayoral term expires this year, said he hasn't calculated how his religious conversion might affect him politically. He said he is proud to live in a country founded on religious freedom.

"If anybody wants to know about Islam, I can hold an intelligent conversation," Ellis said. "What I've found is how little we know about the religion."

THIS VIDEO SHOW THE VICTIMS IN THE ARABIC WORLD

WHERE ARE THE ARABS-WEN IL MALAJIN

"The Quartet has been subject to the whim of the American"

Haniya makes an urgent appeal to the Palestinian people to stop the fighting

Haniya demanding Abbas withdraw around and emphasizes that the agreement Stresses need for a genuine will

February 3, 2007

Translated

Carrying Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya, Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the responsibility of the recent events, during which many of the dead and wounded, asking him to issue a firm decision to withdraw gunmen from a of the streets, and the cease-fire immediately.

Haniya said that the meetings, conducted between Hamas and Fatah, need only to a firm and sincere will to implement the accurate and Secretary, what is being agreed upon, The commitment, and not keep the situation in this way.
He emphasized that the continuation of this bleeding "is not in our favor, in the case of the people and unity, that must be established in the face of the Zionist occupation. "

He added : Haniya "After these violations, which are behind every agreement, it is not important now Agreement, but important will the commitment to what was agreed upon, and the honest and accurate implementation him. Enough agreements lobby Anat, and the situation on the ground as it is. "

The new Prime Minister-elect appeal to both people Palestinian b "away from enjoying the disarmament, that has started to threaten one way or another the security of the homeland and the citizen ", He emphasized that "large and tough battle with the occupation Zionist, and its field-guns this field. "

He said : "There is a Zionist assassination of the leaders and cadres of Amega blaming in the West Bank. We must understand the nature of this attack, suffered by our people. " He explained that the guarantees are calm leadership commitment " that can give instructions are clear and unequivocal and Jazz à-vis the security services loyal to President Abbas that followed Zim to what was agreed upon, and to return to their barracks. "

Dogs in Islam

It is written, that an angel will not enter the house where there is a dog, because the dog can see the angel's.