Tariq Ramadan: 'Egypt is returning to a Mubarak era' - BBC World News

Published on 20 Aug 2013 | Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim theologian whose grandfather is one of the founding members of the Muslim Brotherhood, told BBC World News that Egypt is on the verge of returning to a 'Mubarak style' era.

Professor Ramadan added that he does not believe that its members are behind the recent attacks on Coptic churches.

Saudi Prince Bandar going to great lengths to topple Assad: Report

Foreign-backed militants fighting Syrian government forces gather along a road in the eastern town of Deir Ezzor. 
(File photo)

Saudi Arabia's Prince Bandar bin Sultan al-Saud has been striving to rally Western support to topple Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

An article published on The Wall Street Journal Sunday said the prince has been making efforts behind the scenes to realize Riyadh’s top foreign policy goal of ousting Assad. 

“Prince Bandar has been jetting from covert command centers near the Syrian front lines to the Elysée Palace in Paris and the Kremlin in Moscow, seeking to undermine the Assad regime, according to Arab, American and European officials,” the article said. 

It said the prince has meanwhile commissioned Saudi Ambassador to Washington Adel al-Jubeir with persuading US Congress and the administration of President Barack Obama to expand Washington’s role in Syria. 

US officials say Prince Bandar and Jubeir have told Washington that they do not necessarily expect a victory by the Syrian militants anytime soon, but they want to gradually change the battlefield in their favor. 

The Saudi plan is to steadily strengthen moderate groups of militants in Syria with the goal of someday seeing them in control in Damascus, it noted. 

On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal urged "firm and serious" action against Syria over an alleged chemical weapons attack which killed hundreds of people near Damascus on August 21, accusing the Assad government of having "lost its Arab identity." 

Syria has been gripped by a deadly unrest since March 2011. The United Nations says more than 100,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the outbreak of the violence.

source >>

Leaked Documents: U.S. Framed Syria in Chemical Weapons Attack

Published on 26 Aug 2013

Kenyataan Tuan Guru Nik Aziz

Kebenaran Itu Milik Allah, Bukan Di Barat dan Bukan Di Timur

Saya tidak terkejut apabila bekas Presiden Mesir, Hosni Mubarak dibebaskan daripada penjara oleh Mahkamah Mesir. Inilah tujuan sebenar rampasan kuasa yang dilakukan oleh tentera. Tidak perlu berlindung di sebalik alasan ekonomi dan sebagainya. Padahal kezaliman Hosni Mubarak selama 30 tahun menduduki takhta presiden satu fakta yang tidak boleh dinafikan sama sekali. Barangkali, Sheikh Al-Azhar yang kuat menyokong rampasan kuasa tentera pun sudah berpuas hati dengan pembebasan Hosni Mubarak. Saya menghormati kelilmuan yang ada pada Sheikh Al-Azhar, namun pendirian beliau dalam hal ini jelas salah seterang cahaya matahari di siang hari. Pada saya, inilah ujian berat yang sedang dihadapi oleh gerakan Islam khususnya di Mesir iaitu di saat para pemimpin mereka disumbat ke dalam penjara manakala penjenayah besar dilepas bebas.

Berpuas hatilah kerajaan Saudi yang kuat menyokong rampasan kuasa tentera. Benarlah kenyataan bahawa kebenaran itu milik Allah, tidak di Barat dan tidak Timur. Sekalipun penjaga dua tanah suci dimuliakan Allah SWT dengan tugas ini, namun belum tentu mereka memegang anak kunci kebenaran. Di samping menjaga dua tanah Suci, Saudi jugalah yang menjaga telaga minyak yang menghilangkan haus Amerika sekian lama. Inilah satu-satunya negara yang dinamakan sempena nama pemerintahnya iaitu Bani Saud.

Justeru, janganlah Saudi menyangka dengan sokongan mereka kepada tentera Mesir, mereka boleh mempengaruhi seluruh umat Islam di dunia. Jika darah Abdullah bin Zubair radhiallahuanhu pernah tertumpah akibat diperangi oleh Hajjaj bin Yusuf di Tanah Mekah, apa peliknya darah umat Islam di negara lain tertumpah angkara pemerintah Saudi hari ini? Jika kabilah Arab Jahiliyyah pun pernah bertugas untuk menjaga Tanah Suci sebelum kedatangan Islam, apakah jaminan penjaga Tanah Suci hari ini bebas dari melakukan kesilapan?

Syria refugees pour into Iraqi Kurdistan in thousands

Published on Aug 18, 2013 | Thousands of refugees from Syria are pouring over the border into Iraqi Kurdistan, the UN refugee agency says. Up to 10,000 crossed at Peshkhabour on Saturday, adding to an earlier influx of 7,000 on Thursday. The UN says the reasons are not entirely clear. Alan Paul from Save the Children told BBC News: "We don't know when the flood [of people] will stop."

Egypt's Foreign Aid - who actually benefit? THE MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX and ....?

Published on Aug 16, 2013 | Egypt's Crisis Threatens Foreign Aid

Stratfor Vice President of Global Analysis Reva Bhalla explains the strategic interests driving foreign aid to Egypt and how ongoing unrest could affect the country's relationships with international donors.