Source: Al-Jarida, Kuwait, October 30, 2008.

Syrian forces stationed on Lebanon's border in the north spread yesterday to the eastern part of the border as well. Lebanese military leaders reported October 30, 2008 that Syrian Chief of Staff General 'Ali Habib had announced to the Lebanese Army Commander Jean Qahwaji that in the next few days Syrian units would spread along Syria's side of Lebanon eastern border.

Al-Mustaqbal, Lebanon, October 31, 2008.

Next month, the Egyptian court will examine the appeal for damages to the amount of half a billion dollars submitted by former Egyptian president Anwar Sadat's daughter against the Iranian president and the producer of the Iranian documentary film "The Assassination of a Pharaoh," on the grounds that it has harmed her father's reputation and distorted historical facts.

A diplomat at the Iranian Interest Office in Cairo stated in response that the lawsuit filed by the Egyptian plaintiffs was an attempt to sabotage the renewal of relations between Egypt and Iran.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, October 31, 2008.

Sudanese senior officials have described Sudan as "floating in the sea of weapons." Sudanese prime minister's assistant Minni Arko Minnawi has stated that one-half of the Sudanese, i.e., approximately 20 million people, carry weapons.

Source: Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, London, October 31, 2008.

Syrian oppositionist website www.thisissyria.net/ reported that Syria had announced to the Iraqi authorities its decision to sever diplomatic ties with Iraq, to suspend the activity of joint security committees, and to reduce the number of Syrian troops stationed along the Syrian-Iraqi border.

Iraqi Foreign Ministry sources reported that Syria's decision did not involve the recall of the recently appointed ambassadors, but only the freezing of direct contacts in the areas of security and economy, and the termination of reciprocal visits of senior officials.

The Syrian TV station Al-Dunia reported October 30, 2008 that Syria was reducing the number of its troops along its Iraqi border, and that this "marked the beginning of painful sanctions against the U.S." Syrian official sources refused to either confirm or deny media reports on this subject.

Source: www.thisissyria.net/, Syria, October 30, 2008; Al-Akhbar, Lebanon, October 31, 2008.

Egypt's Minister of Culture Farouq Hosni stated that, as part of the freedom of religion, Egypt must recognize non-revealed religions, and that rejecting these religions was a sign of backwardness and ignorance. Hosni's statement aroused the anger of Al-Azhar's religious scholars.

Dr. 'Abd Al-Muti Bayoumi, a member of Al-Azhar's Islamic Research Assembly, said that those who believed that Hindu Buddhism was a religion were mistaken, while Dr. Su'ad Saleh, head of the women's department of Al-Azhar's Islamic studies faculty, said that whoever recognized a non-monotheistic religion was a polytheist, and called on Hosni to retract his statement.

Source: Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Egypt, October 30, 2008; www.alarabiya.net, Egypt, October 31, 2008.

The upcoming presidential elections in the U.S. are much discussed on Islamist forums. The Shumukh Al-Islam forum announced the imminent release of a film series called "Why Voting Is Kufr (i.e., disbelief)." The films are obviously intended for American Muslims, and seem to be aimed at discouraging them from voting.

Click Here To View The Full Report.

Source: Arab News, Saudi Arabia, October 30, 2008

Click Here to View the Clip on MEMRI TV

Cartoonist: Hassan Idleby

Source: Al-Bayan, UAE, October 30, 2008