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AN-NOUR INTERNATIONAL NEWS July 2014 issue 151 80% SAVINGS . www.an-nournews.com NO UPFRONT INVESTMENT INDOOR . WAREHOUSE . COOLER . TRACK . JEWELRY CASE CANOPY . POLES/PARKING . NEON . LOBBY . HOUSE/YEARD GreentekEnergySystems.com 4025 Pleasantdale Rd., Suite 545 Atlanta, GA 30340 (770) 744-1300 Sahir@GreentekEnergySystems.com النـــــور اإلنكليزية الرائدة في الواليات المتحدة األميركية-الجريدة العربية info@an-nournews.com تحوالت غامضة في إدارة...* بزوغ داعش وأفول القاعدة اإلرهاب العالمي َّ ال:* سلطة العراق سنة خسرت وال شيعة كسبت * السيسي يرتدي عباءة القدوة تمهيدا للتقشف فهل تتدفق عليه..* المغرب يجيز البنوك اإلسالمية استثمارات الخليج؟ * “فيسبوك” تقول إنها تكافح أوامر قضائية بالكشف عن بيانات المستخدمين 151 العدد2014 لحم حالل يوليو/ تموز rill G n nea 770-499-7399 rra te Medi 962 Roswell St. Marietta, GA 30060 www.shishkabobmarietta.com بوفيه غذاء مفتوح Iran Faced with Tough Choices in Iraq Syria Rejects Lebanon's Idea Iranian Strategists likely See an Opportunity in the Latest Crisis to Wrest Iraq Away From American Military Influence. But this is a Risky Strategy nity to deepen its influence in Iraq and to extract vital concessions from Iraqi leaders in exchange of decisive Iranian military support. But the biggest challenge to Iran is to manage demands and expectations that it should cooperate with the United States to tackle the widespread and unprecedented terrorist challenge in Iraq. Even minimal coordination with America at this point is tantamount to falling into a deep and dangerous trap which would not only diminish Iranian influence in Iraq, but would impact negatively on broader Iranian strategic posture in the region. An implacable foe By: Mahan Abedin The sweeping advance of militant Sunnis across much of northern and central Iraq has rang alarm bells across the international community and touched off a flurry of anxious analysis on the potential collapse of the Iraqi state and the emergence of a radical Islamic regime in the Arab Sunni heartlands of Iraq. For Iran, the most influential power in Iraq, the latest Iraqi insurgency holds both peril and promise. On the one hand, the coalition of Sunni Arab tribes, ex-Baathists and assortment of extremists fighting under the banner of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) are natural enemies of Iran who given the slightest opportunity wouldn’t hesitate to bring the fight inside Iran’s borders. On the other hand, the staggering incompetence of the Iraqi government and the mood of panic, fight and flight which has gripped the country presents Iran with an opportu- Publisher General Manager Managing Editor Chief Legal Counselor Public Relations Although the mainstream Western media is exaggerating – and to some extent misrepresenting – the nature and scale of the terrorist and insurgent threat, there is no denying the seriousness of the situation. Entire cities and large swathes of territory in the Sunni Arab heartlands of western and north-western Iraq have fallen to a radical movement spearheaded by a ruthless and genocidal-minded terrorist group in the form of ISIL. What is referred to as the Sunni “revolution” by sympathisers in Iraq and their supporters in the region, is foremost the result of incompetence and mismanagement by the government of Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. By alienating Sunni Arabs, Maliki has created fertile ground for the growth of extremist groups. However, not all the problems can be laid at Maliki’s door. Many Sunni Arab elites still dream of regaining their lost dominion; theirs is not a movement based solely on legitimate grievances, but more accurately it is a quest to disrupt the natural balance of AN-NOUR LLC HABIB OSTA GHADA OSTA HASSAN ELKHALIL MOUNIR KHALIL Continued on page 6 of Refugee Camps on Border Damascus rejected the Lebanese government's suggestion of setting up refugee camps for displaced people along its borders with Syria. The rejection came after Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil met ambassadors of the five permanent member states earlier in the day and discussed the possibility of setting up refugee camps along its borders. The refugee camp idea was rejected by Syrian ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali during his talks with Bassil. Karim said Syria was against setting up camps for the displaced Syrians, as they would be "able to go back to their homeland". "Syria is a big country that can apprehend its entire people," he said. "Syria is the wide home that can provide the Syrians with all his or her needs." According to the UN Higher Commission for Refugees, Lebanon now hosts over 1.1 million Syrian refugees. The World Bank estimates that the direct losses inflicted by the Syrian refugee issue on Lebanon's economy have amounted to about 7.5 billion dollars. Human Rights Group Locates ISIS Massacre Site in Just Two Weeks Earlier this months, the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham posted a series of grisly photos purportedly documenting the execution of Iraqi soldiers. Those images, reportedly taken in Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown, show a group of militants herding their captives toward a ditch to be executed. The militants seem to execute about 150 men but ISIS claimed they killed as many as 1,700 Iraqi soldiers. Now, in an incredible piece of detective work, Human Rights Watch has, in part, verified the heinous claims. In a report released Friday, Human Rights Watch pinpointed the exact location in which the images were taken. Corresponding satellite images show ground disturbance that apparently matches what the area would look like if mass graves had been dug and heavy vehicles -- as seen in images posted by ISIS -- had been driven there there. Human Rights Watch determined that the photographs were taken a stone's throw from the Tigris River and a former Hussein palace. The group's analysis picks out individual captives and militants who appear across the photographs, seemingly bolstering the photos' authenticity. The analysis suggests that between 160 and 190 men were killed between June 11 and June 14, though the actual death toll from ISIS executions in Tikrit could be significantly higher. The slides documenting the analysis are reproduced at the bottom of this post. "If ISIS is serious about executing 1,700 people in Tikrit, then it would be the largest single killing of people in Iraq since 2003," Peter Bouckaert, the emergencies director at Continued on page 6 An-Nour PO Box 7694 Atlanta, GA 30357 PRST STD US Postage PAID Atlanta, GA P.2 July 2014 An-Nour www.An-Nournews.com (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com P.3 An-Nour July 2014 (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com ECONOMY US Presbyterians Vote to Divest from Firms to Pressure Israel Presbyterian Church USA to Divest from Three Companies – HP, Motorola Solutions and Caterpillar – Over Israeli Supplies in Occupied West Bank WASHINGTON - The nearly 1.9 million member Presbyterian Church USA voted after a contentious debate to divest from three companies that provide supplies to Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank. The 310 to 303 vote at the influential Protestant denomination's meeting in Detroit, Michigan, means the group will pull financial investments out of Caterpillar, HewlettPackard and Motorola Solutions, the church's official news service said. The church has about $21 million invested in the three companies. Assembly moderator Heath Rada emphasized that the decision "in no way reflects anything but love for both the Jewish and Palestinian people," the church's news service said. The measure also included a reaffirmation of Israel's right to exist, an endorsement of a two-state solution and encouraged interfaith dialogue, The Times reported. It also included a provision to encourage "positive investment" to improve the lives of Israelis and Palestinians, the Times said. The close vote came after a week of intense lobbying and "most contentious debate of this assembly," the church's news service said, noting that divestment has historically been seen as a "last resort" after "other engagement tools have failed." Hewlett-Packard, it said, "provides electronic systems at checkpoints, logistics and communications systems to support the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip, and has business relationships with illegal settlements in the West Bank." And Motorola Solutions "provides military communications and surveillance systems in the illegal Israeli settlements." At the 2012 General Assembly, Presbyterian USA voted to boycott products made in the Israeli settlements and to "begin positive investments in Palestinian businesses." Companies react HP spokeswoman Kelli Schlegel said that "respecting human rights is a core value at HP." The HP systems used at checkpoints allow people to "get to their place of work or to carry out their business in a faster and safer way," Schlegel said. Motorola Solutions said it has long worked in the Middle East and "supports all efforts ... to find a peaceful resolution" to conflict. It also said that its human rights policies are designed to ensure that its "operations worldwide are conducted using the highest standards of integrity and ethical business conduct." Caterpillar, which described itself as "a values-based company," said it has "deep respect and compassion for all persons Georgetown Clinics Seven Atlanta Metropolitan Locations - Primary Care - Pain Management - Weight Loss - Physical Therapy - Chiropractic - Car Accidents - Work Injuries 404-255-0666 Call Today For a Location near You GeorgetownClinics.com Iran Secretly Flying Surveillance Drones Over Iraq Israeli soldiers arrest a young Palestinian boy following clashes in the centre of the West Bank town of Hebron In a statement ahead of the vote, Presbyterian Church USA said it was considering divestment in Caterpillar because the company provides the bulldozers "used in the destruction of Palestinian homes, clearing land of structures and fruit and olive tree groves, and in preparation for the construction of the barrier wall." affected by the political strife in the Middle East and support a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "However, we believe it is appropriate for such a resolution to be reached via political and diplomatic channels," the company said in a statement. Saudi Arabia Prepares to Launch First Sovereign Wealth Fund Fund will manage budget surpluses from rise in crude prices estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars. The central bank has managed investment of the kingdom's foreign currency reserves until now, much of it in US Treasury bonds. The report gave no indication of whether any change in investment strategy was envisioned. The newspaper said the fund will start with capital representing 30 percent of budgetary surpluses accumulated over the years in the kingdom, the world's largest exporter of crude oil. Riyadh has built up significant foreign currency reserves because of rises in the price of crude oil on the international market. There are no official figures available, but financial experts estimate its combined assets at around $700 billion (515 billion euros). In the past three years alone, the kingdom has announced budget surpluses totalling some $232 billion. But she said "anyone in the region shouldn't WASHINGTON - Iran is secretly flying do anything that might exacerbate sectarian surveillance drones over Iraq and sending military equipment there to help Baghdad in divisions, that would fuel extremism inside its fight against Sunni insurgents, The New Iraq." York Times reported. The United States has for two weeks said A "small fleet" of Ababil drones was Iranian aid for the Iraq crisis should be done deployed to the Al Rashid airfield near Baghin a nonsectarian way -- by pressuring the dad, the newspaper said on its website, citing Iraqi government to adopt a national unity anonymous US officials. government and not fuel the Sunni and Tehran has also installed an intelligence unit Shiite conflict. at the airfield to intercept electronic comWe "believe Iran could play a constructive munications between ISIS fighters and comrole if it's helping to send the same message manders. to the Iraqi government that we're sending," Ababil drones, less sophisticated than US Harf said. unmanned aircraft, are designed in Iran and A lightning offensive by Sunni insurgents have a nearly 10-foot (three-meter) wingled by the Islamic State of Iraq and the span. They are used for surveillance and are Levant has overrun swathes of land north unarmed. and west of Baghdad this month and threatAbout a dozen officers of Iran's paramiliens to tear the country apart. tary Quds Force, have also been sent to Iraq to advise Iraqi commanders and help mobilize Shiite militias in the south of the country, the paper said, adding that Iran's General Qassem Suleimani recently made two trips to Iraq. Iran is also sending two flights daily to Baghdad with 70 tons each of military equipment and supplies. "It's a substantial amount" of material, a US official told the newspaper. "It's not necessarily heavy Report Tehran has installed intelligence unit at Al weaponry, but it's not just Rashid airfield to intercept militants’ electronic comlight arms and ammunimunications, sent military equipment to Baghdad. tion." Tehran has massed 10 divisions of its army and The United Nations says at least 1,075 its Quds Force troops along the border, ready to act if the Iraqi capital or Shiite shrines are people have been killed, an estimated threatened, The New York Times added. three quarters of them civilians, and Asked at a briefing, US State Department 658 wounded in Iraq between June 5 spokeswoman Marie Harf said she "can't and 22. Hundreds of thousands more confirm the specifics in those reports." have been displaced. P.4 An-Nour July2014 2014 July www.An-Nournews.com (770)(770) 608-3343 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com Info@An-NourNews.com WORLD NEWS Another Russia-China Energy Deal? Russia is talking up prospects for a second natural gas pact with Beijing, but this one might be a tougher sell. BY Keith Johnson If Vladimir Putin gets his way, Russia's eastern energy pivot is just beginning. That could make Russia a swing natural gas supplier between Europe and Asia -- good for Russia but potentially bad for Europe, which could see what leverage it has over Russia's energy sector wane. Mere weeks after Russia and China inked a historic $400 billion natural gas deal, Russian officials are talking big about sealing another huge energy contract with Beijing. "If it materializes, it will be a dream situation for Russia but will be a nightmare for Europe," said Keun-Wook Paik, an expert on Sino-Russian energy issues and a fellow at Chatham House. Russia would get another outlet for its gas exports, possibly regaining some leverage over Europe, and China could further free itself from coal's chokehold. Kremlin Chief of Staff Sergei Ivanov said on Wednesday that the successful conclusion of the first gas deal in late May, coupled with China's seemingly insatiable appetite for gas, could open the door to a stalled project Russia has dreamed about for at least a decade. "Considering the pace of China's economic growth and the agreed pricing formula, I'd say it is very likely that we will soon conclude a contract to build a western [pipeline] before long," Ivanov told reporters, according to Russian and Chinese media. Ivanov's comments echo what Putin said immediately after finalizing the Shanghai deal: "This gives us the chance to start work on our next project with our Chinese partners, namely, planning a western supply route from the resource base in western Siberia." Moscow favors this so-called western route because it requires less investment and would allow it to supply Europe and Asia from the same gas fields; theoretically that could give it greater market power and enable it to play two big customers against each other. That is no small matter when European demand for gas is sluggish, and when many European countries are searching for alternative energy Warlords Endangering Lives of 50,000 Children A French soldier waves to children as his jeep patrols between the airstrip and a makeshift camp housing an estimated 100,000 displaced people, at Mpoko Airport, in Bangui, Central African Republic An international organization says a surging fight between two warlords in South Sudan could leave thousands of children starving, even dead, by the end of the year. The report from UNICEF calls out South Sudan President Salva Kiir and his former vice president, Riek Machar, and blames their confrontations for the fact that as many as 50,000 children will be facing starvation over coming months. The fighting has left the production and purchase of food below needed levels for the long-troubled African region. The inevitable result is starvation. To Advertise: e-mail us info@An-NourNews.com or call us 770-608-3343 sources after Russia's annexation of the Crimean peninsula and given its hardball tactics over gas exports to Ukraine. Russian reliance on revenue earned from energy exports to Europe ties its hands in much the same way that reliance on Russian energy ties Europe's. China's sparsely populated west hasn't been particularly thirsty for natural gas. But Beijing has clamored for Russia to ship to its denser, more industrial northeast. Though the two sides signed a preliminary deal in 2010 on the so-called Altai pipeline in the west, the project basically died last year. Then, after more than a decade of haggling, Russia finally agreed in May's deal to develop new gas fields in eastern Siberia and feed China's northeast. But Russian officials' remarks about reviving the Altai pipeline don't mean China's ready to play ball, especially after securing 38 billion cubic meters of Russian gas for 30 years. And bringing the Altai project to fruition still requires significant Russian investment. "It might be less capital-intensive than the eastern one, but it's no doubt going to cost us tens of billions of dollars," Ivanov said. Gazprom needs recapitalization in order to deliver on the first deal, according to Putin, so where Russia will find billions more is unclear. Equally unclear is how much more Russian natural gas China needs. Central Asia has guaranteed it large amounts and China is building terminals to import liquefied natural gas to the coasts. Beijing also hopes to develop its own shale gas reserves, which, on paper, are among the world's largest. And Russia already made concessions to secure the existing deal with China, agreeing to a lower long-term price than it receives from European customers. Shipping to China's sparsely populated west, far from the centers of Chinese energy demand, will hardly command a price premium. "Unlike the eastern route, the Altai pipeline will hit the Chinese border in the middle of nowhere, far from gas-consuming regions," said Mikhail Korchemkin, the head of East European Gas Analysis, an energy consultancy. That means Russia might have to offer an even lower price to secure a second deal, he said. That could benefit Europe. If the first gas deal promised to lower prices in both Asia and Europe, a second pact at an even lower price would embolden buyers from Brussels to Berlin. "Europeans would use the low price of gas sold by the Altai pipeline to China to lobby for lower prices of Russian gas," Korchemkin said. Turkey Ready to Accept Kurdish State in Historic Shift Kurdistan regional government president Massud Barzani made the trip to inspect Kurdish security forces deployed near Sunni Arab militant-controlled areas south and west of the city and raise morale, an official from his Kurdistan Democratic Party. Turkey’s ruling party has signalled it is ready to accept an independent Kurdish state in what is now northern Iraq, marking a historic shift by one of the heavyweight powers of the Middle East. A Kurdish state in northern Iraq could also serve as a buffer against the militant group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (known as Isis), which Turkish officials increasingly see as a threat and which is holding more than 80 Turks hostage in the area of the now Isis-run city of Mosul. Turkey has a more than 300km long border with Iraq and a roughly 900km long border with Syria, where Isis also controls territory. In strongly worded comments for a Nato member, Mr Celik blamed not just Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi prime minister, for Iraq’s growing fragmentation, but also the US: “They didn’t bring peace, stability, unity, they just left chaos, widows, orphans. They created a Shia bloc to the south of our country.” Russia's Quiet War Against European Fracking BY Keith Johnson Russia is trying to maintain its energy stranglehold over Europe by backing movements across the continent to demonize fracking, the head of NATO alleged. It is part of Russia's broader use of soft power and covert means to complement its more overt efforts to reassert influence in Europe and keep countries there from developing alternatives to an energy addiction worth $100 million a day to Moscow. "I have met allies who can report that Russia, as part of their sophisticated information and disinformation operations, engage actively with so-called non-government organizations -- environmental organizations working against shale gas -- obviously to maintain European dependence on imported Russian gas," NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said after a Chatham House speech last month. "There is a lot of evidence here; countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine being at the vanguard of the environmental movement is enough for it to be conspicuous," she said. "There is a lot of evidence here; countries like Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine being at the vanguard of the environmental movement is enough for it to be conspicuous," she said. Bulgaria's anti-shale movement is particularly telling. The country initially embraced fracking as a way to develop its own energy resources and reduce reliance on Russia, even signing an exploration deal with Chevron in 2011. But then came an eruption of seemingly grassroots environmental protests and a televised blitz against fracking. In early 2012, the government reversed course and banned the practice. Environmentalists trying to block shale gas exploration across Europe are unknowingly helping Putin maintain his energy leverage over the continent. NATO officials said Rasmussen's remarks were meant to underscore NATO's growing unease with Europe's energy security situation. "Clearly, it is in the interest of all NATO allies to be able to have adequate energy supplies. We share a concern by some allies that Russia could try to obstruct possible projects on shale gas exploration in Europe in order to maintain Europe's reliance on Russian gas," a NATO official said. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, has unleashed an energy boom in the United States. But the practice, which is designed to tap previously unreachable stores of natural gas by injecting a chemical cocktail at high pressure to break apart shale formations deep underground, also generates plenty of environmental opposition. Critics say fracking can poison underground stores of drinking water. In Europe, that opposition is particularly fierce, both because environmental groups have more political power than in the United States and because higher population densities magnify the possible damaging effects of the drilling practice. Some countries have banned fracking outright; others, including France and Germany, have imposed onerous regulations that effectively make the practice illegal, though they are reconsidering fracking in light of the standoff with Russia over Ukraine. Russian energy firms and officials, as well as Kremlin-controlled media, have lambasted fracking on environmental grounds for years. Top Gazprom officials and even Russian President Vladimir Putin have attacked the technology, which, if adopted, could ease Europe's dependence on Russian gas. But one thing has for years puzzled energy experts: Well-organized and well-funded environmental opposition to fracking in Europe sprang up suddenly in countries such as Bulgaria and Ukraine, which had shown little prior concern for the environment but which are heavily dependent on Russia for energy supplies. Similar movements have also targeted Europe's plans to build pipelines that would offer an alternative to reliance on Moscow. "It's very concrete; it relates to both opposition to shale and also trying to block any alternative pipelines with environmental challenges," said Brenda Shaffer, an energy expert at Georgetown University. Researchers who've worked on the ground in Central and Eastern Europe say there is plenty of anecdotal evidence, if no smoking guns, of Russian financial support for some environmental groups that have recently mobilized opposition to shale gas development. In Ukraine, for example, anti-fracking movements became more organized and better funded just as the government worked to finalize shale gas deals with Western energy firms, officials there say. In Lithuania, "exactly the same thing is happening," said a government official, who described the mushrooming of anti-shale billboards and websites there as "an integrated, strategic communications campaign." As in Bulgaria, the well-funded groups organized screenings of Gasland to galvanize opposition to fracking. "All of a sudden, in societies that never did grassroots organization very well, you saw all these NGOs well-funded, popping up, and causing well-organized protests," said Mihaela Carstei, an energy and environment analyst at the Atlantic Council. To be sure, much of Europe's anti-fracking movement is motivated by genuine environmental concerns, just as in the United States; much of that opposition was catalyzed by the controversial 2010 anti-shale documentary Gasland. There are fears about fracking's effect on groundwater and the link between fracking and increased seismic activity. France, for instance, banned fracking before Bulgaria. And despite the Ukraine crisis and the rumblings of pro-fracking sentiment from some senior government officials, which could open the door to France rethinking the ban, fracking is still off the table there for now. Environmental groups such as Greenpeace scoff at the NATO chief's allegations, saying that they oppose fracking for sound environmental reasons. What's more, there's little love lost between Greenpeace and Russia, because Moscow detained dozens of the group's green activists last year. "I wouldn't underestimate the role that Russia plays in shale gas in Europe, but I wouldn't overestimate it, either," said Andreas Goldthau, an energy expert at Harvard University's Belfer Center who has extensively researched shale gas policies in Europe. "Overall, particularly in Bulgaria and Romania, the causes of shale's problems are varied; it's not only the Russians coming in and trying to start protests." Ultimately, Russia's efforts to derail Europe's alternative pipeline projects, more than its possible support for anti-fracking groups, represent a more immediate threat to Europe's efforts to diversify its energy supplies, Shaffer said. P.5 An-Nour July 2014 (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com Health / Social Science & Technology Watching 3 Hours of Daily TV Doubles Early Death Risk Jihadist Gains in Iraq Blindside American Spies Those who watched television more than three hours per day were more than twice as likely to die young as those who watched an hour or less, the report said. WASHINGTON: People who watch three or more hours of television daily may be twice as likely to die prematurely than people who watch less. The research in the Journal of the American Heart Association is the latest to describe the potential dangers of a sedentary lifestyle, which include high blood pressure, obesity, cancer and heart disease. "Our findings are consistent with a range of previous studies where time spent watching television was linked to mortality," said lead author Miguel Martinez-Gonzalez, chair of the department of public health at the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. The research was based on records from more than 13,000 people who had graduated from Spanish universities. Their average age was 37, and 60 percent were women. Researchers wanted to find out if there was any link between dying young and the amount of television watched. They also looked at how long people spent at a computer and daily driving time and whether these influenced death risk. Participants were healthy when they began the study and were followed for a median, or midpoint, of 8.2 years. Those who watched television more than three hours per day were more than twice as likely to die young as those who watched an hour or less, the report said. The most common cause of death was cancer, which killed 46 people. Thirty-two died of other causes, and 19 deaths were linked to cardiovascular problems. Research did not find any association between computer time and premature death, or between driving and dying young. It also did not prove that television watching caused the early deaths, just that an association could be found between more TV-viewing and a higher chance of dying, even when researchers adjusted for other potentially confounding factors. "Our findings suggest adults may consider increasing their physical activity, avoid long sedentary periods, and reduce television watching to no longer than one to two hours each day," said Martinez-Gonzalez. The American Heart Association recommends people do some form of moderate exercise for nearly two hours each week. Inside Captured Mosul, Iraq Militants Turning Back Clock In the two weeks since it was seized by Sunni militants, some residents of the northern Iraq city of Mosul feel the clock has been turned back hundreds of years. The militants, led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), have begun imposing an extreme interpretation of Islamic law in the days since they took the city. "These militants will return us and our country hundreds of years backwards, and their laws are the opposite of the laws of human rights and international laws," said Umm Mohammed, a 35-year-old teacher. "We live in continuous fear of being subjected to new pressures," she said. "We are afraid of being prevented from working and contributing to building the community." The city, known before 2003 for its historic sites and parks and, in later years, as a hub for deadly violence, fell on 10 June to the militants, who subsequently overran surrounding Nineveh province and swathes of other territory. Security forces in Mosul, a city of some two million people before the offensive, collapsed in the face of the onslaught, in some cases abandoning uniforms and even vehicles in their haste to flee. After seizing control, gunmen declared Nineveh a part of their Islamic state and issued a document outlining new rules. The 16-point document announced the prohibition of the selling and consumption of alcohol and drugs as well as smoking, and forbade gatherings and carrying weapons. Women are to wear non-revealing clothes and keep to their homes, while "shrines" are to be destroyed. Statues of poets removed All depictions of people are considered idolatrous under the militants' extreme interpretation of Islam, and gunmen have removed various statues from the city in recent days, including some depicting famous poets. Abu Ramzi, one of Mosul's Christians who did not flee the city, said militants destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of a church. "We have not received any threat from any side yet," Abu Ramzi said. "We will not leave our houses and city even if they slaughter us." The militants also distributed a document to mosques in the city ordering that they not make or publish any statement not approved by ISIL, and designated a specific mosque for the acceptance of the "repentance of apostates". ISIL has also appointed representatives for different areas of the city who are to conduct a survey of its residents. One resident who fled said a neighbour told him that gunmen came to check empty houses in the area and find out who owns them. "They asked about my house, my (religious) sect and my phone number," he said. The gunmen left a message that he had two days to return and renounce his Shiite faith, or the house would be burned. Militants are deployed in most areas of Mosul, some on foot and others moving either in civilian vehicles or those captured from security forces when they withdrew, one resident said. First Crimea, now Iraq. Why does America's $50 billion Intelligence Community Keep Getting Taken by surprise? BY Shane Harris United States intelligence agencies were caught by surprise when fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) seized two major Iraqi cities this week and sent Iraqi defense forces fleeing, current and former U.S. officials said Thursday. With U.S. troops long gone from the country, Washington didn't have the spies on the ground or the surveillance gear in the skies necessary to predict when and where the jihadist group would strike. The speed and ease with which well-armed and highly trained ISIS fighters took over Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, and Tikrit, the birthplace of former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein, have raised significant doubts about the ability of American intelligence agencies to know when ISIS might strike next, a troubling sign as the Islamist group advances steadily closer to Baghdad. And it harkened back to another recent intelligence miscue, in February, when U.S. spy agencies failed to predict the Russian invasion of Crimea. Both events are likely to raise questions about whether the tens of billions of dollars spent every year on monitoring the world's hot spots is paying off -- and what else the spies might be missing. The CIA maintains a presence at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, but the agency has largely stopped running networks of spies inside the country since U.S. forces left Iraq in December 2011, current and former U.S. officials said. That's in part because the military's secretive Joint Special Operations Command had actually taken the lead on hunting down Iraq's militants. With the JSOC commandos gone, the intelligence agencies have been forced to try to track groups like ISIS through satellite imagery and communications intercepts -- methods that have proven practically useless because the militants relay messages using human couriers, rather than phone and email conversations, and move around in such small groups that they easily blend into the civilian population. Policymakers in Washington and other allied capitals were similarly unsure of the group's true strength or how to respond. In late May, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel met with defense officials from Arab countries in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where they agreed that ISIS and other Islamic fighters in Syria and Iraq posed a threat to the entire region, a senior U.S. official said. But no plan on how to counter those groups emerged from the meeting, and there's no indication that U.S. intelligence agencies stepped up monitoring of ISIS fighters in Iraq, who also seized control of Fallujah and parts of Ramadi in January. "We got caught flat-footed. Period," said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, a terrorism analyst and senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, who studies ISIS and other al Qaeda-linked groups. Although for the past three years U.S. officials had assessed that ISIS was strong enough "to go toe-to-toe" with the Iraqi military -- a fact the group demonstrated with its operations in Fallujah and Ramadi -- there has been no indication that the U.S. intelligence agencies knew ISIS was about to mount a major offensive to take over two more cities simultaneously, Gartenstein-Ross said. Two senior U.S. officials acknowledged that the intelligence agencies' assessment of ISIS has been overly broad and lacked the type of specifics that could have actually helped the Iraqi military know when and where to expect an attack. But the greater concern to the Obama administration has been the strength of the Iraqi forces and their actual will to fight, they said. "This has never been about whether we thought ISIS had the capability to launch attacks. It's always been, do the Iraqis have the capability to defend their country?" one official said. On that score, the U.S. assessment was more on the mark. Obama administration officials have hesitated to provide Iraqi military forces with advanced weapons including fighter jets and attack helicopters because they've never shown an aptitude for using them or sufficient resolve to fight their enemies, the officials said. The Obama administration had also long feared that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite with clear antipathy towards the country's Sunni population, would use the armaments against his own people. The intelligence agencies' inability to predict the latest crisis in Iraq is likely to fuel critics of the Obama administration's management of other global crises, including in Syria and Ukraine. In the case of Russia's seizure of Crimea, in which U.S. spies were also caught by surprise, sophisticated electronic eavesdropping systems run by the National Security Agency were of little use because Russian forces limited their time on telephones and adopted the techniques of jihadists, sending couriers back and forth between their units. But the responsibility for failing to counter ISIS in Iraq cannot solely be placed at the feet of U.S. intelligence agencies. When American forces were stationed in the country, they built one of the most successful battlefield intelligence systems in the history of American warfare. The NSA monitored every phone call, email, or text message in Iraq, and it provided leads on the location of jihadists and insurgents to drone pilots and special operations forces, who captured or killed them. U.S. commandos working hand in hand with the CIA also developed an extensive network of human spies. But when U.S. forces left Iraq in 2011, all that intelligence power went with them. The Iraqi government failed to secure an agreement that would have allowed the United States to maintain some physical presence in Iraq, which it needed to run the intelligence networks at full throttle. Today, that intelligence capability has withered. "The United States has so many intelligence collection efforts occurring simultaneously. It's especially difficult to collect in a place where we have no presence," said Christopher Harmer, a former Navy officer and an analyst with the Institute for the Study of War. Given the lack of human spies in particular, Harmer said that the United States would be outmatched in Iraq against ISIS because of its reliance on couriers and the diligence with which it avoids phones and email, which can be tracked. "What ISIS is best at is exactly what we are worst at. We just don't have a good human intelligence network" in Iraq, Harmer said. If the United States has any hopes of gaining some intelligence insights into Iraq, it might look to the autonomous Kurdish region in the north. "The Kurds begged the U.S. to keep a base in Kurdistan" prior to the troop withdrawal, said David Tafuri, who served as the Rule of Law Coordinator for Iraq with the State Department in 2006 and 2007, and is now a partner with the law firm Squire Patton Boggs. "They would have given the U.S. whatever it wanted to have a base here. And if we did, we'd be in a much better position to monitor this situation," Tafuri said. Iraqi officials have been eager to get their hands on U.S. military and intelligence equipment to assist in their struggle against jihadists. On May 8, Foreign Policy reported that the Iraqi government was actively seeking armed aerial drones from the United States to combat al Qaeda militants in the increasingly violent Anbar province, where fighters from Syria were believed to be spilling over into Iraq. And in a significant reversal, Iraqi officials said they would welcome American military drone operators back into the country to target the militants on its behalf, according to people with knowledge of the matter. But to date, the United States has only agreed to give Iraq 10 small ScanEagle drones, which are launched from a catapult and carry no weapons. Those should arrive by the end of the summer, the White House said Thursday. Iran, the United States' most nettlesome adversary in the entire region, is moving much faster. According to press reports, a 150-man unit of the Quds Force, the elite wing of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, had been sent to Iraq to bolster the Maliki government and fight ISIS. Other accounts suggest that a joint Iranian-Iraqi force has retaken all or most of Tikrit. P.6 An-Nour July 2014 (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com Human Rights Group Locates ISIS Massacre Site Continued from page 1 Human Rights Watch said. The analysis by the execution site in Tikrit marks a major step forward in the use of social media and satellite imagery to authenticate atrocities. According Bouckaert, his group's analysis of the Tikrit events is the first time Human Rights Watch has used such techniques to not just locate killings but determine where the bodies may be buried. The group did similar work in Sri Lanka in 2009 when the army defeated the Tamil Tigers, a rebel group. Although that work showed the use of artillery to target civilians, the Tikrit analysis is unprecedented in its identification of a large execution site. In the history of documenting mass atrocities, that's an incredible thing. "At the time of Srebrenica, satellite imagery was not available to nongovernmental organizations so obviously we didn't have the capacity to do this kind of work," Bouckaert said, referring to the 1995 massacre of more than 8,000 Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now, massacre sites can be identified within hours. Two weeks later, exact geographic coordinates can be determined. When Hussein brutally put down a Shiite uprising in 1991, human rights advocates, including Bouckaert, couldn't investigate the incident until after the 2003 U.S. invasion. Chillingly, Bouckaert says ISIS executed its prisoners in much the same manner Baathist troops executed Shiites in the early 1990s. "We haven't seen a single execution using this modus operandi in Syria," Bouckaert said. "We have to remember that the fighting in Iraq also involves Baathists who were involved in 1991." Continued from page 1 Iran Faced with Tough Choices in Iraq power in Iraq. It is difficult to envisage how any Iraqi government representative of the demographic balance could accommodate chauvinistic and irredentist Sunni Arab aspirations. For Iran, the situation is potentially serious in so far as the consolidation of the irredentists and extremists’ gains in northern and central Iraq will pose a direct security and possibly even military threat. ISIL has made no secret of its desire to attack Iran directly, and there is no reason to believe that under the right conditions they would not carry through with their threat to launch attacks inside Iran. Iran has a direct stake in helping the Iraqi government and military to push back against the extremist aggression and to minimise the scope of ungoverned or more accurately extremist governed spaces. To achieve this aim, Iran will take stock of the actual and potential behaviour and capability of all key players, in particular the Kurds who have exploited the instability to secure yet more territorial gains at the expense of the Iraqi state. There are indications that Iran has already intervened in Iraq, in the form of over 100 Qods force special forces operatives and counter-insurgency specialists. It is alleged that the Qods force commander, General Qasem Suleimani – the most powerful military and security figure in the Middle East – is in Baghdad leading the counter-insurgency effort. In view of the balance of power on the ground, and the inflamed sectarian mood, it is difficult to envisage Iran intervening more openly, in the form of entire armies crossing the border to shore up Iraqi defences. The Iranian calculus may change however in the event of a credible threat to Baghdad and to the all-important shrine cities of Najaf and Karbala. The bigger foe As in Syria, the latest crisis in Iraq has exposed the limitations of American power and influence in the Middle East. There is no getting away from the fact that the United States is a fading power on the Middle East stage, bereft of the ability to decisively alter the course of events on the ground. In view of the fact that the cardinal goal of Iranian policy in the region is to engineer the complete withdrawal of the United States from the Middle East, Iran would be the last country to call for American military intervention in Iraq. Not only would this intervention – likely in the form of air strikes - inflame sectarian tensions but it would not in any case improve the position of Iranian allies in Iraq. Iranian strategists likely see an opportunity in the latest crisis to wrest Iraq away from American military influence. However, this same opportunity is potentially a very dangerous trap if Iran over-reaches and intervenes too deeply in Iraq. Doubtless the United States and Israel want Iran to be drawn into a long and costly counter-insurgency operation in Iraq – similar to the Iranian effort in Syria - thus draining Iranian resources on two fronts. More broadly, even as Iran and the United States engage on resolving the nuclear dispute, speculation on security and military cooperation is both ill-informed and spectacularly wishful. The factors militating against sustained security engagement centre on a foundational ideological conflict between Iran and the United States. Whilst the United States crafts its policy in the Middle East and elsewhere on the exclusive premise of national interest, Iran’s strategy and policy is much more complex and in part reflects the country’s profile as a revolutionary and ideological power. Simply put this makes sustained cooperation with the United States all but impossible. Obama Requests $500 Million to Train and Equip Syrian Rebels U.S. President Barack Obama requested $500 million from Congress to train and equip "moderate" and "appropriately vetted" members of the Syrian opposition as concerns grow over the spillover of the Syrian conflict into Iraq. According to Obama, arming the opposition would "help defend the Syrian people, stabilize areas under opposition control, facilitate the provision of essential services, counter terrorist threats, and promote conditions for a negotiated settlement." Previous U.S. assistance to the Syrian rebels has been focused on non-lethal aid. Though, Obama suggested a plan to increase help for the opposition in May during a speech at the West Point military academy. The request for funding has come as the head of the opposition government, Ahmad Tohme, disbanded the Supreme Military Council over allegations of corruption within the ranks of the Western and Arab supported Free Syrian Army. FANOOS Persian Cuisine Tea House & Events Capacity over 350 Seats Private Parties Birthdays Catering 6125 Roswell Rd SandySprings, GA 30328 404-256-2099 P.7 An-Nour July 2014 (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com Egyptian Protesters Demand End to Sexual Harassment Faces of Iran Claudio Silighini takes us on a visual journey that brings to life the vibrancy of Iran’s people Women in Cairo demand greater protections from sexual harassment Protesters took to the streets of Cairo to call for more protections against sexual harassment which is seen as a critical problem the country. The marchers’ demands included stricter punishment for sexual offenders, and an end to sexual violence as well as discrimination against women. The protest was sparked by the uploading of a recent video on YouTube which showed a mob of men surrounding a 19-year-old woman and gang raping her in Tahir Square where crowds had gathered to celebrate the election of the President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi last month. The protest movement is being spearheaded by Deena al-Shabba a student who set up the "Walk like an Egyptian Woman" campaign in response to the video. Latin America Leads the Way Claudio Silighini is an Italian photographer passionate about capturing emotions and sensations via powerful images in his travels through the Middle East Iran is a fascinating place rich of history and contrasts. I witnessed a country that is modern and antique, innovative yet traditional. Its citizens live within intertwined layers of contemporary living, religion, and politics amongst a backdrop of colourful territories united by history, but different in George Wassouf Makes Buzz with Facebook Photo of Maher Assad Africa was Supposed to be the Next Hotbed of World Soccer. It’s not. Whether it's a World Cup year or not, everybody knows where to find the world's best soccer players: Brazil. But during this tournament, some of Brazil's less-fancied neighbors in the Western Hemisphere are also getting into the act. Colombians, Costa Ricans, Ecuadoreans, and Mexicans are all impressing the pro scouts. The question is, can these fresh talents from the Americas really cut it in Europe's top leagues? So far this has been Latin America's World Cup, with seven of the nine teams progressing to the knockout stages. That's more than Europe managed from their 13 representatives in Brazil. As clubs run through their talent assessments, don't be surprised if it means further cherry-picking from the Americas. Back in 2002 Africa was seen as soccer's great untapped resource. Senegal's debut appearance at the World Cup in 2002 compelled Liverpool to spend £15 million on El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diao. In 2010 it was tiny Slovenia attracting attention, having qualified for a second World Cup in eight years. "There's a lot of trend scouting in football, now Slovenia are in fashion," wrote respected scout Tor-Kristian Karlsen in his Calcio Italia column the following year. The evidence suggests Latin America can expect to be the focus for soccer's money men in 2014. Uruguay continues to punch above its weight despite a population of a little under four million people, while Costa Rica topped a group that included three former champions. While the global icons such as Lionel Messi and Neymar have delivered, new talents have announced themselves too. Ecuador's Mexico-based striker Enner Valencia has scored three goals, Joel Campbell set the tone for Costa Rica in its opening win over Uruguay, and young Colombian playmaker James Rodríguez has arguably shone brightest of all: three goals and two assists in just two and a half matches. With many World Cup participants still playing domestically, their teams' successes reflect well on the talent still in the Americas, not just those who've sought their fortunes in Europe. Few expected such an impact. This is the first World Cup in Latin America since 1986 and the first in South America since 1978. Argentina won both of those, but with widespread globalization since then the advantage of teams from the Americas might have been overstated. Nevertheless, though almost 5,000 miles separate Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro, Latin American sides have adapted better. By contrast, no Asian teams made it through, and England, Spain, and Italy exited together in the group stage for the first time since 1974. Despite that failure, those last three countries remain the top three markets for club soccer. Though the Latin American talent pool may be vast, the question of adaptability in the other direction will be the main concern for players. World Cup success doesn't guarantee consistent levels of performance over an exhausting European season. Indeed, the record on this point is spotty at best. Chile has impressed at the World Cup, but Jean Beausejour and Gary Medel have suffered relegations from English football's Premier League. Their teammate Gonzalo Jara already played second-tier soccer in England and is now without a club. Ecuador's Antonio Valencia is one of the most polarizing figures at Manchester United. Even Guillermo Ochoa, the Mexican goalkeeper who so spectacularly shut out Brazil, was relegated from the French top bracket with Ajaccio last term. As a result, any conclusions from a month-long festival of futebol or fútbol must come with caveats. But so far, a clear message is emerging: Just as the Amazon rainforests are the Earth's lungs, Latin America continues to breathe new life into the global game terms of morphology, latitudes, ethnicities and tribes. The elegant women of Iran are strong and proud. Among the picturesque landscapes there are many colours, feelings, desires and hopes. It is a continuous coming and going of wellinformed and noble people that are looking for harmony and balance in a region that is never banal. Iran is beautiful because its streets are always beaming with life. Singer George Wassouf downloads on Facebook picture showing Maher wearing navy blue T-shirt, jeans and looking relaxed. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's feared younger brother Maher has re-emerged in public two years after he was said to have been seriously wounded in a bombing, in a picture on the Internet. Beirut-based Syrian singer George Wassouf downloaded on his official Facebook page a picture showing Maher wearing a navy blue T-shirt, jeans and looking relaxed. The picture shows Wassouf standing next to the two brothers on a recent visit to Damascus. On July 18, 2012, a powerful bomb struck a senior command centre in Damascus where Syria's top brass were meeting. State media said the attack killed defence minister General Daoud Rajha, Assad's brother-inlaw Assef Shawkat and General Hassan Turkmani, head of the regime's crisis cell on the uprising against the regime. Media reports have said Wassouf travelled to Damascus to congratulate Assad on his election victory. CULTURE Phoenician Alphabet, Mother of Modern Writing The Phoenicians were not mere passive peddlers in art or commerce. Their achievement in history was a positive contribution, even if it was only that of an intermediary. Phoenician words are found in Greek and Latin classical literature as well as in Egyptian, Akkadian, Arabic, Aramaic and Hebrew writings. The language is written with a 22-character alphabet that does not indicate vowels. Phoenician scribe writing the Phoenician alphabet while a parrot dictates! Although the Phoenicians used cuneiform (Mesopotamian writing) in what we call Ugaritic, they also produced a script of their own. The Phoenician alphabetic script of 22 letters was used at Byblos - Lebanon as early as the 15th century B.C. This method of writing, later adopted by the Greeks, is the ancestor of the modern Roman alphabet. It was the Phoenicians' most remarkable and distinctive contribution to civilization. The Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder was a great admirer of the Phoenicians, he credited them with many discoveries, including the invention of trade. Although Pliny was not adverse to exaggerating, scholars do accept his evidence that Phoenicians were the first traveling salesmen. Because they needed an efficient method of keeping records, they invented an alphabet from which every alphabet of the world has descended. Along with an alphabet came the equipment for using it: pen, ink and, of course, papyrus, parchment and finally paper. A wax-writing tablet was found in an ancient Uluburun shipwreck (most likely to have been Canaanite Phoenician) off the coast of Lebanon. The views expressed in all the articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AN-NOUR Newspaper P.8 An-Nour July 2014 Jokes (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com The purpose of placing jokes in this section is to put a smile on your face. Jokes are NOT intended to humiliate anyone. Certain groups of people located in a particular geographical area are distinguished due to their trait and reputation. A young lady gets on a bus but it's A cop was hiding in his usual spot standing room only. when he saw a car speed by at 90 mph. Quickly turning on his sirens, the cop A middle-aged man seated next to her pulled over an old lady. “License and is ignoring her, and she says "Excuse registration please” said the cop in a me, sir, would you mind standing so tough voice. “I’m sorry” responded a pregnant lady can sit?". He excuses the lady “I forgot to ask him where himself and stands for her. As she's he keeps his registration before I shot sitting down, he realizes she doesn't him.” “You what!” Hollered the cop look pregnant at all. nervously holding onto his gun.”I shot him” she responded “I stuck him in the He asks her, "Excuse me miss, but trunk if you want to see.” how long have you been pregnant?" She says "About 15 minutes, and boy Within 2 minutes there were 8 police are my legs tired!". cars pulled up behind her and a police talking into a megaphone “Come out of the car with your hands up.” While One day, a man one cop watched walked into an the lady, another appliance store. opened the trunk. “Um mam” said the "Do you sell color second cop “there’s televisions?" "Yes," no dead man in this said the clerk. "Yes, trunk.” “Well why we do." "Then give would there be?” me a green one." she asked. ********* ********* “Excuse me,” said another cop, A man goes to the eye doctor. The receptionist asks him why he is there. “this car seems to be registered in your name?” “Well why wouldn’t it be” The man complains, “I keep seeing repeated the lady. spots in front of my eyes. “Well,” they both responded “the cop ”The receptionist asks, “Have you said that you told him you killed the ever seen a doctor?” and the man owner and put him in the trunk.” replies, “No, just spots.” “Humph” said the old lady with a wave of her hand, “I bet that old liar told you I was speeding to!” *************** A young blonde woman went into a bank to withdraw some money. For security purposes the cashier asked A guy walks into a bar and takes a seat. her if she could identify herself. Before he can order a beer, the bowl of pretzels in front of him says "Hey, you're She opened her handbag and took out a handsome fellow." The man tries to a small mirror, looked into it and said, ignore the bowl of pretzels, and orders a "Yes, it's me all right." fine Pilsner beer. The bowl of pretzels then says "Ooooh, a pilsner, great choice. You're a smart A father sends his kid to bed. Five man." minutes later, the boy screams, "Dad! Starting to freak out, the guy says to the Can you get me a glass of water?" bartender "Hey what the hell, this bowl of pretzels keeps saying nice things to The dad says, "No. You had your me!" chance." A minute later the boy Bartender says "Don't worry about it, the screams, "Dad! Can you get me a pretzels are complimentary." glass of water?" The dad says, "No. You had your chance. Next time you ask, I'll come up there and spank A fellow was very much in love with you." "Dad! When you come up to a beautiful girl. One day she told him spank me, can you bring me a glass that the next day was her birthday. He or water?" told her he would send her a bouquet of roses... one for each year of her life. ************** ************** ************** *************** There was this guy at a bar, just lookThat evening he called the local floing at his drink. He stays like that for rist and ordered twenty-one roses with half of an hour. instructions that they be delivered first Then, this big trouble-making truck thing the next morning. As the florist driver steps next to him, takes the was preparing the order, he decided that drink from the guy, and just drinks it since the young man was such a good all down. The poor man starts crying. customer, he would put an extra dozen The truck driver says, "Come on roses in the bouquet. The fellow never man, I was just joking. Here, I'll buy did find out what made the young girl so you another drink. I just can't stand to angry with him. see a man cry." "No, it's not that. This day is the worst of my life. First, I fall asleep, and I go late to my office. My boss, Girl: If we get married, you must stop outrageous, fires me. When I leave smoking. Boy: Ok. Girl: the building, to my car, I found out Girl: Drinking too. Boy: Ok. it was stolen. The police said that Going to night clubs too. Boy: Ok. Girl: they can do nothing. I get a cab to and watching Cricket with your friends return home, and when I leave it, I too. Boy: Ok. !! Girl: What else can remember I left my wallet and credit you leave? Boy: The idea of marrying cards there. The cab driver just drives you. away." "I go home, and when I get there, I had a fight with my wife. I leave Teacher: Where's your text book? home, and come to this bar. And just Student: At home. when I was thinking about putting Teacher: What's it doing there? an end to my life, you show up and Student: Having a better day than I am. drink my poison." ************** *************** KIDZ CORNER The Breathing Stone! In their search for a viable place that offers food continuously a family of squirrels migrated to the lakeside and started living there on the Palm trees. The favorite place for the kids in this squirrels family is the Palm tree that leans towards the lake almost touching the surface of the water. On the second day of their moving to the lakeside place and living on the palm trees, the baby squirrels found a long rocklike thing floating on the water near the palm tree that leaned towards the water. Without a second thought the three baby squirrels jumped onto the long rocklike thing floating on the water- half submerged. The squirrels ran all across and they found an up and down movement in the middle of the thing. The squirrels stood there for sometime to experience the movement and felt happy. With call of their mother the squirrels jumped back to the palm tree and went away. No sooner did they see their mom, they competed with each other to narrate their unique experience. One baby squirrel said “ Mom it is a breathing stone floating on the wall. Next day it was noon, the crocodiles in the lake had their lunch. Three of them swam across the lake and reached the other side of the lake where the squirrels live. The baby squirrels came out with their parents in amazement to find the three long black rocklike bodies floating on the water near the palm tree. The baby squirrels jumped on to one of the crocodiles with merriment and soon followed their parents. All the squirrels experienced the up & down movement to their joy and returned to their home after an hour or so. In the morning they came out to check whether these three crocodiles look like long black rocks floating on the water. They did not find any. As they were preparing for their lunch they saw their old friend Dr.Dove their longtime friend. All the squirrels shared with the Pigeon their experiences of playing on the breathing black long rock that floats on the lake near the leaning palm tree. They had compelled Dr.Dove to have lunch with them. Soon after having the lunch the baby squirrels lead Dr. Dove to the leaning palm tree. They found – this time – six black long bodies floating on water. The squirrels were lost at the sight of this. Dr .Dove understood the reason for their exhilaration. It took some time to dissuade them to continue playing on the floating crocodiles in the water. Once the squirrels came back to the palm tree Dr. Dove told them the reality. You were living in the middle of the forest so far and have not seen the crocodiles that live in big lakes, streams in the forest and prey on animals that pass through. Now I shall prove how they look like. Saying this Dr. Dove started looking in all directions. The squirrels were yet to come to terms with what Dr. Dove described. In the meantime Dr. Dove spotted an elephant. elephants Do not go anywhere and stay here. I shall bring that elephant here to help you see the crocodile. In a few minutes time Dr. Dove returned by sitting on the scalp of an elephant that holds a big stick with its trunk.crocodile Please disturb these crocodiles with this stick My Dear Elephant – said Dr. Dove The elephant executed its request by giving a jolt to the crocodile that floats in the middle of six. With this the crocodile surfaced its huge long mouth and opened it in a swift movement. This sudden movement, made the remaining 5 crocodiles move towards the stick. Thus they have shown their full bodies to the squirrels. The squirrels got frightened with the movement of crocodiles and requested Dr. Dove to bring back Mr. Elephant. With in a few minutes the crocodiles calmed down. One of them came out and said: Actually we feel the feather touch of these little squirrels when they play on us. We do not eat them. They can play on us when we come here to rest after lunch. The baby squirrels jumped with joy and said: Thank you crocodiles. You do not frighten us when you sleep. But sleep always by floating near this palm tree that leans to the water. The crocodiles laughed and said OK; and submerged into the water. The elephant felt happy for the gesture of the crocodiles The squirrels family thanked Dr. Dove for the help it rendered to educate them. As it was noon and sun was severe all of them rested in the shade of the nearby banyan tree. My Little Teddy Bear By Grace de Koekkoek I understand your sadness, My little teddy bear. I feel as sad as you. And from where you look at the world, I can see your loneliness, too. Your eyes are filled with tears, Yet no one knows you can cry. Nobody knows when you’re lonesome, For you cannot tell... You’re too shy. You cannot ask to be held. You cannot say you’re lonely. Those sad brown eyes of yours Speak thus to me only. I understand, my blue teddy bear. It feels like forever to wait. That boy with the glittering eyes, He always comes too late. Then he’ll hold you so tight That your heart will start beating. His magic can turn you Into a living thing… When, suddenly, Too soon, It’s time he turns to go, Leaving you to the world With a tiny magic glow. So, hold on, my baby, There’s nothing you can do. The world is such a wild place For someone as soft as you. P.9 An-Nour July 2014 (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com COMMUNITY AFFAIRS Liwa Date Festival will be Held During Holy Month of Ramadan for the Second Year in a Row ABU DHABI - Preparations are underway for the launch of the 10th edition of the Liwa Date Festival, which will be held for the second year in a row during the holy month of Ramadan. Under the patronage of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, the Cultural Programs and Heritage Festivals Committee – Abu Dhabi will organize the upcoming edition from 12th until the 18th of July in Liwa city in Al Gharbia (The Western Region) in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The Festival features a wide range of popular heritage and art activities, notably Al Ratab Beauty Competition (half-ripe dates Mazayna), Best Lemons and Best Mangoes competitions, and the Traditional Market. It comes as part of the celebration of customs and traditions and the preservation of the intangible heritage of the UAE, particularly the palm tree which occupies a central position in the authentic Emirati heritage, and the collective memory of the Emirati society. “The significance of the Liwa Date Festival arises out of an ability to draw all lovers of heritage and tradition as well as those interested in land resources, half-ripe dates and civilizational legacy. The Festival owes its success to the distinguished support of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs,” Obaid Mazrouei said. “The ongoing scientific and research successes that have been achieved by the UAE in the field of palm tree cultivation come in parallel with the efforts of heritage conserva- Windows to the Arab World: A New Exhibit by the Alif Institute Dear Alif Community, tion. These successes stand as an undisputed evidence of the significance of palm trees in the Emirati culture. Indeed, the palm tree cultivation is not only a heritage and tradition but also a present that we are living and trying to transmit to future generations. The objective consists in achieving a successful continuity in the process of modernizing cultivation, irrigation, and palm tree preservation,” he added. The total value of the prizes for the 9th edition reached AED 5 million that were awarded to 205 winning participants. The prizes covered the different categories of Al Ratab Mazayna, the main attraction at the Festival which included seven varieties: Al Khanizi, Al Khallas, Al Dabbas, Abu Maan, Al Fardh, Al Nukhba, and Akbar A’adj. Prizes were also awarded to winners of the Best Mangoes, and Best Lemons competitions as well as winners of the Best Heritage Performance competition. We are proud and excited to announce that Alif has just received a grant from The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta to build a permanent and mobile exhibit to teach about various aspects of Arab culture and Arab Americans with a special focus on Georgia! We will begin with two units: Arab Immigrants in Georgia and Diversity of the Arab World. Windows to the Arab World will be interactive, and we hope to include special features for teachers, such as teacher guides and resource lists. The exhibit will be based at Alif, but we will be happy to lend the exhibit for display at schools or other institutions in addition to welcoming visits to Alif to see the exhibit. WE NEED YOUR HELP! This project is a huge undertaking and we will need to harness all of our community’s resources to make it happen. · For the unit on Arab immigrants in Georgia, we are calling upon everyone who hails from an Arab country to SHARE YOUR STORY with us. o Old letters or other items related to immigration to the US/Georgia. o Old suitcases or trunks for the display. o Gently used ipods or tablets so that we can make this exhibit as interactive as possible. · For the unit on Diversity in the Arab World, we would appreciate donations of ITEMS TYPICAL OF LIFE IN THE ARAB WORLD, such as: art, musical instruments, ceramics, textiles, photos… For Alif, this is a significant and meaningful way to fulfill our mission of fostering the understanding and appreciation of Arab culture while connecting humanity through the power of arts & culture. In small ways and large ways, you can help us KEEP ARAB CULTURE ALIVE! Show Islam’s True Spirit As the holy month of Ramadan starts across the Muslim world, it is essential now more than ever to confront the threats against Islam, in particular those coming from individuals and groups claiming to represent the religion, and in order to show Islam for what it truly is, and its commitment to tolerance and forgiveness. Saudi ‘Cultural Vandalism’ of Muslim Heritage Continues By: Hanan Chehata Sites associated with the life of prophet Muhammad have been close to the hearts of all Muslims for almost one and a half millennia. Over the centuries, rule over these sites has passed through numerous hands, including the Ummayads, Abassids and Ottomans. They are currently under the control of the Saudi royal family, under the selfappointed title “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques”. This is not just an honorific title but one of substantive authority. It is the Saudis who control which of the 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide are permitted or denied entry for the annual pilgrimage of Hajj. Despite this title as custodians, the estimated 3.7 mn internationals that flock to Arabia each year for the annual Muslim pilgrimage of Hajj may be hard pressed to find clear evidence of what Construction around the Ka’aba - Mecca. (Islamic is traditionally thought of as Heritage Research Foundation) guardianship. Instead of preserving and protecting holy sites, which the Saudi authorities themselves point. Cemeteries dating back over 1,000 call a “sacred trust”, critics say they are guilty years have been razed. Mountains have been of “cultural vandalism” there. crushed just to make way for car parks. The Washington based Institute for Gulf Affairs estimates that 95% of Mecca's mil- Global criticism has been muted to a large lennium-old buildings have been demolished degree by fears that challenging the Saudi in the past two decades. The one-time desert authorities would lead them to exert their region now has a skyline, not lit by stars, but control over the visa process; a risk not many by gaudy luxury hotels and flashy shopping Muslims are willing to take. Saudi Arabia malls hosting the likes of McDonalds, Star- also controls country quotas, i.e. how many bucks, Baskin Robbins, and several Paris pilgrims from each country can be admitted Hilton boutiques. each year, leading to scant criticism at a govPilgrims who have scrimped and saved for a ernment level. once in a lifetime spiritual journey to the heartland of Islamic history and want, for example, to visit the site of the home of Muhammad’s first wife Khadijah will now find a block of 1,400 public toilets in the place where her home once stood. In place of the mosque of Abu Bakr – the first Caliph of Islam they will now find a cash · Do you have any ITEMS TO DONATE for the exhibit? We are looking for EVERY DAY ITMES that will help us tell the story of Arab American daily life, such as: Nizwa Gears up for 2015 Cultural Feast Historic Omani City has been Selected as Cultural Capital of the Islamic World for 2015 The Omani Ministry of Heritage and Culture (MoHC) is gearing up to hold a range of programmes to commemorate the naming of Nizwa as the Capital of Islamic Culture for 2015. “A team from MoHC was in Nizwa last week to decide the venues for the activities. Earlier, most of programmes were to be hosted at the new Nizwa Cultural Center. “But since construction of the centre will be completed only in May next year, we are looking at venues that will host the programmes till then,” said Hamed bin Hilal al Mamari, Undersecretary for Cultural Affairs in MoHC while addressing a press conference on Tuesday. Some of the likely venues include Nizwa University, Nizwa College of Applied Sciences, Nizwa Sports Complex, the Institute of the Higher Judiciary and the courtyard of the Nizwa Fort. “We are planning to conducting some programmes in October this year as well,” he added. Mamari also said that as part of the Nizwa beautification project, MoHC has held talks with the Royal Court Affairs on setting up of the Nizwa Gate, which is expected to be ready by September this year. Nizwa will also host a three-day assembly of ministers of culture from more than 54 different Muslim countries later this year as part of the celebrations. The ministry has invited the public to share any research work or books related to Islamic culture. MoHC is also coordinating with the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources on planting saplings and trees along the road passing through the Nizwa Gate. Meanwhile, Asim al Saidi, director general of administrative and financial affairs in MoHC said there are similar cultural centres coming up in Musandam, Buraimi and in North Batinah. Nizwa is the third city in GCC to be named the Capital of Islamic Culture after Madina in Saudi Arabia in 2013 and Sharjah, UAE in 2014. Reach Thousands of the International Community www.An-NourNews.com e-mail us your advertisement: info@An-NourNews.com Call us for more info. : 770-608-3343 P.10 An-Nour July 2014 (770) 608-3343 Info@An-NourNews.com www.An-Nournews.com ************************************ DIRECTORY *********************************** ATTORNEYS GROCERY MEDICAL Anthony D’aurio 5505 Roswell Rd, Suite 300 Atlanta, GA - 404-255-2929 Al-Hamrah International 895 Indian Trail, Lilburn, Georgia 770-381-2006 Baheeg Shadeed, MD. General Surgeon 770-438-9191 Ali Forrest Morad 404-266-0532 Al-Madina 5345 Jimmy Carter Blvd. Norcross, GA 30093 Ph: (770) 300-0772 Fax: 300-9864 Khaled Nass, MD. 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