Latest News Reports From Miscellaneous Sources for September 17/12
President Michel Suleiman to Address National Defense Strategy at All-Party Talks on Thursday
President Michel Suleiman Demands Iranian Clarification over Remarks of Revolutionary Guard Presence in Lebanon
Lebanon's Syrian Puppet FM, Mansour Asks for Arab FMs Meeting on Anti-Islam Film
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Speech of September 16/2012
Hassan Nasrallah: Cynical manipulation
Yes, Hezbollah is Iran’s army
Lebanese army: Syria air raids on border with Lebanon
Geagea Hopes Christians Will Unite over Apostolic Exhortation: Pope’s Visit Was Needed at this Time
Future bloc MPs slam Iran’s Guards remarks over presence in Lebanon
One person abducted in Lebanon’s Metn
UN should refer Syria conflict to ICC, says rights group
UN confirms 'foreign elements,' jihadis, in Syria
Pope urges world to offer solutions to end Syria crisis
Pope sends farewell message of unity
Pope’s visit launched message of peace, unity
Crowds throng Beirut to receive pope’s blessing
Rebels say Syria envoy’s mission doomed to fail
US, allies to hold int'l naval exercise in Gulf
'Egyptian soldier killed in Sinai terrorist clash'
Clashes over prophet film; Hezbollah urges demos
Interview: Muslim Brotherhood’s General Guide Mohammed Badie
Libya arrests 50 over US envoy killing
Vice president: Iran will pursue makers of anti-Islam film
Ex-envoy to Israel: US will go to war with Iran in 2013
USA Defence Minister, Panetta says demand for red lines is political ploy
Israeli PM: Red line can prevent conflict with Iran
Israeli PM: You want fanatics to have nuclear weapons?
 

Lebanese army: Syria air raids on border with Lebanon
September 17, 2012/Syrian warplanes bombed areas of Syria near the Lebanese border on Monday, a Lebanese military spokesperson told AFP. "There was bombing on Syrian territory, not Lebanese territory," the spokesperson said. Earlier, inhabitants of Aarsal, a border region in Lebanon's Beqaa Valley, told AFP they saw Syrian planes flying over the area at dawn. Earlier on Monday, local television stations reported that Kherbet Daoud in Aarsal and Wadi al-Shehout near the Beqaa town where shelled by Syrian fighter jets. Syrian rebels and their sympathizers often carry out operations inside Syria before crossing back over the porous and sometimes undefined border into Lebanon. Moreover, shelling from Syria into Lebanon and cross-border shootings have become near-daily occurrences in recent months. Lebanese officials have protested only twice to Damascus, whose troops withdrew from Lebanon in 2005 after three decades of occupation. More than 150,000 Syrians are said to have fled to Lebanon where factions for and against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime are deeply divided.-AFP/NOW Lebanon

President Michel Suleiman to Address National Defense Strategy at All-Party Talks on Thursday
Naharnet Newsdesk 17 September 2012/President Michel Suleiman is expected to tackle the national defense strategy at a national dialogue session on Thursday, media reports said.
Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported on Monday that Suleiman will discuss with Lebanese foes the matter after conferees at the last national dialogue session, held at Beiteddine palace on August 16, decided to postpone discussing it due to the absence of several members, in particular, Speaker Nabih Berri. The daily said that the March 14 alliance will settle in the coming days its participation in the all-party talks. Sources close to Berri confirmed on Sunday night that he will attend the session after lashing out at the March 14 leadership by saying that the dialogue can’t remain the “prisoner of the alliances'’ mood.”The last session was also held in the absence of Marada leader MP Suleiman Franjieh, who is another major figure in the March 8 coalition, following days of speculation on the stance of the March 14 opposition alliance ended with a decision to attend.A session on July 24 was postponed after March 14 tied its participation to a government decision to provide security agencies with the so-called telecom data to help them investigate assassination attempts against MP Butros Harb and Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea. The data has since been handed over to the security apparatuses. Another reason for the boycott was Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad’s announcement that the national defense strategy is not currently necessary because Lebanon is still in the liberation stage. The national dialogue resumed in June after a 19-month absence.

President Michel Suleiman Demands Iranian Clarification over Remarks of Revolutionary Guard Presence in Lebanon
Naharnet Newsdesk 17 September 2012/President Michel Suleiman held talks on Monday with the Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Rokn-Abadi on recent statements that members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards are present in Lebanon. He requested from the ambassador an official clarification from the Islamic republic over these remarks.
Rokn-Abadi meanwhile denied the Iranian claims. On Sunday, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Mohammed Ali Jaafari had stated that members of the elite Quds Force were present in Lebanon and Syria where they are acting as “counselors.”He denied that they are offering military assistance in either country."A number of Quds Force members are present in Lebanon and Syria... we provide (these countries) with counsel and advice, and transfer experience to them," Jaafari said during a press conference.

Lebanon's Syrian Puppet FM, Mansour Asks for Arab FMs Meeting on Anti-Islam Film
Naharnet/17 September 2012/Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour announced on Sunday that he was exerting efforts to call for an urgent meeting of Arab foreign ministers to denounce an anti-Islam film that has sparked fury across the Islamic world. The minister's press office said that as chairman of the Arab League Ministerial Council, Mansour contacted Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi urging him to make the necessary contacts to hold the emergency meeting at the League’s headquarters in Cairo to discuss the film that is an “aggression on the belief of more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world.”
The low-budget movie, entitled Innocence of Muslims, “should be confronted by firm and decisive decisions,” the statement said. The movie mocks the Prophet Mohammed and portrays Muslims as immoral and gratuitously violent. Mansour suggested the emergency meeting to be held on Thursday or Friday. The press release came half an hour after Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah called for protests in Beirut's southern suburbs on Monday, in the southern city of Tyre on Wednesday, in the eastern city of Baalbek on Friday, in Bint Jbeil in south Lebanon on Saturday, and in Hermel in the eastern Bekaa valley on Sunday.He also called for people across the Islamic world to demonstrate against the film, which he described as "the worst attack ever on Islam, worse than the Satanic Verses by Salman Rushdie, the burning of the Koran in Afghanistan and the cartoons in the European media."

Future bloc MPs slam Iran’s Guards remarks over presence in Lebanon
September 17, 2012 /Future bloc MP Amine Wehbe said on Monday that the remarks of the Commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Brigadier General Mohammad Ali Jafari regarding the presence of members of his forces in Lebanon and Syria would give Israel the pretext to strike Lebanon. “I think that this is a very dangerous confession, since it puts Lebanon under Israeli [threat], and gives [it] the pretext that Iran is close by, and this is a pretext to strike Lebanon,” Wehbe told Free Lebanon radio station.“This is a direct violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and we should reject this interference,” he added. Meanwhile, Future bloc MP Jamal al-Jarrah told Future TV that Jafari’s remarks “confirmed what is already [known]. We are aware that those who lead Hezbollah’s military wing and oversee it are the Iranian Revolutionary Guards.” “What is the point of national dialogue [which tackles the issue of Lebanon’s defense strategy and illegal arms issues], if [Iran’s] Revolutionary Guards are the decision makers?” he inquired. On Sunday, The Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said that members of his elite special operations unit, the Quds Force, are present in Syria and Lebanon but only to provide "counsel."-NOW Lebanon

One person abducted in Lebanon’s Metn
September 17, 2012 /A man was kidnapped along the Bsalim road in Lebanon’s Metn, Voice of Lebanon (100.5) radio reported on Monday.The report identified the victim as Youssef Beshara – brother of Bakers Union’s Chief Anis Beshara – and added that the kidnappers demanded a ransom. The report however did not elaborate any further.-NOW Lebanon

UN should refer Syria conflict to ICC, says rights group
September 17, 2012 /The UN Security Council should refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court, an international rights watchdog said on Monday.
"An ICC referral would give the ICC jurisdiction to investigate crimes committed by both the government and the opposition," Nadim Houry, deputy Middle East director at New York-based Human Rights Watch, said in a statement. "This is one measure that all Security Council members, including Russia, should find it easy to agree on if they are truly concerned about the violations committed in Syria," Houry said. Russia, a long time Syrian ally, and China have blocked UN Security Council efforts to condemn the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
HRW has consistently documented and denounced human rights abuses both by Assad's forces and rebels.
In its latest statement, it accused rebels of mistreatment, torture and extrajudicial or summary executions in Aleppo, Latakia and Edleb.
"Extrajudicial or summary executions of detainees in the context of an armed conflict are war crimes, and may constitute crimes against humanity if they are widespread and systematic," the statement said.
Rebel leaders have made pledges they would ensure their forces would respect human rights.
In August, dozens of Free Syrian Army battalions signed a code of conduct in which they committed to "respect human rights according to our legal principles, our tolerant religious principles and international human rights law." But the pledges are insufficient and "the real test is how opposition forces behave," said Houry.
The HRW statement cited examples of alleged torture and attitudes towards extrajudicial execution by armed rebels, saying some of the methods are reminiscent of those used by the military forces and security forces. "They beat me every two or three days," said one detainee, who had been held in a school for 25 days before he was transferred to a detention facility by rebel fighters.
"They tied me to a cross with my face down. Five guys started beating me, using cables.”
"The first time they hit me for about an hour. The third time they hit me from early in the morning until noon... The FSA fighters wanted me to confess to having killed several people with a knife. Eventually I confessed because they beat me, although I have not killed anybody."
HRW also documented 12 cases of alleged extrajudicial and summary executions by rebels.
It cited the public execution in July of members of the pro-regime Al-Berri clan in Aleppo and which was shown in amateur video posted on YouTube by activists.
While the FSA's military council condemned the executions, the rights group said that, "when confronted with evidence of extrajudicial executions, three opposition leaders told HRW that those who were killed deserved to be killed, and that only the worst criminals were being executed." "All armed forces involved in the hostilities, including non-state armed groups, are required to abide by international humanitarian law," said HRW."The FSA... appears to be capable of ensuring respect for international humanitarian law by its forces given its level of organization and control."
The watchdog also urged countries supporting the rebels financially and militarily to condemn publicly abuses committed by the FSA, specifically naming Britain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United States.-AFP

Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah Speech of September 16/2012
September 16, 2012 
Now Lebanon/The anti-Islam movie insults the Prophet Mohammad and his wives. It is an insult against the Quran.This level of insult [against Islam] is a great and dangerous offense.
This movie is even more dangerous that the event when the Al-Aqsa Mosque was set on fire. This act should not be ignored or taken lightly.
Remaining silent over the insult against the prophet would be dangerous. If we remain silent, we would convey a wrong message to the Israelis that they can destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and that we are a dormant Ummah. We should prevent this act and not allow those who made this movie to achieve their goals.
One of the main objectives behind this aggression [the movie] is to cause strife between Muslims and Christians.
Those who are behind this aggression are Zionists or Jewish, but it is being attributed to Christian clerics such as [Terry] Jones and the Coptic priest who said he was behind the [anti-Islam] movie.
Those who made the movie knew that the Muslims would be enraged by it, and attributed it to Christians to cause conflict between Muslims and Christians.
Israel wants to watch Muslims [attack] Christians, kill them and burn their Churches.
Luckily, the [enraged] Muslims released their anger on the US [embassy] and on Israel, and this is an excellent sign that shows the awareness of Muslims and Christians.
The people who are directly behind the movie and all those supporting it, especially the US, should be punished.
Those who are being put in the front of these acts are either Muslim apostates or Christians.
Why are priests and Christian organizations being dragged to these acts that insult Islam? This is being done on purpose because it is thought that Muslims will take revenge for their prophet when they see this video. The Muslim world demands the US government to withdraw the video from circulation and refrain from publishing the whole video and punish those who insulted the dignity of the Islamic Ummah.
The US administration is presenting a new witness to its hypocrisy and double standards.
We should work on preventing similar acts in the future. It is not enough to protest and return home.
Today, there is a historical responsibility facing the Islamic Ummah, as well as every Christian who believes in coexistence, to work on issuing an international resolution that criminalizes attacks against monotheist religions and Prophets Mussa, Ibrahim, Mohammad and Issa [Jesus].
The US congress had issued a law that criminalizes anti-Semitism, so why doesn’t it issue a law that criminalizes offenses against religions. It is the responsibility of diaspora from Muslim countries in the US to work for the issuance of this law.
The European parliaments must also work on criminalizing those who attack monotheist religions.
This event deserves an urgent call for an Islamic Conference, [because] what happened is more dangerous than the events in Syria.
It is surprising that many Arab leaders did not do anything regarding this movie. Had the movie been against the personality of one of the Arab kings, they [Arab leaders] would have been more enraged than they were after the spread of this movie.
As for Lebanon, thank God that we witnessed an example and a high level of civility in the face of aggression, through coexistence between Muslims and Christians. This is what we witnessed during the visit of Pope Benedict XVI.
Lebanon can play a role by calling for a summit of the Arab Foreign Ministers Council. Lebanon can call for holding an Islamic summit to criminalize the insult against the Prophet Mohammad.
We should continue with the popular protests to stop the movie and prevent it from being spread and punish those who are responsible for it.
We should have called for a protest earlier, but there were special circumstances and we did not want the protests to be used [for other purposes].
Monday will be the first day for our protest, which will be held in [Beirut’s] Dahiyeh at 5 p.m. This will be a part of the movement that will include all areas in the city.
I also call for holding protests on Wednesday in Tyr, on Friday in [Bekaa’s] Baalbek, on Saturday in [South Lebanon’s] Bent Jbeil and on Sunday in [Bekaa’s] Hermel.

Hassan Nasrallah: Cynical manipulation
September 17, 2012/Now Lebanon
Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour on Sunday night called for an extraordinary meeting of the Arab League later this week to discuss the astonishing reaction to Innocence of Muslims, the anti-Islam film that has sparked fury across the Middle East and Asia, as well as many European and American cities. In urging his fellow Arab foreign ministers to convene, Mansour called the film—which was produced by Nakoula Basseley, an Egyptian Copt, and which portrays the Prophet Mohammed and his family in a less than favorable light—an “aggression on the belief of more than 1.5 billion Muslims in the world.”
Mansour’s request came after Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah called for a week of protests across Lebanon, starting in South Beirut on Monday and culminating in Hermel on Sunday, taking in Tyre, Baalbek, and Bint Jbeil on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, respectively. Nasrallah also called for international legislation that makes it a crime to insult religion and called the film, which has been roundly slammed for its obvious lack of artistic merit, as “the worst attack ever on Islam.”
Suddenly, the civil war in has Syria dropped off the front pages, another US-Israeli conspiracy was served up, and we were warned in no uncertain terms of the specter of al Qaeda. The Arab Spring had, for time being at least, been stopped in its tracks.
Mansour, whose time in office has been plagued by insinuations and accusations that his loyalties lie with Damascus rather than Beirut, has indeed shown a rare sense of urgency in responding to this crisis, which saw full-scale rioting and widespread criminal damage in the troubled North Lebanese city of Tripoli on Friday.
It is a pity he has not demonstrated the same rigor in the execution of his duties when it came to dealing with Syrian violations of Lebanese sovereign territory, and the killing and abduction of Lebanese civilians. His arguments for not expelling the Syrian ambassador or even lodging a formal complaint with Damascus showed his unwillingness to rock the boat even in the face of blatant contravention of normal bilateral relations.
With obvious outrage over the Innocence of Muslims, the government is on safer ground. Not only can Mansour be seen to be statesmanlike, there is the added advantage of the crisis deflecting international attention away from events in Syria. Indeed, the violence that is emanating from those countries (such as Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Yemen) that in the past 18 months have freed themselves from the yolk of regional strongmen, may force the West to rethink its vision of a post-Assad Syria.
The saga is the ultimate red herring, one that has also given Nasrallah an opportunity to burnish his credentials at a time when Hezbollah’s mask has begun to slip. His measured condemnation of the film on Sunday was in stark contrast to the mainly hysterical and murderous hooliganism that rampaged across the region. That this mayhem was mainly Sunni (read: Salafist- or even al Qaeda-inspired) will not have been lost on Nasrallah, who will no doubt ensure that “his” demos will be peaceful. It will be another subliminal message that the Arab Spring may have given the world more than it bargained for.
This, of course, is all nonsense. Brutal repression is brutal repression, even in a highly-charged fundamentalist climate. Syria’s assets in Lebanon are using a dangerous and volatile situation to once again defend a regime that is living on borrowed time. We should not be distracted.

Yes, Hezbollah is Iran’s army
September 14, 2012
Late last week, the Iranian media quoted Maj. Gen. Yahia Safawi, an aide to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as saying that Hezbollah would attack Israel if the Jewish State launched a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“If the Zionist entity carried out any steps against us, resistance groups, particularly Hezbollah in Lebanon, given their central role in our defensive strategy, will respond,” Safawi said, reminding us that “Hezbollah has thousands of missiles” and admitting that Hezbollah’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, was “a soldier of the supreme leader.”
Clearly, the most worrying part in this already worrying sentence is Safawi’s reference to Hezbollah’s “central role” in Iran’s defensive strategy. The implications of such a statement are as a profound as they are disturbing. In what is a rare admission, Tehran is making no bones about the fact that Hezbollah is an Iranian proxy militia, which takes its orders from a supreme leadership, for whom Nasrallah is a “soldier.”
This makes a mockery of the assurances given to us over the years (not that anyone really believed them) by Hezbollah and its supporters that the party and its increasingly dangerous armed wing is a purely national Resistance, an über-patriotic militia whose sole aim is to protect Lebanon from Israeli aggression. It is a myth that stems from a skillful narrative woven by the party to convince the Lebanese people that Hezbollah is predicated on dignity, patriotism and purity of arms. The reality is clearly somewhat different and rooted in a long-term, strategic regional Shiite alliance.
We have said it countless times, but clearly it needs to be restated: The nature of such an arrangement is unacceptable. Firstly, there is the obvious problem with a Lebanese political party not only having an armed wing that operates outside the offices of the state—that in itself would be bad enough—but one that also takes its orders from another country as part of a formal alliance. It’s just not right.
For then we have the equally intolerable issue of this private army potentially taking Lebanon into war on behalf of another country. Surely if people are to be killed or injured, if property and livelihoods are to be destroyed, and if that country’s reputation on the global stage might be affected, then at the very least the decision to embark upon such a venture should be made by that country’s government. Not in Lebanon, apparently.
And if we need any reminder of what can happen—albeit on a smaller scale—should this come to pass, one only has to cast one’s mind back to July 12, 2006, when Hezbollah’s bungled kidnap of Israeli soldiers prompted an Israeli response that within a month had left over 1,200 Lebanese dead, 1 million homeless and billions of dollars in damages. The scenario Safawi described would see Lebanon blown back to the Stone Age.
And yet still many Lebanese still believe that Hezbollah is crucial to Lebanon’s survival. Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun, a man whose latter career will be remembered for the shameful Christian cover he gave Hezbollah, only last week demanded that all armed groups should be disbanded…with the exception of—wait for it—Hezbollah, which is needed, he said, to oppose Israeli aggression. But what Israeli aggression? Aoun has never been lauded for his razor-sharp intellect, but surely even he knows there is a touch of the emperor’s new clothes about all this.
Hezbollah has an urgent obligation to clarify Safawi’s comments. It probably won’t, but even if Nasrallah did deign to offer an explanation as to why his masters are shamelessly admitting their control over his party’s armed wing, it would probably be baked in his usual warped logic and received wisdom.
What more is needed to convince the doubters that Hezbollah and its weapons are not only no longer a force for good but are in fact primed to sacrifice Lebanon and the Lebanese in defense of Iran’s nuclear program? Yes, it’s as simple as that. We all need to wake up and smell the coffee before it’s too late.

 

Benedict inspires harmony among politicians
September 17, 2012/By Wassim Mroueh The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Pope Benedict XVI inspired a rare moment of political harmony in Lebanon as lawmakers called for the implementation of the Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East.
Benedict signed the Apostolic Exhortation of the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops on the first day of his visit. The decree calls for interreligious dialogue in the Middle East and a remedy against extremism. It carries recommendations made by the Special Assembly for the Middle East of the Synod of Bishops which convened in October 2010.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the pope’s visit will restore in Christians a confidence they have lost.
“In this period and amid these circumstances, Pope Benedict XVI’s visit comes at the right time and aims to give meaning to what is happening in the region,” Geagea said.
Geagea said that all Christians should unite in supporting the Exhortation. “This Exhortation does not tackle details but [rather deals with] general principles and broad lines regarding what is happening in the region,” Geagea said. Batroun MP Butros Harb voiced hope that the pope’s visit, which wrapped up Sunday, would have a strong affect on the region.
“Muslims and Christians should realize they are destined to coexist,” Harb told a local TV station, adding that the “visit sends a message to the Christians of the East that Christianity originated in this region and that they are not guests.”Vera Yammin, of Suleiman Franjieh’s Marada Movement, dubbed the pope’s visit “historic in the full sense of the term, in this decisive period the region and Christians are witnessing.”Yammin expressed hope that the Exhortation would be implemented, but doubted that all groups in Lebanon will have the same understanding of the document.
Druze MP Talal Arslan praised the pontiff’s comments about the need to stop the flow of weapons into Syria, calling the pope a “messenger of peace, love, reason and rationality.”
The pope’s visit “is positive and carries a blessing for the Lebanese formula [of coexistence],” Future Movement MP Nuhad Mashnouq said.
The Sunni lawmaker added that the “true purpose of the visit is addressing Christians in the Middle East via Lebanon.”
On Saturday, the pope met with President Michel Sleiman, Prime Minister Najib Mikati, Speaker Nabih Berri and the heads of Islamic sects at Baabda Palace.
Before the pontiff arrived, Sleiman’s family including his wife, son, two daughters, their husbands and children could be seen waiting for his arrival in the hallway. One of Sleiman’s five grandchildren clutched flowers to give the pontiff. The pope arrived to a rousing dabke dance and a lush red carpet, complete with a lineup of soldiers holding ceremonial spears.
While waiting for the pope to finish his private meetings, politicians from across the political divide mingled. Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblatt and MP Mohammad Raad, head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, had a long chat. Geagea and Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai had a brief conversation.
Eventually, the pope and Sleiman emerged into Baabda Palace to deliver separate speeches.
After the speeches, reflecting the spirit of religious coexistence, Geagea could be seen laughing with the vice president of the Higher Shiite Islamic Council, Sheikh Abdel-Amir Qabalan and later on with Grand Mufti Mohammad Rashid Qabbani.
Not only were the politicians in a harmonious mood. Hundreds lining the road to Baabda Palace were a mixed crowd too.
“We are [supporters of] Hezbollah, we came here to welcome the pope,” said one woman, who stood among many others wearing veils and chadors.
“We come from the country of peace and resistance and ... We support the message of the pope, which is that of love, peace and resistance against the occupation,” she said.
The pope’s message is the same as that of Islam, she added.
Odette Abu Zeid, who came from Jisr al-Basha, said the pope’s visit is reassuring for her as a Christian.
“We fear that we might be displaced, but this visit reassures us ... We wish for a better future for Lebanon,” she said, waving both the Lebanese and Vatican flags.
“We have been waiting for this visit for a long time ... This visit brings peace to Lebanon.”

Pope urges world to offer solutions to end Syria crisis
September 16, 2012/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Pope Benedict XVI celebrated an open-air Mass for hundreds of thousands of people in Beirut Sunday and called on the Arab countries and the world to propose solutions to end the conflict in Syria. “We pray to the Virgin Mary to help all the peoples of the region, especially the Syrian people,” the pope said at the end of the Mass, which serves as the culmination of his three-day historic visit to Lebanon. “You know the problems that beset the region. There is a tremendous amount of pain ... Why so much death? I call on the international community and Arab countries to propose solutions which respect human rights," he added. His comments were made to several Christian religious figures following the Mass, which a Vatican spokesman estimated at more than 350,000. “I pray in particular that the Lord will grant to this region of the Middle East servants of peace and reconciliation, so that all people can live in peace and with dignity," the pope told worshippers.
“The vocation of the Church and of each Christian is to serve others, as the Lord Himself did, freely and impartially," said Benedict, who was wearing green vestments.
“Consequently, in a world where violence constantly leaves behind its grim trail of death and destruction, to serve justice and peace is urgently necessary for building a fraternal society, for building fellowship.”He called on Christians to “cooperate with all people of goodwill” to strive for peace.
"This is an essential testimony which Christians must render here, in cooperation with all people of goodwill. I appeal to all of you to be peacemakers, wherever you find yourselves."
Thirty men and women drawn from civil society and selected beforehand were allowed to approach the pope and receive Holy Communion.
Lebanese Army troops patrolled the streets of Downtown Beirut in preparation for the pope’s arrival. Soldiers in Armored Personnel Carriers manned key intersections, with others setting up roadblocks. A sea of faithful, wearing complimentary white caps and using fans to bat away the heat, packed the Waterfront near Downtown Beirut to take part in the Mass which began shortly after 10 a.m.
The pope’s motorcade departed Harissa, where the Vatican Embassy is located, at around 9 a.m.
People cheered Benedict as his bullet-proof, glass-encased Popemobile arrived at the Waterfront at 9:30 a.m. Many attendees came in buses, as most of the capital’s roads were closed to traffic ahead of the Mass. Hundreds of plastic chairs were spread out on the Waterfront for dignitaries, including Lebanon's top political and religious leaders.
President Michel Sleiman, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati as well as MPs and Cabinet ministers arrived to take part in the Mass. Among the dignitaries were Future Movement MP Bahia Hariri and several Hezbollah deputies.A huge stage shaped as a Cedar tree housed a specially designed and constructed altar.
Just before the Mass began, the pope gave Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai a golden cup.
Lebanese Army helicopters flew overhead during the Mass. Thousands of copies of missals, printed in six languages and bearing the Vatican logo, were distributed to attendees.
Some 1,400 journalists from Lebanon and various other countries obtained special permits to cover the Mass. On Saturday, Benedict urged interfaith unity in order to end violence in the Middle East and voiced his admiration of Syrian youth braving their country’s 19-month long crisis.
The head of the Catholic Church called Friday for peace and reconciliation between people in the turbulent Middle East, while denouncing religious fundamentalism as a “falsification of religion.”
Prior to his arrival in Beirut Friday, the prelate also urged a halt to arms imports to Syria, which he said were a “grave sin.”Following Sunday’s Mass, there will be a presentation of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East. A lunch in Harissa will be held in the pope’s honor before a farewell ceremony at Rafik Hariri International Airport at 6.30 p.m.

Pope’s visit launched message of peace, unity 
September 17, 2012/By Hussein Dakroub/The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to Lebanon was aimed at launching “a message of peace” while stressing interfaith partnerships and allaying Christian fears over their presence in the region given the turmoil, analysts and politicians said Sunday. Harith Chebab, secretary-general of the Islamic-Christian National Dialogue Committee, said the pope’s visit sent out a number of messages, but mainly served to reassure Christians of their presence in the Middle East despite instability and sectarian violence gripping the region.
“The pope told Christians to maintain their effective presence that interacts with their Muslim brothers,” Chebab, who represents the Maronite Church in the dialogue committee, told The Daily Star.
“The pope stressed that Christians must participate in political life in the Middle East in order for peace to be built in the region,” he said.
“As for a political solution in Lebanon, a solution entailing effective Christian participation in the country is an indicator of solutions in the Arab world,” added Chebab, a former head of the Maronite League.
Samir Franjieh, a former Maronite MP, said the pope’s message was meant to assert Christians’ role in the Arab Spring uprisings that have so far toppled four long-serving dictators in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Libya.
“The pope’s message was distinctive in stressing that Christians’ role in the Levant. The pope urged Christians to participate in this change currently taking shape in the Arab world,” Franjieh, a member of the opposition March 14 Secretariat General, told The Daily Star.
“Christians must play their role in this region. The priority is for peace in Lebanon,” Franjieh said, adding: “Christians must act to reconcile viewpoints between Sunnis and Shiites to help internal peace.”
Wrapping up a three-day visit Sunday, the pope issued a sweeping appeal for peace in Syria and the Middle East.
Speaking at an open-air Mass before a huge crowd on the Beirut waterfront, he urged the international community and Arab countries in particular to find a solution to end the 18-month bloody conflict in neighboring Syria.
“We pray to the Virgin Mary to help all the peoples of the region, especially the Syrian people,” the pope said at the end of the Mass.
“You know the problems that beset the region. There is a tremendous amount of pain ... Why so much death? I call on the international community and Arab countries to propose solutions which respect human rights,” he added.
The pope said Christians must do their part to end the wave of death and destruction in the region.
Political analyst Carol Maalouf said the pope carried “a message of peace for everyone in Lebanon and the region.”
“It was a visit of hope and peace,” Maalouf told The Daily Star.
“The pope’s visit was intended to consolidate Christian-Muslim partnership in the region starting from Lebanon,” said Maalouf, a lecturer in political science and political history of Lebanon at the Notre Dame University. “The visit was also aimed at bolstering Christian-Muslim coexistence and alleviating Christian fears.”
Maalouf added that the pope’s visit had defused political tensions in the country and temporarily brought rival leaders together on the surface. “There was a semblance of unity on the surface,” she said.
Tewfic Hindy, a March 14 politician, said the pope’s visit had created “an atmosphere of unity and amity among Christians and a sort of peace between Christians and Muslims.”
He said Lebanon’s Christians would comply with the pope’s call to remain in the Levant undeterred by threats to their presence in some Arab countries as a result of the Arab Spring upheavals.
“Despite their marginalization during Syria’s control of Lebanon, Christians in Lebanon had national Lebanese slogans: sovereignty, independence and freedom,” Hindy told The Daily Star.
“Similarly, Christians in Syria cannot but be for freedom and against any dictatorship,” he said.
Hindy said the pope’s remarks on developments in Syria contained “positive comments on the Arab Spring.”
“By supporting the trend toward freedom, democracy and the rights of peoples of all sects and religions, Christians will be implementing the pope’s call to stay in the Levant and not emigrate,” he said.
However, Hindy said the Muslim leaders of the Arab Spring uprisings ought to embrace Christians and not let fundamentalist or extremist parties control the Arab Spring movement.
Franjieh expressed the belief that Christians would heed the pontiff’s appeal for them to remain in the Levant, rather than emigrate because of instability and civil wars arising from popular upheavals. The former lawmaker added that the pope’s visit would have an impact on developments in Syria’s uprising.
“The pope issued a clear call on the international community and the Arab world to stop the tragedy in Syria,” Franjieh said.
Referring to last week’s violent protests across the Middle East, including attacks on U.S. embassies in Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Tunisia over a U.S.-made film deemed offensive to Islam and the Prophet Mohammad, Franjieh said the pope in his speeches underlined the need for Christians and Muslims to renounce violence and extremism.
Franjieh added that the pope’s visit gave a push to inter-Lebanese unity.
“The pope’s visit brought the Lebanese together. The unity scene was very important. It gave a civilized image despite the different political affiliations,” he said.
For his part, Chebab said the pope’s message to the youth was that the young generation rejected divisions, upheld unity and backed the values of sectarian coexistence.
Noting that Benedict had expressed fears over the future and the fate of Christians as a result of religious fundamentalism, Chehab said: “Fundamentalism is creating fears for Christians about their future ... But the pope carried a message of hope, telling Christians not to be afraid because God is with them and the universal world church supports them.”
Chebab said the pope’s visit had given hope for Christians in Syria. “The pope stressed the issues of freedom and dialogue among religions, particularly the Christian-Muslim dialogue,” he said.
He added that the pope’s visit should provide “a positive shock” for the Lebanese, both officials and ordinary citizens, to uphold the “sublime principles” Benedict touched on in his speeches on Lebanon.
Maalouf said that Christians would heed the pontiff’s call to stay in the region despite mounting concerns about their future as a result of the Arab upheavals.
Asked what chance the pontiffs’s call for tolerance and denouncing religious fundamentalism had, Maalouf said: “With his call, the pope sent a message to moderate Christians and Muslims to join ranks to work against religious fundamentalism. It is a clear call on Christians and Muslims to confront the fundamentalist tide and dictatorial regimes.”

Crowds throng Beirut to receive pope’s blessing
September 17, 2012/By Van Meguerditchian The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Hundreds of thousands took to Beirut’s streets Sunday morning to greet Pope Benedict XVI and take part in a mass he led at the city’s waterfront. Massive crowds cheered the pontiff as he arrived around 9:30 a.m., waving from behind the bulletproof glass of his popemobile. Many worshippers had waited for his entrance from early in the day, with some traveling across the country to be present. “We got here very early this morning, we got our blessing and now we are walking back home,” said one woman who left mid-service, appearing exhausted from temperatures that reached as high as 35 degrees. The heat was such that at least 180 Red Cross members were deployed at the waterfront, on hand to help any who fell ill from the heat.
Thousands of worshippers – both young and old – braved the soaring temperatures, remaining for the whole of the two-hour mass, applauding the pope and praying that his prayers touch their personal lives and bring peace to the whole country.
The streets leading to the waterfront were lined with banners welcoming the pontiff. At Martyrs Square, several read: “Solidere and Beirut Central District Welcome his Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.” Others said: “We love Jesus ... We love Roma ... We love Pope Benedict XVI.”
The Lebanese Army and police set up checkpoints at most of the city’s entrances, ensuring safety and a relatively free flow of traffic.
“We got here at 9 in the morning. We had to walk from Ashrafieh as we couldn’t take the car,” Setrag Kouyoumjian said at the mass.
“We prayed that his blessings would bring stability and peace to Lebanon,” said Kouyoumjian, who joined in the prayers with his family.
At the waterfront, at least 200,000 plastic chairs were set out facing a large custom-made white altar the shape of a cedar tree.
President Michel Sleiman, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati took part, along with other MPs and Cabinet ministers.
Many worshippers described the visit as being timely for both personal and political reasons.
George Karmoush, 83, and his wife had traveled from Zahle for the service.
“This mass will definitely boost the morale of the people ... The pope’s visit has made us all happy,” he said. It wasn’t just Lebanese who turned out for the pope’s visit, with foreigners working in Lebanon also attending the mass.
Others traveled to the country specifically for the papal visit.
Several hundred Filipinos – whose home country is majority Roman Catholic – came from across Lebanon.
“I love this, this is great,” said Edith Piquuit, who cheered on the pope with her friends.
“I come from Saint Joseph Church in Ashrafieh and my friends came from Hamra – we all love the pope,” she said.
Several organizations who provide financial assistance to the underprivileged and those with disabilities helped organize the mass, ensuring that it was accessible to all.
Eddy Adra, an official from Children of Mary, a nonprofit organization that offers shelter and financial aid to those in need, said the pope’s visit is important for all Lebanese.
“I cannot describe how happy I am today ... We are working with our volunteers to make this mass a success amid the prayers of the pope,” Adra said.
Along with his Children of Mary colleagues and dozens of volunteers, Adra was distributing water, umbrellas and chairs to worshippers.
“Today we have given out at least 250,000 bags in which people can find a bible, a hat, a scarf, a Lebanese flag and a bottle of water,” Adra said.
According to Adra, Lebanese of all faiths are in need of the “historic visit by the pope.”
“We have come to a point where we really need inner peace, and I am confident this blessed visit will spread the values of love and peace,” Adra added.
Reading out loud from a bible, a woman in a wheelchair asked that she and many of her disabled friends – who sat nearby – be healed.
“I only ask for peace and a cure for me and hundreds of my friends,” Pauline Yazbeck said.
Yazbeck thanked organizers for ensuring the appropriate transportation for disabled worshippers.
“We were 50 [disabled] people,” she said. “We gathered in Badaro and took several buses from there to the city center.”
“I am pretty sure that the pope’s visit will have a positive influence on the country,” she added.
“I hope his visit will put an end to the possibility of war in Lebanon. This is what all Christians and Muslims are scared of,” said Basma Azouri, who traveled to Beirut from the Baabda town of Aley.
“The pope’s visit affects the country in a big way – I hope he unites us all again.
“I met many Christians and non-Christians in today’s mass, and everyone is waiting for the pope’s blessing,” Azouri said.

Pope sends farewell message of unity
September 17, 2012/By Van Meguerditchian /The Daily Star
BEIRUT: Pope Benedict XVI called on all Lebanese to reject strife and work for unity as he wrapped up an historic three-day visit, which included an open-air Mass that drew hundreds of thousands of people to Beirut’s Waterfront. “I pray to God for Lebanon, that she may live in peace and courageously resist all that could destroy or undermine that peace,” the pope said during farewell remarks at Rafik Hariri International Airport.
“I hope that Lebanon will fortify the communion among all her inhabitants, whatever their community or religion, that she will resolutely reject all that could lead to disunity, and with determination choose brotherhood,” Benedict added.
Touching on the country’s diverse cultures and faiths, the pontiff praised Lebanon’s diverse sectarian system, which he said was unique.
The pontiff also praised the efforts of the president and the government in organizing activities during his stay and said: “In these troubled times, the Arab world and indeed the entire world will have seen Christians and Muslims united in celebrating peace.”
“May God bless Lebanon and all the Lebanese,” Benedict added, as hundreds of people dressed in white and carrying Vatican flags chanted his name.
The pope waved goodbye to onlookers before boarding a Middle East Airlines Airbus 320, which left for Rome at 7:30 p.m.
President Michel Sleiman, who also spoke during the farewell ceremony, thanked the pontiff for his efforts to help Lebanon remain united and said the country would stay loyal to the message of coexistence.
“We cannot but thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your compassion, care and efforts for the sake of Lebanon and its unity,” he said after a military band played the national anthems of the Vatican and Lebanon.
“You depart the land of the cedars after bringing it and the East a message of peace and love at a time of historic changes and challenges,” Sleiman said.
Sleiman, the only Christian head of state in the Arab world, said that the Apostolic Exhortation for the Middle East, which the pope signed Friday, represents a “new hope for Lebanon,” because it carries political, culture and social recommendations.
Earlier in the day, Benedict held a Mass before some 350,000 people, praying for the people of the Middle East and calling on world leaders to reach a solution to the crisis in Syria.
“We pray to the Virgin Mary to help all the peoples of the region, especially the Syrian people,” the pope said. “You know the problems that beset the region. There is a tremendous amount of pain ... Why so much death? I call on the international community and Arab countries to propose solutions that respect human rights,” he said.
Sleiman, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Najib Mikati as well as MPs and Cabinet ministers attended the Mass. Other politicians from across the political divide were on hand as well.
Those who braved the 35 degree heat in Beirut described the Mass as both timely and meaningful.
George Karmoush, 83, came from Zahle for the service. “This Mass will definitely boost the morale of the people ... The pope’s visit has made us all happy,” he said.
“I pray in particular that the Lord will grant to this region of the Middle East servants of peace and reconciliation, so that all people can live in peace and with dignity,” the pope told worshippers.
“The vocation of the church and of each Christian is to serve others, as the Lord Himself did, freely and impartially,” Benedict said.
The pope called on Christians to “cooperate with all people of goodwill” to strive for peace. “This is an essential witness which Christians must bear here, in cooperation with all people of goodwill. I appeal to all of you to be peacemakers, wherever you find yourselves.”
At the end of Mass, the pontiff gave out copies of the Apostolic Exhortation to patriarchs and bishops of different sects. He said he hoped that the exhortation would guide Christians in Lebanon and the Middle East forward.
Mikati said Sunday that Benedict chose Lebanon to announce the Apostolic Exhortation because he believes in Lebanon’s role in the region and its unique experience. “During our meeting when bidding farewell at the VIP lounge in the airport, his holiness the pope expressed his happiness for the visit he made and said: ‘it is an unforgettable visit ... and I have felt the deepness of faith entrenched in the hearts of the Lebanese and the level of discipline they have.”
“This saying by his holiness the pope holds us, we Lebanese, responsible for consecrating values that distinguish our country, with coexistence and tolerance being in the forefront,” he added. Mikati said that nothing could come between the Lebanese if they continued to demonstrate solidarity and cooperation as they did in receiving the pope.
The Syriac Catholic monastery in Charfet, north of Beirut, was the pope’s last stop prior to his departure. During a 30-minute meeting with Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, as well as patriarchs and bishops of non-Catholic denominations, the pope stressed the importance of Christian unity in the Middle East, urging Christians not to abandon their land.
Patriarch Younan, who resides at the Syriac Catholic patriarchate in Beirut for most of the year, received the pope upon arrival and accompanied him to the Hall of Honor, where the pontiff signed the monastery’s guest book. – Additional reporting by Stephen Dockery and Wassim Mroueh

Nasrallah calls for more film protests
September 17, 2012 /By Dana Khraiche/The Daily Star
BEIRUT/TRIPOLI: Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah called Sunday for more protests in Lebanon against a film produced in the U.S. that insults the Prophet Mohammad. Nasrallah also accused the White House of seeking to sow strife between Christians and Muslims.
“The ones who should be held accountable and boycotted are those who support and protect the producers, namely the U.S. administration,” Nasrallah said in a televised speech.
Nasrallah described attempts by the United States to halt the broadcasting on the Internet of “Innocence of Muslims” – a film that has led to protests and acts of violence against U.S. and foreign missions in the Arab world – as disingenuous. “The movie was produced in the U.S., and here the Muslim world is asking the American administration to stop broadcasting the movie and prevent the release of the full version, as well as holding accountable those who attacked the dignity of a billion-and-half people in the world,” he said.
“But the U.S. administration says that it will do nothing, citing the idea we all know of freedom of speech and American principles.”
Nasrallah called for an international resolution to prohibit insults against religion and called for passing laws in the U.S. that criminalize such acts.
The Hezbollah chief said the motivation behind the film was to stir discord between Christians and Muslims leading to bloodshed.
“There are goals for such an insult to Islam and its Prophet ... one of these is to incite strife between Muslims and Christians and to drag them into a religious, sectarian and bloody conflict,” Nasrallah said.
“We call for protests tomorrow [Monday] in the southern suburbs [of Beirut] at 5 p.m.”
Nasrallah also called for demonstrations around Lebanon, including in Tyre Wednesday and in Hermel Sunday.
Meanwhile, Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour urged Arab League chief Nabil Elarabi to call for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers to discuss the film and formulate a proper response.
Protests against the film continued in Lebanon Sunday, with a group burning U.S. and Israeli flags in the northern city of Tripoli. Hundreds of cars and motorcycles took part in a procession on the main highway from Beddawi to Tripoli in protest against the film.
Participants carried black banners and flags of the Syrian uprising, chanting slogans against Israel and the Syrian regime. The rally concluded at Tripoli’s Nour Square, where U.S. and Israeli flags were burned. No businesses were damaged, but protests Friday left one dead and saw rioters torch a KFC and a Hardees.
Following the violence, security was high in Sidon and Beirut over the weekend, especially around U.S.-based fast food chains. Soldiers backed by armored vehicles took up position at the entrances of establishments such as KFC, McDonalds, Burger King and Pizza Hut in Sidon. Similar measures were taken in Beirut.
The centers of Sidon’s roundabouts were draped in black banners protesting the film, reading “if they knew you, they would have loved you.”
Although U.S. fast food restaurants in Sidon were empty, customers – including women in veils and members of the Indonesian UNIFIL contingent – could be seen passing through the doors of a local KFC in Tyre. Speaking to The Daily Star from Sidon over the weekend, an Al-Jamaa al-Islamiyya official said Muslims should confront attacks on their religion in a more civilized manner. “Muslims are hurt, but we should be logical, behaving in a civilized not unethical manner,” Bassam Hammoud said.
The movie has caused outrage in several predominantly Muslim countries. In Libya, angry demonstrators stormed the U.S. consulate in Benghazi earlier this week in an attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other American officials.
Future Movement MP Samir Jisr condemned the violent protests in his hometown of Tripoli, saying that such behavior damages the city and contradicts Muslim teachings.
“What happened in Tripoli [Friday] is harmful to the city and its heritage as well as Islam because it departs from its teachings,” Jisr said in a statement.
“[The acts] also harm whoever worked in [those establishments] along with job opportunities for dozens of people; lastly, it is an assault on the state and people’s security.”

UN confirms 'foreign elements,' jihadis, in Syria
GENEVA (AP) — An increasing number of "foreign elements" including jihadis are now operating in Syria, an independent U.N. panel confirmed Monday in its first report to say that outside "terrorists" have joined a war spiraling out of control.
The investigative panel appointed by the Human Rights Council says some of these forces are joining armed anti-government groups while others are operating on their own.
"Such elements tend to push anti-government fighters towards more radical positions." the head of the panel, Brazilian diplomat and professor Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, told diplomats. He referred to the foreigners as "terrorists", though the word did not appear in the written report.
Activists say at least 23,000 people have been killed in Syria in the past 18 months.
The panel accused government forces and pro-regime shabiha militia of war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, summary executions, torture, arbitrary arrests, sexual violence and abuse of children. It also accused anti-government armed groups of war crimes including murder, extrajudicial execution and torture.
Pinheiro said that the human rights situation has "deteriorated to such a degree that it is difficult to describe justly in such a few words. Gross violations of human rights have grown in number, in pace and in scale."He said the frequency of these "egregious violations" were so enormous that his panel could no longer investigate them all.
"Civilians, many of them children, are bearing the brunt of the spiraling violence," he said.
Syrian authorities have blamed the anti-government uprising that began in March 2011 on a foreign conspiracy and accused some Gulf and Western countries of offering funding and training to the rebels, whom they describe as terrorists.Syrian U.N. Ambassador Faysal Khabbaz Hamoui contested the report's overall accuracy and objectivity. But he appeared to agree with Pinheiro on the presence of outside elements, telling the council that "many international parties are working on increasing the crisis in Syria."
Turkey's U.N. Ambassador Oguz Demiralp told diplomats that "the crisis is spiraling further downward with no end in sight."

Stop your fanatics to curb our extremism
By Dr. Hamad Al-Majid/Asharq Alawsat
The producers of the crude film “Innocence of Muslims” are a collection of extremists, from the fanatical Coptic Christian director Nakoula Basseley Nakoula to his radical assistant Morris Sadek, the latter of which is resented by his own Coptic community more than anyone else. The film received the blessing of Pastor Terry Jones, an unrelenting Christian evangelist who seems to do nothing other than provoke Muslims. From a technological standpoint, the film looks ridiculous and is utterly unconvincing. We would have cause for concern if this had been a high-quality, professionally produced film, using subliminal deception in order to deliver its message and insinuating insults against the Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him, within the guise of objectivity, as some malicious orientalists seek to do.
Like an axe, this crude film came down on the heads of all Muslims across the world. No one can blame the tidal wave of anger that swept the Muslim world from its depths to its heights, on the grounds that it has only drawn further attention to this ridiculous film. Perhaps the sheer extent of the angry reactions - although some have reached an unacceptable degree, such as assaults against American embassies - represents an alarm bell for Western governments to do something. As for those protesting in favor of the freedom of opinion, this freedom is often overruled by Western laws that criminalize doubting or ridiculing the Holocaust. The West must be aware that it is also a beneficiary from these laws criminalizing contempt for religions and insulting their symbols, and the West must understand that unless it can deter its own maniacs from provocative acts, it will be almost impossible for the countries of the Islamic world to deter their own extremists.
I return to the argument that the Muslims’ reaction, demonstrations and expression of anger only serves to grant further exposure to this film or in fact any shameful act that disrespects and insults Islam and its symbols. This was originally true before the means of communication that exist nowadays, and with the massive technological revolution it is now difficult to confine something to obscurity. Advising millions of Muslims to simply ignore what is directed at them by extremists in the West is incredibly optimistic, for the communications revolution has granted every individual and media outlet further exposure. Now, with innovations such as Twitter and YouTube, calling for people to ignore provocation or control their reactions is like a cry in a deserted valley. The same advice was offered in the days of the “Satanic Verses”, and during the problems surrounding the cartoons depicting the Prophet, Kashgari’s tweets and so on, but this was all to no avail. The safest and most secure way remains for the countries of the Islamic world, through their official and public institutions, to pressure the countries of the West to enact the laws that criminalize insulting religions and their symbols.
One of the crises that the “Innocence of Muslims” has brought to light is the radical thinking of some intellectuals. Because of Islamophobia, these intellectuals have begun to imagine that the overwhelming outrage in defense of the Prophet has been orchestrated purely by the Islamists. In doing so, these intellectuals have underestimated the public reaction to such abuse and disrespect, with ordinary people also rushing to defend their Prophet, albeit in a legal and civilized manner.

Interview: Muslim Brotherhood’s General Guide Mohammed Badie
By Mohammed Al-Shafey
Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat - Dr. Mohammed Badie, 69 years old, is the 8th General Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood, having succeeded Mohammad Mahdi Akef in January 2010. He graduated in veterinary medicine in Cairo in 1965, going on to teach in various Egyptian universities and faculties, and continues to work as a veterinary professor at Beni Suef University on a part-time basis.
Throughout his professional career, Badie has also been a highly active member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and has worked in many of the group’s education and administrative offices. In 1965 he was imprisoned for fifteen years due to his Brotherhood affiliation, and was paroled after serving nine. He was later imprisoned for a further three years in 1999, for a trade union related case.
Asharq al-Awsat met with Mohammed Badie in Heliopolis, Cairo, to discuss the Muslim Brotherhood’s plans for the future of Egypt. The General Guide revealed his assessment of the new Egyptian President, Mohammed Mursi, the extent of the Brotherhood’s involvement in the country’s political affairs, and his take on other regional issues, including the conflict in Syria.
The following is the full text of the interview:
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your view of President Mursi’s recent comments on Syria during the Non-Aligned Movement summit in Tehran? Did these come as a surprise to you? Would you agree that President Mursi, as somebody who came to power following a revolution, should support the revolution in Syria?
[Badie] In reality, the president’s statement reflects the view of the masses of the Arab people, and this is because he is one of them and is not distant from the people. This is the first time that we feel that there is a president who engages with the issues of his people with such transparency, clarity and decisiveness, which God Almighty granted him. To be honest, I was not surprised, because my own knowledge of the President allows me to have great confidence in him and his capabilities which we have only seen a little of until now. God willing, the country and the ummah [Islamic community] will benefit from the President and from his knowledge and capabilities. The President siding with the popular revolution [in Syria] was not a personal decision; rather he was expressing the opinion of the Egyptian people, and indeed the Arab people. He aligned with the people’s choice and demands, because this is a moral and ethical demand, before it is a political one.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What are the Muslim Brotherhood’s priorities in this post-revolutionary period?
[Badie] We are working on several axes, including internal issues such as education, employing the capable cadre and developing approaches and regulations, as well as external issues, such as dealing with society and effective participation to resolve issues, as well as paying attention to issues of the ummah, and engaging with these, including the Palestinian Cause.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Would you say that your post-revolutionary message differs from the message you promoted prior to the ouster of the Mubarak regime?
[Badie] We want what is best for the people, all people. This is our message, as urged by Islam, and this is something that is fixed and not influenced by internal or external conferences. What is fixed in our message remains the same, whether prior to the revolution or afterwards. We have remained fixed on this message before the revolution, thanks to God Almighty, despite the injustice and oppression that we were subject to, and we pray to God to help us to promote our message as best as possible and that this is accepted.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Could it be said that Egypt is living in an era, and under a state, of the Muslim Brotherhood?
[Badie] We should not run after some media designations that seek to divide, not unite. The objective of these biased terms is to incite hatred and sedition in society. Therefore, we are now living during the early days of the emergence of state based on respecting the constitution and the law; a state of freedom, equality, justice, human rights, respect for mass and individual freedoms and placing general welfare above individual interests. We must not abandon these comprehensive and fixed issues and look for media scarecrows that some people try to promote every now and then, such as the obsession regarding Muslim Brotherhood hegemony. These are fabrications that are shown to be patently false by reality. When these universal values, concepts and rights are present in society, will anybody say that they are “Muslim Brotherhood”? Or rather is this the hoped for and desired society that the revolution was carried out in order to achieve, and which the martyrs sacrificed their lives for?
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What impact has Mursi coming to power in Egypt had on the Brotherhood, particularly as the Muslim Brotherhood’s star is on the rise internationally?
[Badie] The President is now the President of all Egyptians, and he has resigned from all his leadership positions within the Muslim Brotherhood and [Freedom and Justice] party. So we should not try and create obstacles to the march, because we cannot build anything by stimulating such issues. The Brotherhood is present in most parts of the world, and it has been providing for and benefiting citizens for dozens of years prior to the revolutions and it will continue to do so. Everybody, men and women, have been brought up on values and virtues and have served the societies that they are in, even in non-Muslim countries, in accordance with the country’s constitution and law, so what is the issue with doing this in Arab and Islamic countries?! This is because the best people are the most beneficial to others…and God has commanded us to help one another in righteousness and piety, but not in sin and rancor [Surat al-Maeda, Verse 2].
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your own view and impression of President Mursi?
[Badie] The President is a modest, wise, charismatic and God-fearing man. He is a prominent scholar and veteran political who loves his country and ummah. This is just some of what I can say about him thanks to my dealings with him. I have known him well since we worked together at the University of Zagazig more than 30 years ago.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Some Western newspaper reports have claimed that the Muslim Brotherhood General Guide is the true ruler of Egypt. Is there any truth to these claims? How many times have you met with President Mursi since he took office?
[Badie] These are statements that do not deserve a response, and they are issued by sick people that want to distort the will of the Egyptian people. President Mursi is the real president of Egypt, and I do not accept interfering in his work whatsoever or even serving as a conduit to the President for anybody. This is what Islam has taught us and what we have been brought up to believe in the school of the Muslim Brotherhood, and indeed this is what we are teaching the new Muslim Brotherhood cadres today. I only met with President Mursi once [following his election], along with a number of other Islamic leaders, to congratulate him after he took office, as well as another meeting with all spectrum of society during the iftar [feast] held by the Grand Sheikh of al-Azhar.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Could it be said that President Mursi’s statements are now even being obeyed and respected by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Guidance Office, not to mention the office of the General Guide himself?
[Badie] He is now the President of all of Egypt, and we are all behind him and his decisions. You should see the popular support he has received for his appropriate decisions that have been issued recently. These decisions confirm the extent of the President’s communication with the people and his understanding of their problems and issues, as well as his swift desire to resolve these and establish a modern state, which is something that we all desire.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Where were the Muslim Brotherhood during the early days of the revolution? What was your view of the popular, protests in Tahrir Square and elsewhere? When did the Muslim Brotherhood come to the realization that the Mubarak government would fall?
[Badie] This is a big issue, and talking about this requires many details, however the Guidance Office was in permanent session, and we were monitoring the situation moment-by-moment from the first day of the revolution. We confirmed this with documents issued by the organization every day during the revolution. We were very confident regarding the victory of God Almighty and that the regime had begun to collapse because its injustice and corruption had exceeded all expectations. God Almighty was our only refuge, and all our prayers were for the rescue of our beloved Egypt.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Did all the arrests and imprisonments during the era of the Mubarak regime weaken the Brotherhood, or did this only serve to strengthen your resolve?
[Badie] By the grace of God, these trials only served to strengthen the resolve of the Brotherhood, because this is the way of the people of the call. “Do men think that they will be left alone on saying, ‘We believe’, and that they will not be tasted? We did test those before them, and Allah will certainly know those who are true from those who are false.” [Surat al Ankaboot: Verse 2 – 3]. Whenever it seems that falsehood will overwhelm everything, the victory of God comes to support the oppressed. “And We wished to be Gracious to those who were being depressed in the land, to make them leaders (in Faith) and make them heirs. To establish a firm place for them in the land, and to show Pharaoh, Haman, and their hosts, at their hands, the very things against which they were taking precautions.” [Surat al-Qasas: Verse 5 – 6]. This is the pledge given by our God in His holy book, and we were confident of achieving God’s promise regarding the victory of the faithful whilst meeting the obligations of victory. God almighty issued his majestic call to the oppressed that He will save us, even after a while, and so God’s victory came, and thanks be to God.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What are some of the most prominent suggestions that have been made to develop the Muslim Brotherhood and its Shura Council?
[Badie] The need to create new ways for social education and being more open to all segments of society, as well as the importance of demonstrating patience towards those who are hostile and prejudiced against us because they are the victims of dozens of years of the tarnishing of our image, as well as ensuring more opportunities for the participation of youth and women.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] The Muslim Brotherhood is ruled by regulations and rules…however has the organization undergone any self-imposed review or criticism in the same manner as most other Islamist groups on the scene? In other words, what is the Shura Council’s view, that the Brotherhood is the victim or has made mistakes?
[Badie] We are a group made up of people, we fall victim and make mistakes; we do not claim to be infallible. We are in a state of conducting a full and comprehensive assessment at all levels. The Muslim Brotherhood, thanks be to God, is the largest group that carries out such consultations on all levels and we have a very high degree of openness, because we are moving closer to God with our deeds. However some people want to publish all the discussions and debates that take place in closed meetings, and this is something that is not present in any other institution based on organized work.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your position towards Egypt’s Christian community?
[Badie] They are our brothers in the homeland, and we are equal in that we have the same rights and duties. Our relationship with them is excellent on numerous levels, thanks to God, whether in terms of the official level or the popular level. Many Christians have achieved success representing the Freedom and Justice Party; whilst there are many Christians in leadership positions within the party. We influence work and production in our relationship with them in terms of advertising and media. I had many friendly visits with Pope Shenouda III before his death, as well as his successor Archbishop Anba Pachomius, as well as all members of the Church. We have exchanged visits and are building the bridges of trust and understanding to build Egypt following the revolution.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Which former Muslim Brotherhood General Guide are you closest to, or has had the greatest impact on your life?
[Badie] They are all good, and I have learnt much from each of them, and I am the same as them. For as God Almighty said “And those who came after them say: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us, and our brethren who came before us into the Faith, and leave not, in our hearts, rancour (or sense of injury) against those who have believed. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Full of Kindness, Most Merciful.’” [Surat Al-Hashr: Verse 10]. The last General Guide was a unique example as for the first time there was – by his choice – a former General Guide, and so I would like to name Mr. Akef here.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you consult with anybody before writing your weekly address?
[Badie] There is a special meeting regarding the weekly address that includes a number of media figures, journalists, Muslim Brotherhood officials and opinion-makers. During this meeting we talk about the most important issues and subjects at all levels, local, regional and international, and at the end of the meeting we decide the weekly address’s subject and content.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Did you personally ever issue a statement saying that the success of the Egyptian revolution is based on avenging the killing of Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al-Banna? Do you not agree that the revolution succeeded thanks to the calls of the oppressed?
[Badie] The fall of the head of the regime, Hosni Mubarak, occurred on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Imam Hassan al-Banna, and unfortunately some people tried to tarnish our image by promoting such statements. The revolution succeeded thanks to the calls of the oppressed, the blood of the martyrs, the sacrifices of the patient, and everybody coming together to ensure that the general welfare was placed above individual interests, in addition to the leadership of the revolution. These are the most important reasons for the success of the revolution, of course after the grace of God Almighty. Some journalists who are keen to tarnish the image of the Brotherhood have fabricated lies and taken statements out of context, however truth always shines forth, whilst falsehood and lies stutter.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What Quranic verse is closest to your heart? What verse of the Quran do you most often find yourself repeating?
[Badie] Yes, I often repeat the following verse. “Say: "O Allah! Lord of Power (And Rule), Thou givest power to whom Thou pleasest, and Thou strippest off power from whom Thou pleasest: Thou enduest with honour whom Thou pleasest, and Thou bringest low whom Thou pleasest: In Thy hand is all good. Verily, over all things Thou hast power.” [Surat al-Imran: Verse 26]. Whilst I often repeat the following prayer, attributed to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him: “O Ever Living, O Self-Subsisting and Supporter of all, by Your mercy I seek assistance, rectify for me all of my affairs and do not leave me to myself, even for the blink of an eye.”
[Asharq Al-Awsat] We are well aware that the Palestinian Cause is the central issue for the Muslim Brotherhood, but where is the Egyptian Brotherhood with regards to the violence taking place in Syria? Are you in contact with the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood General Guide Mohammed Riad Al-Shaqfa or his deputy Abu Anas?
[Badie] Our position towards the Syrian crisis has been clear since the beginning; we are with the brotherly Syrian people regarding their right to rid themselves of their criminal and murderous leaders. We support all the efforts to help the beloved Syrian people obtain their freedom from the oppressors who are standing on their chest. We pray to God Almighty and are certain of his answer to save the blood of our brothers in Syria. For as Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said “the wiping away of the World means less to Allah than a Believer being killed unjustly.” Whilst God Almighty said “if any one slow a person – unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land – it would be as if he slew the whole people: and if any one saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people.” [Surat Al-Maeda: Verse 32]
[Asharq Al-Awsat] When you were in prison, did you imagine that people would stay loyal to the Brotherhood group even after long years of imprisonment and expropriation?
[Badie] This hope never died even in the worst moments of severity and cruelty in prison, because we trusted in God’s promise. In prison we preoccupied ourselves with studying the problems of Egypt, how to solve them and how to develop implementation mechanisms, because the Brotherhood, thanks to God, is full of distinctive, professional qualifications, despite the fact that the proposals we had sent to the relevant authorities had been ignored.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your opinion on the dozens of remnants demonstrating in front of the Egyptian Presidential Palace, in what became known as the demonstrations to overthrow the Brotherhood? The demonstrators demanded the removal of the Brotherhood from the arena of political decision-making, and the formation of a serious constituent assembly to draft a constitution.
[Badie] To start with, the right to protest is ensured for everyone as long as the protest comes within the framework of the law and does not infringe upon public or private facilities. Likewise the Brotherhood, as a group, are far removed from the decision-making circle and do not interfere in any way. But there are still those who want to curb the Brotherhood, distance them and exclude them from any decision-making circles, such as ministries or otherwise. In other words, some people want to restore the injustices we faced during the era of the former regime, where we were distanced for many years and deprived from serving Egypt and its people, and Egypt was deprived of our experience. This was expressed by Dr. Aziz Sidqi, the former Prime Minister of Egypt, who said: “We apologize to the people of Egypt whom we deprived of the (Muslim Brotherhood’s) efforts for many years”.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you think that President Mursi’s appointment of a Christian aide is a real achievement in light of Egypt being ruled by an Islamist for the first time?
[Badie] Of course it is an achievement, not only in him being a Christian, but also because he was not assigned the Coptic file for example, but rather a file pertaining to the Egyptian state and society as a whole, because we are all part of the same fabric. The previous regime was based around one individual with everyone revolving around his orbit in order to achieve his ambitions and aspirations, even if they conflicted with the interests of the country and the people. The former President was keen to designate the people of Egypt into groups, dividing them in order to prevail as we all became preoccupied with each other, but now we have a different model based on pluralism and diversity, and ensuring service to the homeland.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Will the Brotherhood govern in a manner of discipline and obedience or will it adopt a more flexible approach, considering that the group has been the largest political force on the street for more than 80 years?
[Badie] The group used to adopt a style of discipline and obedience and this lasted for more than 80 years, but now we are now seeking to govern society with love. This approach is more durable and stronger because we all worship God with our actions as a whole, and it is unreasonable for anyone to be forced to do something. Perhaps it is strange to learn that commitment in the Arabic language is [based] on love, that is the key to commitment and something that we embrace. It is better to have those who believe than those who are tamed.
[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you not angry at those who defected from the Brotherhood or rebelled against the principle of absolute obedience?
[Badie] The Brotherhood is a collective Islamist body; involvement in it is voluntary. We cannot force anyone to continue with us regardless of their own free will. Some believe they can serve Islam outside of the Brotherhood framework, and this is their opinion and they have the freedom to do so, but we extend our hand to everyone, we do not relinquish it to anyone. If there is ever an opportunity to converge viewpoints between conflicting parties then we do not delay because we promote unity not division. Many of those who distanced themselves from us for whatever reason have tasted the bitterness of separation and returned to the arms of their group and their brothers, who have stood by them thick and thin, and prayed to God every morning and night that they are not deprived of their place in paradise. We say to all: “Our Lord! Forgive us, and our brethren who came before us into the Faith, and leave not, in our hearts, rancour (or sense of injury) against those who have believed. Our Lord! Thou art indeed Full of Kindness, Most Merciful” [Surat Al-Hashr: Verse 10].