Arab countries at the Goals and China-Africa summit tactics of political Islam

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UK £2 Issue 172, Year 4 September 9, 2018 EU €2.50 www.thearabweekly.com Basra protests highlight frustration over Iranian meddling in Iraqi crisis ► Iran has sought to inflame the Basra unrest for its own benefit as more Shia voices in Iraq’s south have become critical of Tehran’s meddling in Iraqi affairs.

Mamoon Alabbasi and the United Nations. The storming of the Iranian con- sulate was one day after the coun- London try’s Iran-backed political bloc, led by militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, ran’s influence in neighbouring called for the resignation of Prime Iraq was highlighted in the cri- Minister Haider al-Abadi’s govern- sis engulfing the southern Iraqi ment for failing to restore order to I city of Basra, where protesters Basra. torched the Iranian consulate as Amiri, whose bloc came in sec- they condemned what they said ond in May’s elections, blamed was Tehran’s control of their coun- the attacks on the headquarters try’s politicians. Some protesters of Iran-backed militias in Basra on shouted “Iran, out, out!” and others an “American-Saudi conspiracy” burned Iranian flags. to divide the country. His call for Iran’s Foreign Ministry branded Abadi’s resignation was seen as an the consulate’s storming as a “sav- attempt by the Iran-backed alliance age attack” and its Iraqi counterpart to use the Basra unrest as a pretext said the incident was “an unaccep- to take power. Game over. An Iraqi protester holds up an Iranian flag as another lights it up during protests in Basra, table act undermining the interests The bloc backed by influential on September 7. (AFP) of Iraq and its international rela- Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, which tions.” ran an anti-corruption campaign, Thousands of protesters have came in first in the election. It is had sparked the crisis by cutting off said Sarhan. Basra,” Sistani said in his sermon taken to the streets in Basra, calling seeking to form a coalition govern- its electricity and water supplies to Following the attacks on the Ira- September 7. for improving living conditions in ment with Abadi’s bloc, which was Basra,” said Salam Sarhan, an Iraqi nian consulate and other buildings “This reality cannot change if the the oil-rich city. They blame short- third. commentator. in Basra, Abadi warned that secu- next government is formed accord- ages of electricity and drinking Amiri, who is allied with the bloc Iran is also facing sanctions im- rity forces had orders to “act deci- ing to the same criteria adopted water in the city, which hosts more of former Prime Minister Nuri al- posed by the United States, which sively against the acts of vandalism when forming previous govern- than 2 million residents, on corrupt Maliki, another Iran-backed politi- Abadi said he would abide by. that accompanied the demonstra- ments. Pressure must be exerted officials. cian, reiterated his alliance’s bid to There are concerns that, if the tions.” for the new government to be dif- Provincial government buildings, form the next government instead unrest gets out of control, some Iraq’s most-revered Shia cleric ferent from its predecessors.” political party offices and militia of al-Sadr. of Iraq’s oil production could be af- Ayatollah Ali Sistani said the coun- headquarters were attacked by pro- Observers said Iran has sought to fected. “The disruption of Iraq’s oil try’s new government should carry Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy testers. More than ten demonstra- inflame the Basra unrest for its own supply is in Iran’s favour as it would out different policies than the pre- Managing Editor and Online Editor tors have been killed in clashes with benefit as more Shia voices in Iraq’s mean that the world, including vious ones. “The failings of Iraqi of The Arab Weekly. security forces, prompting calls for south have become critical of Teh- the United States, cannot afford to political leaders in recent years restraint from human rights groups ran’s meddling in Iraqi affairs. “Iran have Iranian oil out of the market,” have caused the anger of people in P2-3 Russian-Iranian-Turkish alliance fractured at Tehran summit

Thomas Seibert publicly about how to address the highly unusual step. has sponsored Sunni rebel groups Kirchner added. “Turkey is in ef- situation in Idlib. Syrian President Turkey, which has taken in more fighting Assad’s forces — the three fect telling the others: ‘I can’t help Istanbul Bashar Assad has sworn to retake than 3 million Syrian refugees, countries have been cooperating you if you are hell-bent to get your the area, which has become a sanc- says it cannot cope with a new closely. The three are united by a own way’” in Idlib. presidential summit by tuary for millions of refugees and influx that could be triggered by deep suspicion of US policies that While Erdogan warned of a Russia, Iran and Turkey tens of thousands of rebel fighters. a government offensive in Idlib. rest on military support for Syria’s “bloodbath” in Idlib, his two coun- designed to produce a Turkey was prepared to step “Attacks directed against the Idlib Kurds in eastern of Syria. terparts stressed the need to fight A solution for the last rebel in if there is a large-scale attack region will worsen the situation on Moscow has used the Astana radicals in the province. Putin stronghold in Syria has instead fis- on Idlib, Erdogan warned. “If the the ground and will bring the po- talks to push its military and po- mentioned a “phased stabilisa- sured the alliance among the three world turns a blind eye to the kill- litical process to a breaking point,” litical agenda for Syria. However, tion” in Idlib and said he hoped powers, throwing their future co- ing of tens of thousands of inno- Erdogan said. Russia needs the cooperation of “terrorist organisations will have operation into doubt. cent people to further the regime’s Turkey, a Syrian neighbour with enough common sense to stop re- An attack by Syrian government interests, we will neither watch considerable influence among sistance and lay down their weap- troops — with Russian and Iranian from the sidelines nor participate Magdalena Kirchner, Sunni groups. A Turkish with- ons.” backing — is expected in Idlib, a in such a game,” he wrote on Twit- senior analyst drawal from the Astana Process However, the Russian president at Conias Risk Syrian province on the border with ter after the Tehran meeting. Intelligence would make it difficult for Russia was not impressed by a Turkish Turkey that is the last rebel-held Erdogan earlier surprised Rohani to end the Syrian war and establish proposal to relocate some rebel area in the country after more than and Putin by proposing a ceasefire a post-war order along its own pri- groups within Idlib so they could seven years of war that has killed for Idlib during televised remarks. orities. not attack the Russian airbase more than 500,000 people. “If we declare a ceasefire here to- “The alliance was never a love “The alliance was never a love of Hmeimim with drones. Com- The tripartite meeting in Tehran day, that would be a victory for match.” match,” said Magdalena Kirchner, menting on Twitter, Yury Barmin, on September 7 ended without a this summit,” Erdogan said. Putin senior analyst at Conias Risk Intel- a Russian analyst and contributor commitment to call off the offen- swiftly rejected the proposal and ligence, referring to the coopera- for the website of the Middle East sive, frustrating a Turkish push for said the Syrian government had Russia, Iran and Turkey are part- tion between the three countries. Institute in Washington, posted: a ceasefire despite warnings by An- the right to regain control over all ners in the so-called Astana Pro- She said the partners tried to push “Russia’s expectation of how Er- kara of a collapse of the “political the country’s territory. cess, a platform of Syria talks that their political differences into the dogan is planning to handle Idlib process” for Syria. The summit’s final statement runs parallel to UN efforts to end background as fighting raged in will be growing.” During the summit, the presi- ignored Erdogan’s call, prompt- the fighting in Syria. Despite being different parts of Syria that have dents of Russia, Iran and Turkey, ing the Turkish leader to blast the on opposing sides in the conflict been declared “de-escalation Thomas Seibert is an Arab Weekly Vladimir Putin, Hassan Rohani and communique during a news con- — Russia and Iran are major sup- zones” by the Astana powers. correspondent. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, sparred ference with Putin and Rohani, a porters of Damascus while Turkey “At some point, you can’t go on,” P4 2 September 9, 2018 Cover Story Iraq Power struggle delays formation of new Iraqi government

Manuel Langendorf

London

he Iraqi parliament con- vened for the first time since the May elections, the T first in forming a new gov- ernment. However, it failed to elect a speaker amid competing claims about who had pulled together the largest electoral bloc. The question of the largest bloc was referred to the federal court and the provisional speaker post- poned the next session until Sep- tember 15. A flurry of political manoeuvring preceded the first parliamentary session with two competing blocs announcing they had enough MPs to form a government. The first claim was from an alli- ance led by Muqtada al-Sadr and caretaker Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. Al-Sadr’s Sairoon bloc won 54 seats in the 329-member parliament, the most of any party. Abadi’s Nasr list was third with 42 seats. A bloc led by militia leader Hadi al-Amiri and former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki said it had persuaded lawmakers from the Sadr-Abadi camp to defect and was now the largest bloc in parliament. Both camps include leaders from Iraq’s Shia and Sunni communities, Turkmen and others. Abadi and Maliki hail from the Shia Dawa Par- ty but had competed on different electoral platforms. Abadi is seen as the favourite by the United States; High stakes. Iraqi Vice-President Nuri al-Maliki (3rd-L) attends a parliament meeting in Baghdad, on September 3. (AFP) Maliki is viewed to be closer to Iran. “The stalemates that exist right ous parts of the country. The recon- next Iraqi government. formed without Sairoon or Fatah tract concessions from Baghdad in now, over the ‘largest bloc’ to nomi- struction of destroyed cities, towns That is not the full story, how- [led by Amiri] in it,” said Seloom. return for their support for the larg- nate the prime minister and over and villages is estimated to cost bil- ever, said Muhanad Seloom, an Iraq “If any of them are in the opposi- est bloc. the election of a Sunni speaker, lions of dollars. expert at the University of Exeter. tion, they could paralyse the next Issues on the agenda would in- have been building for months and The hot Iraqi summer brought “All sides will actually work behind government.” clude the percentage of the nation- are not surprising,” said Kirk H. a wave of protests against corrup- closed doors on a compromise to Al-Sadr has been able to mobilise al budget going to the Kurdistan Sowell, publisher of the Inside Iraqi tion, unemployment and a lack share power,” he said. hundreds of thousands of people Regional Government, payments Politics newsletter. “All the parties of services. Demonstrations were for protests against the government to the Kurdish peshmerga security are built around personalities rather particularly intense in the oil-rich and corruption. As the leader of the forces, the status of disputed terri- than policy programmes and thus city of Basra and other areas in the The question of the largest Iran-aligned Badr Brigade, Amiri is tories and power-sharing in Kirkuk there is a multiplicity of parties and south. At least seven demonstra- bloc was referred to the part of a powerful network of Shia province. no genuinely broad coalition with a tors died in Basra in clashes with federal court and the militias in Iraq and beyond. However, Sowell noted that de- coherent policy programme.” security forces. Locals have long provisional speaker vote “The next two weeks will be cru- mands by the Kurdistan Democrat- The stakes are high for the next complained of neglect by the gov- postponed the next session cial in the government formation ic Party were “so vastly over what government. In December, the gov- ernment despite the fact that the until September 15. process,” said Seloom. any Shia leader would be willing ernment announced the defeat of region produces the vast majority Seloom also said there is a crucial to give that it just doesn’t work. the Islamic State (ISIS), the militant of Iraq’s oil output. role for the Kurds, who were not They’ll have to lower the ceiling on group that at one point controlled Officially, the two main blocs are In this highly charged atmos- included in the two major blocs. their demands and be satisfied with nearly one-third of Iraqi territory. waiting for the federal court to de- phere, the exclusion of powerful He said he expects the next gov- the status quo.” While ISIS has lost control of all termine which bloc has the largest actors from the government could ernment to reach an agreement to major population centres, it has number of MPs and would be con- cause more instability. “I don’t share power with the Kurds, whom, Manuel Langendorf is a writer carried out deadly attacks in vari- stitutionally mandated to form the think the next government will be he said, would likely be able to ex- focusing on the MENA region. Iraq struggles to quell deadly Basra protests

The Arab Weekly staff would further infuriate protesters. yet to form a government because Despite an increase in security rival political blocs are challenging forces patrolling the streets, mass attempts to form a coalition govern- London protests continued. Operations in ment. Iraq’s main seaport of Umm Qasr, Challenging al-Sadr’s bid is an raqi authorities are struggling near Basra, were suspended for one Iran-backed alliance led by the bloc to contain protests over poor day when protesters blocked the of militia leader Hadi al-Amiri and public living conditions in the site’s entrance. includes the bloc of Vice-President I oil-rich southern city of Basra. Large-scale protests began in Nuri al-Maliki. At least ten demonstrators died in Basra in July and spread to other Abadi, who ordered security clashes with security forces. Shia-majority cities in southern Iraq forces not to use live ammunition Thousands of protesters took to but wound down after government against protesters, began an inves- the streets to call for improving ba- promises to improve the situation tigation after demonstrators died in sic services in the city, which hosts with a multibillion-dollar emergen- Basra. He said “those who pour oil more than 2 million residents but cy plan. on the fire” were harming the city. lacks sufficient electricity and drink- Amnesty International said secu- ing water and suffers from high pol- rity forces had used excessive force lution. Some 30,000 against protesters. Escalating violence. Iraqi protesters demonstrate against a lack of Some 30,000 people have report- “Security forces, for the second basic services in Basra, on September 6. (AFP) edly been hospitalised due to pol- people have reportedly time since July, opened fire on pro- luted water in Basra. been hospitalised due testers who were demanding im- ough and effective manner.” formation of a representative new Protesters blamed the collapse of proved public services, including UN Envoy to Iraq Jan Kubis called government that will respond to the city’s infrastructure on wide- to polluted water in water, electricity, better medical on Iraqi authorities to avoid us- the aspirations of the Iraqi people,” spread corruption at the hands of Basra. services and an end to corruption. ing “disproportionate, lethal force Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for successive government officials. The Iraqi authorities are obligated to against the demonstrators.” In a Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/ Demonstrators also demanded jobs Influential Shia cleric Muqtada al- respect the right to peaceful protests statement, he urged Baghdad “to do European Neighbourhood Policy as many households complain of Sadr, whose electoral bloc came first and even if protesters are violent, its utmost to respond to the people’s and Enlargement Negotiations, said failing to make ends meet. in May’s election after running an only the minimum force necessary rightful demands of clean water and in a statement. Protesters burned provincial gov- anti-corruption campaign, publicly to address it can be used,” Razaw electricity supplies as a matter of ur- There are fears unrest would again ernment buildings, political party of- supported the protests. He called for Salihy, Amnesty International’s Iraq gency.” spread to other southern provinces fices and militia headquarters. Two an emergency session of parliament researcher, said in a statement. The European Union called for as well as Baghdad. policemen were killed and scores of to find “radical and immediate” so- “The authorities must bring those the formation of a government in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green security forces members were in- lutions to the crisis in Basra. suspected to be responsible for Iraq “as soon as possible” and urged Zone was hit by three mortar shells, jured in clashes with protesters. “We will be uncompromising and these deaths to justice in fair tri- authorities to “show maximum re- the first such attack in years, al- Security officials in Basra ordered you have been warned. Be ready,” he als. Iraqi lawmakers must urge the straint” in dealing with protesters. though no one claimed responsibil- a curfew in the city but the measure said. prime minister to uphold his prom- “The escalating violence at pro- ity. No casualties were reported but was cancelled minutes before it was Al-Sadr, who is allied with Iraqi ise of an investigation and should tests in the southern part of Iraq… security forces are trying to deter- to go into force amid fears the move Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, has ensure that it is conducted in a thor- underlines the urgent need for a mine the identity of the assailants. September 9, 2018 3 Spotlight Iranian Factor in Iraq Iran said to be transferring missiles to proxies in Iraq

The Arab Weekly staff 700km, which would put Riyadh or Tel Aviv within striking distance if the weapons were deployed in London southern or western Iraq. Iran has previously said its bal- ranian and Iraqi officials claimed listic missile activities were defen- reports that Tehran is providing sive in nature and its Foreign Min- ballistic missiles to Shia proxies istry strongly denied the reports of I in Iraq lack credibility and at- missile transfers. “Such false and tempt to harm the countries’ rela- ridiculous news have no purpose tions. other than affecting Iran’s foreign Reuters, citing Iranian, Iraqi and relations, especially with its neigh- Multiple purposes. Iranian Defence Minister Brigadier-General Amir Hatami stands by the next-generation Western sources, reported August bours,” Iranian Foreign Ministry short-range ballistic missile Fateh Mobin in Tehran, on August 13. (Iranian Defence Ministry) 31 that Iran has “given ballistic mis- spokesman Bahram Qassemi said, siles to Shia proxies in Iraq and is de- adding that the report was “aimed veloping the capacity to build more at creating fears in the countries of States and Israel, especially after air ficult for the Iraqi government to confirmed that Tehran had trans- there to deter attacks on its interests the region.” raids on Iranian troops in Syria. “It persuade the groups to go against ferred missiles to groups in Iraq but in the Middle East and to give it the The Iraqi Foreign Ministry said the seems Iran has been turning Iraq Tehran. could not confirm that those mis- means to hit regional foes.” report was “without evidence” but into its forward missile base,” the “We can’t restrain militias from siles had any launch capability. “Iran has transferred short-range stopped short of issuing a denial. Western source said. firing Iranian rockets because sim- Washington has been pushing its ballistic missiles to allies in Iraq Western countries have accused The Iranian sources and one Iraqi ply the firing button is not in our allies to adopt a tough anti-Iran pol- over the last few months. Five of Iran of transferring missiles and intelligence source told Reuters a hands, it’s with Iranians who con- icy since it reimposed sanctions on the officials said it was helping technology to Syria and other allies, decision was made about 18 months trol the push button,” he said. the country. While the European sig- those groups to start making their such as the Houthi rebels in Yemen ago to use militias to produce mis- The Western source and the Iraqi natories to the nuclear deal have so own,” the report stated. and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Iran’s siles in Iraq but activity had ramped source told Reuters that factories far balked at US pressure, they have Sunni Muslim Gulf neighbours and up in the last few months, including developing missiles in Iraq were in grown increasingly impatient over Israel have also expressed concerns with the arrival of missile launch- areas controlled by Shia militias, Iran’s ballistic missile programme. A Western source said the about Tehran’s regional activities. ers. including Kata’ib Hezbollah, one of French Foreign Minister Jean- missile transfers were Israeli Defence Minister Avig- “We have bases like that in many the closest to Iran. Yves Le Drian said on September 6 meant as a warning to the US dor Lieberman signalled that Israel places and Iraq is one of them. If The Iraqi intelligence source told that Iran was arming regional allies and Israel, especially after could attack suspected Iranian mili- America attacks us, our friends will Reuters that a factory in al-Zafara- with rockets and allowing ballistic air raids on Iranian troops in tary assets in Iraq, as it has done attack America’s interests and its niya produced warheads and mis- proliferation. “Iran needs to avoid Syria. with air strikes in Syria. “We are cer- allies in the region,” said a senior sile moulds under former President the temptation to be the (regional) tainly monitoring everything that is Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Saddam Hussein. It was reactivated hegemon,” he said. happening in Syria and, regarding commander. by local Shia groups in 2016 with In March, Britain, France and “The logic was to have a backup Iranian threats, we are not limiting One Iraqi intelligence official told Iranian assistance, the source said. Germany proposed EU sanctions plan if Iran was attacked,” one sen- ourselves just to Syrian territory. Reuters that Baghdad was aware A team of Shia engineers who on Iran over its missile activity, al- ior Iranian official told Reuters. This also needs to be clear,” Lieber- of the flow of Iranian missiles to worked at the facility under though they failed to push them “The number of missiles is not high, man said at a conference September Shia militias to fight Islamic State Saddam were brought in, after be- through after opposition from some just a couple of dozen, but it can be 3 in Jerusalem. militants but that shipments had ing screened, to make it operational, member states. increased if necessary.” A Western source cited by Reu- continued after the Sunni militant the source said. He also said missiles Iran’s Zelzal, Fateh-110 and Zol- ters said the missile transfers were group was defeated. had been tested near Jurf al-Sakhar. (The Arab Weekly staff and news faqar missiles have ranges of 200- meant as a warning to the United The Iraqi source added it was dif- One US official quoted by Reuters agencies)

Viewpoint Does it matter that Washington outed Tehran’s agent in Iraq?

fter years of Tehran’s such as Kata’ib Sayyid al-Shuhada, psychological opera- led by Abu Ala al-Walai; Asaib tions and information Ahl al-Haq, led by Khazali; and Ali Alfoneh warfare in Iraq, Wash- Harakat al-Nujaba, led by Akram ington has struck al-Kaabi. back. It released Iran actively contributed to the decade-oldA interrogation reports of intra-Shia rivalry. A fragmented Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Iraqi Shia polity allows Tehran to Ahl al-Haq Iraqi Shia militia. The maintain influence over Iraqi poli- Tehran-backed militant-turned- tics and security. The rival militias politician, whose parliamentary constantly compete for Tehran’s group gained 15 seats in Iraq’s elec- favour rather than follow orders tions in May, was reportedly bid- from Baghdad. This makes Iran a ding for a cabinet position. Now, central player in Iraqi politics. he faces public embarrassment. To return to the question of the What effect will the released documents released by Washing- documents have? Will Khazali gain ton to provide details of Khazali’s a cabinet position despite them? record as Tehran’s agent of influ- Khazali is not the only agent of ence in Iraq. Will the information influence of Iran in Iraqi politics. matter? Does it matter that public How does Washington intend to knowledge now covers Khazali’s deal with other prominent agents In the line of fire. Leader of the Shia militia group Asaib Ahl al- confession to his American captors in Iraq? Haq Qais al-Khazali (C) speaks to his followers in Baghdad, last a decade ago? Iran’s cultivation of Iraqi agents May 7. (AP) This included everything dates to the Pahlavi regime. It the previous regime’s policy of with Iraq in 1988. It remained Khazali knew about his masters in provided considerable economic supporting the Kurdish insurgency passive during the March and April Tehran, including Major-General assistance to individual Shias, Shia and began mobilising Iraqi Shias 1991 Shia uprising against Saddam Qassem Soleimani, commander of shrines and theological seminaries against the Ba’ath regime. after the Kuwait war. al-Quds Force. He also told them in Iraq. However, support fell short Remarkably, Iran’s attempt was The militia’s moment came in about the IRGC’s operational mode of arming the Shias. This policy not particularly successful. At the 2003, when a US-led coalition in Iraq and about Tehran’s manip- was in stark contrast to Tehran’s time, Iraqi nationalism trumped invaded Iraq and dismantled the ulation of intra-Shia rivalry. support for the Kurdish insurgency sectarian identity and the majority Ba’ath regime. The Badr Corps It’s possible that Washington’s against Baghdad, which lasted un- of Iraqi Shia, who constituted the returned to Iraq to reap the ben- move could destroy Khazali’s til the signing of the Algiers Accord rank and file of the Iraqi Army, re- efits of Iraq’s liberation. It knew political career. It is equally pos- in 1975. That temporarily solved mained loyal to the Ba’ath regime. it could do so either by infiltrat- sible that Khazali, in an attempt at the border dispute between the However, Tehran established the ing the restructured institutions political survival, will show even two countries. so-called Badr Corps of the Islamic of the Iraqi state or by filling the greater submission to the masters A fragmented Iraqi Tehran’s position changed signif- Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). power vacuum in the streets after he betrayed a decade ago. In that Shia polity allows icantly after the revolution in 1979 It did so by organising Iraqi Dawa the dismantlement of the Iraqi case, he might get a cabinet seat. and establishment of the Islamic Party members who had fled to Army. And he would not be the sole agent Tehran to maintain Republic. As Saddam Hussein tore Iran and Iraqi prisoners of war who It was in this atmosphere that of influence of Tehran to do so. influence over Iraqi the Algiers Accord to pieces on volunteered to join Iranian forces the Badr Corps led by Hadi al- live television and invaded Iran on in the fight against Saddam. Amiri and the Mahdi Army led by Ali Alfoneh is a visiting scholar at politics and August 20, 1980, the revolutionary The Badr Corps was not dis- Muqtada al-Sadr emerged. They the Arab Gulf States Institute in security. leadership in Tehran reactivated solved after the end of the war splintered into smaller militias Washington. 4 September 9, 2018 News & Analysis Syria Exhausted population in Idlib finds itself lost between governments, armies and militants

Simon Speakman Cordall

Tunis

s defiant mass rallies took place across Idlib, calling for the regime and its al- A lies to stay their widely anticipated offensive to retake the rebel province, the leaders of Tur- key, Iran and Russia gathered to discuss the future of the last hold- A lethal out in Syrian President Bashar As- precursor. sad’s bloody campaign to retake Smoke raises “every inch” of Syria. in the Syrian All have a stake in Idlib. For Tur- village of Kafr key, the province serves as an ad- Ain in the ditional buffer zone to the territory southern Idlib Ankara carved out for itself around province after Afrin, allowing ground for refugees an air strike on to gather without threatening to September 7. spillover into Turkey. (AFP) For Russia, further to establish- ing the primacy of its Astana pro- cess, is the opportunity to clear the staging point for mortar and drone attacks against its base in Latakia. For Russia, like Iran, retaking Idlib would mark the culmination of a costly campaign to reassert Assad’s rule over Syria. For the civilians and rebels, the matter is of life and death. There are approximately 2.9 million civil- ians, including an estimated 1 mil- lion children, in Idlib, the United ryone has a different definition of offensive. I have no money even for “It’s hard to say how long any While the terrain of past cam- Nations said. More than half of that ‘terrorist,’” said Hanin Ghaddar, a tomorrow. There is literally noth- offensive could continue,” said paigns might have been different, number have been displaced from visiting fellow at the Washington ing I can do. I would prefer to die Nicholas Heras, Middle East se- the lessons of failures, particularly other mostly rebel-held areas of Institute for Near East Policy. “For with my family than be displaced curity fellow at the Centre for a those in Daraa, remain. “The rebels Syria or travelled to Idlib to escape the international community, it again.” New American Securi­ty. “Unlike learnt a lot from the south-west the regime. is organisations such as al-Qaeda “If Idlib falls, my family and I will past campaigns, for the rebels this campaign,” Heras said. “There, Around 30,000 of that number that are terrorists. However, for the go with it. I’m tired of poverty and should be a case of standing their some groups agreed to reconcile are thought to be rebels, whose regime and Russia, it’s anyone op- running from place to place seek- ground and fighting to the last. and, after that, the opposition pret- orientation ranges from the 10,000 posing Damascus and that includes ing ‘safety.’ We are just preparing “However, again, unlike past ty much collapsed. or so jihadist fighters aligned with groups such as the White Helmets, to die,” the former volunteer medic campaigns the terrain in Idlib is “HTS drew a lot from that. With- Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) to the who are also present in Idlib.” said. quite different. Across greater in Idlib, they’re exerting real pres- remnants of the relatively secular As the United Nations talked of Air strikes and artillery have tar- Idlib, you’ve got large plains, which sure on any group talking about rebels who fled the south-west for opening humanitarian corridors geted armed groups along Idlib’s make it easier for a conventional reconciling with Damascus, up to Idlib rather than reconcile with the into regime-controlled territory, frontiers for several days. Agence army to manoeuvre. However, in and including assassinating key regime and its Russian allies. which many in Idlib had fled, some France-Presse reported that hun- the north and west, closer to the figures within them.” However, as Assad and his allies appear to be losing hope. Alaa, a dreds of families were streaming Turkish border, you’ve got some eye the rebel province, such dis- father sheltering with his family in from settlements in trucks piled pretty mountainous country and Simon Speakman Cordall tinctions risk being rendered moot. the province told the Independent: high with goods taken from homes that’s where the bulk of the jihad- is Syria/Lebanon section editor “One of the problems is that eve- “I have no plan at all for the coming swiftly abandoned. ists are.” with The Arab Weekly.

Viewpoint With assault on Idlib imminent, US stays on the sidelines

he 7-year Syrian civil role as prime outside actor, sees ing against a US intervention that Middle East Institute wrote: “The war is approaching a the United States not as an equal goes beyond a slap on the wrist. challenge for Washington is to crucial moment with but as a potential spoiler. “I hope Kremlin spokesman Dmitry understand that both the means Mark Habeeb the government of Syr- our Western partners will not Peskov, reacting to comments and ends of Syria policy need to ian President Bashar As- give in to (rebel) provocations and from Washington, said: “Just to account for the failure of US policy sad preparing to move will not obstruct an anti-terror speak out with some warnings, beyond the defeat of ISIS.” Ton the rebel-controlled province operation” in Idlib, Russian For- without taking into account the When the Idlib operation is of Idlib with the assistance of his eign Minister Sergei Lavrov told very dangerous, negative potential over and the bodies counted, the Russian and Iranian allies. Reuters. Russian concerns over for the whole situation in Syria, is Syria game will move to east of the Idlib is the base for thousands US obstruction were fuelled by US probably not a full, comprehensive Euphrates, where the United States of jihadists and home to several President Donald Trump’s warning approach.” has cards to play. The Russians million people. A bloodbath is a that Syria should not “recklessly Peskov makes a valid point: The are aware of this. Lavrov recently distinct possibility and the United attack” Idlib. United States has no “full, compre- said that “our American partners Nations is warning of a humanitar- While the president did not hensive approach” to Syria and has are doing their best in developing ian catastrophe. define “reckless,” US Secretary of not for the past seven years. the east of Euphrates, restoring The presidents of Russia, Iran State Mike Pompeo said the United Jonas Parello-Plesner, a re- infrastructure there, rebuilding and Turkey, the guarantors of States would respond if Damas- searcher with the Hudson Institute socio-economic ties, even creating the so-called Astana process cus used chemical weapons. US think-tank in Washington, told quasi-official governance bodies. which aims to manage the Syria Ambassador to the United Nations Agence France-Presse that “verbal This is fraught with attempts to crisis (and which has eclipsed the Nikki Haley tweeted: “All eyes on warning shots” do not make a poli- split Syria and is a blunt violation United Nations’ Geneva process) the actions of Assad, Russia and cy. The reality, Plesner said, is that of all [UN Security Council] resolu- conferred in Tehran on September Iran in Idlib. #NoChemicalWeap- “Assad is advancing on the ground, tions that demand respect for 7 but apparently did not reach ons.” aided by Iran by land and Russia by Syria’s sovereignty.” an agreement likely to halt the Apparently, any actions by Da- air,” while Washington “continues Is the United States willing to regime’s offensive. mascus and its allies short of using to pay lip service to the UN-backed play these cards and, if so, to what Meanwhile, the world’s largest chemical weapons will not provoke Geneva peace process.” end? In April, Trump said “it is economic and military power — the a US response. Faysal Itani, an expert with the time” to withdraw US troops from country that not that long ago was Even if Damascus uses chemi- Atlantic Council think-tank, said Syria but backed down when the considered the primary outside cal weapons, the US response is “the United States has already ef- Pentagon expressed concerns that actor in the Middle East and whose unlikely to be a game-changer. fectively acquiesced to the regime to do so would risk the resurgence involvement was indispensable In April, Washington reacted to recapturing the remainder of of ISIS. Trump, however, continues to the resolution of major regional evidence of a chemical weapons Syria…and the regime and Russia to express a desire to pull out as conflicts — is on the sidelines, its attack by hitting several Syrian understand this.” soon as possible. Apparently, any capital obsessed by political scan- government military targets, a lim- The only clear US objective The United States seems content actions by Damascus dals and its president incapable of ited show of force that in no way in Syria under former President to spend this game sitting on the developing and sticking to a coher- affected the course of the conflict Barack Obama and continuing bench. and its allies short of ent foreign policy. or seriously weakened the Assad under Trump has been the defeat using chemical As the Syrian civil war is reach- regime. of the Islamic State (ISIS), an objec- Mark Habeeb is East-West Editor weapons will not ing a gruesome crescendo, the To ensure that Washington tive that has been largely achieved of The Arab Weekly and adjunct United States has made itself virtu- does not become a spoiler, Russia in terms of ISIS’s actual physical professor of Global Politics and provoke a US ally irrelevant. amassed a large naval force in the hold on territory. However, as Security at Georgetown University response. Russia, which has assumed the eastern Mediterranean as a warn- Geoffrey Aronson, a fellow at the in Washington. September 9, 2018 5 News & Analysis Lebanon Houthis’ visit to Beirut stirs division and controversy

Sami Moubayed abilities. Al-Masirah is located next to Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV with backup studios at Hezbollah head- Beirut quarters. Houthi spokesman Mohammad public visit by a Yemeni Abdulsalam said he met with Nas- Houthi delegation to Bei- rallah in Beirut on August 19, post- rut renewed tensions be- ing a photo of the meeting on Twit- A tween the Iran-backed ter. The photo had to have been Hezbollah and Gulf-allied Prime taken by a Hezbollah photographer Minister-designate Saad Hariri, because smartphones are not al- pushing relations between the two lowed in Nasrallah’s presence. to near collapse and further compli- Hezbollah leaked the photo cating efforts to create a cabinet of through Abdulsalam, it seems, with national unity in Lebanon. multiple objectives. The first was a Hezbollah’s relationship with the message to Saudi Arabia that Teh- Yemeni group is not new but it is the ran’s interference in Lebanese af- first time that both sides featured fairs would continue if economic it so publicly. On numerous occa- and political pressure is applied on sions, Hezbollah Secretary-General Beirut. Second, it was a message Hassan Nasrallah has praised the from Nasrallah making Hariri look Out into the open. Hezbollah supporters carry flags and a picture of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Houthis, denying, however, that he weak and irrelevant to his Saudi al- Nasrallah and leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement Abdelmalik al-Houthi in Beirut. (Reuters) sent them arms, funds or men to lies. fight the Yemeni government and “The visits never stopped,” said its Gulf allies. Lebanese analyst Nidal al-Sabe. announcement of the visit gives the where they receive money sent by has made it clear it would obstruct Saudi Arabia claims the Houthis “Mohammad Abdulsalam visited Saudis more ammunition to claim Tehran. Two senior Houthis — Ji- the cabinet formation, possibly have a training camp run by Hez- back in October 2015 to pay condo- Hariri is unable to curtail Hezbol- breel al-Houthi, the son of Houthi bringing down his candidacy. bollah in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. lences to Hezbollah. Coordination lah’s influence in Lebanon or the leader Abdelmalik al-Houthi, and Hezbollah has no intention of Riyadh also accused Hezbollah of has always been high, backed by broader Middle East. Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, the head severing its relationship with the transporting missiles to the Hou- Iran and endorsed by Syria. Saudi media asked how the Hou- of the Revolutionary Council of Houthis, however, even if Hariri this. this were given visas to enter Leba- Ansar al-Allah — reportedly live in mends relations with Damascus. The Lebanese government this non. The answer is through the southern Beirut, using fake pass- The relationship is not based on summer received a copy of a letter Hezbollah has no intention Lebanese General Security, which ports reciprocity but on “might makes sent to the UN Security Council by of severing its relationship is headed by Hezbollah’s ally Gen- Previous visits by the Houthi right.” It regards itself the stronger the Gulf-backed Yemeni President with the Houthis even if eral Abbas Ibrahim. leadership to Lebanon had been link in the lopsided relationship Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi accusing Hariri mends relations with For many, it is a given that the kept secret, in light of a 2016 un- — given that it has the manpower, Hezbollah of providing the Houthis Damascus. Houthi visit will obstruct the trust derstanding between Nasrallah arms and demographic majority in with material and logistic support. and confidence-building measures and Hariri, which allowed the lat- Lebanon. It went unanswered at the Leba- that have developed between Hari- ter to return as prime minister Hariri is being asked to normalise nese Foreign Ministry, whose min- “The United States and Iran are ri’s Future Movement and Hezbol- in exchange for making Michel with Syria and support the repatria- ister, Gebran Bassil, is a Hezbollah trying to get Hezbollah and Iran out lah in forming a cabinet. Their pres- Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, Leba- tion of refugees from Lebanon. The ally. of Syria. Hezbollah will compensate ence is likely to undermine support non’s president. It has now been only thing he will get in return is The Houthi movement has a tel- for that by increasing its Arab pres- for Hariri, making him more ame- made open, which means the the internal success of the govern- evision channel, which operates ence elsewhere. They are trying to nable to Hezbollah pressure re- relationship between the Future ment. from southern Beirut, called al- tell the Saudis, ‘If you continue to garding the appointment of Sunni Movement and Hezbollah is at an The Houthi visit signals an esca- Masirah and whose director, Ibra- pursue mischief in Lebanon, we politicians in the next government. all-time low. lation in animus by Nasrallah to- him Duleimi, was present at the are capable of doing the same in Hariri has refused to name any Sun- Hariri wants the Iran-backed wards the Arab Gulf region, which meeting with Nasrallah. Attempts Yemen.’” ni figures from the Hezbollah-led group to distance itself from Yem- risks killing chances of a quick cabi- by Lebanese Information Minis- There are some in Saudi Arabia March 8 alliance, keeping all Sunni en. Hezbollah wants Hariri to nor- net formation in Lebanon. ter Melhem Riachy, a Saudi ally, angry with Hariri’s inability to rein posts in the hands of his Future malise relations with Damascus to withdraw the channel’s licence in Hezbollah, seeking new Sunni al- Movement. and end his public support for the Sami Moubayed is a Syrian failed as have moves by the March lies in Beirut who can limit Hezbol- Houthi delegates have in recent Syrian opposition. If Hariri contin- historian and author of “Under 14 alliance to restrict its broadcast lah’s role in Yemen and Syria. The years travelled frequently to Beirut, ues to refuse, the March 8 alliance the Black Flag” (IB Tauris, 2015).

Viewpoint Hezbollah is a state above the state

an an organisation such geography. bollah is implicitly recognised by in Tehran, Hezbollah runs inde- as Hezbollah in Leba- Similarly, Hezbollah considers the Lebanese state! pendent economic institutions non be called a state Lebanon as its territorial base but The recognition by the Leba- inside and outside Lebanon that Adid Nassar and, if so, what would that is elastic and can expand as nese state is best illustrated by are managed by professionals from be the character of this much as Hezbollah’s military and the immunity from Lebanese outside the party and that pour state? ideological presence allows it. judiciary and security agencies into its coffers generous amounts CHezbollah has its own militia just In Lebanon, Hezbollah has its enjoyed by Hezbollah members. of money. like a standing army in a normal own economic, financial and ser- It is out of the question to pursue More income comes from il- state. It has tonnes of weapons and vices institutions. They cover all or apprehend any of the party’s legitimate trade activities in drugs, equipment. In Lebanon, Hezbollah areas: education, culture, health, members for any crime committed fake products and arms. Hezbol- controls sites that are off limits to social services, media, commu- on Lebanese territory or abroad. lah has a free hand in bringing in Lebanese security and army forces. nication, housing, et cetera. It Hezbollah “citizens” come and go goods and people through Leba- The fact that other states close has its own channels for external as they please in Lebanon or across nese ports, border crossings and their eyes to this is a sign of ap- relations functioning just like any its borders through legal or illegal Beirut airport — no taxes paid, no proval, even if they don’t like it. other ministry of foreign affairs. crossings. questions asked. Hezbollah controls a wide The party has its own judiciary The state of Hezbollah enjoys a In criminal cases, the diplomatic popular base in Lebanon and is and internal security structures, rather stout economy. In addition relations between the state of constantly pushing its political- including detention centres and to the permanent annual budget Hezbollah and the Lebanese state religious ideology, which consid- jails. Above all, the state of Hez- coming from the mullahs’ regime follow a one-way street. Only ers anyone who questions that Hezbollah can decide whether to ideology as a kafir — an infidel in surrender any of its members to the religious sense or a traitor in Lebanese courts. Not many states the political sense. enjoy that privilege. This social base represents the Paradoxically, Hezbollah is not population of the state of Hezbol- rebelling against the Lebanese lah and the party refers to “the authorities. It is a cornerstone People of Resistance,” not the member of those authorities. Yet, Lebanese people. Hezbollah is capable of preventing To qualify as a state, there is presidential elections from taking needed a defined geographical place in Lebanon and imposing its Hezbollah has a free territory but in the case of the own candidate on everybody. It hand in bringing in state of Hezbollah this require- could shut down the government ment is dubious because its terri- and the parliament when it suits it. goods and people tory is vague. That is no problem It holds the keys to war and peace. through Lebanese for Hezbollah because there are Those are the privileges of an ports, border historical precedents. When the independent state. Hezbollah is Zionist entity claimed Palestine not a state within the state but one crossings and Beirut as its territory, it didn’t specify above it, even if it is trying to ex- airport — no taxes its geographical borders. Neither pand within and beyond Lebanese did the Islamic State (ISIS) when Growing clout. Members of Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah movement borders. paid, no questions it declared itself an independent salute during a parade in the southern Lebanese city of Nabatieh. asked. state with no consideration for (AFP) Adid Nassar is a Lebanese writer. 6 September 9, 2018 Opinion

Editorial Africa still matters hifts are shaping up in the positions of global powers towards Africa, a region that is vital to the security of the Arab region. The New York Times reports that the United States intends to cut its Special Operations forces by half in SAfrica in the next three years. The move comes after a jihadist attack in Niger in October 2017 that left four US soldiers dead. The proposed cuts would close “several outposts” and end the work of “seven of the eight American elite counterterrorism units” in Africa. Numbering about 1,200 troops, this is not a huge expeditionary force but it could make a dent in many African countries’ anti-terrorism efforts. In normal circumstances, more security self-reliance and less outside interference would be a positive goal for African countries, includ- ing those on the continent’s northern littoral. But the reduction of US military personnel and equipment may not be helpful at this time to poor sub-Saharan African countries because they need regional and international partner- ships to combat terrorism. Whatever the considerations of American planners, this sudden US disengagement from Africa comes at a time when the Islamic State (ISIS), al-Qaeda and their various offshoots are © Yaser Ahmed for The Arab Weekly transferring operations there. US Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the US House of Representatives, noted recently that Lebanon needs a credible new “many of (ISIS) fighters have escaped and are regrouping in Africa.” “Today,” he added, “it is estimated that 10,000 government, not alignment with Iran ISIS and al-Qaeda jihadists have already set up camp across the continent. This is in addition to Boko Haram, al-Shabab and other extremist Khairallah Khairallah groups that have been fomenting violence and spreading terror for many years.” Luckily for Lebanon, there are citizens who are determined to fight Iran’s This is also the view of NATO. Arndt von expansionist project, which Tehran implements through armed sectarian militias. Loringhoven, NATO assistant secretary-general for intelligence and security, warned: “While (ISIS) has occupied the world’s attention for the t’s not true that Lebanon’s Shias are pro-Iranian but Iran has This is not the time for a fruitless last four-five years, al-Qaeda has been quietly economy can survive unfa- made significant inroads in the debate about who won in Syria rebuilding its global networks and capabilities.” vourable developments if the country’s Shia community. We and how it will affect Lebanon. He cited activity in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Syria, country remains without a cannot deny that a good portion of That conflict has moved into a Yemen, Somalia and North Africa. government for much longer. the members of that community phase in which all the cards are Some experts are wary of the fallout of US Lebanon urgently — and more have placed themselves in the ser- being shuffled once again. We still withdrawal on the stability of sub-Saharan Iso than at any time before — needs vice of Iran and its useless project. don’t know what the United States Africa. Alice Hunt Friend, a senior fellow at the a balanced and consensual govern- Nothing is going to come out of is going to do after its decision Centre for International and Strategic Studies, ment. that project but more disastrous to maintain its forces east of the said African countries cannot control vast All Lebanese must become results for Lebanon and all its com- Euphrates. We don’t know what swaths of territory without outside help and, aware that, despite that some peo- munities. Turkey will do in case the Syrian therefore, “we should see some serious chal- ple have a beef against Saad Hariri Hezbollah’s parliament bloc ar- regime decides to take Idlib with lenges in the wake of US reductions.” and the Future Movement and gues that, given the Assad regime’s Russian support, of course, and The change of US strategy, said unnamed US regardless of the argument that victories and successes in its war at the cost of more humanitarian officials quoted by the New York Times, “could the Future Movement has only on the Syrian people, Lebanon disasters. reverse progress that has been made against 17 out of the 27 Sunni members must move quickly to “position It is best for the Lebanese to al-Qaeda and Islamic State affiliates, while of parliament, it is time for a new itself strategically,” meaning to focus on how to protect their own diminishing alliances across Africa as both power balance based on the latest become Iran’s vassal state. country from the inside rather than Russia and China move to increase their influ- election results. Nothing can be more wrong. focus on how to retaliate against ence.” Moscow and Beijing are already backing their The elections were based on a It is still too early to speak of a Hariri and the Christian community ambitions with actions. strange law cooked up by Hezbol- final victory by the Syrian regime. who refuse to surrender to Hezbol- Russia is projecting hard and soft power not lah — meaning Iran. The aim of Syria is much divided and Syr- lah’s weapons or against members only in the Middle East but also in Africa. that law was to weaken independ- ian President Bashar Assad’s fate of the Druze community who know The Russian government and the Southern ent political movements and stack is — unfortunately — in the hands what is at stake in the region and African Development Community (SADC) signed the chances in favour of Hezbol- of Israel. Let’s not kid ourselves. behind the calls for a minorities a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during lah, including most of the seats in Without a green light from Israel coalition. the BRICS Africa summit in Johannesburg in parliament. It is no wonder that, and without Russia’s complicity, It is best for the Lebanese to heed July. right after the May elections, Iran, the Syrian regime would not have the reports about their country in Despite scepticism about its objectives, China through al-Quds Force commander been able to progress in southern international media that say the is forging full steam ahead in Africa. Chinese Major-General Qassem Soleimani, Syria and drive Islamic State forces economic situation in the country President Xi Jinping said on September 3 that his would boast that it controls a into Druze territory in Sweida and calls for people with an acute sense country would allocate $60 billion for trade, majority of seats in the Lebanese the surrounding villages. of the regional and international development and infrastructure projects in the parliament, which quite simply The real winner in southern Syr- contexts. continent. This comes on top of additional must bend to its wishes. ia is Israel. Hezbollah’s representa- Since the Paris conference on billions pledged or loaned by China to African Luckily for Lebanon, there are tives in the Lebanese parliament Lebanon in April, there are about nations. citizens who are determined to want Lebanon to align itself with $12 billion in easy-term loans China’s concerns in Africa also come with a fight Iran’s expansionist project, Hezbollah’s interests and those and grants waiting for a credible security dimension. Xi said China would which Tehran implements through of Iran and the “Axis of Refusal” Lebanese government to see the establish “a peace and security fund” and would based on that. Here is another Lebanon provide “free military assistance” to the African armed sectarian militias. We can light. The country can’t afford to needs to Union. easily see the ugly face of this im- Israeli victory that shall remain ob- wait much longer to claim them. move Last year, China set up its first overseas perialistic project in Yemen, Syria, scure, just like the mystery behind There is a pressing need for a team beyond the military base in the African country of Djibouti, Iraq and even in Lebanon. the withdrawal of the Syrian Army of responsible people committed Of course, not all of Lebanon’s from the Golan in 1967. complex a move that projected Beijing’s intention to be to saving the country rather than dragging it into new adventures created by part of the competition for influence in the Horn of Africa and for vital Red Sea routes. based on illusionary victories in Rafik Hariri Africa matters to the Arab world and to its Syria. and his security, not just to that of superpowers. Lebanon, too, is waiting for a project for a In recent years, the trans-border flow of armed new government credible to the modern jihadists and illegal migrants between sub-Saha- international community. The Lebanon. ran Africa and the Maghreb has been a reminder country needs to move beyond the that the Sahara is hardly the impenetrable complex created by Rafik Hariri and barrier that some had thought. his project for a modern Lebanon. Terrorism in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa Two types of politicians suffer constitutes a real threat to the Arab world and from that complex. There are those the Mediterranean region today. who talk a lot just to hide their That’s not the only terrorist connection of incompetence and ignorance and concern to the Arab world. Yaya Fanusie, a there are those who consider Leba- former economic and counterterrorism analyst for the US Central Intelligence Agency, told a US non the “rightful” vassal of outside congressional hearing on September 7 that interests. radical Lebanese group Hezbollah, with massive We are speaking of Iran, of Iranian support, has expanded operations across course, which thinks that the time Africa and into South America, where it is has come to reap the fruits of years involved in the international drug trade. of investing money, weapons and Paying attention to security issues in Africa sectarian strife in Lebanon. will go a long way towards ensuring the peace and stability of the Arab region. Gathering storm. A man walks in front of the headquarters of Khairallah Khairallah is a Lebanese the Lebanese Blom Bank in Beirut. (Reuters) writer. September 9, 2018 7 Opinion Contact editor at: [email protected] The war of spoils continues Published by Al Arab in Tripoli at expense of Libyans Publishing House Habib Lassoued Publisher and Group Executive Editor The smell of potential spoils in Libya has awakened the Haitham El-Zobaidi, PhD greed monster inside and outside the country. Editor-in-Chief here is nothing to Tripoli recently. Obviously, the indicate that bat- warlords and their militias are Oussama Romdhani tles among various very much entrenched there. militias in Tripoli Obviously also, the Libyan Managing Editor are likely to end Presidential Council has not Iman Zayat soon and it doesn’t been able to impose the security Tlook like the ceasefire in place arrangements laid out in the Deputy Managing Editor will last long, either. Despite Skhirat Agreement signed in and Online Editor multiple efforts to iron out dif- December 2015. That agreement Mamoon Alabbasi ferences between the warring called for driving all armed parties, the situation in Libya militias out of Libya’s cities, Senior Editor is extremely tense and could including Tripoli. They were to John Hendel explode at any moment. be stripped of their heavy artil- Tripoli remains the trophy for lery first and later of their light Chief Copy Editor all the warring parties. It is the weapons. Richard Pretorius main decision centre, not just The agreement stipulated in politics and diplomacy but in that militia members should be Copy Editor finances and the economy. This included in the country’s police Stephen Quillen supports the conclusion that the and armed forces or offered jobs war in Libya, since its beginning commensurate with their qualifi- Analysis Section Editor Vicious cycle. A file picture shows a militia fighter firing in 2011, has been a war over cations. Those arrangements Ed Blanche towards rival positions in western Sirte. (AFP) spoils in a country rich in oil, also figure in the 2017 Paris East/West Section Editor bank deposits and investments. agreement between Presidential The smell of potential spoils propriation and theft of public Asked about limiting with- Council Chairman Fayez al-Sarraj Mark Habeeb in Libya has awakened the greed funds through fictitious bank drawals, bank officials say short- and Field-Marshal Khalifa Haf- Gulf Section Editor age of liquidity has become a monster inside and outside the transfers crediting accounts tar, commander of the Libyan Mohammed Alkhereiji country. These spoils have pro- held by warlords in banks con- problem in Libya because most National Army. duced a class of warlords that trolled by their militias. The UN of the rich long ago had with- The Presidential Council has Society and Travel is sitting on billions of dollars. experts received direct threats drawn their entire deposits from failed to implement the security Sections Editor They control state institutions, from the militias. banks in fear of kidnapping or arrangements and will never be Samar Kadi peddle their influence for ap- Further leaks in May made assassination attempts. It has able to do so because the armed pointments and jobs, practically public a list of companies become obvious, that militias militias have become too power- Syria and Lebanon decide the fate of all major pub- owned by warlords in Tripoli have agents inside banks who ful. They control interests they Section Editor lic tenders, control the parallel that had received grants total- monitor client accounts and will never relinquish and their Simon Speakman Cordall market in currency trading and ling $65 million. inform the militias about good leaders are neck deep in criminal manage huge investments in Armed militias reap huge candidates for blackmailing. activities and will never acqui- Contributing Editor foreign countries. fortunes from trading foreign In the oil sector, the situation esce to solutions that would strip Rashmee Roshan Lall All of this is happening while currencies on the black market. is worse. In August, an oil com- them of their power and open the common folk in Libya strug- They use their influence to pur- pany executive was threatened the gate of legally pursing them. Senior Correspondents gle with poverty, skyrocketing chase US dollars at the official by militias in Tripoli to make Even in the event of elections, Mahmud el-Shafey (London) prices, the devaluation of the lo- rate from official banks then sell him go back on a decision to the winners will automati- Lamine Ghanmi (Tunis) cal currency, runaway criminal- them on the black market, turn- take out what was called the cally find themselves either con- ity and corruption, insecurity ing profits of millions of dollars Monitoring Office for the distri- fronted or controlled by these Regular Columnists and flagrant impunity. in a very short time. bution of fuel and gas. militias. Claude Salhani What have the militias got It has become normal for the Also, high-ranking managers So, nothing is going to change Yavuz Baydar to do with this? The answer is average Libyan to spend an in the Libya Investment Author- in Tripoli and the ceasefire of simple: Nothing happens in entire night in front of a bank to ity, the country’s sovereign September 4 won’t last because Correspondents Libya without the consent of the secure a position near the front wealth fund, were kidnapped by the choice in Tripoli is binary: Saad Guerraoui (Casablanca) warlords. of the queue for the follow- armed groups allegedly work- Either put in place a state of law Dunia El-Zobaidi (London) Regarding public funds, ing day. After that, he will end ing under the authority of the or end up with a state of militias. Roua Khlifi (Tunis) for example, a report by UN up drawing no more than 200 Ministry of Interior. Thomas Seibert (Washington) experts, leaked last March, Libyan dinars — the equivalent These are just a sample of Habib Lassoued is a Tunisian revealed widespread misap- of $30 in the black market. what has been happening in writer. Chief Designer Marwen el-Hmedi

Designers Arab states too, like Trump, share Ibrahim Ben Bechir blame for Palestinian plight Hanen Jebali Subscription & Advertising: Rashmee Roshan Lall [email protected] The realpolitik on display as the United States has come down ever more heavily Tel 020 3667 7249 on Israel’s side in the past 20 months has been startling and sobering. Mohamed Al Mufti on’t wait for a estinian Authority and stopped one deserving of a just solution, OIC Secretary-General Yousef Marketing & Advertising Trump-branded all contributions to UN Relief became secondary to other bin Ahmad al-Othaimeen Manager peace plan for and Works Agency for Palestine concerns. spoke of “the need to provide the Palestinian- Refugees in the Near East (UN- After the Trump administra- international protection for the Tel (Main) +44 20 7602 3999 Israeli issue. It has RWA), which supports 5 million tion formally relocated the US Palestinian people,” promised Direct: +44 20 8742 9262 already been rolled Palestinian refugees, the war- Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv an “international commission www.alarab.co.uk Dout, bit by bit, since December is-peace strategy becomes even to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018, of experts to investigate the 2016. It’s not a peace plan so clearer. Palestinian refugeehood the 22-member Arab League Israeli crimes in the Palestin- much as a strategy for war, the itself is to be erased. The Pales- urged everyone else — that is, ian territories” and insisted the complete and utter destruc- tinian problem is to be ended by the international community US Embassy relocation “has tion of Palestinian hopes for ending all recognition there is a — to oppose what it considered nothing to do with changing the self-determination, a two-state problem. an “unjust decision.” Kuwait realities on the ground.” solution, justice and dignity. The role of Trump’s America called for an emergency UN This is nonsense. The US Em- In December 2016, Donald in the sunless hellhole occupied Security Council meeting. bassy relocation does change US Publisher: Trump was US president-elect by the Palestinians is indisputa- The Lebanese prime minister reality. With every move to alter but still made so bold as to ble but what of the Arab states? tweeted his regret about a the status of the Palestinian The Arab Weekly USA LLC. castigate the Obama admin- The Palestinians have been “provocative… decision that is people — from a just cause for [email protected] istration for allowing the UN abandoned by the wider world igniting the anger of millions home and hearth to an ille- Security Council to condemn and by those who lead their of Arabs, Muslims and Chris- gitimate terrorist force — they [email protected] Israel for constructing settle- Arab brothers and sisters. The tians.” Turkey announced the become weaker. Every time Tel: 248-679-6624 ments in the West Bank and realpolitik on display as the recall of its ambassadors in they are ignored by Arab states East Jerusalem. The United United States has come down Washington and Tel Aviv and in the greater goal to cement a States abstained rather than ever more heavily on Israel’s Turkish President Recep Tayyip deal with Israel against Iran, the vetoing the resolution, which side in the past 20 months has Erdogan denounced the Israeli notion of principled Arab resist- led Trump to tweet with great been startling and sobering. “genocide.” He added with his ance to injustice is enervated. verve: “Stay strong Israel, Janu- When Trump unilaterally trademark flourish, “Israel is a Trump’s America knows this, ary 20th is fast approaching!” recognised Jerusalem as the terrorist state.” uses it and exults at the base January 20 was the date capital of Israel on December 6, Again, that was it. The Saudis considerations that allow for Trump would become president 2017, presenting it as a state- and Emiratis have since been politics without principles. Al Arab Publishing House of the richest, most militarily ment of “the obvious,” Saudi strategically quiet. Egypt has To abandon the Palestinians Quadrant Building powerful country on Earth and Arabia called it “unjustified and been occasionally active but in the Trump era may seem 177-179 Hammersmith Road the tweet was a teaser. Trump irresponsible.” Swift condemna- said and did little that changes smart for now but actions have London W6 8BS had given the world a glimpse of tion came from Turkey, Jordan, anything. The Gulf Coopera- consequences. It will rebound. his promised “deal of the centu- Egypt and Lebanon. And that tion Council, riven by disputes, ry” for Palestinians and Israelis. was it. The limits of indignation has offered no pushback. The Rashmee Roshan Lall is a It would be weighted in favour — and action — had seemingly 57-member Organisation of Is- columnist for The Arab Weekly. Tel: (+44) 20 7602 3999 of Israel, take it or leave it. been reached. The Palestinian lamic Cooperation (OIC) offered Her blog can be found at www. Fax: (+44) 20 7602 8778 Now that the Trump admin- plight, long held up as a pan- weasel words at an extraordi- rashmee.com and she is on istration has cut aid to the Pal- Arab, pan-Muslim moral issue, nary summit in Istanbul in May. Twitter: @rashmeerl. 8 September 9, 2018 Debate Social Trends Escaping Gutenberg’s castle

sectarian, wars followed. As is ever the Volkswagen scandal and that $7 One of the reasons the funda- the case with human conflict, ideas billion fine) and sometimes, though mentalists’ September 11, 2001, were just banners waved by com- less forcibly, human rights protec- attacks on the United States were so Grey Gowrie peting interests. True motives were tion (fewer T-shirts assembled by successful is that they maintained the usual ones: power, territory, 5-year-olds, for example). what used to be called “radio si- status, wealth, revenge. Most arguments about loss of lence.” Let us rename it Dark Cyber. Printing, however, was what national sovereignty have become The attacks of 9/11 had the priceless moved Europe from the mediaeval irrelevant. When I flew to Australia quality of surprise but cyberspace to the modern world. I found it a via stops in Moscow and Tokyo in also stores weapons of soft, that is bout ten years ago, my moving experience to spend time in the 1980s, my air traffic control- to say, bloodless, warfare. Witness wife, who is German, a Guttenberg home. lers were operating on regulations the row over Russia’s supposed took me to an impres- Today, thanks to Alan Turing, agreed to by different sovereignties. intervention in the last US presiden- sive ancient castle Tim Berners-Lee, Bill Gates, Steve However, in joining Europe, the tial election. in Bavaria, in south- Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg and other British retained a rare and priceless Just as, with time and the shed- western Germany. It giants of the revolution in personal element of national sovereignty. ding of much blood, Luther’s isA inhabited by descendants of the electronic communication, we have They issue their own currency and German Bible printed by Guten- family that built it more than 600 started to escape Gutenberg’s cas- control its rates of interest. berg “liberated” Western Europe years ago. tle. There are losses. I love sitting in The European Union is sorry that from clerical monopoly and papal A tall tower, which had steep my library and depend on others for Britain is leaving but the Franco- authority, we may observe today steps allowing access to living my digital life. German project of creating a power the poor of the Earth attempting to rooms, bedrooms, servant quarters Here is the question: Is the block on the scale of China or the cultivate a better garden, or invade and attics, was punctuated by little personal computer, the smart- United States is helped by Britain’s one, as a consequence of the hand- windows against which the branch- phone especially, liberating the 21st departure. Many British voters held computer. es of immense pine trees moved. century from established authority, wished to remain in the European Young men, and, increasingly, The main rooms were hung with received ideas, the chains and the Union. Virtually none wished to young women across those huge family portraits, the early ones dead weight of previous ideological abandon the pound. dry reaches of North Africa and Ara- painted on wood. Most of the males conflict? In spite of the success of the bia that are so visible from space, resembled one another. They had The last century was a golden age Brexit referendum from his point of have visual access, at fingertip round heads, prominent foreheads, for print. Newspaper moguls could view, Murdoch’s influence is on the touch, to the lush pastures and con- button noses and small bright eyes. influence people and gain authority. wane. A highly intelligent man, he sumer toys of northern peoples. They were Guttenbergs. Our host, One of these, the Australian Rupert has seen the writing on the wall. He Printed books were remote, the current Count Guttenberg (the Murdoch, is still active in Britain loves newspapers and is still a big luxury items for many centuries. living family uses a double ‘t’), a and the United States in his late 80s. player among its more elderly cus- Smartphones now lower their prices professor of music at a Bavarian His immense fortune was generated tomers in Britain but he has been almost as fast as their command of university, looked exactly like his by satellite TV and his understand- selling off his empire quite rapidly. information swell. Today, a teenage forebears. ing that you can, at least in the News and TV programming are boy in Somalia can gaze on a hand- Guttenberg is a direct descendant United States, use TV to promote increasingly matters of personal held device at a red and gleaming of the inventor of the printing press. political ideas. choice and individual transmission. Ferrari. No wonder he is prey to As a schoolboy, I was allowed to put In Britain, the example set by the We are all playing at being Mur- the modern slave-trade, the people on gloves and open the school’s rare BBC and its doctrine of political doch, US President Donald Trump traffickers who exchange an entire copy of a Gutenberg Bible. impartiality make this more dif- especially. There is YouTube and family’s savings for one place on Printing changed the course ficult. Britain has a long tradition of Twitter. Fake news has become a an overcrowded rubber dinghy and of European history irrevocably. unregulated newspapers entitled to part of real news. a sea voyage more uncertain than Martin Luther translated the Bible promote anything they like. The smartphone, the personal any undertaken over the last 1,000 from Latin into German. Monks Always hostile to the idea of digital revolution, is changing years or more. and church professionals lost their multinational regulation, Murdoch things. The 21st century is discov- The West, as we inaccurately call nearly absolute hold on literacy. disliked a European Union too ering itself. An interesting View- it (it is really the North), may no The Protestant idea of an individu- concerned with moderating market point in this newspaper by Yousef longer colonise. It may no longer al’s direct relation to God, one that freedoms for his taste. He adopted Alhelou (May 6) showed how social mount ideological or religious required, in the end, little organisa- the British Conservative Party, media (in effect, smartphones) missions. It needs quickly to invest tional intermediation, took hold. though he himself would best be provide Palestinians, Gazans espe- in people and help them develop The transition was irrevocable described as a neo-liberal. It is hard cially, with new umbilical “cords” their own territory to stay within but not easy. Three centuries of not to detect his hand in the pickle to their homeland. it. There are signs that the Chi- religious, or what we now call both major political parties in Brit- The use of social media is for nese, while not always innocent of ain find themselves in over Brexit. terrorists a double-edged sword. exploitation, understand this very The British voted to restore a sov- Britain has the world’s most sophis- well. We may observe today the poor ereignty that is largely an illusion. ticated centre for eavesdropping, Modern economies, large and small, though Vladimir Putin’s Russia is Grey Gowrie served in Margaret of the Earth attempting to are all affected by regulation. Inter- catching up. The British govern- Thatcher’s administration and was cultivate a better garden, or national trade depends on stand- ment’s Communications Headquar- the youngest member of her Cabi- ardisation. Modern consumers de- ters is an invaluable pivot of the net as a former culture minister. He invade one, as a consequence of mand health and safety protection, Atlantic alliance, which of course comments occasionally on the cul- the hand-held computer. environmental protection (think of includes EU members. tural background of current events. Why everyone young I meet wants to leave the region

Middle East and North Africa. would lose my job. It is so oppressive months in Germany for an intern- More than 30 years ago, Lebanese I’m interviewing for jobs in Switzer- Arab students’ ship and that was a real relief for my Khadija scientist Antoine Benjamin Zahlan land,” he said. reluctance to mental health. I was a nobody in Hamouchi edited the proceedings of a semi- Omar, 32, a statistician from return from the streets and I loved it.” nar organised by the UN Economic Morocco, graduated from Ecole overseas is in Zineddine, 28, an Algerian pursu- Commission for Western Asia into a Polytechnique in France. Currently sharp contrast ing a doctorate in London, said book titled “The Arab Brain Drain.” working in one of Singapore’s top to their she’s trying to put off her return. “I Zahlan examined possible solutions three investment funds, Omar said Chinese am extending [it] as much as I can. to retain manpower in the region. jobs that can use his skills don’t exist As a political analyst and an atheist, couple of months ago, At the time, the exodus was in the region. “The level of stock counterparts. I am not able to write or discuss my I received desperate largely because there weren’t many predictions and complex math- opinions openly [at home]. Not to messages on Face- institutions in the region that could ematical equations I write for stock mention that I am against our politi- book Messenger from provide high-paying permanent markets are non-existent in banks cal establishment,” she said. Marwa, a 25-year-old jobs. There were other reasons, too, [in Morocco and] even in the Gulf Arab students’ reluctance to management graduate but that was a major one. countries,” he said. return from overseas is in sharp inA Tunis. She wanted me to help get Today, there are other reasons for Farah, 24, said she’s not ready to contrast to their Chinese counter- her out of Tunisia and find work in young Arabs’ yearning to leave. The return to Jordan from the United parts. Chinese students routinely Turkey. reasons might seem obvious when States. “I’ve just graduated from return home to participate in their Marwa had three solid intern- it comes to conflict-ridden coun- Harvard and want to do research,” country’s development with 80% ships on her CV but was struggling tries such as Iraq, Libya, Syria and she said. “[If I go back] I know I will returning after graduating abroad, to find a junior position in her field Yemen but why the exodus from not have proper professional mentor- possibly lured by their country’s at home. Jobless, like 35% of young other countries in the region? ship.” She doesn’t rule out returning strong jobs market and favourable Tunisians, she spent her day brows- Career fulfilment remains the big- to the region as a mentor herself policies towards foreign-educated ing the internet for work. Desper- gest driver in the decision to leave. one day because that would be “in a returnees. ate, Marwa thought of Istanbul as a Ahmad, a 24-year-old Jordanian senior role.” NGOs working with young Arabs place to launch her career. getting a master’s degree in Germa- Economic opportunity and career say the region must face up to the Marwa is one of thousands of ny, said he expects a “donkey job” progression are major parts of the problem. “Giving [young people] a Arab Millennials who want to be on at home. “Unless I start my own decision to stay away from the region real career and chance to participate the move. They yearn to leave the project, I expect a job that doesn’t but there is more. Many Arab Millen- in our society should be key,” said countries of their birth and pursue fit my skills and degree,” he said. nials like the personal freedoms they Julie Maalouf of TalentLb, a Beirut their dreams elsewhere. In 2015, Ahmad said he foresees a dis- find in the West. Young women say NGO that works with exceptionally the UN Development Programme piriting work ethic in Jordan, “no they get used to the freedom of being bright young people. estimated that one-quarter of Arabs communication at work, a poor able to walk down a street without “We should be able to spot peo- aged 25 or younger had left their work culture.” It would be “sur- being harassed by men, as happens ple’s talent and direct them to the home countries for job opportuni- vival” levels of pay with high living at home. right environment and give them ties elsewhere. The World Govern- expenses, he said. Kenza, 23, left Morocco to work the right conditions to learn, grow ment Summit 2016 in Dubai said If that sounds damning, consider in Cairo but constantly harks back and impact the countries in which that 95% of young Arabs studying the experience of Hamza, who to a brief experience of living in they live in.” overseas, mainly in Europe and works in a bank in Tunis. “As a Germany. “Simply walking out onto North America, do not choose junior client officer, I was insulted the street is a daily struggle whether Khadija Hamouchi is a Belgian- to return to the region after they by my manager for asking a simple in Morocco or elsewhere in the Arab Moroccan social entrepreneur and graduate. question. I could not really defend world,” she said. “I get catcalled and founder of SEJAAL, an initiative that Brain drain is not new to the myself because I was afraid that I insulted for no reason. I spent three is building an app for young people. September 9, 2018 9 News & Analysis Gulf Pakistan’s new government under Imran Khan unlikely to overhaul its Gulf policy

Sabahat Khan lishing a foothold in Afghanistan as disastrous and says only a political settlement with the Taliban can Dubai end the insurgency. It is also highly suspicious of US motives to remain mran Khan’s election victory in Afghanistan. opens a new era for Pakistan Pakistan’s energy needs are grow- but Islamabad’s Gulf policy is ing as fast as its population of 215 I unlikely to see a major over- million. Acute electricity and gas haul. shortages have stunted Pakistan’s The security-dominated state in economic growth and blocked pov- Pakistan has traditionally exerted erty alleviation. Geography dictates the most influence in shaping Pa- that there is no country better po- kistan’s international posture and sitioned than Iran to address Paki- partnerships. Aspirations for Is- stan’s energy shortages. lamic unity and Palestinian inde- Pakistan also seeks security in pendence are cornerstones that its largest province, Baluchistan, have defined Pakistan’s diplomatic which borders Iran, as it courts positions and approaches to the more than $50 billion of invest- Middle East. ment with China to develop a trade Yet, in the last decade, Pakistan corridor to connect western China has increasingly worked to develop and Central Asia to the Arabian Sea ties to countries that Saudi Arabia via a deep-sea port in Gwadar. regards as its regional rivals — pri- Pakistan has been fighting fringe marily Iran but also Turkey and Baluchi separatist groups, which Qatar. In doing so, there has been it considers proxies of India, since no significant strategic realign- the 1970s. Constructive ties with ment but Pakistan has, behind the Tehran could ensure that the long scenes, tasted the ire of some of its border can be insulated at a time Arab Gulf partners. when Pakistan’s armed forces are stretched on two fronts with India and a highly unstable Afghanistan. Khan has more widespread Pakistan has thus pursued the popular appeal than any difficult approach of balancing its other political figure in needs and dependencies on Iran New era. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks during an interview at his home in Islamabad. (AFP) Pakistan but he is a new and the Arab Gulf, particularly counterpart for all Gulf Saudi Arabia and the United Arab countries. Emirates, from which Pakistan’s out from the International Mon- Khan has more widespread pop- key problems. economy benefits from massive etary Fund but would welcome ular appeal than any other political The Arab Gulf may have the ad- Pakistan and its Gulf partners remittances and development as- financial assistance from friendly figure in Pakistan but he is a new vantage based on the legacy of ties have no desire to risk losing the sistance. countries — something Gulf states counterpart for all Gulf countries. to Pakistan but also the United support and friendship of one an- While a “win-win” scenario ap- have done in the past. Pakistani Fi- Personal relationship-building will Arab Emirates’ and Saudi Arabia’s other but complex geostrategic de- pears unachievable in the highly nance Minister Asad Umar said the essentially start from here and economic courting of India and ties velopments are driving both sides divided Gulf, Pakistan could be country needs a $9 billion bailout there will be curiosity in what sup- with the United States being ele- to review international partner- said to pursue a “don’t lose-don’t urgently. port can be offered to the Pakistani ments that, if channelled into the ships and exploit new opportuni- lose” scenario. Yet the new Khan- Despite their own respective eco- government considering favours Gulf’s Pakistan policy to facilitate ties. led government’s narrative that nomic challenges with depressed previously granted to Nawaz Sharif a settlement in Afghanistan and For Islamabad, the conflict in Af- won it its first national mandate oil prices and low productivity in and Pervez Musharraf. some type of peace agreement with ghanistan, massive energy short- to govern and the emergency-like non-oil sectors, Saudi Arabia, the Even if financial assistance India, Islamabad could be persuad- ages and a low-level Baloch sepa- economic situation it inherited will United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, is unable to change Pakistan’s ed to review its Gulf policy and its ratist insurgency mean it is unable present new opportunities with Pa- on the one hand, and Qatar and Gulf policy directly, there are approach to Iran. to afford a cold or unconstructive kistan’s Gulf partners. Iran, on the other, could all find millions of Pakistani hearts to be relationship with Tehran. With Pakistan’s economy in need compelling reasons to offer finan- won and whose goodwill would Sabahat Khan is a senior analyst at Iran, like Pakistan, finds the of urgent financial rescue, the gov- cial support to the new govern- prove useful to helping influence the Institute for Near East and Gulf prospect of the Islamic State estab- ernment is preparing for a 13th bail- ment in Islamabad. Pakistan’s approach to the Gulf’s Military Analysis (INEGMA). Are Oman’s days as a regional mediator ending? The Arab Weekly staff Iran and only sees matters in black ently want Muscat to scale back its and white,” a Western diplomatic relations with Tehran and stop the source told The Arab Weekly. The flow of weapons to the Houthis. Its London source, who asked not to be iden- support in the dispute with Qatar tified, added that with nuances in would also be welcomed. iven that the geopolitical American engagement with Tehran There are several ways Riyadh climate in the Arabian Pen- over and “the Omanis are about to and Abu Dhabi can pressure Mus- insula points towards more realise that.” cat, a recent report by geopolitical G assertiveness in counter- Oman’s neutrality was once toler- intelligence platform Stratfor stat- ing Iran’s regional designs and the ated by the Gulf Cooperation Coun- ed, including adversely affecting Trump administration’s hawkish cil’s (GCC) main pillars, Saudi Ara- Omani relations with the United approach in dealing with Tehran, bia and the United Arab Emirates. States. countries such as Oman, which pre- However, with threats from Iranian “Riyadh and Abu Dhabi could try viously adopted a neutral stance, officials due to pressure at home to convince Washington that Mus- might have to pick a side. over a deteriorating economy, Ri- cat is the weak link in the United To de-escalate tensions between yadh and Abu Dhabi might no long- States’ anti-Iran regional strategy Washington and Tehran, Omani er see Oman’s stated impartiality as because the country allows Houthi Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf bin acceptable. arms to traverse its soil and Iran to Alawi bin Abdullah last month For example, in February 2011, circumvent sanctions and block- met with high-ranking US officials, when Oman was rocked with coun- ades,” Stratfor said. including Secretary of State Mike trywide protests calling for more With the unpredictable nature Pompeo and national security ad- job opportunities, GCC members of US President Donald Trump, viser John Bolton in Washington. stepped in to help both Oman and Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have other Bahrain with a $20 billion stimulus options. With regards to the United package. Arab Emirates, Oman’s main trad- With threats from Iranian Despite the support, when the ing partner, Abu Dhabi might pres- officials, Riyadh and Abu war in Yemen broke out in March sure Omani individuals and busi- Dhabi might no longer see 2015, Oman was the only GCC nesses as it did with Qatar after Oman’s stated impartiality member not to actively join the relations were severed in June 2017. Stratfor said: “They could also as acceptable. Saudi-led alliance fighting the Iran- allied Houthis, opting for a more raise questions about Oman’s loyal- intermediary diplomatic role in the ty to US regional goals while simul- Risky balance. Iranian President Hassan Rohani (R) greets Omani Abdullah’s diplomacy failed to conflict. That move did not endear taneously intimating to Muscat that Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah at the start of their yield the results Muscat had hoped it to Saudi and UAE officials. Washington could take sanctions meeting in Tehran, last March. (Iranian Presidency) for, which was a stark contrast to In September 2016, when the against Omani businesses, individ- the days of the Obama administra- Saudi-led coalition officially lodged uals or officials who fail to cooper- tion when Oman enjoyed stronger a complaint with the United Na- ate with the anti-Iran strategy.” seat a sultan more in line with their Stratfor said: “Muscat will likely ties with both the United States tions over Iran’s arming of the Saudi Arabia and the United Arab concerns. give what ground is necessary to and Iran and was able to facilitate a Houthi militia, weapons en route to Emirates could scale back invest- The likelihood of a full-scale sev- ward off their encroachment but number of hostage releases and set the rebels were intercepted by sup- ments in Oman or increase them erance of relations, as happened even in making concessions to its the stage for what would become porters of the internationally recog- as an incentive for Muscat to gain with Qatar, is slim, because such a larger Gulf neighbours, Oman will the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement. nised government in trucks appar- support. The two countries could move might push Muscat to seek al- be sure to protect its overall sover- “The current US administra- ently originating from Oman. work to influence Oman’s succes- ternatives, including deepening its eignty through yet another geopo- tion is colour blind in relation to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi appar- sion process, which could possibly relations with Tehran. litical balancing act.” 10 September 9, 2018 News & Analysis Egypt Egyptian parliament seeks to ban criticism of historical icons

Hassan Abdel Zaher mute criticism of historical figures revolutionary behind the Orabi Re- to impose an official version of his- volt of 1879-82, and Saad Zaghloul, tory. Critics of the bill say it seeks Egyptian nationalist and former Cairo to fossilise history and prevent prime minister. debate of official historical narra- This is the sort of criticism Ham- he Egyptian parliament tives. roush, who said he is trying to is considering legislation “History is not static but is in a protect Egyptian history, and his that would effectively im- continual change in the light of the colleagues in parliament want to T munise the reputation of facts, proofs and documents that halt. “This is not about killing free historical figures by threatening to emerge day after day,” said writer speech and thinking but about fine and imprison those who speak Farida al-Naqqash, who is a mem- stopping those who want Egyp- negatively about them, something ber of the leftist Tagammu Party. tians to lose affinity with and pride critics say is another attempt to “The people proposing this law in their history,” he said. prevent open debate. only want to freeze history and The bill is being considered by MP Omar Hamroush, who pro- prevent everybody from thinking the Culture Committee and the Se- posed the Criminalising the Hu- or viewing things differently.” curity and National Defence Com- miliation of Historical Figures bill, Consideration of the bill comes mittee. It would next be referred said he wants to confront a cam- as Egypt’s historians and intellec- for a final vote by parliament, paign distracting younger Egyp- tuals seem to be rethinking both where, lawmaker Ghada Agamy tians with false information about the history of Egypt and Islam. said, there is “massive” support people who played great roles in Youssef Ziedan, an Egyptian for it. Egyptian and Arab history. scholar who specialises in Arabic “There is a big difference be- “There is a new attempt to smear and Islamic studies and is direc- tween freedom of speech and the historical figures by those who tor of the Bibliotheca Alexand- premeditated desire of some peo- claim to be researchers in history rina’s Manuscript Centre, recently ple to destroy Egyptian history,” every day,” Hamroush said. “Sorry shattered myths about renowned Agamy said. “Most legislators to say, these attempts make young figures in Islamic history. Among agree on this.” Egyptians doubt the authenticity them were Saladin, the first sultan If approved, the bill will join laws of what they read in the history of Egypt and Syria and founder of that critics claim limit Egyptians’ books about the same figures.” the Ayyubid dynasty, and Amr bin free expression. The laws include al-As, one of the companions of a ban on the criticism of religions the Prophet Mohammad and com- and another barring unauthorised Consideration of the bill mander of the Muslim conquest of street protests. Ziedan said if the measure be- comes as Egypt’s historians Egypt in 640. Above criticism. The statue of Ibrahim Pasha, who ruled Egypt and intellectuals seem to be Ziedan described Saladin as a comes law he would move to an- and Sudan in 1848, at the Opera Square in downtown Cairo. rethinking both the history “mean” person who burned thou- other country that tolerates free (Saeed Shahat) sands of books to confront Shia speech. “If that flawed disgraceful of Egypt and Islam. thoughts. He accused Saladin of law is approved, I will leave the a crime against humanity by pre- country and never come back. I uncovered facts and research and sion of history, other than any- If enacted, Hamroush’s five-arti- venting members of the Fatimid will seek another nationality,” he unsubstantiated slurs. thing else,” Naqqash said, “but in cle bill would punish people who dynasty, which had ruled Egypt for said in a Facebook post. Naqqash said the bill shows a doing this, these people increase have been proven to have humili- 250 years, from marrying one an- Hamroush’s bill does not specify strong desire in official circles in the public’s lack of confidence in ated historical figures with up to other and having children. what it means by the term “his- Egypt to politicise history and pre- the history and the historical fig- five years in prison and a fine of Other intellectuals have cast torical figure” and there are fears vent competing accounts of events ures they want to protect.” up to 500,000 Egyptian pounds doubt on official narratives in his- it could be used to shut down or historical figures. ($27,000). tory books about national and criticism of current public figures. “This is clear in the desire of Hassan Abdel Zaher is a Cairo- Historians, writers and thinkers historical figures, such as Ahmed It also does not differentiate be- those drafting the bill to force the based contributor to The Arab view the measure as an attempt to Orabi, Egyptian nationalist and tween criticism based on newly public to submit to the official ver- Weekly. Debate heats up in Egypt over women’s inheritance rights

Hassan Abdel Zaher changes happening on the ground,” tice Party, secured a majority in the Al-Azhar, the highest religious al-Shahat al-Guindi, a member of said Dena Anwer, an Egyptian TV Egyptian lower house. authority in the Sunni Islamic the Islamic Research Academy, the commentator on women’s issues. However, when it comes to inher- world, reacted angrily to Caid Es- decision-making body of Al-Azhar. Cairo “Many of the practices that were itance rights and the wider issue of sebsi’s call and its officials spoke “True, there can be more than one based on a misinterpretation of the gender equality, Egypt may have out against Egyptians backing in- interpretation for the same reli- fter Tunisian President texts have already changed because more ground to cover than Tunisia, heritance reform. gious text, when it comes to in- Beji Caid Essebsi called for they no longer match develop- which grants women more rights heritance, the Holy Quran is very women to be granted equal ments on the ground.” than most countries in the Arab and clear.” A inheritance rights, many in There are major historic parallels Muslim world. In a statement last month about Egypt issued similar appeals, spark- between major sociopolitical de- Few Egyptian parents treat their About 37% the Tunisian legislative proposal, ing a nationwide debate. velopments in Tunisia and Egypt. daughters as equal to their sons, of Egyptian households Al-Azhar said some people’s “ex- “Women carry the same social The popular uprising against long- particularly in terms of education treme ideas” could threaten the se- and economic responsibilities as standing Tunisian President Zine El and social mobility. In 2015, govern- are supported by curity and stability of societies. men and sometimes more,” said Abidine Ben Ali erupted in Tunisia ment figures indicated that 27.3% of women, government Egypt’s parliament has entered Egyptian writer Farida al-Shubashi. in December 2010. One month later, women were illiterate, compared to the equal inheritance rights debate “This is why they deserve to be similar protests saw the ouster of 14.7% of men. figures indicate. yet. Some legislators declined to treated on equal footing with men Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. In some parts of Egypt, particu- comment on the issue and said they as far as inheritance rights are con- The Islamist Ennahda Party won larly the countryside, where is- Al-Azhar said those proposing would not propose legislation that cerned.” a majority of seats in the Constitu- sues over inheritance are viewed equal inheritance rights between could prove divisive or anger the Caid Essebsi last month ex- ent Assembly of Tunisia in 2011. as extremely important due to land men and women violate the rules religious establishment. pressed support for the introduc- Just months later, Egyptian Islam- ownership considerations, some of Islam. Feminists, however, say grant- tion of legislation that would re- ist parties, including the Muslim husbands divorce their wives when “Financial burdens are heavier ing women equal inheritance rights form the inheritance system in Brotherhood’s Freedom and Jus- they do not give birth to boys. in the case of men,” said Mohamed would push religious reform in Tunisia towards gender equality. Egypt forward. The inheritance system in opera- Egyptian President Abdel Fat- tion in most Arab countries, includ- tah al-Sisi has made several public ing Tunisia and Egypt, is based on calls for Al-Azhar to lead a reform Islamic law and typically allows process. In August, Sisi criticised men to inherit double what a wom- Egypt’s religious authorities for an would receive. If Caid Essebsi’s failing to make changes regarding proposal becomes law, Tunisia divorce. would enforce full gender equality Under Islamic law, a husband is in matters of inheritance with sha- permitted to verbally divorce his ria-based rules becoming optional. wife. Sisi called for divorce to be Caid Essebsi’s stance embold- recognised by the state only when ened Egyptian feminists who say it has been issued in a written docu- the current system is outdated and ment, giving husbands the chance fails to consider growing social to reconsider calls for divorce made equality between men and women. during heated arguments. Al-Azhar About 37% of Egyptian house- refused, citing Islamic law. holds are supported by women, Many say the issue of equal inher- government figures indicate. Wom- itance could become the next ma- en make up 22.9% of Egypt’s work- jor battleground between Egypt’s force. Women hold almost 15% of civilian and religious authorities, the seats in parliament and eight with Sisi still believed to be keen on members of the 33-member Egyp- pushing forward religious reform. tian cabinet are women. “Equating women with men This growing importance of the when it comes to inheritance can- role of women, feminists say, re- not be viewed as a violation of the quires a reinterpretation of the re- Islamic religion,” said Azza Kamel, ligious texts on which current laws a civil society campaigner active are based. in defending women’s rights. “It “The interpretation of the re- should be viewed, in fact, as part of ligious texts needs to match the Hurdles to Reform? Vehicles drive past al-Azhar mosque complex in Cairo. (AFP) the aspired religious reform.” September 9, 2018 11 News & Analysis Maghreb Algerian president returns from medical check-up amid speculation about next election

Lamine Ghanmi However, analysts say an Islam- ist candidacy for president would likely benefit Bouteflika since most Tunis Algerians distrust political Islam because of its role in the civil war in lgerian President Ab- the 1990s. delaziz Bouteflika re- Bouteflika has moved to assert turned from a medical his power and restructure the ranks check-up in Switzerland as of government ahead of next year’s Only game in town. A woman walks past posters of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in Algiers. A (Reuters) speculation grew over his potential vote, including firing Mostefa Lay- bid for re-election next year. adi, head of the local government Bouteflika, 81, is serving his in the southern garrison town of “In the end, Bouteflika’s aim in sual for a large army such Algeria’s “During our first mandate, we fourth 5-year term as president. He Blida, where a recent outbreak of having a medical check-up in Ge- and was likely prompted by politi- will turn Algeria into a major tourist has been dogged by health prob- cholera began. neva was to overcome the latest cal, rather than military, considera- destination in the region and a hub lems in recent years and has rarely Thousands of people took to the pockets of resistance within state tions. of banking and financial services. been seen in public since suffering a street to celebrate the sacking of bodies against his project to be- Commentators speculated wheth- Air Algerie will be able to compete stroke in 2013. No details about the Layadi, who was blamed for mis- come president for life. Such resist- er the military reshuffle was an indi- with Turkish Airlines, Emirates recent examinations in Switzerland managing the health crisis in which ance mirrors the opposition to this cation that Bouteflika could be the Airlines and Qatar Airways,” said were released. two people died. project by people in the street,” he “only candidate of the state” in next Makri. Despite the president’s condition, “It is a good signal for the future added. year’s election. “In 20 years, if Algerians keep his backers have urged him to seek of Blida town and its region,” a lo- Some analysts and insiders said voting for us, we will make Algeria a a fifth term in elections next April. cal resident told El Watan newspa- the country’s top military chief, member of the club of the 20 great- He has not announced whether he per, which opposes a fifth mandate General Ahmed Gaid Salah, would Analysts say an Islamist est economic powers in the world.” will seek a new mandate. for Bouteflika. “Thank you, Mister be the next to be fired by Boutef- candidacy for president On the other end of the political On September 2, the day after President for taking this decision,” lika. would likely benefit spectrum, Algeria’s main secular- Bouteflika returned to Algeria, sup- the resident said. The president recently purged Bouteflika since most ist opposition, the Socialist Front porters announced the formation Analysts expect Bouteflika to the country’s military, replacing or Algerians distrust Forces (FFS) party, urged young Al- of a “popular front” comprised of “chop off more heads,” including in transferring a dozen top generals in gerians to stage a “peaceful upris- 16 political parties supporting his the military infrastructure, to pre- Algeria’s largest military overhaul political Islam. ing” to advocate for a change in the re-election. Such support is likely vent resistance among “sceptical since the country’s independence political system. to grow to counter the political people within the ruling elites.” in 1962. However, they pointed out that “It is by mobilising the youth that aims of the Muslim Brotherhood’s “With a certainly positive medical Bouteflika made the high-level Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia’s a new relation of the forces will be affiliate in Algeria, whose head said check-up, Bouteflika wanted to sig- military changes, which included National Democratic Rally party achieved to force the regime into a he would run in the presidential nal to all others within the regime commanders of the ground forces, was absent from the list of 16 par- political dialogue to change the cur- elections. that they must take account of his the head of military intelligence ties making up the “popular front” rent regime,” the FFS said in a state- Abderrazak Makri, leader of the power,” said political writer Arab and the security chief, from June backing Bouteflika’s new mandate. ment. “The name of the game now Movement of Social Peace (MSP), a Chih. “His authority strengthened 26 to August 26, the day his office It is spearheaded by the National is to elevate the political and social Muslim Brotherhood affiliate in Al- because he doubles as defence min- announced he had travelled to Ge- Liberation Front (FLN). awareness of the youth.” geria, said he would turn the coun- ister, the president is likely to sign neva for medical tests. Still, the only candidate to have try into “one of the top 20 economic off on the ‘chopping of the heads’ of Analysts said such an extensive announced a bid for president is Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly powers in the world” if elected. other senior military officers.” overhaul in a short period was unu- Makri. correspondent in Tunis. Viewpoint Tripoli ceasefire offers UN opportunity to work for change in Libya

ripoli’s recent clashes anything. is a security system based on unit- resentatives (HoR) risks being just were the worst since The Tripoli militias were exposed ing civil and military institutions. as incompetent and self-serving as 2011. They left at least as far weaker than previously UNSMIL also wants to pursue the present one, that the result will Michel Cousins 60 people dead, hun- thought. The 7th Battalion, with economic reform, seen as a second be more chaos. dreds wounded and many former regime soldiers in pillar of stabilising and rebuilding In his clearest condemnation to thousands displaced its ranks and supported by other Libya. date of the present HoR, Salame Tfrom their homes in southern parts experienced fighters, was shown Time is not on UNSMIL’s side. If made clear in his Security Coun- of the city. to be the more capable and better there are no visible changes on the cil briefing that elections have The UN Support Mission in Libya organised force. political and security front soon, it been consistently blocked by HoR (UNSMIL) managed to get the Sarraj’s problem is that, while is likely the clashes in Tripoli will members. various warring militias to agree most people in Tripoli had lit- restart. The situation there is com- “They seek to subvert the po- a ceasefire on September 4. The tle empathy for the forces from plicated by the presence on the litical process to their own ends, agreement was holding and, three Tarhouna, they largely agreed with city’s airport road of quasi-Islamist behind the guise of procedure,” he days later, Tripoli’s Mitiga Interna- the latter’s objectives. They also forces headed by Misratan com- said. tional Airport reopened. wanted to get rid of the Tripoli mander Salah Badi. Salame finished his briefing with It is feared, however, that the militias, which have established Badi four years ago destroyed an intriguing warning: “If legisla- truce will not last unless UNSMIL, themselves as the masters of the Tripoli International Airport, then tion [for elections] is not produced headed by UN Special Envoy Ghas- capital and helped themselves to held by Zintani forces, and, in the soon, we will close the chapter san Salame and the increasingly the oil-rich country’s income. process, helped create the Libya on this approach. There are other active US deputy envoy Stephanie The hope is that the Tarhouna Dawn pro-Islamist regime that held ways to achieve peaceful political Williams, can achieve fundamen- incursion will bring about change Tripoli, dividing the country in change, and we will embrace them tal political and military change and the emergence of a govern- two, until the arrival of the Presi- with no hesitation, indeed with throughout Libya. ment with real power to run the dency Council in 2016. enthusiasm.” The clashes created a political country. The need for such change Libya Dawn forces, including Salame did not spell out what his watershed. Most Libyans knew was acknowledged by Salame in those under Badi, were not ejected Plan B is but there is talk of a na- that the internationally supported his briefing September 5 to the UN from Tripoli until May 2017, an tional conference on Libya’s future. Presidency Council led by Fayez Security Council during which he achievement of the Tripoli militias That, however, has been happen- al-Sarraj and his Government admitted that the calm that had that are now themselves on the ing with meetings across Libya of National Accord (GNA) were existed before August 26 had been defensive. organised at local level by the completely dependent for their a “facade.” Back in Tripoli, Badi has been United Nations and a report is to be security and survival on various He said he hoped the truce could trying to take advantage of the published within a few weeks. militias in the city. bring about the change Libyans clashes to restore the Libya Dawn Until the Tripoli clashes, UNSMIL When those militias came under want. He said people were “fed but he is opposed by the Tripoli was increasingly seen as funda- The hope is that the attack on August 26 by forces from up with living on the poverty line militias and the Tarhouna forces mentally unable to solve the crisis outside Tripoli, the powerless- whilst their national resources are as well as those under the direct and viewed with disdain by most Tarhouna incursion ness of the GNA was glaringly and looted by gunmen-turned-million- orders of the Presidency Council. Libyans. The crisis placed it back at will bring about humiliatingly exposed. aires.” UNSMI and Salame still said the centre of political action. Sarraj set up a joint operations “We must not return to the sta- elections, parliamentary as well as How long that lasts will depend change and the room to re-establish order and tus quo ante,” he added. presidential, are the answer to the on Salame’s next steps and wheth- emergence of a a crisis commission to address Aware that the crisis has radi- Libyan crisis even though there er Libya’s key players are willing to government with discontent that caused the 7th cally altered political and military have been repeated warnings from go with him. Battalion from Tarhouna, south- facts on the ground in Tripoli, Libyan political figures, activists, real power to run east of Tripoli, to attack. However, UNSMIL is trying to build a mo- foreign diplomats and seasoned Michel Cousins is a contributor to the country. his moves were unable to achieve mentum for change. The objective observers that a new House of Rep- The Arab Weekly on Libyan issues. 12 September 9, 2018 News & Analysis Palestine Israel UNRWA seeks to bridge funding gap but serious challenges remain

Mamoon Alabbasi in a statement. UNRWA operates 66 schools in Lebanon, providing education to London some 38,000 Palestinian students. The agency also addresses health he UN Relief and Works concern of refugees there. Agency for Palestine Ref- “We have 27 clinics that serve ugees in the Near East more than 160,000 people. We T (UNRWA) is scrambling have 61,000 refugees living be- to sustain funding for Palestinian low the poverty line,” said Claudio refugees after the United States Cordone, UNRWA director in Leba- announced it would cut all aid non. “There isn’t an alternative to destined to the international body. this provision of services to these UNRWA Commissioner Pierre people.” Kraehenbuehl said the agency Jordan hosts some 2.2 mil- needs more than $200 million this lion Palestinian refugees, which year despite pledges from donor amount to nearly half of the coun- countries to increase funding fol- try’s total population. lowing the US cuts. Additional Struggling to maintain public aid is expected from Qatar, Saudi calm over its worsening economy, Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan is seeking further interna- Turkey, Japan, India and several tional aid for the Syrian refugees it European countries, including also hosts. A new hole in its budg- Britain and Spain. et could constitute a crisis. The Trump administration “Disruption of UNRWA services branded UNRWA as an “irredeem- will have extremely dangerous hu- ably flawed operation” that is manitarian, political and security “endlessly and exponentially ex- implications for refugees and for panding community of entitled the whole region,” Jordanian For- beneficiaries.” The United States, eign Minister Ayman Safadi told the largest donor to the agency, Reuters. contributed $335 million in 2016. “It will only consolidate an envi- Hard times. A Palestinian woman walks outside an aid distribution centre run by UNRWA in Khan The deficit in funding is likely to ronment of despair that would ul- Younis, on September 4. (AFP) threaten not only the livelihoods timately create fertile grounds for of Palestinian refugees but also further tension. Politically it will the national security of some Arab also further hurt the credibility of WA provides an essential humani- The US move is widely seen as dan can be expected to play along.” states. peacemaking efforts.” tarian and stabilising force in the politically motivated, a bid to re- Israel, which objects to the Pal- UNRWA provides education and Humanitarian as well as security Middle East, educating hundreds move the refugee status of mil- estinian right of return because it health services to some 5 million concerns appear to be the reason of thousands of children every lions of Palestinians who wish fears the move would cause the refugees in Gaza, the West Bank, why Britain announced additional year and providing health care to to return to their home towns in country to lose its Jewish majority, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It also $9 million in aid to UNRWA. some of the most vulnerable Pal- what is today Israel. welcomed the US cuts to UNRWA. provides employment to many of “We are deeply concerned about estinian refugees.” Washington is attempting to However, a senior Israeli army of- those people. the devastating impact a shortage “unilaterally take the Palestinian ficial in the occupied West Bank “Palestine refugees see an UN- of funds for UNRWA could cause right of return off the (negotia- said there could be repercussions on those that rely on its services, tions) table,” Hugh Lovatt, an Is- from the disruption of UNRWA’s RWA education as a passport to The deficit in funding is dignity and if they lose that, they as well as the consequences this raeli and Palestinian affairs ana- work. lose their future. If UNRWA ser- could have for regional stability,” likely to threaten not only lyst at the European Council on “We are concerned that if the vices close down, the situation of Alistair Burt, Britain’s minister the livelihoods of Foreign Relations, told Agence schools aren’t funded, the youth a deeply marginalised community of state for the Middle East and Palestinian refugees but also France-Presse, “but US actions are will go out and carry out attacks,” will get significantly worse,” UNR- North Africa, said in a statement. the national security of misguided, dangerous and won’t the unidentified Israeli officer told WA spokesman Chris Gunness said “UK aid support through UNR- some Arab states. work… neither Lebanon nor Jor- the Jerusalem Post. Lebanon’s Palestinians, the hardest hit by US funding cuts to UNRWA

Samar Kadi homes in the war that resulted in Palestinians in Lebanon will lead while waiting for their right to re- The US decision on UNRWA is a the creation of Israel. It operates in to serious security problems. After turn to their homeland,” Natour politically motivated move more Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Jor- one, two or three Palestinians die said. than anything else, maintained Ali Beirut dan and Syria. at the door of a Lebanese hospi- Some 450,000 Palestinians are Rifai, head of the popular commit- Democratic Front for the Libera- tal because they have no right for registered with UNRWA in Leba- tees in Beirut’s Palestinian camps. love being at school. I tion of Palestine official Suhail Na- medical care, the others will even- non but a more plausible estimate, want to be a flight engi- tour said the greatest effect of the tually resort to violence and arms.” Palestinian officials said, 230,000- neer when I grow up,” US decision will be felt in Lebanon, Palestinian refugees are denied 250,000. More than 80% of them Defying US funding cuts, the Isaid 5-year-old Rami where Palestinians depend exclu- access to Lebanon’s educational live below the poverty line, relying schools run by the agency, “Maarouf, sitting behind his desk on sively on UNRWA’s services. and medical facilities, barred from exclusively on UNRWA assistance. opened normally across the first school day at UNRWA’s es- “The Palestinian refugees in all but the most menial jobs and Natour said the Trump admin- Lebanon’s 12 camps catering tablishment in Beirut’s Palestinian Syria, Jordan and Iraq have all the have no right to own property. istration decision “is a Zionist to some 35,000 students. refugee camp of Mar Elias. privileges and rights as the local “It is not acceptable that after plan to revoke the right to return Defying US funding cuts, the citizens, except for nationality. 70 years since the Palestinians through the destruction of the core “This decision is meant to serve schools run by the agency that pro- Lebanon is the exception. It is the became refugees in Lebanon that institution that upheld that right Israel,” Rifai said. “They want to vides education, health care and only country that deprived the Pal- they are deprived of their basic for decades.” eliminate the cause of the refu- emergency assistance to Palestin- estinians of their human rights,” human rights. We need to have a “No matter what, the Palestin- gees by destroying the structure ian refugees, opened normally Natour said. margin in the law that allows them ians will not give up the right to that perpetuates that cause. They across Lebanon’s 12 camps catering “Adding to the deprivations of to lead a dignified life in Lebanon return. It is endorsed in an inter- want us to be considered like any to some 35,000 students. national resolution and it is not other refugees, from Iraq, Syria, et “We have started the year with up to the Americans to change it. cetera. The difference is that Iraqis festivities and lots of happiness,” Their move will only increase the and Syrians were displaced by in- said teacher Rita Khalouf. “We sufferings of the Palestinians and ternal conflicts not because of oc- are operating normally. There are push them towards immigration, cupation.” fears, decisions are being made violence and extremism,” Natour “After Jerusalem, the US admin- that might affect our future but we added. istration is trying to scrap the right are not letting all that affect our Dina al-Zammar, the mother of to return from the agenda of any work.” three children, said the spectre of future negotiations. Basically, they It was a day many feared would a life without UNRWA’s assistance are seeking to set aside the core not come, at least not on time, as is terrifying. issues that are preventing a settle- UNRWA — formally called the UN “It is a catastrophe for us. How ment,” Rifai said. Relief and Works Agency for Pal- can we educate our children? The In May, the Trump administra- estine Refugees in the Near East agency is definitely an important tion moved the US Embassy from — faces some of its toughest pres- element in our life. Without it we Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, breaking sures in its 68-year history. The are destroyed,” she said. with decades of US policy by recog- Trump administration halted $300 Zammar, an active member of nising the holy city as the capital of million in planned donations de- the parents’ committee in Mar Eli- Israel. scribing the agency serving more as, said UNRWA helps in garbage “Eliminating UNRWA requires than 5 million Palestinian refu- collection in the camp, fixing sew- eliminating the political and mili- gees across the Middle East as an ers and other infrastructure work. tary reasons behind its creation. “irredeemably flawed operation” “How can we manage without it? Removing the special refugee sta- and an obstacle to a settlement be- We have no other resort despite its tus of the Palestinians is a danger- tween Palestinians and Israel. limited assistance,” she said. “We ous matter,” Rifai cautioned. UNRWA was founded in 1949 to Uncertain future. Palestinian refugee students stand outside a will not stand still, we can hold serve some 700,000 Palestinians classroom at one of the UNRWA schools in Beirut, Lebanon, on protests and demonstrations. We Samar Kadi is The Arab Weekly who were uprooted from their September 3. (AP) always have to fight for our rights.” Travel and Society section editor. September 9, 2018 13 News & Analysis Interpreting Anti-Semitism UK Labour Party fails to draw line under anti-Semitism row

Mahmud el-Shafey Jewish community and denied the within Labour over the issue, Cor- fundamental right of that commu- byn initially intended that an even nity to define its own discrimina- stronger statement be issued pro- London tion.” tecting those who describe the cre- The Labour Friends of Israel ation of Israel as “racist.” ritain’s Labour Party, after group echoed the criticism. “A “It cannot be considered racist months of heated debate ‘freedom of expression on Israel’ to treat Israel like any other state and criticism, formally clause is unnecessary and totally or to assess its conduct against the B adopted the International undermines the other examples the standard of international law,” Cor- Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s party has supposedly just adopted,” byn’s statement read. “Nor should definition and 11 accompanying it said. it be regarded as anti-Semitic to de- examples of anti-Semitism into its The controversy focuses on some scribe Israel, its policies or the cir- official code of conduct. However, examples included in the IHRA an- cumstances around its foundation the United Kingdom’s main oppo- ti-Semitism definition, with many as racist because of their discrimi- sition party included a free speech complaining about vague language. natory impact or to support anoth- “caveat” that all but guarantees In July, the Labour Party adopted er settlement of the Israel-Palestine that the dispute will continue. an amended version of the IHRA conflict.” Labour’s National Executive definition that left out some exam- Corbyn chose not to table the Committee (NEC) agreed on Sep- ples, including one that said deny- statement after it became clear that tember 4 to adopt the International ing the Jewish people their right it would not pass. Holocaust Remembrance Alliance to self-determination “by claiming However, this is a view that is (IHRA) definition in full over the that the existence of a state of Israel held by many in the party, includ- objection of Labour leader Jeremy is a racist endeavour” was anti-Se- ing among grass-roots members Corbyn. Many in the party had said mitic. where antipathy towards Israel is they hoped that the NEC decision high. There were protests outside would end the months-long saga the NEC, with anti-IHRA protesters over anti-Semitism that has dogged significantly outnumbering those the party and allow a united Labour The controversy focuses on who supported its adoption. Divisive issue. Demonstrators protest outside the headquarters of to focus on addressing the govern- some examples included in Anti-IHRA protesters held plac- Britain’s opposition Labour Party in central London, on September 4. ment’s record, rather than internal the IHRA anti-Semitism ards that read “Freedom of speech (AFP) issues. definition, with many must include freedom to criticise However, the NEC simultaneous- complaining about vague Israel” and chanted “Israel is a rac- ly approved a statement that “en- language. ist state.” anti-Semitism controversy in La- While acknowledging that the IHRA sures this will not in any way un- The anti-Semitism row is part of a bour but many said they hoped that has its flaws, I pointed out that the dermine freedom of expression on wider split within Labour between it could at least signal the beginning NEC’s proposed alternative was Israel or the rights of Palestinians,” Technical questions on the dif- Corbyn and his supporters and par- of the end to the issue. deeply problematic; and, for better which sparked a backlash from the ference between “a state of Israel” liamentarians who would prefer a Sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris, or worse, failing to adopt the IHRA Jewish community and renewed and “the state of Israel” bogged more centrist policy. For most of who was involved with the NEC’s definition would be experienced as a criticism of the party. down the NEC debate before the his career, Corbyn had been on the consultation over anti-Semitism, hateful act by many Jews,” he wrote Campaign group Labour Against IHRA definition was eventually fringes of the Labour Party and has said the issue would only be re- for the Guardian. Antisemitism described the state- passed in full. Members questioned faced renewed criticism for some of solved when the wider splits within “I also stated that the IHRA, if in- ment as a “get-out-of-jail card.” whether supporting a single-state his previous actions, such as meet- the party were healed. terpreted carefully, should not in- “There can be no caveats, no con- solution to the Palestinian-Israeli ing with Hezbollah and Hamas fig- “One thing the last three years has hibit pro-Palestinian activism.” ditions and no compromises with conflict would now be deemed an- ures. taught us is that statements and defi- racism,” a spokesman said. “The ti-Semitic. It looks unlikely that the NEC nitions on their own do not stop the Mahmud el-Shafey is an Arab NEC has ignored the requests of the Exposing the deep divisions decision will draw a line under the controversy over anti-Semitism… Weekly correspondent in London. Viewpoint Why Palestinians have a problem with the IHRA definition of ‘anti-Semitism’

f the average person is asked Israel is brought in, its potential with caution and, in an opinion of the IHRA definition, including to define “anti-Semitism,” effect stretches beyond Jews in prepared for the Palestinian Return all 11 illustrative examples, was a most would likely reply some- any country and links them all to Centre, Geoffrey Robertson, QC, huge blow to the Palestinians and Kamel Hawwash thing like “hatred towards Israel, when many of them do not said the definition of anti-Semitism their supporters. They said they Jews because they are Jews.” identify with it. adopted by the government is “not fear it would restrict their abil- It is safe to argue that “Israel” Scholars have argued that bring- fit for purpose.” ity to describe events leading to Iwould not be mentioned in the ing Israel into the definition would The United Kingdom’s Conserva- the creation of Israel, which they same breath as “hatred towards affect the ability of the Palestinians tive government has adopted the consider a racist endeavour. This Jews” in any traditional definition to advocate for their rights. Brian full IHRA definition. However, the is despite the party’s National of “anti-Semitism.” Klug, a researcher in philosophy at British Labour Party, which has Executive Committee adding that it This sets in context the reason St Benet’s Hall, Oxford, argued that been engulfed in a controversy would not “in any way undermine supporters of Israel have been the European Monitoring Centre on over anti-Semitism since Jeremy freedom of expression on Israel or working to create a new definition Racism and Xenophobia’s — and by Corbyn’s election as leader in Sep- the rights of the Palestinians.” This to reflect what they consider to implication the IHRA’s — definition tember 2015, decided to develop statement has been seen by Israel- be the “new anti-Semitism,” one “proscribed legitimate criticism its own code of conduct to deal supporters as a farce. Richard that would conflate anti-Semitism of the human rights record of the with anti-Semitism in the party, Angell, director of the centre-left with opinions against Zionism, Israeli government by attempt- based on the IHRA definition but Progress group, said: “The Jew- the founding ideology of Israel. ing to bring criticism of Israel into clarifying and contextualising the ish community made it clear and This most certainly would include the category of anti-Semitism and examples related to Israel. simple to Labour: Pass the IHRA references to “Israel” in any such does not sufficiently distinguish The conflation of anti-Semitism definition in full — no caveats, no definition. between criticism of Israeli actions with anti-Zionism suits Israel. Its compromises.” The International Holocaust Re- and criticism of Zionism as a politi- supporters have suggested — with- While the Labour Party con- membrance Alliance (IHRA), which cal ideology, on the one hand, and out evidence or justification — that sulted with British Palestinians and lists 31 countries as members, racially based violence towards, the UK Jewish community would solidarity groups about its code, states that it “unites governments discrimination against, or abuse of, face an existential threat from a which advised the National Execu- and experts to strengthen, advance Jews.” Corbyn-led government. The mes- tive Committee against its adop- and promote Holocaust education, An opinion by Hugh Tomlinson, sage to the British electorate is not tion, it adopted it, raising fears research and remembrance and to QC, concluded that the IHRA defi- to vote Labour while Corbyn is its that legitimate criticism of Israel at uphold the commitments to the nition of anti-Semitism is unclear leader. its inception and its policies may 2000 Stockholm Declaration.” and confusing and should be used The Labour Party’s adoption be called anti-Semitism by pro- It produced a non-legally bind- Israel groups despite the additional ing working definition: “Anti- statement. This could lead to their Semitism is a certain perception suspension or expulsion or at least of Jews, which may be expressed smear them as racists while an as hatred towards Jews. Rhetori- investigation takes place. cal and physical manifestations of Attention turns to other public anti-Semitism are directed towards bodies that will be pressured to Jewish or non-Jewish individu- follow Labour and adopt the IHRA als and/or their property, towards definition in full. They, too, should Jewish community institutions and be cautious about taking steps religious facilities.” through the adoption of the IHRA The IHRA went further stating: definition that could curtail discus- “The following examples may serve sion on the effect of the creation of as illustrations: Manifestations the state of Israel through ethnic might include the targeting of the cleansing and dispossession and its state of Israel, conceived as a Jew- policies on the Palestinian people. Attention turns to ish collectivity. However, criticism This is particularly important now other public bodies of Israel similar to that levelled that Israel passed the Nation-State against any other country cannot Law, which confirms its apartheid that will be pressured be regarded as anti-Semitic.” status. to follow Labour and Had the statement stopped at the clunky 38 words of the actual defi- Not seeing eye to eye. People wear flag of Israel glasses at a gathe- Kamel Hawwash is a Britain-based adopt the IHRA nition, then many people would ring organised by the Campaign Against Antisemitism outside the Palestinian university professor definition in full. have accepted it. However, once head office of the British opposition Labour Party in London. (AFP) and writer. 14 September 9, 2018 News & Analysis Turkey War in Syria could help improve ties between Turkey and Germany after years of feuding

Thomas Seibert der could lead to a “humanitarian catastrophe.” Cavusoglu pointed Istanbul out that “2 million people, maybe more” could cross the border into he war in Syria could boost Turkey, possibly with extremists efforts by Turkey and Ger- among them. many to improve relations “Where can those terrorists go?” T after a rough patch marred Cavusoglu asked. “They can go to by Turkish complaints of Islamo- Turkey. They can return to their phobia and the detention of Ger- own countries. They can go to oth- man citizens in Turkey. er countries. They can also go to Turkey is reaching out to Eu- Europe.” ropean powers for political and Yalcin Akdogan, a lawmaker economic support to counterbal- from the Justice and Development ance a bitter row with the United Party of Turkish President Recep States and help amid an escalating Tayyip Erdogan and a former gov- financial crisis. Germany, Ankara’s ernment minister, sent an even main trading partner and home to blunter warning to the Europeans. a 3 million-person Turkish commu- “If Idlib crumbles, so does Europe,” nity, has significant investments Akdogan wrote in the pro-govern- in Turkey and regards the coun- ment Star newspaper. try as a gatekeeper preventing an The prospect of a new refugee uncontrolled flow of refugees into crisis is one of the reasons Germa- Europe. ny and other European countries Germany and other EU countries are determined to improve ties have been shaken by an anti-immi- with Ankara, said Halil Karaveli, an grant backlash following the arrival analyst at the Institute for Security of hundreds of thousands of Syr- and Development Policy in Stock- ian refugees, who reached Europe holm. “The EU does not want more after crossing to Greece from Tur- refugees,” Karaveli said. “Turkey is key in 2015. An agreement between an important barrier.” the European Union and Turkey, With about 7,000 German com- Interests at stake. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas (R) and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut signed in early 2016, greatly re- panies active in Turkey and with Cavusoglu (2L) walk in front of a German school in Istanbul, on September 6. (AFP) duced the number of arrivals. An- investments worth billions of dol- kara says Europe must do more to lars, German leaders are keen to help to stem the flow. prevent a deep crisis in Turkey. by Turkish government politicians seven of its citizens are imprisoned trying to bring down the govern- German Foreign Minister Heiko “They are trying to make sure that on German territory. The Turkish in Turkey for political reasons and ment. “There can be no precondi- Maas used his first visit to Ankara Turkey does not go off the cliff government says rising Islamopho- others are subject to a travel ban tion for normalisation,” Cavusoglu and Istanbul in early September to economically,” Karaveli said. The bia across Europe poses a threat and are not allowed to go home. said during the news conference in tell Turkish leaders that Berlin was finance and economic ministers of to Turks and other Muslims living Talks between Maas and Cavusoglu Ankara. ready to step up humanitarian aid both countries are to meet in the there. did not produce a breakthrough. Karaveli said Germans and other in case the Syrian crisis triggers coming weeks. The situation calmed somewhat Cavusoglu also rejected Maas’s Europeans should limit their ex- another influx of refugees into Tur- As the refugee issue and econom- following the release of several demand that Turkey “deliver” be- pectations in dealing with Turkey key. ic considerations take centre stage, high-profile German detainees by fore any normalisation of ties could and should not demand a return “Germany is prepared to redou- political differences are pushed Turkey but tensions linger. Some begin. to EU-inspired policies of reform ble its humanitarian engagement if aside. Turkey angered Germany by German politicians expressed res- European officials say Turkey’s to strengthen the rule of law and there is fighting along a broad front detaining several Germans for what ervations about a planned state vis- government has become more au- basic rights like free speech. “Euro- in the region,” Maas said at a news Berlin regarded as political reasons it by Erdogan in Berlin this month. tocratic in recent years and has pean partners [of Turkey] need to conference September 5 in Ankara. in recent years, prompting the Ger- Maas, however, said he was rolled back democratic reforms understand that the Turkish state Maas and Turkish Foreign Minis- man government to accuse Ankara ready to let bygones be bygones. undertaken under Ankara’s bid to feels under threat,” he said. ter Mevlut Cavusoglu agreed that of using its citizens as “hostages.” “There has to be a stop to that,” he join the European Union. Ankara “The state will not do anything an expected offensive by the Syrian Erdogan said Germany em- said in Istanbul on September 6. responds by saying the European that could jeopardise its security,” government against rebels in Idlib ployed “Nazi” methods after it He also conceded there were still Union fails to account for Turkey’s Karaveli added. “To expect rule of province near the Turkish bor- banned election campaign events outstanding issues. Germany says need to defend itself from forces law reforms is not realistic.” Viewpoint The Gordian knot called Idlib challenges Erdogan

if not postponing a full-scale of- Being severely at odds with its at odds with Washington on the will leave them no place to flee but fensive. long-time ally the United States Kurds. Consider the photograph Turkey. There is no reason to believe An- has not been helping Turkey. that appeared September 6 of US Therefore, it may be time for Yavuz Baydar kara has any leverage. Russia has Increasing Kurdish control in Army Lieutenant-General Paul Ankara to abandon all political and long been firm about its intention north-eastern Syria, along the Funk with Ferhat Abdi Shahin, top military ambitions over Syria and to clear the area of armed jihadist border with Turkey, was one of commander of the Kurdish Peo- focus on humanitarian dimen- groups. It has China’s backing for the main reasons Erdogan termi- ple’s Protection Units. sions. Erdogan’s dilemma is obvi- he spotlight is on the this. Russia and China have large nated the Kurdish peace process at What happens next? What’s in ous: Should he mobilise to tackle Syrian province of Idlib numbers of Chechen and Uyghur home three years ago. The decision the offing for Ankara on Idlib? the potential influx or extend the but the boomerang jihadists. Media reports say many caused a chain reaction, pushing Its main argument will probably crisis by militarily intervening in effects of Turkey’s of the jihadists went to Syria via extreme nationalism and giving remain that the deconflicting zones Kurd-controlled Syrian areas such failed regional policies Turkey, only to be pushed into Russia and Iran more leverage to be respected. For Moscow, the as Manbij? are clear. As the Syrian Idlib when forced to retreat from contain Ankara. Turkey’s soft spot agenda may be to push Turkey to Turkey’s efforts to host and Toffensive — backed by Russia and the Islamic State and al-Qaeda — opposition to Kurdish aspira- bilateral talks with Assad. Erdogan feed more than 3 million victims discreetly by militia units affiliated strongholds. tions for self-rule — had once again may not want a crisis with Russian of the Syrian war are commend- with Iran — takes shape against On the eve of the Tehran sum- become a problem and this time, President Vladimir Putin. able, especially compared with jihadist targets in the enclave, mit, Turkey took a step that was almost with paralysing effect. Idlib will, and should, boil down the shameful insensitivity of some Idlib offers more challenges than too little, too late. Ankara desig- Turkey appears paralysed as to one thing. The United Nations central European governments. opportunities for Turkish President nated Tahrir el-Sham as a terrorist it faces a clash of interests with said at least 800,000 people will Now, Ankara should be encouraged Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s adminis- group. It is the dominant jihad- Russia on the jihadists even while be affected by hostilities. A siege to open its doors further with the tration. ist group in Idlib and includes promise of help from international The offensive could move elements of al-Nusra Front, an organisations. Ankara closer to losing control of offshoot of al-Qaeda. Idlib could be a trump card for the course of events in the Syrian For Russia, China and the United Erdogan when he meets with EU quagmire. States, too, this should have hap- leaders in the coming weeks. In the A summit in Tehran was ar- pened long ago. Turkey’s belated eyes of German Chancellor Angela ranged by Russia and Iran as an move may give it some breathing Merkel, for example, Erdogan may extension of the Astana process. room in the Astana process but, in be the guarantor of efforts to keep The Erdogan administration had the longer run, it will accumulate Syrian refugees out of Europe. no choice but to attend in hopes further risks at the border. This would be another water- of insulating itself from the crisis, For Syria and its patron, Russia, shed for Turkey’s strongman. He Idlib is crucial to the endgame. could use the looming refugee Idlib is at the centre of a strategic crisis to open a new chapter with Turkey appears junction between Aleppo, Damas- the European Union, normalising paralysed as it faces a cus and Latakia. The conquest of relations, which he needs very Idlib would mark the final phase badly. clash of interests in restoring Syria’s unity. It would However, going by his record, with Russia on the also be the reassertion of Russia’s Erdogan may well choose a crisis presence — in all dimensions — in over a solution-oriented approach. jihadists even while the country. We shall see. at odds with The logic of Idlib, therefore, Washington on the slams the door on any further ap- More challenges than opportunities. Turkish President Recep Yavuz Baydar is a Turkish journal- proach by Ankara to the jihadist op- Tayyip Erdogan arrives for a news conference in Tehran, on ist and regular columnist for The Kurds. position to Bashar Assad’s regime. September 7. (Reuters) Arab Weekly. September 9, 2018 15 Spotlight Political Islam Concern in Egypt as Muslim Brotherhood reveals ‘tactical goal’

Ahmed Megahid concerns that there are operational underground Brotherhood cells. Although Abdel Fattah’s recent Cairo statements are not new, they raised a firestorm in Cairo, especially gypt is on high alert after a within Egypt’s security establish- Muslim Brotherhood figure ment. revealed that the tactical Security agencies are reported E goal of the outlawed Islam- to be revising all arrangements ist movement, which has a history around the president following Ab- of killing political leaders, is to “get del Fattah’s threat. rid” of Egyptian President Abdel “Such statements are being taken Fattah al-Sisi. very seriously inside security agen- Seif Abdel Fattah, a former ad- cies, which are renewing security viser of ousted President Muham- arrangements around the presi- mad Morsi, told the Muslim Broth- dent,” said Khaled Okasha, a mem- erhood channel Mekameleen TV ber of the Supreme Anti-Terrorism that Sisi had become “dangerous” Council, an advisory body of the (Reuters) for Egypt. Egyptian presidency. “They could On alert. Security forces stand guard in Helwan district on the outskirts of Cairo. “This man’s nature and the re- be a signal for Brotherhood militias gional and international support he to start acting.” hood or influenced by the group’s Analysts said it would take the A suicide bomber with links to the is receiving make him dangerous,” Cairo said some terrorist groups founders. Brotherhood coordination with Brotherhood tried to enter the his- Abdel Fattah said. “This is why it is operating in Egypt are affiliated Brotherhood militias have more sophisticated terrorist organi- toric Virgin Mary Church in Mos- necessary to get rid of him.” with the Muslim Brotherhood. claimed responsibility for attacks sations, such as ISIS, to attack Sisi. torod but was stopped by guards. He Abdel Fattah, a professor of polit- Egypt has been fighting against a that have killed many policemen set off a bomb outside the church. ical science at Cairo University who branch of the Islamic State (ISIS) and army personnel. In October Security agencies are Sisi is serving his second term advised Morsi before his ouster in in the Sinai Peninsula for several 2016, a Brotherhood group said it as president. The Brotherhood’s 2013 and then travelled to Turkey years. Other local terrorist groups killed an army lieutenant-general reported to be revising all threat raises questions about presi- to join other Brotherhood figures in also operate on Egyptian soil, in- responsible for uncovering un- arrangements around the dential succession in Egypt, with exile, said getting rid of Sisi was a cluding some affiliated with the derground tunnels used by ISIS to president following Abdel the next elections due in 2022. prerequisite for the Brotherhood to Brotherhood. smuggle arms and militants be- Fattah’s threat. “The Brotherhood is well aware return and “rescue” the country. Al- The reason the threats are being tween Sinai and Gaza. that it will be bringing an end to its though Mekameleen TV is officially taken so seriously is that the Broth- Links between the Brotherhood “They cannot do this alone: oth- political presence in Egypt forever banned in Egypt, many Egyptians erhood has a history of assassinat- and ISIS Sinai were confirmed by erwise they could have done it in if it ventures into assassinating the watch it online and Abdel Fattah’s ing Egyptian officials. the Egyptian military. In June 2013, the past years,” said Munir Adib, a president,” said Sameh Eid, anoth- comments were widely carried in The Islamist group, which ap- Muslim Brotherhood senior figure specialist in the affairs of Islamist er expert on Islamist and terrorist the local media. peared as a charitable and educa- Mohamed Beltagy said attacks by movements. “Abdel Fattah’s state- groups. “Nevertheless, Sisi’s ten- Sisi is viewed as an enemy by the tional organisation in 1928, assas- ISIS Sinai, which was called Ansar ments should be understood within ure [as president] will come to an Muslim Brotherhood for his central sinated Egyptian Prime Minister Beit al-Maqdis then, on Egyptian the context of preparations by the end, which means we need to start role in Morsi’s ouster and the group Mahmoud el-Nokrashy Pasha in troops and police would stop only Brotherhood to step up their vio- thinking seriously of who should being banned. The Brotherhood no 1948. The Jamaa Islamiya assas- when Morsi returned to power. In lence in the coming days.” succeed him.” longer has a major public presence sins who killed Egyptian President June 2015, ISIS Sinai assassinated Egyptian officials blamed a foiled in Egypt because of a crackdown Anwar al-Sadat in 1981 were either Egypt’s Prosecutor-General Hes- attack on a church last month in Ahmed Megahid is an Egyptian against the group. But there are former members of the Brother- ham Barakat. eastern Cairo on the Brotherhood. reporter in Cairo.

Viewpoint Turkish intelligence at the service of political Islam

fficial news agencies Development Party in legislative portrayed the chief elections. Erdogan was irked by the of Turkey’s National move. Said Nasheed Intelligence Organisa- Less than a month later, Fidan tion, Hakan Fidan, as withdrew his resignation and was the man who engi- back on the job. He consolidated Oneered the counterattack against internal and external intelligence the Turkish coup of July 15, 2016. services under one centralised Fidan directed Turkish President agency, which he headed. Many Recep Tayyip Erdogan to address security and military officers were the Turkish people after the coup angered by Fidan’s moves. He attempt, saying: “We will fight would, of course, get rid of them in them to death but you must go the purge campaign. down to the street and stay there Given this background, Fidan with the people.” must be considered the most Erdogan followed Fidan’s advice powerful man in Turkey. He is the and remained “among the people” shadowy sultan. His public appear- for several days, doing nothing but ances are rare and calculated. Even giving fiery speeches night and day the satellite channels, which show until he was allowed by the deep only what appears on the surface, state to return to his normal politi- do not show him. cal life. All that is known of his back- While everybody’s attention was ground is that he had graduated focused on Erdogan’s speeches and from Turkish and American uni- threats, which sometimes bordered versities, then worked for various on insanity, Fidan was executing international organisations until his the largest political purges con- appointment as deputy director of ducted inside Turkey since Kemal Turkish intelligence services under Ataturk’s own coup. This time, Emre Taner. however, the coup was not named When Taner retired following the Shrouded in Mystery. Turkish intelligence chief Hakan Fidan (R) after Fidan but was called “resist- crisis produced by the disastrous and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar wait prior to a meeting with ing the coup.” Mavi Marmara incident in 2010 Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on August 24. (AFP) In just a few days, Fidan fired off the coast of Gaza in which nine more than 100,000 civil servants activists were killed, Fidan took the and arrested thousands, including helm of the intelligence services at hundreds of judges, military offic- the age of 42, the youngest chief in cal alliance between Turkey’s mili- wanted to consecrate the fateful al- ers, journalists and university pro- the agency’s history. tary intelligence and political Islam. liance between military intelligence fessors. It seemed that the blacklist In the past two years, Fidan has In other words, and contrary to and political Islam and replicate had already been drawn and Fidan been instrumental in wiping out popular belief, the military has al- Turkey’s experience in Egypt. Sisi and his services were waiting for the so-called parallel state in Tur- ways been in control of the wheels had been head of the Egyptian the opportunity to lay their hands key, referring, of course, to follow- of the Turkish state, whether dur- Military Intelligence and Morsi had In Turkish history, the on these people. ers of Fethullah Gulen’s movement. ing the Ottoman Empire or during absolute trust in him until the last character of Fidan is Fidan’s life is shrouded in mys- Gulen and his religious movement the Ataturk period and continues to hours of his regime. emblematic of the tery and conflicting information. were accused by Turkish authori- be so under Erdogan. Labels might Even more intriguing is the One incident, however, is quite ties of being behind several at- change but the product is the same. thought of there being similar political alliance clear. In 2015, just a few months tempts at destabilising Turkey, the Perhaps by appointing Field- attempts elsewhere to reproduce between Turkey’s before the coup, Fidan suddenly latest of which was the 2016 coup Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the Turkish experience, with slight resigned as head of the intelligence attempt. commander-in-chief of the Egyp- modifications, of course. military intelligence services and sought be to be a In Turkish history, the character tian Armed Forces, former Egyp- and political Islam. candidate of Erdogan’s Justice and of Fidan is emblematic of the politi- tian President Muhammad Morsi Said Nasheed is a Moroccan writer. 16 September 9, 2018 News & Analysis East West Mounting scepticism in Washington about future of US-Turkish relations, reliability of Erdogan as a partner

Thomas Frank

Washington

growing number of US lawmakers and policy ex- perts are saying the dec- A ades-long strategic rela- tionship between the United States and Turkey has fallen apart and that Ankara is no longer an effec- tive member of NATO or a reliable US ally. The US-Turkish relationship, strained since the attempted coup in Ankara in 2016, crumbled in re- cent weeks as US President Donald Trump imposed financial sanctions on two senior Turkish officials to protest Turkey’s refusal to release American pastor Andrew Brun- son, who is charged in Turkey with helping plan the coup attempt. The United States and Turkey also have clashed over the war in Syria, Washington’s refusal to ex- Shifting sands. F-16 tradite a Turkish cleric alleged to Fighting Falcons sitting have engineered the coup attempt, on the tarmac at the Turkey’s growing ties with Russia Incirlik Airbase in and Ankara’s crackdown on demo- Turkey. (US Air Force) cratic institutions. At a congressional hearing Sep- “look very closely at alternatives to Burns and Haass, two highly re- “Should we be looking at the ul- hurts us,” Burns said. tember 5, senators and former sen- dependence on Incirlik” because spected former diplomats, were timate decision as to whether they Haass said the freeze in US-Tur- ior diplomats said that, although the base might not be available to invited by the Senate Foreign Re- still should be a partner within key relations is not permanent and Turkey cannot be expelled from the US Air Force during a crisis. lations Committee to share ideas NATO?” Senator Ben Cardin, a Mar- would likely end when Erdogan NATO, the United States should The NATO base is home to about on NATO and how to preserve the yland Democrat, asked at the Sep- leaves office. “The goal of the Unit- expect no help from Turkish Presi- 550 US personnel, who have used it 29-nation alliance in the face of dis- tember 5 hearing. ed States and the European mem- dent Recep Tayyip Erdogan. They as a launching point for air strikes missive comments by Trump. Senator Bob Corker, the commit- bers of NATO ought to be to try to warned that the US military might against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Turkey joined NATO in 1951, two tee chairman from Tennessee, said, revive the relationship with Turkey be blocked from the Incirlik Air- Syria and Iraq since 2015. The US years after the group was created, “There’s no way we would let them at that point,” he said. base in Turkey. military has scaled back operations and has been a valuable member in NATO today — no way.” Responding to criticism in a “We should accept the reality out of Incirlik in recent months as because of its strategic location as Haass and Burns urged caution letter in the Wall Street Journal, that Erdogan’s Turkey will not be a US-Turkey tensions grew. NATO’s easternmost member, large in trying to penalise or expel Tur- Turkish Ambassador to the United partner. Whether they’re formally “We can’t rely on Turkey. In a population and powerful military, key — NATO has no mechanism for States Serdar Kilic noted his coun- a member of NATO, I would say put crisis, we cannot know whether Er- which is the second-largest in the removing a member — and said the try’s role in helping defeat ISIS and that on the back burner,” said Rich- dogan would make Incirlik availa- alliance. However, as Erdogan has United States should continue to as “guardian of NATO’s southern ard Haass, president of the Council ble to the United States military, so assumed increasing control over maintain relations with Turkey’s flank and home to the alliance’s on Foreign Relations and a former we have to have alternative plans,” formerly independent government military leaders, who hold con- second-largest armed forces.” policy director at the US State De- Nicholas Burns, a former top State institutions, US lawmakers have siderable power. “If you begin to partment. Department official, said at the wondered about Turkey’s future in sanction [Turkey], then you cut off Thomas Frank is an Arab Weekly Haass said the US military should hearing. NATO. those ties and I think it probably correspondent in Washington.

Viewpoint Trump scores big points with the evangelical base on Brunson case

eginning in April, Americans say they are subject to evangelical leaders.” Fea said it was he or she, abroad should expect US President Donald religious persecution. evangelical leaders who brought their country to stand with them, Trump began tweet- John Fea, a professor at Messiah the case to the attention of the as this president is obviously doing for pastor Andrew Brunson.” Claire Sadar ing about a particular College and author of the book Trump administration. American citizen “Believe Me: The Evangelical Road Now that Brunson is all over the Mansfield and Fea said evan- imprisoned in Turkey to Donald Trump,” which docu- mainstream media, in large part gelicals were happy with the way Bsince shortly before Trump’s 2016 ments and analyses white evangel- thanks to the Trump administra- Trump was handling the Brun- election victory. ical support for Trump, answered tion, his profile has risen. Mans- son case. “Most evangelicals are Andrew Brunson is one of sev- “Absolutely, yes” when asked if field said, “Churches commonly surprised at Trump’s fierceness in eral Americans imprisoned after Trump’s handling of the Brunson pray for him by name in their calling for Brunson’s freedom but the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, case has proved Trump’s Christian services and post his photo in their they welcome it,” said Mansfield. charged with supporting the Islam- bona fides to his evangelical base. lobbies or in printed handouts. Any “Trump has a great deal of support ist Gulen movement that is accused “Religious liberty was one of news about him is mentioned in on this issue.” Particularly, he said, of carrying out the military bid to Trump’s most important campaign the social media feeds of promi- because Turkish President Recep overthrow the Turkish government promises to American evangelicals. nent religious leaders, both evan- Tayyip Erdogan “is such a despised or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, an Every time he and Mike Pence gelical and mainline.” figure here.” armed group that has been fighting weigh in on the Brunson case they Fea mentioned Johnnie Moore, There do seem to be exceptions in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish south- score points with this part of his an evangelical public relations and to evangelical enthusiasm for the east since 1984. political base,” Fea said. consulting professional and Tony Brunson case. All of the outspoken However, only Brunson’s case Stephen Mansfield, a former Perkins, of the Christian con- supporters of Trump represent garnered belated public outrage on evangelical pastor and author of servative think-tank and lobbying the white evangelical community. the part of the US administration. a book that also focuses on white, organisation the Family Research For example, few black or Latino Trump and Vice-President Mike Christian support for Trump, Council, as prominent evangelicals evangelical pastors have taken up Pence have used the Brunson case “Choosing Donald Trump: God, who have tweeted about Brun- Brunson’s cause. However, white to rally and solidify support among Anger, Hope, and Why Christian son. The Family Research Council evangelicals are Trump’s base and their base ahead of November Conservatives Supported Him,” posted a video about Brunson and thus it matters little politically if midterm elections. Many promi- said Trump’s commitment to Brun- Perkin’s advocacy on his behalf to the Brunson case is not resonating nent white evangelical leaders son’s case was more than evangeli- its YouTube page. with other demographics in the have been very vocal and visible in cals had hoped for. Franklin Graham, evangelical evangelical community. their support of Brunson and the Trump and Pence have leveraged missionary, speaker and son of Trump’s actions on the Brunson Trump administration’s efforts to Brunson’s identity at every turn the late Billy Graham, has been case will further cement the bond free him. when discussing his case and call- one of the most outspoken and and paper over Trump’s various The domestic politics behind ing for his release. They emphasise active social media advocates for perceived sins and legal troubles. Brunson’s rise to cause celebre are his identity, calling him a “wonder- Brunson, tweeting and posting to White evangelical support was a quite straightforward. An evan- ful Christian pastor,” “Christian his Facebook page about Brunson major factor in Trump winning the gelical pastor who presided over leader” and “a fine gentleman and multiple times . presidency and his vociferous sup- a small congregation in Izmir for a Christian who is being persecuted Robert Jeffress, evangelical pas- port of Brunson may be a deciding more than 20 years, his status as a for no reason.” tor and radio personality, appeared factor in handing his party another persecuted Christian appeals to the Mansfield said a significant per- on the Fox Business Network to congressional majority in Novem- Trump’s actions on identity politics of the powerful centage of American evangelicals speak about Brunson. Both Jeffress ber. the Brunson case will white evangelical Christian voting were concerned about Brunson’s and the host, Lou Dobbs, praised further cement the bloc, 81% of whom voted for the case before it was taken up by the Trump’s handling of the case and, Claire Sadar is a freelance Trump/Pence ticket. Trump administration. “Those while seemingly unaware of the journalist specialising in Turkey, bond and paper over Despite the fact that white Chris- who pay attention to religious other Americans imprisoned in Muslim Americans, religion Trump’s various tians make up the majority of the liberty issues around the world Turkey, agreed that “an attack on and human rights issues. This American population and the vast were aware,” Mansfield said. “I one American is an attack on all article was initially published by perceived sins and majority of those with political would say this is about a third of all Americans.” www.ahval.com. Reprinted with legal troubles. power, 80% of white evangelical evangelicals and perhaps half of all Dobbs said that “any American, permission. September 9, 2018 17 News & Analysis East West US experts see financing at the core of terrorist groups’ resilience

Thomas Frank than a decade of efforts to stop ter- sales, that can pay travel costs for ror financing and remain a major an attack. The group has a broad global security threat. ideological appeal with its anti-US, Washington “It’s been spectacularly unsuc- pro-Islam message, the experts cessful strategically,” said US Rep- said. errorist networks in the resentative Jim Himes, a Demo- “ISIS remains well-resourced, Middle East have robust fi- crat from Connecticut, referring able to pay salaries and send funds nancial networks enabling to efforts to stop terror finance. abroad to its affiliates, as well as to T the groups to remain a “Ten years have gone by and we mount attacks,” Bauer said. “Coun- worldwide threat even as they face have more terrorist groups in terterrorism financing alone will military defeats, terror-financing more places and more ungoverned not defeat the threat of terrorism. experts told the US Congress. space, particularly with respect to It must proceed alongside efforts The Islamic State (ISIS), even radical Sunni groups.” to counter extremist ideologies.” after losing almost all its territory Ali Soufan, a former FBI agent, in Iraq and Syria, retains a signifi- Hezbollah has expanded said US President Donald Trump cant financial power because it operations across Africa and had given credibility to the anti- accumulated so much cash in the into South America, where it US narrative by cutting off aid to early part of the decade and has a the Palestinian Authority and to a network of international donors, is involved in the UN agency charged with helping the experts and former US govern- international drug trade. Palestinian refugees and by mov- ment officials said. ISIS was a watershed in terror- ing the US Embassy from Tel Aviv Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penin- ism financing because the group to Jerusalem. sula (AQAP) also has substantial sustained itself and avoided in- “There is a conspiracy narrative cash reserves and Hezbollah has ternational donations by control- in the Muslim world that the US expanded across Africa and to ling parts of Iraq and Syria nearly and the West are against Islam,” South America due in part to the the size of the United Kingdom. At Soufan said. “That narrative is be- hundreds of millions of dollars it its peak in 2014, ISIS took in more coming more and more popular in gets from Iran. than $1 billion by taxing and ex- the Middle East.” “Many terrorist organisations torting citizens under its control, AQAP remains financially vi- appear better-resourced than ever selling oil and looting banks, said able from the money it generated before,” Katherine Bauer, a former RAND Corporation analyst Colin in 2016-17 when it controlled the US Treasury Department official Clarke. Port of Mukalla in Yemen. The who worked in the Middle East, “ISIS is unique in recent history group collected $2 million a day in said at a congressional hearing as one of the few terrorist groups port fees and raised another $100 September 7. to generate most of its funding million by robbing a branch of the Terrorist groups raise money from territory it held,” Clarke said. Central Bank of Yemen, Bauer said. through an array of schemes: tax- “This could be the model for the “They have been well-resourced at Financially viable. A safe at a cash collection centre that belonged (Reuters) ing and extorting people and busi- future.” this point,” Bauer added. to ISIS in Turkman Bareh village, in northern Aleppo. nesses, selling oil, kidnapping for ISIS’s ability to generate its own Hezbollah, with hundreds of ransom, transporting drugs, com- funding makes it difficult for inter- millions of dollars in support the CIA. The group uses Africa as could use to store and transfer mitting petty crimes and appeal- national authorities to monitor its from Iran, has expanded opera- an intermediary point for moving money. “The potential for these ing to donors worldwide. With finances. tions across Africa and into South drugs from South America around states to coordinate and create an their ability to generate billions of As ISIS lost territory, smaller America, where it is involved in the world, Fanusie said. alternative financial system is a dollars and move money around cells emerged to raise money, re- the international drug trade, said Fanusie warned about efforts risk,” Fanusie said. “It would be the world undetected, Middle East cruit members and commit petty Yaya Fanusie, a former economic by Iran and Russia to create cryp- an alternative method of financing terrorist groups have defied more crimes, such as robberies and drug and counterterrorism analyst for tocurrency systems that terrorists and transacting that’s global.” Cutting US funds to Palestinians could have devastating consequences

Mark Habeeb politically unacceptable terms. (ANERA), said: “Funding cuts deep- upgrades to neighbourhood wa- impoverished camps of Lebanon,” In fact, these two theories are en the challenges facing Palestinian ter networks in Gaza and the West Carroll said. mutually reinforcing, not mutually refugees and worsen the humani- Bank, where access to clean water is Both Lebanon and Jordan are Washington exclusive. tarian crisis in the vulnerable com- particularly dire.” straining to support the hundreds In a letter to supporters, Abby munities where both UNRWA and The reduction in funds to UN- of thousands of Syrian refugees he Trump administration’s Smardon, executive director of ANERA work.” RWA that for decades has provided who fled to those countries and decision to cease funding UNRWA USA, wrote: “It seems the Since 1968, ANERA has worked humanitarian aid, including food, who are not recipients of UNRWA the UN agency that provides US administration is trying to wish with the US Agency for Internation- health care and education, to sev- assistance. In a worst-case scenario, T vital assistance to Palestin- away the number of Palestine refu- al Development (USAID) conduct- eral million Palestinians, will have the reduction in UNRWA’s capabili- ian refugees came on the heels of gees who exist in an attempt to min- ing and managing projects funded devastating consequences for peo- ties to deliver services could lead the administration’s decision to cut imise and delegitimise the individu- by the US government — funds that ple directly affected and Jordan to economic deprivation and social US assistance to the Palestinian Au- al and collective experiences of this now are being cut. and Lebanon, which host refugee unrest, both of which are recipes for thority (PA). community. The undeniable fact re- “USAID funding cuts will affect camps. increased jihadist influence. In the The United States has been the mains that the US government can- tens of thousands of people living “It is hard to speculate on how end, everyone’s security, including largest single financial donor to both not simply make refugees disappear in impoverished and vulnerable the cuts will affect the political sta- Israel’s, could be undermined. the UN Relief and Works Agency for and, no matter what, Palestine refu- communities,” Carroll said. “ANERA bility of Lebanon and Jordan but it Some countries have pledged to Palestine Refugees in the Near East gees have rights — like all refugees will be forced to halt six projects in is fair to guess that cuts in jobs and raise their contributions to UNRWA (UNRWA) and the PA. do — under international law.” the pipeline, including renovation services will adversely affect frag- to help offset the Trump adminis- There are two theories why the Sean Carroll, president and CEO of a centre for children with dis- ile economies and cause more suf- tration’s actions. Switzerland, Fin- Trump administration took such a of American Near East Refugee Aid abilities in East Jerusalem and vital fering in places like Gaza and the land, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, draconian and harmful action: One Germany and Russia increased their is that doing so reflects the views contributions earlier in the year in of hard-line, right-wing Israelis anticipation of a cut or reduction that the Palestinians are not really in US assistance, something the a people, the refugees are not really Trump administration has consid- refugees and the PA is effectively a ered since the UN General Assembly terrorist organisation bent on the voted last December to condemn destruction of Israel. Many of these Trump’s decision to move the US Israelis are close to David Friedman, Embassy to Jerusalem. Carroll, the US ambassador to Israel, who however, said that the United States long has shared their views. is single largest contributor to UN- Noura Erakat, a human rights at- WRA and “it is difficult to envision torney and professor at George Ma- filling such a large gap.” son University, said: “The decision In 2017 the United States con- to terminate financial support to tributed $364 million to UNRWA’s UNRWA is yet another attempt to budget of $874 million. resolve a final status issue of Pales- Smardon told her supporters: tinian refugees by political fiat.” “The shortsighted decision to cut The other theory holds that with- funding for the foreseeable future drawing funds for Palestinians in seems to represent a politicisation refugee camps reflects US President of humanitarian assistance… sup- Donald Trump’s negotiating style port for UNRWA’s work — or any and is designed to get the Palestin- UN humanitarian agency — should ians to the negotiating table where, never be politicised.” presumably, they would accept Smardon’s organisation is con- terms that the United States and ducting fundraising events and ap- Israel impose. By this theory, Pal- peals to raise private funds in the estinian refugees — including chil- United States to support UNRWA’s dren and the elderly — are chips to Increasingly vulnerable. A Palestinian man carries a bag of flour outside an UNRWA aid distribution work but any amount raised is likely be used to coerce the PA to accept centre in Khan Younis, on September 4. (AFP) to be mostly symbolic. 18 September 9, 2018 Economy China MENA In China, Sisi seeks greater economic cooperation and foreign alliances

Amr Emam Members of the delegation ac- companying Sisi to Beijing signed contracts and deals with Chinese Cairo companies worth $18.3 billion on September 3. The contracts includ- gypt’s participation in the ed an agreement for the construc- 2018 Forum on China-Af- tion of a power plant in the Red Sea rica Cooperation seemed city of Hamrawein and others re- E to focus on economic ties garding textile and petrochemicals but political and security consid- factories in the Suez Canal region. erations were also major factors Egypt wants to ensure a place in in Cairo’s attendance, with Egypt the Belt and Road Initiative, a Chi- seeking to cement ties with both nese development strategy that China and Africa. seeks to revive the historic Silk “Egypt has learned the lesson Road for the 21st century. of dependences on the West the Addressing leaders of 57 African hard way,” said Saad al-Zunt, head countries attending the Forum on of the Strategic Studies Centre, an China-Africa Cooperation, Sisi said Egyptian think-tank. “It also lost a Egypt would work to consolidate lot by neglecting other African na- cooperation between China and tions.” Africa. Egypt experienced the risks of Sisi said Egypt invested billions dependence on its alliance with of dollars in expanding the Suez Western countries after its army Canal to serve the Belt and Road backed a popular uprising against Initiative and contribute to easing Islamist President Muhammad international trade. Morsi in 2013. Many Western coun- “Egypt hopes the Suez Canal tries froze contacts with Cairo, in- region will be a logistical and cluding the United States, which economic centre that contributes withheld economic and military effectively to pushing the inter- aid. national maritime movement for- Egypt’s generals have found it ward and boosting the freedom of difficult to convince Washington international trade,” Sisi said. “We to restore military cooperation and also hope that this will open the US aid. door for more investments.” Egyptian President Abdel Fat- Five years ago, Chinese invest- tah al-Sisi’s visit to China could ments in Egypt stood at less than be understood as part of Egyptian $1 billion. Now, they total more attempts to diversify Cairo’s alli- than $10 billion with Egypt hoping ances, analysts said. Sisi has vis- that China could become one of Diversifying partnerships. China’s President Xi Jinping (R) and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel ited China five times in his four- its largest investors in the coming Fattah al-Sisi (C) walk during a welcoming ceremony in Beijing, on September 1. (AFP) and-a-half years in office. Chinese few years. Egypt’s exports to China President Xi Jinping has also vis- amount to about $1 billion. ited Cairo. Chinese companies are involved exports, not only to China, but also economic roles in Africa but that neighbours, particularly given China has heavily invested in in the construction of a new ad- to other countries, is very feasible diminished as Egypt focused on close ties between Beijing and Africa, although not necessarily in ministrative capital on the out- with Egypt working to modernise resolving domestic political issues. many African countries. Egypt. Sisi is hoping to win more skirts of Cairo. Chinese companies its industrial sector.” This is something that signifi- “Egypt is actually an important Chinese investment to bolster Cai- helped Egypt establish its major In addition to the Suez Canal, cantly harmed Egypt’s foreign rela- window for China into the conti- ro’s economic development plans. fish farms in the Nile Delta and in Egypt is an important gateway for tions with several Arab countries, nent,” said Nourhan al-Sheikh, a “China invests heavily in Africa, the Suez Canal region, an impor- China to Africa, particularly North including the Nile River states, political science professor at Cairo especially in infrastructure,” said tant contribution to reducing fish Africa. complicating negotiations over University. “It can become China’s Mukhtar al-Sherif, an economics imports. A closer alliance with Beijing Nile water share and the Grand bridge to Africa, which is why the professor at Mansura University. “Egypt has a good chance to in- would give Cairo an opportunity Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. Chinese take it very seriously.” “Egypt is badly in need of having crease exports to China, especially to regain its position as a leader in Analysts said closer ties between its place on China’s African invest- with the Chinese being open to Africa. Before the “Arab spring,” Cairo and Beijing might help Egypt Amr Emam is a Cairo-based ment map.” this idea,” Sherif said. “Increasing Cairo played strong leadership and improve relations with its African contributor to The Arab Weekly. Tunisia joins China’s Belt and Road Initiative as it seeks to diversify trade, investment

Lamine Ghanmi of Zarzis into an economic and Europe. trade hub, construct a bridge link- Most of the funding for deep- ing Djerba, Tunisia’s main tourism water ports, railroads and power Tunis island, to Djorf in the mineral- plants will be financed by Chinese rich Medenine region and build a companies eyeing new interna- unisia, which boasts the 140km railway linking the coastal tional markets. most open and diversified region of Gabes, a hub for petro- Tunisian experts and govern- economy in the Maghreb, chemical and phosphate transfor- ment officials are enthusiastic took its first steps to inte- mation industries, to Zarzis. about the country’s role in the T Boosting cooperation. Delegation led by Tunisian Prime Minister grate into China’s ambitious Belt Tunisia and China agreed to project, saying Tunisia would be Youssef Chahed (R) talks with Chinese delegation led by President and Road Initiative (BRI) strategy open a car plant in Tunisia oper- a key strategic partner and has the Xi Jinping in Beijing, on September 5. (Reuters) as it looks to expand trade and for- ated by the Chinese state-owned potential to hugely expand its mar- eign investment. SAIC Motor Corporation Limited, ket. which would build and export cars The Tunisian government sees recent agreements to develop re- its members. in the Mediterranean region and BRI as an opportunity to boost gions in Libya will help China, Lib- The European Union is Tunisia’s Tunisia sees BRI as an Africa. trade and investment with China, ya and Tunisia develop links with main trade partner, accounting opportunity to boost trade They signed a cooperation agree- as well as expand trade and busi- Sahel Sahara Africa, including a for two-thirds of the country’s ex- ment on tourism that includes ness links with countries in Africa. railway between Tunisia and Lake ports, so diversifying its trade mar- and investment with China, plans to open an air route, with It also hopes the project will trans- Chad via Libya once stability is re- ket is a priority. as well as expand trade and the goal of attracting more Chinese form the country into a cross-trade stored in Libya. Tunisia was among the first business links with tourists to Tunisia and expanding and investment hub between Eu- Tunisia joined the Economic countries to join the broader Afri- countries in Africa. the North African country’s tour- rope, Africa and Asia. Community of West African States can Continental Free Trade Area ism industry, a key earner of for- Tunisia and China have had as part of its drive to increase eco- (ACFTA), which would create a Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef eign currency. strong ties since they established nomic ties with Africa. Tunis is trade bloc of 55 countries with a Chahed, in Beijing for the 2018 Fo- At a cost of $4 trillion-$8 trillion, diplomatic relations 56 years ago looking to African markets to ship combined GDP of more than $3 rum on China-Africa Cooperation, BRI aims to link 65 countries from but economic partnerships have goods and services worth $4 bil- trillion. ACFTA plans to eliminate presided over the signing of deals Asia to Africa to Europe. Over the remained slim. There are only ten lion by 2020, an ambitious goal tariffs on intra-African trade and between Tunisian and Chinese next three decades, Beijing plans Chinese enterprises in Tunisia for a country whose worldwide create a single continental market partners, marking the country’s to construct an expansive inland and they post $10 million in an- exports totalled $14 billion in 2017. ensuring free movement for busi- first tangible steps to form a “solid and maritime network of infra- nual turnover. There are more than Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Lib- ness. partnership” with BRI, Tunisia’s structure, including ports, rail- 4,000 European companies in Tu- ya and Mauritania are also in the Intra-African trade is estimated government said. ways, roads, pipelines and utility nisia, registering $12 billion annual Maghreb Union but that grouping to account for 16% of the conti- The deals include projects to grids to link China’s economy en- turnover. has been largely inactive, hinder- nent’s total, compared with 19% in develop Tunisia’s southern port gine to the rest of Asia, Africa and Tunisian economic experts said ing economic growth between Latin America and 51% in Asia. September 9, 2018 19 Economy

Rabat revises Briefs Iran oil exports public housing expected to drop ahead of US sanctions strategy to meet Turkey has raised natural gas prices as much as 14%, sources said, and the energy regulator announced a similar increase in rising demand electricity costs as a deepening currency crisis stokes inflation. Mohamed Alaoui He stressed the importance of The lira has fallen 42% against appropriate approaches and pro- the dollar this year, hit by con- grammes for long-lasting housing cerns about Turkish President Rabat units by paying attention to their Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s grip on architectural quality and appropri- monetary policy and a worsening o meet rising demand for ate integration into urban or rural rift with the United States over public housing, the Mo- environments. a detained American Christian roccan government is Othmani admitted that the pastor. T overhauling its housing country suffers from a widespread The sell-off has increased the development strategies through housing shortage. He acknowl- cost of food and petrol and raised programmes specifically targeting edged that social housing pro- A long way to go. A general view of buildings at Ouled Moussa fears about the effect on the coun- the poor and middle class. grammes face many hurdles. In district on the outskirts of Rabat. (Reuters) try’s wider economy. Economists The government is trying to im- March, the Moroccan government are particularly worried about the prove public housing in quantity committed itself to reducing the central bank’s inability to rein in and diversity to reduce the enor- housing deficit within five years. average, 46,000 new housing units so they benefit only their targeted inflation, which hit a 14-year high mous gap between housing supply The government’s strategy in- are offered every year. populations. The government also of nearly 16% in July. and demand. volves close cooperation between During the past seven years, said new ways must be found to at- the public and private sectors. 1,114 construction contracts were tract a variety of people to public (Reuters) A report by Morocco’s High Ac- awarded to real estate developers housing programmes. counts Council declared that ef- and the number of housing units Al-Omrane Holding is the public More than forts to eradicate shantytowns totalled 1.66 million at the end of agency in Morocco in charge of ex- and crumbling buildings and offer last year. The private sector pro- ecuting the government’s housing decent housing to poor families duced 496,000 units. policies. From 2008-10, the com- Saudi sovereign fund 366,000 had failed. Rising costs of construction pany constructed 130,000 units in housing units have been The council, which is the govern- materials, lack of liquidity among the kingdom; 22,300 of the units appoints ex-CEO of completed and 212,000 more ment’s general accounting and au- investors and bureaucratic com- were in rural areas. Al-Omrane Dow Chemical as are under construction. diting office, said that only a small plexities in obtaining loans for CEO, Badre Kanouni touted the proportion of the families listed small and medium businesses group’s work over the past ten special adviser Moroccan officials said they are in social housing programmes have hampered the housing sector years, claiming it has contributed confident they are taking the right benefited from the social housing in Morocco, reports said. It has also to reducing the housing shortage Saudi Arabia’s sovereign fund steps in the crisis. In addition to units. Social housing unit refers to become apparent that speculative in the country. has named Andrew Liveris, the introducing more initiatives tied any covering 50-100 sq.metres and moves were behind the significant Kanouni said Al-Omrane Hold- former chairman and chief execu- to infrastructure and urban re- whose real estate value does not drop in development projects and ing has been working on 278,000 tive of Dow Chemical, as a special newal, the government has started exceed 250,000 Moroccan dirhams that has led to the bankruptcy of new housing units, of which adviser, in its highest-profile ap- a “shantytown-free” cities project. ($26,600). more than 1,000 businesses in the 92,460 have been completed. pointment of any global manufac- Moroccan Prime Minister Saad A study by Morocco’s Ministry of housing sector. The housing sector contributes turing executive. Eddine Othmani has insisted that National Territory Planning, Hous- The government says it is essen- 6% of Morocco’s GDP and employs Liveris will work closely with innovative solutions for hous- ing and Urban Policy indicated that tial to revise social housing pro- about 1 million people. the Public Investment Fund (PIF) ing that would match the finan- more than 366,000 housing units grammes and protect them from on matters of strategic impor- cial capabilities of the poor and have been completed and 212,000 speculators. The regulation of the Mohamed Alaoui is a Moroccan tance, assist the fund in efforts the middle class were required. more are under construction. On programmes must be improved writer. to boost the value of its portfolio and ensure the contribution of PIF companies to Saudi Vision Viewpoint 2030, the country’s economic diversification plan, the fund said in a statement.

Kuwait acts to resolve energy conflicts with neighbours (Reuters)

uwait is trying to tie up a long-term gas supply relation- plies to free up Kuwaiti crude for several troublesome ship. Though Rashidi did not export rather than for feeding its loose ends with two specify which oil fields shared by power plants. Natural gas also is a Jareer Elass Gulf neighbours while Kuwait and Iraq would be included cleaner burning energy source. embarking on a new in the agreement, cross-border A 25-year-long piped gas sup- Oman expects oil economic relationship oil fields have long been an issue ply arrangement that Kuwait and prices to remain Kwith a traditional foe. between the Gulf neighbours. Bahrain had been negotiating with Kuwaiti Oil Minister Bakheet Former Iraqi President Saddam Qatar was halted in 2005 when $70-$80 per barrel al-Rashidi said his government Hussein accused Kuwait of siphon- Riyadh refused to allow a portion of planned to sign an agreement this ing oil from Iraq’s South Rumaila a proposed underwater pipeline to Omani Oil Minister Moham- year with Baghdad on import- field by slant-drilling from the pass through its territorial waters. med bin Hamad al-Rumhi said ing piped Iraqi natural gas and on smaller Kuwaiti Ratqa field, which Kuwait has increasingly turned to he expected oil prices to remain operating joint border oil fields that was one of his justifications for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, $70-$80 a barrel this year, Omani have been in dispute between the invading Kuwait in 1990. One belief taking in supplies at a floating LNG news website WAF reported. two Gulf countries for decades. In is that the Ratqa field is a south- terminal at its al-Zour port. In 2016, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the addition, Rashidi said Kuwait and ern continuation of Iraq’s giant the Kuwaiti government commis- United Arab Emirates are the only Saudi Arabia could resume shared Rumaila field. Another border issue sioned a Korean consortium to three countries that have the oil production from their neutral between the two Gulf countries construct a permanent LNG termi- capacity to increase oil produc- zone within months. centres on Iraq’s Zubair field, which nal at al-Zour. The terminal is to be tion, he said at an oil conference Political differences between extends into Kuwait, where the completed in early 2021. Last year, in Oman. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia prompted emirate’s portion is known as the Kuwaiti state oil firm Kuwait Petro- the shutting in of around 500,000 Abdali field. leum Corporation signed a 15-year (Reuters) barrels per day (bpd) of crude Rashidi said a global consultant LNG supply deal with Royal Dutch from the two neutral zone fields would study the joint fields project, Shell to commence in 2020. in recent years. “Matters with our adding that crude should be ex- A piped gas supply contract with brothers in Saudi Arabia are going tracted by “one company and one Iraq will help Kuwait diversify its at a steady pace and we expect the team,” with production shared and gas supplies and lock in a quicker, return of production in the divided costs “split between the two sides.” more efficient sourcing for the Gulf Iranian rial hits region soon,” Rashidi said. Suffice it to say that Kuwait and emirate than LNG deliveries. record low at Production from the zone’s off- Iraq reaching a concrete agreement Discussions between the two shore 250,000-bpd-capacity Khafji to jointly operate cross-border Gulf countries have moved beyond 138,000 to dollar field was shut down in October oil fields and share in the output talk. Baghdad reportedly hired 2014, with field operator Saudi would signal a dramatic milestone Japan’s Toyo Engineering Corpora- The Iranian rial hit a record Aramco citing new government in relations between the former tion last November to help build low against the US dollar on the emissions standards for gas flar- foes. the gas pipeline to Kuwait as well as unofficial market on September ing. Production from the onshore Another development on a dif- a related petrochemical plant, with 4, a foreign exchange website 220,000-bpd-capacity Wafra field ferent energy front could help completion of the line expected in reported, amid a deterioration in was halted in May 2015, with field Iraq and Kuwait finally resolve a 2019. the economic situation and the co-operator Saudi Arabian Chevron lingering hurdle in their relations As an indication of just how reimposition of sanctions by the claiming problems in securing work since the 1991 Gulf War: The two neighbourly the relations between United States. and equipment permits. The two countries have been negotiating the two Gulf states have become, The dollar was being offered for fields are expected to begin produc- a natural gas supply deal under Kuwait donated 17 power genera- as much as 138,000 rials, reported A piped gas ing again in early 2019, though which the Iraqi government would tors to Baghdad in July when power website Bonbast.com, which initial volumes from Khafji will pipe Iraqi gas to Kuwait as a means shortages in Iraq sparked protests tracks the unofficial market. supply contract be half of capacity and ramped up of paying off $4.6 billion in war in Basra and other cities. with Iraq will help over time. reparations. (Reuters) More significant is that Kuwait Kuwait, which has limited natu- Jareer Elass reports from Kuwait diversify and Iraq plan to join forces in shar- ral gas resources, has been looking Washington on energy issues for its gas supplies. ing oil production and establishing for steady and diversified gas sup- The Arab Weekly. 20 September 9, 2018 Society

Life flows back into Tigris waters with launch of river taxi

Oumayma Omar

Baghdad

aghdad residents are look- ing forward to the launch of a new public transportation B means they hope will alle- viate time-consuming commuting on the city’s dilapidated and long- neglected roadways, which are en- cumbered with checkpoints. A river taxi service is to operate in its initial phase in September, facilitating crossing between the banks of the Tigris, which cuts Baghdad in half. “A river taxi service is badly and urgently needed, especially in Baghdad where the population is increasing while public transporta- tion means are practically nonex- istent,” said Mohamed al-Rubaie, head of strategy and planning in Baghdad’s provincial council in charge of the project. “For the past 20 years, not a sin- gle project has been executed in the transport sector. In the mean- time, many roads and bridges have been closed, population is growing fast and the number of private cars increased tremendously causing chronic traffic jams.” Residents of Baghdad, a city of more than 7 million people, rely on cars, taxis or privately owned mini- buses to get around. Congestion is particularly heavy on the city’s 13 bridges across the Tigris. Many fishermen on the Tigris use their boats to transit people between the river’s banks for extra money. During a trial period this year, river taxis operated between five (Oumayma Omar) stations mostly benefiting students Cheap and practical. A river taxi during a trial period in Baghdad. of Baghdad University and Nahrain University, both on the banks of the approvals,” he said. the same ride by car from al-Azami- but I hope to cover all the remain- ing over. The river was larger, clean Tigris. With efforts among the country’s ya to al-Jadhiriya, for instance, ing stations that are awaiting con- and full of life back then,” Ghanem The project previews the con- political leaders to form a new gov- would take no less than one and struction soon. There are still a few said with nostalgic eyes. struction of 11 stations to connect ernment in Iraq stumbling, deci- a half hour and would cost up to obstacles in the way, particularly He says he welcomes the idea the city’s northern suburb of Tha’ sions on budgets for projects such 17,000 dinars ($14) for a round trip.” from the security authorities who of the river taxi, which he hopes aliba to al-Mada’in in the south by as the river taxi must wait. opposed the project in the begin- will alleviate road congestion and next February. Rubaie said 40% of When complete, 22 boats of vari- During a trial period this ning, fearing that the boats could “maintain the interaction between the project has been completed. ous sizes — taking between six to be exploited by ‘misled spirits’ (ter- the people and the river, which has “The service will be operating 44 customers at a time — will trans- year, river taxis operated rorists),” Nasri said. been neglected and misused.” partially until it is hopefully com- port people between the banks of between five stations Hajj Othman Ghanem, a 70-year- Ghanem said he hopes the river pleted by early next year. Unfor- the Tigris, as well as up and down mostly benefiting students old Baghdadi, strolls regularly taxi project will soon bring life back tunately, bureaucratic procedures the river. of Baghdad University and along the Tigris promenade in to the Tigris. and the lack of coordination be- River boat captain Kassem Nasri Nahrain University. Azamiya, a habit, he said, he has “The Tigris was the throbbing tween concerned ministries are said the service was being used by maintained since moving to Bagh- heart of Baghdad. We want this slowing down the project. The thousands of students at the cost of Nasri said he cannot wait for the dad from Mosul when he was a heart to beat again,” he said. easy and inexpensive part was 500 dinars ($0.42) for a single jour- project to be fully operational but child. purchasing the boats. The hard ney. he fears declining water levels of “In the past, the balm (wooden Oumayma Omar, based in part is establishing the infra- “It is cheap and practical,” Nasri the Tigris might cause further de- rowing boat) was the only available Baghdad, is a contributor to the structure for them to work prop- said. “It takes half an hour to cross lay. means to cross the river. It was such Culture and Society section of The erly that requires government from one station to another, while “I am now serving five stops a great trip by boat with seagulls fly- Arab Weekly. Egypt considering community service instead of jail terms

Amr Emam budget,” she said. prisons, stood at $73 million, a frac- The construction of new prisons tion of what administrators said coincided with Egyptian President they need to adequately oversee the Cairo Abdel Fattah al-Sisi seeking to re- system. store security to Egypt following The crime legislation bill is he Egyptian parliament is unrest set off by the 2011 revolu- backed by Sameh Abdel Hakam, the considering replacing jail tion. One of the consequences of head of the Appeals Court, who has sentences for those convict- the anti-Mubarak uprising was the warned about the state of Egypt’s T ed of minor offences with collapse of Egypt’s security system. prisons. He said the cost of sustain- community service orders to help Thousands of inmates broke out of ing Egypt’s jails had risen approxi- deal with prison overcrowding. jails, including Muhammad Morsi, mately 75% since 2015 with the “This will revolutionise the jus- the Muslim Brotherhood leader Prisons Authority needing $200 for tice system as a whole and prevent who became Egypt’s president after each inmate every month, up from incarceration for minor offences, elections in mid-2012. $115 in 2015. which will benefit both society and The idea of lesser penalties for Numbers up, costs up. Egyptian security stand guard outside one the offenders,” said MP Elizabeth minor crimes, particularly first-time of the entrances of Tora prison in Cairo. (AP) Shaker. “There is strong support for The bill proposes to have offenders, has been a major demand the bill inside parliament.” judges direct small of civil society groups. They noted Egypt has constructed ten prison defaulters work in factories that tens of thousands of poor of small defaulters in Egypt’s jails at Opponents of the measure say, complexes in the last four years, and production facilities to Egyptians are being sentenced to 30,000, most of them women. apart from violating equality as a giving the country 54 such facili- repay their debts and prison because they failed to repay Shaker said she expected the bill constitutional principle, the pro- ties around the country. The prison possibly earn a living. loans, many of which were to fi- to soon be voted on in parliament posed bill could encourage people population totals 50,000 people, nance dowries. and then quickly enacted. The to break certain laws without fear of the Human Rights Committee in Additional prisons were needed Local charities raise funds to pay measure, she said, would help peo- punishment. parliament said but non-govern- after Egypt began a crackdown on the debts of small defaulters to free ple in prison for committing minor “The Penal Code addresses all ment groups estimate the number Islamist terrorists and following the them from jail sentences. Last year, crimes that, she said, should not be offences, regardless of their in- of prisoners in Egypt to be much designation of the Muslim Brother- a group of policemen donated part punished with jail sentences. tensity,” said Salah Fawzi, a law higher. hood as a terrorist organisation in of their salaries to pay the debts of The bill proposes to have judges professor at Mansura Univer- Shaker warned that Egypt’s December 2013. some defaulters. direct small defaulters work in fac- sity. “By absolving offenders jails are “bursting at the seams.” Last year, the budget of the Pris- Gamal Eid, the head of NGO Ara- tories and production facilities to in minor crimes from punish- “This [the number of prisoners] ons Authority, the Interior Minis- bic Network for Human Rights In- repay their debts and possibly earn ment, the courts will encourage is also very costly for the state try division responsible for Egypt’s formation, estimated the number a living. law-breaking.” September 9, 2018 21 Society Christians in Iraq and Syria Iraqi Christian families not returning to Nineveh, more interested in migration Oumayma Omar my belongings and all my savings. It was a great shock and such a pain- Baghdad ful sight,” Khodr said, “but what’s more distressing is that I know that nder the cover of darkness I will not return to the town where three years ago, Waed Ei- I was born and lived all my life. The shou and his family left future of my children is my priority U their town of Hamdaniya and it is definitely not there.” in the Nineveh Plains near Mosul While predominantly Muslim as Islamic State militants were ad- towns have begun to rebuild, in vancing, spreading death and de- mostly Christian places, few resi- struction as they passed. Today, a dents have returned. Many are year after the extremist group was afraid of ISIS sympathisers and defeated, Eishou’s and many other other extremist groups. In recent Christian families refuse to return months, ISIS sleeper cells attacked to their homes. in and around Mosul and Kirkuk, as “It was a horrifying journey of well as in Baghdad. survival,” Eishou said. “We moved “We fear for our security,” said from one camp to another in Irbil, Khodr. “All my efforts are focused then lived for a while in a church on leaving Iraq and resettling in and finally ended up in Baghdad Europe with the help of relatives Lingering where we stayed in a Christian there.” concerns. school first and then here in the Like Khodr, Iraqi Christians say A displaced Virgin Mary camp. Although it is no they feel insecure, threatened by family from easy life, it is better than returning religious extremism, lawlessness Nineveh to the village.” and political instability. Many see stands out- Few residents have returned to immigration as their sole option. side their Hamdaniya, one of many Christian Christians and other minorities shelter at towns in Nineveh. Eishou said the such as the Yazidis have been re- the Virgin Islamic State (ISIS) systematically peatedly targeted and their places Mary Camp destroyed the towns, going from of worship attacked by Muslim in Baghdad. home to home, dousing them with extremists since the United States (Oumayma chemicals and setting them on fire. toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003. Omar) “The place looks like ghost Before the US invasion, there were towns. People feel insecure and some 1.5 million Christians in Iraq. from which they were displaced are will be extremely difficult despite and I will live and die in Iraq even if unstable there even after ISIS exit. Since then, their numbers have the reasons why the majority did the big assurances made by the my whole family wants to leave and That is why the majority prefer to dwindled to less than half that not return despite the demise of government.” I am left alone,” Tobia said. stay in the camp until they get the figure. ISIS,” Kanna said. A recent report by the Iraqi Hu- opportunity to leave Iraq,” he said. Some 150,000 Christians lived in He said 20% of Nineveh’s Chris- Iraqi Christians say they man Rights Society said Iraqi mi- “The authorities have deprived the Nineveh Plains and 30,000 in tians have left Iraq, while 40% of feel insecure, norities, such as Christians, Yazidis Christians of their equal rights like Mosul, the country’s second largest their houses were beyond repair threatened by religious and Shabaks, are victims of a “slow other communities. It is a situation city, before ISIS overran the area in and 20 churches, some dating to genocide,” which is shattering that many cannot cope with any 2015, Christian Parliamentarian and the 15th century, were destroyed. extremism, lawlessness those ancient communities to the longer,” Eishou added. head of the Assyrian Democratic “Sectarian and religious fanati- and political instability. point of their disappearance. Nahla Khodr, also a refugee at Movement party Yonadam Kanna cism dealt a big blow to the peace- Hanna Tobia, 55, was displaced The report said that 81% of Iraq’s the Virgin Mary camp, which is run said. ful coexistence in Mosul and the from his hometown in Anbar in Christians have disappeared from by the Assyrian Democratic Move- “Political instability, the conflict Nineveh Plains, in particular, cre- 2015. He opened a shop in the camp Iraq and 18% of Yazidis have left ment party, visited her hometown between Baghdad and Erbil over ating tensions and fears among and, unlike the majority of the the country or been killed. Another of Qaraqosh secretly two months the so-called disputed areas (in and Christians,” Kanna said. “Unless camp’s residents, he is not keen on human rights organisation, Ham- ago and discovered that her house near Nineveh), in addition to the the area is really distanced from leaving Iraq. murabi, said Baghdad had 600,000 has been razed. feeling of insecurity and the lack of the scuffles and fights, the re- “It is out of the question that I Christians in the recent past; today “Everything is lost, my property, services and facilities in the towns turn of the Christian population quit my country. My roots are here there are 150,000.

Viewpoint What is the future of Syria’s Christians after the war?

n addition to its political estimated at 8% of the population. The group said the patriarchs, flouted when authorities promote intractability, the brutality UN data from 2016 stated that, of under the pretext of being religious movements, such as the of the Syrian war has taken the 5.5 million Syrian refugees, concerned by further flight of all-female Qubaysiat or al-Fariq al- Hozan Khaddaj on religious and sectarian 825,000 were Christians. That Christian migrants, “do not realise Shabab al-Dini or support religious dimensions that exposed represents a more than 40% of the the dangers and disadvantages institutions and colleges or Shia structural imbalances in Syr- 2 million Syrian Christians listed entailed by their positions and pit mosques, which do not encour- Iian society and taxed ethnic, reli- by the 2005 census. Syrian Christians against all their age peaceful coexistence, as is gious and sectarian segments and Although the migration of fellow compatriots from other well-known. Such actions do not poisoned their lives with a climate Syrian Christians occurred backgrounds.” reassure Syrian Christians or other of anxiety and mistrust. under similar general political, The reasons behind the flight minorities that their future and Syrian Christians have had their economic, social and religious cir- of Christians from Syria were place in Syria are safe. fair share of the war’s toll, which cumstances — namely the rise of reduced to the issues of insecu- Pope Francis’s legitimate con- must have rekindled memories of extremism and fundamentalism — rity and persecution by armed cerns about the future of Christian the humanitarian disasters and as other migrations of all oriental groups in some areas. The church communities in the Middle East massacres suffered by Oriental Christians, the plight of the Syrian leaders did not mention the more are real because the issue is one of Christians. Such memories per- Christians was the focus of the pertinent root causes — poor the greatest threats to the region. haps made them feel they were meeting in July convened by Ro- economic conditions, corruption, Middle Eastern Christians have targets for annihilation and that man Catholic Pope Francis. the marginalisation of Christians an important cultural role in that migration was their only chance to The meeting was the first ecu- and other groups in political or they have acted as a bridge be- survive. menical event since the Council economic decision-making and tween Arab civilisation and West- The size of the Christian com- of Ephesus of 431 in which Roman the absence of civil rights and the ern civilisation. Their presence munity in Syria has fluctuated Catholic bishops called for prayer rule of law, conditions that affect served to temper negative West- with the political conditions in with all the patriarchs and leaders everybody in Syria. ern views of this Orient, which is the country since independence. of Catholic and Orthodox eastern To the long list of Syrian Chris- seen as a source of terrorism, and Until 1967, Christians constituted churches. tian grievances, we can add recent they have played a role in temper- 30% of the population in Syria, a The catastrophic decline in the fears that their sons would be sub- ing extremist ideologies in both country considered by Christians presence of Christians in Syria ject to forced conscription, as well camps. Many Islamist ideologies as the cradle of Christianity and troubled the shepherds of the as the dissolution of communal have been oblivious to this role. the site of many sacred spaces, church, who say the expected end modes of living brought about by One cannot really end the from churches and monasteries to of military operations in most of societal transformations. There is migration of Syrian Christians just shrines. Damascus hosts both the Syria and the victory of the Assad a lack of initiatives that would re- by calling to come to their aid and Syriac Orthodox and Greek Ortho- regime is an opportunity for the store trust between communities. encouraging them to return to dox Patriarchate of Antioch and return of Christian refugees. Syr- It is not enough that government their homes in Syria. Their return the Orient, as well as the Melkite ian and Lebanese patriarchs asked officials participate in the social must be prepared on the basis Greek Catholic Patriarchate of An- Pope Francis for help by urging and religious events of Christians that returning to one’s homeland tioch, Alexandria and Jerusalem. European countries to repatri- and reiterate the catchphrases of and one’s home is a basic human One cannot really end After independence, how- ate Christian refugees to restore secularism, which the patriarchs right and has nothing to do with the migration of ever, the Christian population of religious balance in Syria. always insist on to reassure Chris- political considerations. Similarly, Syria started shrinking. In 2005, a The calls for the return of Chris- tians. guaranteeing their future in Syria Syrian Christians just census estimated that Christians tian refugees to Syria irked many Secularism is disregarded in should not be contingent on any by calling to come to made up 10-12% of the population. Christian circles. Syrian Christians the constitution, which mandates alliance or scheme for balancing their aid and As the Syrian civil war raged, for Peace, an NGO in the United that the president of the republic the proportions of various reli- the trickle of individual Christian States, denounced the position of be Muslim and considers Islamic gious communities in the society. encouraging them to migrants changed into mass exo- the patriarchs, which was seen as jurisprudence as the main source return to their homes. dus. Christians in Syria are now favouring the Syrian regime. of legislation. Secularism is Hozan Khaddaj is a Syrian writer. 22 September 9, 2018 Culture

Interview Ahmed Saadawi on being an artist ‘in Iraq’s chaotic boiler room’ war. Saddam Hussein monopo- did not have enough money to lised power and pursued his buy a cup of tea and, on top of political opponents. that, the authorities were “I still have beautiful photo- conscripting us young men to do Sharmila Devi graphs of my childhood in the military service. mid-70s. I have an album of “By the time the Saddam London black-and-white pictures of me regime fell and the US occupation wearing expensive clothes and, began in 2003, I had served in the hmed Saadawi in the background, you can see Iraqi Army three times. It would is an Iraqi the flowering shrubs in the be very natural to think about novelist, poet, Zawra gardens, the most famous emigrating, even in illegal ways. A ray of hope. Iraqi novelist, poet, screenwriter and documentary screenwriter park in Baghdad. I remember There were new reasons for film-maker Ahmed Saadawi. (Courtesy of Ahmed Saadawi) and documen- falling asleep in the cinemas on migration during the civil war tary film-maker. Saadoun Street when my uncle between 2005 and 2007 but it In 2010, he was took me. was only coincidences that TAW: “How do you see the TAW: “What gives you hope for selected for “But my memories from the prevented me from emigrating. I current political situation?” your country?” BeirutA 39 as one of the 39 best 1980s are of dead bodies and have no objection to the idea of Saadawi: “Generally speaking, Saadawi: “Ethnic and sectarian Arab authors aged under 40. In women screaming in my neigh- emigration. there has been relative stability in hatreds go back a thousand years 2014, he became the first Iraqi to bourhood when a young man “Sometimes I receive threats, the security situation for two in Iraq but that does not mean win the International Prize for arrived in a coffin.” messages and words that could years but today we are at a they have always been exploited. Arabic Fiction for his novel TAW: “Have you ever thought endanger my life. Sometimes I dangerous juncture. We have Today, after the elimination of “Frankenstein in Baghdad,” about leaving Baghdad?” think of my children and their emerged from poorly conducted [the Islamic State] in Iraq, we which also won Le Grand Prix de Saadawi: “Emigration has been future. I am still anxious about elections in which a large segment seem to have left the arena of L’Imaginaire in 2017. one of the most common themes ensuring my family’s safety in of the electorate did not take part sectarian conflict, albeit tempo- Saadawi lives in Baghdad with for us in Iraq, at least since the the unstable conditions in the and the same names have come to rarily. Today, strangely enough, his wife and four children. In an 1980s. Each generation relives country. On the other hand, I the fore again. we see the most radical Shias interview conducted via e-mail the dream of immigration in its benefit [creatively] from the “Although months have passed meeting Sunni militants, embrac- and through a translator, own way. advantages of being in the since the elections, we haven’t ing and kissing each other in Saadawi talked about what it is “I spent the second decade of chaotic ‘boiler room’ of the real seen any clear sign of negotiations front of the television cameras. to be an artist in Iraq today. my life, in the 1990s, under world of Iraq.” to form a government. There have All that is so that they can sign The Arab Weekly (TAW): stifling international sanctions TAW: “What is the art scene been serious demonstrations in political deals to share out jobs “What was it like growing up in and the grip of dictatorship. We like in Baghdad?” southern Iraq in which young and ministries in the next Baghdad and how do you Saadawi: “I have many friends people have set fire to the head- government. remember your childhood?” in various creative and artistic quarters of political parties and “What gives me hope is the Saadawi: “I was born in the In 2014, Saadawi fields in Baghdad and other Iraqi taken control of some government possibility that, despite every- early 1970s and many Iraqis of became the first Iraqi cities. The Iraqi cultural and buildings and blocked access to thing, the process of institution- various sects and ethnicities see artistic scene is lively and full of the oil fields. There have been building in the state will be the 1970s as the golden age of to win the activities, especially in writing, serious epidemics and instances reinforced, that civil society will Iraq. There was a secular alliance International Prize film-making and short films. If of poisoning in the city of Basra be given a stronger voice and of communists and Arab nation- for Arabic Fiction for you ask any Iraqi intellectual, and we may see a cholera epi- those religious institutions with alists who controlled the politi- author or artist what they need, demic there in the near future. Yet a higher moral sense will protect cal scene in the country, ending his novel they will tell you that we need to the government has no quick the interests of citizens and not decades of power struggles. I “Frankenstein in fully stabilise the security solution to these problems. fuel conflicts.” remember cinemas, beautiful situation and address the “Overall, none of the problems parks, popular songs and Baghdad,” which also question of basic services. When of the 15 years since the fall of Sharmila Devi is a former British weddings and an affluent won Le Grand Prix de there is stability, artistic and Saddam Hussein’s regime have correspondent in the Middle East economy but all this soon ended L’Imaginaire in 2017. cultural life in Iraq will increas- been dealt with and now they are and writes on political and social with the start of the Iran-Iraq ingly flourish.” piling up on top of each other.” issues in the region. The uphill battle of reopening the Ashurbanipal Library in Mosul

Salaam al-Shamaa reconstruction concerns. ferences and scientific seminars “The reconstruction of the As- and the publication of specialised syrian library cannot be started books and scientific journals. Baghdad because there are other priorities,” The source said work on the pro- said Thaer al-Samman, dean of the ject was proceeding as scheduled t does not seem that the Faculty of Management and Eco- and continued after 2003 until the 3,000-year-old Royal Library of nomics at Mosul University. “The Islamic State occupied Mosul. Ashurbanipal in Mosul will re- central library was destroyed and The University of Mosul designed I open soon, even though inter- burned. The old and new univer- the large library building using ele- national institutions and universi- sity presidency buildings, as well ments and motifs characteristic of ties pledged to donate hundreds of as the internal departments, were Assyrian architecture such as the titles to the project. destroyed by rockets. The Engi- winged bull, towers, corniced bal- This library was one of the vic- neering School, the Veterinarian conies, arches and terraces. While tims of the war and the fighting Sciences and the Medical Sciences waiting for the construction to be between the Islamic State and the schools, as well as the university completed, the university’s central Iraqi forces and Popular Mobilisa- hospitals, were razed. library dedicated part of its ground tion Forces. The library stopped “Clearing the rubble has just be- floor to a temporary unit. operating in 2014. gun. The University Press was also The Ashurbanipal Library con- Work to revive the library began burned and its equipment looted. sisted of five floors, two of which in 2001, two years before the US- Not a single stone was left intact,” were underground and dedicated led invasion of Iraq. Construction Samman said. “As for the Faculty to storage of books and other ma- of the library building had been of Management and Economics, its terials. Plans called for the ground completed but the project was ground floors had been burned and Glorious past. A file picture shows a general view of the Royal floor to have halls for seminars and (Al Arab) hamstrung by the invasion. It re- reconstruction work was complet- Library of Ashurbanipal in Mosul. conferences, display rooms for ar- sumed in 2004 thanks to an initia- ed just two days before this year’s tefacts from the various periods of tive by the State University of New Eid al-Adha. It is clear from all of Museum in London. references. Iraq’s history spanning the Sumer- York at Stony Brook, which do- this that rebuilding the Assyrian Ibrahim Khalil al-Allaf, professor The Egyptian initiative sought ian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyr- nated more than 1,000 books and library will be quite late.” of modern history at the University to outfit the Ashurbanipal Library ian, pre-Islamic and the different periodicals. A British expedition in the mid- of Mosul, said he had appealed to with 100,000 books by having Mo- Islamic eras and rooms for dis- 19th century at the Kouyunjik site the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Educa- sul University solicit contributions playing duplicates of the original The library was one of the in Nineveh governorate discovered tion and Scientific Research, Mosul from Arab scientific and academic cuneiform texts kept at the British institutions. The organisations Museum. victims of the war and the 26,000 clay tablets inscribed in Ak- University and other authorities, kadian that dated to the seventh including the Council of Ministers contacted were the UAE Juma al- Mosul University professors fighting between the century BC. The discovery was and the prime minister, to consider Majid Centre for Culture and Her- urged government agencies to Islamic State and the Iraqi made at the site of the palace of the completing construction of the li- itage, the Sultan Ali Owaiys Foun- seek the help of international cul- forces and Popular last ruler of the Assyrian empire, brary. He said the operation would dation and the Saudi Umm al-Qura tural organisations to complete the Mobilisation Forces. Ashurbanipal. not require much money. University. Ashurbanipal Library project. Mu- The royal palace was burned He said UNESCO could be called A source in the Ministry of seums and universities in Britain, The library also received books when the ancient Assyrian city of upon to rehabilitate the library and Higher Education and Scientific Germany and the United States from the British Institute for Nineveh was destroyed in 612BC. open it to researchers. Allaf said Research said the University of have said they would provide the the Study of Iraq and other ar- The library contained important many entities inside and outside Mosul adopted the project in 2001 library with materials related to chaeological institutes but was texts owned by King Ashurbanipal, Iraq, including the Bibliotheca Al- to transform the library into a spe- the Ashurbanipal era. generally neglected and prob- such as accounts of wars, letters exandrina in Egypt, expressed a cialised hub servicing research- ably remains near the bottom and treaties. They were catalogued willingness to cooperate and pro- ers and specialists in Iraqi history Salaam al-Shamaa is an Iraqi of the list of Mosul University’s in five volumes kept at the British vide the library with sources and and monuments, organising con- writer. September 9, 2018 23 Culture

UAE shares own experience at the World Nomad Games

The Arab Weekly staff

Abu Dhabi

he United Arab Emirates was among 80 countries that recently took part in the T third World Nomadic Games in Cholpon-Ata, north of Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan. This was the second time the Emirates took part in the World Nomad Games. The festival repre- sented an opportunity to showcase the UAE’s Bedouin heritage and lay cultural bridges between various nations in a spirit of tolerance and openness. The Emirati pavilion showed lo- cal traditional objects and cultural products. The Heritage Corner at the pavilion offered Emirati cui- sine and pastries, bridal clothes and jewellery and carpet-making tech- niques. The Emirati General Women’s Union presented the essential role of Emirati women in producing and preserving UAE’s heritage as well as their effective economic role. The Heritage Corner had live demonstrations of traditional crafts, such as sadu (a traditional form of weaving), spinning and the art of making clothing and decorat- ing brides. Emirati women demon- Celebrating heritage. Emirati and Kyrgyz archery strated applying henna, kohl and contestants at the World Nomad Games in Kyrgyzstan. tattooing. Visitors partook of varied (Abu Dhabi Festivals, Cultural and Heritage Programs Committee) Emirati dishes and cooking ingredi- ents, including varieties of stuffed bread. UAE minister of culture and knowl- of cultural and artistic activities tural cooperation with the various Issa Seif al-Mazrouei, vice-chair- Fujairah Crown Prince Moham- edge development, highlighted the through bilateral participation in nations of the world in general.” man of the festivals committee, de- med al-Sharqi made an official visit importance of having the UAE par- various events. Our presence here Mazrouei pointed out that 2018 scribed the UAE’s participation “as to the Emirati pavilion, hearing a ticipate in international events that today is an opportunity for interac- represented the UAE’s second trip a valuable contribution to interna- presentation by the organisers on provide opportunities to introduce tion and dialogue with other cul- to the World Nomadic Games after tional efforts for the purpose of pre- the Emirati cultural elements that UAE culture, traditions and heritage tures and for achieving understand- the 2016 event was “outstanding serving the identity and cultures of were inscribed on the UNESCO’s to international audiences. ing and harmony with the various and drew a lot of attention.” nomadic peoples and their specific Intangible Cultural Heritage List, The Emirati presence at such fes- peoples of the world,” Kaabi said. “The World Nomadic Games is an way of life in a globalised world.” such as poetic forms known as tivals reflects the care the country Faris Khalaf al-Mazrouei, chair- ambitious and important cultural “The Emirati participation also Taghrooda (chanted poetry) and Al takes in preserving its heritage. man of the Abu Dhabi Festivals, festival. Not only it keeps alive and contributes to bringing people to- Azi (recitation of poems without “The UAE strives to strengthen Cultural and Heritage Programs promotes the traditions and games gether for fruitful exchanges while music or rhythmic instruments), cultural relations with the Republic Committee, said the UAE’s partici- of the nomadic peoples but also at the same time highlighting the the folk dance of Razfa and sadu. of Kyrgyzstan and to develop ap- pation in the World Nomadic Games strengthens friendship relations common human values present in Noura bint Mohammed al-Kaabi, propriate ways for the development “aims to strengthen the UAE’s cul- around the world,” he said. all heritages,” he added. Rap music rebels against Egyptian society

Angie Samir great successes. structured manner. Some of the most prominent rap Mekky said the genre is not popu- acts are Essam Karika, Zap Tharwat lar enough in Egypt and that it is Cairo and MTM. Tharwat specialises in sloppily executed at times. That mo- socially oriented songs, dealing with tivates him to perform in a different hmed Mekky’s song “Akher issues such as sexual harassment. fashion. Cha’awa” has been a big hit, His song “Nour” features Amina Perhaps Mekky’s Algerian roots claiming more than 10 mil- Khalil. MTM’s hit “Ommi Mesafra” played a role in helping him master A lion views on YouTube and represented a turning point for the rap, because rap is widespread in Al- highlighting the originality of that genre in Egypt. geria. These roots may have been a unique musical phenomenon that Some may say the irrelevance factor in propelling the artist to star- is rap and its ability to stir up social of vocal abilities in rap renders the dom in Egypt and can be noticed in issues. genre easy to perform. This can’t be his many movies and TV series. Rap music is a full-fledged art- further from the truth. All art forms Rap has an ability to tackle any form, having succeeded over dec- follow strict rules and rap is no ex- issue and debate it more compel- ades in imposing itself globally and ception. Rapping requires painstak- lingly and widely, leading observers in gaining widespread popularity. ingly composed lyrics that fit a fast to describe the genre when it first Its strength lies in its subversive re- beat and resonate in content with appeared in the United States as “a bellious elements, which do not re- rap-consuming audiences, mostly tool that is more powerful than or- quire great skills but can express hu- those aged 18-35. ganising protests or awareness cam- man or political conditions in a way The success of Mekky’s “Akher paigns.” other musical genres cannot. Cha’awa” demonstrates that rap Taki, a member of MTM rap crew, Mekky said rap was an expres- songs can express the reality of agreed. He said the power of rap lies sion of the self, of the street and of youth more so than other musical in its words and its ability to educate life. This musical genre is extremely styles. listeners in an entertaining and po- popular in the Arab world, not just Experts say rap’s popularity litically interesting way. He pointed because it was a novelty but, Mekky among young people is due to the out that “what appeals the most to said, because it has a unique style rebellious and critical nature of the youth in rap are the lyrics because conducive to fostering dissident ide- genre. Some see a correlation be- they address real life and events, as and vocabulary in reaction to pre- tween the increasing repression of unlike songs that highlight romance vailing socio-economic conditions. personal freedoms coupled with the and drama. This is what brings audi- lack of platforms for free expression ences to rap music.” Increasingly vocal. Egyptian rapper Ahmed Mekky. (Ahmed Mekky Facebook page) The success of Mekky’s and the flourishing of rap songs, Taki said rap can focus on one which act as a cloak for those seek- specific issue or deliver a specific “Akher Cha’awa” ing freedom. This is why rap artists message. He compared it to “a paint- demonstrates that rap face censorship when they engage ing with a message.” Each singer can the depth of changes in societies cal order” because the ruling regime songs can express the in overt criticism of the political convey a personal, social or political and the ability of young people to represents the society’s “soul” and reality of youth more so system; yet, defying the system is a message. appreciate and keep up with global shapes it through education, media, than other musical styles. cornerstone of the genre. The lingering problem that rap- musical trends. culture and art. Mekky explained that rap mu- pers face is that most lack a beau- Yasmine Farraj, a teacher at the She gave the example of Mekky’s A rap singer does not need any sic is an art form that enjoys cred- tiful singing voice that would give Academy of Arts, said rap was a kind “Wakfat Nasiyat Zaman,” which fo- particular vocal talent. Rap songs ibility because it is intimately tied them the opportunity to perform in of art that carried political purposes. cused on the death of morality and rely essentially on strong words to reality, that this distinguishes it concerts and directly interact with “It started in the United States and gallantry in society due to the dis- and music. This has prompted from genres that transport the lis- fans. spread among black people as a integration of the family and harsh many entertainers to dabble in tener into a fantasy world. A rapper Rap music continues to be contro- mode of protest against discrimina- economic conditions. Such issues the genre. In Egypt, rap gained needs to possess certain attributes, versial among music critics in Egypt. tion and racism,” she said. can very easily be tied to govern- popularity when actor Ahmad such as the ability to describe life’s Some of them consider it a “non- Farraj pointed out that political mental policies and connote politi- el-Fishawi tried his hand at it. Soon, struggles and a level of education genuine” art form, an “American im- censorship is heavy in Egypt. When cal messages. many others got into the game and put and culture that enables the art- port” that just imitates a foreign cul- rap songs criticise social practices, together bands that have achieved ist to string together words in a ture. These critics have overlooked they “indirectly criticise the politi- Angie Samir is an Egyptian writer. 24 September 9, 2018 Travel www.thearabweekly.com

Agenda

Beirut: Through December 27

Events associated with Sursock Museum Late Nights occur noon- 9pm each Thursday at the Sur- sock Museum in Beirut. Events include exhibitions, collection displays, late-night talks, perfor- mances and screenings.

Dubai: September 13-15

The Armenian National Academic Theatre Opera and Orchestra will take to the stage at Dubai Opera to perform “The Magic Flute,” the last opera composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Beirut: September 19-23

The 2018 edition of the Beirut Art Fair will take place at Beirut (GHM) (GHM) The Restaurant at Al Bait Sharjah. The Hammam at Al Bait Sharjah. New Waterfront. The fair gives Lebanese and international artists opportunities to exhibit and perform. Contemporary Art Al Bait Sharjah: Combining authentic shows, photo exhibitions and art galleries are scheduled.

Tangier: Emirati heritage with modernity September 20-23 The 19th Tangier Jazz Festival will N.P. Krishna Kumar foundations of four vintage homes feature international and local that once belonged to noted Emi- jazz artists. Over four days, visi- rati families. The names of its orig- tors can enjoy free street perfor- Sharjah inal owners are posted and rooms mances, free dance courses and have been retained to highlight the jazz concerts. This year’s festival ituated in the heart of the environment and lifestyle of locals will host performers Flo Bauer, city’s bustling commerce, who originally resided in the hous- Michael Lauren, Matthieu Bore the five-star Al Bait Sharjah es. The four houses are part of the and United Colors of Mediter- S hotel offers guests a taste of development with 53 luxury suites ranee. Emirati heritage. spread across six buildings. Developed by General Hotel One of the houses, which be- El Gouna: Management (GHM) in partnership longed to Ibrahim Mohamed Al September 20-28 with the Sharjah Investment and Midfa, who was influential in what Development Authority (Shurooq), is now the UAE’s cultural life and El Gouna, on the Egyptian Red the $27 million Al Bait Sharjah is issued its first newspaper, has the Sea coast, will host the second El part of the region’s biggest resto- only round barjeel (wind tower) Gouna Film Festival. A diverse ration project, known as Heart of in the UAE. It is where the coffee selection of films is scheduled. Sharjah, scheduled for completion shop will be. The programme includes docu- in 2025. It aims to restore the cen- “The opening of Al Bait will be mentary, narrative and short film tral neighbourhood to resemble its another major achievement in our competitions in addition to the 1950s appearance. scheduled development phases of Audience Award. The Heart of Sharjah will fea- the Heart of Sharjah project,” Heart ture commercial, cultural and of Sharjah Manager Khaled Deemas A view of the guestroom at Al Bait Sharjah. (GHM) Amman: residential facilities. Construction said in a release. “Our partnership September 26-October 6 includes new and reconstructed with GHM reflects on our mission buildings and renovated historical and vision to strengthen Sharjah’s Al Bait Sharjah, said: “Our resort blended with the contemporary The 18th Amman International ones. position as a leading cultural tour- brings the look and feel of a real touch,” she said. “They can share Book Fair welcomes 500 printing Al Bait is adjacent to Corniche ism destination, delivering a rich Emirati home to life. From the set Levantine gourmet favourites houses from various countries. Road running along Sharjah Creek mix of traditional and modern lux- up on the resort to the majlis to the served family-style at the Arabic Egypt will be the guest of honour and Al Hisn Street. Guests can im- ury Emirati experiences to visitors room decor, cuisine and service, Restaurant and find international for this year’s fair. bibe in an authentic part of Shar- and tourists.” Al Bait focuses on the authenticity fare from morning to evening in jah’s history as well as experience “GHM, with their bespoke hotel and unforgettable experience of its the Restaurant. Both restaurants Cairo: the very best of the United Arab management portfolio of the best- guests.” boast a choice of indoor and out- September 27-29 Emirates’ commercial and cultural known hospitality project names door seating, giving diners the hub infused with the spirit of cos- from around the world, will play a chance to appreciate the surround- CairoComix Festival, produced mopolitanism. key role in supporting our overall The $27 million Al Bait ings, while enjoying their meal.” at the American University in Much of the emirate’s mercantile objectives in developing Heart of Sharjah is part of the Kurzawa said the Cafe serves Cairo’s Tahrir Square Campus, history, as well as its modern com- Sharjah into a high-level landscape region’s biggest restoration pastries for those with a sweet brings together artists, publish- merce, were born in and around project catering to a significant project, known as Heart of tooth, served in an intimate setting ers, speakers and fans of comics the area. Guests at Al Bait Shar- number of tourists in the UAE and Sharjah, scheduled for where spices, teas and coffees are from around the world for an jah can experience the traditional the Gulf region,” Deemas added. completion in 2025. not only part of the decor but an extensive programme of exhibi- souks, including Souk Al Shanasi- Patrick Moukarzel, the resort’s aromatic journey for the senses. tions, talks and workshops about yah, one of the most ancient mar- general manager, said: “GHM has “The Ice Cream Shop is the per- the comics industry. kets in the Gulf region. taken the lead in pioneering luxu- “Al Bait not only stands as Shar- fect place to stop and appreciate The thriving modern art scene is ry hospitality in the Emirate, while jah’s first luxury resort, it is also a the buzz around the nearby souks Dubai: centred on the nearby Sharjah Art connecting the modern traveller to new benchmark for the hospitality while letting the taste and texture October 1-2 Museum and the many galleries of Sharjah’s rich storied past. We ea- scene. It caters to luxury travellers, of Turkish dondurma and house- the Sharjah Art Foundation, home gerly look forward to welcoming both local and international, who made ice cream and sorbet engulf Dubai Opera will host Latin singer of the renowned Sharjah Biennial. guests to Al Bait for an experience are looking for tranquillity, seren- your palate,” Kurzawa said. Julio Iglesias for two concerts as Al Bait, meaning “home” in Ara- comparable to no other.” ity and high-end experience.” part of his 50th anniversary world bic, was carefully remodelled and Agnieszka Kurzawa, marketing “Guests can expect a blend of N.P. Krishna Kumar is an Arab tour. constructed from the restored and communications manager of Levantine and Arabic experience, Weekly contributor in Dubai. Abu Dhabi: October 5

Caribbean Beach Festival is the premium music, food and dance festival celebrating Caribbean, African, American and Latino cultures through music, food and dance. The event at Yas Beach features an array of food trucks, stilt walkers and games.

We welcome submissions of calendar items related to cultural events of interest to travellers in the Middle East and North Africa.

Please send tips to: [email protected] Living area at the Grand Room. (GHM) A view at the Grand Room at Al Bait Sharjah. (GHM)