UK £2 Issue 196, Year 4 EU €2.50 March 10, 2019 www.thearabweekly.com Dealing Women Hala Shah’s with ISIS in the world of dance, Arab world love and faith Pages 7, 17 Pages 6, 12-13 Page 23 Army could be arbiter in Algeria crisis as protests gain support ► Algeria experts see the military’s backing as crucial for any potential successor to Bouteflika.

Lamine Ghanmi El Djeich’s editorial. “Our people who are instilled with great patriot- ic consciousness are fully aware of Tunis the current threats and challenges.” The magazine seemed to reflect a mid signs of disaffection by gradual shift in the military’s posi- regime loyalists and a shift tion away from unconditional loy- in the army’s position, tens alty to Bouteflika. A of thousands of protesters The editorial praised Algerians took to the streets March 8 across more than the country’s leadership: Algeria to express opposition to Al- “Our people, who fought and over- gerian President Abdelaziz Boutef- came a colonisation of 130 years lika’s bid for a fifth term in office. in a decisive independence war The peaceful protests were the and foiled the terrorist project that third weekly mass demonstrations aimed to destroy the pillars of the since February 22. Algerian soci- state, merit to bear the message of ologist Fatma Oussedik estimated their forefathers and shoulder the Challenging the US. A Russian S-400 Triumph defence missile system parades through Red Square in the number of Algerians who have responsibility to carry and preserve Moscow. (AFP) taken part in the demonstrations at their trust to achieve the national 3 million. project.” In Algiers, protesters converged after Friday prayers in a dense wave stretching nearly 1km while by- The Constitutional Missile defence system standers threw flowers and confetti Council has until March from flag-draped balconies. 18 to decide on Since Bouteflika, who is in Swit- Bouteflika’s candidacy. zerland for medical tests, had his sparks US-Russia candidacy for re-election officially Algerian military Chief of Staff submitted March 3, no fewer than General Ahmed Gaid Salah assured 15 opposition parties and four un- the public on March 5 that the army ions expressed support for the pro- was committed to the Algerian peo- tensions in Middle East test movement. More significant, ple and its main objective is that however, were the increasing signs “security is assured and stability is Mohammed Alkhereiji Palladino said. sion” that did not concern any other showing that support for the pro- deeply entrenched.” and Kelly Kennedy US Army General Curtis Scaparrot- country. tests was spreading to regime loy- Gaid Salah, whom many refer ti, head of US European Command, “There is a discussion over the alist circles. ahead of the April 18 to as “the arbiter of last resort,” told the US Senate Armed Services procurement of various military election. had previously warned Algerians London and Washington Committee that he was concerned equipment from Russia,” he said, Several members of parliament against taking part in protests and about offering one of America’s most adding that no deal has been final- from the ruling National Liberation defended Bouteflika’s record. lans by Turkey, a NATO mem- advanced systems to a country will- ised over the S-400. Front have resigned and the highly Algeria experts see the military’s ber, and Qatar, home of the ing to use Russian equipment, im- French newspaper Le Monde re- respected National Organisation of backing as crucial for any potential largest US military facility in plying that the Russians could gain ported last June that Saudi Arabia Mujahideen, an umbrella organisa- successor to Bouteflika. P the Middle East, to buy a Rus- access to the planes. had threatened to attack the Russian tion for war of independence vet- Michael Ayari, an analyst for the sian missile defence system pose a US Representative Matt Gaetz, a S-400 defence system if deployed by erans, came out in support of the International Crisis Group, told new challenge by Moscow to US po- Florida Republican, agreed, posting Qatar. protests. “It is the duty of Algerian Agence France-Presse: “The army sitions and influence in the region. on social media: “We have spent bil- “The kingdom would be ready to society in all its segments to take to could try to steer a possible transi- Ankara and Doha are in talks with lions on developing the F-35. If we take all necessary measures to elimi- the streets,” it said. tion process.” He mentioned retired the Russian government to buy don’t stop Turkey from getting the nate this defence system, including There was a notable change in General Ali Ghediri, who is a candi- S-400 missile defence batteries rath- F-35, we might as well hand the blue- military action,” Le Monde quoted the official media’s reporting on date for president, as a possible con- er than the US Patriot system. prints to the Russians.” Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz the protests with the official Al- sensus choice. The situation has the potential to US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Al Saud as saying a letter to French geria Press Service admitting that Observers said the army would sour relations between the United State Matthew Palmer and James President Emmanuel Macron. demonstrators were clamouring likely avoid giving the impression States and Turkey and adds a mili- Jeffrey, Washington’s Syria envoy, for “regime change” and not just of pulling the strings of the succes- tary dimension to tensions between travelled to Ankara for talks but no demanding “political change,” as it sion crisis. “It (the army) will not Gulf Cooperation Council countries, details were available. The situation has the previously stated. interfere for now because it is up to experts said. Russia benefits from any political potential to sour relations However, the strongest sign of the the civilian ruling elite to clean the In a region riddled with underly- disputes between Turkey and US al- between the United States changing mood within the regime’s mess. This is not the military’s busi- ing tensions, Russia has been aggres- lies because it can use them to un- and Turkey and adds a key power bases came from the ness but it will not accept a remake dermine trust and unity, Scaparrotti sively promoting the S-400 in the military dimension to powerful military. of the 1990s scenario,” a retired gen- Middle East. warned previously. eral, speaking on condition of ano- The Trump administration Turkish President Recep Tayyip tensions between Gulf nymity, told Reuters. warned countries against acquiring Erdogan said his country would not Cooperation Council There are increasing signs Figures close to Bouteflika sug- the S-400 defence system but that go back on the Russian missile pro- countries. that support for the gested that the Algerian Constitu- has not been a deterrent. Moscow ject. “The S-400 is over for us,” Er- protests is spreading to tional Council could help defuse has potential S-400 deals with Saudi dogan said in a report by Turkey’s US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regime loyalist circles. the crisis by nullifying Bouteflika’s Arabia, India and Turkey state-run Anadolu news agency. “We signed a memorandum of under- candidacy on health or procedural Ankara is in advanced stages of have an agreement with Russia now, standing with Qatar earlier this year “The achievements gained by grounds. talks about the S-400. Washington we will start joint production. Maybe to expand Al Udeid Airbase, south our armed forces in several fields “The council has to tell the full wants Turkey to buy the Patriot sys- we will get into a S-500 [system] af- of Doha. It hosts the forward head- and their unlimited and unqualified truth to the public about the medi- tem instead, arguing that the Rus- ter the S-400.” quarters of the US military’s Central standing with their nation confirm cal certificate about the health of sian system would not be compat- Experts said the S-400 row could Command and some 10,000 Ameri- the solid unity between the people President Bouteflika,” said Farouk ible with NATO weaponry and might develop into a major crisis between can troops. and their armed forces,” said an Ksantini, a lawyer with ties to the give Russia a chance to spy on West- the United States and Turkey. Regionally, Qatar has been isolat- editorial of El Djeich (“the Army”), president. ern military technology, such as the Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow at ed since June 2017, when the United a publication of the military. The Algerian Bar Association new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. the Foundation for Defense of De- Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain In a major departure from its tra- called on the council to reject The United States, where both mocracies, a Washington think-tank, and Egypt severed diplomatic, trans- ditional positions, the magazine’s Bouteflika’s candidacy, citing his parties in the US Congress have ex- said: “I disagree with the optimists port and trade ties with the small editorial did not mention Boutef- physical incapacity and his failure pressed concern about Turkey’s who see the current noise as simply a Gulf Arab state over accusations of lika or his re-election bid nor did to submit his candidacy documen- S-400 deal, has put delivery of F-35s bargaining ploy of the Turkish presi- support for Islamist extremists and it echo concern expressed by the tation personally (and not through a to Ankara on hold. dent. Erdogan is beyond the point of its ties to Iran. president’s warning, in a March 7 proxy as he did). “We’ve clearly warned Turkey that no return” on the S-400 issue.” letter, of the need for “vigilance and The council has until March 18 to its potential acquisition of the S-400 In Doha, the S-400 issue featured Mohammed Alkhereiji is The caution in case this peaceful expres- decide on Bouteflika’s candidacy. will result in a reassessment of Tur- in talks between Qatari Foreign Arab Weekly’s Gulf section editor. sion is infiltrated by some insidious key’s participation in the F-35 pro- Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Kelly Kennedy is the paper’s party… which could cause chaos.” Lamine Ghanmi is an Arab Weekly gramme and risk other potential fu- al-Thani and Russian Foreign Min- correspondent in Washington. “The people and the armed forces correspondent in Tunis. ture arm transfers to Turkey, as well ister Sergei Lavrov. Thani described Sabahat Khan contributed to this belong to the same homeland with as lead to potential sanctions,” US Doha’s efforts to expand military ties report from Dubai. no alternative to that,” pointed out P2-3 State Department spokesman Robert with Moscow as “a sovereign deci- P4 2 March 10, 2019 Cover Story Algeria Protests

Key juncture. Algerian female protesters wear their national flags as they demonstrate against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for a fifth term in power, in Algiers, March 8. (AFP)

Viewpoint Viewpoint A new pace of time in Algeria The only option

“All this serves to amplify the anger, that most young people in the Arab disappointment and frustration of world are unwilling to wait. They for Bouteflika Oussama not reaching the achievements of often demand instant gratification. Romdhani other countries.” With so many false promises, who be to hold on to his candidacy, The problem with social-media- can blame them? despite the very strong opposi- driven turmoil, however, is that Algerian youth see the current tion it faces. The daily street ith mounting it can amplify messages without state of affairs as unbearable. They demonstrations have brought street protests, offering cues as to which direction cannot rely on the largesse of the Claude Salhani together students, workers, law- Algeria bears all to take. This is all the more true in state as they did during the heydays yers, housewives, office workers, the hallmarks of a place where opposition politics of high oil prices. Instead, they can all with the same goal — oppose a country whose has been often more equated with count on the country’s red tape ens of thousands of Bouteflika’s fifth term as presi- rapid tempo of unstructured expression of dissent and its outdated regulations and Algerians took to the dent. Wchange is outpacing the ability of than offering alternatives. tax codes to smother any sense of streets of Algiers and To stick with his candidacy, its political system to adjust to new As expressed by French academic creativity and entrepreneurship. other cities around Bouteflika would have to clamp realities on the ground. Karima Direche to France’s Le They can also count on the Europe- the country on March down on the demonstrations but It is too early to tell how events Monde newspaper, young Algerians an Union’s restrictive visa policies 8, calling for an end that’s, for many reasons, quite an will unfold in Algeria and how the were expected to remain “frozen to hinder attempts to seek greener Tof President Abdelaziz Boutef- implausible scenario. With the rulers who still matter there, espe- in the traumatic time frame of the pastures abroad. lika’s 20-year rule. wall of fear broken by young Al- cially in the military, will interact 1990s.” However, they weren’t Whatever happens, Algeria has It was the third consecutive gerians, repression would carry with the protests. inhibited anymore by the horrors of entered a new phase in which Friday of protests and with every a prohibitive cost and nobody The issue of time is key to the the ’90s nor impressed by the glori- decades-old woes cannot be swept week that went by the protests wants to be caught on the wrong ability — or inability — of any regime ous days of the War of Independ- under the rug. The country’s com- grew in size and scope. side of history. to cope with unrest and deal with ence that made Abdelaziz Boutef- ing generation is not willing to look Despite his age (82), poor Algeria’s elites have read the the pressures for a peaceful transi- lika a hero. the other way as it faces top-down health and the effects of a stroke tea leaves and understand that tion. With generational mutations in decisions, corrupt practices and that left him partially invalid, the country’s future cannot be Experience in the Arab world has the background, speeches by long- unfriendly business environments. Bouteflika insisted on running dictated anymore by old men shown that long-entrenched leaders revered leaders are outdated the In addition, it sees the ruling for a fifth term in office. deciding the fate of the country can become complacent after many minute they are aired. The many class’s push to have Bouteflika On March 3, the deadline for in spite of the will of its people. years of unchallenged rule. End- steps inherent in the traditional pro- serve a fifth term as president as ut- filing candidacy applications, The army, which has taken a less terms in office can make time cess of preparing any presidential terly humiliating; and it views, with he had his political proxies in middle ground position, has al- seem expansive. There is no rush, speech are so time-consuming they equal shame, the temptation for its Algiers deliver truckloads of en- ways been loyal to Bouteflika but accordingly, to introduce significant cannot match the technical and citizens to illegally emigrate from a dorsements with his application, its officers know that the interest reform. political agility or spontaneity of the country so rich in natural resources. as if that mattered anymore. of the nation lies elsewhere. For the older generation of lead- young crowds. Today, Algeria’s youth look with From his hospital room in It is likely to preserve the old ers, meaningful change is only Funny how proposals that might pride at the world’s attention to Geneva, where he went for medi- lion’s dignity and safeguard his envisioned as a process that takes have seemed magnanimous in a one their peaceful protests. They are de- cal treatment, Bouteflika tried place in history, as it should, but decades to mature. No major repu- time frame can sound irrelevant and termined to continue advocating for through written speeches and its senior leaders will make sure tational damage would be usually anachronistic in another. a system reset that recognises the letters read on radio and TV to the president makes the right feared from sudden ripples that For decades, time seems to stand intelligence of young Algerians and give the impression he continued choice, that is to remove himself could unexpectedly upset the placid still and then suddenly both arms of ensures their access to modernity. to rule the country. But nobody from the ballot and retire with power streams. the clock go crazy. To make that possible, they want a had any more illusions. The honour to go down in the history The spin doctors had it easy Contrary to the violent confronta- level playing field and a new cast of former war hero was now but a books as a respected leader who in those days. Damage control tions between demonstrators and characters at the helm of the state. hazy shadow of himself. knew when to bow out grace- was a formal exercise that could security forces that broke out during Driven by frustration and impa- During the last few weeks, fis- fully. outstretch the limits of political the “Arab spring” uprisings in many tience, there is only a thin line that sures have appeared all over the From that perspective, the credibility with no risks. With no Arab capitals, the demonstrations in they could — or could not — cross facade of Bouteflika’s regime to army is likely to try behind the live satellite broadcasts and no Algeria have been generally peace- in their quest for the point that ruling party parlia- scenes to devise a constitution- social media, events took days ful. Violence was the accelerator of change. mentarians resigned and joined ally tenable scenario that would to report. More important, there the forest fire that swept the region Even- the protests. So did the official ease Bouteflika into a much- were no educated and politically in 2011. tually, TV presenter, who read needed retirement and facilitate savvy young populations with their it will all his “message to the a peaceful transition of power. fingers on computer keyboards and, depend on people” on March 3. Many of the slogans of the much more commonly these days, Whatever happens, the ability Bouteflika has two March 8 demonstrations were on their smartphones. Algeria has entered a of the pow- choices but only one reminiscent of the 2011 “Arab In the age of Facebook and Twit- ers that be realistic option. His spring” uprisings. Protesters ter, the reputation of leaders can new phase in which in Algiers to theoretical first called for regime change and an change over weeks, if not days. The decades-old woes introduce the choice would end to an obsolete rule that had catch-up game, which had assailed cannot be swept under transforma- outlasted its welcome. regimes’ attempts, becomes a near- tive shifts that are The peaceful nature of the pro- futile exercise. the rug, anymore. needed. If they hesi- tests and the festive mood in the In Algeria’s case, social media tate for too long, streets point to a possibly differ- seem to have been a major catalyst Algeria has been spared that kind it might be too ent outcome: A regime change of the mass protests. of upheaval. It has not, however, late before they with no bitter aftertaste. “The internet has allowed Alge- been spared the uncertainty that know it; for time, No violence or bloodshed rian youth to see what is happening comes with pent-up frustrations of more than ever, is that would make the change in other countries culturally, eco- the young. running short in synonymous with an outcome nomically, politically, as well as see- The peaceful nature of the pro- Algeria. each country should try to avoid. ing younger presidents compared to tests has reflected a striking degree Unprecedented developments theirs,” Brahim Oumansour, a Paris- of maturity on the part of both Oussama could be in the offing. The region based researcher at the Institute of the young demonstrators and the Romdhani is holding its breath. International and Strategic Rela- security forces facing them but im- is Editor-in-Chief tions, told Agence France-Presse. patience is in the air. The problem is of The Arab Weekly. Claude Salhani is a regular columnist for The Arab Weekly. March 10, 2019 3 Cover Story Algeria Protests

The many woes at the root of Algeria’s crisis

of the political system. What would they have done if divine interven- tion were to have taken the man Mohamad Kawas away and these people would have to declare the presidency vacant? Of course, the office has been lgerian authorities vacant for years, since Bouteflika have seen nothing in suffered a stroke in 2013. the recent popular The Algerian regime is buying demonstrations but time. It doesn’t want to admit that the ominous shadow the street is rising and that the of the dangers of civil demonstrations that were not seen war,A as shown in the Syrian sce- on state television are a fact that re- nario, statements by Algerian Prime quires urgent political answers. The Minister Ahmed Ouyahia indicate, protests seemed to focus on the or a return to the nightmarish years fact that, unlike the demands of the that Algeria experienced decades demonstrators of the “Arab spring,” ago. Algerian protesters are not looking Since independence in 1962, Alge- to “overthrow the regime.” Buying time. Algerian ministers and representatives of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika (L to R) ria has been governed by the same Algerians took to the street with Amara Benyounes, Ahmed Ouyahia, Mouad Bouchareb and Amar Ghoul during a political meeting in regime, whose outward facade may a simple demand: “No to the fifth Algiers, February 2. (AFP) change but whose governing and term in office for Bouteflika.” The fundamental philosophies remain demonstrators were not opposed and in placing the emphasis on the budget revenues and 95% of export to be one of the cornerstones of unchanged. to another term by the ruling party, unity of Algeria and of Algerians. earnings). So, when prices in this the shadow authority adopted by The dynamics of power revolve which has governed Algeria since Thus, Ouyahia’s exaggerated sector fall, the fake nature of the Bouteflika. Tartag holds the secu- politically around the National the 1960s. The demand of the com- scenarios of doom and destruction social ladder is revealed. rity file and its extensions outside Liberation Front, the military and moners was simple and logical: reflect the worrisome bankruptcy Observers are investigating the country, which makes his role the security apparatus. Nothing has “Rule us with someone else.” of a power that cannot come up the shadow figures surrounding and his presence inside and outside changed since 1962, except that this Algerians came out together in a with a convincing response and Bouteflika and who decide the fate Algeria crucial for the stability of time the regime is experiencing a movement that is nothing like the that tends to choose the easy way of the country. Many question the the Algerian regime. blockage and couldn’t find an alter- one that devolved into civil war in out — malicious intimidation. controversial role played by the It seems that the military and native facade other than Abdelaziz Syria and which Ouyahia and his During all the years of its rule, president’s brother, Said Bouteflika. security circles, which had allied Bouteflika. government’s mouthpieces the Algerian regime has Leaked information speaks of the themselves with a handful of big In addition to the fact that Boutef- like to brandish in the not freed the Algerian great influence of Said Bouteflika in businessmen, are unable to read lika has been president since 1999, face of demonstra- economy from its appointing ministers, for example, the street in Algeria and that makes making the circus of giving him a tors. Algerian It seems that the dependence on and deciding policies to be imple- them unwilling to adjust to the new fifth term look like a provocation, society is nothing oil and gas. This mented by the prime minister. developments. They feel compelled the man is ill, wheelchair-bound like Syrian soci- military and security regime has Another person being scruti- to hold on to Bouteflika as their and absent from the public scene. ety in terms of circles are unable to always chosen nised is General Ahmed Gaid Salah, candidate for the president, even if In principle, the “powers that be” the multiplicity the option of chief of staff of the Algerian Army someone else submits his candi- in the Algerian regime should have of sects and read the street in relying on a and deputy defence minister (the dacy file on his behalf but that’s OK rushed to replace him as a gesture ethnicities and Algeria and that makes security ap- defence minister is the president because, in Algeria, power is exer- of compassion towards Bouteflika the Algerian them unwilling to proach to solve himself) as one of the most seri- cised on behalf of the big boss. and Algeria. regime, which the country’s ous figures who worked alongside What this circle of power needs It seems that structural paraly- is structur- adjust to the new problems. The Bouteflika. The man and his wili- is time so it can extend the life of sis has hit the narrow ruling circle ally complex and developments. security appara- ness are credited with the removal the regime. That same regime is surrounding Bouteflika. It also based on figures, tus bears a share of senior army and security com- bringing up Bouteflika’s promise to seems that Bouteflika represents a is unlike the Assad of the responsibility manders in favour of the president’s leave power soon, perhaps as soon complex password in a system of regime, which is essen- of dragging the coun- individual authority. Observers say as the circle finds a replacement. government that could quickly dis- tially limited to his family and try into a bloodbath during the that he was the main beneficiary of That regime is deaf and cannot hear integrate with his physical absence based on a sectarian minority. years of confrontation with Islamic the dismissal of General Mohamed Algeria’s call these days. or the absence of his symbolic The Algerian people who can and jihadist movements. Finally, Mediene, also known as Toufik, Some Algerians believe that the presence. remember the disasters of the the regime has relied on buying who headed the Algerian intelli- country that got rid of French colo- It is a rather intriguing fact for bloody “black decade” are the first civil peace through the financial gence services for 25 years. nisation 57 years ago needs to get its any observer that the military and to realise the dangers of resorting bonanza that came with the golden A third unavoidable figure is Ma- independence from those who had security institutions, along with de- to violence. Every day since the years of high oil prices. jor-General Athmane Tartag, who liberated it from that colonisation. cision makers in Algeria, could not outbreak of their protest, demon- Algeria’s economy depends was chosen by Bouteflika to replace agree on an alternative who would strators have been giving the world on revenues from the oil and gas Mediene at the head of the intel- Mohamad Kawas is a Lebanese represent the interests of all sectors lessons in peaceful civilised protest market (35% of its GDP, 75% of the ligence apparatus. Tartag seemed writer. Algeria has turned a page in its modern history

taken many capitals by complete stifled by a bureaucracy worthy of war of independence and is the television who served their country surprise, not least Paris whose Kafka. godfather of the country’s security with honour and distinction. links with Algiers are complex and Many officers in what is a profes- services, followed ONM’s foot- Mouloud Hamrouche, 75, stands Francis Ghilès multilayered. sional and well-educated army steps. out for many reasons: He joined the Official French and US spokes- are ashamed that their country Others, such as Mohamed “Tou- ranks of the ALN when he was 16, men said they hope Algeria will has been turned into an object of fik” Mediene, sacked by Bouteflika followed that up with a career in hatever happens continue on the road of non-vio- international ridicule. Their worst four years ago after a 25-year reign the army, from which he holds the between now lence and democracy. That is the nightmares did nothing to prepare at the head of the powerful Depart- rank of colonel, and the presidency. and the April 18 least they can say but the situa- them for Algerian politics mor- ment of Intelligence and Security, From 1989-91 he led a government presidential elec- tion for them is more comfortable phing into Monty Python. are playing with proxies, including that enacted bold political and eco- tions, Algeria has than it was in January 1992 when That shame is shared by all Alge- retired General Ali Ghediri, who nomic reforms but was dismissed turned a major the military cancelled the second rians who have vanquished their was encouraged to stand against six months before the ill-fated elec- Wpage of its modern history. round of elections, which would fear of marching freely through Bouteflika in the election. How- tions of 1991 and replaced by an Millions of Algerian men and have put the Islamic Salvation the streets of Oran, Constantine ever, his campaign fell into incompetent Sid Ahmed women have been demonstrating Front in power. and Algiers, where an estimated disarray before it even Ghozali, who plunged in the streets of Africa’s largest The result was a civil war that 800,000 people marched on started. Algeria into the country, the largest crowds since cost 200,000 lives, many “disap- March 2. Islamic party abyss. the country’s independence in July peared” and 500,000 Algerians One immediate danger lies in leaders who are Young Algerians are Hamrouche en- 1962. fleeing abroad. the bidding war between various deemed pre- cynical about all their joys a self-dep- One of the country’s leading soci- Opposition to a fifth mandate for groups. Iconic figures, such as sentable, such politicians but there are recating sense ologists, Fatma Oussedik, pointed Bouteflika cuts across all divides Saadi Yacef, who led the famous as Abdelfattah of humour and out that those younger than 15 rep- of ideology, region, class, age or Battle of Algiers in 1956, and Zohra Hamadache, people they have never rough-hewn resent 29.7% of Algeria’s population sex. Algerians — be they ordinary Drif, a courageous woman who are mere seen on television who features quite and those older than 60, 9.1%. men and women, businessmen fought against the French colonis- karagoz — Ot- apart from an That means that one-quarter or civil servants, army officers or ers, have been in the street. How- toman shadow served their country excellent under- of the population has been pro- employees of the powerful oil and ever, they have hugged close to the puppets — of with honour and standing of the testing against the attempt by gas monopoly Sonatrach — are sick centres of power since 1962 and are Mediene, who distinction. inner workings of the presidential clan — the word and tired of the rampant corruption trying to redeem their reputations. remains a master government, army “mafia” may be more apposite — and refusal to countenance any Djamila Bouhired, who was puppeteer. Some and security. Unlike led by Algerian President Abdelaziz economic or political reforms, posi- tortured by the French, stands in Middle East countries many of his peers, no Bouteflika’s brothers, Said and tions that characterise an ossified sharp contrast, having never be- have their own puppets. corruption attaches to his name. Abderrahim, the head of the Forum system. longed to the presidential court. The key question is: Who in He is unlikely to take uncon- des chefs d’entreprises Ali Haddad They are desperate for an Algeria One senses in Algiers that many the country’s pool of former lead- sidered risks, however. For him and the deputy minister of defence, that is less corrupt, more rule- rats are fleeing a sinking ship. The ers and senior officials might be to accept such a challenge would General Ahmed Gaid Salah, to im- bound and open to the world. symbol of the National Organisa- able to take on the arduous role of depend on whether Algeria’s power pose a fifth mandate on a man who One-quarter of young Algerians tion of Mujahideen (ONM) — Alge- interim leader, capable of running brokers give him a free hand to is ill and has not spoken in public are unemployed in a country that ria’s independence war veterans’ affairs for a year, get the constitu- clean out some of the Augean since 2013. boasts large oil and gas wealth. group — abandoning Bouteflika is tion rewritten or amended and stables. The events of recent weeks, Billions of dollars of ill-begotten lost on no one. The Association of conduct free and fair elections? which were preceded by serious wealth find its way abroad while Veterans of the MALG, which ran Young Algerians are cynical Francis Ghilès is an associate incidents in the eastern towns young, savvy entrepreneurs find the internal security of the National about all their politicians but there fellow at the Barcelona Centre for of Khenchela and Annaba, have their efforts to start new companies Liberation Army (ALN) during the are people they have never seen on International Affairs. 4 March 10, 2019 Cover Story Russia Factor Washington’s dilemma with S-400 sales

Sabahat Khan grow much larger, considering the rapidly growing importance of mis- sile defence to security. Dubai A number of variants for the S-300, the S-400’s predecessor, he Russian-made S-400 have been used by countries that is a surface-to-air missile identify the United States as an defence system that is re- enemy or major military threat, in- T garded to be as good as any cluding Iran, Syria, North Korea and in the world. Its development was Venezuela. driven by Moscow’s competition Although important US partners with NATO and apparent need to such as Greece — a NATO member — maintain a balance of power against Egypt and India have operated the the US military’s firepower. S-300, Washington is much more When the Russian military inter- concerned about their potential vention in Syria began in September migration to the considerably more 2015, it came as a surprise but only advanced S-400 when the nature after Moscow deployed the S-300, and role of such systems are taking the system preceding the S-400, did on much greater strategic signifi- the truly game-changing effects of cance. that intervention become anchored. In particular with Turkey, which In today’s warfare, there is no is a key NATO ally with a poten- substitute for air superiority and tially key role in NATO’s future bal- the S-400 can have a potentially de- listic missile defence, and India, cisive effect in the air domain. seen as an important future partner The S-400’s capability of tracking in counterbalancing China, there multiple aerial targets an estimated have been serious concerns among 600km away and an engagement American policymakers over their range of 400km provides its users acquisition of the S-400. with an advanced air defence shield India was threatened with poten- that is a strong deterrence to adver- tial sanctions to dissuade New Delhi saries. from its purchase and Turkey could be facing the prospects of having its deliveries of the F-35 joint strike Hot under the collar. US soldiers stand next to the Patriot long-range defence system during Russia’s offering has been fighter cancelled if it acquires the a defence exercise at the military airfield near Siauliai in Lithuania. (Reuters) judged to be more S-400. compelling considering the The S-400’s commercial alterna- fewer strings attached and tive includes China’s FD-2000 but its systems or assets for any country system, which in some scenarios cluding the role of Russia as a part- added technology benefits true rivals are the American-made will increasingly depend on inter- can be used for offensive operations, ner in their security futures — con- for which it is open to Patriot and Terminal High Altitude national cooperation and technical but also open the door to long-term tinues to drive flexible approaches negotiate. Area Defence (THAAD) systems, integration that can enable infor- military cooperation with Russia in to missile defence. widely used by Arab Gulf militar- mation-sharing between various a manner that could impede Ameri- Outside of the United States and The last few years have seen ies. Saudi Arabia recently became a operators. can military interests. NATO, particularly in the Middle growing interest in the S-400 customer of the THAAD for $15 bil- When different users cooper- There is serious concern among East and much of Asia, Russia is around the world, including from lion, becoming the Gulf Cooperation ate in missile defence, they stand American and other NATO allies viewed as a valuable security part- traditional security partners of the Council’s second THAAD operator, to benefit by being able to detect that the S-400’s integration with ner together with the United States United States. after the United Arab Emirates. and engage threats much earlier, US-made or NATO-operated sys- rather than in the place of it. Turkey, India and Saudi Arabia The commercial aspects of the which significantly increases their tems — such as the F-35 or F-16 air- In the context of missile defence have signed agreements to pur- S-400’s potential sales — undoubt- chances of success. craft — could provide Russia access specifically, Russia’s offering has chase the S-400. Qatar has been in edly big-ticket deals — are out- The United States would natural- to sensitive information and data, been judged to be more compelling advanced negotiations over its pur- weighed by the more strategic ly want itself to gain from needs for threatening operational security. considering the fewer strings at- chase since 2018. Egypt and Iraq implications of its purchase by such future cooperation rather than Yet, for many US allies and part- tached and added technology bene- have also expressed serious interest Washington’s allies and partners Russia, which, in many cases, may ners, a series of other considera- fits for which it is open to negotiate. in recent months. when the United States is attaching well be the actual threat around tions, such as transfer of technol- The S-400 is operated by the likes such importance to partnership in which that cooperation is designed ogy, through-life operating costs of Sabahat Khan, based in Dubai, of China, Algeria and Belarus, in ad- missile defence. from the American perspective. systems, differing perspectives on maintains a cross-disciplinary dition to Russia, but that number In the next few years, the effec- Sales of the S-400, therefore, not missile threats and the nature of focus in international security, of countries using it is expected to tiveness of air and missile defence only equip its users with a powerful geostrategic competition itself — in- defence policy and strategic issues. Viewpoint Lavrov bids to strengthen Russia-Gulf ties at expense of US

s US foreign policy broker even extends to regional process while Russia supported by the Russian S-400. in the Middle East pariahs and existential enemies resuming the Palestinian-Israeli Worse for the US military-in- lurches from Israel and Iran. Israeli Prime Min- peace process based on inter- dustrial complex, Russia con- John C.K. Daly contradiction to ister Binyamin Netanyahu met national legitimacy, with direct cluded a deal with NATO member contradiction, from with Russian President Vladimir negotiations between the two Turkey to purchase the S-400 unwavering support Putin February 27 in Moscow. parties. system, with delivery scheduled ofA Israel to an off-again, on-again Netanyahu’s office reported him Lavrov stressed the impor- for this year. This is a major chal- withdrawal from Syria, Russia saying: “President Putin and I tance of consolidating trust and lenge to NATO and the United has adroitly pursued a consistent agreed on a joint goal — the with- security in the Gulf, where dis- States because Turkey is also to policy of keeping its diplomatic drawal of foreign forces that were cord ranges from disagreements receive F-35 Joint Strike Fighters lines open to all parties. deployed to Syria after the start between Iran and several Gulf from the United States, a deal the Moscow’s flexibility provides of the civil war.” Cooperation Council members Trump administration is threat- a sympathetic common-ground Russian analysts concluded to the crisis between Qatar and ening to cancel if Turkey takes forum for even such existential that Russia and Israel achieved a its neighbours, which started in delivery of the S-400. enemies as Israel and Iran. In quid pro quo under which Israeli 2017. Of course, the crown jewel complete contrast to Washing- strikes would not threaten Syrian Lavrov said military coopera- in Russian Middle East foreign ton’s policy of regime change, President Bashar Assad while tion with Kuwait is an important policy would be to advance from Iran to Syria, Moscow has Russia promised to curb Iranian joint venture. During the news peace between Israelis and the deployed support for existing influence near the Israeli border. conference in Kuwait City, he Palestinians beyond decades of governments. Four days after Netanyahu’s said: “Kuwait takes part in the seemingly interminable vapid Solidifying this policy has seen visit, Lavrov began his 4-day annual ‘Army’ military and tech- discussions. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei working trip to Qatar, Saudi nical forum and participates in While a comprehensive peace Lavrov criss-crossing the Middle Arabia, Kuwait and the United ‘Tank biathlon’ organised by Rus- agreement has eluded diplomats East and North Africa. In January, Arab Emirates. Lavrov’s agenda, sia’s Defence Ministry. It helps for 71 years, the United States un- Lavrov travelled to the Maghreb, highlighted at news conferences to establish contacts between der Trump has effectively abro- visiting Algeria, Morocco and Tu- in each capital, included trade people when they take part in gated its role as “honest broker,” nisia. From March 4-7, he toured discussions, joint projects, bi- these ‘sports battles.’” a mantle that Russia appears will- Arab Gulf countries, stopping in lateral visits and major issues of Above and beyond “sports ing to accept, having invited both the capitals of Qatar, Saudi Ara- regional concern, including Iran’s battles,” the most startling Israeli and Palestinian politicians bia, Kuwait and the United Arab isolation, Syria and the Israeli- development of Russia’s MENA to Moscow for negotiations. Emirates. Palestinian issue. diplomatic offensive for Wash- In such a volatile region, Rus- All the countries on Lavrov’s Contrasting Russian diplomatic ington has been its emergence in sia’s non-judgmental support for tour are allied to some degree support for regional stability, the lucrative Middle East arms stability provides consistency with the United States. Qatar, Lavrov in his Arab Gulf news market, with both Saudi Arabia that Washington’s policies lack. for example, is the site of the conferences highlighted unilat- and Qatar mulling purchasing the In an area persistently wracked Moscow’s flexibility massive Al Udeid Airbase, which eral US actions and their negative Russian S-400 missile defence by violence, it would seem Lav- provides a houses thousands of US military effects on the Middle East peace system. rov’s Middle Eastern sojourns can sympathetic personnel under a 1991 bilateral process. Saudi Arabia already has US- only accrue increased Russian defence cooperation agreement Lavrov recalled that, although manufactured Patriot missiles regional influence at Washing- common-ground that was expanded in 2013. Lav- US President Donald Trump had defending it against Iran-sup- ton’s expense. forum for even such rov was warmly received in all promised to do his utmost to plied missile threats from Yemen. four capitals. achieve an Israeli-Palestinian For those with a sense of irony, John C.K. Daly is a Washington- existential enemies His cultivating a perception settlement, his administration the US military assets at Al Udeid based specialist on Russian and as Israel and Iran. of Russia as a relatively honest had effectively abandoned the Airbase could soon be defended post-Soviet affairs. March 10, 2019 5 News & Analysis Yemen Gulf Pleading Yemen’s ‘southern issue’ at the British House of Commons

Mohammed Alkhereiji said. As far as the STC is concerned, the crisis in Yemen did not start in London 2014 when Iran-allied Houthi rebels staged a coup. Rather, it dates to emen’s Southern Transi- 1990 when the People’s Democratic tional Council (STC) Presi- Republic of Yemen — South Yemen dent Aidarus al-Zoubaidi — and the Yemen Arab Republic — Y warned against excluding North Yemen — united to form one his movement from the country’s country. political process, stressing that “Our aspirations were to live as any lasting peace agreement must equal in a state committed to the be inclusive of all segments of the rule of law, democracy and the pro- population. tection of human rights, but the Zoubaidi pleaded his case at the reality on the ground was the op- British House of Commons in an posite. Sana’a followed a systemic event that focused on Yemen’s civil policy of persecution and margin- war and the position of the south alisation that led to the 1994 war,” amid the country’s competing fac- Zoubaidi said. tions. This misery continued for dec- “Our objectives in the STC are to ades, he said. secure a lasting political deal and Many Southern Yemenis have we continue to work with UN Spe- long said they have been exploited cial Envoy Martin Griffiths and his by northern leaders, mainly former team constructively with this aim,” President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Zoubaidi said during the discussion his associates. Anti-Saleh senti- organised by the Foreign Policy ment led to the formation of the Centre think-tank. Southern Mobility Movement in 2007, which seeks the re-establish- For an inclusive approach. President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidarus al-Zoubaidi (AFP) ment of South Yemen as an inde- speaks at the STC national assembly meeting in Mukalla, February 16. With fighting between pendent state. STC supporters and the Zoubaidi and current Yemeni efforts that sought the secession of “The status quo before 2014 will dom and others must ensure that north erupting President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi southern Yemen. no longer be accepted in the south,” the south is represented in peace sporadically over the also have a history of bad blood be- “Such moves remain baseless Zoubaidi said, stressing that sever- talks,” he said. years, the United Arab tween them, stemming from Hadi’s and will never be accepted,” the al objectives need to be addressed Zoubaidi underscored that all sacking of Zoubaidi as Aden gover- statement said, adding that the for Yemen to achieve stability. main elements of the political pro- Emirates and Saudi nor in May 2017. This led to Zoubai- new council only served the Houthi The Stockholm Agreement cess must be on the table. Arabia stepped in to di joining the southern separatists, rebels. signed in December by the Yemeni “The Stockholm Agreement is calm tensions. who rebranded themselves as the With fighting between STC sup- government and the Houthi rebels important but it is just one aspect,” STC movement. porters and the north erupting spo- must be fully implemented and he said. “We need to address broad- He said the goals would be harder With the establishment of the radically over the years, the United concerned parties need to return er issues, like justice, accountabili- to reach if the “southern issue” and STC came the revival of secession Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia to the negotiating table with the ty and development needs and just the legitimate representatives of rhetoric, which did not sit well stepped in to calm tensions. STC present to ensure that the po- as important is having the southern the southern people are excluded with the internationally recognised However, Zoubaidi remains ada- litical process is inclusive, Zoubaidi issues on the table and giving our from the political process. “This is government of Yemen. A statement mant that matters cannot return to added. people the opportunity to deter- the current risk we face now,” he from Hadi “categorically rejected” how they were in the past. “This means the United King- mine their own future.” Viewpoint Saudi moves against regional rivals bearing fruit

ver the past ten to break the isolation and salvage and the Badr Brigades in Iraq. to crack down on the groups’ years, the Middle what they can. With their hands It has also targeted Turkey, the funding and access to arms. East, one of the most tied by sanctions, they are looking lead sponsor of Sunni political And, last but not least, Qatar is Iman Zayat troubled regions in mainly to war-ravaged Syria and Islam and the de facto base of in a world of trouble. It remains the world, has gone Iraq, hoping to secure economic the Muslim Brotherhood, which caught in an absurd fight against through drastic thresholds and recover some of is viewed by many countries as the windmills of isolation and the Ochanges. This does not only mean their losses. an extremist group that aims to repercussions of a regional mess that the regional scene is one of This will not be an easy task. use democratic values to prop up that is of its own making. fluctuating dynamics but also that Turkey and Iran, both using politi- caliphates around the region. While we are witnessing the the game of influence has become cal Islam to advance expansionist Given the Brotherhood’s his- gradual downfall of what the more sophisticated with Saudi agendas, have been confronted torical connection to some of the Saudi crown prince called the Arabia emerging as the leading by traditional heavyweight Saudi world’s most violent organisa- “triangle of evil,” it is critical that pivot of power. Arabia over their alleged support tions, including al-Qaeda and the Riyadh and its allies remain pa- In contrast to the Saudi regional for extremism and political Islam Islamic State (ISIS), there is reason tient and vigilant. ascent, Riyadh’s rivals have been in the region. for them to share this concern. Saudi Arabia and the United going through hard times. For Indeed, over the past four years, Saudi efforts to contain its States should brace for growing example, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Riyadh has doubled down on its regional threats — through exert- hostility from their foes in the Turkey, once hailed as an econom- stance against terror and politi- ing pressure on Iran, Turkey and Middle East due to their aversion ic model for the region, is under- cal Islam, while seeking to enact Qatar and directly intervening in to the Muslim Brotherhood and going painful austerity measures progressive reforms at home. Yemen — have steadily paid off. counterterror efforts. to mitigate soaring inflation rates. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed This has resulted in a weaker All of this explains the relentless The popularity of Erdogan and bin Salman bin Abdulaziz laid out Islamist government in Turkey, media and diplomatic campaign his Islamist Justice and Devel- this vision for a more open soci- an isolated Qatar that has become by Qatar, Turkey and Iran to opment Party, as a result, has ety in a 2017 interview with the more wary of its fate than that of weaken the US administration sunk right along with the lira, Guardian, saying: “We are simply its affiliated Islamist groups and, and contain Saudi Arabia. They presenting the ambitious leader reverting to what we followed — a of course, a more tense Iran that have even exploited the plights with one of his greatest political moderate Islam open to the world is facing unrest at home and isola- of Palestinians, Middle Eastern challenges. and all religions. [With] 70% of tion abroad. Christians, Yemenis, Yazidis, Uig- It was recently reported that Er- Saudis… younger than 30, honest- In Yemen, the Houthis are also hurs, Rohingya and other minori- dogan had resorted to cutting veg- ly, we won’t waste 30 years of our on the defensive, receiving less ties across the globe for political etable prices to woo voters ahead life combating extremist thoughts, aid from Tehran and increasing points, gaining sympathy from of municipal elections. This shows we will destroy them now and im- pressure from the Saudi-led alli- those oblivious to their collective how desperate the Erdogan-led mediately.” ance. The World Food Programme disdain for political freedom, hu- government has become: It is sell- Riyadh’s bold approach is said the Houthis have resorted to man rights and minorities. Growing hostility ing spinach, tomatoes and peppers refreshing when compared to the diverting shipments of food and The good news is that growing at makeshift stalls at almost half duplicity of its rivals but it re- selling humanitarian aid on the hostility from the “triangle of evil” from the “triangle of the market price to combat their quires aggressive efforts to clamp open market in Sana’a. is a sign that Saudi- and US-led evil” is a sign that political rivals. down on their influence. In Lebanon, the Iran-backed efforts to crack down on terror and Saudi- and US-led In neighbouring Iran, the situa- To clip the wings of those sup- Hezbollah movement is reportedly extremism are making progress. tion is not much better. The value portive of political Islam, Saudi increasing its criminal operations, However, to secure a better and efforts to crack down of the rial has dropped drastically Arabia has paid special attention including drug dealing and human more stable future, Riyadh should on terror and following the reimposition of US to Iran, which supports extrem- trafficking, to secure much-need- not let up the pressure. sanctions last November. ist proxy groups throughout the ed funding. extremism are The country’s leaders are em- region, including Hezbollah in ISIS and al-Qaeda have also been Iman Zayat is Managing Editor of making progress. barking on a diplomatic offensive Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen held back thanks to Saudi efforts The Arab Weekly. 6 March 10, 2019 Opinion

Editorial The road ahead for Arab women n top of social and economic progress, Arab women are making important strides in changing societal attitudes on gender equality but more work is needed to ensure women are granted the same rights and opportunities as Otheir male counterparts in the Arab region. In a report titled “Women in the Middle East and North Africa: A Divide between Rights and Roles,” the Arab Barometer institution pointed to changing mindsets in the region regarding gender equality, including access to education, employment and political representation. Polling across seven Arab countries showed an increasing level of adherence to equal rights between men and women, with 75% of respond- ents saying they support a woman’s right to a university education, 84% backing women’s access to the workplace and 62% favouring women’s access to political office. There is even support for women serving as president or prime minister. In six of seven Arab countries included in the survey, the majority of respondents stated they would support a female head of state, including 77% in Lebanon, 70% in Morocco 66% in Jordan, 64% in the Palestinian territories, 63% in Tunisia and 61% in Egypt. (Only 36% of Algerians shared that view.) © Yaser Ahmed for The Arab Weekly However, there are not only positive trends. Despite largely affirming women’s right to assume top government positions, two-thirds of the public in the Arab world said “in general, men Iran is on the way out from Syria are better at political leadership than women,” reflecting a deep-seated bias in favour of men. That bias, which grows stronger in times of crises, reflects a common preconceived notion Khairallah Khairallah that women are less capable of assuming leader- ship roles than men, leading to a stubborn glass Iran’s presence is rejected in Iraq where there is a Shia majority. ceiling that effectively blocks women’s political empowerment. How can it be accepted in Syria where the majority are Sunnis? There is no easy way to deal with this mental- ity. It requires both more female role models and strong political will to press ahead with initia- bout this time its exit from Syria will affect the countries, Israel and Turkey on tives that put women in positions of leadership. eight years ago, the future of Hezbollah in Lebanon? the broad outlines of the post- As stressed by the Arab Barometer report: people’s revolution There is no doubt that Hez- Assad era. “Efforts to improve women’s equality need to in Syria broke out. bollah, which is just another It is also obvious that the head move beyond ensuring equal rights to focus on It has become clear brigade in Iran’s Islamic Revolu- of the Syrian regime has begun to attitudinal shifts about the roles women should since then that tionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is a realise his days in Damascus are play in society.” theA world has conspired against great Iranian achievement, in- numbered. If that were not the the Syrians, including the US deed an exceptional one. Iran is case, he would not have gone to administration under Barack using the party in Lebanon and Tehran behind the back of Mos- Gender inclusive Obama, whose first and last outside Lebanon. It is one of its cow and would not have signed concern was appeasing Iran. essential tools in the region. It agreements with the Iranians economies Obama’s administration has uses in Syria and Iraq and and their companies concerning rab countries still must work had no goal besides reaching is active in Yemen and even in the reconstruction of Syria. towards establishing gender an agreement with Iran on its Bahrain. You must be living on another inclusive economies. Bridging the nuclear programme. For years, All that can be said in this re- planet to believe for one mo- current gender divide is especially dealing with this programme gard is that Hezbollah played a ment that Iran, which is besieged critical in terms of employment constituted the backbone of US key role in filling the vacuum in by US sanctions, will be able to and economic opportunity. foreign policy in the region and Lebanon created by the Syrian participate in the reconstruction The International Monetary Obama considered the revolt military and security withdraw- of Syria. FundA (IMF) said: “The MENA region has the of millions of Syrians against al in 2005 after the assassination Let us, for argument’s sake, largest gender workforce participation gap in the injustice just a detail. of former Lebanese Prime Min- suppose there is a programme world. Since its beginning in March ister Rafik Hariri. We now know for Syrian reconstruction at a “While men’s labour force participation is 2011, the Syrian revolution has who was behind it, who planned cost that can reach about $500 generally comparable to that of developed gone through several stages. It it, who carried it out and who billion. Where will the money economies in other regions, only about one-in- started out as a peaceful revolt covered it up. come from? Is there anyone will- four women participates in the labour force.” and turned into an armed revo- After the indictment issued by ing to spend money in Syria so The rate of female unemployment hovers the Special Tribunal for Leba- around 30% in many countries of the region. lution. Then came the episode Iranian companies can under- Among young people, it is even higher — 40-70% of the rise of the terror of the non, there are no more secrets take reconstruction? Who is in the MENA region, far higher than that of men. Islamic State with the complici- in the affair. Everything is clear ready to spend billions of dollars All the more frustrating is that female stu- ty of both the Syrian and Iranian and what is obvious is the com- in Syria for the benefit of Iranian dents’ access to schools and universities, where regimes, followed by Russia’s plicity between the Syrian and companies affiliated mostly with they outnumber their male counterparts, has not direct intervention in Septem- Iranian regimes in everything the IRGC? translated to equal opportunity in the workplace. ber 2015. that goes on in the region. Logic says the ninth year of There are many reasons for this paradox. While The only constant in eight This largely explains the Syrian revolution is going societies in the MENA region are generally years of turmoil was the organic relation- to be the year of Iran’s exit from supportive of the right of women to work outside Iran’s role, which ship between the Syria. There is no future for Iran the home, bias regarding women’s effective was intimately You must be living IRGC and Assad in Syria. After all is said and recruitment and integration endures. connected and that spe- done, there is in Syria a popular Part of this is due to legal and regulatory with Syrian on another planet cial relation- rejection of the Iranian presence, challenges, even in matters such as taxation. A President to believe for one ship between which is a sectarian presence recent World Bank study stated that “the typical Bashar moment that Iran, the head of contrary to nature and to logic economy in that region gives women less than Assad, a the Syrian before anything else. half the legal rights of men.” In the rest of the role that which is besieged regime and Whatever Iran and its militias world, women have attained around three- remains best by US sanctions, will Hezbollah. do and no matter what Hezbollah fourths of such rights. expressed What is does, there is a Sunni majority Women are, for instance, less than half as likely be able to participate also true, as as men in the region to have a bank account. In by the direct in the reconstruction in Syria. This is the reality Iran fact, in the Arab region, 93% of young women involvement the conflict has not been able to change (15-25 years old) do not have a bank account — of Hezbollah of Syria. drags into its despite all the sectarian cleans- “the highest rate of exclusion in the world,” the and its Lebanese ninth year, is that ing it carried out. Iran’s presence World Bank said. elements in the war the Iranian role in is rejected in Iraq where there All of this points to the need for a more gender- on the Syrian people. Syria is shaky after is a Shia majority. How can it inclusive approach, which would not only benefit It is not known why there the divergence between the be accepted in Syria where the Arab women but all Arab economies and socie- is this insistence on the part of Iranian and the Russian views majority are Sunnis? ties. Iran to have a foothold in Syria on Assad’s future. While Iran Can Iran make a deal with the The IMF said: “The MENA region could have and why it persists in investing considers its future presence in United States and Israel about its gained $1 trillion in cumulative output (doubling in a project of this kind when Syria linked to a certain person, presence in Syria? The answer is the average real GDP growth) over the past everybody knows it will not Russia is betting on Syria as a that this is impossible unless Iran decade if female labour force participation had succeed. country and on what remains of acquiesces to all 12 conditions set been raised to narrow the gender gap from triple Does Iran believe that the its state institutions, especially by the American administration. to double the average for other emerging market most important achievement of the army. The only side that can hold such and developing economies.” the revolution that toppled the Russia recognises that there a deal with the United States and Ultimately the issue is one of principle. Beyond shah in 1979 was the establish- is no future for Assad and his Israel is Russia and Russia is still the economic benefits that more gender-inclu- ment of Hezbollah in Lebanon? regime. This explains Moscow’s looking for a buyer for its Syrian sive systems would accrue, ensuring equal rights At some point in 1982, Hezbol- insistence on a new constitu- card. and opportunities for men and women is simply lah took over the role of the tion and on the possibility of the right thing to do. Sustainable progress in the Arab world cannot be achieved without it. Palestinian organisations in establishing an understanding Khairallah Khairallah is a Lebanon. Does Iran believe that with the United States, Arab Lebanese writer. March 10, 2019 7 Opinion

The questions that linger after Published by Al Arab declaring the defeat of ISIS Publishing House Ibrahim Zobeidi Publisher And after all these grievances and injustices, you want us to and Group Executive Editor hypocritically believe that ISIS is over? Haitham El-Zobaidi, PhD Editor-in-Chief s the last pockets the Iranian velayat-e faqih, dormant cells in mosques, Iraqi agents, Hassan Nasral- Oussama Romdhani of the Islamic quite satisfied with meting schools, homes, radio sta- lah, al-Nujaba, al-Asa’ib, Abu State (ISIS) are sectarian vengeance. tions, satellite channels and Fadl al-Abbas and dozens of cleared, we must This is when and where internet sites? militias that are no different Managing Editor revisit the origin sprouted that malicious tree Have the environments and from ISIS? Iman Zayat of this monster that went by the name of the conditions that spawned it Are we expected to believe thatA terrified the entire world Islamic State (ISIS). Its merce- ceased to exist in Iraq, Syria, that the combined might of Deputy Managing Editor from its birth until its miser- naries, cutthroats and bomb- Yemen, Libya and the Pales- the United States, France, and Online Editor able, inevitable demise. ers proudly donned the garb tinian territories? Britain and Italy is unable Mamoon Alabbasi On December 25, 2012, of the mujahedeen rebels, Have we really achieved to prevent Recep Tayyip in the central Iraq city of who were totally devoted social justice and equality in Erdogan’s Turkey and Sheikh Senior Editor Ramadi, the agents of the to defending only Allah, His Iraq such that sectarian origin Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s John Hendel weird and suspicious coali- Messenger and the believers. is no longer the qualifying Qatar from tampering with tion between the Qatari riyal, It was only a matter of time criterion for jobs or govern- the security of the Libyans Chief Copy Editor Turkish Islam and Iranian and in the normal course ment attention? and unable to prevent them Richard Pretorius Taqiyya suddenly became the of things that these back- Is the reign of militias over from continuing the policy of leaders, financiers and main ward hordes were joined and are all Iraqis loyal to only bestowing money, weapons Copy Editors conductors of a wave of Sunni by the remnants of Zarqawi their homeland? and fighters on the mujahe- Stephen Quillen demonstrations. They came brigades, the men of Naqsh- Have the prisons of Maliki, deen in Libya? Kyle Arensdorf up with the sit-ins in Anbar bandi and the remnants of Haider al-Abadi and Adel Should we believe that the first and then in the other six the worst, most stupid, most Abdul-Mahdi been emptied of United States, Russia, Europe, East/West Section Editor Sunni provinces of Iraq. ignorant and most sectar- their innocent men, women China and their Arab and Mahmud el-Shafey (London) The strange coalition found ian and racist Ba’athists, and children or is the old Islamic allies are incapable, its way to raising the ceiling who were out for blood and injustice the same, the old with just one stroke of the Gulf Section Editor of its demands. It was no revenge. marginalisation the same, the pen, of undoing Iran’s gener- Mohammed Alkhereiji longer a matter of requesting On June 9, 2014, ISIS forces old embezzlement practices osity towards the Houthis and the Maliki-Soleimani govern- drove away the regular Iraqi the same and the old corrup- stopping Iranian supplies of Society and Travel ment yield to the legitimate Army from Mosul and that’s tion the same? money, rockets and men and Sections Editor demands of the demon- how the nefarious story of Why is Iranian Major-Gen- extinguishing the fire of strife Samar Kadi strators. There were many ISIS began. eral Qassem Soleimani still in poor unhappy Yemen? innocent and sincere people The Islamic Caliphate ex- the one and same old ruler And what about the Pales- Contributing Editor among them but the protest- panded in Iraq and Syria but who hands out positions, tinians? By word and deed, Rashmee Roshan Lall ers quickly started waving the came head to head with the wages and gains? Trump has unleashed the threat of invading Baghdad, armies of the coalition (Tur- This is how it has always hands of Israeli Prime Min- overthrowing the government key, Syria, Iran, the United been in Iraq and how it ister Binyamin Netanyahu Senior Correspondents and establishing a nationalis- States and the hordes of the shall remain until that great to choke the life out of the tic Sunni sectarian caliphate Popular Mobilisation Forces). liberator US President Donald Palestinians, take their liveli- Lamine Ghanmi (Tunis) on its ruins. The allied armies pursued Trump and his widespread hoods, their dignity and the Thomas Seibert (Istanbul) Quickly Iraqi Prime Min- ISIS forces everywhere, armies in Iraq and Syria start future of their children who Kelly Kennedy (Washington) ister Nuri al-Maliki jumped liberated the country and distinguishing the light of were born in exile and will to exploit the threats as a the people from its evils and day. continue to live in exile. Regular Columnists legitimate pretext to occupy uprooted it for good, or so we How can we really believe The questions in this con- Claude Salhani Baghdad and mobilised his were told. That’s the story of that Syrian President Bashar text are endless but nobody own armies on January 30, ISIS in a nutshell. Assad is the one and the only really seems to read them or Yavuz Baydar 2013. He stormed Ramadi, Now that the war on ISIS is alternative there is in Syria, hear them. And after all these Correspondents crushing the protesters about to come to an end, we where there is no home left grievances and injustices, to their last, regardless of have the right to ask these without a funeral and no you want us to hypocritically Saad Guerraoui (Casablanca) whether they were guilty or questions: street without blood? believe that ISIS is over? Dunia El-Zobaidi (London) innocent. Then he humili- Is it true that ISIS is com- Is it true that the United Roua Khlifi (Tunis) ated the entire Sunni sect, pletely dead? States, Russia and Israel Ibrahim Zobeidi is an Iraqi which he knows is detested How do we know that it cannot kick Iran out of Syria writer and US publisher of Chief Designer and despised by his master, doesn’t have remnants and and Iraq and drive out its The Arab Weekly. Marwen el-Hmedi

Designers The ten illusions of Bashar Assad Ibrahim Ben Bechir Hanen Jebali Ali al-Sarraf The Syrian people have sacrificed enough to accept to believe that their Contact editor at: country cannot produce a real leader. That’s too demeaning for them. [email protected]

yrian President Bashar this is what has happened. slogans about resistance and given that he has hurt millions Assad is swimming in The reform option is no confrontation with Israel. This of people. There won’t be a com- illusions filled with longer on the table, because it nonsense is laughing matter in fortable seat for him in the Arab poisonous organisms is fundamentally not possible. Israel. What Israel is doing is League and he won’t be able to Al Arab Publishing House that he himself cre- Assad’s regime knows that striking at Assad’s forces and speak to the others beyond the Quadrant Building ated. He is so afraid to any change on its part would the militias of his allies and cold rules of the protocol. 177-179 Hammersmith Road Smove even one little finger lest unleash a wave of demands for coordinating its operations with His ninth illusion is that he London W6 8BS he gets stung by one of those a state of law and it can’t afford Assad’s major ally. can control at least his own creatures. to let that happen because it is Assad must know his bounda- canton but his scandalous defeat Assad’s first illusion is that he built on corruption and thrives ries and they don’t extend of his own people will stir deeply would win if he competes in an only on acts of intimidation. beyond some of the rooms of buried anger against him and his Tel: (+44) 20 7602 3999 election. This dream is shown The third illusion is that As- his palace — not even the whole gang. Unless he can get Tehran Fax: (+44) 20 7602 8778 to be irrational by considering sad can regain control of Syria palace. Confined to these ridicu- or Moscow to guarantee him the numbers involved. The man and sideline the foreign forces lous limits, one can hardly boast political asylum, he may not risks getting stung from at least he had brought in to ensure his and prance around as before. survive in his canton, which has three sources in any elections. survival. The truth is that both The sixth illusion is that suffered the same bitterness US Publisher: First, the elections would be Iran and Russia plan to stay in Assad can control the former and sorrow that the rest of Syria The Arab Weekly USA LLC. subject to strict international Syria. They seized control of Syria. The country has disinte- suffered. As the atrocities com- control. Second, he would have the land and built interests they grated into small cantons, each mitted by his regime become [email protected] real competitors and not the can no longer give up. Assad under temporary settlements public, Assad’s canton will soon [email protected] usual straw candidates who will not be able to govern except and guarantees that Assad can renounce him and kick him out. dare not even vote for them- through them. The smallest sign do nothing about. These areas The tenth and final illusion is Tel: 248-679-6624 selves. of rebellion on his part would could rebel if they have the in the meaningless slogans “As- And third, he would have to result in him getting stung to opportunity or the justification sad’s Syria” and “Assad forever.” accept fair campaigning and death. to do so. The last thing that any sane that risks unveiling the truth Assad’s fourth illusion is that Assad’s seventh illusion is person can imagine is that Syria about his regime’s Nero-like he can rebuild what has been that the return of some Arab will accept to be associated with achievements. Three-quarters destroyed. Neither Russia nor embassies to Damascus is a sign these inane slogans. The Syrian of Syrians have become direct Iran has the financial capacity of recognising that he has won. people have sacrificed enough to Subscription & Advertising: victims of his government’s to finance Syria’s reconstruc- The reopening of the embassies accept to believe that their coun- [email protected] crimes. I do not know with tion, which has been estimated represents an unquestionable try cannot produce a real leader. Tel : (+44) 020 3667 7249 what promises of further ruin to cost at least $200 billion. endeavour to build ties with That’s too demeaning for them. he could tempt the remaining If other countries are willing a future Syria and to lay the Bashar Assad, plunged in the quarter to vote for him. to invest in Syria’s reconstruc- foundations for the resumption pool of his deadly illusions, is Mohamed Al Mufti Assad’s second illusion is that tion, they’ll surely ask for of the Arab character of Syria scared stiff of bumping against Marketing & Advertising he can maintain the nature of guarantees. The first of these after it has been trampled by the any of his creatures. The best he Manager his regime. This regime has lost would be that there should be Persian project. can hope for is a helicopter that the respect of the Syrian people. a government in Syria that is Under his eighth illusion, As- will take him far, far away to an Direct: (+44) 20 8742 9262 This regime wants to remain the viable, not rotting. sad thinks he can stand as a full- unknown location. www.alarab.co.uk way it is even if it has to trample The fifth illusion is that As- fledged peer alongside the other on everyone’s heads. In fact, sad can market his worn-out Arab leaders. That can’t happen, Ali al-Sarraf is an Iraqi writer. 8 March 10, 2019 News & Analysis Syria Can Assad regime use ISIS presence as propaganda tool?

The Arab Weekly staff Caliphate’s final days. Men suspected London of being ISIS members sit at hile international atten- a screening area tion was focused on an held by the attack on the last bas- US-backed W tion of the Islamic State Kurdish- (ISIS) on Syria’s border with Iraq, led Syrian Syrian troops have been bombing Democratic ISIS fighters holding out in a vast Forces in the stretch of desert further west. eastern Syrian The ISIS presence in the Syrian province of Deir Desert has gone largely unnoticed ez-Zor, March 6. as the international alliance battling (AFP) the jihadists has been driving the militia towards the Iraqi border but the desert in southern Syria has now become a battlefield. US-backed forces have laid siege to Baghouz on the Euphrates River in Deir ez-Zor, near the Iraqi border. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said they had slowed their assault on Baghouz because civilians, pre- viously thought to have evacuated, were trapped in the area. Baghouz is the last populated ter- ritory that ISIS holds. The number of ISIS fighters in Baghouz is unknown. Mostafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, told Reuters that “1,000 give controlled part of Syria between Al-Masdar News, a website that ISIS remnants hauled up in the re- employ the last ISIS fighters as a or take” were in the enclave. Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor. says it “supports any lawfully elect- gion do not pose a significant mili- “weapon of propaganda,” telling the Baghouz is the last territory held The Syrian military mounted air ed government in Syria,” reported tary threat, said Spyros Plakoudas, international community: “Please by ISIS east of the Euphrates. Under strikes against ISIS and clashed with in February that 1,500-3,000 ISIS an expert on international relations support me. I can offer security.” a US-Russian agreement, the United militants in central Syria, Reuters members — up to three times as and security at the American Uni- The ISIS area in the Syrian Desert States and the SDF have been fight- quoted the pro-Damascus al-Watan many as in Baghouz — were thought versity of the Emirates in Dubai. is close to two regions with great ing ISIS east of the river, while Rus- newspaper as saying. to be in the region. “The ISIS military machine has economic significance for Syria. sia, the most important partner of The flare-up in al-Sukhnah, be- been crippled by the attacks of the Deir ez-Zor is home to most of the Syrian President Bashar Assad, con- tween Palmyra and Deir ez-Zor, SDF and the area is sparsely inhabit- oil reserves of the country and Pal- trols the skies west of the Euphrates. included “a number of air strikes” The ISIS presence in the ed and in the middle of the desert,” myra has most of Syria’s natural US President Donald Trump de- targeting ISIS in eastern parts of the Syrian Desert has gone Plakoudas said in a telephone inter- gas. clared that ISIS had been “100%” desert, al-Watan reported, citing a largely unnoticed as the view. Plakoudas said Assad’s attention defeated but observers say that, military source. international alliance Despite the military superiority was focused on the north-western while that statement may be true The Syrian Army recaptured al- battling the jihadists has of the Syrian Army and its Russian province of Idlib, where thousands for much of the geographical former Sukhnah in 2017 as it pushed ISIS been driving the militia partners, Damascus has not shown of Islamists and other rebel fighters ISIS “caliphate,” it ignores the fact across central Syria along the cru- towards the Iraqi border. much determination to tackle ISIS were surrounded by government that many ISIS fighters are at large cial desert highway from Palmyra forces in the region, however. “Why troops. A Russian-Turkish deal, in Syria. to Deir ez-Zor. However, some ISIS Al-Masdar News said Syrian gov- isn’t Assad doing anything about struck last year, has prevented an Outside the US and SDF area, an fighters remained in the rugged de- ernment troops initiated a “polic- this? There can be one reason only: all-out onslaught by Assad’s forces unknown number of ISIS members sert areas and have attacked army ing” operation against ISIS in the Assad wants to use ISIS as a bogey- on the region on the Turkish border are thought to be hiding in parts of positions and convoys, a pro-Da- Syrian Desert. No details were man,” Plakoudas said. but the truce has been shaken by the Syrian Desert in a government- mascus source told Reuters. available. Plakoudas said Assad wanted to fighting in recent weeks. Security crucial for Syrian refugees returning home

Kelly Kennedy the Mashreq Region at the World located and if they will need to times more important” than physi- “They’re paying for it,” he said, Bank said March 5 at a Middle East worry about forced conscription cal destruction when estimating referring to the Syrian refugees. Institute forum in Washington. or whether they could be killed or economic damage. “It’s costly for them to be there.” Washington “Once they are displaced, they jailed when they return home. World Bank researchers said two Syrian children are more likely to have options.” assumed truths were false. First, go to school in Syria than as refu- estoration of basic ser- Often in their host countries, people tend to believe that Syrians gees in Jordan and Lebanon, which vices, such as water and refugees live among the general Security is the biggest would choose to go to Lebanon and means their prospects are worse electricity, in Syria will not population rather than in refugee issue and that includes Jordan if they could, even if there if they leave home, he said. As R inspire refugees to return camps. Decisions about whether human and property wasn’t a conflict. refugees, they tend to drop out of home if those resources don’t come to return home can encompass rights. “This is not true,” Onder said. school early to get married or earn with security, World Bank experts whether there’s anything to return “It’s a safe environment at the ex- money and this will be the case said. home to if houses have been ran- The World Bank team focused pense of quality of life.” “for generations going forward,” he That assessment was made even sacked or destroyed, if there are on economic repercussions, such Syria, Jordan and Lebanon have said. as “there is some kind of imperfect jobs to provide a living, if there is as the degradation of trust in insti- similar relatively high rates of pov- The second disproved truth is stabilisation in the region,” said access to necessities, including tutions, in social trust or in busi- erty, so the Syrian refugees aren’t that “people think if we make refu- Harun Onder, a senior economist health care, how many people in ness relationships. The research- more likely to fare better by leaving gees’ lives miserable, they will go in the Middle East and North Africa a family unit will need to be re- ers said those factors were “20 home, Onder said. back,” Onder said. “This is a popu- region of the World Bank. lar misconception. It is not true.” He said the Syrian GDP was ex- If refugees have access to even pected to grow 9.9% in 2019 but one extra meal per day, they’re 15% “It’s important to put that in per- more likely to return home, he said. spective,” Onder said. Security is the biggest issue and An improved economy could af- that includes human and property fect the entire region, so econo- rights, he said. mists wondered whether trade “People won’t return home if could bounce back with Lebanon, they fear being arrested or be- Jordan and Iraq and would those ing forcibly taken into the army,” countries recover some of their Onder said. “You can inject money losses as Syria’s economy poten- into the economy but most of it will tially improves. be wasted.” “We quickly realised much de- Mona Yacoubian, executive pends on whether the refugees will director of the congressionally go back,” Onder said. mandated Syria Study Group, said Onder worked with the UN refu- about 5.6 million people have gee agency to study the reasons been displaced by the war in Syria, refugees, from Syria as well as from “the most significant displace- other countries, return to their ment crisis since the end of World homeland after being displaced War II. Refugees displaced by con- by conflict. From 2015-18, about flict spend an average of 17-25 years 100,000 Syrian refugees chose to in their host countries, she said. return home. Even if refugees return to Syria, Onder is the senior author of a they may not stay there, she said. World Bank report, “The Mobility In 2018, 254,000 refugees went to of Displaced Syrians: An Economic the Turkey-controlled and rela- and Social Analysis.” He presented tively stable Operation Euphrates the report’s conclusions at the Mid- Shield area on the border of Turkey. dle East Institute forum. However, she said 194,000 of them “When people are displaced by returned to Turkey the same year. conflict, they have no options,” Sa- Limited options. Lebanese security forces check identity and papers of Syrian refugees getting ready “It’s not just returns,” she said. roj Kumar Jha, regional director of to cross into Syria from the Lebanese eastern town of Arsal, last June. (AFP) “It’s sustainable returns.” March 10, 2019 9 News & Analysis Iraq Lack of due process in Iraqi courts could help ISIS

Manuel Langendorf groups have voiced concerns over a suspected lack of due process. Trials of ISIS suspects in Baghdad London “have lasted as short as 5 minutes, have consisted of a judge interview- slamic State (ISIS) militants are ing the suspect, usually relying on a holed up in their last enclave confession, often coerced, with no in eastern Syria, pummelled by effective legal representation,” said I coalition air strikes and a ground Belkis Wille, senior Iraq researcher at offensive by the Syrian Democratic Human Rights Watch (HRW). Forces (SDF). Further east, Iraqi sol- During battles against ISIS, several diers closely watch the border be- Iraqi units have been accused of tor- tween the two countries, on guard turing people they suspected of be- against ISIS members trying to slip ing supporters of the militant group. across the frontier. An HRW report claimed the central This is only one reason events in government and Kurdish regional Syria are also an Iraqi affair. At the authorities had charged hundreds end of February, the SDF handed of children with terrorism in con- over 280 Iraqi and foreign detainees nection with ISIS. HRW said that, at to Iraq. Reuters reported that the the end of 2018, approximately 1,500 ISIS detainees included nationals children were held by authorities for from France and unspecified Arab alleged affiliation with the militant countries. group. The report said children had Speaking during a visit to France, been tortured to make them confess Iraqi President Barham Salih said in front of a judge. 13 ISIS detainees would be tried in The authorities, added Wille, Iraq. “All those accused of having “have also made no efforts to solicit committed crimes in Iraq, against victim participation in the trials, the Iraqi people or against Iraqi in- even as witnesses.” She said: “A more Uncertain fate. An Iraqi guard leads three prisoners to the Eagles’ Cell counterterrorism intelligence stallations in Iraq, we will seek to fundamental concern is the overly office in Baghdad, last May. (AP) prosecute them,” he said. French broad and vague counterterrorism President Emmanuel Macron did definition being used [by the central not comment on whether French government] to prosecute suspects.” serious crimes, “ranging from mass ment of Nuri al-Maliki. are “de facto creating citizens of the citizens were among those handed HRW raised concerns that the killings to vandalism,” the review “Part of why ISIS rose to power is Islamic State, which is very danger- to Iraq. transfer of ISIS suspects to Iraq ex- said. because the process of transitional ous.” A day after Salih’s comments, Iraqi posed detainees to the risk of being The United Nations noted that justice [in Iraq] did not go well. Ma- The battle against ISIS is not just Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi tortured. “among the broad range of activi- liki used the anti-terror law to exact a military standoff, it’s also a “moral said Iraq could help transfer foreign The Associated Press calculated ties defined as terrorist acts, many retribution against Sunnis, basically fight,” Seloom said. The militant ISIS fighters to their home countries in March 2018 that Iraqi authorities do not meet the threshold of ‘most a campaign of revenge,” said Mu- group’s propaganda machine will or prosecute them in Iraq if they had detained or imprisoned at least serious crimes,’ under international hanad Seloom, honorary research “take advantage of these policies are charged with crimes committed 19,000 people accused of connec- human rights law.” fellow at the Institute of Arab and and say: ‘Our citizens now are being there. tions with ISIS or other terrorism- Baghdad is a signatory to several Islamic Studies at the University of persecuted by the Iraqi justice sys- The debate about what to do with related offences and sentenced more international human rights treaties, Exeter. tem in a revenge campaign.’” ISIS suspects caught in Syria has be- than 3,000 of them to death. such as the International Covenant A lack of due process in the Iraqi “We are helping ISIS by refusing to come increasingly urgent in Western In a review of Iraq’s 2005 anti- on Civil and Political Rights. justice system and Western coun- take our citizens back,” Seloom said, countries as more foreign ISIS mem- terrorism law, the American Bar As- Analysts warned of the conse- tries’ refusal to take back their citi- adding that the treatment of ISIS de- bers are held by SDF forces. sociation said the law “criminalises quences. zens, Seloom added, would affect tainees will affect the next genera- The transfer of SDF detainees to otherwise lawful activities that are Large-scale protests in Sunni-ma- ISIS’s future in Iraq and beyond. tion as well. Iraq also shines light on how the unrelated to deterring or punishing jority areas of Iraq in 2012-13 called Citing efforts by several countries Iraqi court system has been dealing terrorism.” The law’s definition of for a repeal of the law before being to strip ISIS members of their citi- Manuel Langendorf is a writer with ISIS suspects. Human rights terrorism refers to both petty and violently crushed by the govern- zenship, he said Western countries focusing on the MENA region. Iraqis in Basra call for federalism

Azhar Al-Rubaie had the opportunities to solve Bas- ra’s problems since 2003 but they did nothing for the city. As a result, Basra people in Basra quickly moved to revive pursuit for federal independ- raqis in Basra are calling for the ence,” said Kareem al-Shawwak, a southern province to be grant- Basra provincial council member. ed federal status, along the The head of the Basra provin- I lines of the semi-autonomous cial council, Sabah al-Bazoni, said Kurdistan region in northern Iraq, Basra’s federalism was a matter of because many have given up on the time. central government to improve liv- “Today or tomorrow, Basra will be ing conditions. a federal region,” he said. “As Basra Basra has been the site of demon- was neglected by the central gov- strations since June 2018 because of ernment, we have no option other poor services and unemployment. than going for federalism. The Basra Many were waiting for the new gov- provincial council members signed ernment or its recently announced an official request for federalism. 2019 budget to address their needs The people of Basra signed, too.” but they expressed disappointment Article 119 of the Iraqi Constitu- on both counts. tion stipulates that every province has the right to become a federal Cries of disillusionment. Protesters chant slogans in front of the provincial council building during a demonstration in Basra, February 1. (AP) Opponents of making Basra region either alone or together with other provinces, after following re- part of the federal system quired procedures. A province can fear that some might later request being designated a federal independence, as was the case in tice Herta Daubler-Gmelin outlined the province would not fix Basra’s call for independence, as entity after the approval of one- the Kurdistan region. advantages and disadvantages of problems. “What we have to do first was the case in the third of members of the governo- Jaffar al-Mansour, a member of a the German federal system to offer is fight till we get rid of the corrup- Kurdistan region. rate council and one-tenth of the pro-federalism group, said the aim lessons to Basra. tion in the country,” she said. area’s electorate. of granting Basra region status was Tim O. Petschulat, resident direc- Former Member of Parliament This led senior figures in Basra “We will file a lawsuit at the Su- not to split it from the rest of Iraq. tor of FES Jordan/Iraq, said that al- Wael Abdul Latif called for estab- to call for a “Basra federation.” It’s preme Court against Baghdad gov- “There are no political goals in our though most of the Basra provincial lishing a political party from Basra not the first time that Basrans have ernment for not responding to the considerations. What we want is council was in favour of elevating to champion the province’s federal requested federalism. In 2008, pro- request of provincial council mem- to achieve administrative and eco- Basra to a federal region, residents status. vincial leaders lobbied then Iraqi bers,” Shawwak said. nomic goals for Basra away of Bagh- of the city are divided on the idea. “The Basra federation has to be Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to Hassan Madhloom, a journalist dad’s authority,” he said. “We talked with many citizens organised by political party from establish administrative federal- in Basra who said he supported the Legal expert Hani al-Basri agreed, who told us that Iraq was not ready Basra, otherwise the project will ism for Basra but the request was idea of Basra becoming a federal saying: “If Basra becomes a federal for it yet, that corruption and for- be confiscated by other dominate denied. region, pointed to Kurdistan as a region, Baghdad cannot take one eign influence might actually in- political parties,” said Abdul Latif. Today, local officials in Basra model. barrel of oil without coordination crease and not decrease if Basra “We are organsising conferences, hope current Iraqi Prime Adel Ab- “Transforming Basra governo- with the Basra government.” became a region,” Petschulat said. seminars and meetings to raise dul-Mahdi will be more sympathet- rate into a federal region with a le- Participants at a meeting Febru- “Some of them in favour of federal- awareness and gain support of the ic to their cause. The officials say gal status similar to Kurdistan will ary 11, including the head of Basra ism, some of them against it.” people of Basra. This will pressure if they’re allocated a large-enough guarantee Basra to get its financial provincial council, Basra University Basra resident Abu Mohammed on federal government and won’t portion of the national budget, they rights,” he said. “Most of Basra’s professors and NGO representa- said he feared that the current po- allow it to neglect us, as it has done would do a better job than the cen- problems can be solved by money.” tives, in cooperation with Germa- litical parties would play a role in in the past.” tral government in addressing the Opponents of making Basra part ny’s Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), the running of a new Basra region. province’s needs. of the federal system said they discussed the federalism project. Fadwa Touma, a female activ- Azhar Al-Rubaie is a freelance “The governments in Baghdad feared that some might later call for Former German Minister of Jus- ist in Basra, said federalism for journalist in Iraq. 10 March 10, 2019 News & Analysis Egypt Fallout expected on Egypt’s Sinai branch from ISIS collapse in Levant

Amr Emam northern Sinai and carried out so- phisticated attacks on mosques and security forces in Egypt, with Cairo financial and technical support from the mother organisation. here are questions about The group used the ISIS banner what the collapse in Syria to attract recruits from Egypt and of the Islamic State (ISIS) other areas, including the Gaza T organisation will mean Strip where ISIS gained popularity for its affiliates, such as the mili- among Salafist jihadists. tants in the Sinai who face a loss Operation Sinai 2018, which be- of material support but perhaps gan in February 2018, has forced will gain reinforcements as battle- ISIS Sinai to retreat. Egyptian forc- hardened jihadists return to their es have paid particular attention to home countries, including Egypt. cutting the group off from outside “The local ISIS branch used to help. The Egyptian Army targeted receive sizeable support from the networks of tunnels between the mother organisation in Syria and Gaza Strip and Sinai and the Egyp- Iraq,” said Nabil Naeem, a former tian Navy increased patrols in the leader of Islamic Jihad who re- Red Sea and Suez Canal. nounced violence and has since The final collapse of ISIS in become an expert on terrorist Syria, following an earlier retreat groups. “This support included fi- from Iraq, will weaken ISIS Sinai nancial and technical aspects.” even more, analysts said, particu- While Egyptian security forces larly because of the loss of finan- have reduced the capabilities of cial support. ISIS in the Sinai, the group re- “It will become even weaker mains a threat that could increase in the future with this collapse,” if veterans of Iraq and Syria were Naeem said. to seek to bolster the group in ISIS Sinai, unlike other branches Egypt. of the group, was predominately Troubled territory. Egyptian policemen guard a street in the provincial capital of northern Sinai Originally made up of local made up of Egyptian recruits, El Arish, last July. (AFP) Salafist jihadists, ISIS Sinai was particularly from Sinai Peninsula known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis tribes who have historically been and an affiliate of al-Qaeda before neglected by the central Egyptian of the government. returnees would seek to re-enter organisation, the group has sought it swore allegiance to ISIS leader government. There are no clear estimates of Egypt through the Libyan border to raise funds through criminal en- Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in 2014. “They [ISIS] found appropriate the number of Egyptians who have Sudan to the south and then head terprises such as drugs and arms Those who remained loyal to social conditions for their pres- fought for ISIS in Iraq and Syria, al- to the Sinai Peninsula to join the smuggling. al-Qaeda were commanded by ence and growth in Sinai,” said though expectations are that any organisation there. “Added to this is the support former Egyptian Special Forces of- Sameh Eid, another expert on Egypt has stepped up security that comes to ISIS Sinai from the ficer Hesham al-Ashmawy. He op- extremist groups. “There are ex- The final collapse of ISIS in at its airports with returning ji- Gaza Strip,” said Saad al-Zunt, the tremists in Sinai like the case in hadists in mind, including recent head of local think-tank Strategic erated predominately in Libya but Syria, following an earlier orchestrated terrorist operations any other human community.” high-profile cases in which Egyp- Studies Centre. “This support will inside Egypt. Ashmawy was ar- Egypt has drawn up a multibil- retreat from Iraq, will tian dual nations were refused en- continue to be an important life- rested by the Libya National Army lion-dollar plan for development weaken ISIS Sinai even try for their suspected ties to the line for the radical group.” last October and handed over to in of Sinai, with hopes that ad- more, particularly because group. Egypt. ditional funding and expansion of the loss of financial With the end of financial sup- Amr Emam is a Cairo-based ISIS Sinai operated freely across could sway the public’s disillusion support. port for ISIS Sinai from the mother contributor to The Arab Weekly. Egypt, Somalia bolster security coordination amid Suez Canal fears

Hassan Abdel Zaher Despite efforts by the govern- ment in Mogadishu, African Union troops deployed in the country and Cairo occasional air strikes by the United States, al-Qaeda-aligned al-Shabab gypt and Somalia are remains a major terrorist threat in strengthening security co- Somalia and its environs. ordination because of what Attacks by al-Shabab, including E they deem are common one March 1 near a hotel in Moga- threats. dishu, signal the need for improved The two countries signed on counterterrorism actions in the March 1 a memorandum of under- country. Apart from threatening standing on security cooperation, Somalia, al-Shabab is also a con- a document that allows for con- cern for neighbouring countries, centrated security coordination be- especially Kenya. tween Cairo and Mogadishu. Egypt is fighting both the Islamic During a meeting in Cairo with State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda-aligned Somali Internal Security Minister groups in its territory, with many (Reuters) Abukar Islow Duale, Egyptian Inte- fearing that battle-hardened jihad- Strategic waterway. A cargo ship is seen crossing through the New Suez Canal in Ismailia. rior Minister Mahmoud Tawfiq said ists fleeing Syria could move into increased intelligence cooperation Africa. share counterterrorism tactics. those countries to help them to- entrance of the Suez Canal, a vital between the two countries would Egypt’s concern, security ana- Some terrorist groups active in wards stability.” international maritime passageway weaken terrorist groups in both lysts say, is that terrorist groups in Africa, including ISIS-affiliated This was at the heart of talks be- and an important source of rev- territories. other African countries, including Boko Haram in Nigeria, have been tween Egyptian Foreign Minister enue for Egypt. Egypt also said it would share Somalia and Nigeria, will join mili- providing others active in Libya Sameh Shoukry and Somali Minis- Egypt has a naval presence near counterterrorism expertise with tants in North Africa, particularly with recruits through Libya’s south- ter for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Isse the Bab el Mandeb Strait and has Somalia, train security personnel Libya, in a broad strategy to foment ern border with Chad and Sudan. Awad in Cairo four days after Egypt agreed with Sudan to increase mar- and exchange intelligence with So- unrest in Africa. This has become an increasing and Somalia signed the memoran- itime cooperation to improve secu- mali officials. “Al-Shabab has already started threat for Egypt, whose border dum of understanding on security rity in the Red Sea region. There is concern that unrest in staging attacks in Somalia’s neigh- with Libya has become a hotspot cooperation. Nevertheless, stronger coop- the Horn of Africa could threaten bouring countries,” Okasha said. for smuggling of arms and mili- Egypt, Shoukry said, would con- eration with Somalia will be in the navigation in the southern en- “Egyptian authorities are closely tants into Egypt’s Western Desert. tinue to back the Somali economy country’s best interests and a step trance of the Red Sea, possibly af- monitoring these developments.” This also makes security cooper- and push development in the Horn aimed at protecting the Suez Canal fecting access to Egypt’s Suez Ca- Egypt, which holds the rotating ation with those countries a prior- of Africa country. “Somalia’s secu- from unrest in the Horn of Africa. nal. presidency of the African Union, ity for Cairo, security analysts said. rity is an essential part of Egypt’s “Sorry to say, Somalia has be- “Somalia is a very important has pledged to lead the continent “Egypt has a lot to offer to help national security,” he said. come a fertile soil for terrorists and state in the Horn of Africa’s strate- into greater security and an effec- these countries modernise their A meeting of Egyptian and So- pirates,” said retired Egyptian dip- gic security equation,” said Khaled tive counterterrorism strategy. security agencies,” said MP Kamal mali businessmen is being planned lomat Mohamed al-Shazly. “The Okasha, a member of the Supreme Apart from establishing a com- Amer, chairman of the Egyptian to bolster trade and investment Suez Canal is a national security is- Anti-Terrorism Council, which mand centre for counterterrorism parliament’s Defence and National cooperation between Egypt and sue for Egypt.” advises the Egyptian presidency. operations in its new administra- Security Committee. “Apart from Somalia. “This is why security coordination tive capital on the outskirts of Cai- having valuable counterterrorism Security conditions in Somalia, Hassan Abdel Zaher is a with it is a matter of utmost impor- ro, Egypt is organising joint train- expertise to share, Egypt can in- analysts said, have a direct bear- Cairo-based contributor to tance.” ing with other African militaries to crease economic cooperation with ing on the situation in the southern The Arab Weekly. March 10, 2019 11 Debate Lebanon Assad’s reprisals against the Druze fit larger pattern

aims to achieve several objectives geared towards isolating Jumblatt and his network and force him to Makram Rabah sanction the drive to normalise relations with the Assad regime led by Lebanese President Michel Aoun and Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, who is also Aoun’s son-in- he Druze have been law. witnesses as well as Alarmingly, the Syrian regime’s active participants in measures vis-a-vis Gharib are nearly all historical quite understandable, not to say events in the region expected. However, the reaction and the revolution of the Lebanese state, or lack of Tagainst the Assad regime in Syria it, places Aoun and his intentions and the crisis that followed are no under scrutiny. different. Lebanese law states that the At the onset of the Syrian crisis, religious affairs of the Druze com- Druze fervour for protecting the munity are assigned to the “Con- regime soon dwindled as Walid fessional Council of the Unitarian Jumblatt, Lebanese Druze chief- Druze Community. It administers tain and leader of the Progressive the temporal, social and financial Socialist Party, coaxed his Syr- affairs as well as the religious ian coreligionists to refrain from interests of the community, rep- aggressively supporting Assad’s resents them in matters related repression of other regions across to its functions and ensures the Syria. promotion of their rights.” The Druze’s somewhat reserved This council is presided over by stance in Syria and Jumblatt’s an elected official, Naim Hassan, In the crosshairs. Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt stands at his house in (AFP) unwavering support of the Syrian who is officially the Sheikh Akil of Beirut’s Clemenceau street. revolution provoked punitive the Lebanese Republic and thus measures from Syrian President is an extension of the Lebanese him, Jumblatt, unlike what many allowed the Russians to act as in- Bashar Assad and his allies, the state and its sovereignty and not others would do, refrained from termediaries and quasi-protectors last of which was their facilitation merely a sectarian figure. attacking these underhanded of the Syrian Druze. and perhaps involvement with the Consequently, Gharib’s issuance attempts by Bassil and his associ- The Russian-Iranian feud in Islamic State’s attack on Sweida, of laissez-passer cards on which ates and affirmed that such moves Syria has thus played out against which left hundreds dead. he clearly identifies himself as would further alienate the Druze the Druze as the coordinated Despite the supposed cessation “Sheikh Akil” is a flagrant case of and place Aoun’s administration attacks against Jumblatt and his of hostilities in Syria, Assad and identity theft and fraud, one that in direct opposition to them. supporters are only signs of a his Lebanese allies and proxies entails serious jail time. The punitive campaign against bigger assault by Iran and Assad have intensified their reprisal However, Gharib’s actions Jumblatt also serves a more to subjugate the Druze and force campaign against Jumblatt and and those of his political patron regional purpose, one that the them to support the Iranian axis. the Druze, seizing every opportu- Arslan are part of a wider cam- Assad regime and its Iranian sup- Regardless of how this sinister nity to challenge and discredit his paign led by Bassil to encircle porters wish to achieve. plot to punish the Druze plays leadership of the community. and weaken Jumblatt’s standing, This measure by the regime out, what is certain is that acts of Syrian authorities issued a de- which suffered following the last to restrict the movement of the vengeance, especially from Assad cree requiring all Lebanese Druze parliamentary elections when his Lebanese Druze clerics aims to and his Lebanese lackeys, are only clerics to obtain identification earlier cross-sectarian representa- rupture the links that Jumblatt reflective of a serious crisis they cards from Nasreddine al-Gharib, tion was limited to purely Druze. maintained with his Syrian are undergoing and ascertain their a self-appointed Druze religious Bassil’s badgering of the Druze coreligionists, a channel that uses willingness to use brutality and leader supported by pro-Syrian chieftain has taken different the uninterrupted movement of bloodshed to stay in power. Druze politicians, mainly MP Talal trivial forms yet their symbolism clerics back and forth across the Yet, if the history of the Druze Arslan and Wiam Wahhab. within the Druze political setting border. and the region has taught us any- This not so innocent measure are direct challenges to Jumblatt Thus, forcing these pro-Jum- thing, it is that survivability does and most of the Druze who sup- blatt or neutral clerics to apply to not depend on merely using force port him. Gharib for identification is practi- but rather sagacious long-term The coordinated attacks against During the Arab economic cally a ban, as well as an attempt policies, which Assad certainly summit last January in Beirut, the to isolate the Druze of Syria from lacks. Jumblatt and his supporters are Lebanese presidency officially their surroundings. only signs of a bigger assault by invited Gharib to attend the open- Equally, the Syrian regime Makram Rabah is a lecturer at Iran and Assad to subjugate the ing session, an honour usually wants to sever the relationship the American University of Beirut reserved for dignitaries and state and coordination mechanism and author of “A Campus at War: Druze and force them to officials. that Jumblatt established with Student Politics at the American support the Iranian axis. Fully aware of the plot against the Russian government, one that University of Beirut, 1967-1975.” Why is Iran salty over the UK banning Hezbollah as terrorists? and the other ended. involved in the smuggling and sure the Iranians would not walk Bahram Ghasemi, spokesman trafficking of illicit contraband, away from the disastrous nuclear Tallha for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, including narcotics, around the deal the Trump administration Abdulrazaq declared Britain’s decision was a world. In 2017, Politico exposed sagaciously walked away from. “wrong move” and said Hezbollah the former US administration of Politically, Hezbollah controls “defends the territorial integrity of Barack Obama for having hushed ministries in the Lebanese govern- Lebanon and fights terrorism.” up and then-mothballed a Drug ment with the ability to access Anyone who has been a victim Enforcement Agency operation tar- state budgets for its own illicit of Hezbollah’s rabidly sectarian geting Hezbollah drug traffickers. ends, just as Iran controls Iraqi s if it was not already violence would laugh at that state- Hezbollah has a drug pipeline ministries through its proxies obvious enough, Iran ment were it not for the fact that extending from Afghanistan into there. has made it even the person has likely lost family the Middle East and beyond onto Britain is right to be concerned clearer that the Leba- members, loved ones and even the shores of West Africa and about a terrorist organisation nese Shia Islamist freedom because of Hezbollah’s across the Atlantic Ocean to Latin controlling state resources, yet group Hezbollah is its actions and its loyal service to the America. Hezbollah does not like the pro-Iran lobby in the United favouredA child in the Middle East. fanatical Iranian regime rather to play with the little stuff either, Kingdom has been in overdrive Tehran came out swinging than showing loyalty to even the preferring to deal with hard-core, publishing article after article to against the United Kingdom, concept of Lebanese sovereignty. community- and home-destroying try to change the government’s branding the British government as Hezbollah has been used by substances such as cocaine from mind. being “irresponsible” for blacklist- Tehran to not only conduct brutal some of the most brutal drug lords The pro-Iran lobby and their ing the entirety of Hezbollah as sectarian massacres, particularly in South America. activists are right to be concerned terrorists. in Syria, but it has trained offshoot Obama hushed this up to make because the next time they turn Until then, only the military organisations in Iraq and Yemen up to a pro-Palestinian event to wing of the group was listed as a that have perpetrated some of the hijack the cause, they cannot hold terrorist organisation but it is now worst and most savage sectarian Hezbollah flags aloft as “banners of a criminal offence in the United abuses in memory. resistance” like they normally do. Kingdom to be a member of or Britain’s move is in line with oth- If they make that foolish mistake, invite support for Hezbollah at any ers around the world. The United they may find themselves pros- level. States has recognised Hezbollah ecuted for supporting a proscribed British Home Secretary Sajid as a terrorist group since 1997 and group. Javid was absolutely correct when the Arab countries of the wealthy That would be the least they he said the distinction between Gulf Cooperation Council black- deserve for supporting an or- Hezbollah’s political and military listed the group in 2016. This is no ganisation that has slaughtered its wings was blurred to the point it surprise considering Hezbollah’s way to power for decades while couldn’t be told where one started active involvement in the laughter shamelessly serving the agenda of of the Syrian people simply for a foreign master at the expense of entertaining the idea of allowing the people of the region. Britain is right to be someone other than Bashar Assad concerned about a terrorist to lead them on the world stage, On the same trajectory. Supporters of Lebanon’s Tallha Abdulrazaq is a researcher heaven forbid. Hezbollah take part in a rally in Beirut to mark at the University of Exeter’s organisation controlling For such a “religious” organisa- the 40th anniversary of the Iranian Islamic Strategy and Security Institute in state resources. tion, Hezbollah is also actively Revolution, February 6. (dpa) England. 12 March 10, 2019 Special Focus Arab Women Al-Azhar grand imam sparks polygamy rethink

Amr Emam Tayeb warned that polygamy Al-Azhar has come under fire in Judging from Tayeb’s com- lygamy. “Polygamy is the prime can often be “an injustice for recent years for failing to lead re- ments, al-Azhar appears to be reason for family disintegration.” women and children” and said ligious reform in Egypt. It seems leaning on the side of supporting Divorces are at record levels Cairo husbands “must obey conditions that Tayeb decided it was time stronger regulations. in Egypt. In 2017, there were of fairness and if there is not fair- for a broad societal discussion “Is the Muslim really free to 198,800 divorce cases, the Cen- olygamy has been taken ness, it is forbidden to have mul- on the subject. marry a second, third and fourth tral Agency for Public Mobilisa- for granted in Egypt for tiple wives.” Tunisia is the only Arab coun- wife or is this freedom restricted tion and Statistics stated. It is centuries but a rethink is This was the first time the try to explicitly ban polygamy by certain conditions? This means unclear, however, to what extent P apparently under way in grand imam of al-Azhar openly and many activists have called that polygamy is a restricted right polygamy is tied to rising divorce the predominantly Muslim coun- criticised polygamy, which is for Cairo to take a similar stance or we can say it is conditionally al- rates, although many women are try after its top religious author- common in Egypt. or institute stricter regulations lowed and needs a reason. If the known to divorce their husbands ity spoke out against the practice. Tayeb’s statement was seized making it more difficult for men reason is not there, the permis- if they marry again. In a televised interview March on by Egypt’s National Council to marry more than one woman. sion is withdrawn,” Tayeb said. Egyptian President Abdel Fat- 3, al-Azhar Grand Imam Ahmed for Women as an example of the Those seeking actions against tah al-Sisi, in January 2017, sug- el-Tayeb said justice was essential renewal of religious discourse. polygamy say the practice harms gested the introduction of regu- to religious practice. Islam allows “Tayeb’s comments are extreme- Judging from Tayeb’s the rights of women and threat- lations, including preventing men to marry up to four wives, on ly important and they include a comments, al-Azhar ens the family unit. men from divorcing their wives condition the wives are treated message that has been delayed appears to be leaning on “The lack of regulations does through the traditional Muslim equally. Some Muslim countries for too long,” activist Azza Kamel the side of supporting just this,” said MP Hala Abul Saad, way of telling her “I divorce you” have banned polygamy, however. told privately owned CBC TV. stronger regulations. a leading campaigner against po- three times. Egyptian authorities El Moutawakel, Interview torchbearer for Arab sportswomen

Pirate Irwin today, so I don’t think there is any resistance whatsoever.” El Moutawakel supports her claim Monaco by citing a passage from the Quran in Arabic. awal El Moutawakel took “Teach your children how to run, just 54 seconds to go from do horseback riding and also swim- the “dark to the light” ming,” she said. “This is in our re- N when she became the first ligion. He never said, teach your Arab woman from Africa to win an daughter or teach your son. It says Olympic gold medal in the 400 me- ‘teach your children’ and, in chil- tres hurdles at the 1984 Games. dren, there is a son and daughter.” The 56-year-old Moroccan has El Moutawakel, a mother of two since forged a successful career as children — daughter Zineb and son a sports administrator, having twice Roda — said she received all the sup- been minister of Sports and is an port she desired from her parents, influential member of the Interna- especially her father, Mohammed. tional Olympic Committee and the He allayed her fears of how much International Association of Athlet- bigger some of her rivals were by ics Federations. saying “rubies and diamonds come “I consider myself a role model in small packages.” with my other Olympic champions “My father was a judoka. My back home in Morocco,” she said. mum did physical activities at high “I could have stayed and spent school. We grew up five broth- most of my life enjoying my ers and sisters, we were all glory of 1984 but, no, that’s in the same club and we all wrong. did athletics so I was in an Region’s largest translation “Fifty-four seconds al- environment that was very lowed me to go from dark positive, very supportive,” to light, like I said, from she said. zero to hero. I would like “I never felt any resist- to share every single mo- ance (to wanting to be an company aims to build ment with the young- athlete) whatsoever. er generation.” “Until the day I won El Moutawakel, in 1984, August 8th, whose victory in Los when many micro- Angeles was marked phones were placed more ‘female economy’ by Moroccan King in front of me, talk- Hassan II ordering ing about this re- every girl born that sistance and I was a need, she realised, to connect TAW: Tell us a little bit about day named in her like, ‘What do you businesses and freelancers across your business and the women you honour, said the mean?’” Khadija the region. So she did it through train and employ. hurdles on the track El Moutawakel Hamouchi another company, a digital NAH: “Most are highly edu- reflected the chal- said her great re- marketplace that she named cated. Many hold a master’s lenges she had faced gret was that her Ureed. In 2016, the Aspen degree or even a PhD in linguistic in her life. devoted father our Al Hassan, Institute, a US think-tank, made studies but we also have engi- However, she al- did not live to founder and CEO of Jordan-born Hassan a fellow for neering, law, finance and medical ways met them see her moment Tarjama, the Middle her entrepreneurial work. (graduates) and they are already head-on, claim- of glory, dying East’s biggest trans- She spoke to The Arab Weekly perfectly bilingual. Translation ing “my victory in a car crash lation and linguistic via WhatsApp. services, by their very nature, meant no more in early 1984 services company, The Arab Weekly (TAW): What require knowledgeable individu- just washing a week after Nsaid the region needs to build a does it take for a woman to create als who possess subject matter the dishes for she had started “more female economy.” the biggest translation company expertise. women.” university in the Tarjama, founded in 2008, is in a male-dominated region? “In October 2018, we launched “In my reli- United States. She helping, employing 200 women Nour Al Hassan (NAH): “Busi- our first online Translation gion, women said she found the who translate items from 30 ness is challenging, whether you Academy through our newly were never for- spotlight unnerving. foreign languages into Arabic. are a man or a woman. It is launched sister company, Ureed. bidden to compete,” “When I ran in 1984, my Is Hassan’s company an absolutely not a gender thing. This series of online courses, in she said at the Laureus coaches (Iowa State Uni- example of how to move towards “In the early days when I used partnership with Saint Joseph awards ceremonies in versity’s Ron Renko and Pat a more “female economy”? to meet stakeholders and tell University, was created to access February. “Our Prophet Moynihan) were teaching me Tarjama’s workforce is over- them I would be hiring women larger numbers of both genders (Mohammad) used to how to run but they weren’t whelmingly female. Many of its who would work from home, and (to enable) content creation run against his wife and teaching me how to speak,” she employees work from home or many expressed their reserva- in Arabic of a higher standard. she used to beat him un- said. from Tarjama’s offices in Amman tions regarding the quality of the “We also organised a one-day til she found out she was “So all of a sudden I had hun- and Dubai. It has more than 500 work. Many thought my venture translation competition among pregnant, that’s how he beat dreds of journalists with micro- clients, including government would be a charity. It took time to female students from the Univer- her. phones wanting me to speak and agencies and Fortune 500 compa- change mindsets and raise aware- sity of Sharjah and Saint Joseph “Women could compete I said: ‘I have nothing to say, nies such as Google, Facebook ness about remote working by University in Lebanon. The equally as men and that’s I showed you in my perfor- and Acer. women but I remain convinced a winner received a year’s paid why I felt growing up in an mance.’” Hassan said she wants to build man would have received the internship at Tarjama and the environment that was very on Tarjama’s success. There was same reaction.” runner-up a half-year internship.” supportive, very positive until (Agence France-Presse) March 10, 2019 13 Special Focus Arab Women Al-Azhar grand imam sparks polygamy rethink A step towards opening urged that husbands and wives leb, the former dean of the School Law No. 100/1985, which reg- societal debate. Al-Azhar must meet with a legal official and of Islamic Studies at al-Azhar Uni- ulates marriage and divorce in Grand Imam Ahmed have the divorce formally docu- versity. “A husband is allowed to Egypt, makes it necessary for el-Tayeb at the mented before they could be di- marry a second wife only if his men getting married to identify headquarters of vorced, a plan al-Azhar opposed. first wife is ill or disobedient.” whether they are already mar- al-Azhar in Cairo. (AFP) There is little official data about Even some women said they ried. In most cases, however, polygamy rates in Egypt, although oppose a move to restrict polyg- husbands getting married mul- analysts say the practice is far amy. “Polygamy offers a radical tiple times either lie about their more apparent in Egypt’s rural ar- solution to all social problems,” marital status or give incorrect eas. Given the issue of over-popu- Egyptian media figure Mona Abu information about previous mar- lation in Egypt, analysts also said Shanab said in a video on Face- riages. that curtailing polygamy could book. “It will end the problems of “Some men misuse the licence limit population growth. spinsterhood and divorce.” given them to marry more than While Tayeb indicated a willing- Egypt has already sought to one wife,” Abul Saad said, “but ness to change al-Azhar policy on regulate polygamy, including not regulating this licens- polygamy, many religious schol- seeking to penalise husbands who ing process only feeds ars have expressed opposition to marry a second wife without ap- the patriarchal cul- the move. proval from their first wife. “This ture of society “This licence is given only in act must be criminalised,” said MP that looks down limited cases,” said Mohga Gha- Dina Abdel Aziz. on women.” Viewpoint Protecting women’s rights in Iraq affects the whole population

“Child marriage is a model most They are marginalised in the work- prevalent in rural areas” he said, force, immobilised by security risks where rates of literacy and poverty and tribal and patriarchal norms Nazli Tarzi exceed those in urban areas. and noticeably excluded from Attempts to normalise child mar- public life. riage in Iraq by political factions Cycles of war and conflict rein- aking sure that the trying to replace Iraq’s secular forced traditions and customs that rights of women marriage laws with religious ones discriminate against the female and girls in Iraq are were quashed by civil rights and citizen, although in the past protected does not women’s activists. Iraqi women enjoyed affect that segment Concerned public far more civil liber- of society only but, members, commen- What Iraq needs ties. Poor education Mrather, the entire population. tators and female has not helped the Marriage patterns and Iraq’s activists have is a campaign that plight of women explosive population boom are raised questions raises awareness and is often cited refocusing the debate about fertility concerning the and legislation that as a primary driver and marriage as the country sinks well-being of child behind child mar- beneath the weight of its financial brides and the fu- encourages greater riage. debts. ture consequences participation of “The migration An article published by the their decisions may of families from ru- Big ambitions. Founder and CEO Financial Times depicts an already have. Others lim- women. ral towns and villages of Tarjama Nour Al Hassan. struggling society whose latest baby ited their attention to into urban hubs like (Courtesy of Nour Al Hassan) boom is expected to invite greater government-led efforts to Baghdad have introduced economic hardships into the lives of legalise the marriage of children new behaviours that combined struggling classes. as young as 9 years. with high levels of illiteracy threat- TAW: How does one reach “A woman should not be The most alarming realisation, Growth rates in the country de- en the nation as a whole,” a resident women who are able to enter the handled the same way as a man the Financial Times revealed, was pend largely on oil production and of the capital’s Karrada district said. workforce? at work. Women can deliver the steady growth of population at while the outlook for Iraq is promis- Like running a start-up, raising NAH: “We used different social more when given more flexibil- the rate of 1 million people per year, ing — 6.2% growth — any increase children requires financial backing, media platforms such as ity. Companies could support the bringing the total of Iraqis born after in oil income will do little to reverse a luxury that not all families have. LinkedIn and some digital costs of day care or could simply 2003 to almost 40% of the popula- the strains associated with expand- In Egypt, where similar problems marketing online. Word of mouth have day care within office tion. Similarly, the unemployment ing populations. Existing services of unemployment and high fertility was also an effective strategy to spaces. rate is also 40%. barely respond to the needs of Iraq’s plague the country, state-backed reach women who were offline. “If you want women to rise to Baby wards, whether in Mosul current population, never mind advertising on television advises We never faced an issue of a leadership level and not only or in Baghdad, are saturated with future, much larger, generations. women and men alike against the woman not showing interest. I mid-level positions, you need to young women and teens. One of The population boom Iraq is un- ills of a decision so economically think the stigma — that women empower women by inviting the maternity wards in West Mosul dergoing is the result of a combina- fatal. Unlike Egypt, advertising in are not willing to work — is them to board meetings and was renamed by its staff “the baby tion of factors. Cultural, educational the Iraqi context is absent. simply not the reality. ensuring that they have a more factory” — delivering an average of and migration shifts have led more What the country needs is a state- “At Tarjama, many women decision-making role within 20-30 babies a day, the Financial women down the path to early driven campaign that raises aware- approach us confidently and of corporations. Times said. marriages against the backdrop of ness and legislation that protects their own will rather than “In my experience, women It seems that Iraqi females are exceedingly high unemployment. and encourages greater participa- because of our outreach. These excel at leadership positions marrying younger than ever before, The legal minimum age for mar- tion of women in the workforce. women are very disciplined and because they simply work hard some of whom are yet to pass riage, set by Iraq’s Law of Personal willing to work more than the to prove themselves.” through adolescence. Status, is 18 but violators are rarely Nazli Tarzi is an independent normal eight hours, whether TAW: It’s important to include Baghdad lawyer Ahmed al-Jab- sanctioned or held to account. journalist, whose writings and films from home or our offices. In my men in the conversation on bouri warned that those marriages The bigger problem seems to focus on Iraq’s ancient history and opinion, women are known to be regional gender parity but how were not approved by Iraqi courts. be the status of women in society. contemporary political scene. multitaskers. If you give the does one do it? same task to a man and a woman, NAH: “Many women’s rights’ women tend to complete the task organisations are female-only. much more efficiently, produc- We imperatively need men in the tively and independently, in our conversation. We also need to experience.” lobby at CEO level and approach TAW: So how does one create influential decision makers such the right conditions to have more as board chairmen and business female business leaders? owners. NAH: “As countless studies “I think the conversation have proven, any thriving around awareness and advocacy society has a significant number needs to shift to how we accom- of women at work. What does modate women in the work that take to empower a more environment, rather than a female economy? It takes human rights approach. In the affordable day care for children. Middle East and North Africa, I New It takes maternity leave that do not think we have been very challenges. gives time for women’s body to successful at having that conver- Young Iraqi recover. It takes flexible hours sation yet.” women and a work environment (that browse titles makes room for) mothers. When Khadija Hamouchi is a Belgian- at a book you combine these factors, you Moroccan social entrepreneur and festival in the are creating a healthy environ- founder of SEJAAL, an initiative northern city ment for women to enter and that is building an app for young of Mosul, last stay in the workforce. people. September. (AFP) 14 March 10, 2019 Debate Palestine Israel What the Trump-Kushner peace plan might actually mean

Shrouded cation Act (ATCA) or find a new way plan. US of providing direct financial help to Rashmee President the Palestinian Authority. Roshan Lall Donald Trump The Taylor Force Act, which was passes his passed in March 2018, is named af- son-in-law ter a 29-year-old American military and senior veteran who was fatally stabbed by adviser Jared a Palestinian while visiting Israel in here is still no date for Kushner 2016. It sets as a condition for US aid the Trump adminis- during a that the Palestinian Authority cease tration’s long-trailed reception at paying families of Palestinians Palestinian-Israeli peace the White killed or jailed by Israel. plan but we know it House in ATCA, which is bipartisan legisla- won’t be until after Is- Washington. tion passed by Congress in October, Trael’s April 9 elections. That’s what (Reuters) makes any government in receipt Jared Kushner, US President Donald of American funding subject to US Trump’s son-in-law and senior counterterrorism laws. Potentially, adviser, recently said. it would leave the Palestinian Au- As we inch closer to its unveiling, thority saddled with lawsuits from what might the plan actually mean? families of American victims of past First, an American administra- Palestinian attacks. Unsurprisingly, tion is once again actively trying to holding back the Palestinian people (will reportedly) run counter to the Palestinians have refused to ac- make “peace” in the Middle East, a from achieving their full potential the international” parameters for quiesce to conditions set by either worthy initiative, albeit with a dem- and what’s holding back the Israeli an Israeli-Palestinian agreement US law, deeming them too costly. onstrated preference for one party. people from being able to properly and would not be accepted by the That the drying up of American Obviously, this peace plan cannot integrate with the whole region.” Palestinians. assistance is causing pain and be seen as impartial or fair. It would It is in Kushner’s declared solu- Third, the Trump administra- disruption is a given. An American need to heavily incentivise Pales- tion to final-status issues — “the tion wants Gulf Arab countries to official in Israel expressed deep tinian participation to overcome goal of resolving these borders is foot most of, if not the entire, bill concern about the consequences of shamelessly privileging Israel. So really to eliminate the borders” — for the infrastructure investments ATCA when it went into effect Feb- far, there is little sign that will be on that the still-shrouded peace plan proposed by the plan. That bill will ruary 1. “Basically, we are stripping offer, in which case the plan won’t may stand revealed. Did Kushner reportedly run to tens of billions of millions of dollars of aid from Pal- be about making peace so much as really mean what the world heard dollars. Signing everybody up was estine… Hundreds, if not thousands a call for Palestinian surrender. him say? That there is to be no Pal- part of Kushner’s six-country tour of jobs will be lost,” he said. Second, Kushner told Sky News estinian state with defined borders? of the Middle East in late February. That was then. By now, nearly Arabia in Abu Dhabi that the peace The US Consulate in Jerusalem Trump’s America must face facts. five weeks on, those jobs are plan is based on freedom, respect, has been folded into the American This US administration has slashed presumably lost and much else be- security and opportunity. The Embassy in the city, effectively foreign assistance across the board sides. This is no way to prepare the focus, he explained, is on economic downgrading US representation to and especially to the Palestinians. ground for peace to flower. opportunity. It’s about “what’s the Palestinians. Not only are they In asking allies to stump up, the Clearly, Congress will need to a displaced people, they are now to United States must recognise it, amend those laws or establish a be disappeared. too, will need to make a substan- new legal mechanism through Congress will need to amend Do those pushing this supposed tial contribution. This means the which the United States can assist those laws or establish a new peace plan believe the Palestinians Trump administration will have to the Palestinian Authority but it will simply drop their demands for provide some form of direct foreign wouldn’t be enough to buy peace. legal mechanism through justice in return for a grand, if hazy, assistance to the Palestinians. Only a just solution can do that. which the United States can scheme for “tremendous growth” There’s the nub. To do this, the assist the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Gaza? White House will have to work with Rashmee Roshan Lall is a columnist As Russian Foreign Minister Ser- the US Congress to either amend for The Arab Weekly. Her blog can but it wouldn’t be enough to gei Lavrov said March 4 in Riyadh: the recently passed Taylor Force be found at www.rashmee.com and buy peace. “The so-called ‘Deal of the Century’ Act and the Anti-Terrorism Clarifi- she is on Twitter: @rashmeerl. The requirements of intra-Palestinian dialogue

Protests against Palestinian the size of the Palestinian fac- and do not prioritise the needs of Authority President Mahmoud Ab- tions. The problem goes beyond the Palestinians and their special bas were organised in Gaza under simply resolving the disputes and circumstances. the message “Leave.” Counter- divisions within the Palestinian Specifically, there is, as an exam- Majed Kayali demonstrations in the West Bank Authority in the West Bank and ple, Iran’s policy to concentrate its cities adopted the slogan “We the Gaza Strip. efforts on Gaza and to strengthen have chosen you.” Both messages The other element is to adopt the position of its proxy group, the are politically irrelevant and do democratic and dialogue-based Islamic Jihad Movement. Iran is not help with anything as much conflict-resolution mechanisms in- inciting Hamas to employ all avail- atah and Hamas have as they harm Palestinian activism stead of relying on military power able means to create conditions failed to end divisions in and exacerbate the schism. and security apparatuses for the and contexts in which Tehran can the Palestinian Author- Third, inter-faction dialogue resolution of differences between claim to be a major player when it ity and the Palestine takes place in various world capi- factions and the policing of dis- comes to the Palestinian cause. Liberation Organisation tals rather than in the Palestinian sident popular movements. Iran has used many of its re- (PLO) although the rift territories. The dialogues occur Another element is finding sources in the Syrian conflict and Fis more than 12 years old. Divisions outside legitimate Palestinian na- consensus on a unifying national therefore would be more than fester despite the adverse effects tional frameworks — the National vision, especially after the disap- happy to use the Palestinian cause they have on the Palestinian cause, Council, the Central Council or the pointing failures of past choices as a bargaining chip in alleviating the people and the national move- Legislative Council — or within and approaches, whether those the pressures it is under. ment and despite agreements internal frameworks or bodies that relating to negotiations or to Any meeting for the purpose of signed in Cairo, Doha, Mecca, are agreed upon. resistance. moving forward with the reconcili- Sana’a, Gaza and Moscow. Fourth, it is impossible to reach Fifth, it is not possible to find ation process ending the divisive- Many observations can be made an agreement that would end divi- a national Palestinian course ness in the Palestinian camp, about all these agreements or sions and dispel differences with- of action if this or that faction especially between Fatah and Ha- dialogues that can explain their out certain basic elements. One is aligned with certain Arab or mas, will fail, just like the Moscow failure. element is rebuilding the PLO on regional agendas because foreign meeting and previous meetings First, there is within both Fatah patriotic, representative, participa- manoeuvring benefits different and agreements have failed. Un- and Hamas a lack of genuine will tory and democratic bases through agendas that are not necessarily less there is consensus on the said to turn the page on the divi- elections to resolve debates over aligned with Palestinian interests principles, reconciliation efforts sion. Rather than being national will continue to fail. liberation movements, they have To break the cycle of divisive- become an authority in their ness: respective territories. They each 1) There should be a functional have their own funding sources and administrative separation and security and administrative between the PLO and the Palestin- apparatuses. It is impossible for ian Authority. either to imagine relinquishing 2) The PLO should be restruc- these because they both believe tured on national, institutional that any concession would serve and representative bases to the interests of the other party. become the political entity repre- Second, the divisions are being senting all Palestinians wherever reproduced in their relationships they are. This can be done by and balance of power. Each side is adopting elections as the funda- busier fighting the other more than mental means to determine the it is to stand up to Israel. balance of power in the national framework. 3) There should be new presi- There should be new presidential dential and legislative elections for the Palestinian Authority and and legislative elections for the for the membership of the PLO’s Palestinian Authority and for the National Council.

membership of the PLO’s Missing consensus. Palestinians take part in a protest in Gaza City to support Majed Kayali is a Palestinian National Council. reconciliation efforts between Fatah and Hamas, January 12. (dpa) writer. March 10, 2019 15 News & Analysis Turkey Turkey keeps an eye on Assad’s fate with no intention to leave

Kyle Orton antees on that front, Ozkizilcik said: “In Turkey’s eyes, stability in Syria with Assad is impossible,” London even in the narrowest sense since none of the 3.5 million Syrian refu- ight years ago, peaceful gees in Turkey would return to live protests began against Syr- under Assad’s rule and with good ian President Bashar Assad. reason. E Since then, outside powers A similar answer was given by a — the Iran-Russia axis, the United senior Turkish official in one of the States and Turkey — have become departments dealing with OES and dominant in Syria. Afrin, who asked to remain anony- The Iranians and Russians keep- mous so he could speak candidly. ing Assad’s regime alive are clearly While stressing that the incur- going nowhere. The Americans’ in- sions were “counterterrorism oper- decision on the point is apparently ations” designed solely to deal with final. So, what of Turkey, which is security threats Assad wouldn’t — the custodian of the remnants of Assad was notified beforehand in the armed opposition? both cases — the official strongly Turkey has carved out two areas stated that Turkey’s presence in of direct control in north-western Syria, which he described as “tem- Syria, first with Operation Euphra- porary but indefinite,” would not tes Shield (OES) and later in Afrin, be ceded to Assad. plus establishing command posts Turkey is wary of Iran’s expan- in Idlib, where its proxies, the re- sionism and dominance in Damas- maining Free Syrian Army (FSA)- cus. As Ozkizilcik pointed out, Tur- type rebels, co-exist in an envi- key tacitly acts as a bulwark against ronment dominated by al-Qaeda Iran; only its areas are free of Irani- derivative Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. an influence, for the simple struc- tural reason that Turkey works through the FSA, which — unlike How much Turkey has the People’s Protection Units — re- Lingering suspicions. Turkish soldiers in the Kurdish-majority city of Afrin in north-western Syria, (AFP) invested in Syria is difficult gards Iran as a dire foe. last March. to calculate because it has Still, as the official acknowl- been something like a edged, the policy is complicated, “whole of government” one of “rivalry and cooperation,” tem and language — and for not in- — albeit one with gaps in coordina- which there may never be restitu- approach between the driven by Turkey’s geopolitical re- vesting enough in OES and Afrin, tion, such as calculating expendi- tion. The suffering of those in Afrin military, ministries and ality. particularly in law and order. tures. An oft-cited figure by Turk- — Arabs and Kurds alike — at the NGOs. The Astana process has seen The Turkish official dismissed ish officials is $37 billion spent on hands of predatory militias was the Ankara work with Iran — and Rus- the idea of colonialism. Turkey Syrian refugees inside Turkey. The most immediate crisis for Turkey Will Turkey stay? sia — to meet some of its needs in has sent in technical teams and seepage of Turkish goods into even to solve. Omer Ozkizilcik, an analyst at Syria but “many” disagreements has used financial tools from state the regime areas would seem to Ozkizilcik suggested that condi- the SETA Foundation, a think-tank remain, said the official, who noted agencies to fill the vacuum after buttress claims about their quan- tions are improving. He pointed in Ankara, said: “Until the creation that Turkey was strongly opposed the removal of terrorist groups, tity and quality. to the resettlement of people from of a legitimate government in Syr- to the course some Gulf states are he said, but whether it’s the lo- There is also the private sector. other areas who opted for Afrin. ia, Turkey will not hand over these taking in investing in Assad, osten- cal councils, education, hospitals, There has been controversy here, The official, too, said the trendline areas,” not least because this would sibly to reduce Iranian power. justice or the security sector, the of- with accusations of political fa- was moving in the right direction. be “against the will of… Turkey’s This is “highly problematic and ficials will be withdrawn once the vouritism. Ozkizilcik said this was “There are fewer complaints partners on the ground.” not the way to contain Iran,” said Syrians are capable of administer- unfounded: Turkey has taken “a these days,” he said, though ac- In contrast to the view of some the official. “It sends the wrong sig- ing their own affairs. liberal policy indifferent to the po- knowledging that it was “unimagi- analysts that Turkey is indifferent nal… and enables regime intransi- How much Turkey has invested litical preferences of any company.” nable everybody would be happy.” to Assad’s fate, caring only about gence politically.” is difficult to calculate because it Preventing the return of 100,000 the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) Turkey has been criticised both has been something like a “whole Kurds displaced during Opera- Kyle Orton is a Middle East and perhaps willing to cut a deal for having colonial designs in Syria of government” approach between tion Olive Branch and the looting analyst. Follow him on Twitter: over its areas in exchange for guar- — such as importing its school sys- the military, ministries and NGOs of their properties are crimes for @KyleWOrton.

Viewpoint Is Erdogan’s long-ruling AKP doomed to be divided?

s the backbone of Turkey’s spected polling firm KONDA, said AKP ministers, many of them within the party. The conviction ruling Justice and Develop- Turkey is witnessing a political so-called “founding fathers” of that the presidential palace, the ment Party (AKP) cracking? impasse on a grand scale. He said, the party. Recently, there were judiciary and parts of the media, Yavuz Baydar This is one of the major is- despite being a stage for six elec- widely circulating rumours that which are under the control of the sues that keep “Erdoganolo- tions and a referendum — some of new parties would be formed “Eurasianists,” fear that, if Erdog- gists” — or, more generally, them hectically implemented — in by senior party figures, such as an loses a considerable number of Iobservers of the Turkish Islamists seven years, Turkey’s agony has former President Abdullah Gul, votes, his ally, nationalist leader in power — very busy. not eased after pledges by Turkish former Finance Minister Ali Ba- Devlet Bahceli, may take steps to The systemic crisis in Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. bacan and former Prime Minister deepen the crisis, such as forcing displays itself at almost every On the contrary. Three weeks Ahmet Davutoglu, breaking away a general election. level and layer of the politi- before critical local elections, from the AKP. cal, social and economic sphere voters who are weary of the ballot All those names were skil- with accelerated speed. A strong box and swing between being fully purged by Erdogan from the indicator is the sense of fatigue undecided or not voting at all are, party but remain on standby for a The systemic crisis in among the Turkish electorate. polls indicate, at a record high: political comeback. Bulent Arinc, Bekir Agirdir, director of the re- nearly 20%. another founding member of the Turkey displays itself Many voters belong to the bloc AKP, remains critical of such a at almost every level loyal to the charismatic Erdogan party breakup. and his party. Their growing Once such a plan is set in mo- and layer of the dismay is due to the rapid decline tion, there is usually no going political, social and of Turkey’s economy, hiking back. These top figures of the economic sphere. inflation and unemployment. Turkish experiment with politi- Consumer indexes speak volumes cal Islam are keen to see how the for a weakening chain of sup- local elections fare for Erdogan. In any case, Islamists within the port among the pious Sunni grass If anything, we shall see a new AKP dread that what happened roots of the AKP. turbulence taking shape in April. to the Gulenists — former allies There is another element that Still, there is a strong doubt of Erdogan — in terms of oppres- feeds concern for Islamists: More that these former fellow travel- sion, jailing and purge, may target voices are heard in pro-govern- lers have a chance in the short them next. ment media raising alarm on what or medium term. While it can be Erdogan may emerge as the they see as an “Eurasianist siege” true that the Erdogan administra- victor from the local elections be- of Erdogan and his palace. tion is limping and shows grow- cause he has the skills to change This is in reference to a large- ing failures in governing the land, his politics. So far, he has acted in scale, hard-line, partly pro-Russia Turkey’s mighty president has unison with circles that promote clique, which some say is pushing strong control over the security a deviation from traditional alli- Erdogan to high-risk domestic structures and most of the pri- ances such as NATO but none of and foreign policy adventures. vate security companies, which this means the power struggle in Their fear of an electoral back- employ approximately 500,000 Turkey will be over. Far from it. lash is apparent and paranoia is people and are owned by busi- Behind the curtain. A woman peers out of her window behind a spreading rapidly. nessmen loyal to him. Yavuz Baydar is a Turkish banner of Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul, Much of it explains the discreet What raises the risks are the journalist and regular columnist March 5. (AP) turmoil among cadres of former questions asked in whispers for The Arab Weekly. 16 March 10, 2019 Debate Iran Iran’s new judiciary chief eyes Khamenei’s succession

handed, alongside Jaffar Nayyeri, “important cases” by Khomeini in the Iranian year 1367 (1988-89). Gareth Smyth Historian Ervand Abrahamian in his 1999 book, “Tortured Confessions,” said Nayyeri was an assistant to the Tehran special commission, set up alongside onfirmation from others “with instructions to Iran’s judiciary execute Mojaheds [members spokesman that of the opposition armed group Iranian Supreme People’s Mujahideen of Iran] and Leader Ayatollah Ali leftists as mortads (apostates).” Khamenei appointed Nearly 30 years later, little in CEbrahim Raeisi as the new judici- Iran is so improvised. Today, ary chief appears to boost Raeisi’s “principlists” are savvy on national stature as a possible suc- social media and have built a cessor to Khamenei. web of relationships linking the It has been only three years leader’s office, clerics and Friday since Khamenei, 79, named prayer leaders, military, religious Raeisi, 58, head of Astan Qods foundations and the bureaucracy. Razavi, the well-endowed Saeid Golkar, assistant foundation managing the Imam professor at the University of Reza shrine in Mashhad, and Tennessee at Chattanooga and it has been less than two years author of “Captive Society: The since Raeisi fought a credible Basij Militia and Social Control campaign and claimed 38% of in Iran,” said Raeisi had in recent votes in the 2017 presidential years honed his political skills. election as Hassan Rohani won “As head of Astan Qods, Raeisi 57% to gain a second term. was very good at using the media, Raeisi, like his predecessor at networking and with populist the judiciary, Sadegh Larijani, activities aimed at the poor is no reformist. In 2014, Raeisi around Mashhad. I think he will Another hardliner. A 2017 file picture shows Iran’s new judiciary chief Ebrahim Raeisi accused the West of promoting continue all three as head of the speaking at Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran. (AP) homosexuality under the guise of judiciary.” human rights and is reported to As to the type of initiatives lawyers, select the defence used by various news services have defended the amputation of Raeisi might take, Golkar lawyers in all national security- means very little these days,” the hands of thieves. recalled a scheme drawn up in related cases… and review any said Farideh Farhi, a lecturer While his high profile is the judiciary in 2004 but never legislation with judicial content.” at the University of Hawaii. relatively new, Raeisi’s long implemented. This envisaged Many suspect Raeisi’s “Raeisi will likely be called career includes stints as attorney local cells, he said, drawn partly ambitions include succeeding an ayatollah across the board general (2014-16), first vice-chief from the Basij (the mainly part- Khamenei. His chief rival for upon his appointment. What justice (2004-14), chairman of the time militia linked to the Islamic the leadership may be the man differentiates Raeisi from past judicial body overseeing state Revolutionary Guard Corps), to be he has replaced as judiciary judiciary chiefs is that he would bodies (1994-2004) and Tehran the judiciary’s “eyes and ears… chief, Larijani, 57, now heading be the first… without any serious prosecutor (1989-94). In 2012 [in] gathering intelligence, crime- the Expediency Council, which position within the ranks of he was appointed prosecutor of fighting, providing religious arbitrates disputes between state the clerical establishment, the the Special Court of the Clergy, guidance and identifying organs. hawza.” a body answerable to the leader criminal people and places.’’ For sure, Raeisi’s appointment “He has not yet been elevated that is outside the usual judicial Golkar said he does not expect marks another step in the utter to such a title [ayatollah] and it process and has indicted several Raeisi to simplify or make more politicisation of Iran’s Islamic won’t be easy either considering reform-minded clerics. transparent a complex judicial regime because he will be the he spent only around five In 1988, when summary trials system including revolutionary first judiciary chief with little years in Qom seminary before and executions of 3,000-5,000 courts, special courts for clergy clerical background. becoming a judge at the age of political prisoners followed and courts established recently to Article 157 of the Constitution 21,” said Mehrzad Boroujerdi, orders from Supreme Leader deal with corruption. refers to the judiciary chief as professor of political science Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, “Nothing will change in “a just Mujtahid well versed in at Syracuse University in the Raeisi was Tehran deputy terms of rule of law,” said judiciary affairs and possessing United States. “He has been prosecutor. Raeisi later reported Golkar. “Raeisi has worked in prudence and administrative really more of a judge-prosecutor on his website that he was the judiciary all his life and we abilities,” a mujtahid being a than a jurist or mujtahid. It will have seen nothing significant senior cleric qualified for ijtihad, be interesting to see how they to suggest any positive making judgments based on justify the choice.” Ebrahim Raeisi, like his development.” advanced knowledge of religious predecessor at the judiciary, Oslo-based Iran Human Rights, law, usually taken to mean an Gareth Smyth is a regular which has criticised Raeisi’s ayatollah. This has not impeded contributor to The Arab Weekly. Sadegh Larijani, is no appointment, points out he “will Raeisi’s appointment. He has reported from the Middle reformist. be able to choose and dismiss “The title [of ayatollah] as East since 1992. The obligation to contain Iran’s threat

political contexts that are usually responsible for marginalising the rest of the world. They are lost defined by alliances between the will of the Lebanese people peoples, hopeless, disappointed, countries. Rather, it sweeps over through Hezbollah’s absolute intentionally oppressed and with Farouk Yousef all aspects and interferes with domination over political their dreams shattered. all the foundations of social life, decisions in Lebanon. Those countries — Iraq, Lebanon causing the social fabric to be torn Finally, Iran is responsible for and Yemen — face losing their and bringing about a collapse in the war in Yemen through its history and geography. They serve service sectors such as education ostensible endorsement of the as mere veils behind which Iran e often hear that and health. Everything that can Houthis, who have not confined does battle with the free world. many problems hold a society together becomes themselves to Yemen’s borders The three countries have in the Middle infected. but have started using their become like military barracks East could be The Iranian presence anywhere weapons to threaten the region. run by the Islamic Revolutionary solved if Iran expresses its intention to stay Iran has done all of that and Guard Corps and Iranian Major- was contained there for good through armed covets to do more, insisting that General Qassem Soleimani has Wand its role based on expansion militias, which are ideologically survival of its regime is crucially become the absolute dictator over of its influence diminished. This loyal to the political concept linked to military expansion at them. view might be simplistic but it of velayat-e faqih and directly the expense of the countries of Therefore, limiting the influence contains quite a bit of truth. affiliated with the Islamic the region that have weakened of Iran in the region, especially in Iran’s growing influence has Revolutionary Guard Corps. political foundations. the three countries mentioned, caused some countries to lose This automatically leads to The results of Iran’s meddling could constitute a beginning for their independence and capacity either arming the whole society are in total opposition to the idea solving many problems. to manage development plans for or subjecting it to the control of and ideal of building a modern With such a measure, armed the benefit of their citizens. Iran armed groups that blindly obey state devoted to the well-being sectarian groups lose their could have ended the difficulties their commanders and refuse of its citizens, in control of its funding and weapons source. Even of entire populations who dream to serve society. They practise resources for the benefit of if some of them resist using their of living in peace in the framework violence whenever they want and its people and sovereign in its own resources, as is the case of of citizenship based on the against whomever they want and political, economic and cultural Lebanese Hezbollah, time can be principle of social justice. have no qualms about usurping choices. trusted to eat up those resources, It is not in the nature of Iranian public money. They do not believe The countries mentioned are provided there is the international intervention to be confined to in nor recognise the existence of a under the cloak of the Iranian will to help the countries rise national state. faqih, with all that implies again. Iran is fully responsible for in terms of backwardness, No one wishes evil for Iran but No one wishes evil for Iran but the total collapse of Iraq, which, ignorance, poverty and primitive the international community has the international community has since the beginning of the US- tendencies to the point that the a duty to stop Iran’s evil from led occupation 16 years ago, has people of those countries cannot harming others. a duty to stop Iran’s evil from not recovered from the shock possibly imagine themselves harming others. or regained its health. Iran is having a place under the sun with Farouk Yousef is an Iraqi writer. March 10, 2019 17 Debate Dealing with Terrorism Rehabilitating ISIS terrorists is a big lie

look to past cases that stirred the same controversy, such as the Al- gerian experience. Algeria suffered Wissam Hamdi much at the hands of the so-called Algerian mujahedeen returning from Afghanistan during the Black Decade, which wreaked havoc in the country from 1991-2002. evelopments in the Any discussion of the fate of Middle East, especially ISIS fighters and their families, in Syria and Iraq, sig- including their children, would be nal the clinical death incomplete without mentioning the of the organisation sweeping consensus among experts known as the Islamic on extremist groups regarding the DState, one of the bloodiest terrorist calamity that Algeria went through. groups the world has seen in the That tragedy would not have last decade. happened were it not for the erup- With these developments came tion of violent confrontations at many calls, led by US policies, for the hands of the Algerian militants the repatriation of Islamic State returning from Afghanistan. They (ISIS) fighters to their countries of were part of the first generation origin. European nations, as well of extremists, who, on returning as other countries whose nationals to their home countries, laid the participated in ISIS’s bloody wars in groundwork for the emergence of Iraq, Syria and Libya, are insisting the second generation of extrem- that the militants be tried in ter- ists that sowed destruction in many ritories where they committed their Arab countries. We are witnessing Keeping in check. An ISIS member looks out from a prison cell in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. crimes against humanity. the end of the third generation of (Reuters) This controversy concerning ap- terrorists received in the bosom of proaches to the societal reintegra- ISIS. tion of extremist fighters or to re- Despite attempts to reintegrate and coordinated their actions As if that wasn’t enough, the habilitating their humanity, which the Algerian mujahedeen into with the remnants of the so-called released extremists joined the most they have ceded to ISIS dogma, Algerian society starting in 1992, Armed Islamic Movement, which dangerous terrorist organisations, necessitates going to the histori- the extremists thought of nothing was formed in the early 1980s. starting with Ansar al-Sharia and cal records. Historical precedents but to persist in their misguided These terrorist movements ending with ISIS in Libya and Syria. highlight an almost immutable and bloody approach to changing worked towards creating an en- Some of them had no qualms truth that the vast majority of those existing regimes and establish- vironment based on violence and about taking part in horrific terror- who joined extremist organisations ing an Islamic one based solely on terror that kept Algeria burning for ist acts and political assassinations cannot recover their humanness the concept of the caliphate. This ten years. perpetrated in Tunisia. So how can because of the ideological brain- was the normal consequence of Algeria’s neighbour to the east, we expect them and their like to washing based on false religious the false religious indoctrination Tunisia, was spared for a long time accept reintegration into Tunisian dogma, which leads to bloody they had received in Afghanistan after its independence in 1956 society and respect the statutes crimes and waging war. coupled with military training and the horrors of terrorism until the and rules of the civil state? When discussing calls for the re- fighting experience against the January 2011 revolution. Unwise The premise that the human- patriation of extremists, one must former Soviet Union. policies, adopted in the name ity of an extremist can be revived What was even more dangerous of freedom, led to the release of remains a lie that we like to believe in the Algerian experience is that dozens of extremists involved in because of the relentless hype from Some of the released the terrorist actions perpetrated establishing a terrorist cell in 2007 human rights organisations. Para- by extremists were not random known as the Soliman Shooting. doxically, those groups have yet to extremists had no qualms and isolated operations but were Tunisian extremist Salafists had come up with sensible approaches about taking part in horrific part of well-laid plans to plunge planned to declare a rebellion that can help rid the world of the terrorist acts and political the country in chaos. They even against the state and to change the legacy of terrorism. formed a militant structure called republican regime, which in their assassinations perpetrated the Islamic Salvation Army, the eyes was a form of apostasy, with a Wissam Hamdi is a Tunisian in Tunisia. military wing of the Islamic Front, caliphate. journalist. Facing up to terrorism is a war of ideas first

It is extremely important to one of the executed young men, preach but not to invite Mus- cover all ground and options be- declared in a phone interview with lims to Islam. One of them, who fore resorting to death sentences, a a Muslim Brotherhood television described himself as a preacher, is Saad al-Qarsh penalty that I sincerely wish to be channel that he was proud of his Muhammad al-Ghazali, author of abolished because what is there to son. He didn’t deny the murder “Humoum al-Da’ya” (“Concerns of do or say when an executed pris- charges against his son and stated a Preacher”). State television has oner turns out to be innocent? that his son “had gone to heaven made the late Muhammad Metwali There is nothing worse or more and got what he had wished for, Al-Sharawi a legend and gave him dangerous than losing trust in the namely, to die for the sake of Allah the title “Imam of the Preachers.” eligious fundamental- integrity of the judicial system Almighty and we all desire that.” The legacy of both men is devoid ists see death as their or disrespecting judicial deci- The father read his son’s testa- of innovation in religious discourse. ultimate reward. They sions. The danger is that we end ment, written in classical Arabic, Both men adopted an intolerant are not intimidated by up facing contradictory outcomes: in which he stated that he was position towards non-Muslims. the death penalty and a judge issuing a death sentence ready to fight “the people of the Sharawi even issued fatwas consider it the gate who believes his decision is right cross” and the Jews. That misguid- forbidding the fine arts, except Rto cross to the realm of legend. and an indifferent terrorist who ed youth sounded like Ammar ibn for poetry if it is in the service of Generation after generation of such believes that he was executing Yasir facing the infidels of Quraish religion and the homeland. He legends keep the fires of vengeance God’s law and justice. I can give in Mecca. considered acting and music as the burning in their hearts. many cases to illustrate. I am not a judge to decide wheth- devil’s work and did not object to Indiscriminate arrests 50 years In July 2013, Mahmoud Rama- er those nine men were guilty or the execution of those who do not ago led to the cultivation of hatred dan objected to the dismissal of innocent. I believe, however, that pray, in line with the age-old doc- in the hearts of young people taken Egyptian President Muhammad justice must be rendered after trine of traditional jurisprudence. by mistake along with real crimi- Morsi and, in retaliation, threw the fulfilment of the strict legal These fatwas and opinions are part nals. It is inside prisons that terror children off the roof of a building requirements, such as admitting of the Sayed Sabeq’s book “Fiqh gurus invade the hearts and minds in Alexandria. The hideous crime guilt without physical or psycho- al-Sunna,” which can be consid- of young people, who come out of was filmed and the killer did not logical coercion or torture. ered the “constitution” of religious prison thirsty for blood. even bother to hide his face. He It is justice that must guarantee extremism. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah walked proudly waving the black the acquittal of the innocent and Today, we still find young al-Sisi’s government is repeating banner of al-Qaeda, confident that the punishment of the offender. If preachers, armed with their best the same mistake. Any doubt of he had triumphed for his faith. a criminal walks free, then the ju- smiles and calling themselves “ad- innocence among the crowds of Ramadan was executed in Feb- dicial system is deficient, perhaps vocates of moderation,” preaching arrested suspects serves to feed a ruary 2015 and immediately the re- too restricted by legal procedures. the same freedom-killing terrorist stock of sympathy towards them ligious right wing raised a banner In any case, the question is this: ideology. and this sympathy spills over to saying: “Mahmoud’s execution… How do we ensure that justice So we have two parallel lines, one include killers who boast about the execution of a homeland.” is upheld in the context of the that celebrates owners of extremist their evil deeds. It is incredible that none of these current public tension, terrorist at- ideas and the other that gets rid of For every innocent suspect being people put himself or herself in the tacks making dozens of victims in the tangible results of these ideas. tried, there is a family that inherits shoes of the parents of the slain our cities and on our borders and In the meantime, the intellectual grief and a desire for revenge. The children. The Muslim Brother- psychological and media warfare roots of terrorist ideologies remain only way out of this conundrum hood’s propaganda machine was funded by unfriendly countries deeply entrenched in society and is strict observance of the law and interested only in fabricating and intercontinental organisa- the system, nourishing more tangi- paying the utmost care in investi- legends. tions? ble outcomes that could explode in gating a case and hearing it. In June 2015, a car bombing Death sentences may kill terror- our faces. killed Egypt’s Attorney General ists but they may feed terrorism. Are we serious about confronting Hisham Barakat and 28 people If you look at officialdom in Egypt, terrorism an idea before it takes the Death sentences may kill were sentenced to death for the at- you’ll not find it busy fighting ter- shape of a bullet? tack. On February 20, nine of them rorism. terrorists but they may feed were executed. There are religious scholars Saad al-Qarsh is an Egyptian terrorism. Abdul Majeed, the father of whose declared mission is to novelist. 18 March 10, 2019 News & Analysis East West Germany’s extradition move sends strong message to Syria

James Snell

Cambridge

hen Germany an- nounced last April that it was seeking the arrest W of Jamil Hassan, head of Syria’s feared Air Force Intelligence Directorate, many dismissed it as a well-meaning piece of theatre. The regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is alleged by inter- national authorities and monitors to have committed war crimes and the evidence of such crimes is vast. Hassan’s organisation is suspected to have been directly involved in many of them. It would not be un- reasonable to expect him to answer such charges. However, the idea that one of the Assad regime’s most influential functionaries could be surrendered to a foreign state, one that has little direct involvement in Syria’s mul- tifaceted conflict and few cards to play in imposing its will, seemed unlikely. Assad was more and more secure in Damascus; his rule had been tol- erated for so long by the rest of the world that any idea that it could be Vast evidence. A 2017 file picture shows a Syrian pro-government soldier watching as smoke rises from buildings following an air strike threatened by international outrage by government forces in the eastern city of Deir ez-Zor. (AFP) ceased to hold real power. The re- gime’s backers, in Iran and Russia, continued to stand four-square be- Syrians,” said Noha Aboueldahab, a his broader movements cannot be East Policy. “What’s more, during him to Germany to face prosecu- hind Assad and his internal allies. visiting fellow at the Brookings In- undertaken with the same certain- his tenure as head of Syrian [Air tion,” Aboueldahab said Nothing looked likely to interrupt stitution Doha Centre. ty. The rumour, first reported by the Force Intelligence] — the most loyal And the demand for justice is not the pro-regime coalition’s consoli- “Several trials in Germany and pro-regime newspaper Al-Masdar, to Assad and powerful intel organi- dying down. dation. elsewhere in Europe have targeted that Hassan was in Lebanon seek- sation — tens of thousands of for- “It would be important… for Syr- The German legal case contin- alleged Syrian perpetrators who are ing medical treatment, offered an eign Shia jihadists were allowed to ians to have access to other forms of ued to be made, with restatements either of a lower rank than Hassan opportunity for Germany to restate come and fight in Syria.” justice, such as truth commissions, of the case against Hassan and the or were members of [the Islamic and press the case for his extradi- This included Hezbollah fighters, reparations, public apologies and so continuation of pan-European State] ISIS charged with terrorism.” tion. who entered Syria at the behest of on. Given the continued brutality sanctions levied against people and These cases have their own sig- Hassan’s apparent location is the people now likely guarding Has- of the Syrian regime, these mecha- organisations within the Assad fold, nificance. worth noting. The Lebanese Hez- san closely as he inhabits Lebanese nisms are unlikely to take shape any which had sought to profit from Syr- “The crimes that Hassan is im- bollah has not only supported the hospital wards. time soon but that doesn’t mean ia’s drawn-out reconstruction. Oth- plicated in are on a much larger Assad regime in Syria, it has sent “Of course,” Smyth noted, “that they cannot be pursued in the fu- er, smaller-scale legal actions were scale and reflect the Syrian state’s thousands of men to fight alongside would require a close relationship ture.” Aboueldahab added. undertaken on parallel lines against policy of systematic torture, which the regime, in concert with other between top Syrian intel chiefs and A falling out between the Assad alleged war criminals and profiteers has affected — and continues to be Iran-aligned proxy forces. With Tehran.” regime and its broader axis seems associated with the regime. inflicted upon — tens of thousands Hezbollah in government, Syria’s Hassan’s position seems suffi- unlikely but it is not impossible. Though this policy is far from of Syrians. The arrest warrant for and Iran’s position in Lebanon is ciently stable that pro-regime pa- Iran-affiliated militias and Irani- achieving its stated aims, it is hav- Hassan is the closest one yet to top strong and certain. Assad’s men are pers can give out his location with- an-aligned states could prove less ing an effect. Syrian regime officials, which sends safe from the reach of international out fear that his movements may friendly to regime functionaries “Germany’s attempt to have a strong message to other Syrian justice there. result in extradition and indict- when their strategic ambitions di- Hassan arrested and extradited to regime leaders that they may very “If it’s true that he’s being treated ment. Hassan’s own close relation- verge and, if that happens, Assad’s Germany to face trial is significant well be next,” Aboueldahab said. in Beirut, that would require an OK ship with Iran guarantees his safety, placemen could find prosecution because of how powerful Hassan is Though Hassan is unlikely to face and protection from Hezbollah,” at least for now. becomes a more pressing threat. and the magnitude of the crimes he international prosecution if he re- said Phillip Smyth, Soref fellow at “I would be very surprised if Leb- is accused of perpetrating against mains in regime-controlled Syria, the Washington Institute for Near anon arrests Hassan and transfers James Snell is a British journalist.

Viewpoint Trump’s Syria exit decision receives unlikely political support

S President Donald The move has been criticised while he is a strong supporter of ISIS has been defeated, he sees Trump’s decision to for the impetuous way it was US alliances, he was wary of US no reason to stay in Syria. For his Gregory withdraw US troops announced and the fallout it military engagements overseas. political base, this all makes sense Aftandilian from Syria has re- caused, especially the resignations Even in Washington’s think-tank and that is paramount to Trump. ceived support from of US Defence Secretary James world, usually reflective of the The fate of Syrian Kurds is not a an unlikely quarter: Mattis and envoy to the anti-Islamic political establishment, there has concern for Trump and his political UDemocrats on the left of the politi- State coalition Brett McGurk. been support for the withdrawal base nor is the danger that Syria cal spectrum. A bipartisan group of members decision. Tamara Wittes and Mara could be made even more unstable These Democrats have long of the US Senate Armed Services Karlin recently wrote in Foreign by a US withdrawal — recent clashes been critical of US military action Committee implored Trump to Affairs that pulling back would “be between Israel and Iran in Syria overseas and have embraced the reverse the decision, stating: “Such painful and ugly for the Middle may be indicative of more violence withdrawal decision. Prominent action at this time is a premature East but, compared with staying to come. When one adds political among them is US Representative and costly mistake.” the course, it will be less so for the support for withdrawal from left- Barbara Lee of California, who told Among Republicans, Trump United States.” wing Democrats, whose influence Fox News: “I’ve always believed has received enthusiastic support Some think-tank scholars argued in the party is growing, Trump’s we should bring our troops home for the troop pullout from US that if the Islamic State (ISIS) withdrawal decision does not seem and especially in areas where Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky, re-emerges as a strong threat, the as crazy — from a domestic political [Congress] has not authorised a an isolationist who long has been United States could return to the standpoint — as the establishment war.” critical of American interventions region militarily. makes it out to be. Representative Ro Khanna, abroad. Paul heralded Trump’s What does this mean politically? Republican anti-Trumpers hope another California Democrat, decision and said it should “not Trump, during the 2016 Trump will be a one-term president said: “The withdrawal of troops be the job of America to replace presidential campaign, understood so they can reclaim the party from Syria is a good first step regimes around the world.” instinctively that the American and restore a more hawkish and towards ending our policy of Other Republicans have waffled public had grown weary of US interventionist policy but Trump’s interventionism.” Democrat Mark or taken a middle ground. Senator military intervention in the Middle decision on Syria is popular with a Pocan of Wisconsin added: “We Lindsey Graham of South Carolina East and used that sentiment significant segment of the American want to return troops home from has been all over the political to weaken Republican rivals electorate beyond his political base. lots of different places.” map, sharply criticising Trump for such as Jeb Bush, who remained The left certainly does not want These Democrats are aware that the withdrawal decision one day, interventionists. Trump to succeed but they have their support might give Trump a supporting him the next, claiming Although Trump criticised given anti-interventionism a boost. political boost and Lee said Trump he played a role in slowing down US President Barack Obama for To unmake Trumpism in foreign To unmake should not be “celebrating walking the withdrawal and most recently withdrawing US troops from Iraq, policy may be a much tougher Trumpism in foreign away from an international crisis” saying it can succeed if it is done in even claiming incredulously that endeavour than the establishment policy may be a and should beef up diplomatic a smart way. Trump’s subsequent Obama helped create ISIS, he imagines. support for an end to the Syrian decision to keep 200-400 troops maintained that US forces had to much tougher crisis instead. Nevertheless, their in Syria was praised by Graham as remain in the region temporarily to Gregory Aftandilian is a lecturer in endeavour than the support for Trump’s decision raised “following sound military advice.” defeat the terror group because it the Pardee School of Global Studies eyebrows among fellow Democrats The new chairman of the Senate was a threat to the US homeland. at Boston University and a former establishment who do not want to give Trump Foreign Relations Committee, Now that Trump has determined, US State Department Middle East imagines. credit for anything. James Risch of Idaho, said that, contrary to military opinion, that analyst. March 10, 2019 19 Debate East West Washington’s long arm against China reaches Israel

and Israel to make new calcula- also to establish a Mediterranean In Israel’s case, US concerns tions. Beijing is competing suc- gateway to Jordan and the Fertile about the Chinese presence at Geoffrey cessfully throughout Israel — as Crescent via a planned “Tracks Haifa port are part of broader Aronson it is elsewhere — for construction for Peace” rail link between criticism of the growing com- of major infrastructure projects. Haifa and Jordan. mercial relationship between It is the growing involvement Washington’s concerns about Israel and China focusing on in- by Chinese companies in the the effects of this growing Chi- vestment and technical collabo- operation and management of nese presence on the security ration on high tech commercial ashington’s Israeli ports in Ashdod and Haifa of US naval operations are not and cyber applications that have campaign to that is sparking American con- limited to Chinese commercial potential military applications. contest China’s cern for the security of US naval advances in Israel. Much to “This issue is part of a broader expanding in- operations where Chinese op- Washington’s consternation, concern that the Americans have fluence knows erators exercise a commanding China is expanding its opera- about our relationship with Chi- no bounds. presence. These are apprehen- tion of ports in the critical Red na,” explained an official to the WLate last year, the US Navy’s USS sions that may affect Washing- Sea-Mediterranean arena to Times of Israel. “Their concerns Ross visited Israel. The Arleigh ton’s use of Israel’s port facilities. construct and operate commer- are legitimate.” Burke-class destroyer attacked Shanghai International Port cial ports everywhere as part of Beijing begs to differ. “The US Syria in April 2017 when it fired Group won control over the con- its strategic Maritime Silk Road side has been abusing “national Tomahawk missiles at Shayrat tainer port in Haifa for 25 years undertaking. security” to smear and suppress Airbase in Homs. in exchange for a commitment From Djibouti, where China normal business activities of The ship’s visit was part of to invest $2 billion to transform has its only foreign naval base, Chinese enterprises,” charged a broader agreement enabling Haifa’s bay terminal into the to the Suez Canal and the Greek China’s foreign ministry spokes- ships of the Mediterranean- largest harbour in Israel. port of Piraeus, Chinese compa- woman when asked about based US Navy 6th Fleet to “I am sure that this decision nies, often under government China’s role in the Haifa project. make routine stops in Israel, an wasn’t made haphazardly,” a ownership, have won commer- “The US side consistently ignor- element of the deep security senior government official told cial tenders. The ubiquitous Chi- ing facts and seeing enemies cooperation between Israel and the Times of Israel, “and that nese state-owned China Ocean wherever it looks has become a the United States. there were serious discussions Shipping Company container laughingstock of its own allies.” “We are determined to defend about it. It probably has to do line has begun operations in China is an important market ourselves against the Iranian with financial considerations. the Lebanese port of Tripoli in for Israel, one that is destined to military entrenchment in Syria,” The Chinese can do it faster and anticipation of cashing on Syria’s grow but it is also the case that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin better and we needed someone reconstruction. Israel cannot afford to ignore, Netanyahu said at a dockside to operate our ports quickly.” Washington increasingly views whatever their merit, Washing- ceremony greeting the Ross’s There are solid commercial China’s efforts as a state-driven ton’s increasingly vocal opposi- sailors. “[US] President [Donald] reasons for China’s interest in mercantilist strategy to establish tion to China’s commercial and Trump gave full support to this Israel’s maritime port assets. China’s global commercial, if military expansion. policy of ours and the fact that In 2014, Netanyahu noted that not military supremacy. Dur- The most virulent confronta- this destroyer is visiting here “China is Israel’s largest trad- ing a January visit to Israel, tions between the United States today is an expression of that ing partner in Asia and, look- John Bolton, Trump’s national and Israel in recent memory support.” ing ahead, it seems it will soon security adviser, included Israel were precipitated by furious US Even in Israel, China’s global become Israel’s largest trade in Washington’s global push to opposition to Israeli arms sale to rise is forcing the United States partner in general.” impede the expansion of Chinese China, resulting in a 2005 Israeli Ashdod, where a Chinese com- high-tech and maritime trade. ban on such transfers. pany is building a state-of-the- US concerns about the security Washington’s complaints may art port, is well-placed to serve of the Navy’s 6th Fleet, given be working. Reports from Israel The most virulent Israel and the Gaza market if the the Chinese presence at Haifa, suggest that the Israeli govern- confrontations between the crippling siege imposed on it is was high on Bolton’s agenda. He ment has opened “a review of United States and Israel in lifted and the effort to construct stressed Washington’s opposi- the [Haifa] agreement at a high a Palestinian port falters. tion to business with Chinese level.” recent memory were Chinese management of telecom giants Huawei Tech- precipitated by furious US container traffic at Haifa offers nologies and ZTE, both of which Geoffrey Aronson is a Beijing an opportunity to expand are the subject of a US global non-resident scholar at the opposition to Israeli arms sale its role not only in Israel’s grow- effort to limit their international Middle East Institute in to China. ing trade with the Far East but markets. Washington. Here’s what would happen if a white nationalist extremist were Muslim

from the Institute for Social Policy more media coverage than non- British think-tank, 416 Labs, re- and Understanding (ISPU) titled Muslims, the report stated. leased a report in 2015 that alleged “Equal Treatment?: Measuring The media were also far more a significant bias against Muslims Tom Regan the Legal and Media Responses to likely to refer to the perpetrator’s and Islam in the New York Times, Ideologically Motivated Violence in religion when they were Muslim which could influence readers to the United States.” It says there are and more likely to use the word think all Muslims were responsible significant differences in the way “terrorism” or “terrorist.” for the actions of a few. the identity of an alleged perpe- Carey Shenkman, co-principal Professor Hussein Rashid, who n late February, US federal trator of ideologically motivated investigator and co-author of the teaches at Barnard College in New authorities arrested US Coast violence affects the legal response report and an ISPU fellow, said York and focuses on Muslims and Guard Lieutenant Christopher to his actions and the way they are the study points to something American popular culture, said he’s Paul Hasson. They alleged reported in American media. significant. “I think especially not surprised by the media’s one- Hasson, 49, plotted to kill The report gathered data that with policy there’s a tendency for sided coverage. The perspective of leaders of the Democratic covered the past few American a lot of handwaving much of the some papers tends to be white and IParty and well-known journalists. administrations, including those time and to have a lot of claims Christian, he said. Basically, Hasson’s targets were of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, that may not be backed up by the “That’s why we don’t get a lot of said to be anyone who had spoken Barack Obama and Trump. The facts and so we really wanted to coverage on white-collar crimes, against or written articles about US authors looked at the reporting of have something that was numbers- which is why we don’t get a lot of President Donald Trump. Authori- two of the United States’ best- based, that was objective, in a field coverage on white nationalist terror ties reportedly seized a huge cache known media outlets, the New that often has a lot of subjectivity,” because, much as they would like of weapons from Hasson’s Mary- York Times and the Washington he said. to condemn white nationalist terror land home. Post. Shenkman said what surprised in theory, those are their people.” Hasson, a self-avowed white- It made some significant points. him the most was how often law Rashid added: “They sympa- supremacist, allegedly dreamt of On average prosecutors sought a enforcement used entrapment thise, they can make excuses for “killing every person on the face of sentence for Muslim perpetrators with Muslim perpetrators but not their people in ways they can’t for the Earth.” He is being held on gun that was three times as long as they with non-Muslim perpetrators other people. They understand and drug-related charges. Federal did for non-Muslim perpetrators such as white supremacists. that white nationalist terrorists authorities described him as a “do- of similar plots of ideologically “We found that the majority of might be an aberration because mestic terrorist.” motivated violence (230 months the violent plots that were attribut- [they are] not like me but he’s While we don’t know how US versus 76 months). The average ed to the Muslim-perceived threat enough like me that I can forgive federal authorities will deal with sentence for Muslim perpetrators were actually undercover stings,” him. Somebody who’s not can’t be Hasson or how his case will be re- was four times as long as that for Shenkman said, “and that was kind forgiven because they’re too differ- ported on by the American media, non-Muslims (211 months versus 53 of troubling for us because, from ent. They have to be strange and a report says we can at least be sure months). a legal perspective, you’d expect exotic and foreign.” of some things: Whatever Hasson is In plots involving a Muslim per- the harshest punishments to go to Rashid said diversifying news- charged with, it won’t be as severe petrator, undercover law enforce- the folks that were finding their rooms would be welcome, not as the charges he would face if he ment or an informant provided own weapons and taking those just in terms of race but religious were a Muslim and the American the means to commit the crime in steps such as far-right extrem- background as well. media will not report on Hasson’s two-thirds of convictions while law ists and white supremacists, you “I think it’s a step,” said Rashid. crimes as thoroughly as they might enforcement provided the means know all these groups. They were “It’s also about recognising the for a Muslim charged with the of the crime in one-sixth of cases actually ready without the need of biases. Diversity is actually not same offences. involving a non-Muslim perpetra- law enforcement to provide them equity, and it’s really about creat- These are the findings of a report tor. weapons.” ing equitable newsrooms, where all Any perpetrator of violent acts Another surprise was how one- voices at a particular level are truly who was perceived to be Muslim sided the reporting was in the sup- considered equal.” Whatever Hasson is charged with, received twice the media atten- posedly liberal Washington Post it won’t be as severe as the tion as a non-Muslim. In terms and New York Times. This is not Tom Regan is a regular of “foiled plots,” such as the one the first time, however, that the contributor to The Arab Weekly charges he would face if he were a above involving Hasson, Muslim New York Times has been accused and a columnist at Muslim. alleged perpetrators received 770% of biased coverage of Muslims. A factsandopinion.com. 20 March 10, 2019 Economy Energy

Abu Dhabi’s ADNOC on the rise after Fitch rating Briefs

Jareer Elass New opportunities. Lebanon warns Washington An Emirati man walks neighbours by the logo redit rating service Fitch against using of ADNOC in Ratings has bestowed two Ruwais. of its highest ratings on Abu disputed territory (Reuters) C Dhabi’s state energy firm, for EastMed gas elevating the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) over region- pipeline al national oil companies (NOCs) and ranking its creditworthiness Lebanon warned its Mediter- higher than oil majors like Royal ranean neighbours that a planned Dutch Shell, Total and BP. EastMed gas pipeline from Israel The two ratings — a stand-alone to the European Union must not rating of “AA+” and long-term issu- violate its maritime borders. er default rating (IDR) of “AA” with Israel is hoping to enlist several a Stable Outlook — are the highest European countries in the con- ratings currently attributed by Fitch struction of a 2,000km pipeline to any oil and gas company. linking vast eastern Mediterranean The ratings are likely to open gas resources to Europe through the Abu Dhabi state energy firm to Cyprus, Greece and Italy at a cost global financial markets in a new of $7 billion. way, with ADNOC and its subsidiar- ies able to readily raise funds from (Reuters) the international debt market at ADNOC’s case, its ties to the gov- and dividends.” ADNOC has begun selling shares lower borrowing costs than other ernment of Abu Dhabi. UAE Minister of State and ADNOC in subsidiaries to foreign compa- rated oil and gas firms. Fitch extolled ADNOC’s profita- Group Director-General and CEO nies, entering into lucrative and Stoppages The state firm said that while bility that “is in line with that of in- Sultan Ahmed al-Jaber stated that strategic partnerships to expand its “ADNOC has no plans to issue a ternational oil majors and exceeds Fitch’s ratings decision “recognises upstream and downstream opera- sap Tunisia’s bond at the Group holding level, that of some national oil compa- ADNOC’s world-class resources, tions. these credit ratings will enable nies, in view of its low production our strong operating and financial In October, ADNOC sold a 5% phosphate wealth greater access to a more interna- costs, oil-heavy production profile performance, our robust financial stake in ADNOC Drilling for $550 tional investor base and provide and competitive tax regime.” The profile and our disciplined invest- million to US oil services giant Tunisia’s state phosphate firm ADNOC with further smart financ- rating service highlighted the fact ment model.” Baker Hughes. In January, in a deal CPG’s hiring spree increased its ing options.” that, unlike other regional NOCs, Since taking ADNOC’s helm in valued at $5.8 billion, the Abu Dha- total workforce to about 30,000. The ratings are a response to AD- “ADNOC has no social functions, February 2016, Jaber has replaced bi firm signed partnership agree- Thousands more are still jobless, NOC’s diligence in streamlining op- such as subsidisation of gasoline leadership within the company’s ments that involved providing 20% however, and some block roads to erations and selling stakes in key prices or construction of social in- key divisions and operating units and 15% stakes in ADNOC Refining, CPG daily to demand work. Others subsidiaries to move beyond being frastructure, which has a positive and pushed for big internal con- respectively, to Italy’s Eni and Aus- on the payroll, including hundreds a profitable NOC that is a cash cow impact on the company’s profitabil- solidations, including the merger of tria’s OMV and the formation of a of ghost workers, want pay rises for its government to becoming a i t y.” two large offshore divisions and the trading joint venture responsible and frequently go on strike. more commercially driven energy In addition, Fitch stressed the merger of shipping and port service for selling ADNOC’s refined crude Phosphate production in Tunisia company that can compete with company’s flexible dividend policy, operations. products. has halved since 2011 and CPG’s leading oil majors by expanding in which ADNOC is under “no obli- ADNOC is also playing a part in In February, ADNOC entered into losses have accumulated as its its global reach in upstream and gation to pay out a certain propor- Abu Dhabi’s push for privatisation a $4 billion agreement with US in- wage bill grew. Employees point to downstream operations. tion of earnings or a fixed amount” of state entities. While the holding vestment firms KKR and BlackRock other inefficiencies at the com- In assigning the “AA+” stand- to the state. company itself will not be listed, to form a company called ADNOC pany. alone rating to ADNOC, Fitch said The long-term IDR of “AA” with ADNOC is offering stakes in several Oil Pipelines, which will lease AD- CPG’s declining fortunes have the distinction “reflects the compa- Stable Outlook ascribed by Fitch to of its service subsidiaries. NOC’s interest in 18 pipelines that highlighted the government’s ny’s high upstream output coupled ADNOC is in line with Fitch’s sover- In December 2017, ADNOC listed cover the state firm’s upstream con- failure to reform bloated state with low production costs, signifi- eign rating of ADNOC’s owner, the 10% of its fuel distribution arm, AD- cessions for a 23-year period. AD- companies. cant reserves, downstream integra- Abu Dhabi government, but the rat- NOC Distribution, on the Abu Dhabi NOC, which will hold a 60% stake Phosphates accounted for about tion and a conservative financial ing service capped ADNOC’s IDR at Securities Exchange, with the ini- in the consortium, will maintain 10% of Tunisia’s exports before profile.” The rating service said the “AA” because of ADNOC’s relation- tial public offering netting $851 mil- sovereignty over the pipelines and 2011, when olive oil replaced it “AA+” level corresponds to “the ship with the government, citing lion for the government. ADNOC re- management of pipeline opera- as the top export. In 2018, phos- upper boundary of the rating spec- “strong links between the company portedly has plans to float another tions. phate had shrunk to about 4% of trum for oil and gas companies.” and the sovereign and the influ- 10% stake in the subsidiary, which exports. A stand-alone rating values the ence the state can or does exert on is the largest operator of retail fuel Jareer Elass reports from entity’s creditworthiness separate the company through regulating service stations and convenience Washington on energy issues for (Reuters) from external factors, such as, in the level of production, taxation stores in the United Arab Emirates. The Arab Weekly.

Viewpoint Iraqi, Kuwaiti ports: From competition to partnership

This is visible in the official and and Kuwait that can easily be rules and conditions as well as completed and that the digging popular storms kicked up in Iraq exploited by some political the minimum import and export of the port basin will start soon, because of the project. On the parties. The most important one tariffs. although the Iraqi government Salam Sarhan Iraqi side, the construction project of these past confrontations is Opinions are divided about the has allocated only $340 million of Al-Faw port, which began 9 Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait and the prospects and the feasibility of from this year’s budget towards years ago but doesn’t show much subsequent blockade imposed Al-Faw port, which is being built the completion of the project. uwait is invest- progress, risks being crippled on Iraq. Kuwait played a role in at a very slow pace despite the That amounts to 10% of the ing heavily in the further. prolonging that blockade. project promising a capacity of needed amount. development of the Iraq can kill Kuwait’s huge Add to that the substantial 99 million tonnes of freight per Iraqi officials have been floating Mubarak al-Kabeer investments in its port project by reparations Iraq paid Kuwait year as well as dozens of berths, the possibility of opening tenders Port, whose primary enacting a law banning trade with despite Iraqis maintaining that storage facilities and oil refinery to attract companies to invest in economic purpose the Kuwaiti port. The port really they should not be penalised for and petrochemical enterprises. the port’s infrastructure, with Kis to serve the Iraqi market and is not intended to serve Kuwait’s the actions of former President The facilities of Mubarak revenues and co-management beyond, perhaps even reaching small market and it is located too Saddam Hussein. al-Kabeer port on the eastern promised in return through long European markets. far north of the Kuwaiti coast. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel coast of Boubyan Island can term contracts but widespread However, the port is risking Besides, there are ports on the Abdul-Mahdi has issued put pressure on the Iraqi corruption and Iraq’s difficult losing its economic potential southern shores of Kuwait that contradictory statements hinting narrow corridor to the Gulf. So business climate could hamper because of how the project is are better positioned to serve the at the possibility of cooperating to cooperation and integration such plans. being implemented — without local economy. develop the ports but he did not can serve the interests of both Iraq has five commercial ports close coordination with Baghdad Therefore, if Kuwait is to play specify the details or terms of this countries if they heed shared connected to the Gulf: Umm Qasr — which is stirring unfriendly a role in this strategic corridor, it cooperation. economic interests and prioritise al-Shamali, Umm Qasr al-Janubi, political and popular positions must consider Iraqi interests by There are many parties in both them over political slogans. Khor al-Zubayr, Abu Flous and in Iraq. The project will result providing concessions that would Kuwait and Iraq whose interests If the opinions of the relevant Al Maqal. However, Al-Faw port in shrinking even further Iraq’s appeal to Iraqi business circles or political capital could suffer if economic actors were to be is a major leap forward because only already narrow outlet on the and would allay Baghdad’s fears such cooperation materialises, surveyed, the establishment of of its location allowing access to Arabian Gulf. and those of the Iraqi political including regional parties, such as a free trade area between the the Gulf’s deep waters, which parties that can easily stoke up Iran and other countries. two countries would be the ideal enables the docking of large popular passions. In economic reality, commercial option, even if that might not vessels. It is difficult to come up with parties do not care where they appeal to some political parties. Analysts said cooperation reasons that could compel Kuwait get the best commercial facilities, Many decades-old studies show between Iraq and Kuwait in port Many decades-old to place further impediments on infrastructure or tariffs. In that the development of strategic development would face many studies show that the Iraq’s narrow outlet on the Gulf Europe, for example, a German port facilities in the northern obstacles, given the insistence unless the big picture is kept firm can elect to choose a port extremity of the Gulf would create of Iraqi parties that want to seize development of in mind. If Kuwait realises the regardless of its location, whether a global trade artery that links the the potential of the strategic trade strategic port great potential of this strategic in Germany, the Netherlands or East to the West through road and corridor for themselves, as well commercial corridor, it could Belgium. rail networks freighting goods as the manner in which Kuwait facilities in the secure an important share of its If the differences between between Asian and European is approaching the issue, which northern extremity future revenues but that would be Iraq and Kuwait regarding port countries, Turkey and possibly hints that Iraq’s neighbour would of the Gulf would difficult to achieve by forcing the development are ironed out, Syria. block the project if it does not Iraqis to cooperate. traders and companies will The Iraqi government reports obtain what it wants from it. create a global trade There is a heavy legacy choose the location with the that many of the projects at artery. of differences between Iraq least burdensome procedures, Al-Faw port have already been Salam Sarhan is an Iraqi writer. March 10, 2019 21 Economy

Maghrebi strategy to close food security gaps by 2030

Riadh Bouazza of adequate investment in the food and food industries sectors and cli- mate change. Tunis To advance their plan, the min- isters said there is an urgent need aghreb countries are to set up a Maghrebi Bank for seed, planning to initiate a grain and dry beans, as well as pro- comprehensive strategy moting bilateral and multilateral M to ensure food security, trading activities in agricultural and build capabilities and raise levels of fishing produce in the region and preparedness ahead of increasing reinforcing the role of professional challenges in food production sec- organisations and specialised net- tors. works in food security. Ministers of agriculture of Maghreb Union countries, meeting The region’s food issue can recently in Tunis, agreed to develop a common vision for food security be summarised in for the next ten years. inadequate governmental The region suffers from a struc- strategies, lack of adequate tural deficit in food security because investment in the food and arable land, estimated at 5.8 million food industries sectors and sq.km, does not exceed 3.7% of the climate change. total area of the Maghreb countries. The total irrigated area does not rep- The ministerial committee called resent more than 7% of total culti- for speeding up the establishment vated area. of an emergency Maghreb fund for In a communique released at the food security to prevent the spread conclusion of 18th session of the of animal and plant pests in addi- Maghrebi ministerial committee in tion to the establishment of an early charge of food security, the minis- warning drought observatory. ters called for the development of The committee urged the five joint Maghrebi programmes focused countries to finalise procedures to on food security, along with the cre- accept agreed-upon protocols re- ation of a special fund for research. garding veterinary, fishery and aq- The ministers emphasised the uaculture. need “to encourage private invest- Another important strategic goal Increasing challenges. Tunisian farmers harvest a wheat field in the vicinity of Kalaat El-Andalous ment among the Maghrebi countries considered by the committee was near Tunis. (AFP) in the fields of agriculture and fish- encouraging the use of technology, ery to increase productivity and pro- remote sensing and specialised sys- vide additional job opportunities for tems to manage irrigation use. stated that economic integration bers. Experts said this illustrates the Maghrebi youth.” Arab Maghreb countries rely on plays a significant role in economic fragility of the Maghreb countries’ The Maghreb two major factors to achieve the growth in the region, resulting in economies despite efforts to open highest standards of agricultural an additional 1% growth for each to foreign markets, particularly in Common Strategy The region suffers from a sustainability: doubling exports to Maghreb country. Africa. structural deficit in food markets across the Mediterranean Another study published on the Studies have shown that the security because arable land and redirecting attention to Africa, 30th anniversary of the establish- Maghreb countries are losing 3% of ► Establish a Maghrebi does not exceed 3.7% of the considering changing economic ment of the Arab Maghreb Union GDP growth each year because of bank for seed genes conditions globally. stated that the combined GDP of the recession, while they incur loss- total area of the Maghreb ► Promote intra-regional countries. The second factor concerns in- the Maghreb Union countries could es in foreign trade. The total volume creasing efforts to unify members’ reach $360 billion if the economies of foreign trade does not exceed $6 trade in agricultural and participation in international fairs of the countries were integrated. billion annually. fishery products Arab Maghreb Union members — and exhibitions, which would en- The United Nations said inter- What is also significant is that ► Widen the scope of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco able them to increase exports and to country trade in the region accounts regulatory arrangements regarding and Tunisia — have been working to build a unified, strong and competi- for 5% of the total value of its exter- inter-regional trade in the Maghreb the role of professional meet various common challenges. tive front. nal transactions, compared to an es- have been finalised and more than organisations Despite their efforts, they are expe- The International Monetary Fund timated 66% of inter-regional trade 40 trade agreements, including ► Establish an emergency riencing difficulties implementing (IMF) said the absence of economic in the European Union. deals on the unification of trade tar- the plans. integration among Maghreb coun- It was noted that Maghrebi coun- iffs, free trade and the unification of fund for food security Experts said the region’s food is- tries costs each country 1-2 percent- tries seem to prefer trading with customs tariffs, have been signed. ► Encourage the use of sue can be summarised in inade- age points of economic growth. An European countries rather than in- modern technologies. quate governmental strategies, lack IMF report released in February creasing with Maghreb Union mem- Riadh Bouazza is a Tunisian writer. New programme fosters innovation in Lebanon’s agri-food sector

Samar Kadi organisations with regional and At the same time, they work on the need for such device in the mar- world. The data are updated contin- worldwide effect. actual creation of the product or ser- ket,” Naffah said. “It can serve small uously enabling direct access to the Every year, 30 start-ups are given vice they want to sell.” farmers as well as big producers. information needed,” Naffah said. Beirut the chance to assemble a base prac- Eight finalists are shortlisted for “You can add other functionali- “We are trying to connect the vari- tical product. After two months of a final 6-month incubation period. ties on the software, so it can sort ous players in the market including oung innovators have been intensive boot camp and market “These are thoroughly coached by oranges, mangoes and avocadoes, et farmers, exporters, the private sec- addressing the challenges validation of their agri-food inno- experts in the industry as they work cetera. These types of solutions can tor as well as the universities which facing agriculture in Leba- vations, 15 start-ups advance to a on the scale model, pitch it to the serve the Lebanese farmer and can do research in their agriculture fac- Y non using modern technol- 4-month phase to develop a viable public and get investors on board,” expand to the Middle East and other ulties.” ogy to scale up their ideas into ser- product. Naffah said. regions.” vices and products and establish “Selection is made on the basis of During the three years since it Another start-up — Iotree — is The Agrytech Programme sustainable businesses to revive the market needs and the feasibil- started, the Agrytech Programme an early warning system that uses has been providing the receding sector. ity of the idea,” Naffah said. “Dur- helped establish several start-ups, smart electronic traps based on ar- The Agrytech Programme, an ing the second phase, innovative including one by engineers who tificial intelligence to detect pests in entrepreneurs with agriculture and food innovation entrepreneurs receive training on developed a quality-control apple- agriculture fields. incubation facilities, hub begun in 2016 in cooperation how to operate a business, including sorting machine. “It alerts the farmer that this type business support, between the Dutch government finance, marketing, sales, human “Apples being a main agricultural of pest started in this part of his field networking, mentoring, and Lebanese start-up developers resources management and pricing. produce of Lebanon, there is a big and advises on possible solutions. funding, access to Berytech, has been providing en- The early detection of pests reduc- markets and acceleration. trepreneurs with incubation facili- es the use of pesticides and allows ties, business support, networking, spraying only what’s needed and The programme, co-funded for mentoring, funding, access to mar- where it is needed; as such we have four years by the Netherlands, kets and acceleration. better quality products suitable for which provides 90% of the financ- “The programme was designed export,” Naffah said. ing, and Berytech, expires in July. in response to the need of the mar- The start-up Smart Gourmet de- “We are planning to ask for an ket and the food industry, which veloped a cooking technique and extension of two years to allow the is an old industry in Lebanon but a machine that can prepare meals programme to become self-sustain- lacks innovation,” said Fadi Naffah, sous vide (“under vacuum”), ex- able. It is a successful venture that Agrytech manager. tending the food’s shelf life to up to might be replicated in other devel- “With current technology and 6 months. The products do not con- oping countries,” Naffah said. development, it is very easy to tain preservatives and don’t need to The Food and Agriculture Organi- use innovation to push the indus- be frozen, just chilled, facilitating sation, a UN agency, said agricul- try forward and to find solutions transportation and export. ture contributes about 5% of GDP that can be used not only in Leba- Smart Gourmet products are avail- and 8% of the effective labour force non but also in the region and the able in 400 supermarkets across in Lebanon. In addition to primary world.” Lebanon. They have been exported agriculture production, the sector Naffah said the programme’s to the United Arab Emirates and will is a key contributor to Lebanon’s aim was to source the best new soon be found in Qatar and Oman. agri-food industry, which contrib- businesses with creative develop- An online resources platform was utes an additional 5% of GDP and ments in agriculture and the food established under the Agrytech constitutes a major employer in the industry and supply them with Programme to help farmers resolve economy. specialised and business assets and problems. “It is a mini-Google spe- network support to transform their cialised in agriculture and food in- Samar Kadi is The Arab Weekly ideas into concrete creations and New solutions. Greens are grown at a vertical farm. (AFP) novation happenings around the Travel and Society section editor. 22 March 10, 2019 Culture

Louvre Abu Dhabi sheds light on Dutch Golden Age N.P. Krishna Kumar Collection) — that were painted on canvas cut from the same bolt. These are displayed side by side Abu Dhabi for what is thought to be the first time in 300 years. fter its successful inau- The exhibition is drawn primar- gural shows last year, the ily from the Leiden Collection, one Louvre Abu Dhabi has of the largest and most significant A set the pace for a second private collections of art from the season by unveiling 95 artworks Dutch Golden Age, interspersed by Dutch masters under the exhi- with masterpieces from the Mu- bition appropriately titled “Rem- see du Louvre’s Dutch collection. brandt, Vermeer and the Dutch Loans from the Rijksmuseum and Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Bibliotheque Nationale de the Leiden Collection and the Mu- France complete the presentation. see du Louvre.” History has cast the Dutch Gold- The exhibition, the largest of en Age as a brief period of the 17th Dutch masters from the 17th cen- century when the Dutch Republic, tury in the Gulf region, surveys newly independent from Spain, Rembrandt’s artistic journey in his established itself as a world lead- A taste of Dutch art. Visitors look at works on display as part of “Rembrandt, Vermeer and the Dutch native Leiden and Amsterdam as er in trade, science and the arts Golden Age: Masterpieces from the Leiden Collection and the Musee du Louvre.” (Mohamed Somji) well as his relationships with ri- and became the most prosperous vals and peers, including Johannes country in Europe. Vermeer, Jan Lievens, Ferdinand Wealth derived from dominance ment of Culture and Tourism in painting of the goddess (both from tant assemblages of 17th-century Bol, Carel Fabritius, Gerrit Dou, in worldwide trade also resulted Abu Dhabi. the Leiden Collection). Dutch paintings in private hands. Frans van Mieris and Frans Hals. in one of the most productive pe- Louvre Abu Dhabi Director Ma- The works are displayed along- Highlights from the Leiden Col- riods in the making of art. Paint- nuel Rabate affirmed the “com- side paintings by other masters lection include Vermeer’s “Young ings and art objects were widely mitment to bringing key moments from Rembrandt’s artistic circle, Woman Seated at a Virginal,” Dou’s Rembrandt’s early famed collected and traded, resulting in in art and history to a new global illustrating the influence that “Scholar Interrupted at His Writ- series of allegorical the proliferation of Dutch works in audience and further cement the these remarkable artists had on ing,” Lievens’s “Boy in a Cape and paintings of the senses museums and collections across museum’s mission to become a each other’s work. Turban” and Rembrandt’s “Young drawn at the start of his the world. centre for cultural exchange.” Viewers also get an insight into Lion Resting.” career in Leiden and Rembrandt and Vermeer estab- The exhibition unfolds through the artistic traditions that flour- Among the highlights from the paintings created later in lished themselves at the forefront six sections exploring the heart ished in Leiden and the wider Musee du Louvre’s collections are: Amsterdam are on display. of the artistic movement charac- of the Dutch Golden Age; Rem- Netherlands during this period, Dou’s “Self-Portrait with Palette in terised by a deep interest in hu- brandt’s beginnings in Leiden; including the development of a a Niche,” Bol’s “Rebecca and Eliez- manity and daily life. Rembrandt in Amsterdam; Fine new school of artists, called the fi- er at the Well” and an engraved Exhibition patrons are especial- “In 2019, the UAE is celebrat- Painting in Leiden; Picturing Eve- jnschilders (fine painters), who fo- nautilus shell (circa 1660-80). ly privileged because it coincides ing the Year of Tolerance, which ryday life in the Dutch Republic; cused on painting portraits, char- Alongside the exhibition, which with the first display of the mu- is testament to our long-standing and Historical Lessons and Tales acter studies, history paintings is to close May 18, Louvre Abu seum’s most recent acquisition, tradition of nurturing a culture of Morality. and exquisitely rendered scenes of Dhabi has announced a cultural Rembrandt’s oil sketch “Head of a of openness and exchange. The Rembrandt’s early famed series daily life. programme featuring film screen- Young Man, with Clasped Hands: exhibition… illustrates not only of allegorical paintings of the sens- The Leiden Collection, founded ings curated by Emirati artist Hind Study of the Figure of Christ” (cir- the importance of cross-border es drawn at the start of his career in 2003 by American collectors Mezaina, a pop-up costumed per- ca 1656). cultural collaborations but also in Leiden and paintings created Thomas S. Kaplan and his wife, formance in the museum galleries Other highlights are works by how artistic creativity has always later in Amsterdam are on display. Daphne Recanati Kaplan, consists as well as talks and workshops. Vermeer — “The Lacemaker” (Mu- been at the heart of great historic They include “Self-Portrait with of approximately 250 paintings see du Louvre) and “Young Wom- moments,” said Mohamed al- Shaded Eyes” and “Minerva in Her and drawings and represents one N.P. Krishna Kumar is an Arab an Seated at a Virginal” (Leiden Mubarak, chairman of the Depart- Study,” his monumental history of the largest and most impor- Weekly contributor in Dubai. Yemeni artist finds ‘value of life’ in paintings

Omar Ali al-Badawi “Art that carries a humane mes- the obstacles that artists face in sage is art that is beautiful close to Yemeni and Arab societies. “The the hearts of the public,” Yafei said. artist constantly hopes that these Riyadh “Much of my work depicts the el- circumstances change,” said Yafei. derly in detail and that is because “Yemen lacks many of the factors emeni artist Zaki al-Yafei they have a clear and frank iden- and conditions that could vitalise has an incredible ability tity. I also have a special apprecia- the artistic scene, such as galleries to paint faces, horses and tion for this older generation. It is or exhibits, which would lift the Y Yemeni landscapes. The generous and loving and still clings public’s taste. There is also a lack level of detail and the accuracy to the land and the trees.” of art universities, institutes and of the faces in his paintings are a Yafei has won several awards, events. This results in poor popu- glimpse of this artist’s talent. including Yemen’s Presiden- lar engagement with the arts and a A down-to-earth person in char- tial Award in 2007, the Ministry paucity of artistic culture.” acter and behaviour, Yafei said he of Tourism’s Award for the best “Only a few people are inter- was naturally attracted to the Real- landscape painting, the European ested in the visual arts in Yemen, ist school of painting. He worked Union Delegation Award and the especially those who have lived on developing his skills and abili- Dubai Cultural Award. He has rep- abroad,” he said. “Artists aspire to ties by studying the foundations of resented Yemen in many exhibi- overcome these frustrating factors this school of art, such as anatomy, tions and festivals abroad. and wish for the art scene to rise perspective, proportions or the col- Talking with Yafei about his as- to the expectations of the Yemeni our wheel. pirations as an artist will inevi- creative personality. Growing up in an atmosphere tably turn to a discussion about “I know that it will not be an easy filled with tradition and herit- task, especially since Arabs, in gen- age, Yafei said he developed a eral, lack the culture of the paint- deep-rooted interest in patrimo- ing. It is valued less than other pos- nial elements and all that is old sessions and luxuries that do not and authentic. Yafei has assumed even deserve to be compared to a the duty of representing Yemeni work of art.” landscapes, of transferring the el- He added: “For me, art is what ements of the environment onto makes me appreciate the value of canvas, thereby transmitting a life and its sweet taste. I feel like I message that spreads the country’s fully and beautifully live every day ancient heritage. in which I paint. This is why I dis- He embodied this heritage by tance myself from the evil we see capturing Yemeni sartorial spe- in the humanitarian crises and es- cificities, old trades and crafts- pecially in the political landscape. men and historical buildings. He “I paint to forget all the dread- focused particularly on painting ful things around me. I heal my- people from the poorer classes, self from stress and treat anxiety representing their conditions and through painting. Painting and art illustrating their sorrows and suf- are tremendous energy that I feel fering in his work. flowing inside me. I am over the He said he feels that he produces moon once I am done discharging art that is connected and relevant it on the white canvas.” to people, using the artistic medi- Flowing energy. A painting um to convey their message to the of a Yemeni horse by Zaki Omar Ali al-Badawi is a Saudi Silent features. A painting depicting an elderly man by rest of society. al-Yafei. (Al Arab) journalist. Zaki al-Yafei. (Al Arab) March 10, 2019 23 Culture Interview Hala Shah’s story of dance, love and faith

we passed out on the ground. We his brother said, ‘Hala’s a ballet were being so deeply, spiritually dancer,’” Shah said. “His mom fed by dance and by our own heard ‘belly dancer’ and she Kelly Kennedy faith. walked out of the room. They had “Being a better dancer makes literally just met me and already me a better Muslim and, for the this poor woman is having a first time, I actually believe this moment and walking out of the hen Hala is what I’m meant to do. I’ve room.” Shah dances found a way to be a dancer and Someone quickly explained in a week- Muslim and to be true to both.” that Shah danced ballet, not end ballet For her family, spaghetti- “belly,” and that helped. class or a strapped leotards and pas de “But even in that first moment performance deux with male dancers had when you could see the culture on stage, joy never come up as controversial; and gut reaction to dance was Wshows on her face. it was simply part of ballet and really scary for me,” Shah said. “I She doesn’t move through port had been since Shah started thought: ‘This is serious.’” de bras — she reaches, as if from dancing at age 6. However, many Worse was her fiance’s reaction some need to go farther. Each Muslims believe baring shoulders to the idea of her dancing with step exudes athleticism com- and dancing closely with men to other men or wearing suggestive bined with grace. whom they are not related go clothing. They married and she As the music changes, she against the faith. decided she would dance with yearns. She crumbles. She elates. “This whole thing of dance and more conservative companies She feels. Islam didn’t come into play until with which she wouldn’t dance “I can’t imagine doing anything I met Zain,” Shah said, referring with men and she wouldn’t show else,” Shah said. “I put my whole to the man who sparked her as much skin. life into it.” internal strife. “It lasted for about a second,” But 15 years ago, when she was Growing up, Shah’s Muslim- she said. “I was like, ‘This is not about to marry a Muslim-Ameri- Egyptian father and non-Muslim cutting it.’ I could only fake it for can man who was born in mother raised her in the tenants so long.’” Unique talent. Choreographer, dancer and writer Hala Shah. Pakistan to a traditional family, of the faith but also encouraged In another attempt at compro- (Courtesy of Hala Shah) her love of dance collided with her to explore. The couple split mise, she tried to make dance a the love of her life. while she was a child. secondary career and began As she explored her faith with “My dad taught me how to pray working at Georgetown Univer- trying to appease people?’” there is no other option,” she her fiance and as they became when he would come visit but it sity. She has a degree in Middle She and her husband faced said. “If I could have loved stronger together in their was really my mom who gave me Eastern studies from New York more questions. something more than dance, religion, she said she needed to my approach to Islam,” Shah University and was working on a “At the end of the day, when I things could have been a lot make a devastating decision: said. master’s degree. close my eyes, this feels like easier.” Would she have to give up her Her mother taught her and her “My heart just coming back to home,” Shah said. “This is me. His mother? Shah invited her to career in ballet or her relation- siblings to see the similarities to dance,” she said. “I thought, ‘Is How can this really, really me be see her perform in Washington. ship or might there be a compro- other religions; that the core this really a limitation I believe in wrong if God made me this way?” “She hugged me and cried,” she mise? messages are the same and that, or am I doing this because I’m In 2012, she enrolled in a said. “It was the moment I always Shah explored her decision in for her, “There is a God and God master’s programme in dance at wanted.” an article in Dance magazine and is this force that is bigger than all New York University. Ultimately, Shah said, her — spoiler alert — will perform of us and more than anyone “We had to talk about it a lot,” dance is about her relationship with New York Ping Chong and could imagine.” “Being a better she said. “We had to talk about with God. Company in “Calling: A dance When Shah, as an adult, started dancer makes me a the changes in our marriage. “I want to be able to say to God, with faith” May 23 and 25 at La thinking about ballet in conjunc- better Muslim and, We’re a team, we’ll figure this ‘I used dance to help people or to Mama Moves! Dance Festival. tion with her faith, she “opened a out. We love each other, as long move people or to make them In the piece, she and another can of worms.” She studied for the first time, I as we keep an open line of feel better or whatever they need dancer explore their experiences whether prohibitions against actually believe communication, it’ll be OK.” that goes beyond what we are with faith. dancing with men, dancing to Shah said her husband, here.’ “I was so excited to dance represent a sexual story and this is what I’m because he knows “I’m a good “I feel calm when I dance,” ‘faith’ but also have it actually dancing in body-conscious meant to do.” person,” is better about under- Shah said. “It’s total spiritual make my faith stronger,” Shah clothing were from her God or Dancer standing her decision. She said abandonment. It’s a little taste of said. “We were fasting during from her culture. he supported her completely. faith, of heaven, of your soul rehearsal. We were dancing until “When I first met Zain’s family, Hala Shah “I think he and I both know smiling.” The cinematic adventures of Moroccan film-maker Ismael Ferroukhi

Saad Guerraoui a 9-year-old boy who has to give a proached by a producer who had a me as I moved from amateur actors “Le Grand Voyage,” which was presentation on his country of ori- project with Canal+ and ARTE TV in my town to big screen stars,” Fer- filmed in nine countries, won the gin, Morocco, at school in the town channels to make a short film in roukhi said. Golden Aston award at the Plata Casablanca of Crest in southern France. an encounter between young film- Ferroukhi’s talent paid off again Film Festival in Argentina (2005) The self-taught director recalled makers and screen stars. with his first feature film, the and was nominated for the BAFTA he story of French-Moroc- the financial struggle to produce Ferroukhi said he had the privi- award-winning “Le Grand Voyage” for Best Film in the English Lan- can film-maker Ismael Fer- his first film. “It took me months to lege to work with French actress (“The Big Trip”). guage (2006). roukhi is an inspiration for find the money to make the movie Catherine Deneuve in a short film “It won the 2004 Luigi de Lau- Ferroukhi said that the movie’s T anyone who dreams of a ca- because I was unknown in the cin- “L’Inconnu” (“The Unknown”) rentiis award at Venice, which is an success came after two years of reer in the cinema industry without ema industry,” he said. (1996), which tells the story of a sin- unachievable thing. It was the epit- hard work. “Conditions were diffi- having studied the seventh art. Following “The Expose’s” “un- gle woman who meets a homeless ome of my cinema career,” Ferrouk- cult to make the movie since I had Born in Morocco but raised in predictable” success in Cannes man in her parking lot and decides hi said with a big smile. “It was my a limited budget and lacked several France since he was 2 years old af- and other festivals, opportunities to host him. debut feature film. It took me four authorisations for filming,” he said. ter his family emigrated to Europe, opened for Ferroukhi. He was ap- “’L’Inconnu’ was a huge leap for years to find the financing despite “I was arrested in Saudi Arabia Ferroukhi taught himself film-mak- the many doors that have been shut despite having the authorisation ing. down on me.” to film in Mecca. What I wanted to “I had a passion for writing nov- The movie tells the story of a Mo- film there was a complicated thing els, novellas. I have had a desire roccan immigrant and his son born to achieve but I persisted and man- to tell and write stories since I was in France who have a communica- aged to finish it after all,” he added. a kid but it had nothing to do with tion problem at home that reflects The film-maker said he is work- cinema,” Ferroukhi said. “It was an issue many immigrants deal ing on a feature film in Morocco, by coincidence and necessity that I with. an experience he said was very rich found myself in the cinema indus- The father embarks on a thrill- and challenging. try, which pushed me to make my ing car journey with his son, who “There are good technicians and first movie.” drives him to Saudi Arabia to per- extraordinary amateur and profes- Ferroukhi made his first short form haj. The movie was inspired sional actors in Morocco’s cinema film, “The Expose,” in 1992. It won by the story of Ferroukhi’s father, industry. You just need to look for the Kodak Prize at the Cannes Film who made it to the haj by car from them and coach them,” Ferroukhi Festival a year later. France when the film-maker was said. “For me, it was the only film that 14. “Things here (Morocco) are less I was going to make. I have never “It is a confrontation of two gen- organised than in France but I have thought of making a career in cin- erations who have two different to adjust to the conditions and car- ema,” said the French-Moroccan di- cultures that have been torn apart. ry on.” rector, who used people in the vil- Many people related to the movie lage where he grew up to play roles when they saw it in Europe. For me, Saad Guerraoui is a contributor in the film. An inspiring journey. French-Moroccan film-maker Ismael the message was a success,” said to The Arab Weekly on Maghreb “The Expose” depicts the story of Ferroukhi. (Saad Guerraoui) Ferroukhi. issues. 24 March 10, 2019 Travel www.thearabweekly.com

Agenda

Beirut: Through March 17

“The Bahrain National Museum: A 30th anniversary retrospec- tive” exhibition traces the history of the Bahrain National Museum and highlights major milestones.

Marrakech: Through May 16

The Marrakech Biennale is a festival with the mission to build bridges between cultures through the arts. The seventh edition of the event takes a multidiscipli- nary approach to introduce art- ists and works primarily from the Arab world, the Mediterranean region and sub-Saharan Africa.

A surfer trains at the famous spot of Anchor Point in Taghazout Beach in southern Morocco. (Reuters) Beirut: March 10-15

The Beirut International Women Film Festival is an annual event Surf’s up off Morocco’s Atlantic coast that gathers film-makers and cinema lovers from around the world. The festival aims to Saad Guerraoui highlight the power of women in various life situations.

Casablanca Luxor: March 15-21 arm temperatures throughout the year, The eighth Luxor African Film great waves along the Festival will screen films pro- W 1,835km Atlantic coast duced in African countries in and cheap flights from Europe have competitions for Long Narratives, made Morocco one of the world’s Long Documentaries and Short most popular surf destinations. Films. France’s Benoit Carpentier and his team chose the Moroccan city of Zammour, Tunisia: Dakhla to prepare for the Stand Up March 27-30 Paddling World tour in Hawaii. In an interview with Surf-report. The third Zammour Fest will take com, Carpentier, the 2017 European place in a Berber village in the champion, said Morocco was the Tunisian Sahara. Over four days perfect annual surf trip, thanks to and three nights, visitors camp its warm waters, long hours of sun- in Bedouin tents, trek or bike shine and hospitality. in the village, visit mountains, “For all these reasons Morocco attend folklore parties and enjoy has become for more than 10 years traditional food. for the Carpentier family the surf trip that opens the new year! Sidi Beirut: Ifni and especially Imsouane were Beach umbrellas are seen in front of surfers competing in Taghazout. (AFP) April 3-14 our drop-off points for many years interspersed with two transfers to The Beirut International Platform Dakhla already in 2011 and 2013,” Several surf schools in Casablan- for decades to take advantage of ($568) for his 7-day package that of Dance, considered one of the said Carpentier. ca are offering surf and bodyboard its famous Anchor Point, laid-back includes accommodation, surf les- most important dance festivals Edward Delpero, French vice- lessons for beginners. atmosphere and accommodations sons and breakfast. in the region, brings to the stage world champion of longboard, de- Kamal Nady, the owner of Casa that meet tourists’ varied budgets. Ben O’Hara and Oliver Boswell local and international dance scribed the breathtaking sky lights Surfhouse surf school, set up his Tourism and surfing have drasti- from Britain set up Surf Maroc 15 companies. that Morocco offers at dawn and hut in 2013 at Casablanca’s Ain Diab cally changed the village of about years ago for surfers in Taghazout dusk. beach but has been teaching surf 5,000 inhabitants who once re- after they made several trips to the Tunis: “Sometimes you travel for since 2008. lied on fishing to make ends meet. village as university students. Surf April 4-14 months in search of waves that nev- “Our customers are mainly Mo- Many tourists have stayed and set Maroc offers packages that include er come but sometimes patience is roccans because our goal is to im- up surfing-related businesses, help- beachfront accommodation, food The 14th Jazz a Carthage, an rewarded,” Delpero told Surfses- prove the level in Morocco,” Nady ing Taghazout become one of Mo- and a surf coaching curriculum for annual music festival, brings sion.com. “There are also moments said. “Foreign tourists come to our rocco’s most visited surfing spots. both beginner and intermediate together renowned international during business trips where we end surf school during the holiday sea- Belmqeddam, who used to live in surfers from $780. and local musicians for concerts, up exchanging tickets for four ad- son.” London and take customers from For those who are looking for an lectures, exhibitions and nightly ditional days to try to score, that’s Surf Instructor Tarik Belmqed- England to Morocco, relies on good unusual experience on the go, the jam sessions. Concerts take place what happened here, and it was dam uses a Facebook page titled customer reviews on social media Truck Surf Hotel is the answer. Cre- in Gammarth, Tunis, Sidi Bou one of my best — albeit shorter — “Surf Morocco Centre” to lure tour- and word-of-mouth to promote his ated by travel guide Daniela Car- Said and La Marsa. expeditions in this region that is ists to Morocco. business. neiro and surf instructor Eduardo dear to me: in the Land of the Sidi.” “In the Casablanca region, in- “It was amazing! The instructor Ribeiro, the truck can transport Merzouga Desert: International surfing stars have structors have their huts equipped was very nice and professional, passengers to the best surf spots April 5-15 significantly helped promote the with boards unlike in the south- and he was always taking care of us on the Atlantic coast while offering sport in the last two decades in Mo- ern region, where most instructors and helping us. Instead of staying comfortable mobile accommoda- The Marathon des Sables is one rocco with interviews and videos drive their 4x4s from one spot to in Essaouira, he took us to a beau- tion. of the most gruelling ultramara- posted on social media. another in accordance with their tiful place called Imsouane, where Surf instructors recommend Oc- thons. Runners must endure ex- Casablanca has an international clients’ demands,” Belmqeddam, we surfed. After that we had a fish tober to April as the best period to treme weather conditions in the surf competition every year in Sep- 35, said while driving to meet surf- barbecue, Without a doubt I’ll come surf in Morocco with the best spots, Sahara on a 250km run through tember. Anfaplace Pro Casablanca ers near Agadir. back!” wrote Isabel Fernandez Del including the famous Ras Lefaa sand dunes and elevations in is a stage of the Qualifying Series Surfers and hippies have been Campo Agui’s Facebook page. (“Head of the Snake”) spot in Safi, southern Morocco. circuit. flocking to the village of Taghazout Belmqeddam charges 500 euros between Essaouira and Taghazout. Dubai: April 11-13

The Middle East Film and Comic Con (MEFCC) is a multi-genre event at the Dubai World Trade Centre. MEFCC showcases comic books, movies, television pro- grammes and related pop culture elements, such as anime, manga, collectible card games, video games, webcomics and fantasy novels. 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: Boogie boarders ride the surf break during high tide at Asfi Beach, [email protected] Surfers walk along the beach in Casablanca. (AFP) known as Ras Lafaa, in southern Morocco. (Reuters)