War to go on even if NATO bombing ends: Gaddafi camp, Posted by Meosha Eaton

(Reuters) - Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's camp has vowed to push on with its war against rebels whether or not NATO stops its bombing campaign, leaving little room for diplomacy to end the five-month conflict.

The rebels and their Western backers kept up the pressure on the veteran leader as the Muslim holy month of Ramadan began, with NATO bombing military targets and dropping leaflets over the capital calling on loyalists to give up.

Jordanians protest against slow pace of reforms, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Protestors say government procrastinates over reforms

* Islamists say protests to continue until demands met


By Suleiman al-Khalidi

AMMAN, March 18 (Reuters) - More than a thousand Jordanian activists staged street protests on Friday urging King Abdullah to accelerate the tempo of promised political reforms, saying procrastination would only fuel growing dissent.

The pro-democracy protestors who marched in downtown Amman, mainly supporters of the mainstream Islamist Muslim Brotherhood and leftist allies, said they would continue weeks of street protests inspired by uprisings elsewhere in the Arab world, until their demands are met.

"This is a continuation of the movement to demand reforms and to accelerate it, especially since the steps taken so far are worrying and do not inspire confidence," said Jamil Abu Bakr, a leading figure in the Muslim Brotherhood, told Reuters.

While the U.S. ally has faced nothing like the mass uprisings that toppled veteran authoritarian leaders in Egypt and Tunisia, dissent has built up and the opposition has become more vocal in its slogans and calls for change.

"We want to reform the regime," chanted the crowd, urging the monarch to introduce constitutional changes that curb his executive powers and to provide fair representation under a new electoral law.

Many also chanted calls to dissolve parliament, a rubber-stamp assembly that ensures a comfortable government majority to pass unpopular laws.

Opponents say the election law gives a bigger voice to less heavily populated tribal areas in the provinces that are considered the backbone of support for the monarchy, at the expense of urban areas where the opposition is stronger.

Islamist, leftist, liberal and even tribal figures have called for constitutional reforms that would curb the monarch's sweeping executive powers, demanding a government elected by a parliamentary majority rather than appointed by the king.

The Islamic Action Front -- the Muslim Brotherhood's political arm and Jordan's largest party -- said this week it would not join a 52-member government-appointed panel to discuss reform because its remit did not include constitutional changes to curb the monarch's powers.

The composition of the panel has dismayed many Jordanians already angered by last month's appointment of a government led by Marouf al-Bahkit, a former military intelligence general who oversaw elections in 2007 which were marred by allegations of vote-rigging.

(Writing by Suleiman al-Khalidi; Editing by Peter Graff)

Saudi Arabia detained 22 Shi'ites, activists say, Postd by Meosha Eaton

* Authorities detained at least 22 after Shi'ite protest
* Protests held in oil-producing eastern region

(Adds quote, details in paragraph 9-10)

DUBAI, March 6 (Reuters) - Security forces in Saudi Arabia have detained at least 22 minority Shi'ite Muslims who protested last week over what they say is discrimination, activists said on Sunday.

Saudi Shi'ites have staged small protests for about two weeks in the kingdom's east, which holds much of the oil wealth of the world's top crude exporter. It is also near Bahrain, scene of protests by majority Shi'ites against their Sunni rulers.

"Twenty-two were arrested on Thursday plus four on Friday, so the total is 26. This was all in Qatif," said rights activist Ibrahim al-Mugaiteeb, who heads the Saudi-based independent Human Rights First Society. A Shi'ite activist in the Shi'ite town of Qatif in the Eastern Province said he knew of 22 arrests. Interior ministry officials could not be reached for comment.

Shi'ite protests in Saudi Arabia started in the area of the main city town of Qatif and neighbouring Awwamiya and spread to the town of Hofuf on Friday. The demands were mainly for the release of prisoners they say are held without trial.

Saudi Shi'ites often complain they struggle to get senior government jobs and benefits given to other citizens. The government of Saudi Arabia, an absolute monarchy without an elected parliament that usually does not tolerate public dissent, denies these charges.

The interior ministry said on Saturday demonstrations violated Islamic law and the kingdom's traditions, according to a statement on state news agency SPA.

"We are really worried by the detentions and harassment that people who take part in protests are facing," a statement by 15 rights activists said on Sunday. "These practices conflict with the right of peaceful association that the kingdom committed to ... at the U.N. Human Rights Council."

The activists said wives and other relatives of around nine men detained since a deadly 1996 attack on U.S. military in Khobar were ejected from the office of the local governor, Prince Mohammed bin Fahd, on Saturday when they tried to petition for their release.

"They met first on Wednesday with an official and he promised they would have a meeting with the governor. But when they went, he declined to meet and security guards intervened," the Shi'ite activist said. The Shi'ite website Rasid said they were verbally abused, as an official told them they were lucky the detainees had not been executed. The women started chanting "freedom, freedom".

The U.S. ally has escaped protests like those in Egypt and Tunisia which toppling regimes but some dissent has built up as unrest spread in other Arab countries and Saudi neighbours Yemen, Bahrain, Jordan and Oman. More than 17,000 people have backed a call on Facebook to hold two demonstrations this month, the first one on Friday.

A loose alliance of liberals, moderate Islamists and Shi'ites have petitioned King Abdullah to allow elections in the kingdom. Last month, Abdullah returned to Riyadh after a three-month medical absence and unveiled $37 billion in benefits for citizens in an apparent bid to curb dissent.

(Reporting by Andrew Hammond; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

White House News: The President on the Middle East Serious Human Rights Abuses, Posted by Menelik Zeleke, White House Correspondent

 

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                              February 23, 2011

Statement by the Press Secretary on the Designation of Iranian Officials

Responsible for or Complicit in Serious Human Rights Abuses

The historic events unfolding in the Middle East underscore the importance of protecting human rights around the world, which all nations have a responsibility to uphold.  In accordance with U.S. law and the Administration’s commitment to supporting the universal rights of the Iranian people, the Departments of State and Treasury designated today two Iranian government officials responsible for serious human rights abuses against the people of Iran.  

Today’s designation of Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, Tehran Prosecutor General, and Mohammed Reza Naqdi, commander of the Basij Forces, supplements the list of eight Iranian officials designated in September 2010 for human rights abuses pursuant to the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, which imposes sanctions against senior officials in the Iranian government who, based on credible evidence, were involved in the commission of serious human rights abuses during or after Iran’s 2009 presidential election.  The individuals designated will be subject to financial sanctions and visa ineligibilities under U.S. law.  The list of names is not exhaustive and will continue to grow based on events in Iran, and as additional information and evidence becomes available. 

As President Obama has said, human rights are a matter of moral and pragmatic necessity for the United States.  The people of Iran should be able to express their opinions and their grievances without fear of reprisal from their government.  The United States reaffirms its support to all those in Iran and around the world who are struggling to have their voices heard and rights respected.  We continue to call upon the Iranian government to respect the rights of its people and we will continue to hold accountable those who infringe upon those universal rights.

Kenya eyes revamped legislation for sukuk this year, Posted by Meosha Eaton

* Central bank governor sees Islamic finance growth in Kenya
* Legislation for sukuk could be in place by year-end

By Shaheen Pasha

DUBAI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Kenya may pass legislation to eliminate tax barriers to Islamic bond issuance by the end of the year with the government looking to launch Islamic treasury bills and bonds, known as sukuk, bankers said. Kenya, the largest economy in east Africa, has yet to tap international markets but is eyeing Islamic bonds as an option to raise funds from sharia-compliant investors, central bank Governor Njuguna Ndung'u said in an email. "We have received requests for a project to be identified so that finance can be raised through the issuance of a sukuk bond," Ndung'u said.

"Discussions are still ongoing with the Debt Management Office at the Treasury as to how this can be progressed." The central bank had previously issued an infrastructure bond with a sukuk portion in 2009. But the lack of accommodative tax legislation has been a hindrance to the development of the sukuk market. A source familiar with the central bank's discussions, said there is a push within the government to get appropriate legislation in place by the end of the year. "Once the regulatory framework is there we can promote a listing of sukuk on the local exchange," the source said. "Kenya wants to tap the international market but they are still determining whether to do it conventionally or Islamic. Once the legislation is in place, they'll consider a sukuk."

Africa has become a growth market for the Islamic finance industry with countries from Senegal to South Africa exploring Islamic banking and sukuk offerings. Kenya is keen to become a hub for Islamic finance in Africa with more Islamic operations expected to launch this year. "Globally there is positive sentiment towards emerging markets and particularly trade between Africa and the East is growing," said Rizwan Kanji, debt capital markets partner at King & Spalding in Dubai. "It would be fair to say that Africa is looking east." Kenya's relative political stability and strong growth prospects, especially given turmoil in North African states like Egypt, Tunisia and Libya, makes it an attractive investment spot.

By developing its Islamic finance industry, the nation is likely to attract further investment from the oil-rich Gulf countries MORE ISLAMIC BRANCHES With a population of 4 million Moslems, Kenya has already made strides in the industry, being the first country in eastern and central Africa to allow Islamic banking in 2007. There are currently two standalone Islamic banks in operation - First Community Bank and Gulf African Bank - that make up roughly 1 percent of the banking sector's market share, central bank governor Ndung'u said.

A handful of conventional banks also provide interest-free current accounts to compete with the fully-fledged Islamic banks. The industry will likely see more conventional banks opting for Islamic branches this year, said Gulf African Bank Chief Executive Najmul Hassan. But Islamic banking will not just target the Moslem community. "The Moslem population is relatively small, roughly about 15 percent," he said. "Islamic finance targets the mass population because the products and services are good for all Kenyans."

Hassan said there is significant growth potential in the Islamic insurance, or takaful, market. Takaful Insurance Africa, the first fully sharia-compliant insurance company in Kenya, was launched last month.

(Reporting by Shaheen Pasha; editing by Stephen Nisbet)