Posts Tagged middle east
New Wikileaks to Target Italy and Israel, other Allies
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on November 27, 2010
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The previous Wikileaks were targeting U.S. operations in the Middle East, but now, they might serve to embarrass several allies, including Italy and Israel. MSNBC is reporting that Italy is worried about how such leaks, or rather, how the information in the leaks will hurt the Government. It seems that several Allies have been supporting things which either their populace wouldn’t like or other allies wouldn’t appreciate –
According to the London-based daily al-Hayat, the WikiLeaks release includes documents that show Turkey has helped al-Qaida in Iraq — and that the United States has supported the PKK, a Kurdish rebel organization that has been waging a separatist war against Turkey since 1984, the Washington Post reported.
Others are suggesting that U.S.-Israel’s relationship might be further strained.
Maybe knowing how our respective Governments are really operating on the World Stage is not a bad thing – and knowing how our ‘allies’ are acting either with us or against us will help us to determine who our allies really are.
Related articles
- Next WikiLeaks Release Could Embarrass US Allies (businessinsider.com)
- U.S. warns Britain and allies to expect another embarrassing WikiLeaks expose ‘within days’ (dailymail.co.uk)
- World braces for WikiLeaks flood of US cables (alternet.org)
- US envoys forced to apologise in advance as Wikileaks release looms (independent.co.uk)
- Expected WikiLeaks disclosures prompt Downing Street warning for editors (guardian.co.uk)
Egypt sees a rise in Muslim-Christian Tensions
Posted by Joel in Religious News on November 15, 2010
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The case of two Egyptian women who fled their priest husbands and supposedly converted to Islam before being forcibly returned to the Coptic Church has gripped the media and fanned the flames of sectarian tension in the Arab world’s most populous country.
Now, the domestic story appears to have spiraled into a regional flash point. Deadly bombings targeted Christians across Baghdad on Wednesday, killing five and injuring 20. The attacks came a little over a week after the killing of dozens of Christians in an assault on a church in Baghdad.
….
“While the relations between Muslims and Copts have been steadily deteriorating since the 1970s, rhetorically, this is a very serious low point,” Adel Iskandar, a media professor at Georgetown University in Washington, wrote in an e-mail to AOL News. “Both the national and independent press have been fanning the flames of tension between Copts and Muslims. Given the recent killings in Iraq, which were motivated by incidents in Egypt, I believe we are already at the boiling point. It is already costing Christian lives in other countries.”
Muslim-Christian Tensions Boiling Up in Egypt.
Maybe it’s me, but we have to take the Middle East as a larger picture. What happens in Iraq feeds tensions across the region. Or Israel, or Iran, or Egypt.
Related articles
- Captive Converts? Egypt Gripped By Rising Muslim-Christian Tensions (time.com)
Muslim scholar calls for the end to Middle East Christian exodus
Mohammad Sammak, a Sunni Muslim who is secretary general of Lebanon’s Christian-Muslim Committee for Dialogue, told a synod of bishops the declining number of Christians in the region was a concern for all Muslims.
“The emigration of Christians is an impoverishment of the Arabic identity, of its culture and authenticity,” said Sammak, who is an adviser to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. He added that maintaining the Christian presence in the Middle East was a “common Islamic duty.”
Christian exodus hurts Middle East: Muslim scholar – Yahoo! News.
Way to Go Abbas! Palestinian Prez tells Iran’s Leader to go jump in a lake
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on September 5, 2010
After Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad took the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to task for participating in peace talks with Israel, Abbas had a message for Iran: Butt out.
The Palestinian president went even further in a statement released by his spokesman, essentially calling Ahmadinejad an illegitimate leader who oppresses his own people. (here)
The peace process is continuing, and with statements like this from the Palestinian President, it makes my hopes brighter…
Related articles by Zemanta
- Palestinian leader blasts Ahmadinejad over Mideast peace comments (cnn.com)
- Iran continues back-and-forth barbs with Palestinians over peace talks (cnn.com)
Imperial History of the Middle East
Posted by Joel in Technology on March 19, 2010
It’s a pretty nifty little show for those of you who might be interested, here.
Amnesty says Israel curbing water to Palestinians
Posted by Joel in Religion and Politics on October 26, 2009
Human rights group Amnesty International said in a report Tuesday that Israeli restrictions prevented Palestinians from receiving enough water in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Saving the Islamic World’s Christians
Posted by Joel in Islam, Religious News on July 28, 2009
Here’s a good question. Why do the majority of American Christians remain so oblivious to the increasingly bitter fate of their fellow Christians in the Islamic world? These ancient communities — many descended from the very earliest followers of Jesus himself — are under growing siege.
