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Inside the Middle East
September 13, 2010
Posted: 2109 GMT

The 'David Hawley media pass' also changes Ben Wedeman's employer.
The 'David Hawley media pass' also changes Ben Wedeman's employer.
Breaking news! I no longer work for CNN, I'm no longer a reporter, in fact, I'm no longer Ben Wedeman. Well, at least that's according to the Egyptian Director of the Central Administration of Security at the Sharm el-Sheikh peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.

He (or she, I suppose, since I don't know the name) issued me credentials as David Hawley, changed me into a cameraman, and assigned me a new employer: Bahraini TV.

David Hawley is my good friend and colleague, CNN's Jerusalem good-natured Australian cameraman. David's or my affiliation with Bahraini television remains a mystery.

Anyone who has ever covered a summit or conference in Sharm Al-Shaikh knows they are disorganized affairs where no one really knows what is happening until the last moment, and that’s for the lucky ones.

Getting anywhere near the summit proceedings involves passing though a variety of over-staffed checkpoints manned by a crowd of conscripts and surly officers, followed by a cordon of over-sensitive metal detectors set off by the iron in your blood. One thing no one has paid attention to, however, is my dodgy press card.

The disorder and heavy handedness of Sharm summits often detract from the substance of the talks.

But it’s hard to tell at this stage whether there is any substance to speak of. On September 2, Israel and the Palestinians (well, part of them, since only the Ramallah regime is represented here) resumed direct negotiations in Washington, D.C. at the urging of the United States.

Skeptics far outnumber optimists, and the latter are not wildly so.

In the lobby of the hotel where the talks are due to begin Tuesday morning, I ran into Husam Zaki, the spokesmen for the Egyptian foreign minister.

"We have to be optimists," he told me with a wry grin. "But we know these talks are going to be long and hard."

There is plenty of ground Israeli and Palestinian negotiators will have to cover. The future of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. Borders. Security. Water resources. The nature of the nascent Palestinian state.

These are thorny subjects that have been discussed, and dodged, for almost 20 years, and no one is under any illusion that dramatic progress will be achieved here in this sunny Egyptian resort on the Red Sea.

They could start, however, by giving me back my name, my job and returning me to CNN.

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Filed under: Egypt •Israel •Palestinians


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September 9, 2010
Posted: 2030 GMT

Website for "I am your partner. Are you my partner?" campaign

An Israeli peace group’s novel approach to promote talks between Israel and the Palestinians is raising some eyebrows and drawn some harsh criticism from both sides of the conflict.

In a print and internet campaign called “I am your partner Are you my partner?” The Geneva Initiative, an Israeli NGO dedicated to ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a negotiated settlement, filmed key members of the Palestinian Authority personally addressing the Israeli public in Hebrew and English asking for their trust and support in reaching peace between the two peoples.

In one sequence the chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat looks to the camera and says “I know we have disappointed you, I know we have been unable to deliver peace for the past 19 years”.

In another clip Fatah Central Committee member Jibril Rijoub tells Israelis “I believe we have a historic opportunity, for you and for us…you have a serious partner”

Erakat’s comments, construed by some as an apology to Israel attracted some criticism from the Palestinian community. Speaking to CNN about the matter Erekat said “There was a controversy. Some people misinterpreted what I said and they interpreted it as I am apologizing to Israel., to the Israelis which is not the case” Erakat explained that what he meant “was that we apologize on behalf of the Palestinian and Israeli negotiators that we have disappointed you and a lot of Palestinians…” Read the rest of this entry »

Filed under: General •Israel •Palestinians


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September 8, 2010
Posted: 548 GMT

As part of CNN's ongoing "Future Cities" coverage of  the challenges faced by the world's major population centers, Richard Quest takes a look at Egypt's efforts to remake its transportation system and bring some relief to the traffic-snarled streets of Cairo. Can the gridlock nightmare be fixed? You be the judge.

Filed under: Egypt


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Posted: 450 GMT

From Michael Schwartz

For the hundreds of Christians on the river bank, the water in the Jordan is special.

‘It’s the same river where Jesus himself was baptized. That is not important to baptism itself but for the experience it is something special.’ Explains Pastor Robert Ekh, from Uppsala Sweden.

He leads a group of 1500 Christians from 35 countries in the footsteps of Christ and the ceremony he has presided over is an important moment in the pilgrimage.

‘It’s something that changes you inside. The bible becomes alive in a totally different way. Your faith becomes concrete and real because you are standing in the places where things happen.’

Orthodox Christians are dipped under the water 3 times, as believers are blessed in the name of the Holy Trinity.

 Ron Zakorano from Philadelphia in the United States is baptised with a similar blessing. He is submerged on his back and rises from the water to tell us ‘So much of Christianity and history is related to this area and the opportunity to live again through him is just an exhilarating experience.’

Away from the crowd, a mother from Nigeria sprinkles her 2-year-old son with drops cupped in her hand.

Three distinct acts with a common thread, explains Pastor Ekh ’These are different people that have come to have faith in Jesus Christ as their saviour and Lord. Baptism is one of the basic things in Christian faith and is part of the great commission that Jesus gave to his followers.’

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Filed under: Christianity •General •Religion


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September 7, 2010
Posted: 1649 GMT

From Errol Barnett, CNN

It may surprise some to find out that the Quran says absolutely nothing about stoning. However, the case of an Iranian woman being sentenced to death by stoning for adultery has lead many to criticize the Muslim faith for its practices. But reasons for the act are much more complicated and vary among Muslim countries – like Egypt and the UAE. As it turns out, the punishment stems from generations of interpretation of Hadith; narrations concerning the Prophet Mohammad. Many Islamic countries have implemented their own versions of implementing Hadith which has subsequently created volumes of legal precedent for certain punishments. Diana Hamade, a legal expert with International Advocate Legal Services, explained this to me from Dubai. It also raises the question; Outside the Vatican, can any one country represent an entire faith? And how much does interpretation of religious texts in other faiths lead to deep divisions among the faithful?

Watch the interview and post your thoughts.

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Filed under: Iran •Islam •Video


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Posted: 938 GMT

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Filed under: Archaeology •Culture •Egypt •General •Islam


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Posted: 727 GMT

Time Magazine cover for September 13th, 2010

   

  

In a piece that is creating a bit of controversy in Israel and abroad our colleagues at Time magazine filed a cover story titled "Why Israel Doesn't Care About Peace". Jerusalem bureau chief Karl Vick writes of an Israeli population largely unconcerned with issues of war and peace with Palestinians and more focused on enjoying the country's thriving economy and improving social conditions. 

"...the truth is, Israelis are no longer preoccupied with the matter. They’re otherwise engaged; they’re making money; they’re enjoying the rays of late summer. A watching world may still define their country by the blood feud with the Arabs whose families used to live on this land and whether that conflict can be negotiated away, but Israelis say they have moved on.”  

"...But wait. Deep down (you can almost hear the outside world ask), don’t Israelis know that finding peace with the Palestinians is the only way to guarantee their happiness and prosperity? Well, not exactly. Asked in a March poll to name the “most urgent problem” facing Israel, just 8% of Israeli Jews cited the conflict with Palestinians, putting it fifth behind education, crime, national security and poverty. Israeli Arabs placed peace first, but among Jews here, the issue that President Obama calls “critical for the world” just doesn’t seem—critical." 

While  Israelis themselves will speak about their fellow countrymen who live in the "Tel Aviv bubble" divorced from some of the realities of the conflict, many Jewish Israeli will tell you it is impossible for them to escape or ignore the conflict when their sons and daughters are forced to serve in the military and it's not that they don't want peace, but that they are tired, they say, of offering concessions and getting nothing from the Palestinians in return. But as Vick writes, many have lost hope in any sort of peace process making "the Palestinian question distant from the minds of many Israelis"  Read the rest of this entry »

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Filed under: Culture •General •Israel •Palestinians


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September 5, 2010
Posted: 1136 GMT

By Harmeet Shah Singh

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) – Hindu, Sikh and Muslim prayers fill the morning air and numerous religious processions besiege streets of cosmopolitan cities every year.

On the ground, India’s constitutionally guaranteed freedom of faith often takes precedence over larger public convenience and environment. But benefits from the nation’s growth haven’t reached all communities evenly, with its second-largest religious group of Muslims starkly left out on the lowest of rungs.

India says it’s striving to bring them up to par after a national study barely four years ago established the country’s 150 million-plus Muslim population trailed badly on key indices more than half-a-century after independence.

The man who supervised the 2005-06 survey is hopeful of a change ahead as India works to eliminate imbalances revealed in its damning report.

In a clogged, largely Muslim neighborhood in New Delhi, Syed Zafar Mahmood traces the genesis of issues facing the community in modern India to the partition of the Asian subcontinent in 1947.

The blood-soaked birth of Pakistan unleashed mass migration, fueling prejudices that Mahmood notes remained entrenched in India for most of the later half of the 20th century.

“Muslims who chose to stay back in India felt marginalized for three to four decades later,” he says.  “But time is a great healer. Eventually, Muslims found their moorings as perceptions begin to change.”

However, the community seemed to have lost its pace by then.

According to official figures, Indian Muslims have a literacy rate of 59.1 percent against the national average of 65 percent. For employment, they generally work as casual labor, according to the study that Mahmood monitored as officer-on-special duty appointed by prime minister Manmohan Singh.

In comparison, Christians, Buddhists and Sikhs surpass Muslims in education and jobs in Hindu-majority India, census data show.

Based on the recommendations of the survey, India’s government has unveiled a slew of measures that it insists aim not only at improving educational standards of Muslims but also their social and economic conditions, such as through easy banking.

On its website, India’s minority affairs ministry posts regular updates on the status of those programs.

“It’s all about facilitating opportunities. And I see this happening with affirmative action in place,” says Mahmood, who is overseeing the state-funded plans for the community.

India has for long battled Islamist insurgency in the Kashmir region under its control, the country’s only Muslim-majority state.

It has also suffered numerous terrorist attacks blamed both on home-grown as well as Pakistan-based militants. At the same time, India’s credentials as a secular haven have been blemished by murderous attacks on different religious minorities in the past.

Surveyors have found the Muslim community at large has been stereotyped and that steps for its uplift too have met with resistance.

“Muslims carry a double burden of being labeled as anti-national and as being appeased at the same time,” according to the findings of the study quoted by the national commission for minorities, the country’s religious rights watchdog, on its website.

On the brighter side though, the community has emerged as a powerful voting bloc in India’s multi-party democracy. Various regional political players now vie for Muslim support, let alone Singh’s Congress grouping at the national level.

Some of India’s top Bollywood stars, sports icons and political figures are also Muslims.

At least four universities of modern higher education stand out as tall examples of Muslim contribution to nation-building, says Mahmood.

“It’s wonderful being a Muslim in India,” he asserts. Yet, Mahmood feels state projects are inadequate for complete success.

The 59-year-old bureaucrat has for years been involved in the Islamic concept of Zakat, or charity, to help members of his community in need.

Such volunteerism, he says, has to gain momentum.

“(The) community should take care of itself to a certain level so that the community makes a dent in public life. Therefore those like me… who have volunteered to look after the community actively… will have to be more active,” remarks Mahmood.

-Harmeet

Filed under: Islam


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Posted: 759 GMT

Attempts to move the Mideast peace process forward are continuing in Washington D.C. as the administration of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas lashed out at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Saturday, a day after Ahmadinejad criticized Abbas for renewing direct peace talks with Israel. Read full story here.

View below Abbas' comments in D.C. on the challenges ahead.

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Filed under: Israel •Palestinians •U.S. •Video


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September 2, 2010
Posted: 1124 GMT

From Errol Barnett, CNN

Even though Kurds in Northern Iraq enjoy relatively low levels of violence and have previously expressed interest in becoming their own autonomous region, Mr. Mahmoud Othman – a leading member of the Kurdistan Alliance – underscored his commitment to do whatever it takes to keep Iraq together and start healing after seven years of war. During a conversation with me on “Prism,” his impatience and patriotic frustration was evident in his comments to me, saying, “these people are not putting National interest of their country ahead of their blocs – and that is the main issue. Otherwise they would have been more flexible.”

On 'Prism' Errol Barnett talks with Michael Holmes in Baghdad about Iraqi refugees waiting for political solutions so they can return home.
On 'Prism' Errol Barnett talks with Michael Holmes in Baghdad about Iraqi refugees waiting for political solutions so they can return home.

Since Iraqis risked their lives to vote in elections March 7, their impatience too continues to mount as neighbourhoods remain unchanged. Electric power is intermittent, violence continues and elected leaders have yet to find consensus on any major issue – like who will be Prime Minister. This is because results left two parties with almost the exact same portion of votes and parliamentary seats; Former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi’s Iraqi National Movement and current Prime Minister Nuri Al-Maliki’s State of Law Coalition captured 25.9% and 25.8% respectively. Al-Maliki’s bloc received 89 seats against Allawi's 91. A 163-seat majority is is needed to form a government in the 325-seat parliament. Meanwhile the Iraqi National Alliance and Kurdistan Alliance were 3rd and 4th in the vote count.

Mr. Othman told me although his group is willing to work with any form of a coalition government, his hands are essentially tied. He’s waiting for Al-Maliki and Allawi to come to power-sharing consensus. A painstaking process that even in stable countries like Australia can take months. Only after this is resolved, can key ministerial posts be filled and critical legislation – like the distribution of oil wealth, a rebuilding of damaged infrastructure and security plans post-U.S presence – be decided.

Making that flexibility more challenging is the fact that even though the two leading parties paint themselves as more secular –sectarian divisions have emerged. Coalitions talks were suspended recently due to comments by Nuri Al-Maliki that Allawi’s candidate list was simply a “Sunni List.” Mr. Othman says there is no other option but to work past these separations: “They have to do it. This is their country, nobody will lead it for them, they have to rule their country and form a government as soon as they can.”

Click here to see Michael Holmes' report on Iraqi refugees waiting for political solutions so they can return home.

Watch below as Othman describes to Errol Barnett the layers of un-finished business awaiting Iraq and the United States.

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Filed under: CNN Coverage •Iraq •Kurds •Video


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