August 29, 2005

World Media Watch

by Gloria R. Lalumia

BuzzFlash Note: WMW provides BuzzFlash readers foreign views and perspectives that are not usually available from the media here in the U.S. The presentation of these articles from these international publications is not an endorsement of their viewpoints.

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WORLD MEDIA WATCH FOR AUGUST 29, 2005

1//The Daily Star, Lebanon--PRINCE TALAL CALLS FOR REFORM AND A SAUDI CONSTITUTION (A senior member of the Saudi royal family has called on Arab rulers to introduce change before they are forced to do so under popular pressure and demanded the introduction of a constitution in Saudi Arabia. In an interview with French-based Radio Monte Carlo, Prince Talal bin Abdel-Aziz, a half-brother of Saudi King Abdullah, said: "I fear that such moves [like street protests in Lebanon and Egypt] will escalate and become difficult to control in future." … . The Saudi royal said his own country needed "political reforms in the first place, then economic and social [reforms], such as reforming education and the judiciary." It is necessary to "start with political reform, that is introducing a new basic statute [of government], or what is known in the West as a constitution," Talal said.)

2//Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran--IRANIAN, KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTERS STUDY SITUATION IN IRAQ (Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Muhammad Sabah al-Salim as-Sabah on Sunday held talks on current situation in neighboring Iraq and piping drinking water from Iran to Kuwait. … . They emphasized establishment of security in Iraq with the Kuwaiti foreign minister saying that foreign ministers of Iraqi neighboring states would hold a meeting to study ways to help restore security to Iraq. … . [Mottaki] said that long presence of foreign troops in Iraq will not help stability of the country. "The neighboring states should hold consultations for a collective decision on regional security and cooperate to this end," Mottaki said.)

3//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong--ISLAMIC EDICTS RATTLE INDONESIANS (Ever since Indonesia's highest Islamic authority, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), issued 11 fatwas or edicts against liberal Islam, a fierce debate has begun raging in the world's most populous Muslim nation on what constitutes an Islamic society. Though Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim nation, in these once-Hindu and Buddhist societies the practice of Islam is colored by the liberalism of the older faiths. Many urban middle-class Indonesians define their liberal interpretation of Islam as "secular". But, MUI's fatwas have thrown a direct challenge to both the government and to liberal Muslims in this country of 200 million people, of which 88% follow the Islamic faith while 8% is Christian and 3% Hindu or Buddhist. The 11 edicts, issued in late July, include one that states that Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism "contradict Islamic teachings". … . Analysts say that MUI's stance is a reaction to the aggressive proselytizing by foreign-funded Christian evangelical sects in the country in recent years and the onslaught of globalize Western culture coming in through media channels and non-governmental organizations [NGOs]. … . One such NGO is the Jaringan Islam Liberal (Liberal Islamic Network) an organization that is located within Institut Studi Arus Informasi (Center for Studies on Information Flows) and plays an important role in spreading ideas on democratic reformation in Indonesia. Like other NGOs, funded by Western donors, this one, too, is in the forefront of campaigns against attempts by the government to enact laws to restrict the spread of pornography, gambling and night clubs.)

4//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea--N. KOREA 'NOT READY' FOR TALKS THIS WEEK: THAI FM ( North Korea is not ready to come back to six-party talks on its nuclear program this week because they sense a lack of trust, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said Sunday. After a meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun in Pyongyang, Kantathi said, "The North Korean foreign minister told me what he had in mind, what had caused North Korea not to be able to participate in the six-party talks scheduled for Monday." … . Pyongyang is in a temper over Washington's appointment of a special envoy for North Korean human rights and ongoing South Korea-U.S. war games it sees as hostile. The North's Rodong Sinmun daily said Saturday the envoy's appointment was a "very inauspicious act calling a whirlwind in the path to the six-party talks." It warned, "If the United States continues to act this way, we will have no choice but to change our thinking." On Wednesday, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman called the joint military exercises, which simulate an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, "an act of bad faith on the part of the U.S." adding dialogue and confrontation could not coexist.)

5//Panapress, Senegal--LIBYA TO ISSUE TENDERS FOR OIL PROSPECTING (The second round of tenders for oil prospecting in six areas of Libyan fields will be held on 2 October, the head of the cooperation department of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) has said. … . Among the selected companies, 19 are currently operating in projects in Libya, he added, dismissing media reports that the selection of the companies took into account of their nationality. … . A two-company consortium -- Occidental Petroleum Corporation from the US and Al-Liwa from the United Arab Emirates -- won the first round of tenders on 30 January 2005.)

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1//The Daily Star, Lebanon Monday, August 29, 2005
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?ed...

PRINCE TALAL CALLS FOR REFORM AND A SAUDI CONSTITUTION
By Agence France Presse (AFP)
Compiled by Daily Star staff

A senior member of the Saudi royal family has called on Arab rulers to introduce change before they are forced to do so under popular pressure and demanded the introduction of a constitution in Saudi Arabia.

In an interview with French-based Radio Monte Carlo, Prince Talal bin Abdel-Aziz, a half-brother of Saudi King Abdullah, said: "I fear that such moves [like street protests in Lebanon and Egypt] will escalate and become difficult to control in future."

"The moves by the Lebanese people helped bring about the withdrawal of Syrian forces" in April, not only UN demands, said Prince Talal, who has often advocated reforms in Saudi Arabia.

"In Egypt, there are now movements like Kefaya and the Muslim Brothers taking to the streets and demanding reform. Why do rulers not pre-empt these demands and carry out reforms, avoiding marches and demonstrations in order to ward off danger ... to the Arab world?" he asked.

Prince Talal was referring to Egyptian opposition groups demanding an end to the rule of President Hosni Mubarak, who is widely expected to win a fifth six-year term in next month's election, despite facing challengers for the first time.

The Saudi royal said his own country needed "political reforms in the first place, then economic and social [reforms], such as reforming education and the judiciary." It is necessary to "start with political reform, that is introducing a new basic statute [of government], or what is known in the West as a constitution," Talal said.

The proposed constitution would be tantamount to "a social covenant between ruler and ruled, compatible with known constants in Saudi Arabia in terms of religion and genuine traditions." Saudi Arabia has only a basic statute of government, based on Islamic law or Sharia, enacted in March 1992 to serve as a constitution.

(MORE)


2//Islamic Republic News Agency, Iran August 28, 2005
http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0508281582194253.htm

IRANIAN, KUWAITI FOREIGN MINISTERS STUDY SITUATION IN IRAQ

Tehran, Aug 28, IRNA--Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Kuwaiti counterpart Sheikh Muhammad Sabah al-Salim as-Sabah on Sunday held talks on current situation in neighboring Iraq and piping drinking water from Iran to Kuwait.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged views on developments on the oil market and cooperation within Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

They emphasized establishment of security in Iraq with the Kuwaiti foreign minister saying that foreign ministers of Iraqi neighboring states would hold a meeting to study ways to help restore security to Iraq.

Mottaki said that Iraqi police should be strengthened to overcome the elements involved in weakening Iraqi security and that the Iraqi people should be helped to administer their national affairs.

He said that long presence of foreign troops in Iraq will not help stability of the country. "The neighboring states should hold consultations for a collective decision on regional security and cooperate to this end," Mottaki said.

(MORE)


3//Asia Times Online, Hong Kong Aug 27, 2005
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/GH27Ae03.html

ISLAMIC EDICTS RATTLE INDONESIANS
By Kalinga Seneviratne

JAKARTA - Ever since Indonesia's highest Islamic authority, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), issued 11 fatwas or edicts against liberal Islam, a fierce debate has begun raging in the world's most populous Muslim nation on what constitutes an Islamic society.

Though Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim nation, in these once-Hindu and Buddhist societies the practice of Islam is colored by the liberalism of the older faiths. Many urban middle-class Indonesians define their liberal interpretation of Islam as "secular". But, MUI's fatwas have thrown a direct challenge to both the government and to liberal Muslims in this country of 200 million people, of which 88% follow the Islamic faith while 8% is Christian and 3% Hindu or Buddhist. The 11 edicts, issued in late July, include one that states that Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism "contradict Islamic teachings".

Also banned are inter-faith prayers performed with people of other religions and the intonation of amen to prayers that are led by a non-Muslim, a ritual deemed to be haram (forbidden under Islamic law) as also are interfaith marriages.

Analysts say that MUI's stance is a reaction to the aggressive proselytizing by foreign-funded Christian evangelical sects in the country in recent years and the onslaught of globalize Western culture coming in through media channels and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

"Challenges for the Muslims do not come from Christian evangelism only, but also others, such as the proliferation of pornography, gambling, the spread of religious liberalism, pluralism and secularism," argues Mustofa Kamil Ridwan, a researcher at the Islamic think-tank, the Habibie Center in Jakarta.

In an Inter Press Service interview, Ridwan said suspicions were being created by the activities of some Western-funded NGOs that were "using Islam as their basis but with questionable implementation that is contradictory to the true teachings of Islam - and sometimes too radical".

One such NGO is the Jaringan Islam Liberal (Liberal Islamic Network) an organization that is located within Institut Studi Arus Informasi (Center for Studies on Information Flows) and plays an important role in spreading ideas on democratic reformation in Indonesia.

Like other NGOs, funded by Western donors, this one, too, is in the forefront of campaigns against attempts by the government to enact laws to restrict the spread of pornography, gambling and night clubs.

(SNIP)

MUI has asked non-Muslims not to be upset with the July edicts as they are only aimed at Muslims, and are not the law of the land.

But MUI is gearing up to promote its edicts in regions where people are more religious, conservative and impoverished. It is these poor communities that have become the target of Christian evangelical groups for proselytizing and some ulamas have reacted by including the MUI edicts in their sermons.

(MORE)


4//The Chosun Ilbo, South Korea Updated Aug.28,2005 20:56 KST
http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200508/200508280011.html

N. KOREA 'NOT READY' FOR TALKS THIS WEEK: THAI FM

North Korea is not ready to come back to six-party talks on its nuclear program this week because they sense a lack of trust, Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon said Sunday. After a meeting with North Korean Foreign Minister Paek Nam-sun in Pyongyang, Kantathi said, "The North Korean foreign minister told me what he had in mind, what had caused North Korea not to be able to participate in the six-party talks scheduled for Monday."

Participants agreed to come back from a three-week recess in the week of Aug. 29 after failing to reach agreement on a statement of principles in 13 days of negotiations.

A South Korean official said, "I understand Chinese chief negotiator Wu Dawei, who has been in the North since Saturday, will bring with him a date to restart the talks on Tuesday." But he warned it was "not a good sign" if a date is not chosen soon and only an announcement to delay them is made. If talks fail to reconvene this week, it will be difficult to start them next week as well because Chinese President Hu Jintao is scheduled to meet U.S. President George W. Bush on Sept. 7, so U.S. and Chinese delegations would be unable to adjust their schedules.

All participants except Pyongyang want talks to resume as soon as possible. The negotiations went into recess after they failed to agree on North Korea's right to use nuclear energy peacefully and the scale of its nuclear dismantlement. The other five nations are unified in their position that North Korea must completely abandon all its nuclear weapons and related programs. Washington is also adamant that Pyongyang cannot be trusted with a civilian nuclear program.

Pyongyang is in a temper over Washington's appointment of a special envoy for North Korean human rights and ongoing South Korea-U.S. war games it sees as hostile. The North's Rodong Sinmun daily said Saturday the envoy's appointment was a "very inauspicious act calling a whirlwind in the path to the six-party talks." It warned, "If the United States continues to act this way, we will have no choice but to change our thinking." On Wednesday, a North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman called the joint military exercises, which simulate an emergency on the Korean Peninsula, "an act of bad faith on the part of the U.S." adding dialogue and confrontation could not coexist.

(MORE)


5//Panapress, Senegal 28/08/2005
http://www.panapress.com/freenews.asp?code=eng091677&dte=28/08/2005

LIBYA TO ISSUE TENDERS FOR OIL PROSPECTING

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The second round of tenders for oil prospecting in six areas of Libyan fields will be held on 2 October, the head of the cooperation department of the National Oil Corporation (NOC) has said.

NOC Director Ridha Said told PANA over the weekend that 66 of the 97 applicant international oil companies were selected because they met the required technical and financial criteria as specified.

Among the selected companies, 19 are currently operating in projects in Libya, he added, dismissing media reports that the selection of the companies took into account of their nationality.

For Said, "such allegations can be explained only by jealousy towards Libya which has successfully overcome the diplomatic and economic crises imposed on it."

(SNIP)

A two-company consortium -- Occidental Petroleum Corporation from the US and Al-Liwa from the United Arab Emirates -- won the first round of tenders on 30 January 2005.

Copyright 2005, Gloria R. Lalumia

Contact: grl8@cornell.edu