---
What Radical Democrats take away G-d not returneth! (See 1 below.)
---
There was a lot of buzz as to why Hillary did not attend the DNC.
I can now reveal there were three basic reasons:
a) East Timor has less pollen at this time of the year than Charlotte,
b) Vice President Biden pitched a hissy when he heard Hillary might be there. and
c) Bill wanted Hillary to meet Monica and that idea left a bad taste in her mouth..
---
In mining for votes perhaps Obama's coal policies will leave him in the pits. (See 2 below.)
We all know politics is a rough and tumble endeavor. Would it be bad form for Romney to bring up the matter of Obama's SS Number in view of the fact that Romney has been accused of killing a woman, being a tax cheat among other unsavory accusations? (See 2a below.)
A proper Boston lawyer once asked of Sen. McCarthy: "Have you no shame sir?"
Can the same be asked of Biden? You decide. (See 2b below.)
---
Netanyahu and Germany's Foreign Minister met in Jerusalem and exchanged words of mutual support. Do these words have meaning or are they just empty niceties and were cookies served? (See 3 below.)
---
First you control the media!
Seems to be working for Democrats in the U.S. (See 4 below.)
---
Dick
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1)DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM ABANDONS PRO-ISRAEL POSITIONS ON BORDERS, REFUGEES, HAMAS
By Leo rennert
If you rely only on mainstream media, you might think that the Democratic Party’s plank on Israel ended up solidly pro-Israel, notwithstanding a raucous dispute over Jerusalem. After all, the delegates restored language on Jerusalem as the capital of Israel – or so the chair ruled even though the decibel count on the voice vote fell short of the required two-thirds margin. But the final upshot nevertheless was to reaffirm a pro-Israel stance that the party had adopted in previous presidential-election cycles. Thus, going into the final 2012 campaign laps, the Democrats are again fully supportive of Israel.
If that’s your view, you are wrong, wrong, and wrong – on three issues that rank as important as the future of Jerusalem.
Four years ago, the Democratic Party took a firm stance against Hamas, the terrorist group which now rules Gaza. The 2008 platform called for complete isolation of Hamas until it renounces terrorism, recognizes Israel’s right to exist and abides by past agreements. Since Hamas is publicly opposed to any such transformation, this made it clear that Democrats were committed to keep Hamas in full pariah status.
In the new 2012 platform, the anti-Hamas language is completely gone. Hamas remains a mortal threat to Israel, but the Democratic Party now sees no need to line up with Israel on this existential issue. Never mind that Hamas comprises half of the Palestinian equation, the party of President Obama has nothing to say about it.
In 2008, the Democratic platform took an unequivocal position against a “right of return” to Israel for millions of Palestinian refugees and their descendants. The 2008 draft declared that Palestinian refugees instead would have to be resettled in a future Palestinian state – not in Israel.
That language also has been completely dropped from this year’s platform. Gone is the Democratic Party’s awareness that a Palestinian “right of return” to Israel would deal a demographic death blow to the Jewish state. Another existential pro-Israel stand ends up tossed in the dustbin of Democratic Party history.
Four years ago, the platform affirmed a solemn U.S. commitment – spelled out in a letter by President George W. Bush to then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon – that Israel could not be expected to withdraw to the pre-1967 armistice lines in any final peace deal. The 2008 plank on borders made it clear that any such retreat would leave Israel highly vulnerable and threaten its very survival. The 2008 language echoed a widely used term that any such withdrawal would saddle Israel with “Auschwitz borders.”
The language on borders now is gone.
The Democratic convention in Charlotte, N.C., adopted a platform that turns its back on three Israeli existential imperatives – on dealing with Palestinian terrorism, on achieving secure and recognized borders, and on preventing a flood of Palestinians from swamping the Jewish state.
On all these issues, the Democratic Party – once a forceful Israel supporter – stands now silent, opening the way for President Obama to pressure Israel for more concessions and compromises if he wins a second term.
--------------------------------------------------------------
2) Coal: Obama's Kryptonite
By Jim Ellis
In a presidential election that appears headed for a photo finish, it may be coal that transforms itself into political black gold for Republican nominee Mitt Romney and into kryptonite for President Barack Obama. While the president's economic policies have devastated several industries, it is the coal producers who are strategically located and have the opportunity and ability to become a real force in this campaign.
The main reason behind the mineral's potential election-determining power is that most of the coal-producing voters reside in traditionally Democratic counties and precincts. Ohio and Virginia, and possibly Pennsylvania, are potentially so electorally close that either candidate losing a significant share of his own party's vote could cost him that particular state and thereby the White House itself.
Therefore, the fundamental unanswered question is whether President Obama can neutralize some of his past actions in the critical energy-producing states. This becomes especially difficult when fully comprehending that Obama's Cap & Trade legislation has already proven itself politically lethal to Democrats.
We all know that Ohio, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, places that lie in a major domestic coal-producing region, are part of the group of swing states that will determine who occupies the White House after the November 6 election. Currently, polls suggest that the challenger is in position to convert Florida -- the single most important state for Romney, because he simply cannot replace its 29 electoral votes -- and North Carolina but is slightly behind in Virginia and Ohio. It's in the latter two states, and possibly wavering PA, where coal voters have the opportunity to play their decisive role.
You will remember that the president's very first major legislative initiative attempted to make Cap & Trade the law of the land. This so-called "energy equalization" concept is economically devastating to coal-producing regions, and most of the local congressmen who supported the measure were summarily dismissed from office during the midterm election. Obama's bill passed the House of Representatives under Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but Majority Leader Harry Reid couldn't muster enough support among his Senate colleagues to even hold a vote.
In the subsequent 2010 election, coal-producing states such as West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania defeated a combined thirteen congressional Democrats -- an event that led the way to Republicans recapturing the House majority. Of this baker's dozen of losing members, nine voted for Cap & Trade. West Virginia Rep. Alan Mollohan, a 28-year senior member, lost badly in the Democratic primary directly after supporting C&T. Virginia's Rick Boucher, another "yes" vote on the controversial legislation, who was also first elected in 1982 and served in a key position on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, lost to a Republican in the general election.
Freshman Rep. Glenn Nye, from southeastern Virginia's 2nd District, and two-term Rep. Charlie Wilson, who represented the main Ohio coal-producing district that borders Pennsylvania and West Virginia, also lost to Republicans in large part because of Cap & Trade fallout, even though they both opposed the bill.
Toward the end of the volatile 2010 campaign, West Virginia Democratic Gov. Joe Manchin, at the time running for Senate, understood the strength of the issue and, in one of his television commercials, went so far as to literally nail the Cap & Trade bill to a tree and take "dead aim" with his scoped rifle! He would go on to score a 53%-43% victory in the general election.
Clearly the coal Democrats have not yet forgotten. Case in point is the performance of the convicted felon on this year's West Virginia Democratic presidential primary ballot, Keith Russell Judd, who posted 40.6% against Obama...from his jail cell in Texas.
As has been reported in most publications and analysis stories, the core states in this election between President Obama and Mitt Romney are Florida, North Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio. Based upon the 2008 electoral result, for Romney to unseat the president, he must win all four of the aforementioned and carry at least one other Obama state larger than Vermont or Delaware. This assumes that Indiana and the 2nd Congressional District of Nebraska (Maine and Nebraska are the only states that split their electoral votes by allowing each of their congressional districts to cast its own Electoral College tally) return to the Republican column. There are other ways for him to win, but this collection of states and votes is Romney's easiest and most likely path to victory.
Will Mitt Romney receive the unified support of the normally Democratic coal constituency? Or can the president find some way to redeem himself with these people and rebound? The answers to these two key questions, to be revealed just weeks from now, could well define the outcome of the presidential election and put the nation on a decided new course for the next four years. The coal potential, along with synergy coming from other single and multi-issue groups, underscores that the final determining factors in this election campaign have yet to occur.
Jim Ellis is a professional election analyst who has worked in national campaign politics and grassroots issue advocacy since 1978.
2a)Time to Ask Obama about His Social Security Number
By Jack Cashill
I have been communicating with the intrepid Ohio private investigator, Susan Daniels, for some time. A few weeks ago, I got to meet Daniels. She is smart and sincere, and she understands her subject matter thoroughly. The left-wing "rebuttals" of her data, to this point, have ranged from the inept to the absurd.
More to the point, Daniels has information that the Romney campaign needs to know and needs to talk about: President Barack Obama has apparently been using a fraudulent Social Security number for the last 25 years.
On July 2 of this year, Daniels filed suit in Geauga County (Ohio) Common Pleas Court demanding that Jon Husted, Ohio secretary of state, remove Obama's name from the ballot until Obama can prove the validity of his Social Security number.
Husted has responded by seeking to dismiss Daniels' complaint, claiming that it has no basis in law. Daniels fired back that President Barack Obama has violated Ohio's identity theft statute that "expressly prohibits the use of another's 'personal identifying information' and expressly lists the use of another's 'Social Security number' as prohibited." She did not expect much out of Husted, and her expectations appear to have been met.
Friday, Daniels took another tack. She filed a sworn affidavit under Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 2935.09, which allows a private citizen "having knowledge of the facts" to request prosecution or arrest of an individual who has committed a crime. The affidavit makes the case clearly. I would strongly recommend that readers forward this to conservatives of influence and demand that they take it seriously. Allow me to cite the affidavit in full:
Now comes Susan Daniels, Affiant, and being first duly sworn deposes and avers, on the date set forth herein below, that the following assertions are true on the basis of her direct personal knowledge, observation, and experience, as follows.1. Affiant is and has been a resident of the state of Ohio since 1941.2. Affiant has been a licensed private investigator by and in the State of Ohio since March, 1995 and is in good standing as a private investigator with the Ohio Department of Public Safety.3. In pursuance of her occupation, Affiant is and has been able to access proprietary databases and acquire information from a variety of sources, including licensed investigation entities throughout the United States.4. In August, 2009, Affiant, in the course of her private investigation practice, was engaged to investigate the background of President Barack Obama (hereafter the "Accused.")5. As a consequence of that investigation, Affiant has become aware of the following facts:a. Accused uses, throughout the United States, the State of Ohio, and each of its 88 counties, the Social Security number 042-xx-xxxx. [Daniels uses the full number.]b. At the time of issuance of that Social Security number, the Social Security Administration assigned Social Security numbers on the basis of the Social Security applicant's state of residence and zip code.c. At the time of issuance of that Social Security number, 042-xx-xxxx, Social Security numbers beginning with the digits "042" were issued only to residents of Connecticut.d. Accused was not, in 1977, a resident of the state of Connecticut; nor has he ever been a resident thereof.e. The Social Security number now used by the Accused throughout the United States, the State of Ohio, and each of its 88 counties, was previously issued to another person.f. The Social Security administration never reissues Social Security numbers.g. Therefore, the Social Security number used by the Accused cannot rightfully and lawfully have been obtained, misleading public officials.h. Therefore, Accused has fraudulently and obtained, used, and continues to use Social Security number 042-xx-xxxx throughout the United States, the State of Ohio, and each of its 88 counties.i. Therefore, Accused has violated and continues to violate ORC Sec. 2913.49 "Identity Fraud," Ohio's "Identity Theft" statute.6. Affiant submits this affidavit, pursuant to ORC Sec. 2935.09, to the "reviewing official" in accordance with the mandates and prescriptions of said ORC section.7. Further, Affiant sayeth naught.The above statements are true to my personal and direct knowledge, observation, and experience, as I may answer to God.AffiantSusan Daniels
2b) Barack Obama's Running Mate: A Proven Liar, Coward, and Bully
By William A. Levinson
We must say up front that we sympathize with Vice President Biden for the loss of his wife and infant daughter in a 1972 car crash. It is, however, unfortunate that Biden himself lacks the common decency not to misuse and pervert the memory of his spouse and child for political gain, and not to misuse the resources of the U.S. Senate to inflict pain on an innocent family for the same reason.
As reported by Inside Edition, a police investigation of the accident showed that Mrs. Biden pulled into an intersection after she failed to notice an oncoming tractor trailer, which apparently had the right of way. The truck's driver, Curtis Dunn, put his own life at risk in an effort to avoid the collision; he twisted the wheel so hard that he overturned his vehicle. Delaware Online adds emphatically that neither driver had consumed alcohol. Senator Biden, as reported by the New York Times, nonetheless chose to publicly and falsely accuse Mr. Dunn of killing Biden's wife and child while driving drunk (emphasis added):
"Let me tell you a little story," Mr. Biden told the crowd at the University of Iowa. "I got elected when I was 29, and I got elected November the 7th. And on Dec. 18 of that year, my wife and three kids were Christmas shopping for a Christmas tree. A tractor-trailer, a guy who allegedly -- and I never pursued it -- drank his lunch instead of eating his lunch, broadsided my family and killed my wife instantly, and killed my daughter instantly, and hospitalized my two sons, with what were thought to be at the time permanent, fundamental injuries."
A false accusation of a crime such as killing somebody while driving drunk is of course automatically libel or slander, but Mr. Biden waited until Mr. Dunn had died of natural causes to make this accusation. A dead person cannot sue for defamation, nor can his family sue on his behalf, which means Biden attacked somebody who could not defend himself. This makes Barack Obama's running mate a coward as well as a liar.
Mr. Dunn is not in a position to care what Biden said about him, but he left a daughter (Pamela Hamill) and doubtless other family members who do care. These are ordinary Americans who do not have the power and media access of a United States senator, who used his Senate website to perpetrate his malicious defamation of Ms. Hamill's father (emphasis added):
To the loved ones of the victims [of 9/11], there is nothing really we can say to erase this tragedy. And, those of you who think it's presumptuous of me to say that ... in a different circumstance, I got one of those phone calls. I got one of those phone calls like Davis Sezna got. I got a phone call saying, "Your wife's dead; your daughter's dead." And I've only said that three times in public before. But, I say it here because it's so important for you to understand. I got one of those phone calls. It was an errant driver who stopped to drink instead of drive and hit a tractor-trailer, hit my children and my wife and killed them. It wasn't an airplane, but it was a phone call: "They're dead." And, I can tell you from experience, and some of you can, too, that feeling that inside your chest is a black hole and you're being sucked inside it. I know from experience there's nothing in the near term we can do to bring solace, relief or peace to those people.
Biden therefore used his power as a U.S. senator to brutalize an ordinary American family so he could grandstand about how he felt the pain of the 9/11 victims, and that makes him a bully: "A person who uses strength or power to harm or intimidate those who are weaker." To this may be added his prostitution of the memory of his own wife and daughter, whom he used for the same purpose. There is a strong similarity between Biden's falsification of the accident for his personal gain and Craig and Cindy Corrie's use of their daughter's memory to gain media attention.
The Corries continue to blame Israel for the death of Rachel Corrie despite ample proof that the International Solidarity Movement knowingly, willfully, and recklessly put the lives of its own activists at risk by playing chicken with moving construction equipment. Craig Corrie, who supervised bulldozer operations as a combat engineer in Vietnam, should know this better than anybody. The pro-Palestinian Electronic Intifada even stipulates that the activists had several close calls with bulldozers earlier in the day (emphasis added).
Rachel Corrie (L) and Nick (R) oppose the potential destruction of this home (to the west of the Doctor's home where Rachel was killed). In the instance pictured, the bulldozer did not stop and Rachel was pinned between the scooped earth and the fence behind her. On this occasion, the driver stopped before seriously injuring her. Photo by Joseph Smith (ISM Handout).
Only a reckless person, as the law defines recklessness, would engage in, much less persist in, such an activity. "Making of a Martyr" by Sandra Jordan at Buzzle.com is no longer online, possibly due to its exposure of even more recklessness by the International Solidarity Movement.
'We knew there was a risk,' Smith said, 'but we also knew it never happened in the two years that we (the ISM) have been working here. I knew we take lots of precautions so that it doesn't happen, that if it did happen it would have to be an intentional act by a soldier, in which case it would bring a lot of publicity and significance to the cause.'
ISM leader George Rishmawi also expressed a motive for wanting the group's activists dead for anti-Israel public relations purposes:
"When Palestinians get shot by Israeli soldiers, no one is interested anymore," Rishmawi said. "But if some of these foreign volunteers get shot or even killed, then the international media will sit up and take notice."
It is a matter of record that the Rachel Corrie Foundation was informed of this material, and even more, by e-mail. The Corrie Foundation's persistence in attacking Israel instead of seeking genuine justice for Rachel Corrie -- e.g., by exposing the ISM for its willful endangerment of its own activists -- says plenty about this organization's integrity and character. And Joseph Biden's perversion of the memory of his wife and daughter for political gain, and at the expense of a family of "the 99 percent," tells us everything we need to know about his integrity and character.
William A. Levinson, P.E. is the author of several books on business management including content on organizational psychology, as well as manufacturing productivity and quality.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3)
| Netanyahu Meets with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle |
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, this afternoon (Sunday, 9 September 2012), met with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle. At the start of the meeting, the Prime Minister said: "It’s great to see you again in Jerusalem. Germany and Israel have very close ties. And I look forward to discussing a range of issues with you. I appreciate Chancellor Merkel’s commitment to Israel’s security. You come on a day when our security is again tested; when terrorists from Gaza are firing at Israel’s cities I’m absolutely committed to making clear to these terrorists that they can’t do this with impunity. They have paid a price in the past for these crimes and they’ll pay a price again. So I look forward to our discussions on enhancing peace and security in a very troubled region." German Foreign Minister Westerwelle said, "I would like to underline how much we appreciate our close friendship and our excellent partnership, not only between our governments, between the Prime Minister and the Chancellor and the whole governments, but also between the people. Everyone can see that this is a very special friendship between the people and the countries and I would like to say a clear statement about this: We condemn every kind of terrorist attacks against Israel. We stand together with Israel, which means, of course, that we share also the concern about the Iranian nuclear program. For us any kind of nuclear option, weapons in the hands of the Iranian government is not acceptable for us, nuclear arms in the hands of the Iranian government is not an option and we will not accept this. Thank you so much." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
Muslim Brotherhood Efforts To Take Over Egyptian Media |
Introduction
During the decades of President Hosni Mubarak's rule in Egypt, the media served as the official mouthpiece of the regime. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which ruled the country following Mubarak's ouster, sought to perpetuate this situation, and therefore continued to constrain the media, curbing its attempts to become free and independent.[1] Now a similar policy is being pursued by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB), which since coming to power has been acting to seize control of the media and use it as a tool of the movement. This has sparked intense criticism from media members wishing to defend free speech, their livelihood, and their ability to influence public opinion.
The tension between the MB and the media has been building since the presidential elections, during which many media outlets took a highly critical line against the MB. This was especially evident during the weeks prior to the first round of voting, when the media created the impression that Mursi was weak and that his chances of winning were slim. It was also manifested in statements and articles by minority groups and liberals, who expressed fears regarding the Islamization of the country in light of the MB's growing power.
The tension even reached the point of incitement and violence when Tawfiq 'Okasha, owner of the television channel Al-Faraeen, incited to kill Mursi, prompting a protest by MB supporters during which demonstrators assaulted another journalist known for his anti-MB positions. The authorities responded to the incitement by temporarily shutting the channel down.
Since the beginning of August, several additional developments have indicated an attempt by Mursi and the MB to control the media and curb its criticism against them:
1. Saleh 'Abd Al-Maqsoud, who is affiliated with the MB, has been appointed information minister in Hisham Qandil's government.
2. The Shura Council (upper house of parliament), which is dominated by the MB, has replaced some 50 chief editors and board directors of state-owned newspapers.
3. Copies of the independent daily Al-Dustour were seized after the daily criticized Mursi and the MB.
4. Lawsuits have been filed by the president's office and the office of the MB General Guide against journalists who allegedly published false reports about the MB.
These moves are seen in Egypt as an attempt by the MB to seize yet another center of power, along with their campaign to regain control of the legislative branch; to maintain their majority in the Constituent Assembly, charged with drafting the new constitution; and to consolidate Mursi's position as the country's top decision maker.[2]The wave of dismissals in the media and the tightening of censorship may have been meant to pave the way for Mursi's major reshuffle in the top echelons in the army, which occurred several days later, and for further moves meant to take the reigns of government away from the military.
The anti-media measures sparked demonstrations and sit-down strikes by hundreds of journalists in Cairo, and the media published innumerable articles about the MB's attack on free speech and freedom of the press. On August 9, journalists in daily papers left their columns blank to protest the Shura Council's dismissal of the editors, and called on the country's TV channels to make a daily break in their broadcasts in order to raise public awareness of the issue. These journalists are protesting the state's ownership of numerous media outlets, as well as the Shura Council's exclusive authority to appoint the heads of the media, and calling to establish a politically independent council to fulfill this role.[3] They are also calling to anchor the freedom of the media and press in the new Egyptian constitution, though reports leaked about the Constituent Assembly's deliberations suggest that its amendments are unlikely to satisfy them.[4]
Salafis and MB supporters held counterdemonstrations, demanding that the media be purged of loyalists of the previous regime and that new faces be brought in.[6] The MB explained that the reshuffle had been necessary because the media was still serving the agenda of the old regime and did not identify with the goals of the revolution or reflect Egypt's Islamic character.
This report reviews the MB's efforts to take control of the media, the criticism this has evoked, and the MB's responses to the criticism.
The MB Campaign To Gain Control Of The Media
1. Appointment Of MB-Affiliated Saleh 'Abd Al-Maqsoud As Information Minister
In the negotiations to establish Hisham Qandil's government, the MB particularly insisted on appointing the information minister. This position went to MB nominee Saleh 'Abd Al-Maqsoud, a senior media consultant for Mursi's election campaign and previously head of the Journalists Union and editor of several newspapers with an Islamist orientation.[7]
Seeing this appointment as indicating the MB's intentions to make changes in the media, a columnist on the government daily Al-Ahram, 'Abdou Mubashir, wrote: "The MB is acting to take control of the official media, to transform it into a platform for its ideas, and to prevent 'Pharaoh's sorcerers' [a derogatory term used by the MB to refer to journalists associated with the Mubarak regime[8]] from writing and fulfilling their duty of monitoring and criticizing [the authorities]. [The MB] wants a recruited media that overlooks its faults, justifies its actions... and defends its mistakes..."[9]
Conversely, Islamist journalist Hilmi Al-Qa'oud congratulated Al-Maqsoud on his appointment, adding: "...I ask Allah to help [Al-Maqsoud] fulfill the difficult task he has undertaken amid an atmosphere of skepticism, disinformation and hostility towards anything Islamic or associated with Islam. The new minister is properly educated in [the field of] Islam, and lived through the period of jihad and struggle against the servants of Satan [i.e. the members of the old regime]. He was arrested unjustly on several occasions, and tasted the bitterness of prison for no crime other than saying that Allah was his Lord. Several of the papers he published were censored or shut down, not to mention the papers he worked on in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s...
"The weight of the task he is facing must not be [underestimated], for he must deal with one of the oldest and most corrupt of Egypt's institutions: the ministry of information. This ministry was the tongue of the tyrannical, fascist regime and its lying, deceptive and hypocritical voice. [This ministry] is an emblem... of Westernization and of maligning Islam and sowing fear of [Islamic] values, standards and laws... [Undertaking] the role of new information minister seems like suicide, especially if [Al-Maqsoud] wants to realize the goal he has set for himself, [namely] to transform the ministry of information from a servant of the regime into a servant of the state...
"Some have already started to attack the minister... saying he [means to] 'Brotherize' the media [i.e. mold it in the shape of the MB]. I do not know what they mean by that. Will the thousands of employees in the Maspero [television building in Cairo] join the MB or its Freedom and Justice party?..."[10]
2. Shura Council Replaces Dozens Of Newspaper Editors
According to the Egyptian law, which was not changed following the revolution, the authority to appoint the editors and board directors of government newspapers rests with the Shura Council. In Mubarak's era, the Council performed this task in consultation with the president and ruling party. The current Shura Council, comprising mainly MB members, has not given up the exclusive right to appoint the heads of the media, though it has changed the procedure somewhat by allowing journalists to submit their candidacy and then selecting from among these candidates.
The Shura Council has also set out the following criteria for candidates: they must be under 60 years of age, with at least 15 years' tenure in the media – 10 of those years at the same institution but not in advertising – and they must have no record of corruption or of advocating normalization with Israel. Each candidate was asked to submit a portfolio of publications and a list of proposals for reforms in the media.[12]
Despite the uproar in media circles over the decision to leave the appointment of editors in the hands of the Shura Council, and over the Council's criteria, on August 9 the Council replaced some 80% of the newspaper editors and board directors.[13] Most of the new editors were promoted from within the newspapers themselves, or else transferred from one paper to another. Though they are not necessarily MB members, most of them are considered close to this movement and its ideology. For example, the new editor of the Akhbar Al-Yawm daily is Suleiman Qinawi, who is not officially a member of the MB or its party, but writes for the party newspaper; the new editor ofAl-Ahram Al-Masai is Muhammad Kharaja, who was the MB's candidate for the Journalists Union in 2004; and the editor of Al-Gumhouriyya is Gamal 'Abd Al-Rahim, who is not an MB member, but was opposed to holding a press conference on the Bahai issue, which angered secular and left-wing circles.[14] It is therefore felt that the new editors are likely to defend the MB and will not be averse to censoring anti-MB articles. Indeed, there have already been reports of censorship by them. A representative of the Journalists Union said on TV that the new editor of Al-Ahram, 'Abd Al-Nasser Salama, has prevented the publication of articles criticizing the MB.[15]In addition, the new editor of the government weekly Akhbar Al-Yawm rejected an article by the outgoing editor of the weekly's literary magazine, 'Abla Al-Ruweini, after she refused to tone down the article's harsh condemnation of the MB's attempts to take over the media.[16] Journalist Yousuf Al-Sa'id has reported that an article he wrote, titled "We Will Not Hear And Obey," was refused by the daily Al-Akhbar, though the daily's editor has denied this.[17] The article, eventually published in the independent daily Al-Watan, accused the MB of being behind physical attacks on media figures who criticize it.[18]
Egyptian intellectual Muhammad Salmawi wrote sarcastically: "I can only congratulate the MB for its unflinching commitment to democracy and the great care it takes to teach its members the ideal democratic ways to deal with differing opinions – that is, by silencing them or even attacking [their proponents], while using the notorious methods of the Mubarak regime... The MB-dominated Shura Council... has perpetrated a terrible 'massacre' in the government press, the likes of which we never saw [even] in the days of the previous regime. Its victims were 50 editors, some of them appointed only a few months ago, [who were dismissed] at a single stroke and replaced with 50 [others who are] MB members or at least willing to comply with the MB's demands.
The MB, who started the revolution, rushed to [adopt] the laws of the previous regime in order to take control of the media and gag it. I would have thought... that their first move would be to cancel these laws, which turn the government press into property of the regime [by allowing it] to appoint editors at its own discretion – a mechanism that does not exist in any democracy in the world... The MB has declared war on the press and the media, which is only starting, and nobody knows how it will end..."[19]
3. Censoring The Press
On August 11, 2012, with the approval of an Egyptian court, copies of the independent Egyptian daily Al-Dustour were confiscated after the paper allegedly insulted the president and incited anarchy and fitna. The daily had published an article dealing with the MB takeover of state institutions and its attack on free speech.[20]
Osama Al-Ghazali Harb, a columnist for Al-Ahram, wrote in response: "I was very concerned by the reports on the closure of Al-Faraeen [TV] and the confiscation of [copies of] Al-Dustour. This is a blatant violation of freedom of expression, which is an integral part of democratic rule. Indeed, there is extremism in the discourse on both parties [i.e., Al-Faraeen and Al-Dustour], and inappropriate tones in statements regarding the president and the ruling Freedom and Justice party – but ultimately, this is the price of democracy. These phenomena exist in the proudest democratic regimes, and they do not affect the basic progress of the democratic process..."[21]
4. Violence Aimed At Media Figures Known For Criticizing The MB
During a MB protest outside the premises of Al-Faraeen TV at which demonstrators demanded that the channel be shut down, after its owner, Tawfiq 'Okasha, had said on live TV that killing Mursi was permitted,[23] bearded men attempted to storm the studio and attack 'Okasha and the editor of the independent Egyptian daily Al-Yawm Al-Sabi', Khaled Salah, both of whom are known for their criticism of the MB. The two were unharmed, but Salah's car was damaged.[24] Many in the Egyptian media criticized the incident and claimed that Mursi and the MB were following in the footsteps of Mubarak and his party, the NDP, who used to dispatch thugs to deal with their opponents.
 "Militias besieging presenters in studios"News presenter: "There are no power outages, the streets are safe and clean, the water is running!!"[25]
Al-Yawm Al-Sabi' columnist Akram Al-Qassas wrote: "The MB leaders are responsible for the [protestors'] surrounding the television studio, assaulting journalists, [targeting] Khaled Salah and damaging his car... Whether it was MB members who attacked Khaled Salah or their thugs, it was the MB movement that led the protests... Some are comparing [the MB's] conduct to that of the NDP, and pointing out that it took the ousted party 25 years to begin recruiting thugs to persecute its rivals, whereas the MB adopted militia behavior straight away... Anyone who disagrees with the MB, its party, or the president is considered a remnant [of the old regime] who is fighting the revolution, which has become the sole property of the MB..."[26]
Following this incident, Al-Faraeen was temporarily removed from the NileSat network by government order.[27] Subsequently, 'Okasha and the editor of Al-Dustour, Islam 'Afifi, were barred from leaving the country. The two will stand trial on September 3, 2012 on charges of insulting the president, inciting fitna, and publishing slander against acting MB party head Dr. 'Issam Al-'Arian. According to the prosecution, Al-Dustour slandered Al-'Arian when it claimed that he and MB Deputy General Guide Khairat Al-Shater had planned violent actions to take place if Mursi lost the presidential election, and had also planned to assassinate Mubarak and his sons, to disband the police force, and to launch a rocket attack on the Rafah border crossing. The daily also allegedly accused Al-'Arian of hiring criminals to torch the homes of police officials.[28]
The MB's Arguments In Its Defense
In response to claims that it is taking over the Egyptian media, the MB justified its moves with several main arguments:
1. Members Of The Media Have Violated Journalistic Ethics
The MB focuses on mistakes made by certain journalists who published falsehoods and made inciting and libelous comments against the president or the MB. The president's spokesman confirmed that Mursi has initiated legal proceedings against journalists who allegedly harmed his good name. Concurrently, MB General Guide Dr. Muhammad Badi' filed a lawsuit against the former information minister, the broadcast authority, and the former board director of the government Egyptian daily Roz Al-Yousuf for defaming the MB and its head and reporting false information on TV and in print. Badi' is referring to reports made in Roz Al-Yousuf and subsequently quoted on TV, in which it was claimed that Badi' had told Hamas Prime Minister Isma'il Haniya that he wanted him to become prime minister of Hamas and Egypt, that he wanted Hamas members to be granted Egyptian citizenship, and that the global MB movement had provided one billion Egyptian lira to fund the smuggling of weapons from Libya to Hamas. The complaint was filed by the MB attorney, who is the brother of the new information minister.[29]
Dr. 'Abd Al-Rahman Al-Barr, a member of the MB General Guide office, wrote: "Every time you criticize a journalist or media figure for the way they present the news or portray and interpret facts and events, or for harming leaders, personalities and [state] institutions – you immediately find yourself facing the ready-made accusations of harming free speech, restricting public liberties, supporting tyranny, etc... If a journalist curses or slanders you, or incites against you, you had better not ask the court to enforce the law, because in the minds of some people, that is an abuse of legal rights and an attempt to silence people by means of the law. It's as though the most important thing is for the journalist to say whatever he wants; as though media figures wear [a cloak of immunity] that prevents people from criticizing them or mentioning their errors... We oppose the assault on Khaled Salah... but we also oppose exploiting it to harm the MB and the Freedom and Justice party, which are innocent of such [violent] behavior..."[30]
2. The Media Must Be Purged Of Members Of The Old Regime, Who Fight The Islamists
The MB presents the replacement of the editors as a necessary move aimed at purging the media of Mubarak loyalists who do not sympathize with the goals of the revolution, and might even spark a counterrevolution. Islamist journalist Dr. Hilmi Al-Qa'oud wrote on the MB website: "The entire official media is a creation of the security [apparatuses], which was grown and educated in their lap with the patronage of the fascist, tyrannical regime. The members of the media imbibed its teachings and its method of hostility towards the freedom, honor and identity of the people. Using jobs and benefits, [the regime] managed to cultivate generations of media members who care only for fame and fortune, even at the expense of Islam, virtue, freedom and honor..."[31]
Rabi' Abu Baker 'Abd Al-Baqi wrote on the MB website that the current media system not only continues to serve the old regime, but also harms political Islam: "[The media] directs slander at the Islamic stream, instead of constructive criticism, advice and guidance. The [non-Islamic] streams, who carry no weight on the street, and whose power is measured by their ability to make noise and scream on satellite TV channels, and to hire pens and ask them to forge facts... are fighting and defaming anything that is Islamic... If you use your pens to mock, curse, make up lies and spread them, I say to you: 'If you ridicule us, surely we too ridicule you as you ridicule (us) [Koran 11:38].'"[32]
 "The people wants to cleanse the media! The problem is that there isn't enough cleaning product in the country"[33]
3. Establishing A Media Consistent With Egypt's Islamic Character
Al-Qa'oud wrote further that the media is dominated by non-Islamic streams, and therefore there is no one to defend Islam and the Muslims. According to him, post-revolution Egypt needs a media consistent with its Islamic character: "The board directors, chief editors and newsroom managers [in the Egyptian media], and even some of the journalists, were always required to be loyal to the regime and its wishes. Perhaps this explains the barbaric Mongol raid against everything that is Islamic or related to Islam, while Islam and the Muslims do not have anyone to defend them, aside from weak, muted voices...
"Most of those who control the media – press, television, radio and websites – belong to streams that maintain delicate relations with Islam and the Muslims. That is why an Islamist cannot grace the pages of official, private, sectarian or partisan papers, or appear on television or radio, except under certain conditions. And if he does appear, he is subjected to censorship, restriction and a takeover by opposing views... His words can even be used against Islam and Muslims.
"The Islamic media that currently exists is weak and restricted. Islamists have no radio [stations] and only a few TV stations. Most are occupied with trivial matters or have educational goals [such as] teaching the Koran and hadith, but do not deal with the real problems and suffering of the Muslims. Islamic channels that belong to certain movements... lack means and professional experience, and some have been forced to close due to debt...
"The state of the [Islamic] press is not much different from that of radio and TV. Following the January revolution, some newspapers that are Islamic or are considered Islamic were established, but they can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and are mostly weak and uncompetitive in terms of their professional standards and distribution. Their human and technical abilities are generally limited, their material means are small, and their pages are nearly devoid of ads, which newspapers usually rely on for funding and growth.[34]
"The [current] reality requires a comprehensive media system – press, radio and TV – that is consistent with the character of Egypt and of the Arab and Islamic ummah. It is inconceivable for Egypt to be represented by the official, private or sectarian media of Sawfat Al-Sharif [NDP secretary-general and information minister during the Mubarak era]. Islamic Egypt is larger than this media, which [only] perpetuates tyranny and lies... and whose stars are individuals... who have always spoken against Islam and Muslims and silenced the Islamic voice...
"Following the revolution, it was expected that the Muslims would awaken and establish a media apparatus worthy of Islamic Egypt, with the help of tycoons or stockholding companies. But, unfortunately, they make do with delivering sermons from pulpits on various occasions, while the remnants of the [old] regime, which are hostile to Islam... establish dozens of newspapers and [TV] channels..."[35]
"Brotherizing the Press," with the three pyramids of Al-Ahram's logo clad in veils[36]
* L. Lavi is a research fellow at MEMRI.
Endnotes:
[1] On the changes in the Egyptian media under the SCAF, see MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 726, The Egyptian Press – From the Mouthpiece of the Mubarak Regime to the Mouthpiece of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), August 18, 2011.
[2] On Mursi's and the MB's struggle to consolidate their ruling power, see MEMRI Inquiry & Analysis Series No. 865, The Egyptian Revolution Is Only Starting: Will Power Be Transferred From The SCAF To The Elected President And Parliament?, July 30, 2012.
[3] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi' (Egypt), August 8, 2012. The Administrative Court recently upheld the Shura Council's right to determine the criteria for appointing newspaper editors, ruling this compatible with Egypt's laws and constitution. Al-Masri Al-Yawm(Egypt), July 11, 2012.
[4] Journalist Saleh 'Issa reports that the Assembly has ignored most of the proposals submitted to it by the Journalists Union and Supreme Press Council. According to him, the new draft constitution leaves the ownership of the government press in the hands of the state, and even tightens some of the constraints eased by Mubarak in 2006, such as the state's right to shut down papers by court order and to imprison journalists for their publications. Al-Ahram (Egypt), July 23, 2012.
[5] Image source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat (London), August 10, 2012.
[6] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), July 8, 2012.
[7] Moraselon.net, August 2, 2012.
[8] MB General Guide coined this term in March 2012 when he said that the media were "sorcerers of Pharaoh" who were ordered by Satan to portray the MB as a new NDP attempting to destroy the country. Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), March 28, 2012.
[9] Al-Ahram (Egypt), August 1, 2012.
[10] Ikhwanonline.com, August 10, 2012.
[11] Al-Fajr (Egypt), August 16, 2012.
[12] Weekly.ahram.org.eg, July 5, 2012.
[13] Al-Ahram (Egypt), August 9, 2012.
[14] Some other appointees are: 'Abd Al-Nasser Salama, the new editor of Al-Ahram, whose nomination sparked criticism among some of the daily's employees on the grounds that he does not meet the Shura Council's criteria since he is a Mubarak loyalist and does not identify with the goals of the revolution; Ashraf Bader, formerly the deputy editor of Al-Ahram and now the editor of Al-Ahram Al-Arabi; Salem Wahhabi, who was also deputy editor of Al-Ahram, is now editor of Al-Ahram Al-Iqtisadi; Muhammad Hassan Al-Bana, the new editor of Akhbar Al-Yawm, previously the deputy editor of Al-Akhbar; Shaker 'Abd Al-Fattah, a former board member of the Egyptian news agency Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, who is now the agency's editor and board director; and 'Izzat Badawi, who was promoted from deputy editor of the magazineAl-Musawwar to its editor. Al-Wafd (Egypt), August 14, 2012; rss.fj-p.com, August 1, 2012.
[15] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 12, 2012.
[16] Al-Tahrir (Egypt), August 11, 2012.
[17] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 15, 2012.
[18] Al-Watan (Egypt), August 14, 2012.
[19] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 9, 2012.
[20] Alarabiya.net, August 11, 2012.
[21] Al-Ahram (Egypt), August 12, 2012.
[22] Al-Ahram (Egypt), July 8, 2012.
[23] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 8, 2012.
[24] Al-Ahram (Egypt), August 10, 2012.
[25] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 11, 2012.
[26] Al-Yawm Al-Sabi' (Egypt), August 10, 2012.
[27] Ikhwanonline.com, August 10, 2012.
[28] Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 13, 2012.
[29] Al-Ahram; Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), August 1, 2012.
[30] Ikhwanonline.com, August 12, 2012.
[31] Ikhwanonline.com, July 11, 2012.
[32] Ikhwanonline.com, July 31, 2012.
[33] Moheet.com, August 2, 2012.
[34] It should be mentioned that after the January 25 revolution, the MB party established the Freedom and Justice daily. In February 2011 it was reported that the MB was also considering establishing a satellite channel. Al-Masri Al-Yawm (Egypt), February 21, 2011.
[35] Ikhwanonline.com, July 11, 2012.
[36] Al-Shurouq (Egypt), August 2, 2012.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
No comments:
Post a Comment