The imam of the Aleppo mosque, Muhammad Qul Aghasi, has been assassinated.
It is thought that Aghasi helped send fighters to Iraq, and that booklets of his sermons were circulated among the terrorists.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, September 29, 2007.
Many newspapers in Egypt are planning not to publish on October 7, in order to protest against the prison sentence for five Egyptian newspaper editors.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, September 29, 2007
Despite denials by Hamas that it has launched an initiative to hand over the headquarters of its security apparatuses and the Rafah crossing to temporary Egyptian control as a measure to promote a Fatah-Hamas dialogue, the London daily Al-Sharq Al-Awsat has published a document it received from senior Hamas officials that includes the details of this initiative.
According to the document, the initiative is to include the establishment of a central government whose plan will be like that of the national unity government; the reestablishment of the Palestinian security apparatuses; and the implementation of the Cairo agreement on the reorganization of the PLO. Also, the headquarters of the Palestinian security apparatuses and the Rafah crossing will be handed over to temporary Egyptian control.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, September 29, 2007
Parents in Saudi Arabia are complaining that the schools are forcing their children to fast for Ramadan, even though children are not required to do so.
The Education Ministry has issued an order banning schools from requiring children to fast.
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, September 29, 2007
Saudi Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal said during the U.N. General Assembly that he feared conflict between Iran and the West because of Iran's nuclear program.
He said, "We are fearful in light of the nature of the ongoing discourse between the two sides."
Al-Faisal added that Saudi Arabia had asked Iran why "it was turning towards conflict, and we asked it to comply with the demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency... Iran knows the position of the Arab states towards its intervention in Iraq and Lebanon, and this is not welcomed. The Arab states will do as they see fit to protect their interests."
Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, September 28, 2007
The Algerian daily El-Shorouq El-Yawmi has reported that on September 27, terrorists killed three Algerian National Guardsmen near the town of Tadmait, west of Tizi Ouzo.
According to the paper, some 15 gunmen set up a roadblock and stopped a bus on which the guards were traveling, removed them from bus, and executed them and mutilated their bodies in front of the other passengers.
Also, the military campaign against Al-Qaeda Maghreb in Sidi Daoud, southwest of Dellys, continued over the weekend. According to the Algerian daily Liberte, six terrorists were killed, among them the commander of the Al-Ansar brigade, known as "Serraka."
Source: El-Shorouq El-Yawmi, Algeria, September 28, 2007; Liberte, Algeria, September 30, 2007
PFLP-General Command Secretary-General Ahmad Jibril has said that if Israel attacks Syria, Palestinians in Syria will be at the forefront of the response.
He added that the Hizbullah leadership has acknowledged that Hizbullah too will participate in the battle.
Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, September 28, 2007
A Saudi woman suffered the loss of an eye and burns when her husband stuck his finger in her eye and poured boiling soup on her face because she had not prepared lentil soup for the meal to break the Ramadan fast as he had requested.
The husband acknowledged his actions to police and explained them by saying that he had been extremely irritable because he had not smoked all day.
The matter is to be transferred to the court.
Source: Al-Arabiya.net, September 28, 2007
On sign: "Columbia University."
On briefcase: "Failed on Exams."
Source: Al-Watan, Qatar, September 28, 2007
French President Nicolas Sarkozy told the London daily Al-Hayat that regular, planned assassinations of MPs in Lebanon are underway, but that these assassinations, which are aimed at making the majority a minority, would not accomplish their goal.
He said that France would make all possible efforts to ensure a settling of accounts with the criminals, and that they must be tried in Lebanon, regardless of their country of origin.
Source: Al-Hayat, London, September 28, 2007
