http://www.aawsat.com/english Asharq Alawsat English Edition is your insight into the Middle East en-us © 2012 Saudi Research and Publishing Wed, 26 Feb 2013 13:43:12 GMT 1 http://www.aawsat.com/english http://www.aawsat.com/english/images/aaaeng.gif 144 33 Asharq-e delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest stories, weather, entertainment, politics in the Middle East http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32850 CAIRO, (Reuters) - An Egyptian court ordered the suspension of online video service YouTube for a month on Saturday for broadcasting a film insulting the Prophet Mohammad, state media reported. The country's administrative court ordered the ministries of communication and investment to block YouTube, owned by Google, inside Egypt because it had carried the film "Innocence of Muslims," said state news agency MENA. The 13-minute video, billed as a film trailer and made in the United States, provoked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries in September. The video depicts the Prophet as a fool and a sexual deviant. For most Muslims, any portrayal of the Prophet is considered blasphemous. The court said it was ruling on a case brought about the film several months ago, without going into further detail. YouTube had "insisted on broadcasting the film insulting Islam and the Prophet, disrespecting the beliefs of millions of Egyptians and disregarding the anger of all Muslims" the court said, according to MENA. Egypt's National Telecommunication Regulatory Authority said it would abide by the ruling as soon as it received a copy of the verdict. Mahan Abouelenein, a Google spokeswoman in Cairo, said the company had yet to receive any formal notification of the ruling. Sun, 09 Feb 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32754 BEIJING, (Reuters) - The New York Times said on Thursday that Chinese hackers had "persistently" attacked its computers over the past four months since the paper published a story on Premier Wen Jiabao, but sensitive material related to the report was not accessed. The New York Times said the attacks coincided with its report last October that Wen's family had accumulated at least $2.7 billion in "hidden riches". China said at the time the report smeared his name and had ulterior motives. "For the last four months, Chinese hackers have persistently attacked The New York Times, infiltrating its computer systems and getting passwords for its reporters and other employees," The Times said on Thursday. "Security experts hired by The Times to detect and block the computer attacks gathered digital evidence that Chinese hackers, using methods that some consultants have associated with the Chinese military in the past, breached The Times's network." China's foreign ministry rejected the New York Times claims of Chinese hacking. "Reaching such conclusions for no reason with uncertain evidence and no proof and saying that China participates in relevant online attacks is totally irresponsible," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said at a daily news briefing. Hong reiterated China's stance that the country "is also a victim of online attacks" and said it hopes "the relevant party can take a responsible attitude towards this issue". The hackers broke into the e-mail accounts of Shanghai bureau chief, David Barboza, who wrote the story on Wen's family, and Jim Yardley, the paper's South Asia bureau chief in India who was previously the Beijing bureau chief, it added. "Computer security experts found no evidence that sensitive e-mails or files from the reporting of our articles about the Wen family were accessed, downloaded or copied," said Jill Abramson, the paper's executive editor. Security experts found evidence that the hackers stole the corporate passwords for every Times employee and used those to gain access to the personal computers of 53 employees, most of them outside The Times's newsroom, the paper said. "Experts found no evidence that the intruders used the passwords to seek information that was not related to the reporting on the Wen family." Computer security experts at Mandiant, the company hired by the newspaper, said the hackers tried to "cloak" the source of their attacks "by first penetrating computers at United States universities and routing the attacks through them". "This matches the subterfuge used in many other attacks that Mandiant has tracked to China." The Chinese government has repeatedly said it opposes hacking and that China too suffers frequently from these kinds of attacks. Fri, 31 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32736 London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The Iranian Minister of Culture and Guidance has called the recent arrest of 11 journalists “a case in the hands of Security Forces because their charges are definitely not media related.” Iran arrested 11 journalists accused of cooperation with foreign-based, Persian-language media organizations on Sunday. The detained journalists—nine men and five women—were reportedly identified by their editors. They are from seven different news organizations, including five daily newspapers, one weekly newspaper, and the semi-official ILNA news agency. The chief editors of the arrested journalists spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity, revealing that the 11 journalists were taken into custody on Sunday evening due to their “foreign contacts”. The editors refused to say if the detained journalists had been accused of providing material specifically to BBC or VOA. For its part, the Fars News Agency reported that unofficial statements hint at charges connected with "links to foreign media", specifically citing the BBC. While Iran’s Mehr news agency said that the arrests were linked to charges of collaboration with “anti-revolutionary, Persian-speaking media.” Speaking exclusively to Asharq Al-Awsat, Journalists Farahmand Alipour, who himself has been arrested by the Iranian authorities on two separate occasions, described the arrests as “an unprecedented act by the government that shows the level of their concern.” Alipour stressed that the political environment in Iran is comparably open during presidential elections “as a political gesture pretending Iran enjoys much more competitive and freer political atmosphere than other countries in the Middle East.” He added, “The reformists were hoping that such so-called democratic gesture could be used to release political prisoners or at least switch the political environment back to what it was 4 years ago. However Alipour, who previously served as special correspondent to former presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi, related that, “It seems that the government is seeking different goals this year. Sanctions and the economic dissatisfaction, political isolation, parallel to President Ahmadinejad’s stubborn attitude made the security organizations performs a drill and suppress the reformist once again.” He added, “This is an unprecedented act by the government that shows the level of their concern. However, I, personally, don’t believe that all the conservative groups approve such arrests.” The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on Iranian authorities to immediately release all journalists in custody and halt their practice of imprisoning critical journalists. CPJ also claimed that the latest arrests “are consistent with attacks against reformist news outlets in 2009 that weakened what was once a vibrant media in the country.” While Amnesty International urged Iran to release all journalists being held solely for carrying out their legitimate work. Ann Harrison, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Program, said, “This latest example of locking-up Iran’s journalists is a result of draconian restrictions on reporting which violate the right to freedom of expression and must be relaxed.” She said, “All journalists who are imprisoned in Iran merely for peacefully doing their job should be released immediately and unconditionally." Wed, 29 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32678 London, Asharq Al-Awsat - Staff at the BBC's Persian service in London are being subjected to a smear campaign courtesy of online hackers linked to the Islamic republic, the UK’s Guardian Newspaper reported. According to the report, Iran has been running a smear campaign in an effort to intimidate and silence exiled Iranian journalists. The harassment includes; death threats, fabricated news attributed to the BBC journalists, and false allegations of sexual misconduct, while harassment of family members in Iran has spiked significantly. Recently, the Islamic republic’s Cyber-activists set up a number of fake Facebook accounts and blogs, alleging to belong to BBC journalists. The fake site is identical to the BBC’s in design and format. According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, the Islamic republic is among the world leaders in jailing journalists. With 45 journalists and bloggers behind bars, Iran has sustained a crackdown that began after the disputed 2009 presidential election. In November of last year, Iranian blogger Sattar Beheshti–who was arrested for being critical of the government in Teheran–died several days after being detained by the Islamic republic’s Cyber police. In a blog post a day before his arrest, Beheshti wrote, “They threatened me yesterday and said, 'Your mother will soon wear black because you don't shut your big mouth'". Beheshti’s death caused international uproar which led to the dismissal of the commander of Iran's cybercrimes police unit. Fri, 24 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32607 BEIRUT, (AFP) - A Belgian-born French journalist, Yves Debay, has died from sniper fire in north Syria's Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Friday. "He was killed on one of Aleppo's fronts" on Thursday, said the Aleppo Media Centre, adding that he was "shot by a regime sniper." Anti-regime activists in Aleppo posted online photographs of Debay's body and of his press card, as well as an amateur video showing the corpse. The French defence ministry press card, dated 2010, showed Debay's name and picture. The AMC's Abu Hisham told AFP via the Internet that he was first alerted of Debay's killing by a volunteer at an Aleppo field hospital. Another activist who spoke to AFP via the Internet on condition of anonymity said he helped put Debay's body in an ambulance en route to the Bab al-Salama border crossing with Turkey. "It is not exactly clear how he was killed, but it seems like he entered a very dangerous street where the army and pro-regime militia were positioned," said the activist. Debay founded Assaut magazine, a French publication specialised in defence. He reportedly described himself as a "rebel journalist." Debay was born in 1954 in Lubumbashi, in what was then the Belgian Congo. He volunteered until 1980 with the ex-Rhodesian army of the white minority regime that ruled what is now Zimbabwe until 1980. At least 17 professional journalists, both foreign and Syrian, and 44 citizen journalists have died reporting on one of the deadliest wars for the media in recent years, according to figures from media watchdog Reporters Without Borders. Sat, 18 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32603 London, Asharq Al-Awsat—The adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, rings out as the screen fades to black. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar; God is Great. A man with a thick beard stares imperiously down the camera lens and then throws back his head and bursts into laughter. Not what you were expecting? This isn’t Homeland or Zero Dark Thirty or any of the other recent movies or TV shows that depict Muslims as shadowy terrorists out to get out you. Rather, you are watching Combinations, a film that aims to promote multiculturalism and challenge racism. This short film has been produced by Media Cultured, an organization that aims to use film and social media to challenge extremism, both by and against Muslims. Media Cultured is a community interest company based in Middlesbrough in northeast England. The media company’s philosophy, according to its website, is to “promote community cohesion and harmony by using film and social media to teach tolerance and integration”. Combinations, made in conjunction with Thousand Yard Films, is one such project. It is a short documentary piece that examines a prominent member of a small-town British Muslim community, his views on and experience with racism, and perpetuated stereotypes. The short film features Imran Naeem, whose imposing visage dominates the opening scene. Imran runs a boxing gym and works as a Public Health Officer—teaching Middlesbrough’s students about health and fitness—and is no stranger to the difficulties that the British Muslim community finds itself facing these days in terms of misrepresentation. He speaks of “the beard” as if this were a mask obscuring his features, stressing that “Muslims are not what they are always portrayed to be in the media.” However, Combinations ultimately puts forward a positive message, demonstrating that there is no conflict between Imran’s Islamic faith and his British identity. The short film concludes with the image of Imran—beard flying proudly in the wind—carrying the Olympic torch through Darlington last summer in the run up to Britain’s celebrated Olympic Games. He says, “Being a Muslim is all about being a part of the community.” This is a sentiment echoed by Media Cultured Founder and Director Amjid Khazir. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat he emphasized the importance of British Muslims being active in their local communities, particularly the online community, where he warned against the “dark attraction” that misinformation and extremist views can have on young and vulnerable minds. Khazir started out in public relations before becoming an Internet marketing executive; it is here that he first noticed the “trend of misinformation flooding the Internet about Islam, to both Muslims and non-Muslims” describing this as the “pathway” to extremism. He said, “The work and the experiences I have had were the bedrock of the initial epiphany of how media and especially film could be the key to promoting lateral thinking and common values without seemingly propagating a particular faith or ideology” adding “the aim is to use the media to find common ground and bridge the gap.” Thus, Media Cultured was born. Khazir tells Asharq Al-Awsat that: “Extremists of all persuasions seem to be utilizing this medium to great effect and so we are providing the ‘other’ voice.” He also asserts that Media Cultured’s primary purpose is to “educate people about the dangers of online extremism and provide a counter-narrative to the peddlers of hate.” This characterization of the media’s dealings with Islam and Muslims was confirmed by the Leveson Inquiry; a judicial public inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the British press. The Leveson Report confirmed that “The identification of Muslims. . .as the targets of press hostility and/or xenophobia. . .was supported by the evidence seen by the Inquiry.” The Leveson Report also quoted a brief issued by the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies reviewing the representation of British Muslims in the press between 2000 and 2008. The university’s report concluded, “In sum, we found that the bulk of coverage of British Muslims–around two thirds–focused on Muslims as a threat (in relation to terrorism), a problem (in terms of differences in values) or both (Muslim extremism in general).” Combinations is set to play a big part in Media Cultured’s campaign to reverse this trend and celebrate British Muslim culture. The media group aims to show the short film in classrooms, lecture halls, and to local councils and organizations across the country in order to promote a better understanding of Islam and British Muslims. Khazir describes the film as a “teaching aid”, saying, “Imran Naeem is a very positive role model, and I think it’s better to take him to every school and classroom than have a boring theologian reciting dull facts about multiculturalism or ideology.” He emphasized that the aim was to produce a mainstream film that will “engage with and educate the youth who will make up the next generation.” The Media Cultured director was also keen to stress that the organization aims to walk “the middle path” between extremism on both sides, whether we are talking about far-right xenophobia or pseudo-religious radicalism. Regarding his own view of British culture, Khazir said: “My identity, my joy, is to be a Muslim, and Islam calls for finding common ground with other nations and tribes.” He added, “Yes, I feel proud to be British, I was born here, we speak the language, we adhere to the law of the land–as called for by Islam–and we participate fully in British life. I don’t feel any divided loyalties; I love my town and my country” However not everything is perfect, as evidenced by the need for such a media company in the first place. Khazir’s journey to establish Media Cultured was born out of tragedy. It was the death of his uncle, Mohamed Zabir, in 2011 that persuaded him to quit his job and focus on Media Cultured full-time. Taxi driver Mohammed Zabir died of a heart attack just one month after suffering a brutal attack at the hands of a drunken passenger, with Khazir describing this assault as “race-related.” This attack took place on the eve of an English Defence League (EDL) march through the city, and Khazir is in no doubt that the march, attack, and his uncle’s death are related. Simultaneously, the Media Cultured Director was also keen to stress that the assault was the actions of a single individual, and those at the scene of the crime were quick to offer his uncle first aid and chase off his attacker. He said, “I don’t have any misgivings about this country, but it has misgivings about me and those who look like me.” Commenting on British Prime Minister David Cameron’s 2011 claim that multiculturalism has failed, Khazir expressed his vehement disagreement saying, “Multiculturalism has been a success. It just so happens that we all live here. We all came here—to Britain—from every part of the world, and we all live here together in harmony. There are some divisions and some suspicions but generally we all live together happily.” He added, “To define multiculturalism and believe it has failed. . .is a misnomer. It wasn't designed, it just happened and we aren't forced to accept it or make it happen, we just get on with it—what could be more British than that?” Khazir described Media Cultured as a “shining example” of David Cameron’s “big society”, particularly as it is part of the entrepreneurial “Fellowship programme” of Teesside University’s DigitalCity Innovation department. Combinations is just the first of many films to be produced by Media Cultured. The media company is also in the process of developing a new film entitled Head for Cover, which will look at the history and contemporary views on the hijab. The film will focus on local "sisters" raised in the west but who identify with Islam and Muslim culture, as represented by the hijab. Khazir highlighted the importance of such films, saying that it is up to the Muslim community to deal with their own issues, referencing the contention issue of honor killings in particular. He asserted, “This is something that is not in Islam. There is a mistaken understanding of true Islam and that is something that we must confront.” Khazir ended the interview by issuing a call, inviting Arab and Middle Eastern entrepreneurs and media groups to get involved and “get the message out”, not for the purposes of propagating religion but to teach the world about the Muslim’s place in the modern world. He declared, “We need to produce our own media that expresses our identity. . .and so far we have failed spectacularly, we have to have a voice. Communication is the key.” Sat, 18 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32587 Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat - From the onset of the Syrian revolution in March 2011, the al-Assad regime imposed a media blackout in an effort to hinder the reporting of impartial news from the ground. This blackout has paved the way for the emergence of a pro-revolutionary citizen journalism movement, as an alternative media that caters to the needs of citizens living in dangerous areas, by reporting what is actually happening on a daily basis. This new media is being operated mainly be the revolutionary youth, keen to send their voices to communities that are currently being subjected to bombardments. Recently, after four months of continuous work, following the government forces’ destruction of an Aleppo communications tower after opposition fighters entered the city in July 2012, and the subsequent disruption of all radio waves emanating from the city and surrounding area, “Nasa’im Souria” radio began broadcasting. This station was established by a group of university students and staff from the former official broadcasting stations of Aleppo, northern Syria, in order to send their voices out to communities living in the shadows. The station operates with just a few lightweight radio and audio devices, laptops, connecting black cables and a small wireless radio tower on the roof of a building crowded with satellite dishes. The radio cable is connected to the small tower from the bathroom window of an empty apartment, and through a skylight in the roof. Nasa’im Souria broadcasts in the city of Aleppo and the surrounding area, providing the most important news about the political situation and events on the ground in Aleppo and Syria in general. It also provides information on the weather, foreign exchange rates for the collapsed Syrian pound, and the price of flour and fuel, which has become a concern for all Syrian citizens who are watching prices rise day after day. In its news briefings, Nasa’im Souria also directs its listeners towards the nearest markets where food is available at lower prices. These markets are located in “liberated” areas controlled by Syrian opposition fighters, whilst the markets under the protection of government forces tend to have higher prices. According to the station’s director of broadcasting, Reem al-Halabi, who opted to use this false name in her interview with Asharq Al-Awsat for fear of arrest: “the idea for a radio station in Aleppo and its surrounding area emerged four months ago, when all radio services in Aleppo were cut off after they were targeted by the regime’s forces”. Al-Halabi disclosed that around 40 men and women are working to broadcast radio services in Aleppo, operating under false names for security reasons and out of fear of arrest, especially the presenters and sound engineers whose names are already well known from their days working for official and semi-official stations. She revealed that the staff of Nasa’im Souria are still awaiting an official reaction from the al-Assad regime, which is fiercely fighting against free speech. In an introductory statement on its website, Nasa’im Souria is defined as: “A radio station broadcasting on FM - and via the live broadcast link on this website - to the city of Aleppo and its surrounding areas, after all official broadcasts were ceased. The station is also working to deliver a voice to the rest of the provinces of the beloved land of Syria. Nasa’im Souria does not adopt certain political or religious ideas; it is independent of any third party and does not adhere to the discourse of any political or ideological movement. It is the work of several university students and media figures in the city of Aleppo”. Reem al-Halabi indicated that the station’s staff are “trying to bring all areas of Aleppo and the province together through the rapid spread of news. We are trying to educate the citizens politically and culturally after the decline in living conditions and services such as electricity, internet and communications, and communities becoming isolated from each other and the outside world”. It is no secret for anyone listening to this station that its political or media orientation sides with the popular uprising against the Bashar al-Assad regime, and that it is working under the principle of “getting under its skin”, although this is not openly acknowledged by its staff. In light of this objective, Nasa’im Souria offers multiple programs and a varied schedule. For example, the program entitled “Hai hiya al-huria ali badna yaha?” discusses the meaning of freedom and how it should be used both materially and morally with respect to the ideas of others, what freedom means in secular and Islamic terms, and the concept of freedom of expression without fear. There is also a section called “Laqmat aish”, which seeks to assist people in dealing with the circumstances the country is going through, given the lack of food, fuel and electricity, so that the Aleppo resident can assess his available resources. Another program, “Thura wa thuwar”, discusses the revolutions of the world and their repercussions, whilst another focusses on civil defense training, in the event of an aerial or artillery bombardment. Finally, there is the satirical segment “Yaomiyat mowattan halabi”, delivered in the Aleppo accent. Reem al-Halabi added: “This experimental launch is intended to raise the profile of the station and attract the largest number of listeners via the airwaves and the internet”. She added that the number of broadcasting hours was increasing gradually, in accordance with the security situation. Nasa’im Souria radio seeks to clarify the facts on the ground, given that the Syrian government, in its press conferences, only invites state channels, along with those from Iran, Russia and China as well as some foreign stations, which are not allowed to operate inside the country except under the orders of the relevant government and security bodies. The Nasa’im Souria director revealed that the station also airs several special programs, focusing for example on the situation of refugees and internally displaced Syrians. The station also provides opinion polls, an explanation of revolutionary terms and concepts, and examines the different approaches and contradictions between global regimes, revolutionary or otherwise. Reem al-Halabi believes it is the function of the media to educate the Aleppo community. She added that the radio is vital for people to stay in touch and find out what is happening in their local environment and surroundings, especially after all other means of transmitting important and necessary information have been cut off. In addition to the Aleppo radio service, there are several other private radio stations in Syria such as “al-Sham FM”, “Radio Arabesk” and “Sawa”, the latter of which enjoys a larger public audience than others since it broadcasts across the country. These stations offer music as well as news, and remain distanced from the official bulletins issued by government radio. As for the printed press, the magazine “Syrian Jasmine” has emerged as a result of the popular uprising, with a revolutionary and cultural slant. Its first issue featured stories about the sufferings of women in Syrian prisons, after the role they played in initial relief and medical efforts nearly 21 months ago. Syrian Jasmine is run by 7 women in the city of Aleppo, with various roles being distributed among them in accordance with their areas of expertise, from production and editing to drafting field reports. The magazine printed 1,000 copies of its first issue in Turkey, which was made up of 11 pages. 250 copies were distributed within the Sura camps in Turkey, whilst the rest were distributed in Syria. The magazine gave an account of conditions for female prisoners in Syria in the 1980s, in addition to an eyewitness account of a modern-day female prisoner’s nights in solitary confinement, and her treatment at the hands of the intelligence services and prison wardens. The first issue also told the story of a Syrian girl working as a nurse in a field hospital in Aleppo, whose brother died on her watch, but nevertheless she passionately continued her work. Although there is less risk involved for a magazine editorial board compared to a radio crew, given that the former can write privately from home, the distribution of the magazines is no less difficult than a radio broadcast, as revolutionary activists are constantly under the regime’s scrutiny. Yet Syrian Jasmine is not alone; there are now numerous revolutionary publications, each with a free editorial policy that the Syrian citizen has not known for nearly four decades. The weekly publication “Enab Baladi” is run by a small group of young amateurs who have no prior journalistic experience (as they are keen to point out on their social networking page). Nevertheless, they are keen to make an effort to show a different side to the Syrian revolution, and participate in the free space it has created as an arena for their thoughts. The publication is issued from the Darayya district of Damascus Governorate, and the name “Enab Baladi” [The Grapes of My Country] was chosen for several reasons. Darayya has long been synonymous with grape cultivation, its symbolism provides a link to the land, and the grape itself, with its different varieties, serves as a metaphor for the diversity of attitudes and ideas within Syria. The magazine, which is published weekly, is extremely diverse. There are sections on politics, economics and other miscellaneous areas. Priority is given to field developments in Darayya and beyond, in addition to news of detainees and deaths, whilst also providing an outlet for the views of young people. Meanwhile, the magazine “Souria Bada Huria”, printed weekly, is an independent political and cultural publication. It is concerned with the affairs of the Syrian revolution whether in the field or at a theoretical level, and documents the events on both sides. It also provides the views and analysis of intellectuals. The planning for this particular magazine began in mid-October 2012, with the first release 2 weeks later, consisting of 12 pages. A number of well-known political activists have so far contributed, such as Suheir Atassi, vice president of the Syrian National Coalition, along with the activist Molham al-Droubi, in addition to various young people interested in the media. The magazine has rapidly developed to the extent that today more than 42 issues have been published, with contributions from a large number of professional writers and editors, and young people whose talent has been born from the womb of the revolution. As a result, Souria Bada Huria has become more specialist and versatile at the same time. There is also an online publication updated on a daily basis, whilst around 700 copies of the print version are distributed between Homs, Jarablus and Saraqib, and soon in Hama and Damascus. Souria Bada Huria has also published several special supplements, most notably a special feature examining the achievements of Syrian women during the revolution, in addition to an annual publication in association with al-Waref Institute for Humanity Studies in Washington. Souria Bada Huria’s slogan is “freedom today and tomorrow”. The writers, with their predominantly young voice, are not only calling for political freedom represented by the fall of the al-Assad regime, but they are also looking towards the political, economic, cultural, social and even religious freedom of the future Syria. Fri, 17 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32430 Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – A Syrian regime media defector, who previously worked at the pro-Assad al-Dunya TV, informed Asharq Al-Awsat how the al-Assad regime fabricates news, misleads the public and distorts the reputation of the Syrian revolution on Syrian state television. The Syrian source, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, also leaked several clips taken from the archive of pro-Assad media that reveals just precisely how the Damascus regime is running its propaganda operations. Al-Arabiya published a video, leaked by the same media defector, which shows a young Syrian woman – her features blurred to protect her identity – relating the story of how she was kidnapped by Syrian rebels in the city of Harasta in Rif Dimashq governorate. Following this, we see a clip of one of the young men confessing to his part in this kidnapping; the only problem is that the story is a complete sham. In fact, the compete video clip shows the young Syrian woman – her features uncovered – relating the same story, only this time smiling and stumbling over her lines. The Syrian defector informed Asharq Al-Awsat that “the scene will have been pre-prepared at one of the security branches. Following this, Syrian state media correspondents will go to record confessions with the speaker being prompted in what he must say to harm the Syrian revolution and revolutionary forces.” He added “the large number of security branches and their lack of coordination means that sometimes blatant contradictions appear on television such as with regards to the killing of Sarriya Hassoun, the son of Syrian Grand Mufti Ahmed Badreddin Hassoun. Syrian state television broadcast the confession of two separate terrorist cells – telling two different stories – regarding Sarriya Hassoun’s death. Of course, both stories highlighted the aspects that the Syrian regime wanted highlighting.” The Syrian source revealed that he originally comes from one of Syria’s northern provinces and that he previously worked as a news editor at al-Dunya TV in 2011 before the start of the revolution. He later left this job for a different one, preparing to defect from the regime and join the Syrian revolution. The Syrian media defector asserted that Syria security apparatus interfere and put pressure on Syrian media and Syrian media staff, adding that this had happened at al-Dunya TV during his time there. However he denied that any single security or intelligence authority was responsible for overseeing this, informing Asharq Al-Awsat that “all of the security branches interfered in the media’s operations, as is the case with all government institutions in Syria.” He added ‘within the corridors of al-Dunya TV, no employee or media figure would dare to express any opinion against regime policy for fear of the Syrian security forces and its agents and informers who are everywhere inside every Syrian media organization.” The source also revealed that “some employees were arrested after their support for the revolution was exposed, whilst some other detainees were freed and they fled the country for Egypt and Dubai” adding “there are others who were arrested and whose fates remain unknown until now.” The Syrian media defector remains within Syria, where he receives information from some of his former colleagues which allow him to expose the shocking practices of Syrian state media. He refused to reveal who is responsible for this for fear of putting them – and their families – in danger, also refusing to reveal when such files were leaked to him to further confuse their source of origin. The media defector told Asharq Al-Awsat that Syrian state and pro-Assad media are now doing everything in their power to promote the regime’s line regarding a “foreign conspiracy” against Syria, as well as the presence of “armed gangs” committing atrocities on the ground. He said “there are some people on social media who are actively helping the state-sponsored media to fabricate and promote such news, particularly the pro-Assad Shaam news outlet, as well as the so-called Syrian Electronic Army which is funded by Mujahid Ismail, the leader of the Shabiha in Syria.” The source added “as for the biggest pro-Assad newspaper, this is funded by businessman Majd Suleiman, son of well-known Intelligence chief and current Syrian ambassador to Jordan, Bahjat Suleiman.” CNN previously interviewed former Syrian presidential palace press officer, Abdullah al-Omar, who lately defected from the al-Assad regime and revealed its questionable practices. He said “our job was to fabricate, make deceptions and cover up for Bashar al-Assad’s crimes.” He also revealed that during the regime’s bombardment of the rebel-held Baba Amr neighborhood in the city of Homs, al-Assad regime loyalist women were brought in and disguised as locals for government television. He said “the women would say that the massacres against men, women and children were perpetrated by armed gangs, when it was actually the Syrian regime, security forces and the Shabiha who were behind these horrendous acts.” Sat, 04 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32421 London, Asharq Al-Awsat – The Hamas government in Gaza has issued orders to its officials not to meet with or grant interviews to the Israeli media. According to a report published by the UK-based the Guardian newspaper, the governmental decree – issued earlier this week – reads: “the [Hamas] government has decided to bar co-operation or work with Zionist media due to its hostility. The prohibition applies to all Palestinian reporters and journalists.” The Hamas decision also includes instructions to all government officials not to grant interviews or comments to Israeli press or television. The Israeli media has largely been dependent on local Palestinian or international journalists for Gaza news since Tel Aviv banned Israeli journalists from entering the Gaza Strip in 2006. Matan Drori, foreign news editor for Israel’s Maariv newspaper, described Hamas’s decision as being “very unfortunate.” Speaking to the Guardian, he said “it is important for Israelis to understand the motivations and behavior of the other side, and perhaps also as a way of building bridges for the future. It will be a major loss not to have an authentic voice from inside Gaza.” Whilst Sami Ajrami, Maariv newspaper’s Gaza correspondent over the past 18 months, said “the Israeli public should know what’s happening in Gaza. This is not good for the Palestinian cause. But we are under the Hamas regime, and Hamas has been criticized a lot in the Israeli and international media, so they want to impose controls.” For its part, the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders organization expressed its shock at the Hamas decision, calling for this to be lifted. Reports Without Borders said “this is the first time the Palestinian authorities have issued such a ban, which poses a serious threat to freedom of information. It will also create problems for the not insignificant number of Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip who work for Israeli TV stations and newspapers.” The press watchdog urged “the Hamas government to reconsider this order.” Abeer Ayyoub, a 25-year old journalist who has written for both the Guardian and Israel’s Haaretz newspaper also called on the Hamas government to reconsider its ban. She said “there are two sides to the conflict, and both sides should be covered” adding “the Israeli media will have no one in Gaza writing about what is going on.” Hamas has reportedly cracked down on Palestinian journalists inside the Gaza Strip who have been critical of the government. A Human Rights Watch report published last year asserted that “journalists in the Gaza Strip have…faced arbitrary detention, assault and other forms of harassment from the Hamas authorities.” Fri, 03 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT http://www.asharq-e.com/news.asp?section=5&id=32411 LOS ANGELES (AP) — With its purchase of left-leaning Current TV, the Pan-Arab news channel Al-Jazeera has fulfilled a long-held quest to reach tens of millions of U.S. homes. But its new audience immediately got a little smaller. The nation's second-largest TV operator, Time Warner Cable Inc., dropped Current after the deal was confirmed Wednesday, a sign that the channel will have an uphill climb to expand its reach. "Our agreement with Current has been terminated and we will no longer be carrying the service. We are removing the service as quickly as possible," the company said in a statement. Still, the acquisition of Current, the news network that was co-founded by former Vice President Al Gore, boosts Al-Jazeera's reach in the U.S. beyond a few large U.S. metropolitan areas including New York and Washington nearly nine fold to about 40 million homes. Gore confirmed the sale Wednesday, saying in a statement that Al-Jazeera shares Current TV's mission "to give voice to those who are not typically heard; to speak truth to power; to provide independent and diverse points of view; and to tell the stories that no one else is telling." Al-Jazeera, owned by the government of Qatar, plans to gradually transform Current into a network called Al-Jazeera America by adding five to 10 new U.S. bureaus beyond the five it has now and hiring more journalists. More than half of the content will be U.S. news and the network will have its headquarters in New York, spokesman Stan Collender said. Collender said there are no rules against foreign ownership of a cable channel — unlike the strict rules limiting foreign ownership of free-to-air TV stations. He said the move is based on demand, adding that 40 percent of viewing traffic on Al-Jazeera English's website is from the U.S. "This is a pure business decision based on recognized demand," Collender said. "When people watch Al-Jazeera, they tend to like it a great deal." Previous to Al-Jazeera's purchase, Current TV was in 60 million homes. It is carried by Comcast Corp., which owned less than a 10 percent stake in Current TV, as well as DirecTV. Neither company announced plans to drop the channel. In 2010, Al-Jazeera English's managing director, Tony Burman, blamed a "very aggressive hostility" from the Bush administration for reluctance among cable and satellite companies to show the network. Even so, Al-Jazeera has garnered respect for its ability to build a serious news product in a short time. In a statement announcing the deal, it touted numerous U.S. journalism awards it received in 2012, including the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award Grand Prize and the Scripps Howard Award for Television/Cable In-Depth Reporting. But there may be a culture clash at the network. Dave Marash, a former "Nightline" reporter who worked for Al-Jazeera in Washington, said he left the network in 2008 in part because he sensed an anti-American bias there. Current, meanwhile, began as a groundbreaking effort to promote user-generated content. But it has settled into a more conventional format of political talk television with a liberal bent. Gore worked on-air as an analyst during its recent election night coverage. Its leading personalities are former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Cenk Uygur, a former political commentator on MSNBC who hosts the show called "The Young Turks." Current signed Keith Olbermann to be its top host in 2011 but his tenure lasted less than a year before it ended in bad blood on both sides. Current has largely been outflanked by MSNBC in its effort be a liberal alternative to the leading cable news network, Fox News Channel. Current hired former CNN Washington bureau chief David Bohrman in 2011 to be its president. Bohrman pushed the network to innovate technologically, with election night coverage that emphasized a conversation over social media. Current TV, founded in 2005 by former vice president Gore and Joel Hyatt, is expected to post $114 million in revenue in 2013, according to research firm SNL Kagan. The firm pegged the network's cash flow at nearly $24 million a year. Fri, 03 Jan 2013 13:43:12 GMT