Latest news with #Shiites
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Report: Salam seeks prior agreement from Shiite Duo on cabinet session tackling Hezbollah arms
by Naharnet Newsdesk 29 July 2025, 16:55 French President Emmanuel Macron advised PM Nawaf Salam in their latest meeting to hold a cabinet session to issue a resolution on monopolizing arms in the hands of the state, political sources said. 'Delaying the decision on arms monopoly will subject the country to further threats through the expansion of Israel's violations and attacks, although official sides deny that the government has received international warnings about Israel's intention to wage a new war,' the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. 'This prompted Salam, after consulting with President Joseph Aoun, to carry out a broad series of contacts to explore the government parties' readiness to secure political rather than numerical quorum for holding a cabinet session dedicated to taking a decision on arms monopoly,' the sources added. 'Salam and (Speaker Nabih) Berri will hold further discussions to create the right circumstances for holding a cabinet session that has consensus on arms monopoly on its agenda,' the sources said. 'Salam is avoiding to convene cabinet before he obtains prior agreement from the Shiite Duo on backing arms monopoly, because he does not want to implicate the government in a rift with Shiites,' the sources added.
Nahar Net
an hour ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Report: Salam seeks prior agreement from Shiite Duo on cabinet session tackling Hezbollah arms
by Naharnet Newsdesk 3 hours French President Emmanuel Macron advised PM Nawaf Salam in their latest meeting to hold a cabinet session to issue a resolution on monopolizing arms in the hands of the state, political sources said. 'Delaying the decision on arms monopoly will subject the country to further threats through the expansion of Israel's violations and attacks, although official sides deny that the government has received international warnings about Israel's intention to wage a new war,' the sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. 'This prompted Salam, after consulting with President Joseph Aoun, to carry out a broad series of contacts to explore the government parties' readiness to secure political rather than numerical quorum for holding a cabinet session dedicated to taking a decision on arms monopoly,' the sources added. 'Salam and (Speaker Nabih) Berri will hold further discussions to create the right circumstances for holding a cabinet session that has consensus on arms monopoly on its agenda,' the sources said. 'Salam is avoiding to convene cabinet before he obtains prior agreement from the Shiite Duo on backing arms monopoly, because he does not want to implicate the government in a rift with Shiites,' the sources added.
L'Orient-Le Jour
4 days ago
- Politics
- L'Orient-Le Jour
Facing the 'targeting' of its community, Hezbollah advocates internal unity
In these tense times in the region, many observers have recalled that in a recent speech, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem warned of an 'existential threat against the resistance, its popular environment, its supporters, as well as against Lebanon and all its components.' At the time, the statement was widely seen as an attempt by Qassem to amplify the perceived threat to Hezbollah and its support base, as a means of justifying the group's continued possession of weapons. But in light of recent events in Sweida, those remarks have taken on new meaning. According to several Shiite figures, the United States is now backing the region's main community — the Sunnis — at the expense of minorities. One such figure said Israeli conduct during last year's war with Hezbollah indicates the entire Shiite community, not just Hezbollah supporters, is being targeted. He cited the harassment and targeting of Shiites not only in southern villages and Beirut, but also in Kesrouan, Jbeil, and even Zgharta, arguing that Israel appears intent on pushing the entire Shiite community out of southern Lebanon — not just Hezbollah operatives. These fears have deepened since regime change in Syria brought to power a president from the Sunni community, particularly its Islamist wing. Among the Shiite community in Lebanon — and Hezbollah in particular — there is now a growing sense of persecution when it comes to Syria, especially following sectarian violence against Alawites along Syria's coast, attacks on Christian holy sites and recent fighting targeting the Druze in Sweida. While the various developments in Syria may not be directly linked, Shiite figures say they are watching closely the shifts happening in Lebanon's Sunni community. In the months after Hamas' Oct. 7 attack and Hezbollah's decision to open a support front in southern Lebanon, many Sunnis were reportedly supportive of Hezbollah's stance. But since Ahmad al-Sharaa came to power in Damascus, this mood has shifted, and many Sunnis have reverted to a more traditionally hostile stance toward Hezbollah, the source said. In this context, Saudi Arabia has begun taking a more active role in Lebanon — particularly in support of the Sunni community, which has felt politically abandoned since the de facto political exit of its former leader, Future Movement chief Saad Hariri. For nearly eight months — since just before the Jan. 9, 2025, presidential election — Saudi Arabia has sent multiple delegations to Lebanon, including a special envoy, Prince Yazid bin Farhan. Riyadh also encouraged Grand Mufti Abdellatif Derian to visit Syria at the head of a large delegation and facilitated a meeting between the Lebanese and Syrian defense ministers in Jeddah to address bilateral tensions. According to the same Shiite figures, these moves are part of a broader American strategy. The U.S., they say, is now placing its bets on the Sunni communities in Lebanon, Syria, and possibly even Iraq to shift the regional balance and reduce hostility toward Israel. They believe Washington has already tried to court the region's minorities — from Saddam Hussein's Sunni-led Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War, to the Alawite regime in Syria (with Secretary of State Colin Powell making overtures to Bashar al-Assad in 2003), to Lebanon's Christians — without success. Now, the U.S. is once again betting on the Sunnis and is using all tools at its disposal to encourage normalization with Israel. All of these developments have led some in the Shiite community to fear that they are being collectively targeted. Hezbollah, for its part, remains convinced that the ultimate U.S.-Israeli goal is to bring down the Iranian regime, thereby depriving Shiites of the only state capable of supporting them. Still, sources close to Hezbollah deny that the party harbors any offensive intentions. On the contrary, they say, Hezbollah is working to reinforce internal peace, primarily to protect its own community, which, in their view, has no choice but to draw closer to other communities in Lebanese society.
OC Media
5 days ago
- Politics
- OC Media
Azerbaijan's Bar Association attacks independent lawyers over public statements
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article Join the voices Aliyev wants to silence. For over eight years, OC Media has worked with fearless journalists from Azerbaijan — some of whom now face decades behind bars — to bring you the stories the regime is afraid will get out. Help us fuel Aliyev's fears — become an OC Media member today Become a member Anar Baghirov, the chair of Azerbaijan's Bar Association, has criticised 'some lawyers' for publicly discussing their cases 'in an unethical manner'. He warned that 'more serious measures' will be taken against those lawyers in the future. Baghirov made the statement in an interview with nominally independent media outlet on 18 July. In the interview, he said that 'some lawyers are bringing individual court cases to public discussion on social media, sometimes in an unethical manner'. Baghirov added that up until today, they had only urged the lawyers in regard, but promised 'more serious measures' would be taken in the future. While Baghirov has not specified what exactly constitutes 'unethical behaviour', or which lawyers he was referring to, he announced that disciplinary measures were being planned against some of them. 'I would not like to see the opinion among judges that lawyers manipulate the process. We are free professionals and must act responsibly to protect our professional freedom. Some lawyers express unfounded, subjective, and sometimes false opinions about the courts and other state institutions, which can be regarded as slander and insult', he said. Baghirov concluded his statement by warning that 'serious control measures' would be taken by the association should lawyers continue publicly discussing their cases. 'We cannot agree with such a picture, and serious control measures will be taken in this direction. We must remember that each of us represents the entire Azerbaijani Bar. The activities, behaviour, and words of each lawyer affect the reputation of the bar as a whole.' Advertisement 'A wrong step by one lawyer can harm the entire Bar Association, as well as the attitude of society towards the bar', Baghirov said. Limiting lawyers' freedom of expression In their coverage of Baghirov's remarks, independent news outlet Meydan TV cited former human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov, who stated he was disbarred from the association in 2017 for openly criticising cases of torture in Azerbaijan's legal system. He was disbarred after being found guilty of slandering the Deputy Head of the Penitentiary Service, Ogtay Mammadov, whom he had accused of torturing one of his clients, Abbas Huseynov. Huseynov was detained in 2015 during Azerbaijan's crackdown on Shiites and the Muslim Unity Movement in Nardaran. Imanov has sent a series of complaints to the authorities regarding Huseynov's alleged torture. 'When we talk about punishment, we talk about the removal of a lawyer from professional activity and expulsion from the Bar Association. We see that in the country, lawyers who are mainly involved in the protection of human rights are persecuted and punished, this is done under different names', Imanov told Meydan TV. He also told Meydan TV that Azerbaijan's adoption of a lawyers' code of conduct in December 2017 significantly limited lawyers' freedom of expression. 'Lawyers will refrain from speaking out about a particular decision of a court or judge, regardless of whether he or she has made a fair decision or an illegal, unfounded verdict. This deprives lawyers of the opportunity to express critical opinions about the judicial system and judges', he said, adding that he believed the association was guided by the 'instructions of political authorities'. According to its charter, the Bar Association of Azerbaijan is a non-governmental, independent, non-commercial, and self-managed organisation. However, throughout its history, the association has disbarred a number of lawyers who were engaged in political activities or were critical of the authorities, including Khalid Baghirov, Irada Javadova, Asabali Mustafayev, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, Nemat Karimli, and a number of others.
Memri
6 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
Zeinab Akil, Daughter of Hizbullah Military Commander Ibrahim Akil, Killed by Israel in 2024: If Hizbullah Can No Longer Import Weapons from Iran, We Could Always Use Our Bare Bodies as Weapons
Lebanese journalist Zeinab Akil discussed the future of Hizbullah in a July 15, 2025 interview with LebanonOn (YouTube). Akil said that Hizbullah won the 2006 war with Israel, after which it became a regional player, engaging in strategic expansion and increasing its influence in the region. She stated that being on Western terror lists is an honor for Hizbullah, and that this is why Hizbullah can never be tempted to become merely a political party. Akil said that Shiites are proud to end their lives with martyrdom, but this does not mean they seek to die or do not value life. She added that if Iran did not supply Hizbullah with weapons, it would obtain them from India, China, Russia, or elsewhere, and therefore Hizbullah should not be called an Iranian proxy or an 'Iranian export.' According to Akil, all attempts to bring about Hizbullah's disintegration have failed. She said that if a worst‑case scenario were to occur, she herself is already planning to carry out a suicide attack, and she would not be the only one to do so. She asserted that Hizbullah and the entire Shiite sect in Lebanon would become a 'time bomb' of martyrdom‑seekers. Akil said she cannot imagine South Lebanon without Hizbullah's weapons, but just as Hamas obtains weapons despite a siege, Hizbullah would find ways to bring in weapons from elsewhere and, if necessary, fight with their bare bodies. She added that even a stabbing attack with a knife in Israel makes Israelis say they are exhausted and cannot take it anymore. 'Every person, every individual will become a weapon,' she said. Zeinab Akil is the daughter of Hizbullah military commander Ibrahim Akil (also spelled Aqil), who was killed by Israel in September 2024.
