10586 - Saudi: Arrest of magician in his seventies working as a shepherd.

Asharq Alawsat - 5/21/2010, Category: Crime Level: 1
السعودية: القبض على ساحر سبعيني يعمل راعي أغنام

فِرْقَةٌ مُتَخَصِّصَةٌ فِي قَضَايَا ٱلسِّحْر بِهَيْئَةِ ٱلْأَمْر بِٱلْمَعْرُوف وَٱلنَّهْي عَن ٱلْمُنْكَر بِمِنْطَقَةِ حَائِل أَلْقَتْ ٱلْقَبْض عَلَى وَافِدٍ عَرَبِيّ يَقُومُ بِأَعْمَال ٱلسِّحْر مِن عَطْفٍ وَصَرْف، وَلا يَتَعَامَل إِلَّا مَعَ ٱلنِّسَاء، حَيْثُ وُجِدَ بِحَوْزَتِهِ عَمَل صَرْف طَلاق لِعِدَّةِ نِسَاء، وَأَدْعِيَّة كُفْرِيَّة مِن أَدْعِيَّةِ ٱلسَّحَرَة. هٰذِهِ لَيْسَتْ ٱلْمَرَّةَ ٱلْأُولَى اَلَّتِي يُعْتَقَلُ فِيهَا سَاحِرٌ فِي مِنْطَقَةِ حَائِل؛ إِذْ سَبَقَ ضَبْط رَجُلٍ بَاتَ يُعْرَف بـِ«سَاحِر ٱلْمُذِيعَات» اَلَّذِي حُكِمَ عَلَيْهِ بِٱلْقَتْل. وَتُعَدّ قِصَّةُ «سَاحِر ٱلْمُذِيعَات» هٰذِهِ مِن أَغْرَب ٱلْقِصَص؛ فَقَد حَوَّلَ مَنْزِلَهُ بِأَكْمَلِهِ مِن جُدْرَانٍ وَأَسْقُف، وَحَتَّى عَتَبَات ٱلدَّرَج وَدَوْرَات ٱلْمِيَاه، إِلَى طِلَّسْمٍ سِحْرِيّ وَاحِد تَتَجَاوَز ٱلْكَلِمَات ٱلْمَكْتُوبَة عَلَيْه عَشَرَةَ أَلْف كَلِمَة مَكْتُوبَة بِأَشْكَالٍ عِدَّة وَخُطُوطٍ مُخْتَلِفَة وَمَقَاسَاتٍ مُتَفَاوِتَة وَأَلْوَانٍ مُتَعَدِّدَة، وَبَعْضُهَا كُتِبَ بِٱلدَّم، مُتَضَمِّنَة عِبَارَاتٍ مَقْرُوءَة وَأُخْرَى مُبْهَمَة وَأَسْمَاء نِسَاء مِن بَيْنِهِنّ مُذِيعَة خَلِيجِيَّة شَهِيرَة وَلَقَّبَهَا بـِ«صَاحِبَةِ ٱلْجَلالَة».


A team specialised in cases of witchcraft/magic in the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in the region of Ha;il has arrested an Arab foreigner who was carrying out works of witchcraft/magic from [the spell types] awakening affection [in others] and warding off. He wasnt dealing [with anyone] except with women and there was found in his possession a spell [lit. work] for warding off divorce for a number of women and infidel invocations/prayers from among the invocations/prayers of magicians. This is not the first time in which a magician has been arrested in the region of Ha;il as a man was previously arrested who became known as the magician of the lady-broadcasters who was sentenced to death. This story of the magician of the lady-broadcasters is considered one of the strangest stories as he transformed his house in its entirety from walls and ceilings and even the steps of the stairs and the toilets into one magical talisman the words written on it exceeding ten thousand words written in many forms and different scripts/calligraphies and dissimilar sizes and multiple colours. Some of them were written in blood and included phrases [some] readable and others cryptic and names of women among whom [was] a famous Gulf lady-broadcaster who he titled Her Majesty.

10587 - Masked men burn down largest UNRWA summer camp in Gaza.

Asharq Alawsat - 5/25/2010, Category: Crime Level: 1
ملثمون يحرقون أكبر مخيم صيفي لـ«الأونروا» في غزة

أَقْدَمَ مَجْهُولُون مُلَثَّمُون اَللَّيْلَة قَبْلَ ٱلْمَاضِيَة عَلَى إِحْرَاق أَكْبَر مُخَيَّمٍ صَيْفِيّ تُقِيمُهُ وَكَالَةُ غَوْثٍ وَتَشْغِيل ٱللّاجِئِين اَلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين (اَلْأُونْروَا) لِٱسْتِيعَاب ٱلطُّلَّاب ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين خِلالَ ٱلصَّيْف. وَيَقَعَ ٱلْمُخَيَّم فِي مِنْطَقَةِ «ٱلشَّيْخ عَجْلِين»، عَلَى شَاطِئ مَدِينَةِ غَزَّة. وَجَاءَ هٰذَا ٱلتَّطَوُّر فِي أَعْقَاب حَمْلَةِ تَنْدِيدٍ وَاسِعَة قَامَتْ بِهَا بَعْض ٱلْأَوْسَاط ٱلدِّينِيَّة فِي قِطَاع غَزَّة ضِدَّ مَشْرُوع بَرَامِج ٱلْمُخَيَّمَات ٱلصَّيْفِيَّة اَلَّتِي تُنَظِّمُهَا «ٱلْأُونْروَا»، حَيْثُ ٱتُّهِمَتْ هٰذِهِ ٱلْبَرَامِج بِٱلسَّعْي لِلْمَسّ بِقِيَم ٱلشَّبَاب ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيّ، وَتَشْجِيع ٱلْاِخْتِلاط بَيْنَ ٱلْجِنْسَيْن. وَوَزَّعَتْ جَمَاعَةٌ تُطْلِق عَلَى نَفْسِهَا «أَحْرَار ٱلْوَطَن» مَنْشُورًا قَبْلَ عِدَّةِ أَيَّام تَضَمَّنَ اِنْتِقَادَاتٍ لاذِعَة لِبَرَامِج ٱلْمُخَيَّمَات ٱلصَّيْفِيَّة، يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهَا تَتَضَمَّن تَعْلِيم اَلْفَتَيَات اَلرَّقْص وَٱلسِّبَاحَة.


Unknown masked people [with face masked below the eyes] embarked the night before last on the burning down of the largest summer camp set up by the Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) to take in Palestinian students during the summer. The camp lies in the area of Sheikh Ajlin on the beach of Gaza City. This development came on the heels of an extensive campaign of condemnation carried out by some religious circles in the Gaza Strip against the project of the summer camps programmes which UNRWA is organising as these programmes have been accused of striving to damage/harm the values of Palestinian youths and encouraging the mixing of the sexes. A group which calls itself The Free [people] of the Homeland distributed a leaflet a number of days ago which included stinging criticisms of the summer camps programmes claiming that they include teaching young women how to dance and swim.

10588 - Cities without cafés... Faces without smiles.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/1/2010, Category: Food and Drink Level: 4
مدن بلا مقاه.. وجوه بلا ابتسامات

أَنَا رَجُلٌ أُحِبُّ ٱلْمَقَاهِي، وَٱلْمَقَاهِي اَلَّتِي أُحِبُّهَا لَيْسَتْ مَقَاهِي ٱلْخَمْس نُجُوم، بَل تِلْكَ اَلَّتِي لَمْ يَزَل يَتَرَدَّد فِي أَرْجَائِهَا صَوْت ٱلْقَهْوَجِي مُنَغِّمًا: «أَبُو أَرْبَعَة أَسْوَد حَلاه بَرَّه»، لِيَعُود فَيَأْتِيَكَ حَامِلًا صِينِيَّتَهُ ٱلْمُسْتَدِيرَة، وَفِي قَلْبِهَا يَهْتَزُّ إِبْرِيق ٱلشَّاي، تُحِيطُهُ اَلْفَنَاجِين ٱلزُّجَاجِيَّة، ذَات ٱلْمَقَابِض ٱلرَّقِيقَة، وَبِجِوَارِهَا صِينِيَّةُ ٱلسُّكَّر، تَعْلُوهَا ٱلْمِلْعَقَةُ ٱلنُّحَاسِيَّة.. إِنَّهَا صُورَةٌ تُرَاثِيَّة لَمْ تَزَل مَغْرُوسَةً فِي ٱلذَّاكِرَة، رَغْم اِنْحِسَار هٰذَا ٱلنَّوْع مِن ٱلْمَقَاهِي فِي مَدِينَةِ «جُدَّة» أَمَامَ سَطْوَةِ ٱلْبَلَدِيَّات، وَظَاهِرَةِ اَلْـ«كُوفِي شُوب»، اَلَّتِي يُشْعِرُكَ بَعْضُهَا أَنَّكَ تَجْلِس فِي مَكَانٍ لا عَلاقَةَ لَهُ بِٱلْمَقْهَى، وَكَانَتْ جَدَّتِي يَرْحَمُهَا ٱلله تَخْشَى أَنْ أَنْشَأَ عَلَى حَدّ قَوْلِهَا: «وَلَد قَهَاوِي»، وَأَعْتَرِف بِأَنَّ خَشْيَتَهَا فِي مَكَانِهَا، فَأَنَا مُدْمِن مَقَاهٍ فِي ٱلْحَضَر وَٱلسَّفَر، وَأَوَّل مَا أَبْحَث عَنهُ فِي رِحَلاتِي هُوَ ٱلْمَقَاهِي.


I am a man who loves cafés. The cafés which I love arent the five star cafés but those which the voice of the café waiter still rings out in [all] the parts of in a lilting tone: An abu arba`a [=a teapot holding four cups-worth of tea usually for one person] of black [tea] with sugar on the side [lit. outside] and for him to return and come to you carrying his round [metal] tray in the middle of which rocks a teapot surrounded by glass cups with slender/delicate handles by which is a sugar dish on top of which is a brass spoon.. Its a traditional [lit. heritage] picture still fixed in the memory despite the decline/receding of this type of café in the city of Jeddah in the face of the assault of the municipalities and the phenomenon of the [western-style] Coffee Shop some of which make you feel that you are sitting in a place which has no connection with a [real] café. My grandmother may God rest her soul used to fear that I would grow up in her words: a boy of the cafés and I confess that her fear was well-placed because I am addicted to cafés in town [lit. a region with a settled population] and when travelling and the first thing that I look for on my trips is the cafés.

10589 - Suicide of young Egyptian who failed to meet marriage expenses.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/3/2010, Category: Daily Life Level: 1
انتحار شاب مصري لفشله في تدبير نفقات الزواج

اِخْتَلَفَ شَابٌّ مِصْرِيّ يَبْلُغ مِن ٱلْعُمْر وَاحِد وَثَلاثِين عَامًا مَعَ خَطِيبَتِه، بِسَبَب قِلَّةِ ٱلْمَوَارِد ٱلْمَالِيَّة وَعَدَم ٱلْقُدْرَة عَلَى ٱلْوَفَاء بِمُتَطَلَّبَات ٱلزَّوَاج، فَأَخَذَ حَبْلًا وَتَوَجَّهَ إِلَى كُوبْرِي قَصْر ٱلنِّيل وَرَبَطَهُ حَوْلَ عُنُقِه، ثُمَّ رَبَطَهُ فِي ٱلْكُوبْرِي وَأَلْقَى بِنَفْسِه. وَتَمَكَّنَ ٱلْكَثِير مِن ٱلْمَارَّة مِن أَعْلَى كُوبْرِي قَصْر ٱلنِّيل مِن اِلْتِقَاط صُوَرٍ لِجُثَّةِ ٱلشَّابّ وَهُوَ يَتَدَلَّى فِي حَبْلٍ مَرْبُوطٍ فِي عُنُقِه، وَكَانَ يَرْتَدِي بَنْطَلُونًا بُنِّيًا وَقَمِيصًا فَاتِحًا. وَقَالَتْ ٱلشُّرْطَة إِنَّهَا عَثَرَتْ عَلَى حَافِظَتِهِ ٱلْخَاصَّة وَهَاتِفِهِ ٱلْجَوَّال فِي مَلابِسِهِ، كَمَا عَثَرَتْ عَلَى خِطَابٍ كَانَ قَد تَرَكَهُ أَعْلَى ٱلْكُوبْرِي مُوَجَّهًا لِخَطِيبَتِه يَقُولُ فِيه إِنَّهُ يُمْكِنُهُ تَرْكَ ٱلْحَيَاةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا، لٰكِنَّهُ لا يُمْكِنُهُ أَنْ يَعِيشَ فِيهَا مِن دُونِ ٱلزَّوَاج مِن خَطِيبَتِه.


A young Egyptian man aged thirty one years old quarrelled with with his fiancée due to a lack of financial resources and the inability to meet the [financial] requirements of marriage. So he took a rope and headed to the Qasr el-Nil Bridge tied it around his neck and then tied it to the bridge and threw himself off. Many passers-by were able from the top of the Qasr el-Nil Bridge to take photos of the body of the young man as he dangled on a rope tied to his neck. He was wearing brown trousers and a light coloured shirt. The police said that they had found his wallet and mobile phone in his clothes and also they had found a letter he had left on top of the bridge addressed to his fiancée in which he said that he could leave this mortal [lit. lower] life but he couldnt live in it [this mortal life] without marrying his fiancée.

10590 - Tunisian Ministry of Education distributes 400 mobile phone jammers.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/5/2010, Category: Education Level: 2
وزارة التربية التونسية توزع 400 جهاز تشويش على الهواتف الجوالة

تَتَأَهَّب وِزَارَةُ ٱلتَّرْبِيَةِ ٱلتُّونُسِيَّة لِتَوْزِيع أَرْبَعُمِئَة جِهَاز تَشْوِيش عَلَى ذَبْذَبَات ٱلْهَوَاتِف ٱلْجَوَّالَة دَاخِل قَاعَات اِمْتِحَانَات ٱلْبَكَالُورِيَا (اَلشَّهَادَةُ ٱلثَّانَوِيَّة) اَلْمُزْمَع ٱنْطِلاقَهَا يَوْم تِسْعَة يُونِيُو (حُزَيْرَان) اَلْحَالِيّ. يَأْتِي هٰذَا ٱلْإِجْرَاء، وَهُوَ ٱلْأَوَّل مِن نَوْعِه، مِن قِبَل وِزَارَةِ ٱلتَّرْبِيَة فِي تَارِيخ اِمْتِحَانَات ٱلْبَكَالُورِيَا كَتَدْبِيرٍ يُوَاجِهُ اِسْتِفْحَال ظَاهِرَةِ ٱلْغِشّ فِي ٱلْاِمْتِحَانَات خِلالَ ٱلسَّنَوَات ٱلْأَخِيرَة. وَكَانَتْ إِحْدَى ٱلْمُمْتَحَنَات قَد ضُبِطَتْ أَثْنَاءَ اِمْتِحَانَات عَام أَلْفَيْن وَسَبْعَة وَهِيَ تُخْفِي هَاتِفَهَا ٱلْجَوَّال فِي شَعْرِهَا وَقَد أُلْقِيَ ٱلْقَبْض عَلَيْهَا بِٱلْجُرْم ٱلْمَشْهُود بَيْنَمَا كَانَتْ تَسْتَعْمِلُهُ. أَمَّا ٱلطَّرِيقَة ٱلْأَكْثَر اِنْتِشَارًا فَتَتَمَثَّلُ فِي نَسْخ نَصّ ٱلسُّؤَال وَإِرْسَالِهِ عَبْرَ ٱلْجَوَّال إِلَى ٱلْخَارِج ثُمَّ تَلَقِّي ٱلْإِجَابَةِ ٱلْمُنَاسِبَة عَبْرَ رِسَالَةٍ نَصِّيَّةٍ قَصِيرَة.


The Tunisian Ministry of Education is preparing to distribute four hundred jamming [lit. muddling] devices [operating] on the frequencies of mobile phones inside the halls of the Baccalaureate examinations (the secondary certificate) which are to start on the ninth of the current [month of] June (Huzairan). This measure which is the first of its kind by the Ministry of Education in the history of the Baccalaureate examinations comes as a move to face/confront the worsening [lit. becoming dreadful] phenomenon of cheating in the examinations in recent years. One of the female examinees was caught during the examinations of 2007 hiding her mobile phone in her hair. She was caught red handed [lit. a witnessed crime] while she was using it. As for the most widespread method this is embodied/represented in the copying of the text of the question and sending it outside via the mobile phone and then receiving the appropriate answer via an SMS [lit. short text message].

10591 - Oman: 16 killed, four missing as a result of tropical cyclone Phet.

Al-Hayat - 6/6/2010, Category: Environment Level: 1
عُمان: 16 قتيلاً وأربعة مفقودين نتيجة الإعصار المداري «فت»

أَبْقَتْ سَلْطَنَةُ عُمَان عَلَى دَرَجَةِ ٱلْاِسْتِعْدَاد، مِن ٱللَّوْن ٱلْبُرْتُقَالِيّ، حَتَّى تَنْتَهِي مِن حَصْر ٱلْخَسَائِر وَإِصْلاح مَا خَرَّبَهُ ٱلْإِعْصَار ٱلْمَدَارِيّ «فَت» اَلَّذِي تَحَوَّلَ إِلَى عَاصِفَةٍ مَدَارِيَّة أَوَّل مِن أَمْس اَلْجُمْعَة وَنَتَجَتْ مِنهَا أَمْطَارٌ شَدِيدَةَ ٱلْغَزَارَة أَدَّتْ إِلَى سُيُولٍ جَارِفَة. وَقَالَ رَئِيس ٱللَّجْنَة ٱلْوَطَنِيَّة لِلدِّفَاع ٱلْمَدَنِيّ اَلْمُفَتِّش ٱلْعَامّ لِلشُّرْطَةِ وَٱلْجَمَارِك اَلْفَرِيق مَالِك بِن سُلَيْمَان اَلْمَعْمَرِيّ أَمْس «أَنَّ فِرَق ٱلْإِنْقَاذ وَٱلْمُسَاعَدَةِ ٱلْمُخْتَلِفَة تُوَاصِل عَمَلَهَا فِي سَبِيل إِعَادَةِ ٱلْأُمُور إِلَى طَبِيعَتِهَا فِي مُخْتَلِف مُحَافَظَات وَمَنَاطِق ٱلسَّلْطَنَة». مُشِيرًا إِلَى أَنَّ عَدَد ٱلضَّحَايَا بَلَغَ سِتَّةَ عَشَر شَخْصًا مِن بَيْنِهِم ضَابِط صَفّ مِن ٱلدِّفَاع ٱلْمَدَنِيّ اُسْتُشْهِد أَثْنَاءَ تَأْدِيَتِهِ وَاجِبِه، بَيْنَمَا بَلَغَ عَدَد ٱلْمَفْقُودِين أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْخَاص وَتُقُوم طَائِرَات سِلاح ٱلْجَوّ ٱلسُّلْطَانِيّ اَلْعُمَانِيّ وَشُرْطَةُ عُمَان اَلسُّلْطَانِيَّة حَالِيًّا بِمَسْح مَجَارِي ٱلْأَوْدِيَة لِلْبَحْث عَنهُم.


The Sultanate of Oman is staying on a state of alert [lit. degree of preparedness] of the colour amber [lit. orange] until it has finished enumerating/counting the losses and repairing what was destroyed by tropical cyclone/hurricane Phet which turned into a tropical storm the day before yesterday Friday and which resulted in exceptionally heavy rains which led to flash floods. The Head of the National Committee for Civil Defence Inspector-General of Police and Customs Lieutenant General Malik bin Suleiman al-Ma;amari said yesterday that: The various rescue and assistance crews are continuing their work in order to return matters to normal in the various provinces and areas of the Sultanate. He pointed out that the number of victims came to sixteen people among whom was a non-commissioned officer of the Civil Defence who was martyred/killed in action while performing his duty while the number of missing persons came to four people. Aircraft [inc. helicopters] of the Royal Omani Air Force and the Royal Oman Police currently are carrying out a survey of the wadi [=river valley] courses to look for them.

10592 - Tunisian invents electronic prayer mat which counts bows and prostrations.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/10/2010, Category: Religion Level: 2
تونسي يخترع سجادة إلكترونية تحسب عدد الركعات والسجدات

تَمَكَّنَ ٱلتُّونُسِيّ حَمَّادِي اَلْأَبْيَض مِن اِخْتِرَاع سَجَّادَةٍ حَاسِبَةٍ لِعَدَد رَكَعَات ٱلصَّلاة، لِأَوَّل مَرَّةٍ فِي ٱلْعَالَم ٱلْإِسْلامِيّ، وَهِيَ قَادِرَةٌ عَلَى اِحْتِسَاب عَدَد ٱلرَّكَعَات، وَٱلْقَضَاء بِٱلتَّالِي عَلَى ظَاهِرَةِ شَكّ ٱلْمُصَلِّي فِي مَا أَدَّاهُ مِن سَجَدَاتٍ وَرَكَعَات. عَن ظُرُوف ٱلتَّوَصُّل لِهٰذَا ٱلْاِخْتِرَاع قَالَ اَلْأَبْيَض فِي تَصْرِيحٍ خَاصّ لـِ«اَلشَّرْق ٱلأَوْسَط» إِنَّ ٱلْفِكْرَة قَد اِخْتَمَرَتْ مُنْذُ نَحْو أَرْبَع سَنَوَات، وَسَجَّلَ بَرَاءَةَ ٱلْاِخْتِرَاع يَوْم أَرْبَعَة وَعِشْرِين نُوفِمْبِر (تِشْرِين ٱلثَّانِي) أَلْفَيْن وَثَمَانِيَة. لٰكِنَّهُ أَجَّلَ ٱلْحَدِيث عَن ٱلْاِخْتِرَاع إِلَى حِين ٱلْاِنْتِهَاء مِن كُلّ ٱلتَّجَارِب وَٱلْحُصُول عَلَى مُوَافَقَةِ ٱلْهَيْئَات ٱلدِّينِيَّة ٱلتُّونُسِيَّة. وَأَرْدَفَ أَنَّهُ أَهْدَى اِثْنَتَيْ عَشْرَةَ سَجَّادَة مِن اِخْتِرَاعِهِ إِلَى مُفْتِي ٱلْجُمْهُورِيَّة ٱلتُّونُسِيَّة وَٱلْأَئِمَّةِ وَٱلشُّيُوخ ٱلْعَامِلِين مَعَه، وَقَد جَرَّبُوا ٱلْاِخْتِرَاع لِمُدَّةٍ فَاقَتْ ٱلشَّهْر وَنِصْف ٱلشَّهْر، وَافَقُوا بَعْدَهَا عَلَى عَدَم مُعَارَضَتِهِ لِلشَّرْع.


Tunisian Hammadi al-Abyad has been able to invent a prayer rug which calculates the number of rak`as [=unit of Muslim prayer including bowing and prostrating] of the salat [=formal Muslim prayer] for the first time in the Islamic world. It is able to count the number of rak`as and thus put an end to the phenomenon of the doubt of the person praying as to what he has performed in the way of sajdas [=prostrations] and rak`as. About the circumstances of [his] arriving at this invention al-Abyad said in an exclusive statement to Asharq Alawsat that the idea had come to fruition [lit. fermented/ripened] since around four years [ago] and he registered the patent of the invention on 24 November (Tishreen al-Thani) 2008. However he delayed talking about the invention until the finishing of all tests/trials and obtaining the agreement of the Tunisian religious organizations. He added that he had given [as a present] twelve prayer rugs of his invention to the [Grand] Mufti of the Republic of Tunisia and the imams and sheikhs working with him. They tried out the invention for a period which exceeded a month and a half and agreed after it [the period] that it didn't contradict/conflict with Shari`a law.

10593 - Cairo: Second acquittal of the book "A Thousand and One Nights".

Asharq Alawsat - 6/11/2010, Category: Law Level: 1
القاهرة: حكم قضائي ثان بالبراءة لكتاب «ألف ليلة وليلة»

لِلْمَرَّةِ ٱلثَّانِيَة، بَعْدَ نَحْو خَمْس وَعِشْرِين سَنَة مِن ٱلْحُكْم ٱلْأَوَّل، بَرَّأَ ٱلْقَضَاء ٱلْمِصْرِيّ كِتَاب «أَلْف لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَة» مِن تُهَم ٱلْإِسَاءَةِ لِلدِّين وَإِشَاعَةِ ٱلْفُحْش فِي ٱلْمُجْتَمَع. إِذْ قَرَّرَ ٱلنَّائِب ٱلْعَامّ اَلْمِصْرِيّ اَلْمُسْتَشَار عَبْد اَلْمَجِيد مَحْمُود حِفْظ ٱلتَّحْقِيقَات فِي ٱلْبَلاغَات ٱلْمُقَدَّمَةِ ضِدّ رَئِيس مَجْلِس إِدَارَةِ ٱلْهَيْئَةِ ٱلْمِصْرِيَّةِ ٱلْعَامَّة لِقُصُور ٱلثَّقَافَة وَبَعْض ٱلْعَامِلِين بِٱلْهَيْئَة بِسَبَب إِعَادَةِ طِبَاعَةِ وَنَشْر ٱلْمُؤَلَّف ٱلتُّرَاثِيّ ٱلشَّهِير، اَلَّذِي اِعْتَبَرَ ٱلْمُبَلِّغُون (تِسْعَةُ مُحَامِين) أَنَّهُ يَحْمِلُ ٱلْكَثِير مِن ٱلْعِبَارَات اَلَّتِي مِن شَأْنِهَا ٱزْدِرَاء ٱلدِّين ٱلْإِسْلامِيّ وَخَدْش ٱلْحَيَاء ٱلْعَامّ وَٱلدَّعْوَةُ إِلَى ٱلْفُجُور وَٱلْفِسْق. اَلنِّيَابَةُ اِنْتَهَتْ إِلَى حِفْظ ٱلتَّحْقِيقَات لِعَدَم تَوَافُر أَرْكَان جَرَائِم اِسْتِغْلال ٱلدِّين فِي ٱلتَّرْوِيج لِلْأَفْكَار ٱلْمُتَطَرِّفَة وَٱزْدِرَاء ٱلْأَدْيَان ٱلسَّمَاوِيَّة وَإِثَارَةِ ٱلْفِتَن، وَكَذَا نَشْر وَعَرْض مَطْبُوعَاتٍ خَادِشَة لِلْحَيَاء ٱلْعَامّ فِي مُحْتَوَى مُؤَلَّف «أَلْف لَيْلَة وَلَيْلَة».


For the second time after around twenty five years since the first [legal] ruling the Egyptian judiciary has acquitted the book A Thousand and One Nights of accusations of insulting religion and spreading vulgarity in society as the Egyptian Prosecutor-General Justice Abdel Megid Mahmud decided to suspend/discontinue the [judicial] inquiries into the charges laid against the chairman of the Egyptian General Organisation for Cultural Palaces [=public arts centres] and some of the people working in the organisation because of the reprinting and [re-] publishing of the famous heritage book which the complainants [lit. people bringing charges] (nine lawyers) considered to contain many phrases/sentences which are intent on ridiculing the Islamic faith offending public decency and inciting immorality and sinfulness. The office of the Prosecutor ended up suspending/discontinuing the inquiries due to the lack of evidence [lit. supports] for the crimes of exploiting religion in the promoting of extremist ideas contempt for the heavenly religions [=Judaism Christianity and Islam] and provoking [civil] discord/unrest as well as publishing and presenting [to the public] publications offensive to public decency in the content of the book A Thousand and One Nights.

10594 - Egyptian receives marriage certificate 50 years after getting married.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/20/2010, Category: Relationships Level: 1
مصري يتسلم وثيقة زواجه بعد 50 سنة من عقد القران

تَسَلَّمَ جَدٌّ مِصْرِيّ وَسْطَ أَحْفَادِهِ وَثِيقَةَ زَوَاجِهِ بَعْدَ خَمْسِين سَنَةً مِن عَقْد ٱلْقِرَان، حَيْثُ اِلْتَفَّ حَوْلَهُ ٱلْأَهْل وَٱلْجِيرَان كَأَنَّهُ فِي عُرْس، مَثَلُهُ كَمَثَل مَنْ يَتَزَوَّجُون لِلْمَرَّةِ ٱلْأُولَى. وَيَأْتِي ذٰلِكَ ضِمْنَ مَشْرُوعٍ لِتَسْجِيل ٱلزِّيجَات فِي ٱلْمَنَاطِق ٱلنَّائِيَّة. وَرَغْم أَنَّ ٱلزَّوَاج اَلْمَبْنِيّ عَلَى ٱلْعُرْف ٱلْقَبَلِيّ فِي أَغْلَب مُحَافَظَات مِصْر يُقَامُ عَلَى أُسُسٍ دِينِيَّةٍ سَلِيمَة، فَإِنَّهُ يَفْتَقِرُ إِلَى ٱلتَّوْثِيق ٱلْقَانُونِيّ، مِمَّا يُسَبِّبُ مُشْكِلاتٍ وَمَآسٍ كَثِيرَة لا تَقْتَصِرُ عَلَى ٱلزَّوْجَيْن فَقَط، بَل تَمْتَدّ إِلَى أَوْلادِهِمَا وَأَحْفَادِهِمَا فِيمَا يَخُصُّ ٱلتَّعْلِيم وَٱسْتِخْرَاج ٱلْوَثَائِق وَتَقْسِيم ٱلْمِيرَاث وَغَيْرَهَا. وَلِهٰذَا تَبْذُلُ ٱلْحُكُومَة وَمُنَظَّمَاتٌ أَهْلِيَّة جُهُودًا لِحَثّ ٱلْمُتَزَوِّجِين فِي تِلْكَ ٱلْمَنَاطِق ٱلنَّائِيَّة عَلَى تَسْجِيل زَوَاجِهِم وَتَوْثِيقِهِ فِي مَكَاتِب ٱلسِّجِلّ ٱلْمَدَنِيّ.


An Egyptian grandfather received amid his grandchildren his marriage certificate fifty years after getting married [lit. contracting the marriage] as family and neighbours gathered around him as though he was in a wedding and he was like someone marrying for the first time. This came as part of a project for registering marriages in remote areas. And although marriages built on tribal customs in most governorates of Egypt are conducted on sound religious foundations they nevertheless lack being legally documented/notarised which causes many problems and tragedies [which are] not confined to the married couple only but extend to their children and grandchildren concerning education and getting documents out [from the authorities] and dividing estates/legacies and other things. For this reason the government and non-governmental organisations are making efforts to urge married people in those remote areas to register their marriage and document/notarise it in civil record offices.

10595 - Basra: Demonstration demanding improved electricity supply turns violent and ends in the killing of a demonstrator.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/21/2010, Category: Daily Life Level: 1
البصرة: مظاهرة للمطالبة بتحسين الكهرباء تتحول إلى مواجهات وتنتهي بمقتل متظاهر

قُتِلَ شَخْصٌ وَجُرِحَ ٱثْنَان آخَرَان عِنْدَمَا أَطْلَقَتْ قُوَّاتُ ٱلْأَمْن اَلرَّصَاص فِي ٱلْهَوَاء أَمْس، لِتَفْرِيق مُظَاهَرَةٍ قَامَ بِهَا آلافٌ مِن سُكَّان ٱلْبَصْرَة أَمَامَ مَجْلِس ٱلْمُحَافَظَة، اِحْتِجَاجًا عَلَى ٱلنَّقْص ٱلْحَادّ فِي ٱلتَّيَّار ٱلْكَهْرَبَائِيّ. وَكَانَتْ ٱلْمُظَاهَرَة قَد بَدَأَتْ بِشَكْلٍ سِلْمِي طَالَبَ ٱلْمُشَارِكُون فِيهَا اَلْحُكُومَة ٱلْمَحَلِّيَّة أَنْ تُوفِي بِوُعُودِهَا بِتَحْسِين ٱلْخِدْمَات، وَمُهَدِّدِين بِتَحْوِيل ٱلْمُظَاهَرَة إِلَى اِعْتِصَام وَٱنْتِفَاضَةٍ شَعْبِيَّة، مُشَدِّدِين عَلَى إِقَالَةِ ٱلْمُحَافِظ وَٱلْمَسْؤُولِين عَن دَوَائِر ٱلْكَهْرَبَاء، وَلَمَّا لَمْ يَجِد ٱلْمُتَظَاهِرُون مَنْ يَسْتَقْبِلُهُم مِن ٱلْمَسْؤُولِين وَيَسْتَمِع إِلَى مَطَالِبِهِم، رَجَمُوا بِنَايَةَ مَجْلِس ٱلْمُحَافَظَة بِٱلْحِجَارَة، مِمَّا حَدَا بِٱلْأَجْهِزَة ٱلْأَمْنِيَّة ٱلْمُكَلَّفَة بِٱلْحِمَايَة إِلَى إِطْلاق ٱلنَّار لِتَفْرِيق ٱلْمُتَظَاهِرِين، مِمَّا أَدَّى إِلَى مَقْتَل أَحَدِهِم وَإِصَابَةِ آخَرَيْن قَبْلَ وُصُول ٱلتَّعْزِيزَات ٱلْمَحْمُولَة بِسَيَّارَاتٍ مُدَرَّعَة اَلَّتِي طَارَدَتْ ٱلْمُتَظَاهِرِين، وَٱعْتَقَلَتْ ٱلْعَشَرَات مِنهُم.


A person was killed and two others injured when security forces fired shots into the air yesterday to disburse a demonstration being held by thousands of the residents of Basra in front of the governorate council [building] in protest against the acute shortage in the electricity supply [lit. current]. The demonstration had begun in a peaceful manner during which the participants were calling for the local government to keep its promises to improve services and threatening to turn the demonstration into a sit-in and a popular uprising and insisting on the dismissal of the governor and the officials in the [government] electricity offices. And when the demonstrators did not find anyone from among the officials to receive them and listen to their demands they stoned the building of the governorate council with stones which prompted the security services charged with protecting [the building] to open fire to disperse the demonstrators which led to the killing of one of them and the injuring of two others before the arrival of reinforcements carried in armoured cars who pursued the demonstrators and arrested dozens of them.

10596 - Al-Azhar scholars: Allowing women to recite the Quran on radio and satellite channels would open the door to decay in the community.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/25/2010, Category: Religion Level: 1
علماء أزهريون: السماح للمرأة بقراءة القرآن في الإذاعة والفضائيات سيفتح باب الانحلال في المجتمع

هَلْ صَوْت ٱلْمَرْأَةِ عَوْرَة، وَهَلْ هٰذَا ٱلْحُكْم بِدْعَة، أَمْ أَنَّهُ حَقِيقَةٌ يُؤَكِّدُهَا ٱلشَّرْع، وَإِذَا كَانَ مِن حَقّ ٱلْمَرْأَة قِرَاءَةُ ٱلْقُرْآن فِي بَيْتِهَا حَتَّى وَهِيَ حَائِض، كَمَا يَذَهَب بَعْض ٱلْفُقَهَاء، فَلِمَاذَا لا يَكُون مِن حَقِّهَا أَنْ تَقْرَأَهُ فِي ٱلْإِذَاعَةِ وَعَلَى ٱلْفَضَائِيَّات كَمَا طَالَبَ ٱلْبَعْض مُؤَخَّرًا بِذٰلِك. بَيْدَ أَنَّ عُلَمَاء ٱلْإِسْلام فِي مِصْر اِتَّفَقُوا جَمِيعُهُم عَلَى أَنَّ صَوْتَهَا «عَوْرَةٌ» وَأَنَّ قِرَاءَتَهَا قَد تَدْعُو ٱلْمُسْتَمِع أَوْ ٱلْمُشَاهِد لَهَا إِلَى تَمَعُّن مَفَاتِنِهَا، خَاصَّةً لَوْ كَانَتْ حُلْوَةَ ٱلصَّوْت، رَافِضِين أَنْ يُسْمَح لِلْمَرْأَة بِقِرَاءَةِ ٱلْقُرْآن، وَٱسْتَنَدُوا فِي ذٰلِك إِلَى أَنَّ أُمَّهَات ٱلْمُسْلِمِين لَمْ يَقْرَأنَ ٱلْقُرْآن أَمَامَ ٱلرِّجَال، مُؤَكِّدِين أَنَّ ٱلسَّمَاح لِلنِّسَاء بِقِرَاءَةِ ٱلْقُرْآن سَيَفْتَح بَاب ٱلْفِتَن وَٱلْاِنْحِلال فِي ٱلْمُجْتَمَع ٱلْإِسْلامِيّ.


Is the voice of a woman [considered] `awrah [=that which should be kept hidden]? And is this ruling heresy [lit. an innovation (in Islam)] or is it a truth [which] Islamic law confirms? If it is the right of a woman to recite [aloud] the Quran in her house even when she is menstruating as some Islamic jurists believe then why is it not her right to recite it on the radio and on the satellite channels as some recently have called for? However scholars of Islam in Egypt all agreed that her [a womans] voice is `awrah and that her reciting might induce the listener or viewer of her to become engrossed in her charms especially if she were pleasant/sweet of voice [so] they rejected the womans being allowed to recite the Quran relying as a [documentary] basis for this on the fact that the mothers of the Muslims [=Muhammads wives] did not recite the Quran in front of men and stressing that the allowing of women to recite the Quran would open the door to temptations and [moral] decay [lit. dissolution] in the Islamic community.

10597 - Drunken tourist from Cairo causes panic with his car on the Corniche of Alexandria.

Asharq Alawsat - 6/26/2010, Category: Crime Level: 2
سائح قاهري مخمور يثير الذعر بسيارته على كورنيش الإسكندرية

أَثَارَ مُحَامٍ مِصْرِيّ كَانَ فِي سِيَاحَة بِٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة اَلذُّعْر بِسَيَّارَتِهِ عَلَى كُوْرْنِيش مَدِينَةِ ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة، وَتَسَبَّبَتْ قِيَادَتُهُ ٱلْمُتَهَوِّرَة وَهُوَ فِي حَالَةِ سُكْرٍ شَدِيد فِي مَقْتَل قَاضٍ وَتَحْطِيم عَرَبَةِ نُزْهَةٍ يَجُرُّهَا حِصَان (حَنْطُور) وَإِصَابَةِ اِثْنَيْن آخَرَيْن كَانَا بِدَاخِلِهَا. مَعَارِف ٱلْمُحَامِي، وَهُوَ مِن ضَاحِيَةِ ٱلْهَرَم بِٱلْقَاهِرَة، وَزُمَلاء لَهُ فِي ٱلْعَمَل أَكَّدُوا أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ مَعْرُوفًا بِمُعَاقَرَةِ ٱلْخَمْر، وَفَسَّرَ بَعْضُهُم سَبَب سُكْرِهِ ٱلشَّدِيد فِي ٱللَّيْلَةِ ٱلْمَشْؤُومَة بِأَنَّهُ رُبَّمَا شَعَرَ بِٱلْوَحْدَة لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ يَمْضِي إِجَازَتَهُ ٱلصَّيْفِيَّة فِي ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة بِمُفْرَدِهِ، وَقَد يَكُون هٰذَا مَا أَغْرَاهُ عَلَى ٱلشُّرْب وَقِيَادَتِهِ سَيَّارَتِهِ مَخْمُورًا، مِمَّا أَدَّى لِوُقُوع ٱلْمَأْسَاة. حَسَبَ وَسَائِل إِعْلامٍ مَحَلِّيَّة، سَيُعَادُ ٱلتَّحْقِيق مَعَ ٱلْمُتَّهَم خِلال هٰذَا ٱلْأُسْبُوع، بَعْدَمَا قَرَّرَتْ ٱلنِّيَابَةُ فِي ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّة حَبْسَهُ عَلَى ذِمَّةِ ٱلتَّحْقِيق.


An Egyptian lawyer who was on a tourist trip in Alexandria caused terror/panic with his car on the Corniche [=coast road] of the city of Alexandria. His reckless driving while he was in a state of extreme drunkenness resulted in the killing of a judge and the wrecking of a horse-drawn pleasure trip carriage (a hantour) and the injuring of two others who were inside it [the hantour]. Acquaintances of the lawyer who is from the suburb of al-Haram [=pyramid] in Cairo and colleagues of his at work stressed that he is not known for being given to drinking alcohol and some of them explained the reason of his extreme drunkenness on the ill-fated night to the fact that he might have been feeling lonely because he was spending his summer holiday in Alexandria on his own and this might have been what induced him to drink and to drive his car intoxicated which led to the happening of the tragedy. According to local media there will be a re-interrogation of the accused during the course of this week after the office of the Prosecutor in Alexandria decided to remand him in custody.

10598 - Official report absolves the jinn from fires which broke out in an Egyptian village.

Asharq Alawsat - 7/4/2010, Category: Daily Life Level: 1
تقرير رسمي يبرئ ساحة الجن من حرائق نشبت في قرية مصرية

بَعْدَ أَنْ حَمَّلَ أَهَالِي قَرْيَةٍ مِصْرِيَّة بِمُحَافَظَةِ ٱلْفَيُّوم (جَنُوب ٱلْقَاهِرَة)، «اَلْجِنّ» مَسْؤُولِيَّةَ حَرَائِق تَنْشَب فِي مَنَازِلِهِم وَحَظَائِرِهِم، قَطَعَ تَقْرِيرٌ قَضَائِيٌّ رَسْمِيّ اَلطَّرِيق عَلَى هٰذِهِ ٱلْاِتِّهَامَات، وَبَرَّأَ سَاحَةَ ٱلْجِنّ، مُحَمِّلًا مَسْؤُولِيَّةَ اِنْدِلاع ٱلْحَرَائِق لـِ«رَوْثِ ٱلْمَوَاشِي»، اَلْأَمْر اَلَّذِي رَفَضَ ٱلْأَهَالِي اَلْاِعْتِرَافَ بِهِ، وَقَرَّرُوا تَرْك مَنَازِلِهِم خَوْفًا مِن بَطْش ٱلْجِنّ، وَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ تَجَلَّى لَهُم عَبْرَ جَسَد طِفْلَةٍ وَتَوَعَّدَهُم. وَقَالَ ٱلتَّقْرِير ٱلرَّسْمِيّ اَلصَّادِر عَن ٱلْمَعْمَل ٱلْجِنَائِيّ فِي ٱلتَّحْقِيقَات عَن أَسْبَاب اِنْدِلاع ٱلْحَرَائِق فِي ٱلْقَرْيَة، إِنَّ تَحَلُّل رَوْث ٱلْمَوَاشِي دَاخِل ٱلتُّرْبَة يُنْتِج مَوَادّ عُضْوِيَّة تَشْتَعِل ذَاتِيًّا، خَاصَّةً فِي وُجُود دَرَجَات حَرَارَةٍ عَالِيَة، وَتَنْتَشِرُ فِي قُرَى مِصْر بَيْنَ ٱلْحِين وَٱلْآخَر حَوَادِث اِنْدِلاع حَرَائِق غَيْر مَعْلُومَةِ ٱلسَّبَب، سُرْعَانَ مَا يُرْجِعُهَا ٱلْأَهَالِي لِقُوًى خَفِيَة، ثُمَّ تُكَذِّبُهَا ٱلتَّقَارِير ٱلْعِلْمِيَّة عِنْدَ ٱلتَّحْقِيق فِي هٰذِهِ ٱلْحَوَادِث.


After the inhabitants of an Egyptian village in the governorate of al-Fayyum (south of Cairo) charged the jinn [=supernatural beings] with responsibility for fires which have been breaking out in their houses and their [animal] pens/coops an official judicial report cut off the road to [i.e. it rejected] these allegations and absolved the world [lit. arena] of the jinn laying responsibility for the outbreak of the fires on cattle dung something which the inhabitants refused to recognise and they decided to leave their houses out of fear of the violent attacks of the jinn. They said that it had manifested itself to them through the [live] body of a young girl and had threatened them. The official report issued by the forensic [lit. criminal] laboratory in the investigations into the causes of the outbreaks of the fires in the village said: that the [chemical] break down of cattle dung in the soil was producing organic substances [which] were spontaneously igniting especially with the existence of high [air] temperatures. There spread in the villages of Egypt from time to time incidents of the outbreak of fires with unknown causes [which] the inhabitants quickly attribute to mysterious/unseen forces [but] then the scientific reports disprove/put the lie to this upon the investigation into these incidents.

10599 - Lebanon: Death of Fadlallah - The modernist Arab Shiite religious authority.

Asharq Alawsat - 7/5/2010, Category: Religion Level: 1
رحيل فضل الله المرجعية الشيعية العربية صاحب مبدأ «التحديث»

فَقَدَ لُبْنَان أَمْس اَلْمَرْجَعِيَّةَ ٱلشِّيعِيَّةَ ٱللُّبْنَانِيَّةَ ٱلْأَبْرَز، بِوَفَاةِ ٱلسَّيِّد مُحَمَّد حُسَيْن فَضْل ٱلله، عَن (خَمْسَةٍ وَسَبْعِين عَامًا)، جَرَّاءَ صِرَاعٍ طَوِيلٍ مَعَ مَرَضٍ خَبِيثٍ فِي ٱلْكَبِد. وَبِرَحِيل فَضْل ٱلله تَخْلُو ٱلسَّاحَة ٱللُّبْنَانِيَّة مِن ٱلْمَراجِع ٱلْكِبَار، بِٱعْتِبَار أَنَّ ٱلْمَبْدَأ ٱلشِّيعِيّ ٱلْخَاصّ بـِ«ٱلتَّقْلِيد» فِي أُمُور ٱلْعِبَادَات وَٱلْمُعَامَلات، يُوجِبُ عَلَى ٱلْمُكَلَّف أَنْ يَخْتَارَ شَخْصِيَّةً يَرَى فِيهَا ٱلْكَفَاءَةَ ٱلدِّينِيَّة لِلْإِفْتَاء فِي أُمُور ٱلدِّين وَٱلدُّنْيَا. وَفِي هٰذَا ٱلْإِطَار كَانَ فَضْل ٱلله اَلْمَرْجَعِيَّة ٱللُّبْنَانِيَّة شِبْه ٱلْوَحِيدَة، بَيْنَمَا يَنْقَسِمُ ٱلْبَاقُون بَيْنَ تَقْلِيد ٱلسَّيِّد عَلِيّ اَلسِّيسْتَانِيّ (فِي ٱلْعِرَاق)، وَٱلسَّيِّد عَلِيّ اَلْخَامِنَئِيّ (فِي إِيْرَان)، عِلْمًا أَنَّ ٱلْأَخِير يَحْمِلُ صِفَةً اِسْتِثْنَائِيَّة، بِٱعْتِبَارِهِ «ٱلْوَلِيّ ٱلْفَقِيه»، اَلْمَبْدَأ اَلَّذِي يَنُصّ عَلَى جَمْع ٱلْمَرْجِع اَلسُّلْطَتَيْن اَلسِّيَاسِيَّة وَٱلدِّينِيَّة مَعًا، وَهُوَ مَا قُوبِلَ بِرَفْض ٱلْكَثِير مِن ٱلْمَراجِع ٱلشِّيعِيَّة، وَأَبْرَزُهُم فَضْل ٱلله.


Lebanon yesterday lost the most prominent Lebanese Shiite marji` [=religious authority] with the death of Sayyid [=title of a direct descendant of Muhammad] Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah at [the age of] 75 years old following [lit. due to] a long battle with a malignant/vicious disease in the liver. With the demise [lit. departure] of Fadlallah the Lebanese arena is [now] empty of senior marji`s/authorities as regards the fact that the Shiite principle of taqliid [lit. tradition;=following decisions of a religious authority without question] in matters of `ibaadaat [=acts of worship; conduct of man towards God (Isl. law)] and mu`aamalaat [=dealings with other people (Isl. law)] requires a mukallaf [=a sane legally competent person (having reached puberty)] to choose a figure in whom he sees the religious competence to deliver fatwas [=formal legal opinions] in matters of religion and the world. In this regard Fadlallah was just about the only Lebanese marji`/authority while the remainder [of Shia people] are divided between the taqliid [i.e. following the tradition] of Sayyid Ali al-Sistani (in Iraq) and Sayyid Ali al-Khamenei (in Iran). The latter it should be known carries an exceptional attribute in his being the Wali al-Faqih [=Guardian of the Islamic Jurist] - the principle which stipulates the marji`/authority should join both political and religious powers together which is something which was met with the rejection of many Shiite marji`s/authorities the most prominent of whom was Fadlallah.

10600 - Preacher Khalid al-Jundi: Love songs are acceptable and music is a blessing which does not distract from obedience to God.

Asharq Alawsat - 7/10/2010, Category: Music Level: 3
الداعية خالد الجندي: الغزل مقبول.. والموسيقى نعمة ولا تلهي عن طاعة الله

أَكَّدَ ٱلدَّاعِيَةُ ٱلْإِسْلامِيّ اَلْمَعْرُوف اَلدُّكْتُور خَالِد اَلْجُنْدِيّ، عُضْو ٱلْمَجْلِس ٱلْأَعْلَى لِلشُّؤُون ٱلْإِسْلامِيَّة فِي ٱلْقَاهِرَة، أَنَّ ٱلْمَعَازِف وَٱلْمُوسِيقَى نِعْمَةٌ تَرْتَقِي بِهَا ٱلْأَرْوَاح، وَتَسْمُو بِهَا ٱلْأَفْئِدَة، وَأَنَّهَا لا تُلْهِي عَن طَاعَةِ ٱلله، مُشِيرًا إِلَى أَنَّ ٱلْعُلَمَاء قَد اِخْتَلَفُوا كَثِيرًا فِي هٰذَا ٱلشَّأْن وَٱنْقَسَمُوا بَيْنَ مُجِيزٍ وَمَانِع. وَصَنَّفَ اَلْجُنْدِيّ اَلْأَغَانِي إِلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَنْوَاع؛ إِمَّا وَطَنِيَّة أَوْ دِينِيَّة أَوْ أَغَانِي أَطْفَال أَوْ أَغَانٍ عَاطِفِيَّة؛ حَيْثُ تَنْقَسِمُ ٱلْأَخِيرَةُ إِلَى قِسْمَيْن: غَزَلٌ، وَتَشْبِيب، مُؤَكِّدًا أَنَّ ٱلشُّعَرَاء كَانُوا يَقُولُون ٱلْغَزَل فِي حَضْرَةِ ٱلنَّبِيّ ٱلْمُصْطَفَى صَلَّى ٱلله عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم، أَمَّا ٱلتَّشْبِيب فَهُوَ مَرْفُوضٌ بِإِجْمَاع ٱلْعُلَمَاء.


The well-known Islamic preacher/propagandist Dr. Khalid al-Jundi member of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Cairo confirmed that musical instruments and music are a blessing which raise spirits and lift hearts and that they do not divert/distract [worshipers] from obedience to God. He pointed out that scholars had differed much in this matter and were split between those who permit it and those who forbid it. Al-Jundi categorised songs into four types: Either patriotic or religious or childrens songs or emotional/love songs; where the latter are divided into two groups/sections: ghazal [=love poems/songs addressed to ones beloved] and tashbiib [=erotic love poems/songs about ones beloved]. He stressed that the poets used to say ghazals in the presence of the Prophet [Muhammad] al-Mustafa [=the Chosen an epithet of Muhammad] peace be upon him. As for tashbiib this is not permissible by unanimous consensus [Isl. law] of the ulema [=religious scholars].

10601 - Hebrons Old City: Fear and insecurity make the return to life difficult and slow.

Asharq Alawsat - 7/12/2010, Category: Daily Life Level: 1
البلدة القديمة في الخليل: الخوف وانعدام الأمن يجعل عودة الحياة صعبة وبطيئة

تَرَدَّدَتْ ثَلاث نِسْوَة مُحَجَّبَات مِن مُوَاصَلَةِ ٱلسَّيْر إِلَى عُمْق ٱلْبَلْدَةِ ٱلْقَدِيمَة فِي ٱلْخَلِيل جَنُوبَ ٱلضِّفَّةِ ٱلْغَرْبِيَّة، وَتَنَاقَشنَ قَلِيلًا، وَقَرَّرنَ ٱلْعَوْدَة مِن حَيْثُ أَتَينَ، بَعْدَمَا تَمَلَّكَهُنَّ قَلَقٌ وَاضِح مِن مَشْهَد ٱلشَّارِع ٱلطَّوِيل اَلَّذِي كَانَ فَارِغًا إِلَّا مِن بَعْض أَصْحَاب ٱلْمَحَلَّات ٱلْقَلِيلَةِ ٱلْمَفْتُوحَة وَسْطَ عَشَرَاتٍ أُخْرَى مُغْلَقَة. وَقَبْلَ بِدَايَةِ ٱلْاِنْتِفَاضَةِ ٱلثَّانِيَة عَام أَلْفَيْن كَانَتْ ٱلْبَلْدَةُ ٱلْقَدِيمَة تَعِجُّ يَوْمِيًّا بِآلاف ٱلْمُتَسَوِّقِين، لٰكِنَّ إِغْلاق إِسْرَائِيل لَهَا مُنْذُ بِدَايَةِ ٱلْاِنْتِفَاضَة وَحَتَّى قَبْلَ ثَلاث سَنَوَات، مَعَ مَا تَرَافَقَ مِن عَرْبَدَةِ مِئَاتِ ٱلْمُسْتَوْطِنِين اَلَّذِينَ يَسْكُنُون بَعْض بُيُوت ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين هُنَاكَ عَنْوَة، وَٱعْتِدَاءَاتِهِم اَلْمُتَكَرِّرَة عَلَى أَيّ عَرَبِيّ، كُلّ ذٰلِكَ حَوَّلَ ٱلْبَلْدَة إِلَى مَا يُشْبِه مَدِينَةَ أَشْبَاحٍ يَمْلَؤُهَا ٱلْخَوْف.


Three women wearing headscarves hesitated about [whether] to continue walking into the depth of the old city in Hebron in the south of the West Bank. They discussed amongst themselves a little and decided to go back to where they had come from after obvious concern/worry had seized/possessed them at the sight of the long road which was empty except for some owners of the few open shops among the dozens of other closed ones. Before the start of the second intifada [lit. uprising] in the year two thousand the old city would be filled [lit. teem] every day with thousands of shoppers but Israels closing of it since the start of the intifada and until three years ago along with what it [the closure] came with in terms of the quarrelsomeness of hundreds of settlers who live/dwell in some of the houses of Palestinians there by force and their repeated aggressions on any Arab; All this has turned the city into what resembles a ghost town which is filled with fear.

10602 - Mountain tourism in Syria .. An opportunity for relaxation and meditation.

Asharq Alawsat - 7/18/2010, Category: Places Level: 2
السياحة الجبلية في سورية.. فرصة للاسترخاء والتأمل

إِذَا كَانَتْ ٱلْمُدُن ٱلشَّاطِئِيَّة اَلسُّورِيَّة تُعْتَبَرُ عُنْوَانًا لِلسِّيَاحَةِ ٱلْبَحْرِيَّة، فَإِنَّ فِي سِلْسِلَةِ ٱلْجِبَال اَلَّتِي تَقِفُ كَٱلْحَارِس عَلَى ٱلْبَحْر ٱلْأَبْيَض ٱلْمُتَوَسِّط عَدَدًا مِن ٱلْكُنُوز اَلسِّيَاحِيَّة بَيْنَ وِدْيَانِهَا وَقِمَمِهَا وَغَابَاتِهَا ٱلْخَضْرَاء، وَمِن أَجْمَل تِلْكَ ٱلْكُنُوز مَدِينَتَا (صَافِيتَا وَٱلدّْرَيْكِيش) اَلْمُطِلَّة عَلَى ٱلْبَحْر فِي مَنْظَرٍ طَبِيعِيٍّ شَائِقٍ وَجَمِيل، وَإِذَا كَانَتْ اَلدّْرَيْكِيش تُعْتَبَرُ عُنْوَانًا لِسِيَاحَةِ ٱلْمِيَاه ٱلْمَعْدِنِيَّة مِن خِلالِ شُهْرَةِ يَنَابِيعِهَا ٱلرَّقْرَاقَة اَلْعَذْبَة، فَإِنَّ صَافِيتَا بِبُرْجِهَا ٱلصَّلِيبِيّ وَتِلالِهَا ٱلْمُوَشَّاة بِٱلْوُرُود تُعْتَبَرُ رَمْزًا لِلسِّيَاحَةِ ٱلْجَبَلِيَّة وَٱلتَّنَقُّل بَيْنَ ٱلْغَابَات ٱلْعَذْرَاء، وَٱلْعَيْش فِي رَحِم ٱلطَّبِيعَة بِهَوَائِهَا ٱلْعَلِيل، اَلَّذِي لَمْ تُلَوِّثهُ مُخَلَّفَات ٱلْحَضَارَةِ ٱلْحَدِيثَة.


If the Syrian coastal towns are considered a heading/place to go for sea tourism So in the chain of mountains which stands like a guard over the Mediterranean Sea [there are] a number of touristic treasures among its valleys and peaks and green forests. Among the most beautiful of these treasures are the two towns of Safita and Draykish which overlook the sea in a natural view [which is] thrilling and beautiful. And if Draykish is considered a heading/place to go for mineral water tourism through the fame of its sparkling fresh [water] springs So Safita with its crusader tower and its hills bedecked/adorned with flowers is considered a symbol of mountain tourism and travelling among virgin forests And living in the womb of nature with its pleasant/gentle air unpolluted by the leftovers of modern civilization.

10603 - Palestinian university students sell drinks.

Al-Hayat - 7/19/2010, Category: Youth Level: 4
جامعيون فلسطينيون يبيعون الشراب

مَعَ قَرْع جَرَس ٱلْعُطْلَةِ ٱلصَّيْفِيَّة، وَٱلدُّخُول فِي فَصْل صَيْفٍ مُلَتَهِب، يَخْلَعُ ٱلْعَدِيد مِن ٱلشُّبَّان ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيِّين مَلابِسَهُم ٱلْعَادِيَّة، وَيَرْتَدُون «اَلشِّرْوَال» أَوْ «اَلْقُمْبَاز» ٱلْأَسْوَد، وَٱلصَّدْرِيَّة ٱلْحَمْرَاء وَٱلطَّرْبُوش، فَيَتَحَوَّلُون عُنْوَانًا لِلْمَارَّةِ ٱلرَّاغِبِين بِكَأْسٍ مِن شَرَاب ٱلْخَرُّوب ٱلْبَارِد. مُنْذِر وَعَبْد اَللَّطِيف وَسَعْد وَأُسَامَة يَصْرُخُون بِأَعْلَى صَوْتِهِم «خَرُّوب بَارِد»... «تَعَا بَوْرِد»... «شَوَّبَتْ يَا شَبَاب»، وَيَتَفَنَّنُون فِي سَكْب ٱلْخَرُّوب دَاخِلَ كُؤُوسٍ زُجَاجِيَّة أَوْ بلاسْتِيكِيَّة بِحَرَكَاتٍ أَقْرَب إِلَى ٱلْبَهْلَوَانِيَّة، بَعْضُهُم وَرِثَهَا عَن وَالِدِهِ أَوْ جَدِّه. شِيكَل وَاحِد فَقَط وَأَحْيَانًا شِيكَل وَنِصْف أَوْ اِثْنَيْن بِحَدٍّ أَقْصَى يُعْتَبَرُ ثَمَنًا زَهِيدًا لِمَشْرُوبٍ مُنْعِشٍ وَمُفِيد، لٰكِنَّهُ مُرْبِحٌ لِشُبَّان قَرَّرُوا مُمَارَسَةَ مِهْنَةِ بَيْع شَرَاب ٱلْخَرُّوب اَلْمَوْسِمِيَّة.


With the ringing/striking of the bell of the summer holiday and the entering into a blazing-hot summer season many young Palestinian men take off their normal clothes and put on shirwaals [=traditional baggy trousers] or a black qumbaaz [=a long sleeved garment open at the front] and a red waistcoat and a tarboosh [=a fez] and turn into a heading/place to go for passers-by wanting a cup of cold carob juice [lit. drink]. Mundhir Abdul-Latif Saad and Osama shout out at the top of their voice: Cold carob [juice]!... Come and cool off! [pal.]... Its [the weathers] got hot [pal.] guys. They are masters at pouring the carob [juice] into glass or plastic cups with movements [which are] close to acrobatic - some of them inherited them from their father or grandfather. One shekel [=approx. 0.25 USD] only and sometimes a shekel and a half or two at the maximum is considered a small price for a drink [which is] refreshing and beneficial [for health] but it is profitable for young men who have decided to pursue the seasonal profession of selling carob juice.

10604 - End of 20 year blood feud between two families in Upper Egypt.

Asharq Alawsat - 7/23/2010, Category: Crime Level: 2
إنهاء خصومة ثأرية دامت 20 سنة بين عائلتين بصعيد مصر

فِي حُضُور خَمْسَةِ آلاف مُوَاطِن مِن صَعِيد مِصْر حَمَلَ مُحَمَّد تَوْفِيق «اَلْقُودَة» أَوْ اَلْكَفَن، وَقَدَّمَهُ إِلَى أَفْرَاد عَائِلَةِ آل زَقَالِيّ مُعْلِنًا بِذٰلِكَ نِهَايَةَ عَدَاوَةِ دَمٍ دَامَتْ عِشْرِين سَنَة بَيْنَ عَائِلَتَي آل زَقَالِيّ فِي مُحَافَظَةِ قِنَا وَآل اَلْجَزِيرِيّ مِن مُحَافَظَةِ أَسْوَان، فِي جَنُوب مِصْر. وَبَعْدَهَا تَعَالَتْ ٱلصَّيْحَات وَٱلتَّهْلِيل وَٱلتَّصْفِيق مُعْلِنَةً قَبُول عَائِلَةِ ٱلْمَجْنِي عَلَيْه «اَلْقُودَة» مِن عَائِلَةِ ٱلْجَانِي وَعَفْوَهُم عَن ٱلْقَاتِل، وَبِٱلتَّالِي، إِنْهَاء ٱلْخُصُومَة ٱلثَّأْرِيَّة وَبَدْء عَهْدٍ جَدِيد بَيْنَ ٱلْعَائِلَتَيْن. هٰذَا، وَتَعُود وَاقِعَةُ ٱلثَّأْر بَيْنَ ٱلْعَائِلَتَيْن إِلَى عَام أَلْف وَتِسْعُمِئَة وَتِسْعَة وَثَمَانِين عِنْدَمَا أَقْدَمَ مُحَمَّد تَوْفِيق، مِن اَلْجَزِيرِيَّة، عَلَى قَتْل طَارِق أَحْمَد عَبْد ٱلْمَوْجُود مِن آل زَقَالِيّ بَعْدَمَا سَرَقَ سَيَّارَتَه. وَحُكِمَ عَلَيْه بِٱلسَّجْن لِمُدَّةِ عِشْرِين سَنَة، أَمْضَاهَا ٱلْمُتَّهَم وَأُفْرِجَ عَنهُ. وَطِوَالَ ٱلسَّنَوَات ٱلْعِشْرِين وَعَائِلَةُ ٱلْقَتِيل تَنْتَظِرُ خُرُوج ٱلْقَاتِل لِلثَّأْر مِنه.


In the presence of five thousand citizens from Upper Egypt Mohamed Tawfiq carried the peace offering [symbolising his readiness to sacrifice himself] or the [funeral] shroud and presented it to members of the family of Aal Zaqaali announcing with that the end of a blood feud which has lasted twenty years between the families of Aal Zaqaali in the governorate of Qena and Aal al-Jazeeri from the governorate of Aswan in the south of Egypt. After that cries cheers and applause rang out announcing the acceptance by the family of the victim of the peace offering from the family of the offender and their pardoning of the killer and consequently ending the revenge feud and starting a new era between the two families. [Besides] this the case of revenge between the two families goes back to the year 1989 when Mohamed Tawfiq from the Jazeeri [family] embarked on the killing of Tariq Ahmed Abdel Mawgoud from the Aal Zaqaali after he [Tawfiq] stole his [Mawgouds] car. He was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of twenty years which the accused served and was then released. Throughout the twenty years the family of the killed person had been waiting for the killer to come out to take revenge on him.

10605 - Egyptian sources: Work continues on steel border wall with Gaza

Asharq Alawsat - 7/24/2010, Category: Politics Level: 1
مصادر مصرية: العمل مستمر في الجدار الفولاذي الحدودي مع غزة

نَفَتْ مَصَادِر مِصْرِيَّةٌ مُطَّلِعَة بِشِدَّة مَزَاعِم إِسْرَائِيلِيَّة عَن تَوَقُّف مَشْرُوع ٱلْجِدَار ٱلْفُولاذِيّ عَلَى طُول ٱلْحُدُود بَيْنَ رَفَح ٱلْفِلَسْطِينِيَّة وَرَفَح ٱلْمِصْرِيَّة، بِدَعْوَى فَشَل ٱلْجِدَار فِي وَقْف عَمَلِيَّات تَهْرِيب ٱلْبَضَائِع وَٱلسِّلَع وَٱلسِّلاح إِلَى ٱلْقِطَاع ٱلْمُحَاصَر. وَأَكَّدَتْ ٱلْمَصَادِر أَنَّ ٱلْعَمَل مُسْتَمِرٌّ فِي ٱلْجِدَار، وَأَنَّ أَعْمَال ٱلْبِنَاء تَجْرِي حَالِيًّا فِي مَنَاطِق اَلصَّرصُورِيَّة وَشَمَال مَعْبَر رَفَح، لٰكِنَّهَا لَمْ تَبْدَأ بَعْد بِمِنْطَقَةِ بَوَّابَةِ صَلاح ٱلدِّين، بِٱلنَّظَر إِلَى كَوْنِهَا مِنْطَقَةٌ ذَات طَبِيعَةٍ خَاصَّة مِن حَيْثُ كَثَافَةِ ٱلسُّكَّان وَوُجُود عَدَدٍ كَبِيرٍ مِن ٱلْأَنْفَاق، مِمَّا يَجْعَلُ ٱلتُّرْبَة شَدِيدَةَ ٱلْهَشَاشَة، وَبِٱلتَّالِي تَتَعَرَّضُ مَنَازِل ٱلْمِنْطَقَة لِخَطَر ٱلْاِنْهِيَار حَالَ ٱسْتِخْدَام مُعَدَّات ٱلْحَفْر، اَلَّتِي تَقُوم بِغَرْس ٱلْأَلْوَاح ٱلْمَعْدِنِيَّة بِبَاطِن ٱلْأَرْض.


Informed Egyptian sources strongly denied Israeli allegations about the stopping of the project of the steel wall along the length of the border between Palestinian Rafah and Egyptian Rafah with the [Israeli] claim of the failure of the wall to stop the operations of the smuggling of goods and commodities and arms into the besieged [Gaza] Strip. The sources confirmed that work is continuing on the wall and that construction is currently underway in the areas of Sarsouria and north of the Rafah [border] crossing but that it had not started yet in the area of the Salaheddin Gate in view of it being an area with a special nature as regards population density and the existence of a large number of tunnels which makes the ground very fragile and consequently the houses of the area are exposed to the danger of collapse in the event of the use of the excavating equipment which is undertaking the planting of the metal sheets deep into the ground.