Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for October 08/12
Iranian official: Israel to lose 10,000 troops if strikes Iran
Lebanese Security Plan to Combat Lawlessness to Kick Off in Bekaa
U.S. court to look into Shibli Aisamy disappearance: daughter
Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Oct. 8, 2012
March 14 MPs slam Hezbollah ‘role in Syria’
U.N. envoy in Lebanon repeats need for distancing Lebanon from Syria crisis
Shaaban recordings evidence of criminal involvement: source
Commander of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon Maj. Gen. Paolo Serraasks to move UNIFIL HQ after threats received
UNHCR Report Says Nearly 85,200 Syrians Fled Crackdown to Lebanon
Ban: Escalation on Syria-Turkey Border 'Extremely Dangerous'
Turkey fires artillery into Syria after shelling
Turkey, Syria trade fire; border tensions mount
Turkey fires artillery into Syria after shelling
Israeli jets fly mock raids over south Lebanon
'UAV flight exposes weakness in Israeli air defense'
Romney plans to bring new face to old conflict
Venezuela's Chavez re-elected to extend his rule
Barak: If ordered, IDF can conquer Gaza
Rocket barrage from Gaza injures 1
IAF strikes in south Gaza; 2 jihadists hurt
Dozens of rockets, mortars hit south Israel
Saudi Grand Mufti: Replace Female ID Pictures with Fingerprints
Muslim Egyptian Lawyer and His Sons Attempt to Demolish Church

U.S. court to look into Shibli Aisamy disappearance: daughter
October 08, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: A U.S. court has accepted to look into the case of Syrian dissident Shibli Aisamy after his family filed an international lawsuit in the case, Aisamy’s daughter, Rajaa Sharafeddine, told The Daily Star Monday. “The court hasn’t yet declared that it has accepted the case as it is waiting to finalize a number of procedures, but we were informed that the case was accepted,” said Sharafeddine.
Aisamy’s daughter said the step aimed at pressuring the Syrian regime, which the Shibli family believes is behind the kidnapping of the Baath Party founder, in order to reveal his whereabouts.
Sharafeddine said the decision to turn to U.S. courts came after Lebanese authorities’ lack of progress in the case.
“With nothing clear about my father’s fate, we resorted to the judicial authorities in the U.S. because the Lebanese authorities proved to be futile in this regard and luckily the court accepted the case,” she said. Aisamy, 88, who served as a Syrian vice president in the 1960s, disappeared in May last year after leaving his daughter’s home in Aley, Mount Lebanon, for a walk.
His family has repeatedly called on leaders of the Lebanese opposition and pro-Syrian parties, including Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah, to intercede with the Syrian regime to secure his release and determine his fate.“Very few politicians supported us, although we have continuously highlighted the value of my father as an intellectual,” she said.
Aisamy’s disappearance came almost two months after the Syrian uprising against Syrian President Bashar Assad broke out.
Sharafeddine reiterated that she believed her father was being held in Syria.
She also suggested her father might have been kidnapped because of the scope of knowledge he had acquired over the years given his position in the Syrian hierarchy.
“My father left politics ever since 1992 so there was no apparent reason for his disappearance. I’d say that the Syrian regime was scared of him because he has a lot of historical information.
“My brother, Bashar, was politically active over the Internet when the Syrian revolution broke out, this might be an additional reason for my father’s kidnapping,” she added.
“We definitely couldn’t see that coming... If my father was planning to go back into politics, he wouldn’t have stayed in Lebanon and jeopardized his life,” she added.
As she described how patient, modest and deep her father was, Sharafeddine said her upbringing was the thing that allowed her to cope with her father’s disappearance.
“If it wasn’t for the strength he bestowed in us, we wouldn’t have been able to endure what happened.
“I have no idea if he is dead or alive and that is very hard,” she said.
Sharafeddine also said that the family has been printing books her father wrote to introduce his work to the public.
“Maybe if they read some of his work, they would do something... Maybe his writings will motivate public opinion to raise its voice and demand that his fate be uncovered” said Sharafeddine.

Security Plan to Combat Lawlessness to Kick Off in Bekaa
Naharnet 08 October 2012/The security agencies, AMAL movement, and Hizbullah agreed on a scenario to help implement a security plan that will kick off this week in the Bekaa region, al-Akhbar daily reported on Monday. The plan to control the spread of outlaws, thieves, carjacking and kidnapping fanning out in the eastern region aims to gain the people's support in a bid to assist the Lebanese army's mission and make it a success, the daily added. “The Lebanese army does not want to suppress the demands of the people in the Bekaa or improve their living and economic conditions, but to fight thieves and outlaws,” unnamed security sources told the daily. On the other hand, As Safir newspaper pointed that Speaker Nabih Berri will hold a meeting with a delegation from Bekaa clan elders in the context of preparations for the security plan. It is likely that the visiting delegation will also meet with Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji. Berri told As Safir that the time has come for the state to grasp control and extend its authority once again in the Bekaa region. “The region has paid dearly for negligence at all levels,” Berri said. The cabinet approved recently a 1.6-billion-dollar plan to provide the Lebanese army with the necessary equipment and arms. The payments will be made over a five-year period. Increasing crime, thefts and abductions in Bekaa have intensified in the past year, although the state institutions have launched a number of campaigns to combat the trend. Military and security experts say that kidnapping, carjacking and other crime will continue to increase amid a decentralization of security authority in Lebanon that has led security bodies to align with rival sects.

Lebanon's Arabic press digest - Oct. 8, 2012
October 08, 2012 /The Daily Star
Lebanon's Arabic press digest.
Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Monday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.
Al-Mustaqbal
Bouthaina Shaaban describes evidence of her involvement as "polemics"
Assad followers threaten the situation in Lebanon will explode soon
Pending new revelations of the precious treasure hidden in the personal computer of Michel Samaha on the terrorist bombing scheme, the facts shown so far implicating Ali Mamlouk and Bashar Assad’s advisor Bouthaina Shaaban remain the responsibility of the relevant judicial authority – judge Riad Abu Ghayda.
Significantly, however, was a threat made by one of Assad’s followers in Beirut that "the situation will explode soon," if the Lebanese stance repeatedly made by President Michel Sleiman remains unchanged.
Although the evidence is backed by confessions, Shaaban – according to sources close to her – believe they are “a kind of political bickering that is familiar in Lebanon and do not merit a response or comment.”
Ad-Diyar
Wissam al-Hasan begins scheme to build a Sunni sate in the north
Hariri demanded Qabbani’s swift dismissal in preparation for a Sunni role in Syria
Petraeus will provide Free Syrian Army with weapons via ISF Information Branch
It seems serious scheme went into effect after a meeting between the head of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch Wissam al-Hasan and CIA Director David Petraeus.
The decision – made by the U.S. and Gulf [states] – calls for the establishment of a Sunnis state stretching from the Qalamoun region in the north to the Lebanese-Syrian border in Akkar. This area includes more than half a million Sunnis, with human elements equipped by the CIA to fight.
The plan requires speed. So former Prime Minister Saad Hariri contacted Sunni figures in Beirut, Sidon and Tripoli, asking them to quickly sack Lebanon’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammad Rashid Qabbani or isolate him by paying senior clerics huge amounts of money to help dismiss Qabbani.
Meanwhile, Wissam Hasan is working on delineating the Sunni state in the north. All these [developments] are linked because Washington, and specifically the CIA, informed Hasan that Bashar Assad’s regime would fall in the next six to nine months and so Lebanon should be ready for the next phase.
An-Nahar
Mission 213: Hezbollah in the circle of suspicion
If Hezbollah justified the explosion that ripped through an arms depot in Nabi Sheet last week by claiming that it was a weapons depot for the resistance then the party has now entered the circle of suspicion both internally and externally.
Hezbollah has once again entered the circle of accusations, this time in relation to the December 2005 assassination of MP Gebran Tueni after the satellite channel "Al-Arabiya” leaked documents from Syria, including one that refers to "mission 213" concerning an operation that was completed with “excellent results” between Dec. 10, 2005, and Dec. 12, 2005 – the day Tueni was assassinated.
According to the document, the operation was carried out "with the help of elements in Hezbollah’s intelligence."
Meanwhile, The Times newspaper said about 1,500 Hezbollah fighters are fighting alongside the regular Syrian army in Aleppo. The report confirms the death of the three Hezbollah fighters in Syria last week.
A parliamentary source told An-Nahar that the reports by the international media, which have become almost certain, contradicts the government’s disassociation policy which adopted toward the Syria crisis, adding that Lebanon could possibly face international sanctions in the future.
However, the most serious issue concerns Hezbollah giving Israel an excuse to launch a new war on Lebanon – similar to that of 2006 – as Israeli security authorities were leaning toward accusing the party of being behind a reconnaissance plane that the Israelis shot down Saturday.
Israeli Radio and the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot said the plane did not originate from Gaza. They said the plane was Iranian-made and Hezbollah was responsible for sending it.
Al-Akhbar
Security plan in the Bekaa this week
If all goes well, a security plan for the Bekaa area will be implemented this week following contacts between the security forces and each of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah on a plan which aims to fight theft, law-breakers and security saboteurs. Therefore, a deal was reached between the two Shiite parties and the Lebanese Army on a number of measures to ensure a smooth implementation of the plan.

Butheina Shaaban
Hazem Saghiyeh/Now Lebanon/October 8, 2012
If it turns out to be true that Syrian presidential adviser Butheina Shaaban is in any way involved in conveying explosives into Lebanon, then this goes beyond Mrs. Shaaban as such and tells us loads about where we stand and the events around us. Such a connection would indeed cause such a mess in the ideas prevailing among us, one that is far greater than the mess Shaaban has potentially put herself in.
Shaaban started her public career as a writer calling for the emancipation of Arab women before she became late Syrian President Hafez Assad’s translator, which means she has many characteristics of progress and modernism. In addition to calling for gender equality, without which there is neither modernism nor progress, she worked as a medium between languages and cultures. Being a translator at the Presidential Palace, she normally had to adhere to diplomatic customs, which – by definition – urge to abide by politeness and discipline. Moreover, Butheina became known for her ties with several western diplomats and journalists, which was the most probable cause that brought her closer to [former Minister] Michel Samaha. Yet these very ties to western diplomats and journalists presupposes a broadness of horizons and a knowledge of the outside world and the events going on there, not to mention travelling to foreign lands and getting informed of their cultures and ways of life. Shaaban was also rumored to have ties to “moderate opponents” to the Syrian regime, and such a role implies flexibility, a readiness for dialogue and, of course, an acknowledgement of the dialogue partner.
All these specifications call upon their holder to have certain appearance, food and clothing preferences, such as those by which [Syrian First Lady] Asma Al-Assad has become known. Being à la mode like that is not merely about one’s outer appearance, as it also indicates a modern personality and character added to a charming conversation and knowledge of how to choose specific words and terms. This is the exact opposite of a primitive character, which is best known for harshness of judgment and coarseness of expression.
In other words, Butheina Shaaban is the opposite model of an uncivilized takfiri Salafist who is unconnected to the outside world, dominated by primitive and extremist thought, and characterized by a lack of knowledge of the languages, customs and values lying outside his immediate circle.
In this sense, Mrs. Shaaban has all the characteristics we would want to see in an Arab woman, as she is aware of her rights, which are equal to men’s, and is able to deal with strong leaders inasmuch as she can initiate dialogue with their opponents. She is also a blend of patriotic loyalty to the place from whence she emerged to the world and universalist tendencies that prompt her not to feel estranged in any world city nor with any world diplomat or journalist.
Still, Butheina Shaaban may be accused of involvement in conveying explosives from Syrian into Lebanon in order to kill innocent civilians.
How is the mystery inherent to such a contradiction to be resolved? What about the contradiction with the image of the takfiri Salafist, who – as some claim – is the only one to deal with explosives and tools of death? In this respect, it is enough to mention that Nazi generals were of an astounding decency and propriety. They made it a point to display their utmost politeness and listen to some of the finest symphonies produced by German classical music while overseeing, at the same time, the burning of German and European Jews in the Holocaust’s crematoriums.
*This article is a translation of the original, which appeared on the NOW Arabic site on Monday October 8, 2012

Hezbolah Versus Michel Sleiman: Forcing their hand
Now Lebanon/October 8, 2012
Michel Suleiman has once again forced Hezbollah to admit its true intentions.
There’s how it should be, and there’s how it is. And with this tenet in mind, it is worth contemplating President Michel Suleiman’s recent national defense strategy proposal to place “the arms of the Resistance under the army’s command in the case of Israeli aggression on Lebanese soil only and not for any other domestic or foreign reason” until the army is suitably equipped to do the job. Suleiman has been burnishing his presidential credentials in recent weeks and this latest proposal in his keeping with his centrist position.
We all know that in a perfect world there would be no need for such horse-trading. No country with any sense of nationhood and a respect for the institutions of the state would tolerate the armed wing of a political party possessing state-of-the-art weapons to operate outside government control. The pro-Western March 14 bloc has, quite rightly, never wavered from its insistence that Hezbollah unconditionally hand in its arms and play party politics on level terms. But in terms of gauging Hezbollah’s real intentions (if there were any doubt left), Suleiman’s suggestion is a worthwhile exercise. The Party of God has always maintained that its weapons are solely for the defense of Lebanon against Israeli aggression but that it must operate independently of the Lebanese military. This, we are told, is necessary to ensure tight security. It is a card that has, some would say rather cynically, been played ad nauseam to justify this autonomy. But today there is an overwhelming groundswell of opinion, not to mention a significant body of evidence, to argue that the militia is nothing more than an adjunct of Iran Revolutionary Guard, a force committed to protecting the strategic regional interests of Tehran and Damascus. Indeed, within the last few days there has been an allegation in the London Times that Hezbollah has around 1,500 fighters operating in Syria on behalf in the regime.
Its role during the attempted coup of 2008 and the intimidation it used to topple Saad Hariri’s government in January 2010—as well as recent assurances from Iran that Hezbollah would join in any war with Israel and that al-Quds Force military advisers are working in Lebanon—has only served to reinforce this idea.
Suleiman believes that his plan is necessary until the army is properly equipped and capable of “defending Lebanon against any Israeli aggression” (he should have said ANY aggression, but we’ll cut him some slack on that one). Last month, the Lebanese cabinet approved a $1.6 billion plan to provide weapons, equipment and training to the army over the next five years. In light of this, Suleiman’s proposal is one based upon a natural evolutionary process, even if we concede that it is not perfect. The proposal also gives Hezbollah even less wiggle room, since its argument has always been that the army is not up to the job. The plan would also put Israel on notice that the state now had a role in the defense of the nation. Previously Israel could claim to have been fighting a terrorist force. It will no doubt still claim that Hezbollah will still be calling the shots, and this is why it is important that such a plan have a maturity date at which point the army is the sole defender of the nation. Maybe then we can dispense with the laughable mantra “the army, Resistance and the people.” Most importantly, one assumes that such an arrangement would ensure that the botched kidnap of Israeli soldiers that led to the 2006 war would not happen again. Dispensing with the “who should be biffing Israel?” debate would also allow the political process to move forward to other issues. Lebanon has, for too long, been bogged down by the Hezbollah weapons argument. Not only does it eat away at whatever sovereignty we have left by admitting to an unacceptable level of regional influence in Lebanese affairs, it also diverts attention away from arguably more important concerns such as the economy and infrastructure and does little to cement Lebanon’s standing within the international community.
But all this talk is academic. We all know that Hezbollah is unlikely to agree to the proposal, but by tabling it Suleiman has once again forced Hezbollah to admit its true intentions.

Iranian official: Israel to lose 10,000 troops if strikes Iran
Ynet Published: 10.08.12/ynetnews
Former chief of IRGC says in event of Israeli military strike on Iran, 'Israeli death toll would not be less than 10,000' A senior Iranian official said that at least 10,000 Israelis would be killed in the event of an Israeli military strike on the Islamic republic.“If the Israelis attack, Iran’s deterrent power would deal a mortal blow to them and the Israeli death toll would not be less than 10,000. Therefore, they would be stopped soon,” Mohsen Rezaei, former chief of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps was quoted as saying.We don’t want war, but are fully prepared to defend our country against any strike. Of course the Zionists wouldn't dare invade Iran and only speak of war to win concessions from the next US president,” said Rezaei. Rezaei further accused the West of trying to derail the "Islamic Awakening" movement by interfering in Syria. “At present, the Western efforts are focused on diverting the Islamic Awakening movement towards seeking a Western-style democracy and transform it into seeking a US-style democracy by toppling the Syrian government," he said. On Sunday, the German newspaper Der Spiegel reported that the Iranian foreign minister, , Ali Akbar Salehi had proposed a "trade-off" in the country's stand-off with the West over its disputed nuclear program. "If our right to enrichment is recognized, we are ready for a trade-off. We would, on a voluntary basis, limit the amount of our enrichment," he said

Dozens of rockets, mortars hit south Israel
Ilana Curiel Latest Update: 10.08.12/ynetnews
No injuries reported as Gazans launch 55 rockets, mortar shells at Eshkol Regional Council less than day after an IAF strike in Gaza injured 11; Hamas, Islamic Jihad: Attack in response to 'Zionist crimes'
Terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip fired some 55 rockets and mortar shells at southern Israel early Monday morning. The shells landed in communities in the Eshkol Regional Council. There were no reports of injuries, although two buildings were lightly damaged and several goats were killed due to an explosion in an animal corner.
Hamas' military wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades and the Ansar al-Quds group have claimed responsibility for Monday morning's attack on the south. They claimed the attack was a response to the IAF's airstrike on Gaza on Sunday. This blessed operation came in response to continuous and repeated enemy crimes against our defenceless people," a joint statement said.
In response to Monday's mortar attack on southern Israel, the IDF carried out three aerial strikes and one ground assault on Hamas terror hubs and rocket launching pads.
The first rockets were launched shortly after 6:00 am. Palestinians in the Gaza Strip fired at least three mortar shells which then exploded in Israel. One of the shells exploded near a residential building in the Eshkol Region, slightly damaging it. The two other shells exploded in open areas.
Around 9:00 am, additional shelling was reported. Authorities have asked residents of the Eshkol region to remain in close proximity to shelters.
Yehuda Kedem, a resident of one the communities in Eshkol said that "at 5:50 am we heard a large explosion. Apparently the mortar exploded nearby to the kibbutz synagogue. About 6-7 mortar shells hit our area."
One mortar landed in an animal corner in one of the communities in Eshkol. Ilan, who is in charge of the livestock in the kibbutz where the mortar hit said that this was the first mortar to ever hit the community.
"I never imagined that our kibbutz would be hit. This is the first time a mortar has exploded inside the kibbutz. Some of the goats are severely injured and some are dead. Usually the animal corner is packed with children but we don't work on the holiday. We avoided a great tragedy," he said. Hamas and the Islamic Jihad claimed that the attack on southern Israel came as a response to the "Zionist crimes."
Abu Ovadia, the spokesman for the military wing of Hamas said that "the resistance will not allow (Israel) to continue perpetrating this aggression under the guise of groundless excuses."
He warned that further Israeli aggression in Gaza will be met with a strong response led by the Palestinian resistance groups.
The mortar attack on southern Israel came less than 24 hours after an IAF airstrike in southern Gaza, which left ten injured, two of them severely.
IDF officials said the attack, carried out in cooperation with the Shin Bet security service, targeted two global jihadists who were planning to carry out a major terror attack over the Simchat Torah holiday against Israeli soldiers and civilians.
The IDF's
Spokesperson's Unit identified the men as Tla'ath Halil Muhammad Jerbi (23), a global jihad operative from Rafah; and Abdullah Mohamed Hassan Maqawi (24), a member of the The Mujahideen Shura Council (MSC) in the Environs of Jerusalem, a global jihad group that is based in Gaza.
The army said Jerbi has been involved in extensive terrorist activity against Israel for years, and over the past few days was involved in the preparation of a terror attack in Sinai.

March 14 MPs slam Hezbollah ‘role in Syria’

October 08, 2012/The Daily Star
In remarks published Monday, Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said his rivals in Hezbollah could no longer claim that their weapons were merely directed at Israel given recent reports indicating its direct involvement in the Syrian conflict.
“The resistance can no longer claim that its arms are to defend Lebanon because it is being used locally and against the Syrian people as well as in an attempt to gain control over Lebanon,” Zahra told Al-Joumhouria newspaper.
Several media agencies carried reports alleging Hezbollah fighters were carrying out operation in Syria and that several had been killed as a result.
Hezbollah has repeatedly denied such allegations but the party has not issued a denial with regards to the recent reports.
Zahra said the resistance was showing poor judgment with regards to the 18-month long crisis in Lebanon’s neighbor and said the party’s actions were antithetical to state-building.
“I expected more wisdom from Hezbollah but its leadership surprised me with their double-standard behavior vis a vis what is happening in Syria via their commitment to arms and its role in the service of Iran which places them in a contradictory position to the goal of state building,” Zahra said.
Hezbollah has urged that Lebanon remain neutral on the crisis in Syria while accusing the March 14 opposition, particularly the Future Movement, of assisting and financing fighters against President Bashar Assad’s government.
Meanwhile, Future Movement MP Ahmad Fatfat predicted that Hezbollah’s political rhetoric would gradually become more aggressive as the party becomes even more involved in the conflict next door.
“Hezbollah’s future political speech will be aggressive to coincide with the military and security plan that it’s heading in Syria after becoming a main party [in the conflict],” Fatfat told Al-joumhouria daily.
“That is what the Syrian people are confirming every day after Hezbollah turned its resistance against Israel to a militia fighting alongside Assad's Shabiha,” he added.
Both Fatfat and Zahra supported recent stances by President Michel Sleiman’s in which the Lebanese leader said the weapons of the resistance should fall under the command of the state while armed groups in the country whose weapons serve an internal domestic function should be disarmed.
Sleiman, who in June launched the stalled National Dialogue, has proposed a national defense strategy aimed at benefiting from Hezbollah’s arms. Under the proposal, the party would not hand its arms over to the Army, as demanded by the March 14 coalition, nor would there be a separate command for the resistance and the military, the defense strategy that Hezbollah backs.
“[Hezbollah] has abandoned chances that wise men have given to the resistance in a bid to balance out their previous mistakes and an attempt to glorify its arms,” Zahra said, adding that his party supported the president’s approach.
Fatfat said Sleiman’s comments should prompt Hezbollah to re-evaluate its position given that the party “is not accustomed to such comments from a high authority like the presidency.”

Commander of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon Maj. Gen. Paolo Serraasks to move UNIFIL HQ after threats received
October 08, 2012/By Hasan Lakkis/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Commander of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon Maj. Gen. Paolo Serra asked Prime Minister Najib Mikati in May to move the headquarters of the peacekeeping force to Baabda following threats to its current base in Bir Hassan. Serra sent a letter to Mikati requesting the move to “mitigate its [the force’s] exposure to threat that has been assessed to exist at the ‘UNIFIL house’ in Bir Hassan, on the basis of intelligence provided to UNIFIL by the government of Lebanon.”The Foreign Ministry will present the request to the Cabinet in its session Wednesday.
In his letter, Serra also emphasized that the location of the prospective headquarters would smooth coordination between the UNIFIL, the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon and the Lebanese Army. “The location of the property in close proximity to the Lebanese Army HQ in Yarze as well as the offices of UNSCOL is ideal for purposes of facilitating closer cooperation between UNIFIL and both of these key partners, consistent with the recommendations of the recent strategic review of UNIFIL,” Serra added.
The review released last spring recommended better communication between U.N. bodies working with UNIFIL, greater involvement from the Lebanese government and increased military capacity for the Lebanese Army.In a letter sent to the Cabinet ahead of its meeting this week, the Foreign Ministry said the Department of Research and Guidance at the Council of Civil Service examined the issue and found that moving the headquarters and finding a new building is required under an agreement between Lebanon and the United Nations.
Serra said the property selected by UNIFIL was one of 18 that met the overall requirements and asked the government to pursue negotiations on its behalf under the 1995 agreement. The government is required to provide “without cost to UNIFIL and in agreement with the force commander” properties for headquarters and camps for the peacekeeping forces.
The annual rent of the current UNIFIL headquarters in Bir Hassan is $440,150, and the UNIFIL leadership estimates that the new headquarters in Baabda would cost $580,800 each year. The Finance Ministry said it was up to the full Cabinet to decide whether to approve the request. Meanwhile Serra said Sunday that the Lebanon-Israel border is witnessing the calmest period in years due to close ties between the peacekeepers and the Army. “Six years following the adoption of Resolution 1701, we are witnessing the calmest period southern Lebanon has seen in many years,” Serra said on the occasion of handing leadership of Italair from Lt. Col. Andrea Cercolani to Lt. Col. Giuliano Innecco. “Much of this unprecedented peaceful period can be attributed to the ever closer relationship between UNIFIL and the Lebanese Armed Forces, and the kind support of the Lebanese people, for which I am deeply grateful,” he added.

Shaaban recordings evidence of criminal involvement: source
October 08, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Statements captured on former MP Michel Samaha’s recording device are evidence of criminal involvement of Bashar Assad’s political adviser in the case of plotting terror attacks in Lebanon, a high-level security source said Monday. “Bouthaina Shaaban’s involvement in the Samaha case is confirmed,” the source told The Daily Star. “The recordings confirm Bouthaina Shaaban had knowledge of Samaha’s security and political activity as well as the tasks that were assigned to him,” the source added. He spoke on condition of anonymity. “He would call her ‘our magnificent’ and she would speak to him in a commanding manner, [ordering] him to carry out the duties assigned to him, including the bombings,” the source said. He said the recordings show that Samaha was “directly linked” to Shaaban’s office. Future Movement MP Samir Jisr, in comments to Future TV Monday, said there were documents that confirmed Shaaban’s was involved in the Samaha case and that this implicated Syria.
“Documents confirm Shaaban’s involvement in the Samaha case, and this, if anything, implicates Syria as a government in this matter,” Jisr said Monday. Shaaban dismissed Sunday reports of her involvement in the Samaha case. Sources close to Bouthaina Shaaban quoted her as saying that what is happening in Lebanon is no more than political bickering and is not worth responding to or commenting on.
An analysis of a phone conversation between Shaaban and Samaha, who is close to Assad, was referred to Lebanon’s first military investigative judge over the weekend.
“Military Prosecutor Judge Saqr Saqr referred to First Military Investigative Judge Riad Abu Ghayda an analysis report [from the Internal Security Forces Information Branch] of a mobile phone conversation that reveals Samaha was in direct contact with Shaaban,” a judicial source told The Daily Star. According to the report, the source added, the phone conversation was made while Samaha was in Syria.
Following his arrest, Samaha confessed he had brought back to Lebanon explosives following a visit to Syria. Samaha, who has maintained close ties with the Syrian regime for decades, was charged in August with transporting explosives from Syria into Lebanon to use them in terrorist attacks aimed at assassinating religious and political figures. He has confessed to plotting bomb attacks with head of Syria’s Intelligence Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk and his assistant, Maj. Gen. Adnan, at the behest of Assad.

Turkey: Caught between actions and words
By Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Alawsat
I do not know to what extent Turkish officials understand how much damage they have suffered in the Arab world as a result of Syria; the issue itself and Turkish stances relating to it, in addition to what preceded it. However, I am sure that the Turks are more capable than others at calculating their own interests, and they know they have an important role to play that they have yet to undertake, and we do not understand why. The story here precedes the events in Syria by years. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyep Erdogan has always been interested in the Arab world and keen to participate positively in it, but he began on the wrong foot when he previously agreed to support al-Assad’s Syria in its foreign battles, as well as enthusiastically supporting Iran with its nuclear program. He later went on to correct these stances when the truth became clear.
Erdogan, with his charismatic leadership personality, won over frustrated Arab hearts firstly during a televised conference in Davos three years ago. At the time, he issued strong retorts to Israeli President Shimon Peres, launching attacks on Peres himself and Israel’s policy of occupation. He then threw his microphone away and angrily left his place, in the name of the Arab cause. This was followed by Turkey’s decision to send ships along with European activists to break the Gaza blockade, and when they were attacked by Israeli forces in international waters, Erdogan threatened and pledged that the Israelis would pay dearly for the attack on Turkish ships and the killing of Turkish citizens. Subsequently, his picture was held aloft in Arab demonstrations and he became an Arab star. However, Erdogan’s error was that he raised Arab expectations and yet did nothing except cease joint military exercises with Israel.
The biggest disappointment was Syria. The Turkish government adopted strong positions against the Bashar al-Assad regime and issued consecutive threats against it, claiming that the Turks would not stand by idly in front of the massacres being committed. However, Turkey remained idle across the border for more than a year after the massacres began.
Then it was noticeable that the Turkish Prime Minister, along with his Foreign Minister, flew to Burma and had their photos taken with displaced Muslims. Erdogan made promises to them, just as he promised the Syrians and the Palestinians before. This was two days ahead of the Islamic Summit in Mecca, but in the end Turkey did nothing. Some commented criticizing that it was just another public relations campaign.
From Israel to Syria to Burma, Turkey has left many of those who had hung their hopes on it disappointed. Here we must objectively wonder are we expecting too much from the Turks are we, as usual, an easy victim? Can the Arabs still be won over by a few passionate media speeches, as Khomeini and Nasrallah did in the past? I think it’s a mixture of the two. Erdogan is a populist politician who knows how to gain the applause of the masses, and for this he wins his political and electoral battles. At the same time, we, as Arabs, have expectations greater than Turkey’s ability, or we don’t take its circumstances fully into consideration.
Erdogan is known for his religious and political moderation, and through his leadership – whether of his party or the government – he has proven that he possesses two main attributes: winning over public opinion and at the same time not getting involved in activities that are beyond Turkey’s ability.
The radical Islamists who came out in their thousands to welcome him at Cairo airport were later shocked by his political speech commanding them to adopt a secular political approach to the state, and anger grew towards him in both Egypt and Tunisia. The truth is that Erdogan and Turkey’s Islamists differ in their perception of the role of religion and the state compared to their Muslim Brotherhood and Salafi counterparts in the Arab Spring states. In fact, there is a wide cultural gap between them, for Erdogan is among the admirers of Ibn Arabi, whilst the Brotherhood and the Salafis follow Hassan al-Banna and Ibn Taymiyyah respectively.
There is still a great hope that Turkey under Erdogan will have a significant role in Syria, and in saving the Syrian people, with greater urgency and momentum. Turkey is stronger militarily than all the Arab states, and has a direct border with Syria, unlike Saudi Arabia or Egypt, and therefore it has a significant interest in changing the regime there to satisfy the majority of the Syrian people, so as to ensure the stability of the region and Turkey’s protection.
The hope is that Erdogan’s government expands its activities in support of the Syrian opposition. We know that they were the first to support the rebels, without which perhaps the Syrian revolution would be over by now, but we also know that rumors about Turkey coming under Western pressure to prevent it from supporting the rebels further are just lies, and the opposite is more likely to be true. Of course, this does not negate the fact that the countries of the region and Western governments are not keen to support any extremist or jihadist Syrian groups, and this is an understandable and justifiable position, but these groups only represent a small proportion of the total map of the Syrian revolution. Furthermore, we are aware of Turkey’s complex considerations with regards to the Syrian issue, and the potentially negative repercussions if it were to intervene strongly. For example, Iran could create problems inside Turkey and support the armed Kurdish opposition there, which used to be based in Syria. Yet Turkey should not be overly concerned with these considerations, because we know that the fall of the al-Assad regime is in Turkey’s best interests. A democratic Syrian regime with moderate leaders, and the stability and unity of Syrian territory rather than the emergence separate Alawite or Kurdish states are all in the interests of the Turks just as they are in the interests of the Syrians. Iran and Russia, the al-Assad regime’s current allies, would simply have to accept to deal with the new Syrian regime and respect Turkey, which will become a stronger and more positive force as a result.

Al-Shara: Al-Assad’s alternative!
By Tariq Alhomayed/Asharq Al-Awsat
The Turkish Foreign Minister [Ahmet Davutoglu] claims it is possible that Farouk al-Shara could replace Bashar al-Assad at the head of a transitional government that would lead to the end of the conflict in Syria, which has been ongoing for over 18 months. Davutoglu explained that al-Shara “is a man of reason and conscience and he has not taken part in the massacres in Syria”, adding that the Syrian opposition is “inclined to accept” him. Is this possible?
Of course, the fact that this statement was issued by someone of the stature of the Turkish Foreign Minister means it cannot be ignored, however it is strange that this proposal [for al-Assad to relinquish power to a deputy] has been put forward time and again, in different ways, since the Arabs first mobilized towards the Syrian crisis. Every time al-Assad has flatly rejected it, instead resorting to superficial measures such as appointing a specialized minister for dialogue with the opposition. So why are we returning to this proposal once again now, this time from the Turkish Foreign Minister?
It is clear that officials in our region do not care much for public opinion, given the magnitude of silence regarding what is happening in our region. Therefore, logic dictates that the idea of al-Shara heading the transitional phase in Syria is being re-launched at this time in the hope that it will now be supported by the Russians and the Iranians, based on the premise that the Syrian crisis can be stopped by al-Assad stepping down rather than the entire regime collapsing. In this respect, Arab officials have already intimated that Russian officials have told them: Why was it acceptable for Mubarak to step down and for the regime to stay in place in Egypt, whilst the whole regime must go in Syria, not just al-Assad?
Thus it seems that this proposal is being re-launched to reassure the Russians and the Iranians that their influence in Syria will not vanish in an instant [after al-Assad steps down], and that by accepting al-Shara they will be accepting the least damaging outcome. But the issue is not that simple of course, especially as the Syrian opposition today does not distinguish between individual members of the al-Assad regime. We now see accusations being directed even against al-Assad’s advisors, against the backdrop of the case of former Lebanese minister Michel Samaha. Furthermore, the Syrian opposition’s genuine gains on the ground could be compromised through offering concessions to one of the al-Assad regime’s pillars, Farouk al-Shara. Here I must draw attention to a striking piece of news, namely the meeting that was held in Amman between the Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and the dissident former Syrian Prime Minister Riyad Hijab. During the meeting, the two discussed “the latest developments in the Syrian arena” according to the official Jordanian news agency, which means that the Syrian opposition has other options capable of taking over the post-Assad phase!
Therefore it is not easy to imagine a solution along the lines of the late Omar Suleiman’s proposal on behalf of Mubarak in Egypt, because the situation on the ground in Syria is completely different. If there is indeed an acceptable proposal for a transitional government then we are yet to find it, and it is yet to garner public support, for al-Assad is not a rational man and we do not see any serious indications from Russia and Iran. Here an important question remains: Are the Turks just trying to say we did everything in our power, but al-Assad, Iran and Russia did not listen to us? Maybe.

Muslim Persecution of Christians: August, 2012
by Raymond Ibrahim/Originally published by the Gatestone Institute
October 7, 2012
http://www.raymondibrahim.com/12386/muslim-persecution-of-christians-august-2012
While many people are regularly persecuted by Islam's blasphemy law, one particular case made August headlines: a 14-year-old Christian girl in Pakistan, Rimsha Masih, was arrested, accused of burning pages of a Quran. Rioting Muslims destroyed Christian homes and churches, tore Bibles to pieces and broke crosses, while calling for the death penalty against her. Because this story made it to the mainstream media, widespread international condemnation caused Pakistani authorities to release her recently, not by annulling Pakistan's blasphemy law, but by finding loopholes, from characterizing the girl as retarded—Islamic law does not mandate punishment for blasphemers if they are retarded—to the unprecedented exposure of a Muslim cleric who framed her.
Because this incident prompted a widespread rampage against Pakistan's Christians, thousands have deserted their homes and are dispossessed. The Christians from Rimsha's neighborhood, including women and children, fled into the woods in fear of Muslim retribution, while others were evicted by their Muslim landlords. A few Christians sleeping overnight on the ground just miles away from Pakistani government buildings decided to build a church there and make it their permanent dwelling place. "Here it is not anybody's home, nobody's land. Let us live here in safety," said one. Another said: "We have cleared this place with our hands, and we have laid the first foundation of a small church here. Although this is a mere skeleton made of tree branches, this is the holy home of God. This should be respected."
Categorized by theme, August's batch of Muslim persecution of Christians around the world includes (but is not limited to) the following accounts, listed by theme and in country alphabetical order, not necessarily according to severity.
Jihad Killings and Christian Displacement
Iraq: What Carl Moeller, president of Open Doors, characterized as "religicide," continues unabated in the nation that was liberated by U.S. forces a decade ago: "Christians in cities like Baghdad and Mosul are gripped by terrorism. They are fleeing in droves. Today [August 16] it was reported that at least 20 people died in blasts and shootings across the country." Before the toppling of Saddam Hussein, Mosul was home to some 75,000 Christians, but now the number has dropped to around 25,000. Christian homes are set on fire, bombs placed in their cars; other Christian families are receiving letters threatening them to leave Iraq or be kidnapped or killed.
Ivory Coast: As part of the civil war, Muslim rebels "massacred hundreds and displaced tens of thousands" of predominantly Christian supporters of Laurent Gbagbo. Since the attack, when their homes were taken by rebels, some 5,000 predominantly Christian ethnic Guere have been forced to flee into the ungoverned, inhospitable bush, or to the Catholic mission in Duekoue. The priest there reported that the mission has also been threatened by "crowds of angry youths."
Mali: As many as 200,000 Christians are fleeing to Algeria and Mauritania, where they are seeking a safe haven from Islamic terrorists linked to al-Qaeda, who have become increasingly active in the northern regions of the nation.
Nigeria: The Islamic terrorist organization Boko Haram [Western Education is a Sin] continued its jihad [holy war] to purge north Nigeria of all Christians. In one instance, gunmen murdered a 57-year-old evangelist of a Pentecostal church. When he was threatened earlier, he had said "I leave everything in the hands of God."
Syria: Some 12,000 people were blockaded in the predominantly Christian town of Rableh by anti-government forces; they killed several people trying to leave and refused the entry of food and medical supplies. Government forces had reportedly driven out the opposition by August 24. Christians were also given an ultimatum to leave the nearby cities of Qusayr and Homs, which has been almost entirely cleansed of its 50,000-60,000 Christian population. The predominantly Christian part of Aleppo was also hit by heavy fighting earlier this month; and a car bomb was detonated in the predominantly Christian area of Jaramana, a suburb of Damascus, as "a crowd of faithful, families, elderly people, women and children, were heading to the cemetery to bury two young people who had died a day earlier, on August 27, also victims of an IED. Twelve died (other sources say as many as 27), including five children, and injuring more than 50 people." Further, "a family of Armenian Christians was found murdered, and all members of the family horribly decapitated."
Church Attacks
Azerbaijan: The highest appeals court upheld the decision to close Greater Grace Church, "the first religious community to be liquidated by a court since the country's harsh new religion law came into force in 2009." The church, registered since 1993, had provided a place for Christian worship and teaching for almost 20 years; and with a congregation of nearly 500, was one of the larger Protestant churches in the country.
Indonesia: Two churches were the latest to be forcibly closed in West Java: First, a "large tent" used for services by St. Johannes Baptista Church in Bogor was sealed off by authorities on August 7. The congregation had been using the tent since 2006 as a temporary location while they awaited a permit for a proper building, for which it had applied in 2000. Police threatened to "tear down" the tent if the Christians continued to use it; the church leader suspects the hostility is linked to the growth of the congregation, which now numbers around 500. Second, Batak Karo Protestant Church in Bandung was sealed off by protesters who claimed that the congregation had earlier agreed not to use the building, even though it now has all necessary permits to hold service.
Kenya: After a fight ensued between the supporters of a Muslim cleric who had died and the police, a church near the mosque where the funeral was being held was set on fire, and another church was attacked. Separately, another church was attacked and looted "by an armed mob," believed to be sympathizers of the al-Shabaab terrorist organization. In the words of the pastor who witnessed the pillage, "attackers armed with guns stormed the compound and immediately began pulling down one iron sheet after another, and soon 60 iron sheets were gone. It was a terrible sight to watch the walls of the church come down, [but] I could not shout for help because the attackers could gun me down. Shocked and dismayed, the church's 60 congregants arrived for worship the next day to find their church building in ruins." Police were told that there were threats of an attack and that local Muslims were saying things such as "we do not want infidels in this area," but did nothing. These latest attacks "came only one week after al-Shabab militants hurled grenades into the African Inland Church of Garissa, in eastern Kenya, and opened fire on congregants, killing 17 people, including 15 worshippers. Grenades were also thrown at the local Catholic church." More than 14 churches have been attacked in Kenya since April.
Nigeria: Gunmen, probably connected with the jihadi organization Boko Haram, "stormed the Deeper Life Church, where Christian worshippers were gathered in prayer, and surrounded the church in the middle of a worship service and opened fire with AK-47 assault rifles on the worshippers." At least 19 of them were killed, including the pastor. The following day, an unexploded bomb was discovered at Revival Church.
Syria: Gunmen attacked the Catholic monastery of Mar Musa, which dates from the 4th century, and is located north of Damascus. None of the monks was hurt, although the monastery was, in the words of Father Dall'Oglio, "sacked," and "gunmen stole everything they could steal," including tractors and other agricultural tools.
Apostasy, Blasphemy, Proselytism
Egypt: A Christian man accused of defaming Islam was arrested after a complaint in which he was accused of posting opinions in Facebook which insulted Muhammad. Insults to Islam and the prophet are considered crimes in Egypt under Article 98(f) of the Penal Code, which states: "Confinement for a period of not less than six months and not exceeding five years… shall be the penalty inflicted on whoever makes use of religion in propagating, either by words, in writing, or in any other means, extreme ideas for the purpose of inciting strife, ridiculing or insulting a heavenly religion or a sect following it, or damaging national unity."
Pakistan: After a Pakistani flag with the name of "Allah" on it accidentally blew from a Christian's property to a Muslim's, the Muslim accused the Christian of deliberately trying to blaspheme the name of Allah. This accusation was advertised in the local mosques, and prompted enraged Muslims to threaten to burn down the homes of the 15 Christian families in the area. Also, a Christian pastor, who had preached among Muslims, some of whom showed interest in converting, was threatened and subsequently kidnapped.
Tanzania: A 17-year-old girl, Eva Abdullah, who had abandoned Islam three years ago to convert to Christianity, was sentenced to two years in prison after being accused of desecrating the Quran. Her parents had disowned her and "a group of radicals" tried to "persuade" her to renounce her Christian faith. When she refused, they falsely accused her of desecrating a Quran.
Tunisia: The nation's ruling Islamist party filed a bill to criminalize offenses against "sacred values." "Crimes" would mandate prison terms and fines for broadly worded offenses, such as insulting or mocking the "sanctity of religion." Among other things, the bill also codifies the levels of offense to religious feelings, including "insults, profanity, derision and representation of Allah and Mohammed."
Dhimmitude
[General Abuse, Debasement, and Suppression of Non-Muslims as "Tolerated" Citizens]
Egypt: The nation's jihad organizations dropped leaflets calling on Muslims to kill Christians wherever they found them. Coptic shop owners who sell Christian icons and statues received threatening letters. Muslim "gangs" plundered and kidnapped for ransom Christians. Islamists in the Constituent Assembly demanded that the Coptic Church's funds be placed under state financial control, a measure categorically rejected by Copts: the state in no way funds the Church, even though mosques are funded by taxpayers, including Christians. Condemning the proposal, the acting Patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church said the demand has only one meaning: "that Copts are clearly persecuted." Despite promising greater representation for Egypt's Copts, President Morsi broke his word and allowed only one Copt, a female, to represent the nation's 10-14% Christians in the newly formed Cabinet: "We had expected an increase in the representation of Copts especially after the number of ministries increased to 35. But the formation ignored all the known rights and concepts of citizenship," said the acting Patriarch: "It is not right that Copts get treated in this way." When Egypt's Constituent Assembly proposed a law to criminalize "forced labor, slavery, the trafficking of women and children, human organs, and the sex trade," from which Christians, especially females, would benefit, the Islamist party complained.
Iran: According to Mohabat News, authorities "raise[d] unsubstantiated charges" against five arrested converts to Christianity to "pressure" and "intimidate" them, including by falsely accusing them of desecrating the Quran, and holding them for indefinite periods. "Although their situation is still unclear six months after their arrest, there is no doubt that the Christians' only crime is related to their faith in Jesus Christ."
Pakistan: Eleven Christian student nurses were poisoned with mercury in their tea. It is believed that the Christian women were targeted as punishment for drinking tea while their Muslim colleagues were fasting during the month of Ramadan. And a 56-year-old Christian woman at the Karachi Press Club recounted how she and her family were enslaved and forced to work without pay, and tortured and beaten. Muslim "feudal lords" are threatening her and her extended family, with, among other charges, accusations of blasphemy: "Please protect us," they said. "We don't want to go back."
Saudi Arabia: The last of the 35 Ethiopian Christians held in detention since December after being arrested for holding a prayer meeting in a private home was deported home: "We have arrived home safe," one of the released said: "We believe that we are released as the result of the pressure exerted by ICC and others. The Saudi officials do not tolerate any religions other than Islam. They consider non-Muslims unbelievers. They are full of hatred towards non-Muslims."
Syria: A number of Melchite Greek Catholic priests, including the archbishop, fled to Lebanon after their offices were ransacked. According to Fides, "unidentified groups who want to feed a religious war and drag the Syrian population into sectarian conflicts" attacked the Christian area in the old quarter of Aleppo. A Byzantine Christian museum and an office of the Maronite Christian faith were also damaged.
Turkey: The chairman of Parliament's education committee is accusing the French government of "planting seeds of hate" with its move to include the Armenian genocide in history and geography books used in French secondary schools. Armenia, backed by many historians, says that about 1.5 million Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War I in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.
Uzbekistan: A 26-year-old Christian woman, paralyzed from youth, and her mother were violently attacked by six men with sticks who broke into their home at 4 a.m. The men ransacked the home, confiscating icons, bibles, religious calendars and prayer books. When the paralyzed woman furtively tried to phone for help, she was beaten again. They were all taken to the police department, where the woman was "offered to convert to Islam." She refused, and the judge eventually "decided that the women had resisted police and had stored the banned religious literature at home and conducted missionary activities. He fined them 20 minimum monthly wages each."
About this Series
Because the persecution of Christians in the Islamic world is on its way to reaching epidemic proportions, "Muslim Persecution of Christians" was developed to collate some—by no means all—of the instances of persecution that surface each month. It serves two purposes:
Intrinsically, to document that which the mainstream media does not: the habitual, if not chronic, Muslim persecution of Christians.
Instrumentally, to show that such persecution is not "random," but systematic and interrelated—that it is rooted in a worldview inspired by Sharia.
Accordingly, whatever the anecdote of persecution, it typically fits under a specific theme, including hatred for churches and other Christian symbols; apostasy and blasphemy laws; sexual abuse of Christian women; forced conversions to Islam; theft and plunder in lieu of jizya (tribute); overall expectations for Christians to behave like cowed "dhimmis" (barely tolerated citizens); and simple violence and murder. Oftentimes it is a combination thereof.
Because these accounts of persecution span different ethnicities, languages, and locales—from Morocco in the west, to India in the east, and throughout the West, wherever there are Muslims—it should be clear that one thing alone binds them: Islam—whether the strict application of Islamic Sharia law, or the supremacist culture born of it.
Previous Reports
July, 2012
June, 2012
May, 2012
April, 2012
March, 2012
February, 2012
January, 2012
December, 2011
November, 2011
October, 2011
September, 2011
August, 2011
July, 2011

Saudi Grand Mufti: Replace Female ID Pictures with Fingerprints
by Raymond Ibrahim • Oct 7, 2012/Cross-posted from Jihad Watch
http://www.raymondibrahim.com/2012/10/saudi-grand-mufti-replace-female-id-pictures-with
According to a September 27 Masrawy report, because the face (and eyes) of a woman is deemed a great temptation for Muslim men -- worthy of covering no less than a woman's vagina, at least according to one Egyptian cleric -- the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Abdullah Al Sheikh, recently called for replacing the personal photos of female university students that appear on their ID cards with their fingerprints, as that "would be best."
Saudi Grand Mufti: No to female portraits
Arab newspapers quoted the Grand Mufti in an interview with Saudi female students at Taibah University in Medina. Among other things, he also warned students about the "vocabulary" they use when jesting and against watching "racy" movies. He also stressed that "Muslim women have a great impact on the community" citing a number of Quranic verses and hadiths.
The report does not mention which hadiths, though it is well known that several hadiths attributed to Islamic prophet Muhammad do stress that females have an impact society -- but mostly in negative ways, including by likening women to dogs and donkeys. In the words of Aisha, one of Muhammad's wives:
The things which annul the prayers were mentioned before me. They said, "Prayer is annulled by a dog, a donkey and a woman (if they pass in front of the praying people)." I said, 'You have made us (i.e. women) dogs.' I saw the Prophet praying while I used to lie in my bed between him and the Qibla. Whenever I was in need of something, I would slip away, for I disliked to face him." -- Sahih Bukhari 1.9.490

Muslim Egyptian Lawyer and His Sons Attempt to Demolish Church
10-8-2012/Assyrian International News Agency
(AINA) -- Mohammad Mostafa Kamel, a Muslim prosecutor at the Alexandria Criminal Court, and his two sons, aided by some hired Muslims, broke into the church of the St. Mary in Rashid at 4 PM today and demolished a great part of its alter. They came to the church with front loaders. Kamel had no demolition order. His fight with the church goes back to 2009 when he tried to take ownership of the church, claiming that he bought the ancient church, which dates back to the 9th century, from the Greek Orthodox Church. But it was the Coptic church who bought after it was up for sale due to the dwindling number of Greeks in Rashid, which is located 65 km (40 mi) east of Alexandria, in Beheira governorate. Father Maximos of St. Mary's Church said that he rushed to the police station with Father Luke Asaad and their lawyer to try to bring the police to help. In the police station the prosecutor and his two sons threatened to kill the two priest and their lawyer. A police report was filed regarding those threats. "We stayed at the police station for over six hours with the police begging prosecutor Kamel and his two sons not to demolish the church," said father Maximos, "In spite of them not having a demolition order." Father Luke said that the prosecutor had lost all the cases he brought to court against the church, "So when this route failed, he tried taking the matter into his own hands."
The police confiscated the loader but refused to take legal action against him because he is a prosecutor.
In the attack of 2009, the prosecutor, his sons and their aids demolished the church fence and injured the church guard.
By Mary Abdelmassih
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