Saudi Arabia Takes Two Curious Steps Into the 20th Century

Saudi TV airs controversial new series about

Jewish woman in the Gulf, in Ramadan

Saudi TV airs controversial new series about Jewish woman in the Gulf. The MBC TV drama series Umm Haroun. (Facebook/MBC)

Controversial Arab TV series that provoked angry responses airs the first episode about the life of a Jewish woman in the Gulf states during the 1940s and opens with a monologue from the protagonist – in Hebrew.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

The new Saudi-produced television series “Umm Haroun” that has provoked a storm in the Arab world went on the air at the start of Ramadan featuring an impressive monologue in Arabic-accented Hebrew by the protagonist, Channel 12 reported Sunday.

The new drama on the Arab network MBC sparked controversy because of the subject matter – the life of a Jewish woman living in a Arab lands – and was slammed by critics claiming that any portrayal of Jews is a capitulation to Zionism.

Produced by the London-based Saudi-owned Middle East Broadcasting Company (MBC), the show “Umm Haroun” features well-known Kuwaiti actress Hayat al-Fahad, 71, in the role of a Jewish midwife and nurse, The Jerusalem Post reported.

“Before our footsteps fade away and before our lives fall into memory, we will be lost with the time that is left,” the leading character says. “On the staff of Moses that performed miracles, I decided to write about us and we knew that you would come back to us, I write and document everything about us. We are the gulf Jews we were born in the lands of the gulf.”

The show’s promotional trailers and ads had already provoked accusations from the Arab world that Saudi Arabia is engaging in normalization with Israel.

“The story of the series sparked a lot of controversy among followers of social networking sites, after a promo was published of the series that tells the story of a Jewish mother who is suffering because of her Judaism in the Gulf during the 1940s,” the Saudi24 news website reported.

The Hamas terror group fumed over the show, calling the series a “political and cultural attempt to introduce the Zionist project to Gulf society.”

“The character of Umm Haroun reminds me of [former Israeli Prime Minister] Golda Meir, the head of the occupation government, who was a murderous criminal,” The Jerusalem Post quoted senior Hamas official Ra’fat Murra.

“This is the goal of normalization: hatred, slow killing and internal destruction. The series aims to falsify history and gradually introduce Gulf society to normalization with the Zionist occupation, at a time when some [Arab] rulers are panting to build close ties with [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu to protect their thrones,” Murra added.

The promotional trailer from MBC said the series centers around the relations between Muslims and Jews in Kuwait during the 1940s, where approximately 200 Jewish families lived, the Post reported. The Jewish protagonist is from Turkey and the plot focuses on her as a social outcast in the Gulf because of her religion. She lives in Iran and Iraq before eventually moving to Bahrain to work.

Post reporter Khaled Abu Aker tracked angry Arab social media reaction.

“We have many successful and heroic women in the Gulf,” a woman named Hana al-Qahtan posted. “Why do we need to turn a Jewish woman into a hero in our dramas?”

An angry tweet from a man identified as Ahmed Madani said he could not understand why an Arab network would feature a television series about a Jewish woman during Ramadan.

Saudi24 reported on another Arab who defended the series: “I do not see the need to be sensitive to the ‘Umm Haroun’ series. The Jews lived in some Gulf countries, and they were also rooted in many Arab countries,” the unnamed person wrote. “They were oppressed … after watching the series, we may evaluate and judge it. If the goal is normalization, it is rejected by us.”

Filmed in the UAE, the show was directed by Egyptian Muhammad Jamal al-Adl and stars various Arab actors.

Saudi Arabia giving up caning

By John Torrendo BBC

Saudi Arabia is giving up raipoista criminal punishment. Whipping is expected to be replaced with imprisonment or fines.

Flagellation removal is part of reforms to Saudi Arabia led by the King Salman and his son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman strive to improve the country’s badly damaged identify the fame.

Caning in the headlines the last time in 2015, when Saudi blogger Raif Badawi was sentenced to ten years in prison and a thousand lashes. He’s already flogged, but later caning is transferred to Badawi’s poor health.

Among others, the Sakharov human rights prize award winning Badawi is still in prison in Saudi Arabia.

Badawi still has about 2 years to go on his sentence which was for 10 years imprisonment and 1000 lashes. He received the first 50 lashes but has not had any further. Some fear he would not survive another 50 lashes, which might be the only cause for postponing them.

Now, if the 950 lashes are dropped from his sentence because of this new policy, will he get several more years added to his imprisonment? It would be cruel and unusual, but not surprising.

Islamic Republic of Iran Sentences 12 Christians to Prison for House Church, Evangelism

War on Christianity - In Iran, Christianity is Zionist propaganda

by Samuel Smith, Christian Post

Ayatollah Khamenei

An Iranian court has sentenced 12 Christians to one year in prison for holding worship meetings and evangelizing — crimes that Iran considers to be “propaganda activities.”

The Iranian Christian news agency Mohabat News reports that a Christian convert known as Payam Kharaman and 11 other Christians who were arrested in Bushehr in April 2015 were sentenced for the crime of promoting what the Iranian authorities call Zionist propaganda that goes against the Islamic Republic’s Shia Muslim-controlled system.

Kharaman told the news outlet that he and the others were accused of the crimes because they held house worship meetings, evangelized and invited others to accept Christ as their Savior. Additionally, the Christians were charged with “inclination to the land of Christianity.”

Well, that sounds really scary.

The verdict was handed down by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Bushehr headed by Judge Abbas Asgari. Two others who were sentenced along with Kharaman were Shapour Jozi, Parastoo Zariftash.

Although Mohabat first reported the verdict earlier this month, the sentence was handed down in late June.

Bushehr, Iran

Kharaman explained that the state pressure against him began as early as 2012 when he was repeatedly summoned by the Office of Police Monitory Public Place in Bushehr. Kharaman said that he was interrogated about his evangelism and communications outside the country. Kharaman stated that interrogators wanted a confession that he was speaking abroad to Americans, Britains or Israelis.

“I always insisted on the belief in Christianity for myself and not for promotion of Christianity,” Kharaman was quoted as saying. “Because I had a boutique shop in Bushehr, a number of officers’ family members in the office knew me and informed of heavy sentences against me, and the case which was under investigation by intelligence office. I thought it was just an empty threat, but unfortunately became a serious issue one or two years later.”

Kharaman recalled that three security agents stormed his home with a warrant on April 7, 2015. After searching for about two hours, the agents seized his computer, cell phone, CDs, books and memory cards. Kharaman said that he was taken to an intelligence office and interrogated once again….

Islam Reveals More of Its Ugly Underbelly

Ontario gay Premier is “an apology for a woman”

Premier Wynne (centre) with her spouse (right) and Arie Raif at a pro Israeli event

Posted by: CIJnews Editor

A Canadian Islamic Shiite website, affiliated with the organizers of al-Quds Day, harshly attacks Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne for her support of Israel, implicitly mocks her for being a gay and calls women, who wore short clothes in the hottest day of month, “sluts” and “filth.”

The website Crescent International, which presents itself as “a publication of the Institute of Contemporary Islamic Thought (ICIT)” headed by Imam Zafar Bangash, posted a news report on al-Quds Day rally, which took place on July 11 in front of the American Consulate in Toronto.

“Organizers of the Quds Day rally can be truly proud of their achievement in bringing out thousands of people onto the streets of Toronto for the annual Quds Day rally,” the article reads emphasizing in this regard that last Saturday (July 11) was “the hottest day this Ramadan.”

The article, signed by crescent-online.net, accuses “some Queen’s Park politicians” of being “Zionist puppets” who “try desperately to prevent any criticism of its [Israel’s] atrocious record.”

“Kathleen Wynne, the Ontario premier and an apology for a woman, is an arch-Zionist. She has become a regular fixture at the ‘Walk for Israel’ march. These Zionist stooges will not walk for Canada but ask ‘how high sir’ if their Zionists masters order them to jump.”

The Jewish Defence League (JDL), that organized the counter protest against al-Quds Day rally, was also a prime target of the Canadian pro Iranian site. “They [JDL activists] had even brought some scantily clad Zionist sluts thinking this would detract committed Muslims. What these enemies of humanity do not realize is that committed Muslims are not attracted to such filth.”

OK, so why are your women forced to make themselves invisible?

In his speech at al-Quds Day, Imam Zafar Bangash, who is affiliated with Crescent International site, expressed similar views. Bangash called the activists of the Jewish Defence League (JDL) “criminals” and mercenaries,” who came to protest against al-Quds Day only because they were given free beer.

He also called for overthrowing the Saudi regime and defeating PM Harper in October federal elections. “I want all of you to, please, come out and send these Zionist puppets back home. If Harper wants to go to live in Israel he can go there. He does not belong in Canada. He is a Zionist puppet… the Zionism is racism, the Zionist ideology is anti human, the Zionists are against humanity… their end is coming near.”

Zionism definition. The belief that Jews should have their own nation; Jewish nationalism.

Wake up, Islam, the Jews have had their own state for 67 years. Zionism is obsolete!