China’s Hui Muslims: “The national policies are opening up and as long as you don’t go against the country’s religious policies and regulations, you can freely progress.”—but then, is it really ‘free’?
- China’s Muslims Look to Middle East as Ties Grow (Washington Post/Reuters)
Meanwhile, China increases persecution of the Uighars, arresting and harassing the family of an outspoken activist for Uighar rights:
- China Jails Uighur Activist’s Son (Al Jazeera)
“Calculating that President Bush is desperate for friends in the Middle East,” Mubarak’s regime continues crackdown on any opposition
- Egyptian Opposition Reels under Fresh State Crackdown (Washington Post/Reuters)
Civil society group in Lebanon launches a controversial campaign to fight sectarianism:
- Ad Blitz Satirizes Lebanon’s Divides (Washington Post)
US Airways stands by decision to kick imams off the plane for praying and practicing their first amendment right to free speech:
- At National Airport, Prayers Against Profiling (Washington Post/AP)
“Israel is ready to “withdraw from considerable territory”, free Palestinian prisoners and release funds to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for the return of a soldier seized in June.”
- Olmert Offers Prisoner Swaps (Al Jazeera)
A new safe haven for Al-Qaeda: classified US military memo describes “al-Qaeda in Iraq as the “dominate organization of influence in al-Anbar,” surpassing all other groups, the Iraqi government and U.S. troops “in its ability to control the day-to-day life of the average Sunni.”
- Anbar Picture Grows Clearer, and Bleaker (Washington Post)
