Excerpts: Iran highest suicide rate in Middle East. French FM coming in June
to revive peace process. Saudi sanctions 2 Hizbullah leaders. Jordan
'activists' squelch planned Zionist Christian event. Jordan urges joint
Islamic action against terror May 28, 2015


+++SOURCE:AlArabiyaNews 28 May ’15:”Inside Iran despair.poverty. fuel high
suicide rate”,by Staff Writer

SUBJECT: Iran highest suicide rate in Middle East

QUOTE:the main causes for suicide in Iran are poverty, unemployment, and
despair over lack of political change. (Shutterstock)

FULL TEXT:Last year, an estimated 13 Iranians committed suicide every day,
while in 2013, around 4,000 people were said to have taken their own lives.

The ninth report of a series by Al Arabiya News Channel examines why Iran is
said to have the highest suicide rate in the Middle East, as part of a
special series tackling political, social and economic issues in the
country.

According to experts, the main causes for suicide in the Islamic Republic
are poverty, unemployment, and despair over lack of political change




+++SOURCE:Saudi Gazette 28 May ’15:”French FM to head Israel,Egypt in June
to revive peace process”,Reuters

SUBJECT:French FM coming in June re peace process

FULL TEXT:PARIS — France's foreign minister said on Thursday[28 May] he
would travel to Israel and the Palestinian territories in June to try to
revive the peace process and persuade all sides to accept a French UN
Security Council resolution that would set parameters for talks.

"We are for a two-state solution. We need to ensure Israel's security that's
obvious. There is no peace and security without justice for the
Palestinians, but let's be frank justice hasn't been given to the
Palestinians," Fabius told France Inter radio.

France recently handed a working document to Arab League countries in
preparation of a Security Council resolution that would set a timeframe and
the exact parameters of a new peace talks between Israelis and the
Palestinians, French diplomats have said.

"I will go ... to Egypt, the Palestinian territories and Israel to speak to
their leaders," Fabius said. We want the negotiations to restart between the
two sides and that this negotiations is put within an international
framework."

Aides to Fabius said the visit would take place ahead of a final round of
nuclear talks between major powers and Iran at the end of June. — Reuters


+++SOURCE: Naharnet(Lebanon)28 May’15:”Saudi Arabia Imposes Sanctions on Two
Hizbullah Members for Terrorist Actons”

SUBJECT: Saudi sanctions 2 Hizbullah leaders

FULL TEXT:Saudi Arabia announced on Wednesday[28 May] that it has imposed
sanctions on two prominent members of Hizbullah on charges of “carrying out
terrorist acts throughout the Middle East,” reported the Saudi Press Agency
according to a statement issued by the kingdom.It identified them as Khalil
Harb and Mohammed Qabalan.It accused them of supporting the regime of
embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad and of helping fund various factions
in Yemen, added the statement.

The kingdom declared its commitment to “combating Hizbullah's terrorist
activity through all possible means.”“It will also continue to cooperate
with its partners all over the world to stress that no one should remain
silent over Hizbullah's military and extremist actions,” it added.

Furthermore, it said that it will freeze the assets linked to Harb and
Qabalan, saying that Saudi citizens will be prohibited from working with
them.Harb worked as a deputy within Hizbullah and later as a leader of its
central military unit.He oversaw a number of its military operations in the
Middle East, added Saudi Arabia's statement.Moreover, he was responsible for
Hizbullah's activity in Yemen and “helped the party in its political
meddling in the country,” explained the statement.

Qabalan was meanwhile identified as “a leader of Hizbullah's terrorist
cell.”“He acted as chief of its infantry unit and head of unit 1800,” said
the statement.“He headed a terrorist Hizbullah cell in Egypt that targeted
tourist sites there in cooperation with members of the cell in Lebanon,” it
continued.The Saudi Press Agency revealed that an Egyptian court had
sentenced in 2010 Qabalan to life in prison for his links to Hizbullah's
1800 unit.

Tensions have been high between Hizbullah and the kingdom following the
latter's airstrike campaign against Yemen's Huthi rebels.

The party has been critical of the campaign, accusing Saudi Arabia of
meddling in the neighboring country's affairs and of carrying out an assault
against it.


+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 28 May ’15:”Planned’ Zionist Christian’ group event
cancelled due to Jordanian activists’ efforts”, By Rula Samain

SUBJECT:Jordan’activists’squelch planned Zionist Christian event

QUOTE: Ibrahim Daboor.an Orthodox priest said…’Jesus Christ has shed his
blood for this reason—for not having a State of Israel on earth”

FULL TEXT:AMMAN — The Jordanian Christian Youth (JCY) group on Wednesday[27
May] said it was able to cancel a conference by “Zionist Christians” in the
capital that would have posed “a threat to the Christian presence in Jordan”.

Orthodox youth activist Emil Ghoury told The Jordan Times that a conference
titled “Celebrating in Spirit”, which was scheduled to take place early
this month, was organised by a US-based Zionist Christian group that
unconditionally supports Israel at the expense of the legitimate rights of
the Palestinian people.

“Thus came the need and urgency to stand firm against its taking place.”

He said the group, Empowered21, were planning to hold the same event in
occupied Jerusalem after Amman.

“Once we found out about the event, the JCY informed local churches —
Catholic and Orthodox — and with the support of the authorities were able to
cancel this meeting,” Ghoury added.

Empowered21, which believes that “every person on Earth would have an
authentic encounter with Jesus Christ through the power and presence of the
Holy Spirit by Pentecost 2033”, says it is “helping shape the future of the
Spirit-empowered movement”.

Earlier this week, the JCY held a conference, attended by representatives of
Christian denominations in the Kingdom, condemning the presence of a Zionist
Christian group in the holy land and rejecting all its beliefs and future
aims.

Speaking at the conference, Samer Kawar, a lawyer and JCY spokesperson, said
Zionist Christians believe that the return of the Jews to the holy land and
the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 is in accordance with Biblical
prophecy.

“We will confront these infidel movements hand-in-hand with our brothers the
Muslims to spread awareness that such movements distort the image of
Christianity in the Middle East and inflict division between the one
nation,” Kawar added.

He told The Jordan Times that the conference was a start to unify efforts
against the Zionist ideology, which exploits and distorts Christianity for
its own agenda.

“Every Jordanian, Muslim or Christian, should stand in the face of this
ideology, we must unite as Christians and prepare and spread awareness among
young Jordanians, reminding them of their belonging, history and
nationality.”

Father Rifat Bader, director of the Catholic Centre for Studies and Media,
said at the event that preserving the “authentic Arab Christian faith” is
everyone’s duty and responsibility, and there should be a plan to educate
the younger generation to be able to deal with what distorts the religion.

Also speaking at the conference, Deputy Atef Kawar said history bears
witness to the unity of Arab Christians and Muslims against invaders,
stressing the importance of Christian unity and calling it a national duty.

Citing verses from the Bible, Ibrahim Daboor, an Orthodox priest, said the
Zionist Christian belief in Jews’ right to “return to the holy land” and
create Israel is not in accordance with scriptures or Biblical prophecy.

“Jesus Christ has shed his blood for this reason — for not having a state of
Israel on Earth.”

Both Samer Azar, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Archdeacon
Louai Haddad, secretary general of the Council of Heads of Churches in
Jordan, also presented Biblical evidence to counter Christian Zionist
ideology

“We should not mix religion with politics; it is when problems are initiated
and nations are controlled,” Haddad said.

Azar warned against interpreting the Bible for the benefit of the Zionist
Christian ideology, which is focused on justifying the occupation of
Palestine and other policies.

“We [Arab Christian] are with peace and justice and are committed to the
Palestinian cause,” he said.




+++SOURCE: Jordan Times 28 May ’15:”Jordan urges joint Islamic action
against terror”, by Agencies

SUBJECT:Jordan urges joint Islamic action against terror

EXCERPTS:KUWAIT — Jordan on Wednesday[27 May renewed its call for
cooperation among Muslim countries to fight terrorism, address regional
crises and achieve development.

Addressing the 42nd annual meeting of foreign ministers of member countries
of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), titled “Joint Vision to
Strengthen Tolerance and Reject Terrorism”, Deputy Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh highlighted the mounting threat of terrorist
groups, stressing Jordan’s continued efforts to confront terror gangs and
radical groups and ideologies.

He said terror gangs are targeting young people, in particular, to
disseminate their “dark and deadly messages”, stressing the importance of
protecting young people from the influence of these groups.

There are more than 780 million young men in the Islamic nation below the
age of 25, representing 11 per cent of the world’s population, Judeh noted.

“We owe jobs, protection and much more,” he told foreign ministers and
representatives from the 57-member OIC at its annual meeting.

……………………………….

Speaking at the opening session of the OIC meeting, the Kuwaiti emir, Sheikh
Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah, said Muslim countries must work together to
confront terrorism.

“We must take a serious stand on the sectarian malady that has been shaking
the structure of our nation and fragments it,” the emir said at the meeting.

“This fanaticism is the most dangerous to the existence of our nation... We
are all losers in this conflict, and the winner is the one who wants to
inflame
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Sue Lerner - Associate, IMRA