07-17-2016, 09:11 PM
*** 18-Jul-16 World View -- Turkey's Erdogan gives four-finger 'R4BIA' salute, in signal to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Turkey's Erdogan gives four-finger 'R4BIA' salute, in signal to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
****
![[Image: g160717b.jpg]](http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g160717b.jpg)
Screen grab from video of Erdogan's speech on Saturday in which he gives the four-finger R4BIA salute
Following Egypt's 2013 army coup that ousted the democratically
elected Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood (MB) government,
there were massive protests and sit-ins in Cairo and clashes between
MB supporters and the army, resulting in nearly 1,000 deaths. Most of
the clashes occurred in Cairo's Rabaa Square. In Arabic, the word
"Rabaa" or "Rabia" means "fourth," and so MB supporters adopted the
name "R4BIA" for the new four-fingered salute, which consists of
raising for fingers, and folding you thumb over your palm. ( "24-Aug-13 World View -- Turkey's Erdogan adopts Muslim Brotherhood's four-fingered salute"
)
In the middle of his first major speech on Saturday following the coup
attempt in Turkey, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan flashed the R4BIA
four-fingered salute, as shown in the above screen grab, as a signal
that he still supports the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. ( "17-Jul-16 World View -- Attempted army coup in Turkey collapses within hours"
)
The significance of this is that it's a new indication that Erdogan
has no intention of reconciling with Egypt. Erdogan has reconciled
with both Israel and Russia in recent weeks, and some analysts had
speculated that Egypt would be next. However, Erdogan's four-fingered
salute on Saturday is one of several indications that no such
reconciliation is possible at this time.
On several occasions, Erdogan has said that his differences are with
Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who masterminded the 2013
coup, and not with the Egyptian people. Al Monitor and Washington Post and YouTube - Erdogan - watch 16:30-17:00 and The Conservative Treehouse
****
**** Bahrain tensions rise as Sunni government cracks down on Shias
****
The Sunni-ruled government of Bahrain on Sunday ordered the
dissolution of the country's main opposition group, the Shia
organization Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, despite enormous
international criticism from Western countries and human rights
organizations. Al-Wefaq was closed by court order last month.
Bahrain's population is 2/3 Shia Muslim, but the country is led by an
oppressive Sunni government closely allied with Saudi Arabia.
In May, Bahrain's courts found the Al-Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman
guilty of charges relating to "publicly inciting hatred, an act which
disturbed public peace, inciting non-compliance with the law and
insulting public institutions." Salman's Al Wefaq National Islamic
Society issued a statement calling the decision "an alarming
politically-motivated verdict [that] only deepens the political and
constitutional crisis in Bahrain."
On Sunday, a court in Bahrain ordered the dissolution of Al-Wefaq,
accusing it of harboring terrorism, inciting violence and encouraging
demonstrations and sit-ins which threaten to spark "sectarian strife,"
and ordered the seizure of all of the organization's assets.
Iran has not yet commented on the dissolution of Al-Wefaq, but last
month when it was closed, Iran issued a statement:
[indent]<QUOTE>"The oppressed Muslim nation of Bahrain had been under
the cruel, biased, unfair, and illegitimate regime of Al-Khalifa
for long years. Despite furious acts which included unashamedly
racist discrimination, arrest of their religious leaders,
imprisoning and torturing women and children, stripping
citizenship, violation of their rights without any qualms and
several other crimes, this patient people have exercised patience;
tightening the pressures has never distracted Bahraini people of
their non-violent approach."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
It's hard not to laugh at this, given that Iran regularly massacres
peaceful protesters, leaving blood running in the streets, and jails
political opponents for years. In 2011, Bahrain massacred peaceful
protesters, leaving blood running in the streets. When these two
countries whine about each other, they sound pathetic. AFP and Al-Jazeera
****
**** Bahrain accuses another top Shia cleric for money laundering
****
Bahrain will try the kingdom's most prominent Shia cleric, Sheikh Isa
Ahmed Qasim, accusing him on Saturday of illegal fund-raising and
money-laundering.
In addition, Bahrain is threatening to strip the entire Shia cleric
community of its sources of income, by taking over collection of a
Shia tax, known as the fifth or "khums," because it taxes up 20%
(one-fifth) of all excess wealth that has accumulated in the accounts
of the faithful for more than a year.
Last month, Bahrain revoked the citizenship of Qasim, accusing him of
promoting "sectarianism and violence."( "21-Jun-16 World View -- Iran threatens coup, after Bahrain revokes citizenship of Shia cleric"
)
According to a Bahrain government official:
[indent]<QUOTE>"Investigations have confirmed that Qasim harnessed
the money of poor Shias to finance terror activities in Bahrain
and that he sent some of those findings to Iran.
We [the authorities] will be collecting the khums in a transparent
way although [I admit that] the process will take
time."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Last month, after Qasim's citizenship was revoked, tens of thousands
of his supporters to take to the streets. As Bahrain's minority Sunni
government continues harsher and harsher crackdowns on the majority
Shia population, it's feared that there will be a repeat of the
massive protests that occurred in 2011.
According to Rashed al-Rashed, a leading opposition figure in Bahrain,
"Nobody can foresee what would happen, but too much blood will be shed
in case of Sheikh Qasim’s arrest." Middle East Eye and Tasnim News (Tehran)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, R4BIA,
Russia, Israel, Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi,
Bahrain, Sheikh Ali Salman, Al Wefaq National Islamic Society,
Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qasim, Iran, Rashed al-Rashed, khums
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Turkey's Erdogan gives four-finger 'R4BIA' salute, in signal to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
- Bahrain tensions rise as Sunni government cracks down on Shias
- Bahrain accuses another top Shia cleric for money laundering
****
**** Turkey's Erdogan gives four-finger 'R4BIA' salute, in signal to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood
****
Screen grab from video of Erdogan's speech on Saturday in which he gives the four-finger R4BIA salute
Following Egypt's 2013 army coup that ousted the democratically
elected Mohammed Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood (MB) government,
there were massive protests and sit-ins in Cairo and clashes between
MB supporters and the army, resulting in nearly 1,000 deaths. Most of
the clashes occurred in Cairo's Rabaa Square. In Arabic, the word
"Rabaa" or "Rabia" means "fourth," and so MB supporters adopted the
name "R4BIA" for the new four-fingered salute, which consists of
raising for fingers, and folding you thumb over your palm. ( "24-Aug-13 World View -- Turkey's Erdogan adopts Muslim Brotherhood's four-fingered salute"
)
In the middle of his first major speech on Saturday following the coup
attempt in Turkey, president Recep Tayyip Erdogan flashed the R4BIA
four-fingered salute, as shown in the above screen grab, as a signal
that he still supports the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. ( "17-Jul-16 World View -- Attempted army coup in Turkey collapses within hours"
)
The significance of this is that it's a new indication that Erdogan
has no intention of reconciling with Egypt. Erdogan has reconciled
with both Israel and Russia in recent weeks, and some analysts had
speculated that Egypt would be next. However, Erdogan's four-fingered
salute on Saturday is one of several indications that no such
reconciliation is possible at this time.
On several occasions, Erdogan has said that his differences are with
Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who masterminded the 2013
coup, and not with the Egyptian people. Al Monitor and Washington Post and YouTube - Erdogan - watch 16:30-17:00 and The Conservative Treehouse
****
**** Bahrain tensions rise as Sunni government cracks down on Shias
****
The Sunni-ruled government of Bahrain on Sunday ordered the
dissolution of the country's main opposition group, the Shia
organization Al Wefaq National Islamic Society, despite enormous
international criticism from Western countries and human rights
organizations. Al-Wefaq was closed by court order last month.
Bahrain's population is 2/3 Shia Muslim, but the country is led by an
oppressive Sunni government closely allied with Saudi Arabia.
In May, Bahrain's courts found the Al-Wefaq leader Sheikh Ali Salman
guilty of charges relating to "publicly inciting hatred, an act which
disturbed public peace, inciting non-compliance with the law and
insulting public institutions." Salman's Al Wefaq National Islamic
Society issued a statement calling the decision "an alarming
politically-motivated verdict [that] only deepens the political and
constitutional crisis in Bahrain."
On Sunday, a court in Bahrain ordered the dissolution of Al-Wefaq,
accusing it of harboring terrorism, inciting violence and encouraging
demonstrations and sit-ins which threaten to spark "sectarian strife,"
and ordered the seizure of all of the organization's assets.
Iran has not yet commented on the dissolution of Al-Wefaq, but last
month when it was closed, Iran issued a statement:
[indent]<QUOTE>"The oppressed Muslim nation of Bahrain had been under
the cruel, biased, unfair, and illegitimate regime of Al-Khalifa
for long years. Despite furious acts which included unashamedly
racist discrimination, arrest of their religious leaders,
imprisoning and torturing women and children, stripping
citizenship, violation of their rights without any qualms and
several other crimes, this patient people have exercised patience;
tightening the pressures has never distracted Bahraini people of
their non-violent approach."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
It's hard not to laugh at this, given that Iran regularly massacres
peaceful protesters, leaving blood running in the streets, and jails
political opponents for years. In 2011, Bahrain massacred peaceful
protesters, leaving blood running in the streets. When these two
countries whine about each other, they sound pathetic. AFP and Al-Jazeera
****
**** Bahrain accuses another top Shia cleric for money laundering
****
Bahrain will try the kingdom's most prominent Shia cleric, Sheikh Isa
Ahmed Qasim, accusing him on Saturday of illegal fund-raising and
money-laundering.
In addition, Bahrain is threatening to strip the entire Shia cleric
community of its sources of income, by taking over collection of a
Shia tax, known as the fifth or "khums," because it taxes up 20%
(one-fifth) of all excess wealth that has accumulated in the accounts
of the faithful for more than a year.
Last month, Bahrain revoked the citizenship of Qasim, accusing him of
promoting "sectarianism and violence."( "21-Jun-16 World View -- Iran threatens coup, after Bahrain revokes citizenship of Shia cleric"
)
According to a Bahrain government official:
[indent]<QUOTE>"Investigations have confirmed that Qasim harnessed
the money of poor Shias to finance terror activities in Bahrain
and that he sent some of those findings to Iran.
We [the authorities] will be collecting the khums in a transparent
way although [I admit that] the process will take
time."<END QUOTE>[/indent]
Last month, after Qasim's citizenship was revoked, tens of thousands
of his supporters to take to the streets. As Bahrain's minority Sunni
government continues harsher and harsher crackdowns on the majority
Shia population, it's feared that there will be a repeat of the
massive protests that occurred in 2011.
According to Rashed al-Rashed, a leading opposition figure in Bahrain,
"Nobody can foresee what would happen, but too much blood will be shed
in case of Sheikh Qasim’s arrest." Middle East Eye and Tasnim News (Tehran)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, R4BIA,
Russia, Israel, Egypt, Muslim Brotherhood, Mohammed Morsi,
Bahrain, Sheikh Ali Salman, Al Wefaq National Islamic Society,
Sheikh Isa Ahmed Qasim, Iran, Rashed al-Rashed, khums
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
