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March 28, 2008
Mideast Snapshot - Deserted Streets In Baghdad
CNN Baghdad's Mohammed Tawfeeq sent me these two pictures of what central Baghdad streets look like today.
The governement imposed a week-end curfew amid clashes between Iraqi Security Force troops and Shiite militias. An Iraqi military spokesman says the curfew - which took effect at 11 p.m. Thursday (4 p.m. ET) - bans pedestrian, motorcycle and vehicle traffic through 5 p.m. Sunday. Update: the round-the-clock curfew has been extended in Baghdad for an indefinite period, amidst continuing clashes between government forces and shiite militiamen. Mideast Snapshot - Getting Wires Crossed In Shatila
March 27, 2008
Meanwhile, Elsewhere In Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syria is cracking down more on Internet use, imposing tighter monitoring of citizens who link to the Web, as well as jailing bloggers who criticize the government and blocking YouTube and other Web sites deemed harmful to state security.
The tighter hand is coming even as Syrian officials show off a press center with fast Internet access and wireless technology for journalists covering this weekend's Arab League summit. March 26, 2008
Saudi And Egypt (And Jordan) Snub Syria
(AP Photo/Adel Hana)It's the first time Syria hosts an Arab League summit, and it's looking like Damascus is getting a one-two snub from Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Monday, Riyadh announced that it was only sending its Arab League ambassador to the talks. Today Egypt said that Mufid Shihab, minister of state for Legal Affairs and Legislative Councils, will lead the Egyptian delegation to the summit. (And no, I've never heard of him either.) Unsurprisingly, Lebanon is boycotting the meeting altogether. The Arab League rift is all about Lebanon and the political crisis that some accuse Syria of fueling there. The Arab Summit will be held in Damascus on March 29-30. March 25, 2008
Saudi King Says "Let's Talk"
Saudi King Abdullah is calling for interfaith dialogue among the world's three monotheistic religions. And yes, that means Judaism too.
![]() The king is quoted as saying that "with God's help we will meet our brethren from other religions, including those who believe in the Torah and in the Gospel, in order to find ways to defend humanity." This declaration, made by the custodian of the two holiest sites in Islam - and by the leader of a country where non-Muslims are banned from practicing their religion - follows the anouncement of a state program aimed at "retraining" the country's clerics to remove militant sympathies from Saudi mosques. According to the Saudi-funded Ashar Alawsat newspaper, the program "is considered the largest project designed to achieve ideological change toward centrism and moderation and away from extremism and excess." Is this the beginning of an "Islam 2.0" or just lip service from the Saudi monarch? What do you think? Email us at mideast@cnn.com or add a comment below.
March 24, 2008
Iraq's Christians Mark Easter In The Warzone
CNN Producer Mohammed Tawfeeq sent me a series of pictures he took during a shoot at the holy Rosary Chaldean Catholic Church in central Baghdad yesterday.
He says that when he asked Salwa Naeim, a Christian woman who came to the service with her four daughters, if she was concerned about her family's safety, she responded: "because I have a deep faith in Jesus, I decided to come to church and not let the violence stop me. We shouldn't be afraid of the terrorists because the strongest thing humans have is their faith." ![]() During the ceremony, Mohammed says that a number of explosions could be heard in the distance. No violence specifically targeting Christians was reported in Iraq yesterday. |
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He writes that hundreds of Christians attended the ceremony. 