اِنْتَهَت أَمْس مُعَانَاة حَوَالَي أَلْفَيْن وَمِئَتَي حَاجّ فِلَسْطِينِيّ مِن قِطَاع غَزَّة، بِمُوَافَقَةِ مِصْر عَلَى طَلَبِهِم بِٱلْعَوْدَةِ عَبْرَ مَعْبَر رَفَح، بَدَلًا مِن مَعْبَر كَرْم أَبُو سَالِم، كَمَا كَانَت تُرِيد إِسْرَائِيل لِلتَّأَكُّد مِن عَدَم دُخُول أَمْوَال تَدَّعِي أَنَّ بَعْضَ قِيَادِيِّي حَمَاس كَانُوا يَحْمِلُونَهَا فِي طَرِيق عَوْدَتِهِم إِلَى غَزَّة. وَحَاوَلَ عَدَدٌ مِن ٱلْعَالِقِين مِن عَنَاصِر فَتْح مِن غَيْرِ ٱلْحُجَّاج، اِنْتِهَاز ٱلْفُرْصَة ٱلْمُتَاحَة لِلْعَوْدَةِ إِلَى بَلَدِهِم وَعَبَرُوا مَعَ مَنْ عَبَر. وَقَالَت حَمَاس أَنَّهَا ٱعْتَقَلَت تِسْع مِن حَرَكَةِ فَتْح، مِمَّن فَرُّوا مِن غَزَّة بَعْدَ سَيْطَرَتِهَا، وَهُم يُحَاوِلُون ٱلتَّسَلُّل عَائِدِين. لٰكِنَّ ٱلرِّوَايَات تَضَارَبَت حَوْلَ ٱلْقَرَار ٱلْمِصْرِيّ بِشَأْن عَوْدَةِ ٱلْحُجَّاج، فَفِي ٱلْوَقْت اَلَّذِي ٱلْتَزَمَت فِيهِ مِصْر اَلصَّمْت، رَجَّحَت مَصَادِر فِلَسْطِينِيَّة مُطَّلِعَة أَنْ يَكُون اِنْتِهَاء قَضِيَةِ ٱلْحُجَّاج، مُرْتَبِطًا بِٱتِّفَاقٍ مِصْرِيّ ـ إِسْرَائِيلِيّ، تَعَهَّدَت بِمُوجِبِهِ مِصْر بِإِجْرَاء تَفْتِيشٍ دَقِيقٍ عَلَى ٱلْحُجَّاج.
The suffering of around two thousand two hundred Palestinian Hajj pilgrims from the Gaza Strip ended yesterday with the agreement of Egypt to their request to return across the crossing point of Rafah instead of the crossing point of Karm Abu Salem [Kerem Shalom] as Israel had been wanting in order to make sure of the non-entry of funds which it claims that some of the leaders of Hamas were carrying on their way back to Gaza. A number of the people held up from among elements of Fatah [who were] of the non-pilgrims tried to seize the opportunity granted to return to their country and they crossed with [the others] who crossed. Hamas said that it had detained nine of the Fatah movement from those who fled from Gaza after [Hamass] gaining control while they were trying to slip quietly back. But stories have been contradictory concerning the Egyptian decision with regard to the return of the pilgrims as at a time in which Egypt has maintained [its] silence informed Palestinian sources have thought it likely that the end of the issue of the pilgrims is connected with an Egyptian - Israeli agreement whereby Egypt undertook to carry out a thorough inspection of the pilgrims.
مَعَ حُلُول ٱلْعَام أَلْفَيْن وَثَمَانِيَة اِحْتَفَلَ أَبْنَاء وَأَحْفَاد ٱلْمُعَمَّرَة حَلُّوم اَلْأَكُومِيّ اَلضَّنَاوِيّ فِي بَلْدَةِ دَيْر عُوزَة فِي عَكَّار (شَمَال لُبْنَان) لِبُلُوغِهَا مِئَة وَثَمَان سَنَوَات، بِحَسَبِ بِطَاقَةِ هُوِيَتِهَا. بَيْنَمَا يُؤَكِّد حَفِيدُهَا خَالِد اَلضَّنَاوِيّ أَنَّهَا أَكْبَر مِن ذٰلِكَ بِكَثِير إِذ عَثَرَ عَلَى «حُجَّةِ» بَيْع أَرَاضٍ تُفِيد بِأَنَّهَا مِن مَوَالِيد أَلْفٍ وَثَمَان مِئَة وَخَمْسَة وَثَمَانِين. وَتَتَمَتَّعَ حَلُّوم بِصِحَّةٍ جَيِّدَة وَذَاكِرَةٍ قَوِيَّة. وَمَا زَالَت نَشِطَة، وَتَأْكُل مَرَّتَيْن فِي ٱلْيَوْم، صَبَاحًا وَظُهْرًا، مُعْتَمِدَة فِي غَالِبِيَةِ وَجَبَاتِهَا عَلَى ٱلْبَيْض وَٱلْحَلِيب وَٱلْعَسَل وَٱلْخُضَار وَقَلِيلٌ مِن ٱللُّحُوم. وَتَنَام حَلُّوم بَاكِرًا، لا تُدَخِّن أَبَدًا، وَتُمَارِس رِيَاضَةَ ٱلْمَشْي يَوْمِيًّا فِي ٱلْقَرْيَة، وَتُمَارِس حَلُّوم مُنْذُ زَمَن مِهْنَةَ ٱلْقَابِلَة ٱلْقَانُونِيَّة، وَذَاعَ صِيتُهَا فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة لِجَدَارَتِهَا فِي شِفَاء ٱلْمَرْضَى عَن طَرِيق مَا يُسَمَّى بِٱلطِّبّ ٱلْعَرَبِيّ. وَقَد تَمَكَّنَت سَيِّدَاتٌ عَقِيمَات مِن ٱلْحَمْل عَلَى يَدَيْهَا، بِٱعْتِمَادِهَا أَعْشَابًا طَبِيعِيَّة.
With the arrival of the year 2008 the children and grandchildren of the senior lady Halloum al-Akoumi al-Danawi in the town of Deir Ouza in Akkar (in the north of Lebanon) celebrated her reaching 108 years according to her identity card. While her grandson Khalid al-Danawi stresses that she is older than that by a lot as he discovered a deed of sale of land which testifies that she was born in one thousand eight hundred and eighty five [1885]. Halloum is blessed with good health and a strong memory. She is still active. She eats twice a day in the morning and at midday relying for the majority of her meals on egg milk honey and vegetables and a little meat. Halloum sleeps early and never smokes. She practices the exercise of walking daily in the village. Halloum has been practicing for [some] time the profession of legal midwife. Her reputation has spread in the region for her aptitude for curing patients by way of what is called Arabic medicine. Barren women have been capable of becoming pregnant with her help [lit. at her hands] through her using natural herbs.
حَذَّرَ وَزِير ٱلزِّرَاعَةِ ٱلْعِرَاقِيّ عَلِيّ اَلْبَهَادِلِيّ مِن خَطَر اِنْحِبَاس ٱلْأَمْطَار وَتَأَخُّر سُقُوطِهَا كَوْنَهُ يُهَدِّدُ ٱلْأَرَاضِي ٱلزِّرَاعِيَّة بِٱلْجَفَاف وَيَزِيدُ مُعَانَاة ٱلْمُزَارِعِين فَضْلًا عَن ٱلصُّعُوبَات ٱلْمِهَنِيَّة وَٱلْأَمْنِيَّة. وَقَالَ اَلْبَهَادِلِيّ أَنَّ ٱلْأَمْطَار اَلَّتِي تَبْدَأ بِٱلْهُطُول عَادَةً فِي أُكْتُوبِر (تِشْرِين ٱلْأَوَّل)، لَمْ تُغِث ٱلْأَرْض هٰذَا ٱلْعَام وَبَدَأَت ٱلْبُذُور اَلَّتِي غُرِسَت فِي ٱلشِّتَاء ٱلْمَاضِي تَتَعَرَّض لِلتَّعَفُّن أَوْ تَأْكُلُهَا ٱلطُّيُور. وَتَابَع «إِذَا نَزَلَ ٱلْمَطَر فِي ٱلْأَسَابِيع ٱلْمُقْبِلَة سَتَنْبُتُ ٱلْمَزْرُوعَات، لٰكِنَّ ٱلْأَمْر تَأَخَّر، عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نُجَهِّز ٱلْمُزَارِعِين بِٱلْبُذُور لِإِدْرَاك مَا فَاتَهُم». وَأَكَّدَ ٱلْوَزِير أَنَّ ٱلْمُشْكِلَة ٱلرَّئِيسِيَّة تَكْمُن فِي مُحَافَظَةِ نِينَوَى (شَمَال) حَيْثُ تَنْتَظِر حُقُول حِنْطَة تَبْلُغُ مِسَاحَتُهَا أَرْبَعَة مِئَة وَخَمْسِين أَلْف هِكْتَار هُطُول ٱلْمَطَر. وَقَال أَنَّ «إِنْتَاج ٱلْمَحَاصِيل سَيَنْخَفِض وَسَيَكُون لِشُحّ ٱلْأَمْطَار أَثَرٌ سَيِّءٌ جِدًّا عَلَى ٱلْمَحَاصِيل وَٱلْمَاشِيَة، كَمَا سَتُلْحِق ضَرَرًا بِٱلسُّدُود وَٱلْآبَار».
The Iraqi Minister of Agriculture Ali al-Bahadili warned of the danger of the holding off of the rains and the delay of their falling being as it threatens agricultural land with drought [lit. dryness] and increases the suffering of farmers on top of professional and security difficulties. Al-Bahadili said that the rains which usually start pouring down in October (Tishreen al-Awwal) did not help the land this year. The seeds which were planted last winter have started running the risk of [lit. being exposed to] rotting or the birds eat them. And he continued: if the rain comes down in the coming weeks the crops will germinate/grow but it is late and we must supply the farmers with seeds to [help them] catch up with what has slipped away from them. The minister stressed that the main problem lies in the governorate of Nineveh (in the north) where fields of wheat whose area reaches four hundred and fifty thousand hectares await the downfall of the rain. He said that the production of crops will be reduced and there will be due to the scarcity of the rains a very bad effect on crops and livestock just as they will inflict damage on dams and wells.
أَجْمَعَت غَالِبِيَةُ ٱلْفَصَائِل ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة عَلَى ٱعْتِبَار زِيَارَةِ ٱلرَّئِيس ٱلْأَمِيرِكِيّ جُورْج بُوش إِلَى ٱلْأَرَاضِي ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة «غَيْر مُرَحَّبٍ بِهَا»، مُعْتَبِرَة أَنَّهَا جَاءَت لِضَرْب ٱلْمُقَاوَمَةِ ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة. وَقَالَ ٱلْقِيَادِيّ فِي حَرَكَةِ «حَمَاس» اَلدُّكْتُور مَحْمُود ٱلزَّهَّار إِنَّ ٱلزِّيَارَة «تَأْتِي مِن بَاب ٱلدِّعَايَة ٱلْاِنْتِخَابِيَّة لِتَجْمِيل صُورَةِ حِزْب بُوش (اَلْجُمْهُورِيّ) ٱلْمُشَوَّهَة بِسَبَب ٱلْحَال ٱلْإِرْهَابِيَّة فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَة». وَأَشَارَ ٱلزَّهَّار اَلَّذِي كَانَ يَشْغَلُ مَنْصِب وَزِير ٱلْخَارِجِيَّة فِي حُكُومَةِ «حَمَاس» إِلَى أَنَّ ٱلزِّيَارَة «لَنْ تَخْدُمَ ٱلشَّعْب ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ، وَلَنْ تُقَدِّمَ لَهُ حَتَّى ٱلْحُدُود ٱلدُّنْيَا مِن حُقُوقِه». وَرَأَى أَنَّهَا «تَأْتِي لِإِضَاعَةِ ٱلْوَقْت وَٱسْتِنْزَاف ٱلْجُهْد»، مُعْتَبِرًا أَنَّ «مُحَصِّلَةِ ٱلْمُفَاوَضَات مِن (مُؤْتَمَر) مَدْرِيد وَحَتَّى هٰذِهِ ٱللَّحْظَة أَنْهَكَت ٱلشَّعْب ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ». وَطَالَبَ ٱلْوَفْد ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ ٱلْمُفَاوِض بـِ«مُقَاطَعَةِ ٱلْمُفَاوَضَات وَٱلْعَوْدَةِ إِلَى ٱلشَّعْب، وَوَحْدَةِ ٱلصَّفّ وَتَصْحِيح ٱلْوَضْع ٱلدَّاخِلِيّ وَعَدَم ٱلْمُرَاهَنَةِ لا عَلَى وَزِيرَةِ ٱلْخَارِجِيَّةِ ٱلْإِسْرَائِيلِيَّة تْسِيبِي لِيفْنِي وَلا عَلَى أَمْثَالِهَا».
The majority of Palestinian factions were unanimous in considering the visit of the American President George Bush to the Palestinian territories unwelcome deeming that it came [only] to strike the Palestinian resistance. Doctor Mahmoud al-Zahhar a leader in the Hamas movement said that the visit comes as [lit. from the door of] electoral publicity to beautify the image of Bushs (Republican) party [which has become] disfigured because of the terrorist situation in the region. Zahhar who used to occupy the post of Foreign Minister in the Government of Hamas pointed to the fact that the visit will not serve the Palestinian people and will not deliver to them even the minimums of their rights. He was of the opinion [lit. he saw] that it comes [only] for wasting time and draining effort deeming that the outcome of the negotiations from (the conference of) Madrid and up to this moment has [only] worn down the Palestinian people. He called on the Palestinian negotiating delegation for boycotting negotiations and returning to the people and unity of ranks and correcting the internal situation and not betting either on the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni nor on her likes.
تَنَفَّسَ ٱلسُّعُودِيُّون اَلصُّعَدَاء يَوْم أَمْس (اَلْخَمِيس)، عَقِبَ تَحْذِيرَاتٍ مِن تَسَاقُط صَقِيعٍ وَثُلُوجٍ لَمْ يَعْتَادُوا عَلَيْهَا خِلالَ مَرَاحِل حَيَاتِهِم ٱلسَّابِقَة، حَيْثُ تَفَاجَأُوا اِبْتِدَاءً مِن صَبَاح أَمْس بِأَجْوَاء مُشْمِسَة، اِسْتَطَاعُوا مِن خِلالِهَا إِلَى اِرْتِيَاد ٱلْأَمَاكِن ٱلْخَارِجِيَّةِ ٱلصَّحْرَاوِيَّة، اَلَّتِي اِعْتَادُوا أَنْ يَرْتَادُوهَا قُبَيْلَ مَوْجَات ٱلْبَرْد اَلَّتِي ٱجْتَاحَت بِلادَهُم خِلالَ ٱلْأُسْبُوعَيْن اَلْمَاضِيَيْن. وَلَمْ يَأْبَه ٱلْكَثِير مِن مُحِبِّي اَلرِّحَلات ٱلْخَارِجِيَّة مِن تَحْذِيرَات بَعْض خُبَرَاء ٱلطَّقْس، اَلَّذِينَ أَكَّدُوا خِلالَ ٱلْأَيَّام ٱلْقَلِيلَةِ ٱلْمَاضِيَة اِحْتِمَال سُقُوط ثُلُوجٍ عَلَى ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة اَلرِّيَاض، اَلْأَمْر اَلَّذِي أَحْدَثَ رَبْكَة فِي أَوْسَاط ٱلسُّعُودِيِّين، عَقِبَ تَعَرُّض عَدَدٍ مِن ٱلْمُدُن شَمَال ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة لِسُقُوط ٱلثُّلُوج، وَتَدَنَّت فِيهَا دَرَجَات ٱلْبُرُودَة إِلَى مَا دُون ٱلرَّابِعَةِ تَحْتَ ٱلصِّفْر، فِي مَوْجَاتٍ لَمْ تَشْهَدهَا ٱلْمُدُن ٱلشَّمَالِيَّة ٱلسُّعُودِيَّة مُنْذُ عَشَرَات ٱلسِّنِين.
The Saudis breathed a sigh of relief yesterday (Thursday) just after warnings of the fall of frost and snows ([warnings] which they have been not accustomed to during the previous stages of their life) as they were surprised as of yesterday morning by sunny weather. Due to which they were able to frequent the exterior desert places which they were accustomed to frequent prior to the waves of cold which have swept their country during the past two weeks. Many of the lovers of exterior trips did not take heed of the warnings of some weather experts who have stressed during the past few days the probability of snowfalls on the Saudi capital Riyadh. A matter which caused bewilderment in Saudi circles subsequent to a number of cities in the north of Saudi being subjected to snowfalls. The temperature [lit. degrees of coldness] in [these cities] sank to under four [lit. the fourth] below zero in [cold] waves the northern Saudi cities have not witnessed for decades [lit. tens of years].
مَشَاهِد خَاطِفَة مِن مُسَلْسَل «بَاب ٱلْحَارَة» ٱلشَّهِير تَتَجَسَّدُ عَلَى أَرْض ٱلْوَاقِع فِي «حَمَّام بَاب ٱلْحَارَة» اَلَّذِي ٱفْتُتِحَ أَخِيرًا فِي ضَاحِيَةِ بَيْرُوت اَلْجَنُوبِيَّة. فِرْقَةٌ فُولكلُورِيَّة تَسْتَقْبِلُكَ عَلَى وَقْع أَهَازِيج شَعْبِيَّةٍ شَامِيَّة، تَمْتَزِجُ «رَدَّاتُهَا» بِتَنَاغُمٍ لافِتٍ مَعَ أُغْنِيَّةِ ٱلْمُسَلْسَل. تَلِجُ بَابًا كَبِيرًا إِلَى دَرَجٍ تَحْتَ ٱلْأَرْض حَيْثُ سَاحَةٌ مَرْصُوفَة سَقْفُهَا مِن ٱلْمُنَمْنَمَات ٱلْخَشَبِيَّة وَٱلْقَنَاطِر ٱلْحَجَرِيَّة تَتَوَزَّعُ فِي أَنْحَائِهَا دَكَاكِين وَبَسْطَات وَعَرَبَات تَتَمَاهَى مَعَ تِلْكَ ٱلْمَوْجُودَة فِي ٱلْمُسَلْسَل. تَدْخُلُ ٱلْحَمَّام «ٱلْجَوَّانِيّ» حَيْثُ تُلَفُّ بِٱلْمَنَاشِف وَٱلْمَلاحِف مِن قِمَّةِ رَأْسِك حَتَّى أَخْمَص قَدَمَيْك، فَتُدَغْدِغُ أَنْفَكَ رَائِحَةُ صَابُون «ٱلْغَار» فَضْلًا عَن عَبَق ٱلنَّعْنَاع ٱلْمُنْعِش. ثُمَّ تَنْتَقِلُ إِلَى مَرْحَلَةِ ٱلتَّدْلِيك ٱلْعَرَبِيّ وَٱلصِّينِيّ عَلَى يَد مُدَلِّكِين مَهَرَة ثُمَّ تُلَفّ بِمَنَاشِف مُعَطَّرَة. تَنْتَقِلُ بَعْدَهَا إِلَى «ٱلْبَرَّانِيّ» حَيْثُ «دِيوَانِيَّةُ» ٱلزَّعِيم اَلَّتِي تَتَوَسَّطُهَا بِرْكَةٌ شَامِيَّةٌ تَقْلِيدِيَّة.
Brief scenes from the famous Baab al-Haara [=the Gate of the Quarter] serial materialize on the ground in The Bath of Baab al-Haara which was opened recently in Beiruts southern suburb. A folk troupe receives you to the sound [lit. fall] of traditional Syrian chants whose responses mix in noticeable harmony with the song of the serial. You go through a large door to a flight of steps under the ground where there is a paved courtyard whose roof is made of wooden miniatures and stone arches. Distributed around the [courtyards] parts are shops and things laid out [for sale] and carts similar to those present in the serial. You enter the inside bath where you are wrapped with towels and covers from the top of your head to the hollow [of the sole] of your feet. The smell of laurel soap tickles your nose on top of the fragrance of refreshing mint. Then you are transferred to the stage of the Arabic and Chinese massage at the hands of skilled masseurs. Then you are wrapped with scented towels. After that you are transferred to the outside where there is the Leaders diwaniyah [=meeting chamber] in the centre of which is a traditional Syrian pond.
«نُصْب ٱلْحُرِّيَّة لِلْفَنَّان ٱلْعِرَاقِيّ جَوَاد سَلِيم، وَٱلَّذِي يُعَدُّ أَهَمّ مَعْلَمٍ فَنِّي، لَيْسَ فِي ٱلْعِرَاق فَحَسْب بَل فِي ٱلْمِنْطَقَةِ ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة، هُوَ ٱلْيَوْم مُهَدَّدٌ بِٱلْاِنْهِيَار»! هٰذَا مَا أَعْلَنَهُ مَسْؤُولٌ فِي أَمَانَةِ بَغْدَاد، عَازِيًا ٱلسَّبَب إِلَى «كَثْرَةِ ٱلتَّفْجِيرَات اَلَّتِي تَشْهَدُهَا ٱلْمِنْطَقَة اَلَّتِي يَقَعُ فِيهَا ٱلنُّصْب (سَاحَةِ ٱلتَّحْرِير) وَسَطَ ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ بَغْدَاد». وَأَلْقَى فَنَّانُون وَمُهَنْدِسُون مِعْمَارِيُّون عِرَاقِيُّون اَلْمَسْؤُولِيَّة عَلَى أَمَانَةِ بَغْدَاد ذَاتَهَا، إِذْ عَزَوا اَلتَّشَقُّقَات وَٱلتَّصَدُّعَات اَلْحَاصِلَة فِي قَاعِدَةِ ٱلنُّصْب إِلَى ٱلْحَوْض ٱلْمَائِيّ ٱلْكَبِير لِنَافُورَاتٍ أَنْشَأَتْهَا ٱلْأَمَانَة تَحْتَ ٱلنُّصْب بَيْنَ رَكِيزَتَيهِ ٱلْأَرْضِيَّتَين، مَا أَدَّى ـ بِحَسَبِ هٰؤُلاء ٱلْمُهَنْدِسِين وَٱلْفَنَّانِين ـ إِلَى تَسَرُّب ٱلْمِيَاه إِلَى جَوْف ٱلْأَرْض اَلَّتِي يَقِفُ عَلَيْهَا ٱلنُّصْب وَإِحْدَاث خَلْخَلَة جَوْفِيَّة فِيهَا، مُؤَكِّدِين أَنَّ حَوْض مِيَاه ٱلنَّافُورَات لَمْ يَجْرِ إِنْشَاؤُهُ وَفْقَ مَعَايِيرٍ هَنْدَسِيَّة تَأْخُذُ فِي ٱلْاِعْتِبَار ثِقْل ٱلتِّمْثَال ٱلْبْرُونْزِيّ وَقَاعِدَتِهِ، بِحَيْثُ يَمْنَع تَسَرُّب ٱلْمِيَاه إِلَى جَوْف ٱلْأَرْض.
The Freedom Monument by the Iraqi artist Jawad Salim which is considered the most important artistic landmark not in Iraq alone but in the Arab region is today threatened with collapse! This is what an official in the Mayorality of Baghdad announced attributing the reason to the large quantity of explosions which the area in which the monument lies (Liberation Square) in the centre of the capital Baghdad has been witnessing. Iraqi artists and architects [lit. architectural engineers] have laid [lit. thrown] the responsibility on the Mayorality of Baghdad itself as they attributed the splits and cracks occurring in the base of the monument to the large water basin for fountains which the Mayorality constructed under the monument between its two [supporting] ground pillars which led according to these engineers and artists to the infiltration of water into the subsurface on which the monument stands causing subsurface loosening [lit. disjointing] in [the ground] stressing that [as regards] the fountains water basin its construction was not carried out in accordance with engineering standards taking into consideration the weight of the bronze statue and its base in such a manner that it prevents the infiltration of water into the subsurface.
حَمَاس قَرَّرَت ٱلتَّحَرُّش بِٱلْإِسْرَائِيلِيِّين بَعْدَ هُدْنَةٍ، غَيْرِ مَكْتُوبَة، طَوِيلَةٍ مَعَهُم. رَشَقَت بَلْدَةَ سْدِيرُوت وَٱلْمَزَارِع ٱلْمُحِيطَةَ بِهَا بِبِضْعَةِ صَوَارِيخ. اَلنَّتِيجَة عَشَرَةُ جَرْحَى إِسْرَائِيلِيِّين فَقَط وَكَارِثَة هَائِلَة فِي غَزَّة. اَلْكَارِثَة فِي كُلّ مَوْقِعٍ وَخِدْمَة. اَلْمَعَابِر مُغْلَقَة. فَٱلْخُرُوج مَمْنُوع، وَٱلدُّخُول أَيْضًا مَمْنُوع، وَٱلْكَهْرَبَاء مَقْطُوعَة، وَٱلْمِيَاه مُنْقَطِعَة، وَمِائَتَا مَحَطَّةُ بَنْزِين مُغْلَقَة، وَغُرَف ٱلْعَمَلِيَات فِي ٱلْمُسْتَشْفَيَات مُطْفَأَة، وَٱلْمَوَادّ ٱلتَّمْوِينِيَّة بَاتَت شَحِيحَة. هٰذِهِ غَزَّة كَمَا تَعِيشُ ٱلْيَوْم، يُضَافُ إِلَيْهَا غَارَاتٌ وَقَصْفٌ إِسْرَائِيلِيُّ وَحْشِيّ رَاحَ ضَحِيَّتُهُ أَطْفَالٌ وَنِسَاءٌ وَمَدَنِيُّون. لِمَاذَا هٰذَا كُلُّه؟ لِأَنَّ حَمَاس أَطْلَقَت صَوَارِيخَهَا عَلَى مَنَاطِقٍ إِسْرَائِيلِيَّة هَامِشِيَّة، وَجَاءَ ٱلرَّدّ مِن ٱلْإِسْرَائِيلِيِّين، كَٱلْعَادَة، قَاسِيًّا وَبِلا تَمْيِيز بَيْنَ حَمَاس وَٱلنَّاس، مَعَ عُقُوبَاتٍ جَمَاعِيَّةٍ تَحْرِمُهُم مِن ٱلطَّبْخ وَٱلْخُبْز وَٱلتَّطْبِيب وَٱلسَّفَر وَٱلتَّنَقُّل، فِي أَصْعَب أَيَّام ٱلْعَام، فِي ٱلشِّتَاء ٱلْقَارِس.
Hamas decided to pick a fight with the Israelis after a long (unwritten) truce with them. It pelted the town of Sderot and the farms surrounding it with a few missiles. The result: Ten Israeli wounded only and a dreadful/huge disaster in Gaza. A disaster in every location and service. The crossing points are closed. Exit is forbidden and entry also is forbidden. Electricity is cut off and water is cut off and two hundred petrol stations are closed and operating rooms in hospitals are switched off and provisions have become scarce. This is Gaza as it lives today. Added to this are brutal Israeli raids and bombarding falling victim to which have been children and women and citizens. Why all this? Because Hamas fired its missiles onto [some] marginal Israeli areas and the response came from the Israelis as usual with harshness and with no distinction between Hamas and the people. With collective punishments which deprive them from cooking and bread and practising medicine and travel and moving around in the hardest days of the year in the bitterly cold winter.
أَطْلَقَت ٱلسُّلُطَات ٱلْيَمَنِيَّة أَخِيرًا حَمْلَةً اِسْتَهْدَفَت تَطْهِير شَوَارِع ٱلْعَاصِمَةِ صَنْعَاء مِن ظَاهِرَةِ ٱلْبَيْع عَلَى ٱلْأَرْصِفَة وَٱلْبَاعَة ٱلْمُتَجَوِّلِين، فِي وَقْتٍ تَكَاثَرَت أَسْوَاق بَيْع ٱلْقَات وَمَحَالُّه بِٱلتَّزَامُن مَعَ ٱرْتِفَاع أَعْدَاد مُتَعَاطِيه بَيْنَ ٱلْمُرَاهِقِين وَٱلنِّسَاء. وَأَعْلَنَت مُنَظَّمَة «سُووَل» غَيْر ٱلْحُكُومِيَّة حَمْلَة «حُرَّة بِلا قَات» اَلَّتِي تَسْتَهَدِفُ تَوْعِيَةَ ٱلنِّسَاء ٱلْمُخَزِّنَات. لٰكِنَّ جُهُود مُكَافَحَة تَعَاطِي ٱلْقَات مَا زَالَت تُوَاجِه صُعُوبَاتٍ شَتَّى. وَأَخْفَقَ ٱلْمَجْلِس ٱلْمَحَلِّيّ لِجَزِيرَة سُقُطْرَى فِي تَنْفِيذ قَرَارٍ اِتَّخَذَهُ أَخِيرًا، يَقْضِي بِمَنْع دُخُول ٱلْقَات إِلَى ٱلْجَزِيرَة وَبَيْعِهِ بِسَبَب عَدَم وُجُود قَانُون يَحْظُرُ ٱلْقَات. وَكَانَ ٱرْتِفَاع نِسْبَةِ ٱلْبَطَالَة، خُصُوصًا مُنْذُ حَرْب ٱلْخَلِيج ٱلثَّانِيَة وَعَوْدَةُ مِئَات آلاف ٱلْمُهَاجِرِين ٱلْيَمَنِيِّين إِلَى وَطَنِهِم، أَدَّى إِلَى ٱمْتِهَان كَثِيرٍ مِن ٱلشَّبَاب ٱلْعَاطِل اَلْبَيْع عَلَى ٱلْأَرْصِفَة. كَمَا ٱنْتَشَرَت عَرَبَات بَيْع ٱلْبَطَاطَا ٱلْمَسْلُوقَة وَ«ٱلْبَلِيلَة». وَقَضَى عَدَدٌ مِن هٰؤُلاء ٱلشُّبَّان فِي مُوَاجَهَاتٍ مَعَ دَوْرِيَات ٱلْبَلَدِيَّة.
Yemeni authorities recently launched a campaign aimed at cleansing the streets of the capital Sanaa of the phenomenon of selling on pavements and street [lit. wandering] vendors at a time when markets for the sale of qat and [qat] shops have proliferated in conjunction [lit. simultaneously] with the rise in the numbers of [qat] users among adolescents and women. The non-governmental organisation Soul announced the campaign Free without Qat which aims to enlighten/educate women users [lit. storers (as qat is stored in the mouth)]. But efforts to combat the use of qat still face various difficulties; The local council for the island of Suqutra failed in the implementation of a resolution it took recently which ruled to ban the entry of qat into the island and its sale because of the non-existence of a law which prohibits qat. The rise in the rate of unemployment especially since the Second Gulf War and the return of hundreds of thousands of Yemeni emigrants to their homeland has led to many of the young unemployed men practising the trade of selling on pavements. Just as carts selling boiled potatoes and balila [wheat porridge with sugar and milk] have spread [and] a number of these young men have died in confrontations with council patrols.
فَقَال: أَيُّهَا ٱلتَّاجِر إِنَّ لِي بِنْتًا كَانَت تَعَلَّمَت ٱلسِّحْر فِي صِغَرِهَا مِن اِمْرَأَةٍ عَجُوز كَانَت عِنْدَنَا فَلَمَّا كُنَّا بِٱلْأَمْس وَأَعْطَيتَنِي ٱلْعِجْل دَخَلتُ بِهِ عَلَيْهَا فَنَظَرَت إِلَيهِ ٱبْنَتِي وَغَطَّت وَجْهَهَا وَبَكَت ثُمَّ إِنَّهَا ضَحِكَت وَقَالَت: يَا أَبِي قَد خَسَّ قَدْرِي عِنْدَك حَتَّى تُدْخِل عَلَيَّ ٱلرِّجَال ٱلْأَجَانِب فَقُلتُ لَهَا: وَأَيْن ٱلرِّجَال ٱلْأَجَانِب؟ وَلِمَاذَا بَكَيْتِ؟ وَضَحِكَت فَقَالَت لِي: إِنَّ هٰذَا ٱلْعِجْل اَلَّذِي مَعَك اِبْن سَيِّدِي ٱلتَّاجِر وَلٰكِنَّهُ مَسْحُور وَسَحَرَتْهُ زَوْجَةُ أَبِيه هُوَ وَأُمَّه فَهٰذَا سَبَب ضَحِكِي، وَأَمَّا سَبَب بُكَائِي فَمِن أَجْلِ أُمِّهِ حَيْثُ ذَبَحَهَا أَبُوه. فَتَعَجَّبتُ مِن ذٰلِكَ غَايَةَ ٱلْعَجَب، وَمَا صَدَّقتُ بِطُلُوع ٱلصَّبَاح حَتَّى جِئتُ إِلَيكَ لِأُعْلِمَك.
So [the herdsman] said: O Merchant I have a daughter who learnt magic in her youth from an old women who was with us and when we were together yesterday and you gave me the calf I took it in to her and my daughter looked at it and covered her face [with her veil] and cried. Then she laughed and said: O Father has my value diminished with you so that you bring in to me strange men [lit. foreign men]? So I said to her: And where are the strange men and why did you cry? She laughed and said to me: This calf which is with you is the son of my master the merchant but he is bewitched. His step-mother bewitched him - him and his mother. This is the reason for my laughing. As for the reason for my crying this is for the sake of his mother as his father slaughtered her. So I marvelled at that greatly [lit. the limit of marvelling] and had barely made sure of the rise of the morning when I came to you to inform you.
أَثَارَ حُكْمَان قَضَائِيَّان فِي مِصْر أَخِيرًا، بِٱلسَّمَاح بِوَضْع «خَطٍّ صَغِير» أَمَامَ خَانَةِ ٱلدِّيَانَة لِلْبَهَائِيِّين، جَدَلًا دِينِيًّا وَقَانُونِيًّا. فَهٰذِهِ هِيَ ٱلْمَرَّةُ ٱلْأُولَى مُنْذُ سِتِّينَات ٱلْقَرْن ٱلْمَاضِي اَلَّتِي يُسْمَحُ فِيهَا بِٱلْاِعْتِرَاف ٱلضِّمْنِيّ لِمَنْ لَيْسُوا مِن ٱلدِّيَانَات ٱلسَّمَاوِيَّة ٱلثَّلاث اَلْمُعْتَرَف بِهَا فِي ٱلْبِلاد، بِرَغْمِ أَنَّ تَقْدِيرَاتٍ غَيْرَ رَسْمِيَّة تَقُول إِنَّ عَدَد ٱلْبَهَائِيِّين فِي مِصْر يَبْلُغُ نَحْوَ أَلْفَي شَخْصٍ فَقَط. وَقَلَّلَ أَزْهَرِيُّون مِن تَأْثِير ٱلْحُكْمَيْن وَحَذَّرَ آخَرُون مِن مَغَبَّةِ تَسَبُّبِهِمَا فِي طَلَب مُسْلِمِين أَوْ مَسِيحِيِّين عَدَم ذِكْر اِسْم دِيَانَتِهِم فِي أَوْرَاقِهِم ٱلثُّبُوِتِيَّة، فِيمَا قَالَت جَمَاعَةُ ٱلْإِخْوَان إِنَّهَا مَعَ ذِكْر ٱلدِّيَانَة، حَتَّى لَوْ كَانَت مِن غَيْرِ ٱلدِّيَانَات ٱلسَّمَاوِيَّة ٱلثَّلاث، عَلَى ٱعْتِبَار أَنَّ ذِكْر ٱلدِّيَانَةِ ٱلْمُغَايَرَة لا يَعْنِي ٱلْاِعْتِرَاف بِهَا، بَل يُبَيِّن لِلْآخَرِين مُعْتَقَد ٱلشَّخْص اَلَّذِي يَتَعَامَلُون مَعَه.
Two judicial rulings in Egypt recently permitting the putting down of a small line in front of the religion box [in documents] for Bahais have stirred up a religious and legal argument. As this is the first time since the sixties of the last century in which is permitted the implied recognition of those who are not from the three heavenly [revealed] religions [=Judaism/Christianity/Islam] recognised in the country despite the fact that unofficial estimates say that the number of Bahais in Egypt comes to around two thousand people only. Al-Azhar scholars made light [=played down] of the effect of the two rulings while others warned of the consequence of the [rulings] resulting in a demand by Muslims or Christians to not mention the name of their religion in their identity [lit. corroborating] papers while the group of [Muslim] Brothers [=the Muslim Brotherhood] said that it was in favour of mentioning the religion even if it were of other than the three heavenly [revealed] religions considering that mentioning a different religion does not mean recognising it but makes clear to others the belief of the person whom they are dealing with.
لَمْ تَتَجَاوَز ٱلسَّاعَة ٱلثَّانِيَة بَعْدَ ٱلظُّهْر، عِنْدَمَا تَقَدَّمَت إِحْدَى ٱلْمُسِنَّات وَهِيَ تَسْتَنِدُ إِلَى ذِرَاع صَبِيَة، مِن أَبُو عَاطِف اَلْجَالِس خَلْفَ مَقْعَدِهِ؛ وَٱلَّذِي ٱحْتَلَّ جُزْءًا مِن ٱلرَّصِيف ٱلْمُقَابِل لِلْجِهَةِ ٱلشَّرْقِيَّة لِمَحْكَمَةِ جُدَّة اَلْعَامَّة، بِغَرَض ٱلْاِسْتِفْسَار عَن مَوْعِد جَلْسَتِهَا إِلَى جَانِب أَسْئِلَةٍ أُخْرَى، خَتَمَتْهَا بِٱلسُّؤَال عَن اِسْم ٱلْقَاضِي، لِيَأْتِيهَا ٱلْجَوَاب مِن أَبُو عَاطِف «اَلْعَرْضَحَالْچِي»، أَحَد اَلَّذِينَ ٱتَّخَذُوا مِن ذٰلِكَ ٱلرَّصِيف مَكَاتِب لَهُم فِي ٱلْهَوَاء ٱلطَّلْق، وَتَحْتَ مِظَلَّة صَغِيرَة بِٱلْكَاد تَقِيهُم أَشِعَّةَ ٱلشَّمْس ٱلْحَارِقَة، خَاصَّةً فِي فَصْل ٱلصَّيْف، اَلَّذِي اِعْتَبَرَهُ أَبُو عَاطِف أَفْضَل ٱلْمَوَاسِم لِكُتَّاب ٱلْمَعَارِيض، مُعَلِّقًا عَلَى ذٰلِكَ بِقَوْلِه «اَلنَّاس فِي ٱلصَّيْف بِدُون شُغْل، يَعْنِي مُتَفَرَّغِين لِلشَّرّ».
The time had not passed two oclock in the afternoon when one of the elderly women who was leaning on the arm of a girl came up to Abu Atif who was sitting behind his seat which occupied part of the pavement opposite the eastern side of the Jeddah General Court in order to inquire about the time of her sitting besides other questions which she concluded with asking about the name of the judge. And so the answer came to her from Abu Atif the `arḍaḥālčī [=applications clerk] one of those who had made [lit. taken] from that pavement their offices in the open air and under a small umbrella which barely protects them from the suns burning rays especially in the summer season which Abu Atif considers the best of the seasons for applications clerks commenting on that with his remark that people in summer are without work which means theyre free for evil.
«يَا عَيْنِي! حَتَّى ٱلدَّكَاتِرَة؟! حَسْرَة عَلَيْهِم!» قَالَتْهَا ٱلسَّيِّدَة ٱلْمِصْرِيَّة ٱلْبَسِيطَة وَهِيَ تَسِيرُ فِي شَارِع قَصْر ٱلْعَيْنِيّ اَلَّذِي أَصْبَحَ مَسْرَحًا لِٱحْتِجَاجَات ٱلْمُتَضَرَّرِين وَتَظَاهُرَات ٱلْمُعْتَرِضِين خِلالَ ٱلْأَعْوَام ٱلثَّلاثَةِ ٱلْمَاضِيَة، بَدْءًا مِن تُجَّار ٱلطُّيُور ٱلدَّاجِنَة اَلْمُتَأَثِّرِين بِإِنْفلُوَنْزَا ٱلطُّيُور، وَمُرُورًا بِحَرَكَات ٱلْمُعَارَضَة، وُصُولًا إِلَى ٱلثَّوْرَة ٱلطِّبِّيَّة اَلَّتِي لا تَحْمِلُ مُبْتَكَرَاتٍ عِلاجِيَّةً جَدِيدَة وَلا سِيَاسَاتٍ جِرَاحِيَّةً خَطِيرَة، بَل أَوْضَاعًا مُتَرَدِيَة لِأَكْثَر مِن مِائَةٍ وَعِشْرِين أَلْف طَبِيب. فَعَلَى مَدَى ٱلْأَسَابِيع ٱلْمَاضِيَة، دَاوَمَ ٱلْأَطِبَّاء عَلَى ٱلتَّجَمْهُر إِمَّا عَلَى سَلالِم نِقَابَتِهِم اَلْمَعْرُوفَة بـِ«دَار ٱلْحِكْمَة»، أَوْ عَلَى ٱلرَّصِيف ٱلْمُقَابِل لِمَجْلِس ٱلشَّعْب (اَلْبَرْلَمَان) ٱلْمِصْرِيّ، رَافِعِين لافِتَات ٱلْمُطَالِبَة بِإِقْرَار كَادِرٍ مَالِيٍّ خَاصٍّ بِهِم وَتَحْسِين أَوْضَاعِهِم ٱلْمِهَنِيَّة وَٱلْمَالِيَّة. وَكَانَ ذٰلِكَ مُفَاجَأَة لِمَلايِين ٱلْمِصْرِيِّين اَلَّذِينَ كَانُوا وَمَا زَالُوا يَغُطُّون حَتَّى وَقْتٍ قَرِيب فِي حُلْم مِهْنَةِ ٱلطِّبّ بِٱعْتِبَارِهَا مَدْخَلًا مَضْمُونًا إِلَى حَيَاة ٱلثَّرَاء وَٱلرُّقِي.
My dear! Even doctors?! Poor them! said a simple Egyptian lady as she walked in Qasr al-`Ayni Street which has become a theatre for the protests of the hard-pressed and the demonstrations of objectors during the last three years starting with the merchants of poultry [lit. domesticated birds] who were affected by bird flu passing through opposition movements and arriving at the medical revolution which does not bring new therapeutic innovations nor important surgical policies but the worsening conditions of more than one hundred and twenty thousand doctors. As over the past weeks doctors have been regularly attending a gathering either on the steps of their union known as Dar al-Hikma [lit. House of Wisdom] or on the pavement opposite the Egyptian Peoples Assembly (Parliament) raising banners calling for the establishment of a payroll group specifically for them and the improvement of their professional and financial conditions. That was a surprise to millions of Egyptians who had been and were still until recently plunged in the dream of the profession of medicine considering it a guaranteed way in to a life of wealth and sophistication.
قَد تُفَاجَأ إِذَا مَا تَصَفَّحتَ مَوْقِع وَكَالَةِ ٱلْأَنْبَاء ٱلسُّورِيَّة (اَلرَّسْمِيَّة)، أَوْ إِذَا مَا شَاهَدتَ نَشْرَةَ ٱلْأَخْبَار عَلَى ٱلْفَضَائِيَّة ٱلسُّورِيَّة (اَلرَّسْمِيَّة) بِٱلْأَمْس... لِأَنَّهُ فِيمَا كَانَ ٱلْخَبَر ٱلْأَسَاسِيّ عَلَى غَالِبِيَّةِ وَسَائِل ٱلْإِعْلام ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة، وَعَدَدٍ كَبِيرٍ مِن نَظِيرَاتِهَا ٱلْأَجْنَبِيَّة هُوَ خَبَر ٱغْتِيَال اَلْقِيَادِيّ ٱلْبَارِز فِي «حِزْب ٱلله» ٱللُّبْنَانِيّ عِمَاد مُغْنِيَّة، غَابَ ٱلْخَبَر بِشَكْلٍ لافِت عَن ٱلْإِعْلام ٱلسُّورِيّ، رَغْم أَنَّ ٱلْاِغْتِيَال وَقَعَ فِي دِمَشْق. وَلَمْ تُصْدَر أَيَّةُ إِشَارَةٍ إِلَيْه حَتَّى نَشَرَت وَكَالَةُ ٱلْأَنْبَاء ٱلسُّورِيَّة عَلَى مَوْقِعِهَا ٱلْاِلِكْترُونِيّ خَبَرًا مِن أَرْبَعَةِ سُطُورٍ فِي ٱلسَّاعَةِ ٱلثَّامِنَةِ مَسَاء أَمْس. فَفِيمَا كَانَ ٱلْحَدَث ٱلشُّغْل ٱلشَّاغِل لِغَالِبِيَّةِ ٱلْفَضَائِيَّات ٱلْعَرَبِيَّة، فَإِنَّ ٱلْفَضَائِيَّةَ ٱلسُّورِيَّة اِنْشَغَلَت بِبَثّ أَفْلام ٱلْكَارْتُون فِي ٱلثَّالِثَةِ عَصْرًا بِتَوْقِيت غْرِينِتْش، وَلَمْ يَكُن هُنَاك شَرِيط أَخْبَارٍ عَاجِلَة وَمَا شَابَه.
You might have been surprised if you had surfed [lit. leafed through] the website of the Syrian [Arab] News Agency [SANA] (the official [government news agency]) or if you had seen the news bulletin on the Syrian Satellite Channel (the official [government satellite channel]) yesterday because while the principal news on the majority of the Arab media and a large number of their foreign counterparts was the news of the assassination of the prominent leader in the Lebanese Hizbullah Imad Mughniyah the news was absent in a noticeable manner from the Syrian media despite the fact that the assassination took place in Damascus. There was not issued any indication of it until the Syrian News Agency published on its website a news story of four lines at eight oclock yesterday evening. And while the event was the preoccupying concern for the majority of Arab satellite channels the Syrian Satellite Channel was preoccupied with broadcasting cartoons at three in the afternoon (Greenwich Mean Time) and there was no breaking [lit. urgent] news strip [=ticker] or the like.
بَدَأَ عَشَرَات ٱلْآلاف بِٱلْوُصُول إِلَى كَرْبَلاء (مِائَة وَٱثْنَى عَشَر كلم جَنُوب بَغْدَاد) قَادِمِين مِن مُحَافَظَات ٱلْعِرَاق ٱلْمُخْتَلِفَة لِأَدَاءِ «زِيَارَة ٱلْأَرْبَعِين» اَلَّتِي تُصَادِفُ ٱلْأَرْبِعَاء ٱلْمُقْبِل، فِيمَا ٱسْتَمَرَّ ٱلْجَدَل فِي ٱلْمَدِينَة حَوْلَ صُدُور مُذَكِّرَةِ ٱعْتِقَالٍ بِحَقّ ٱلْمُحَافِظ اَلَّذِي اِعْتَبَرَ هٰذِهِ ٱلْأَنْبَاء «مُحَاوَلَة لِلْإِسَاءَة إِلَى ٱلْإِجْرَاءَات ٱلْأَمْنِيَّة». وَيَأْتِي ٱلزُّوَّار مَشْيًا عَلَى ٱلْأَقْدَام إِلَى كَرْبَلاء مِن مُدُن تَبْعُدُ عَن كَرْبَلاء مِئَات ٱلْكِيلُومِتْرَات وَتَسْتَغْرِقُ رِحْلَةُ بَعْضِهِم عَشَرَةَ أَيَّامٍ أَوْ شَهْرًا أَوْ أَكْثَر مِثْلَ ٱلْقَادِمِين مِن ٱلْبَصْرَة، وَيَرْفَعُ ٱلزُّوَّار اَلْأَعْلام ٱلْمُلَوَّنَة وَبَعْضُهُم يَرْفَعُ صُوَر زُعَمَاء دِينِيِّين أَبْرَزُهُم اَلزَّعِيم ٱلشِّيعِيّ مُقْتَدَى ٱلصَّدْر. وَيَرْتَدِي أَنْصَار ٱلصَّدْر فِي ٱلْعَادَة رِدَاء أَبْيَض كَدَلالَة عَلَى «ٱلتَّحَدِّي بِٱرْتِدَاء ٱلْكَفَن» وَيُطْلِقُون فِي طَرِيقِهِم شِعَارَاتٍ تُمَجِّدُ زَعِيمَهُم وَتَطَال قُوَّات ٱلْاِحْتِلال وَٱلْمُتَعَاوِنِين مَعَهَا وَتَنْتَشِر عَلَى طُول ٱلطَّرِيق مِن ٱلْبَصْرَة إِلَى كَرْبَلاء وَمِن بَغْدَاد أَيْضًا مَوَاكِب وَخِيَامٌ لِلْاِسْتِرَاحَة.
Tens of thousands have started arriving in Karbala (one hundred and twelve kilometres south of Baghdad) coming from the different provinces of Iraq to perform The Visit for The Arbaeen [= the fortieth day after Imam Husseins martyrdom (in 680 AD)] which falls next Wednesday while the argument continued in the city about the issuing of an arrest warrant for the provincial governor who considered this news an attempt to harm the security measures. The visitors [i.e. pilgrims] come walking on foot to Karbala from cities which lie a distance of hundreds of kilometres from Karbala. The journey for some of them takes ten days or a month or more such as the people coming from Basra. The visitors hold up coloured flags and some of them hold up pictures of religious leaders the most prominent being the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr. The followers of al-Sadr usually wear a white gown to symbolise the urge to wear the funeral shroud. On their way they shout out slogans glorifying their leader and attacking the occupation forces and those who co-operate with them. Spread out all along the way from Basra to Karbala and from Baghdad as well are processions and rest tents.
قَرَّرَت كُتْلَةُ ٱلْعَمَل ٱلشَّعْبِيّ اَلْمُعَارِضَة فِي ٱلْبَرْلَمَان ٱلْكُوَيْتِيّ أَمْس فَصْل ٱلنَّائِبَيْن اَلشِّيعِيَّيْن عَدْنَان عَبْد ٱلصَّمَد وَأَحْمَد لارِي بِشَكْلٍ نِهَائِيّ إِثْرَ مُشَارَكَتِهِمَا اَلْأُسْبُوع ٱلْمَاضِي فِي مَجْلِس عَزَاءٍ أَقَامَهُ أَنْصَار حِزْب ٱلله فِي ٱلْكُوَيت لِعِمَاد مُغْنِيَّة. وَكَانَ وَاضِحًا مُنْذُ مَطْلَع ٱلْأُسْبُوع ٱلْجَارِي اِرْتِفَاع مَوْجَةِ ٱلسَّخَط فِي ٱلشَّارِع جَرَّاءَ مُشَارَكَةِ ٱلنَّائِبَيْن فِي مَجْلِس ٱلْعَزَاء، عَلَى ٱعْتِبَار أَنَّ مُغْنِيَّة هُوَ مَنْ دَبَّرَ خَطْف ٱلطَّائِرَةِ ٱلْكُوَيْتِيَّة «اَلْجَابِرِيَّة» عَام أَلْفٍ وَتِسْعُمِئَة وَثَمَانِيَة وَثَمَانِين وَٱلَّتِي اِنْتَهَت بَعْدَ مَقْتَل رَاكِبَيْن كُوَيْتِيَّيْن، وَلَهُ يَدٌ فِي عَمَلِيَاتٍ إِرْهَابِيَّة تَعَرَّضَت لَهَا ٱلْكُوَيت خِلالَ ٱلثَّمَانِينَات. وَهَدَّدَ ٱلنَّائِب مُحَمَّد اَلْخَلِيفَة، اَلْمُنْتَمِي لِلْكُتْلَةِ ٱلْمُعَارِضَة بِٱلْاِنْسِحَاب مِن ٱلْكُتْلَة فِي حَال بَقَاء ٱلنَّائِبَيْن، مُعْتَبِرًا تَأْبِين مُغْنِيَّة «تَصَرُّفًا شَاذًّا وَيُثِيرُ ٱلْاِشْمِئْزَاز».
The opposition Popular Action bloc in the Kuwaiti parliament decided yesterday to dismiss the two Shiite MPs Adnan Abdu ~l-Samad and Ahmad Lari permanently [lit. in a final manner] following their participation last week in the mourning ceremony [lit. assembly of solace] [which] supporters of Hizbullah held in Kuwait for Imad Mughniyah. There has become evident since the beginning of the current week a rise in the wave of discontent on the street because of the participation of the two MPs in the mourning ceremony in view of the fact that it was Mughniyah who arranged the seizure of the Kuwaiti al-Jabriya aeroplane in the year nineteen hundred and eighty eight [1988] and which ended after the killing of two Kuwaiti passengers and he had a hand in terrorist operations [which] Kuwait was subjected to during the eighties. The MP Muhammad al-Khalifa member of [lit. belonging to] the opposition bloc threatened to withdraw from the bloc in the event of the two MPs remaining [in office] and considered the commemorating of Mughniyah abnormal behaviour which causes disgust.
يَنْشَغِلُ ٱلْمُجْتَمَع ٱلْأُرْدُنِّيّ فِي مُحَاوَلَةِ تَحْلِيل مَا يُسَمَّى بِظَاهِرَةِ ٱلرُّضَّع اَلْمَجْهُولِي اَلنَّسَب أَوْ «اَللُّقَطَاء» بَعْدَ أَنْ تَوَاتَرَت أَخِيرًا حَالات ٱلْعُثُور عَلَى عَدَدٍ مِنهُم فِي مَرَافِق عَامَّة مِن بَيْنِهِم رَضِيعَة كَادَت أَنْ تَدُوسَهَا شَاحِنَةُ قُمَامَة، وَأُخْرَى أُلْقِيَت فِي دَوْرَةِ مِيَاهٍ دَاخِل أَكْبَر مُسْتَشْفَى حُكُومِيّ فِي عَمَّان. عَلَى أَنَّ أَمِين عَامّ وِزَارَةِ ٱلتَّنْمِيَة ٱلْاِجْتِمَاعِيَّة حُسَيْن أَبُو ٱلرُّزّ يَرْفُضُ وَصْف حَالات «ٱلْأَطْفَال مَجْهُولِي اَلنَّسَب» بِٱلظَّاهِرَة، مُعْتَبِرًا أَنَّهَا لَمْ تَتَفَاقَم إِلَى هٰذَا ٱلْمُسْتَوَى. وَيَقُول: «إِنَّهَا ظَاهِرَة مَوْجُودَة مُنْذُ ٱلْأَزَل، وَقَبْلَ ٱلْإِسْلام، لٰكِنَّ ٱلْإِعْلام يُسَلِّطُ ٱلضَّوْء عَلَيْهَا كَثِيرًا، بِسَبَب أَجْوَاء ٱلْاِنْفِتَاح ٱلْمُتَنَامِيَّة». اَلْجِهَات ٱلرَّسْمِيَّة تُصَنِّف مَجْهُولِي اَلنَّسَب إِلَى ثَلاث فِئَات: اَللُّقَطَاء اَلَّذِينَ يَعْثُرُ عَلَيْهِم ٱلْمَارَّة فِي ٱلشَّوَارِع، أَبْنَاء ٱلسِّفَاح، وَمَعْرُوفِي اَلْأُمَّهَات مَجْهُولِي اَلْآبَاء، وَهُم فِي تَزَايُد.
Jordanian society is preoccupied with trying to analyse what is called the phenomenon of infants [lit. sucklings] who are unknown of parentage or foundlings after cases of finding a number of them in public facilities recently followed one after another. Among them was an infant [lit. suckling] girl [who] a garbage truck almost ran over and another who was discarded in a lavatory inside the largest government hospital in Amman. However the Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Development Hussein Abu al-Ruzz refuses to describe the cases of children who are unknown of parentage as a phenomenon considering that it has not escalated to this level. He says: It is a phenomenon existing since time immemorial [lit. eternity] and before Islam but the media has been highlighting it a lot because of the growing atmosphere of openness. Official bodies [lit. sides] categorise those who are unknown of parentage into three groups: Foundlings who passers-by find in the streets children [born of] fornication and those known of mother unknown of father and who are on the increase.
أَكَّدَت ٱللَّجْنَةُ ٱلشَّعْبِيَّة لِمُوَاجَهَةِ ٱلْحِصَار أَنَّ قِطَاع غَزَّة عَلَى أَبْوَاب كَارِثَةٍ بِيئِيَّةٍ وَصِحِّيَةٍ خَطِيرَة خِلالَ سَاعَاتٍ إِذَا لَمْ يُسْمَح بِإِدْخَال مَادَّةِ ٱلْكْلُور اَلْخَاصَّة بِتَطْهِير مِيَاه ٱلشُّرْب لِلْقِطَاع ٱلْمُحَاصَر. وَأَشَار ٱلنَّاطِق بِٱسْم ٱللَّجْنَة رَامِي عَبْدُه فِي تَصْرِيحٍ نَقَلَتْهُ ٱلشَّبَكَة ٱلْإِعْلامِيَّة ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة، أَمْس إِلَى أَنَّهُ وَبِنَاءً عَلَى مَعْلُومَات مَصْلَحَةِ مِيَاه ٱلسَّاحِل وَٱلْبَلَدِيَّات، فَقَد حَاوَلَت ٱلْمَصْلَحَة خِلالَ ٱلْأَسَابِيع ٱلْمَاضِيَة تَأْمِين ٱلْكْلُور وَمَوَادّ تَطْهِير ٱلْمِيَاه، وَذٰلِكَ مِن خِلالِ ٱلْوَكِيل ٱلْمَحَلِّيّ لِلشَّرِكَةِ ٱلْمُصَنِّعَة، إِلَّا أَنَّ كُلّ ٱلْمُحَاوَلات بَاءَت بِٱلْفَشَل. وَأَوْضَحَ ٱلنَّاطِق بِٱسْم ٱلْلَجْنَة ٱلشَّعْبِيَّة لِمُوَاجَهَةِ ٱلْحِصَار أَنَّ إِدَارَةَ مَعَابِر ٱلْاِحْتِلال لَمْ تَسْمَح بِإِدْخَال أَيَّةِ كَمِّيَّة مِن ٱلْمَوَادّ ٱللّازِمَةِ لِتَطْهِير ٱلْمِيَاه. وَأَكَّد عَبْدُه أَنَّ إِعَاقَةَ إِدْخَال ٱلْكْلُور أَدَّت لِنَفَادِهَا مِن مَخَازِن ٱلْبَلَدِيَّات وَمَصْلَحَةِ مِيَاه ٱلسَّاحِل مِمَّا يَعْنِي وَقْف ضَخّ ٱلْمِيَاه وَقَطْعِهَا عَن ٱلْمُوَاطِنِين.
The Popular Committee Against Siege has stressed that the Gaza Strip is on the brink [lit. at the doors] of a serious environmental and health disaster within hours if chlorine designated [lit. specific] for the purification of drinking water is not allowed to be brought in to the beleaguered Strip. The spokesman for [lit. in the name of] the Committee Ramy Abdu indicated in a statement [which] The Palestinian Media Network reported yesterday that according to information from the Utility [in charge of] water of the coast and municipalities the Utility had tried over the past weeks to ensure supplies of chlorine and water purification materials and that was through the local agent of the manufacturing company yet all attempts had failed [lit. had brought failure]. The spokesman for The Popular Committee Against Siege explained that the checkpoint administration of the Occupier [=Israel] had not allowed the bringing in of any amount of materials necessary for the purification of water. Abdu stressed that the impeding of the bringing in of chlorine had led to its depletion from the depots of the municipalities and the Utility for water of the coast which has meant the stopping of the pumping of water and its being cut off from the citizens.
يَجُرُّ ٱلطَّالِب حَقِيبَتَهُ لِلْمَرَّةِ ٱلْأُولَى فِي حَيَاتِهِ فِي ٱتِّجَاه ٱلْمَدْرَسَةِ ٱلْحُكُومِيَّة. يَتَّجِهُ إِلَى مَقْعَدِهِ مُفْتَتِحًا مَرْحَلَةً جَدِيدَةً مِن تَهْيِئَتِهِ ٱلْعِلْمِيَّة. إِلَى جَانِبِهِ تَجْلِسُ تِلْمِيذَة. طِفْلَةٌ صَغِيرَةٌ مِثْلَهُ. يَشْعُرُ كُلٌّ مِنهُمَا بِأَنَّهُ يُجَالِسُ غَرِيبًا، لٰكِن عَلَيْهِمَا ٱلْاِعْتِيَاد عَلَى ٱلْأَمْر أَرْبَع سَنَوَات، هِيَ عُمْر ٱلْمَرْحَلَةُ ٱلْأُولَى مِن ٱلتَّعْلِيم ٱلْأَسَاسِيّ اَلَّذِي بَدَأَتْهُ عُمَان قَبْلَ أَكْثَر مِن عَشَر سَنَوَات، وَلاقَى حِينَهَا مُعَارَضَةً قَوِيَّة مِن ٱلْمُتَدَيِّنِين اَلَّذِينَ رَأَوا صَدْمَة اِجْتِمَاعِيَّة كَبِيرَة. مَعَ ٱلْعِلْم أَنَّ ٱلْأُسَر ٱلْمُحَافِظَة جِدًّا، تُلْزِمُ ٱلْفَتَاة بِٱرْتِدَاء ٱلْحِجَاب أَوْ مَا يُسَمَّى فِي عُمَان «لِحَاف ٱلرَّأْس» مِن سِنّ ٱلسَّادِسَة، وَتُبْعِدُهَا عَن زُوَّار ٱلْبَيْت مِن ٱلرِّجَال عَلَى ٱعْتِبَار أَنَّهُ لا يَلِيق بِٱلْبِنْت دُخُول مَجَالِس ٱلرِّجَال.
The student drags his bag for the first time in his life in the direction of the government school. He heads to his seat inaugurating a new stage of his knowledge preparation. To his side sits a girl pupil. A small child like him. Each of them feels that they are sitting with a stranger but they have to make a habit of it for four years which is the life-span of the first stage of basic education which Oman started more than ten years ago at which time it met with strong opposition from religious people who saw/considered it a large social shock. With the knowledge that very conservative families oblige the girl to wear the hijab or what in Oman is called the head cover from the age of six and keep her away from male visitors to the house considering that it is inappropriate for a girl to enter in on the sittings of men.
اِعْتَدَى مَجْهُولُون، فَجْر أَمْس، عَلَى مَسْجِد حَسَن بَيْك فِي مَدِينَةِ يَافَا وَقَامُوا بِأَعْمَال تَخْرِيبِيَّة فِي سَاحَةِ ٱلْمَسْجِد بَعْدَ فَتْرَةٍ وَجِيزَةٍ مِن تَرْمِيمِهَا. وَكَانَ ٱلْمُصَلُّون اَلَّذِينَ حَضَرُوا إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِد لِصَلاةِ ٱلْفَجْر قَد ذُهِلُوا لِمَرْأَى أَعْمَال ٱلتَّخْرِيب، مِن تَكْسِيرٍ لِلْأَبْوَاب وَٱقْتِلاعٍ لِلْوُرُود فِي سَاحَةِ ٱلْمَسْجِد، فَٱسْتَدْعَوا عَلَى ٱلْفَوْر اَلشُّرْطَة. وَتَبَيَّنَ مِن ٱلتَّحْقِيق ٱلْأَوَّلِيّ أَنَّ ٱلْمُعْتَدِين تَسَلَّقُوا عَلَى ٱلْجِدَار ٱلْعَالِي لِلْمَسْجِد وَقَفَزُوا إِلَى ٱلدَّاخِل بَعْدَ مُنْتَصَف ٱللَّيْل، وَغَادَرُوا بِٱلطَّرِيقَةِ نَفْسِهَا. وَقَالَ إِمَام ٱلْمَسْجِد، اَلشَّيْخ نَوَّار دَكَّة، إِنَّهُ لِحُسْن ٱلْحَظّ لَمْ يَتَمَكَّن ٱلْمُعْتَدِي أَوْ ٱلْمُعْتَدُون مِن ٱلدُّخُول إِلَى ٱلْمَسْجِد نَفْسِه، فَلَوْ حَصَل لَكَانَ عَاثَ ٱلْخَرَاب فِي أَثَاثِهِ ٱلثَّمِين وَتُرَاثِهِ ذِي ٱلْأَثَر ٱلتَّارِيخِيّ ٱلْقَيِّم. وَأَضَاف أَنَّ ٱلْمَسْجِد يَتَعَرَّض لِٱعْتِدَاءَاتٍ مِن حِينٍ لِآخَر أَبْرَزُهَا كَانَ إِلْقَاء رَأْس خِنْزِيرٍ إِلَى سَاحَةِ ٱلْمَسْجِد فِي ٱلْعَام أَلْفَيْن وَخَمْسَة.
Unknown people committed an aggression at dawn yesterday on the mosque of Hassan Bek in the city of Jaffa [in Israel]. They carried out destructive acts in the mosque courtyard a short time after its renovation. Worshippers who arrived at the mosque for the dawn prayer were stunned at the sight of the acts of destruction such as the breaking of doors and the uprooting of flowers in the mosque courtyard and they called for the police immediately. It became clear from the initial investigation that the aggressors had climbed up onto the high wall of the mosque and had jumped inside after midnight and had left the same way. The Imam of the mosque Sheikh Nawwar Dakka said that fortunately the aggressor or aggressors had not been able to get into the mosque itself. If that had happened then destruction would have been wrought on its valuable furniture and its heritage which has such a precious historical mark. He added that the mosque is subjected to aggressions from time to time the most prominent of which was the throwing down of a pigs head in the mosque courtyard in 2005.