LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 05/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you
Paul's Letter to the Ephesians 4/24-32: "and put on the new man, who in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.  “Be angry, and don’t sin.”* Don’t let the sun go down on your wrath,  neither give place to the devil.  Let him who stole steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to him who has need.  Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but such as is good for building up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.  Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, outcry, and slander, be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you'

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 04-05/17
Failure Of The Sinful Governing Deal & The Must resignations/Elias Bejjani/November 04/17
Patriarch Al Raei's Historic Visit To Saudi Arabia/Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
Hezbollah Is A Gang Of Evil People/Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
Israeli Druze warn: don't stop us from aiding Hader/Ynetnews/Hassan Shaalan/November 04/17
Saudi crown prince is a force for moderation, unlike Tehran/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/ArabNews/November 04/17
Israel beats the drums of war/Dubovikova/ArabNews/November 04/17
Looking at Catalonia crisis in a wider context/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/November04/17
Iran’s Khamenei has three main messages for Putin at summit/Maxim A. Suchkov/Al Monitor/November 03/17
Dawa: Sowing the Seeds of Hate/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/November 04/17

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on November 04-05/17
Failure Of The Sinful Governing Deal & The Must resignations
Patriarch Al Raei's Historic Visit To Saudi Arabia
Hezbollah Is A Gang Of Evil People
Lebanese PM Hariri resigns, stresses ‘Iran’s hands will be cut off’
Assassination attempt on Hariri thwarted a ‘couple of days ago’
Aoun Cancels Kuwait Trip, Calls for Preserving Unity, Security, Stability
Nasrallah to Comment on Hariri’s Resignation in Sunday Speech
Iran Rejects Hariri's 'Unfounded Accusations'
Netanyahu Says Hariri's Resignation a 'Wake-Up Call to Int'l Community'
Hariri Drops Bombshell, Announces Resignation from Govt over Iran's 'Influence'
Reports: Hariri Assassination Bid Foiled Several Days Ago
Officials React to Hariri's 'Surprise' Resignation
Berri Says Parties Dare Not Obstruct Elections
I salute Prime Minister Hariri for his stand, says Michel Suleiman
President Aoun conducts series of contacts, postpones visit to Kuwait: To maintain national unity, atmosphere of security and political stability
Berri contacts political, spiritual figures on latest developments
Future Parliamentary Bloc: We confirm our full support to PM Hariri and his positions
Bukhari denies news of Saudi Embassy diplomats leaving Lebanon
ISF says it has nothing to do with circulated news about PM Hariri's thwarted assassination attempt, has no information on this matter
Mekati hopes crisis would pass peacefully
Sami Gemayel warns against dragging the country into costly adventures
Erslan receives a call from President Aoun
Harb: To work to avoid the serious repercussions of Hariri's resignation
Hanna Nashef elected as new SSNP Chief

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 04-05/17
Territorial Losses Suffered by Islamic State in Syria, Iraq
Russia Responds to Canada Sanctions with Tit-for-Tat Measures
Britain Rejects Russian Bid to Revise U.N. Probe of Syria Gas Attacks
Syria deal being discussed for possible Putin-Trump meeting
Iran displays missile during anniversary of embassy takeover
Russia accuses US of ‘war crime’ regarding humanitarian aid in Syria
Trudeau applauds Payette for standing up for science in convention speech
Israeli Druze warn: don't stop us from aiding Hader

Latest Lebanese Related News published on November 04-05/17
Failure Of The Sinful Governing Deal & The Must resignations
Elias Bejjani/November 04/17
All Those Lebanese Hypocrite politicians and so called political parties who cowardly succumbed to the terrorist Hezbollah, dismantled the 14th of March Coalition, betrayed The Cedars Revolution and exchanged sovereignty with governing personal gains including Hariri and Geagea are ought to resign not only from the Government but from the whole political arena.

Patriarch Al Raei's Historic Visit To Saudi Arabia
Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
His Beatitude, Patriach Al Raei's coming historical visit to Saudi Arabia emphasizes Bkerke's crucial and valuable role as a partner and a must gateway for the kigdom's success and credibility of it new unprecedented genuine policies of openness on the oriental Christains, Vatican and on the Western secularism, multi-culturalism, tolerance and civilization.

Hezbollah Is A Gang Of Evil People
Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
In the eyes of the Lebanese Judiciary laws, Hezbollah is an evil mere gang of outlaws. Accordingly Its members and leaders must be arrested and put on trial. No legitimacy to this Iranian gang in the constitution or in the UN Lebanese related resolutions. All Those officials who allege Hezbollah is a legitimate resistance must be charged and also put on trial.

Lebanese PM Hariri resigns, stresses ‘Iran’s hands will be cut off’
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/4 November 2017/Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri announced his resignation on Saturday, stressing that “Iran’s hands in the region will be cut off,” emphasizing the fact that “wherever Iran is involved, there is nothing but devastation and chaos.”
“Iran has a strong desire to destroy the Arab world,” he said in his televised resignation speech. Hariri warned that “the evil that Iran sends to the region will eventually backfire on Tehran.”Hariri said: “Iran controls the region and the decision-making in both Syria and Iraq.”Hariri stressed his rejection of the use of Hezbollah’s weapons against the Lebanese and Syrians, pointing out that “the intervention of Hezbollah caused us problems with our Arab neighborhood.”
Assassination plots
Hariri said that he is aware that there are assassination plots against his life saying: “I sensed that there are people who secretly want me dead.”In his speech, he said the atmosphere in the country is similar to the one that existed before his father, the late prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005. “We are living in a climate similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of (his father the late prime minister) martyr Rafik al-Hariri. I have sensed what is being plotted covertly to target my life,” he said. He continued: “We will not allow Lebanon to become a trigger for the security of the region,” explaining that “frustration and fragmentation in Lebanon is unacceptable.”For his part, Dr. Mustafa Alloush, leader of the Future Movement stated that that the upcoming days will be a period of “militarization.” Hariri was appointed prime minister in late 2016 and headed a 30-member national unity cabinet that included the Shiite militant Hezbollah. The government has largely succeeded in protecting the country from the effects of the civil war in neighboring Syria. Hariri's resignation is expected to raise tensions in the country. - With Reuters and The Associated Press

Assassination attempt on Hariri thwarted a ‘couple of days ago’
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Saturday, 4 November 2017/Sources have told Al Arabiya that the assassination attempt on Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri had been thwarted in Beirut a few days ago. Giving details, the sources said: “The planners of Hariri’s assassination attempt disrupted the watchtowers (control towers) when his convoy was passing by.” Hariri travelled to Saudi Arabia on Friday and announced his resignation as prime minister on Saturday in a speech condemning Iran and Hezbollah and saying he feared assassination. “I have sensed what is being plotted covertly to target my life,” he said.
It may be recalled that Saad’s father, then prime minister Rafik Hariri was in 2005 killed by triggering a massive roadside bomb as his convoy passed by. Rafik Hariri assassination in 2005 .In his speech, Saad Hariri said the atmosphere in the country is similar to the one that existed before his father, the late prime minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated in 2005. “We are living in a climate similar to the atmosphere that prevailed before the assassination of (his father the late prime minister) martyr Rafik al-Hariri”. Meanwhile, former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman has said he salutes Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri for his decision to step down. In statements to Al-Hadath channel, Suleiman stated that “what is required now from the President of the Republic is to direct the neutralization of Lebanon.” Referring to Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon, he stressed that “no state can build another state inside Lebanon” and “there cannot be two armies.”The former president urged the need “to withdraw Hezbollah from Syria, and to develop a defensive strategy.”He stressed that “the settlements must not come at the expense of the sovereignty of Lebanon.”

Aoun Cancels Kuwait Trip, Calls for Preserving Unity, Security, Stability
Naharnet/November 04/17/President Michel Aoun on Saturday announced the postponement of his Sunday’s visit to Kuwait and called for preserving national unity and the country’s security and stability, in the wake of Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s shock resignation. A statement issued by the Presidency said Aoun held a series of contacts with state officials and political and religious leaders, focusing on “the importance of preserving national unity and the atmosphere of security and political stability as well as protecting the achievements that have been made in the past year.”“The threats that Lebanon is facing, especially from Israel, require the Lebanese to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to confront them,” Aoun added. The president also instructed the chiefs of security agencies to “take the necessary measures to preserve security and stability.” According to the Presidency’s statement, Aoun held phone talks with Speaker Nabih Berri and with the leaders and representatives of the parties that are part of the government -- Walid Jumblat, Suleiman Franjieh, Asaad Hardan, Hagop Pakradounian, Mohammed Raad and Samir Geagea. He also called Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan, Shiite mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, Association of Banks in Lebanon chief Joseph Torbey, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, Justice Minister Salim Jreissati and Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf.

Nasrallah to Comment on Hariri’s Resignation in Sunday Speech
Naharnet/November 04/17/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will comment Sunday on Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s shock resignation, Hizbullah’s media department said. “Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah will make a televised address tomorrow, Sunday at 6:00 pm to comment on PM Saad Hariri’s resignation and the latest political developments,” the department said in a statement. Hariri said earlier on Sunday he was stepping down, citing Iran's "grip" on Lebanon and what he called threats to his life. In a speech broadcast from Saudi Arabia by the Al-Arabiya news network, Hariri accused Tehran of "creating a state within the state... to the extent that it gets the final say on how Lebanon's affairs are run." "Iran has a grip on the fate of the region's countries," Hariri said. "Hizbullah is Iran's arm not just in Lebanon but in other Arab countries too," he added.

Iran Rejects Hariri's 'Unfounded Accusations'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 04/17/Iran rejected Saturday what it called "unfounded accusations" by Lebanon's resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who stepped down earlier in the day citing Tehran's "grip" on Lebanon and threats to his life. Hariri's "repetition of unreal and baseless accusations... against Iran show that the resignation is designed to create tensions in Lebanon and in the region," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi said.

Netanyahu Says Hariri's Resignation a 'Wake-Up Call to Int'l Community'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 04/17/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and his stated reasons, should serve as an "alarm call" to the world about Iran's “aggression.”Hariri said earlier he was stepping down, citing Iran's "grip" on Lebanon and what he called threats to his life. "The resignation of Lebanese Prime Minister Hariri and his remarks are a wake-up call to the international community to take action against Iranian aggression," Netanyahu said in a Hebrew-language statement released by his office. Israel says that Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah has long held the reins of power in Lebanon and is seeking to strengthen its role in neighboring Syria, where it is allied to President Bashar al-Assad in the country's brutal civil war. Iran, said Netanyahu, "is trying to turn Syria into Lebanon II.""This aggression endangers not only Israel, but the entire Middle East," he added. "The international community must unite and stand up against this aggression."In a speech broadcast from Saudi Arabia by the Al-Arabiya news network, Hariri accused Tehran of "creating a state within the state... to the extent that it gets the final say on how Lebanon's affairs are run.""Iran has a grip on the fate of the region's countries," Hariri said. "Hizbullah is Iran's arm not just in Lebanon but in other Arab countries too." Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Hariri confirmed what Israel has long been saying. "In practice Lebanon has been occupied by Hizbullah and the Iranians," he told the private Reshet TV channel on Saturday. "This axis is operating inside Lebanon, inside Syria and is extending its patronage into the Gaza Strip," Lieberman said.

Hariri Drops Bombshell, Announces Resignation from Govt over Iran's 'Influence'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 04/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Saturday, in an unforeseen move, announced his resignation from the Lebanese government, stressing that “Iran's hands in the region will be cut off.” In a televised appearance from Saudi Arabia, Hariri said: “Wherever Iran is present it plants discord and destruction attested to by its interference in the Arab countries.”Hariri added: “Iran is driven by deep hatred on the Arab nation. Unfortunately, it has found some of our sons who are putting their hands in its and trying to seize Lebanon from its Arab surroundings. "In recent years, Hizbullah has used the power of its weapons to impose a fait accompli," he said, reading a speech from behind a desk. “I would like to tell Iran and its followers that they have lost and their hands in the region will be cut off. I promised you that I will seek to unite the Lebanese, end the political division and establish the principle of self dissociation,” added the Premier. Citing Iran's "grip" on the country and threats to his life, Hariri added: “There is a state of frustration, fragmentation and divisions. We are witnessing a climate similar to the atmosphere that was felt before the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.” "I felt what was being covertly plotted to target my life," Hariri said. “I announce my resignation from the post of prime minister with my certainty that the will of the Lebanese is stronger and their will be able to overcome the tutelage from inside and outside,” he said in a speech broadcast from Saudi Arabia by the Al-Arabiya news network. The two-time prime minister, whose father Rafik was assassinated when he held the same position in 2005, accused Iran and Hizbullah of seeking hegemony in the region. The 47-year-old Sunni politician's resignation comes less than a year after his government, to which Hizbullah's political wing belongs, was formed."Iran has a grip on the fate of the region's countries... Hizbullah is Iran's arm not just in Lebanon but in other Arab countries too," he said. "In recent years, Hizbullah has used the power of its weapons to impose a fait accompli," he said, reading a speech from behind a desk. Hizbullah is a vital ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the war the Syrian regime is waging against the Islamic State group and armed opposition movements. It enjoys broad support from Iran and is the only Lebanese party to have kept its weapons after the 1975-1990 civil war. Its arsenal has since grown exponentially and now outstrips that of the nation's own armed forces. It claims it is the only credible rampart against neighboring Israel and its refusal to disarm is the main political crux in Lebanon. Hizbullah members have been accused over the 2005 assassination in a massive car bomb blast of Rafik Hariri, the dominant figure of Lebanon's post-war political landscape. Riyadh is Iran's main regional rival and the two powers' tussle for influence has played out in ongoing conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen.

Reports: Hariri Assassination Bid Foiled Several Days Ago
Naharnet/November 04/17/An attempt to assassinate resigned Prime Minister Saad Hariri was foiled several days ago, Al-Arabiya television reported on Saturday. “The plotters disabled the ‘watchtowers’ during the movements of his convoy,” Al-Arabiya quoted unnamed sources as saying. Announcing his shock resignation earlier in the day, Hariri said Lebanon is living "an atmosphere similar to the one that preceded the assassination of the martyr Rafik Hariri.""I have sensed covert plots to target my life," Hariri added. The Internal Security Forces later issued a statement distancing itself from unconfirmed media reports about the alleged plot. "As for what is being circulated through media outlets, social networking websites and news websites about an attempt to assassinate PM Saad Hariri that was foiled by the ISF Intelligence Branch, the ISF Directorate General clarifies that neither it nor the Intelligence Branch are the source of the circulated reports," the ISF said. "Therefore, it is not the source of these reports and it does not have any information about that," the ISF added.

Officials React to Hariri's 'Surprise' Resignation
Naharnet/November 04/17/Lebanese political figures reacted on Saturday to a surprise resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri which he announced from Saudi Arabia citing Iranian “influence” in Lebanon and expressing fears of being assassinated. According to a statement by the presidential press office, President Michel Aoun is waiting for Hariri's return to Beirut to inform him of the circumstances of the resignation. Hariri had contacted Aoun and informed him of his decision. Speaker Nabih Berri has cut short his visit to Egypt to return to Beirut following the Premier's resignation. Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblat took to Twitter and said: “Whatever the difficulties are, sacrifice for the sake of consensus, dialogue and stability is fundamental and our existence is predestined.”“Lebanon is too small and weak to endure the economic and political repercussions of the resignation,” lamented Jumblat.
Lebanese Forces MP Antoine Zahra said: “We have heard from Saudi authorities about intentions of some to create trouble in Lebanon.”He expressed hopes the resignation would pave way for solving other political obstacles. Justice Minister Salim Jreisati described the move as “confusing and suspicious in terms of time, place and content.” For his part Mustaqbal bloc MP Moustafa Allouch explained that “Hariri's resignation came after he failed in knocking some sense into Hizbullah.” “Hariri's resignation is very surprising and I fear that Lebanon has entered the regional conflict,” said MP Ghassan Mokhaiber. Hariri announced his resignation Saturday, citing Iran's "grip" on the country and threats to his life. "I announce my resignation from the post of prime minister," he said in a speech broadcast from Saudi Arabia by the Al-Arabiya news network. "I felt what was being covertly plotted to target my life," Hariri said.

Berri Says Parties Dare Not Obstruct Elections
Naharnet/November 04/17/Speaker Nabih Berri said that the best thing in the proportional representation parliamentary electoral law is that it “eliminates” any bid aiming to prevent holding the polls, al-Akhbar daily reported on Saturday. “The best thing about the election law is that it obviates any attempt or reason to prevent staging the elections,” Berri said according to the daily. Berri noted that he is in agreement with President Michel Aoun as for opposing the introduction of any amendments on the election law. However he stressed that “dispute declared on the terms of its application will not make anyone dare to obstruct the elections.” However he lamented the “minimal” progress achieved so far by the ministerial panel tasked with studying the technical mechanisms of the new electoral law. He said: “We are uselessly wasting time and talk.” The panel has met on Friday and failed to achieve progress in light of conflict over the issuance of biometric voter cards and pre-registration of voters. The May 2018 elections will be held under a complex proportional representation system for the first time in Lebanon's history. The parties are bickering over the issues of pre-registration for voters wishing to cast ballots away from their hometowns as well as the issue of introducing biometric voting cards.

I salute Prime Minister Hariri for his stand, says Michel Suleiman
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Saturday, 4 November 2017/Former Lebanese President Michel Suleiman said he salutes Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri for his decision to step down. On Saturday, Hariri announced his resignation in a televised speech, revealing a plot to assassinate him and condemning the role of Iran and Hezbollah in stifling Lebanese reality through interference in the state apparatus. In statements to Al-Hadath channel, he stated that “what is required now from the President of the Republic is to direct the neutralization of Lebanon.” Suleiman said that “the repercussions of Hariri’s resignation will be positive.”Referring to Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon, he stressed that “no state can build another state inside Lebanon” and “there cannot be two armies.”The former president urged the need “to withdraw Hezbollah from Syria, and to develop a defensive strategy.” He stressed that “the settlements must not come at the expense of the sovereignty of Lebanon.”

President Aoun conducts series of contacts, postpones visit to Kuwait: To maintain national unity, atmosphere of security and political stability
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - President of the Republic Michel Aoun held a series of calls on Saturday following the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri while abroad, conferring with political and spiritual leaders on "the importance of maintaining national unity and the atmosphere of security and political stability in the country." Talks also highlighted the need to protect the mandate's achievements to-date, giving priority to the State's higher interests. President Aoun stressed that "the threats against Lebanon, especially the Israeli, necessitate that the Lebanese stand united in their confrontation" and that "any imbalance affecting the internal situation would reflect negatively on national immunity and unity of ranks." In this context, Aoun contacted House Speaker Nabih Berri, and the heads and representatives of the political parties partaking in the government, including Ministers Gebran Bassil and Talal Arslan, MPs Walid Jumblatt, Sleiman Franjieh, Asaad Hardan, Hagoub Paqradounian and Mohammad Raad, as well as Lebanese Forces Party Chief Samir Geagea. Aoun also called Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bshara Boutros al-Rahi, Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian, and Jaafari Mufti Sheikh Ahmad Qabalan. Moreover, the President contacted as well Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil and Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, with whom he discussed the financial and banking situation in the country, stressing the need to maintain financial stability. The President's contacts also included Interior and Municipalities Minister Nuhad al-Mashnouq, Justice Minister Salim Jreissati, Defense Minister Yacoub Sarraf and Banks' Association Head Joseph Tarabeih. Meanwhile, Aoun gave his instructions to security and military officers to adopt the necessary measures towards maintaining security and stability in the country.
On the other hand, President Aoun contacted Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Subah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Subah, with whom he tackled the current situation and agreed to postpone the official visit that was scheduled for tomorrow to a later date.

Berri contacts political, spiritual figures on latest developments
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - House Speaker, Nabih Berri, currently in Egypt to partake in the World Youth Forum in Sharm Sheikh, followed up on the latest developments related to PM Saad Hariri's surprise resignation, whereby he contacted a number of Lebanese political and spiritual officials.
In this framework, Speaker Berri called President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, with whom he deliberated on the latest developments. Berri also contacted for the same purpose Grand Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian, Head of the Islamic Supreme Shiite Council, Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan, and Interior and Municipalities Minister Nuhad Mashnouq.

Future Parliamentary Bloc: We confirm our full support to PM Hariri and his positions
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - In an issued statement following its extraordinary meeting on Saturday chaired by former PM Fouad Saniora, Future Parliamentary Bloc declared its full support to Prime Minister Saad Hariri and his stances.
Bloc members decided to keep their meetings open to follow-up on arising developments, in wake of PM Hariri's government resignation.

Bukhari denies news of Saudi Embassy diplomats leaving Lebanon
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - Saudi Charge d'Affaires in Beirut, Walid al-Bukhari, denied Saturday circulated news by some media concerning the departure of the Saudi Embassy's diplomats from Lebanon. It is to note that al-Bukhari is scheduled to meet with Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow at Dar El-Fatwa.

ISF says it has nothing to do with circulated news about PM Hariri's thwarted assassination attempt, has no information on this matter
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - In an issued communiqué by the Internal Security Forces' General Directorate following PM Saad Hariri's announced resignation on Saturday, it indicated that "what is being circulated through the media about thwarting an assassination attempt against PM Hariri was not issued by ISF's Information Department." "Therefore, ISF is not the source of these news reports nor does it have any information on this matter," the communiqué added.

Mekati hopes crisis would pass peacefully
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - Former Prime Minister Najib Mekati hoped in a Tweet on Saturday that "this crisis would pass peacefully without impacting Lebanon's steadfastness, integrity, Arabism and the unity of its sons in the face of difficulties."

Sami Gemayel warns against dragging the country into costly adventures
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - Kataeb Party Head, MP Sami Gemayel warned against "losing the State's sovereignty in favor of illegitimate weapons' owners" and "dragging the country into costly adventures." In an open dialogue with hundreds of students who gathered at the Conferences Palace in Dbayeh on Friday evening, Gemayel warned against "the State's becoming part of the axis, and paying the price of a conflict we have nothing to do with." Gemayel stressed that "accountability is coming!" In his direct and spontaneous communication with students, the Kataeb Chief responded to difficult and fateful questions regarding the Lebanese entity, sovereignty, state and corruption, questions which carried many of the Lebanese youth's concerns about their future.

Erslan receives a call from President Aoun
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - Lebanese Democratic Party Media Bureau disclosed Saturday that Party Head, Displaced Minister Talal Esral received a call from President of the Republic Michel Aoun, during which talks touched on recent developments in wake of PM Saad Hariri's government resignation.

Harb: To work to avoid the serious repercussions of Hariri's resignation
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - MP Boutros Harb considered Saturday that "the resignation of Prime Minister Saad Hariri was a shock to the Lebanese and the world, whether in its circumstances or timing or place of announcement," highlighting the need to work on avoiding its dangerous repercussions. In an issued statement following PM Hariri's resignation, Harb deemed that said resignation "has created an atmosphere of political tension as a result of the fall of the settlement-deal that allowed the formation of the government at the end of 2016, and a sharp vertical split in the country, foreshadowing a long government crisis." He hoped that this crisis would not turn into a crisis of governance. "The only positive thing about this resignation is that it blocked many suspicious deals and prevented the corrupt people from continuing to absorb the blood of the Lebanese, and prevented the Lebanese Republic from turning into a banana republic shared by the political mafias," Harb went on to indicate. "The path of salvation remains in our adherence to our national and moral principles," he concluded.

Hanna Nashef elected as new SSNP Chief
Sat 04 Nov 2017/NNA - Syrian Socialist National Party's Higher Council elected Saturday its member, Hanna el-Nashef, as its new President. Members of the Higher Council convened in a special session at the Party's main headquarters this morning in presence of all partisans, electing Attorney Hanna el-Nashef, born 1/1/1943 in Maghdousheh, as the new Party Head.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on November 04-05/17
Territorial Losses Suffered by Islamic State in Syria, Iraq
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 04/17/With new losses, the Islamic State group has been driven from more than 96 percent of the large parts of Iraq and Syria it once held, crushing its goal of establishing a "caliphate" in the region. Syrian President Bashar Assad's military on Friday announced the capture of the eastern Syrian city of Deir el-Zour, while Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi proclaimed victory in retaking the town of Qaim on the border, the militants' last significant urban area in Iraq. The militants are left fighting for a final stretch inside Syria and desert regions along the Iraq-Syria border. Three years ago, they had defiantly erased that line, knocking down berms marking the frontier. Since then, they have lost infrastructure, resources, supply routes, control over about 8 million people and — most importantly — administration of a contiguous territory. The extremist group may still prove to be a major challenge for months as it turns to a clandestine insurgency. What the group lost in the last 11 months, and what is left:
QAIM
Iraqi forces' last conventional military fight against IS played out in Qaim, on the western edge of Anbar province along the border with Syria. Operations began there in the last week of October. On Friday, Iraq said it now controls the town and the nearby border crossing with Syria.
The crossing in the Euphrates River Valley was used by IS to move fighters and supplies between the two countries when the group controlled nearly a third of Iraqi territory. Brett McGurk, the U.S. envoy for the fight against the Islamic State group, said Thursday the group is now facing "annihilation" with the losses in western Iraq and nearly 96 percent of its territory. He earlier said 6.6 million people have been liberated as the group lost over 90,000 square kilometers (35,000 square miles) in the last year. The Islamic State "has not reclaimed single meter of this ground. Migrant and refugee flows reversed," McGurk tweeted Thursday.
DEIR EL-ZOUR
The Syrian government declared Friday that it has taken full control of Deir el-Zour, where its troops and tens of thousands of civilians have been besieged by IS militants for nearly three years. Gen. Ali Mayhoub, spokesman for the Syrian army, called it a strategic victory, noting Deir el-Zour's location on a crossroads linking Syria's eastern, northern and central regions, and its role in distributing the province's oil. Mayhoub said IS militants are now isolated and encircled in the countryside east of the city. Government forces are focused on Boukamal, the last IS urban center in Syria.Kurdish forces backed by the U.S. also are making a bid for the strategic border town from the other side of the Euphrates, renewing fears of a confrontation between the two forces seeking to control the border area.
RAQQA
Raqqa, the IS group's de-facto capital, fell to Kurdish-led forces on Oct. 17, four months after operations to reclaim it began. The city was the group's hub of operations, and its capture was a major symbolic blow. The first city to fall into IS hands, foreign fighters flocked to Raqqa. The U.S.-led coalition estimated that 40,000 fighters from Europe, North Africa and Asia once flowed into IS territory. The group carried out beheadings and other killings in a public square in Raqqa to try to project its ruthless nature. The city also was the center of its media operations, where videos about the benefits of life under IS were produced. Planning for some of the major violence in Europe was traced to Raqqa, including the deadly attacks in Paris in 2015 and in Brussels in 2016.
MAYADEEN
On Oct. 14, the Syrian government said its troops and allied fighters seized the town of Mayadeen, on the western bank of the Euphrates River. The town had become a refuge for the militant group's leaders from fighting in Raqqa and Deir el-Zour to the north and Iraq to the east.
Mayadeen was also a major point in the race for control of the oil-rich eastern Deir el-Zour province. Washington has feared advances by Syrian troops and allied fighters toward the Iraqi border could help Iran expand its influence in the region and establish a "Shiite corridor" of land links from Iraq to Lebanon, and all the way to Israel. Iran backs militias fighting alongside the Syrian military.
The Syrian government had feared that U.S.-backed forces would get to Mayadeen first, but the militants pulled back a few days after the battle began, disappearing into the desert.
HAWIJA
It took 20 days to liberate Hawija, depriving IS of its last significant urban area in Iraq. Iraqi forces fought alongside the Kurdish peshmerga to retake the city in oil-rich Kirkuk province on Oct. 10. Hundreds of IS fighters and their families surrendered to the Kurdish forces.
The fall of the city also eliminated a unifying factor for the peshmerga and the Iraqi military and federal police along with their Shiite militia allies. That opened the way for the tension that followed among the former allies.
TAL AFAR
The town was liberated by coalition-backed Iraqi forces Aug. 30, ending the IS presence in northern Iraq. Thousands of IS fighters and their families turned themselves over to Iraqi and Kurdish forces as the town fell, the first instance of mass surrenders of IS fighters on the heels of a military victory.
Unlike the nine-month battle for Mosul, the swift military victory in Tal Afar was the first sign of the battlefield losses had weakened IS as a conventional military force, according to the coalition.
MOSUL
Iraqi forces declared victory in Mosul on July 10. While clashes continued between small groups of IS fighters in tunnels under the old city for weeks after, the loss of Mosul effectively broke the back of the caliphate.
Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul was a hub for meetings of the IS leadership. It was the largest city under the militants' control and was an important site of facilities for making car bombs, smaller explosives and mortar rounds. The militants used civilians as shields to prevent the weapons factories from being targeted by coalition airstrikes. The fight for Mosul was long and costly, killing thousands of civilians and Iraqi security forces. IS fighters used years of tight control of the city to build defenses that prolonged the battle and caused widespread death and destruction.
WHAT IS LEFT
The Syrian city of Boukamal is the last major urban center in the hands of IS. The group also is spread along the Syria-Iraq border in villages in the provinces of Hassakeh and Deir el-Zour in eastern Syria. There also are small IS cells in Iraq's Nineveh, Anbar and Salahudin provinces, where the central government has lacked strong control for years.Along this thin line on the border of the two countries, the militants still have a presence in a region running west of the Euphrates River toward the Syrian desert, between Deir el-Zour and Homs provinces. There also is a small IS presence near Damascus. In a briefing last week, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said small numbers of IS leaders are "attempting to leverage local insurgencies" in Africa and Asia as they lose territory in Iraq and Syria.The group's militants and local affiliates in Egypt, Libya, the Sahel area of Africa and the Philippines continue to challenge authorities, carrying out regular attacks.

Russia Responds to Canada Sanctions with Tit-for-Tat Measures
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 04/17/Russia has reacted to Canada's imposing sanctions on 30 Russian officials linked to human rights violations by announcing "mirror-image" measures. Canada on Friday banned and froze assets of 30 Russians linked to the case of Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in prison after exposing a $230-million tax fraud. "We have to respond with mirror-image (sanctions)," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement late Friday. "If our Canadian partners like playing sanctions games, we will be forced to respond," Moscow said. The ministry announced it had decided to "bar entry to Russia to a whole number of Canadian figures," adding that this affected "dozens." It did not give any names but specified that those targeted are "Russophobic Canadian citizens who have consistently worked to destroy bilateral relations." It warned that Canada must step away from a "destructive course, leading to further aggravation of bilateral relations." Canada last month passed a "Sergei Magnitsky Law," which targets Russian officials for human rights violations. This follows a Magnitsky Act passed by the United States which led to sanctions on more than 40 senior Russian officials.

Britain Rejects Russian Bid to Revise U.N. Probe of Syria Gas Attacks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 04/17/Britain on Friday rejected a Russian bid to attach conditions to the extension of a U.N.-led panel tasked with identifying who is behind chemical attacks in Syria's six-year war. Russia has circulated a draft Security Council resolution that calls for a six-month extension of the panel, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM). Its mandate expires on November 16. The United States has put forward a rival text seeking two more years for the JIM following the release of its latest report blaming the Syrian government for a sarin gas attack.
Moscow's text proposed that the council shelve that report on the use of the nerve agent on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun to allow for a new investigation. British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft said: "The Russian draft resolution is a cynical ploy to discredit a professional, independent and impartial body.""Russia is trying to shoot the messenger to cover up for the crimes of its abhorrent ally."Britain called on the council to renew the JIM's "existing mandate, which has already delivered rigorous and conclusive findings."Russia has questioned the work of the panel because the experts did not go to Khan Sheikhun and worked from samples Moscow maintains may have been tampered with by Western intelligence. The Russian-drafted measure "requests the JIM to retain its findings... until such time when full-scale and high-quality investigation on the site of an incident becomes possible." The U.S. draft resolution expresses "grave concern" over the findings on the sarin attack and said the experts should "undertake their respective investigations in a manner that they deem appropriate to fulfill their mandate."More than 80 people, including young children, died in the April 4 attack that provoked global outrage and prompted the United States to fire cruise missiles at a Syrian air base. The Security Council will discuss the report on Tuesday.

Syria deal being discussed for possible Putin-Trump meeting
Reuters, Moscow Saturday, 4 November 2017/Syria deal may be on agenda for Putin-Trump Asia meeting -report. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his UScounterpart Donald Trump may discuss a Syria settlement at an Asian economic summit in Vietnam next week, the RIA news agency reported on Saturday. Relations between Moscow and Washington have soured further since Putin and Trump first met at a G20 summit in Hamburg in July when they discussed allegations of Russian meddling in the US election, but agreed to focus on better ties. Tensions have risen over the conflict in Syria, after Russia vetoed a United Nations plan to continue an ongoing investigation into chemical weapons. Common interest A Syria settlement “is being discussed” for the agenda of a possible meeting between the two presidents, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by RIA, adding it was in their common interest to have enough time to discuss the issue. “Somehow or another it requires cooperation,” Peskov said. Trump told Fox News this week that it was possible he would meet Putin during his Asia trip. “We may have a meeting with Putin,” he said. “And, again - Putin is very important because they can help us with North Korea. They can help us with Syria. We have to talk about Ukraine.”

Iran displays missile during anniversary of embassy takeover
The Associated Press, Tehran Saturday, 4 November 2017/Iran on Saturday displayed a surface-to-surface missile as part of events marking the anniversary of the 1979 US Embassy takeover and hostage crisis amid uncertainty about its nuclear deal with world powers. Thousands gathered at the former US embassy in downtown Tehran where a missile, believed to be a 2,000-kilometer-range solid-fuel Sejjil, was on display. It was the first time Iran displayed a missile during the annual gathering. Later in the day, the semi-official Tasnim news agency, which has ties to the elite Revolutionary Guard, said the missile was a Qadr-F that has the same range. Hundreds of Iranian militant students stormed the US Embassy following the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. They took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days after Washington refused to hand over the shah, who was in the US.
A crowd chanted “Down with the US” and “Death to Israel” during the anniversary celebration. State TV said similar celebrations were being held in other Iranian cities and towns. They also burned flags of both the US and Israel as well as an effigy of President Donald Trump.
Tump refusal
President Trump refused to re-certify the 2015 landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers in October and the US has imposed more sanctions on Iran over its ballistic missile program. The US Congress must now make a decision regarding the 2015 nuclear deal, in which Iran agreed to limit its enrichment of uranium in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Ali Shamkhani, secretary of the country’s Supreme National Security Council, addressed the crowd, saying Iran will make any sanctions imposed by the US “ineffective” even as the US targets Iran’s economic, nuclear and defensive power. The US cut its diplomatic relations with Iran following the embassy takeover and has had no diplomatic relations since.

Russia accuses US of ‘war crime’ regarding humanitarian aid in Syria
AFP, Moscow Saturday, 4 November 2017/Russia on Friday accused the United States of committing a "war crime" in Syria, saying its military had denied Syrian refugees access to humanitarian aid. The claim, denied in Washington, was made by the Russian defense ministry's Syria reconciliation center, which cited a "most severe humanitarian situation" in the Al-Tanf region. A garrison there is being used by US and other international troops to train anti-ISIS fighters. "The actions of the US military and the so-called international coalition in Al-Tanf are a gross violation of international humanitarian law and could qualify as a war crime," said a statement quoted by Russian news agencies. It also said tens of thousands of Syrian refugees from the Al-Rukban refugee camp on the Jordanian border are deprived of humanitarian aid because of the US, which "illegally placed their military base there and forbids approach within 55 kilometers under the threat of death."Washington strongly refuted Russia's allegations, insisting it has "provided extensive financial and operational support to UN agencies operating in Rukban" throughout the conflict. "The US has advised the Russians that we are prepared to help facilitate the movement of humanitarian aid, but the Syrian regime has prevented those efforts," Department of Defense spokesman Eric Pahon told AFP. "The Russians agreed to a 55km deconfliction zone around the Al-Tanf garrison to avoid accidental conflict between our forces. Understandably, Syrian civilians have fled into this zone to flee bombing of non-military targets -- their homes -- outside the 55km line," he said. Pahon urged Russia to focus its efforts on "pressuring the Syrian regime to allow UN humanitarian aid convoys to reach the camp and provide needed aid."Earlier this month Moscow accused the US of supporting ISIS militants and enabling them to mount counter-offensive attacks in eastern Syria from near the Al-Tanf garrison. Al-Tanf, on a highway connecting Damascus with Baghdad, has been repeatedly menaced by a surge of Iran-backed troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Washington says the garrison is used by US and British special forces to train rebel Syrian groups fighting ISIS. Russia has been conducting a bombing campaign in Syria since 2015, when it stepped in to support the Assad regime and tipped the conflict in his favor.

Trudeau applauds Payette for standing up for science in convention speech
The Canadian Press The Canadian Press Thu, Nov 2 6:07 PM EDT
OTTAWA — According to popular Canadian astrologer Georgia Nicols, Canada's Governor General should be doing what she can to "keep the peace" with loved ones today and avoid the "planetary vibe" that is urging people to engage in power struggles and disputes. The advice, contained in Julie Payette's Nov. 2 horoscope on Nicols' website, might have come a day late, though Payette likely wouldn't have listened to it anyway. The Governor General made clear in a speech to scientists at an Ottawa convention Wednesday she has a very low opinion of the validity of horoscopes, people who believe in creationism or those who don't believe in climate change."So many people ... still believe, want to believe that maybe taking a sugar pill will cure cancer if you will it good enough and that your future and every single one of the people here's personalities can be determined by looking at planets coming in front of invented constellations," she said, to the delight of many scientists and researchers in the room. Emmett Macfarlane, a political professor at the University of Waterloo said nothing stops a governor general from stating opinions and while there have been unwritten traditions against it, Payette's most recent predecessors did not always hold their tongues. Michaelle Jean, who was the governor general from 2005 to 2010, waded into a number of political issues including Quebec sovereignty and Canada's military mission in Afghanistan. She was against the former and in favour of the latter.
More recently, David Johnston criticized the military for taking a "stiff upper lip" approach to mental illness among soldiers and not doing enough to support to members of the military dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Conservative political strategist Alise Mills said Payette went way over the line with her speech, which she characterized as not only political but "mean-spirited.""I definitely agree science is key but I think there is a better way to do that without making fun of other people," Mills said. There isn't a lot of data on horoscope and astrology beliefs in Canada but a 2005 Gallup poll suggested around one in four Canadians believed in astrology. Horoscopes are still published daily in most major Canadian newspapers including the two national papers, and there are hundreds of online sites and services, some of which make big money. Astrology Zone, one of the most popular online sites, exceeds six million visitors a month. Newman University in Manchester, U.K., this fall released a survey that showed about one in seven Canadians believe in creationism. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau didn't seem to have any issue with what Payette said, saying his government and Canadians understand the value of science.
"I applaud the firmness with which she stands in support of science and the truth," he said. Mills said Payette wasn't just promoting science, she was mocking people with religious beliefs, and specifically, evangelical Christians who don't believe evolutionary science. Astrologer Nicols said she had "no wish to take on a woman who is as accomplished as Julie Payette," whom she notes is a "feisty Libra with three planets in Scorpio."But she did suggest Payette would be better to stick to what she knows. "Astrology is not the stuff of horoscopes in newspapers, albeit I do write them," wrote Nicols in an e-mail. "It is actually a complex study based on mathematics. Not fairy dust falling from the stars."
By Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

Israeli Druze warn: don't stop us from aiding Hader
Ynetnews/Hassan Shaalan/November 04/17
Druze residents in Majdal Shams express their anger over IDF's decision to stop them from crossing border to help fellow Druze village following terror attack; Druze Majdal Shams resident: 'the Israeli government is playing with fire.'Riots near near Majdal Shams over Friday's attack on the Syrian Druze village of Hader have subsided, but emotions of Druze residents are still in turmoil as they continue blaming Israel for supporting the village's attackers, saying that stopping them again from crossing the border to help their bretheren will only focus their anger on the state. "We are not hurting anyone, nor will we remain silent over this attack on us," said Ali Abu Jaber, a resident of Majdal Shams. "The terrorists from Al-Nusra Front, with the help of their Israeli partners, penetrated the village from all directions and began firing at people. "If this attack repeats itself, then Israel will be certain that we will remove the security fence and enter the village to protect them, and no one can stop us."He added that "Israel supports Al-Nusra Front. The day will come when this organization will harm Israel. They are like ISIS. They don't accept Druze, nor Muslims, nor Christians, only Muslims of their kind.
"Thank God, the residents there, together with our support, overcame them and foiled their plans. It's true that martyrs fell, but in the end they survived." If this attack repeats itself, then Israel will be certain that we will remove the security fence and enter the village to protect them, and no one can stop us."
Hassan Fajr al-Din, also a resident of Majdal Shams, reinforced Abu Jaber's words. "The terrorists from Al-Nusra Front tried to conquer the village of Hader. They shot and murdered residents," he said. "We stood at the fence to support our keen, and to convey a message to Israel that supports them. We will not allow anyone to harm the village. "If this happens once more many people will come and break through the fence by force in order to help the residents of Hader."
"What happened today is very serious," said another Druze resident who asked to remain anonymous. "This time we did not do enough. Next time we will cross the border. If the police try to stop us or shoot us, then we too will use weapons. They should not try us, otherwise the war will be braught here.
"The Israeli government is playing with fire. It needs to stop supporting terrorist organizations." Another resident asserted: "I personally am willing to sacrifice my life for the sake of the residents of Hader. Any harm to them hurts us greatly. We will not calm down as long as there are attempts to conquer the village. Any damage to it is a red line that could inflame the whole area. "It will not be an easy war, but I'll be the first to cross the border. Ready to give up children and family and friends but not let them occupy lands. "
After the attack on the village, hundreds of Druze from the Israeli side of the border rioted near Majdal Shams. The IDF said the rioters broke through a gate in the border fence and ten of them came within several dozen meters of the fence. IDF forces gave pursuit and returned the Druze protesters to Israeli territory. The rioters were handed over to the police, which will decide whether to further detain them. The near break-through, the first since the May 2011 riots to succeed despite the new, double fence built on the border, came on the heels of an particularly tense day that started with a suicide bombing in Hader, claiming the lives of at least nine and wounding 23 when al-Nusra Front terrorists detonated a car bomb there. The riots in Majdal Shams escalated further when some of the village's residents found out their relatives were murdered in Hader. In light of the Syrian accusations levied against the IDF for supposedly helping rebel forces carry out the suicide attack in Hader, the army published an extraordinary announcement Friday saying it was "Ready and willing to assist the people of the village and would prevent Hader from being harmed or occupied out of a sense of commitment to the Druze people."

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 04-05/17
Saudi crown prince is a force for moderation, unlike Tehran
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/ArabNews/November 04/17
This week, Iran’s state-owned media hailed the regime for supposedly being a constructive player in the region and creating hope for the younger generation. Tehran claims that President Hassan Rouhani, with the blessing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — who has long seen himself as leader of the Muslim world — is the force of moderation in the Middle East and North Africa. Putting aside this self-promotional praise, a nuanced examination of Iran’s economic, political, religious and social landscapes reveals no sign that the regime is promoting moderation or fighting terrorism in the region.
A significant portion of Iran’s budget and revenues is spent on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its elite branch, the Quds Force, to support violent militias and proxies, and to export and advance the ruling mullahs’ revolutionary ideals.
Tehran’s sectarian agenda in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Bahrain and Yemen has dashed young people’s hopes for stability and prosperity. Its relentless pursuit of regional hegemony has radicalized and militarized more people, hence intensifying conflicts.
The world has yet to see an Iranian leader engaged in humanitarian and philanthropic initiatives that seek to help ordinary people, create jobs, fight terrorism and promote peace, stability, the rule of law and justice in the region. The Middle East is not devoid of people who genuinely seek a peaceful environment for everyone to prosper. One individual from whom every Iranian leader should learn is Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
He “has moved quickly to revolutionize his country’s economy in ways that offer tantalizing hints at even broader reforms,” wrote the New York Times. He introduced Vision 2030, a powerful platform to create more jobs for the younger generation and free the country from oil dependence.
While Iran is a driving force behind instability and conflict in the Middle East, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is building a model that will not only help young people in Saudi Arabia, but also advance the aspirations of the younger generation in the whole region.
While Tehran maintains a closed economy with an iron fist in order to monopolize Iran’s wealth, Prince Mohammed is pursuing initiatives to diversity and privatize the Saudi economy in order to benefit more people. As part of Vision 2030, he recently offered 5-10 percent of some Saudi companies, including oil giant Aramco, for foreign ownership. To facilitate growth and investment, he is in favor of granting green cards to non-Saudis.
The Kingdom is planning a $500-billion business and industrial zone that extends into Jordan and Egypt. This project has a lot of potential when it comes to attracting foreign visitors, and creating more social and cultural dialogue between the West and the Middle East. Prince Mohammed has established and spearheaded a modern, comprehensive counterterror strategy, including the establishment of the Digital Extremism Observatory, which monitors and detects online activities by terrorist groups, and a military coalition of 40 Muslim countries. He has also been instrumental in promoting human rights. The Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Foundation (MiSK) was a crucial partner in the 9th UNESCO Youth Forum for Change in 2015. MiSK is trying to empower youths and create more job opportunities for them. The crown prince is also known to be a driving force behind promoting women’s rights, and is planning to build the Kingdom’s largest cultural and entertainment city. There are no such initiatives by Tehran. Prince Mohammed is a role model in terms of fighting terrorism and creating a modern region based on moderate Islamic values.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Israel beats the drums of war
Dubovikova/ArabNews/November 04/17
Israel is beating the drums of war in the region. Disappointed by American inactivity, and having failed to persuade Moscow to change its mind on the majority of regional issues that most concern Tel Aviv, Israel has decided its best course is to act unilaterally. Its support for the Kurdish referendum is a litmus paper by which to understand Israel’s approach to the region. Kurdish independence would likely bring severe turbulence, and violence, to the region, affecting and involving many regional players. For Israel, disharmony between the countries of the Arab world is a guarantee of its own safety. The only party to have benefited from the wars in Syria and Iraq is Israel: The now-decimated Iraqi and Syrian armies were widely considered the best in the Arab world, in terms of both equipment and skill. And so, settlement of the Syrian conflict, particularly the way it is currently going, does not serve Israeli interests.
Continued Israeli airstrikes on Syria since 2013 — more than 100 targets in Syria and Lebanon, striking at arms convoys belonging to the Syrian regime and Hezbollah — show that the war in Syria is not moving the way Tel Aviv hoped it would. Israel’s most recent strike, near Homs at the end of October, allegedly targeted a copper factory in the industrial town of Hisyah, which Israel claimed contained a military installation.
In this hostile — for Tel Aviv — environment, Israel is making moves that threaten international efforts to finally establish peace in the Levant.
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said Israel’s next battle on its northern front will be with Syria and Lebanon, adding, in a statement issued by the Ministry of Defense, that its enemy there would be the Syrian army and its allies, including Hezbollah. Lieberman also spoke of the possibility of fighting on the southern front — the Gaza Strip — at the same time. “If an open battles breaks out, (it does not matter if it is) in the north or the south, as they will both erupt at the same time and by then we will be fighting on both fronts,” he said. “Thus, we have to prepare our army for this coming battle or these two battles.” The tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have started to resemble those of 2006. Lieberman did stress that Israel is trying to avoid armed conflict with any party. But nothing is guaranteed in the Middle East. Indeed, conflict seems inevitable: The tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have started to resemble those of 2006, which exploded into violence in July of that year. Recent events involving Israel and Syria (and Syria’s allies) — most notably missiles launched at Israeli territory and an attempt to shoot down an Israeli aircraft — could also easily presage a battle in the north.
There appear, then, to be two very real possibilities of a new war breaking out soon: One between Israel and Hezbollah; the other between Israel and Syria with its allies. The latter is the more comprehensive and worrying threat.
At this point, Hezbollah is not focused on any confrontation with Israel. But that could change if Syria and Israel go to war. It seems likely Hezbollah would join with Syria in that case, in the hope of avoiding a solo battle.
If a war does break out between Israel, Syria and its allies, including Iran, the big question is: Where will Russian President Vladimir Putin’s loyalties lie?
It is not an easy question to answer. Regardless, it is important to remember that there is an agreement between Moscow and Washington that states no country is allowed a military presence in Syria, with the exception of Russia.
If it were to consider a war against Syria, then, Israel would be violating that US-Russian agreement. This would likely lead to direct military action against Israel from non-state actors supported by major powers including the Syrian government, Iran and Russia. What happens next is hard to predict.
 • Maria Dubovikova is a prominent political commentator, researcher and expert on Middle East affairs. She is president of the Moscow-based International Middle Eastern Studies Club (IMESClub). Twitter: @politblogme

Looking at Catalonia crisis in a wider context
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/November04/17
The worst has come to pass, and the two protagonists of the Catalonia crisis have slid into open confrontation. Barcelona is unhappy with the marriage, and Madrid is unwilling to entertain a divorce. Madrid regards the pro-independence Catalan government as rebels, and the independence referendum as illegal and unconstitutional. But in the Catalan capital Barcelona, pro-independence parliamentary groups see things differently. They have insisted on seeking divorce, and won the vote in the 135-seat Catalan Parliament 70 to 10, after anti-independence deputies walked out. This means that Catalonia, like Scotland during its own independence referendum in 2014, is deeply divided. There is no large majority with a well-defined idea about where it is going, its alternatives, and the future of coexistence with current domestic partners, Europe and the international community.
But in referendums a few days ago in two of Italy’s richest regions, Lombardy and Veneto, there were huge majorities (95.3 and 98.1 percent, respectively) in favor of stronger autonomy and more diluted relationships with the rest of the country.
The organizers neither sought full secession, nor made the results binding. This shows their deep understanding of Italy’s fragile structure and interesting contradictions during a critical period in the history of Europe, and indeed the whole world. In Italy, contrary to what we see in Spain, the political players seem more patient, although economic, cultural and linguistic differences are as common.
While there are Basque and Catalan speakers in northern Spain, there are German and French speakers in northern and northwest Italy, respectively. And while there are both radical and socialist Spanish leftists confronting the remnants of Francisco Franco’s fascist legacy, there are radical and socialist Italian leftists confronting the fascist legacy of Benito Mussolini. Furthermore, as there exist active secular and pluralist trends throughout Spain, Italy’s left managed during the Cold War to dominate the councils of major cities, including Rome, the political capital and spiritual center of Catholicism.
These days, although the history of nations is full of myths and folklore, wise leaders are becoming more realistic. The notion of globalization in Europe now needs to be redefined; the same goes for Arabism in the Arab world.
In fact, no large or medium-sized European country is free of secessionist currents. Religion in Europe has never been a sufficient element in bringing about unity. Christian states have fought long wars, showing that religion on its own is never a uniting factor. Indeed, Christian powers led the opposing coalitions of both world wars, with the Ottomans being the exception in the first, and the Japanese in the second. This also applies to Muslim states.
Neither are religious sects enough to create a secure union or even alliance. Germany and Britain are both predominantly Protestant, Russia and Ukraine are predominantly Orthodox, and in Spain (and to a less acute extent in Italy) secessionist fires rage in Catholic regions against a Catholic center.
In the Middle East, Turks, Kurds and Arabs are not only predominantly Muslim but also Sunni, yet there is an old conflict between Turks and Kurds. Moreover, after Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was deposed, the country’s Kurdish leadership sided with Shiite political parties and militias against Sunni ones; this continued up until the last few weeks.
Even sharing a landmass is not enough to turn neighbors into one country. Sweden and Norway share the bulk of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and Spain and Portugal share the Iberian Peninsula, but still they have remained independent. Speaking the same language did not convince the American colonies to remain loyal to Britain, and did not prevent Canada, Australia and New Zealand from achieving independence. Nor did it tempt Spain’s colonies in the Americas to unite as one nation. Last but not least, there is the element of ethnicity. Purity of race does not exist in major societies exposed to historical trade routes, or in territories fought over by liberators and conquerors. Common ethnicity or race does not automatically ensure political unity, otherwise we would not have known animosities and wars between members of the same ethnicity, such as between the Russians and Poles who are both Slavs, the English and Germans who are both Germanic (the British royal family is of German origin), and the Pashtuns and Tajiks of Afghanistan, both of whom are Indo-European.
What creates nations are the interests of the people, if they have the right to choose freely and responsibly in a democratic environment. These days, although the history of nations is full of myths and folklore, wise leaders are becoming more realistic. The notion of globalization in Europe now needs to be redefined; the same goes for Arabism in the Arab world.
• Eyad Abu Shakra is managing editor of Asharq Al-Awsat, where this article is also published. Twitter: @eyad1949

Iran’s Khamenei has three main messages for Putin at summit
Maxim A. Suchkov/Al Monitor/November 03/17
TEHRAN, Iran — On Nov. 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin went on a working visit to Tehran for the second trilateral Caspian Summit. His busy one-day agenda included encounters with Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, President Hassan Rouhani and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
This is Putin’s third visit to Iran — the last time being November 2015, two months after the start of Russia’s military campaign in Syria.
Although this time the issue of energy cooperation was central at the trilateral meeting, it was Putin’s discussions of Syria with Khamenei and Rouhani that for many outside observers was the most intriguing part of the talks.
Over the course of the Syrian war, Russia and Iran have been crucial to one another both politically and on the ground, with intelligence sharing and the number of military contacts unprecedented in the modern history of the two countries. Yet Moscow and Tehran don’t always share similar views on the future composition of Syria’s government, the role of the Kurds, the fate of President Bashar al-Assad or the tacit rivalry for control over mineral resources in some parts of the country. Top all of that off with the deep-seated historic distrust fueled every time Russia is in contact with any of Iran’s archenemies — Israel, Saudi Arabia or the United States — or works with the Syrian opposition outside the framework of the Astana peace talks.
Indeed, there are concerns in Moscow and Tehran that — as the active phase in the war against radical Islamists comes to an end and Syria’s opposition forces are being engaged through a number of political platforms — this gap between Russian and Iranian approaches stemming from different interests may grow. The concerns are serious, and each party is having its own internal debate about how to not end up playing the fool for its efforts. But neither side believes a marriage of convenience — born of the need to cooperate against common threats in Syria — needs to be maintained. Both recognize too well that there are many opponents inside Russia and Iran, and even more regionally and internationally, who seek every opportunity to drive a wedge between Russians and Iranians regarding Syria.
Although it seems each party would rather establish the agenda for the other rather than find mutually beneficial solutions, the bottom line for both is clear: Russia and Iran need each other. In fact, both Putin, in his remarks with Rouhani, and Khamenei, in his remarks to the Russian president, have echoed this idea.
Speaking at the final press conference of the summit, Rouhani said, “Our cooperation has helped the fight against terrorism in the region. … Together we can establish regional peace and security.”
Putin reiterated the assessment, saying regional security, Iran’s nuclear program and the situation in Syria were discussed “in detail.”
“There are plenty of issues, and none of them can be resolved unilaterally. No one side, no one country can resolve this problem on its own. We are hoping for further productive cooperation with our Iranian partners and friends, and I give high marks to the results of today’s visit,” he added.
Khamenei, who had hosted Putin a few hours before these statements were made, had a similar statement for the Russian president but with a somewhat different twist, putting the Russian-Iranian relationship into a more global context. “Our cooperation can isolate America. … The failure of US-backed terrorists in Syria cannot be denied, but Americans continue their plots,” said Khamenei.
“Therefore, settling the crisis in Syria needs our continued close cooperation. … We are able to counter US sanctions and isolate America by refusing to use the dollar and instead using our national currencies in bilateral and multilateral [financial] operations,” he added.
Khamenei’s statement is meant to convey at least three messages to the Russian president.
First, Iranians don’t see the war in Syria as being over or even coming to end. This is an important point, given the Russian military’s repeated statements that its operation in Syria is “coming to a conclusion” and the rumors that Russian air forces in the country will soon begin a gradual drawdown. Earlier, Russia’s well-wired Kommersant newspaper referenced its own sources in the Russian Defense Ministry, saying Moscow is considering a partial pullout of its military jets, helicopters, and engineering and technical personnel. Anti-aircraft defense systems and enough of a contingent to protect Russian military objects in Khmeimim and Tartus will remain, together with military police units and military advisers.
A drawdown would suggest Moscow would shift focus from military operations to finding a political settlement in Syria. Commenting on the Kommersant news, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov denied any concrete decision has been made on a drawdown and said, “The last word rests with the commander-in-chief.”
Second, Khamenei wants Putin to stay alert regarding the United States. On one hand, that reflects Tehran’s concern over the possibility of a deal between Moscow and Washington that would be detrimental to Iranian interests in Syria and Iraq. On the other hand, it alludes to Iran’s own readiness for a worst-case scenario in which the United States can come up with policies obstructing — militarily or politically — Russian and Iranian gains.
Tehran sees the Donald Trump administration as seeking to comprehensively counter Iranian policies in the region, so there’s no doubt in Iran that the United States will never agree to Iran’s growing influence in the region in any form. Decertification of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action in this respect is just a part of the strategy, Tehran believes.
This perception is closely associated with what seems to be Khamenei's third message to Putin: Russia and Iran need to deepen their cooperation at other levels. Khamenei praised Putin for being a “strong and responsible leader” and said Russia is a country “with which you can have dialogue and cooperation.” The assessment certainly doesn’t mean Khamenei and the rest of the Iranian leadership aren’t wary of Moscow’s military deals with the Saudis and Turks, its energy interests in Iraqi Kurdistan and its willingness to maintain coordination with Israel and the United States. Yet there seems to be a broader understanding in Iran and Russia that befriending each other on the basis of anti-Americanism doesn’t make for a strategic partnership. Instead, deepening ties into other spheres would make a partnership more sustainable in the long term. In transforming this understanding into real initiatives, cooperation on energy, trade and macro-level investments will be key and will take a great deal of time, resources and political will from both sides.
Found in: Syria war spillover
**Maxim A. Suchkov, Ph.D., is editor of Al-Monitor’s Russia-Mideast coverage. He is a non-resident expert at the Russian International Affairs Council and at the Valdai International Discussion Club. Formerly he was a Fulbright visiting fellow at Georgetown University (2010-11) and New York University (2015). On Twitter: @MSuchkov_ALM Email: msuchkov@al-monitor.com

Dawa: Sowing the Seeds of Hate
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/November 04/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11283/islamic-dawa-hate
"In Western countries, dawa aims both to convert non-Muslims to political Islam and to bring about more extreme views among existing Muslims. The ultimate goal of dawa is to destroy the political institutions of a free society and replace them with strict sharia." — Ayaan Hirsi Ali in her book, The Challenge of Dawa: Political Islam as Ideology and Movement and How to Counter It.
The ultimate goal of establishing an Islamic state in the United States could hardly be much clearer. The pretense of caring for "diversity" and "inclusion" that ICNA displays on its public website cannot be characterized as anything other than an attempt at dissimulation, as is the stated goal of "establishing a place for Islam in America."
If Western leadership is unable to fathom the danger posed by organizations such as Tablighi Jamaat, iERA and ICNA, and, according to critics, others such as CAIR and ISNA -- let alone do something about it, instead of endlessly obsessing over "Islamophobia" -- Qaradawi could be proven right.
While the West is preoccupied with fighting "hate speech", "Islamophobia" and white supremacist groups, it appears more than willing to ignore the cultivation of Muslim hate speech and supremacist attitudes towards non-Muslims.
It is a cultivation that occurs especially in the process of dawa, the Muslim practice of Islamic outreach or proselytizing, the results of which seem to have been on show this week in a downtown New York terror attack. The terrorist, Sayfullo Saipov, originally from Uzbekistan, was apparently only radicalized after he moved to the United States. The mosque he attended in New Jersey had been under surveillance by the NYPD since 2005. A 2016 U.S.-commissioned report said Uzbek nationals were "most likely to radicalize while working as migrants abroad," according to the U.S. State Department.
On the surface, dawa, or outreach -- in person or online -- appears to be a benign missionary activity, about converting non-Muslims. Legal in Western societies, it is allowed to proceed undisturbed by the media or government. Dawa generally attracts little attention, except when members of an outreach organization suddenly turn up in the headlines as full-fledged jihadists.
Politicians and the media in the West seem to prefer viewing Islam solely as a religion and not as a political system that, according to critics, seeks to impose its own laws and regulations, sharia, on the world.
According to the Somali-born Muslim dissident and author, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, however, in her recent book, The Challenge of Dawa: Political Islam as Ideology and Movement and How to Counter It:
"The term 'dawa' refers to activities carried out by Islamists to win adherents and enlist them in a campaign to impose sharia law on all societies. Dawa is not the Islamic equivalent of religious proselytizing, although it is often disguised as such... [It] includes proselytization, but extends beyond that. In Western countries, dawa aims both to convert non-Muslims to political Islam and to bring about more extreme views among existing Muslims. The ultimate goal of dawa is to destroy the political institutions of a free society and replace them with strict sharia."
Somali-born Muslim dissident and author, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, wrote in her recent book that in the West, the ultimate goal of dawa (the Muslim practice of Islamic outreach or proselytizing) "is to destroy the political institutions of a free society and replace them with strict sharia." (Photo by Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images)
Presumably, the last thing a society would want are groups that cloak political activity in religious practices, protected under the precepts of freedom of religion.
In the Philippines, recently, members of the dawa organization known as Tablighi Jamaat ("Group that Propagates the Faith") entered the country under the guise of missionary activity -- that they were going to participate in the Tablighi Jamaat's annual gathering there. It turned out, however, that they had come to wage jihad together with Isnilon Hapilon, the late "emir" of Islamic State in Southeast Asia.
The Tablighi Jamaat has been described by the expert on Islam and journalist, Innes Bowen, in her 2014 book, Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Trent, as "a Deobandi missionary movement and one of the largest Islamic groups in the UK... it has quietly grown into one of Britain's most successful Islamic movements. Vast numbers of British Muslims have spent time in its ranks"[1]. However, the Tablighi Jamaat was largely unknown in the UK, until it emerged that several British Muslims charged with terror offences had all spent time[2] in the organization. Among these terrorists were Richard Reid, the "shoe-bomber," and three of the four perpetrators of the London 7/7 terrorist attacks. The American enemy combatant, John Walker Lindh, who aided the Taliban, was associated with the Tablighi Jamaat; and the San Bernardino terrorist Syed Farook prayed in San Bernardino at the Dar al Uloom al Islamiyyah mosque, described as a "haven for Tablighi Jamaat activists."
The movement, according another expert on Islam, Yoginder Sikand, in his 1998 study of the Tablighi Jamaat , sought "to promote a sense of paranoia and even disgust of non-Muslim society"[3]. He quoted a prominent British promoter of the Tablighi Jamaat as saying:
"a major aim of tabligh is to rescue the ummah [Muslim community] from the culture and civilization of the Jews, Christians and (other) enemies of Islam to create such hatred for their ways as human beings have for urine... and excreta...".
The Tablighi Jamaat has been described in the Middle East Quarterly, in an article called "Tablighi Jamaat: Jihad's Stealthy Legions", as a wolf in sheep's clothing:
"Tablighi Jamaat is not a monolith: one subsection believes they should pursue jihad through conscience...while a more radical wing advocates jihad through the sword ... in practice, all Tablighis preach a creed that is hardly distinguishable from the radical Wahhabi-Salafi jihadist ideology that so many terrorists share".
Nevertheless, Tablighi Jamaat remains a legal, active organization, which yields a considerable influence over Muslims in Europe, especially the UK and the United States. Already in 2003, the deputy chief of the FBI's international terrorism section, Michael J. Heimbach, said, "We have a significant presence of Tablighi Jamaat in the United States and we have found that Al-Qaeda used them for recruiting now and in the past." One 2011 undercover video segment from the Darul Ulum Islamic High School in Birmingham, England, associated with the Tablighi Jamaat, showed that Muslim children were taught Muslim supremacy. Eleven year olds were taught that Hindus "have no intellect" and "drink cow piss". The teacher also said, "You are not like the non-Muslims out there... All that evil that you see in the streets... people not wearing Hijab properly, people smoking... you should hate it..." The children were also told:
"You need to free yourself from the influence of the Shaitan [Satan] and of society... The Kuffar [derogatory term for non-Muslims] have brought so many new things out there...They are controlling your minds... Are you part of those who prefer their way of life: The way of the Kuffar over the way of the Prophet?"Both US and Dutch intelligence once seemed aware of the imminent danger of dawa organizations. In 2004, a Dutch government report identified threats to Dutch society from the practice of dawa and concluded that an "interaction or even interwovenness of Dawa and Jihad demonstrate the relationship between the various forms of radical Islam and the phenomenon of radical-Islamic terrorism."
The study also distinguished various kinds of dawa, both overt and covert, and the threats emanating from it:
"Dawa may be aimed at trying to convince Muslim communities that non-Muslim communities are hostile towards Islam and wish to oppress or even destroy it. Dawa may also serve to convince Muslim communities that the values and standards of non-Muslims are incompatible with those of Islam and should therefore be considered as depraved. In such a form of Dawa, Muslim communities are often encouraged to emphasise (in a provocative way) the differences with other groups and sometimes also to express their contempt and hatred towards standards and values and the culture of non-Muslims".
It would appear that Western governments have largely unlearned -- at least officially -- these insights into dawa as a tool for fostering feelings of Muslim supremacy and hatred of non-Muslims. Instead, they engage in endless, misguided obsessions over "Islamophobia." Their unlearning should be a cause for concern.
Other dawa organizations also operate in the West. One is the Islamic Education and Research Academy (iERA), led by two converts, Abdur Raheem Green and Hamza Andreas Tzortis, that works globally to spread Islam. Unlike the Tablighi Jamaat, it focuses its missionary efforts on non-Muslims. Its leaders have made racist, supremacist and anti-democratic statements such as, again, calling non-Muslims, "kuffars." Green has said that, "The purpose of the jizya [protection money, or "tax", paid by non-Muslims to Muslims] is to make the Jew and the Christian know that they are inferior and subjugated to Islam," and "If a Jew or Christian is found walking down the street, a Muslim should push them to the side". He has also said that the "immediate problem" for Muslims in Britain is being surrounded by "kuffar" and that one of the only justifications for Muslims to remain in the UK is to "call the kuffar to Islam."
Tzortis has said that apostates who "fight against the community[...] should be killed" and that, "we as Muslims reject the idea of freedom of speech, and even the idea of freedom." He has also spoken in favor of child marriage. He admits that he used to be a member of Hizb ut-Tahrir, a radical Islamic organization, but that he left the organization for "scholastic and philosophical reasons." In a statement on the iERA website, Tzortis and Green try to distance themselves from some (unspecified) past statements by writing, "some of the anachronous statements attributed to iERA personnel have been either clarified or publicly retracted, and were never made at university campuses."
The iERA evidently enjoys a large platform on UK campuses. According to a report on extremist events on UK campuses in the academic year 2016/17, iERA was behind 34 out of the total 112 events that took place that year. Unlike the far-right fringe groups recently banned by British Home Secretary Amber Rudd -- the mere support of such groups is punishable by up to 10 years in prison -- the iERA is free to carry on its dawa activity undisturbed[4] and does so at an incredible pace. According to the organization's Facebook page, in October 2017 alone iERA or its representatives were active doing dawa in Canada, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, and in the United States. The iERA also trained 15 dawa leaders from all over the world -- from Iceland and Poland to Honduras and Finland -- in a recent online dawa training program.
In the United States, the iERA works with the Muslim American Society (MAS) and Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), according to the iERA website. ICNA, a leading Muslim organization in the US, is actively involved in dawa, and in 2015 ran "Global Dawa day," which referred to Tzortis's training course.
According to ICNA's 2013 Members Handbook (for its female members), the organization considers itself an Islamic movement which is an
"organized and collective effort waged to establish Al-Islam in its complete form in all aspects of life. Its ultimate objective is to achieve the pleasure of our Creator Allah and success in the hereafter through struggle for Iqamat-ad-Deen [the establishment of Islam in its totality]. Islamic movements are active in various parts of the world to achieve the same objectives".
The ultimate goal of establishing an Islamic state in the United States could hardly be much clearer. The pretense of caring for "diversity" and "inclusion" that ICNA displays on its public website cannot be characterized as anything other than an attempt at dissimulation, as is the stated goal of "establishing a place for Islam in America." ICNA already has a place for Islam in America -- it presumably wants to expand that place until nothing else is left.
The 2013 Members Handbook describes that ICNA's work proceeds in "stages." One of the stages is dawa, or "effective outreach."
"Those who accept the truth of Islam are provided with appropriate Islamic literature and given the opportunity to become a Muslim. They are made part of the Islamic Ummah as brothers and sisters."
The Members Handbook goes on to describe how already in the 1970s:
"ICNA established its own forums for dawah work at the local, regional, and national level. It established vital institutions at the national level for support of its dawah activities... Recognizing other movement oriented groups in this land, ICNA continues to coordinate and combine its efforts with them".
In fact, ICNA has a separate project called the "WhyIslam Dawah Project," which
"aims to organize the dawah work in North America in a professional and effective manner. Highlights of the project are Toll-Free number for non-Muslims; Distribution of Islamic literature... Dawah through Media; Dawah in Prisons; Campus Dawah Support; Dawah Flyers Online; Dawah through Email".
ICNA is considered by experts such as Steven Emerson, Founder and Executive Director of The Investigative Project on Terrorism, to be linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. Its spiritual leader, Yusuf al Qaradawi, has preached that the West will be conquered by Islam -- not through the sword, but through dawa.
If Western leaders are unable to fathom the danger posed by organizations such as Tablighi Jamaat, iERA and ICNA, and, according to critics, others such as CAIR and ISNA -- let alone do something about it, instead of endlessly obsessing over "Islamophobia" -- Qaradawi could be proven right.
**Judith Bergman is a columnist, lawyer and political analyst.
[1] Innes Bowen, Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Trent (Hurst 2014), p 35.
[2] Innes Bowen, Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Trent, p 41.
[3] Quoted in Innes Bowen, Medina in Birmingham, Najaf in Trent, p 47.
[4] The only hurdle for iERA, so far, appears to have been that the Charity Commission opened an inquiry into iERA for possible funding of jihadists in Syria. Several jihadists who travelled from the UK to Syria were apparently linked to iERA, doing dawa work for them. Green has spoken favorably of dying for the cause of jihad.
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