Last week, BBC Arabic reported on a conference held in Istanbul on Muslim-Christian relations entitled, "The Arab Awakening and Peace in the New Middle East." During the conference, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan commented, "What happened nearly 1,300 years ago in Karbala is the same thing happening today in Syria."

Erdogan was referring to the Battle of Karbala, a pivotal event in Islam during which Hussein bin Ali, grandson of the prophet Muhammad, was killed. Hussein and his supporters were traveling to Kufa to confront Syrian Caliph (Khalifa) Yazid I on his legitimacy as a successor to Muhammad, but were grossly outnumbered by the caliph's forces.

By comparing the current conflict in Syria to the Battle of Karbala, Erdogan may have also implied a reference to similarities between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Yazid I. Yazid inherited power from his father Muawiyah I, a detested figure amongst Shiites and some Sunnis for seizing the caliphate from Muhammad's two grandsons, Hassan and Hussein, who Shiites believe are the prophet's true successors.

The Imams of the largest branches of Shia Islam claim to have descended from the prophet Muhammad through Hussein. The Sunni kings of Morocco and Jordan (and previously the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, and Iraq) claim to have descended from the elder of the two, Hassan.

The date of Hussein bin Ali's martyrdom, or the Day of Ashura, is a holy day in Shia Islam. On Ashura, Shiites make a pilgrimage to Hussein's grave in the Iraqi city of Karbala, and the term Husseiniyat refers to the congregation halls in which Shiites mourn him.

In Iraq, Al-Iraqiya reported on Thursday that three Husseiniyat in Kirkuk were attacked using car bombs, claiming multiple lives. This was followed by a wave of bombings over the weekend that killed dozens of people, including a number of Shiites in the southern city of Basra. These are the latest in a series of attacks on Iraqi Shiites this summer. Most have been blamed on the Islamic State of Iraq, a Sunni umbrella organization affiliated with al-Qaeda.

Meanwhile, in Saudi Arabia, Al-Alam reported that a large demonstration was held in the eastern city of al-Qatif to demand the release of Sheikh Nimr Baqir al-Nimr, a Shia scholar. Al-Nimr was originally arrested in July following a sermon in which he criticized the royal al-Saud family and called for rejoicing in Crown Prince Nayef's death.

Shiites make up about 15 percent of Saudi Arabians. They reside primarily in Eastern Province, sharing a sea border and cultural ties with Bahrain. Most of the country, including the royal family, follows a conservative branch of Sunni Islam and considers Shiites to be apostates. As such, Shiites have been historically marginalized in the country, and unlike Iraq and Lebanon, Saudi Arabia has never had a sizable Shiite elite. Members of this long-disenfranchised group have been the primary participants in Saudi Arabia's Arab Spring demonstrations.

Image: A Shi'ite pilgrim walks to the holy city of Kerbala to mark Arbain in Baghdad's Doura District January 9, 2012. Arbain falls 40 days after the Shi'ite holy day of Ashura. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

Words fly at Non-Aligned Movement summit

On Wednesday, Al-Alam reported that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Tehran to take part in the 16th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement, despite outcry from the United States and from Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu over Iran taking over NAM leadership. However, Ban went on later in the week to sharply condemn Iran's denial of the Holocaust during WWII, as well as Israel's right to exist, in a speech at the summit.

Ban's comments were part of a number of verbal attacks at the meeting, which was heavily covered by Mosaic's broadcasters. BBC Arabic reported that the Syrian delegation left the summit's conference hall when Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi criticized the Syrian government during his speech, in which he affirmed his country's "full solidarity" with those seeking freedom and justice in Syria. Additionally, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused Western countries of fabricating crises around the world, and of monopolizing the UN Security Council.

Trouble brews for a shaky Yemen in transition

New protests have broken out in the Yemeni capital Sanaa to denounce the deteriorating security situation in the country, and to demand the dismissal of relatives of deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh from their military positions. Al Jazeera reported that this comes after an assassination attempt targeted Yassin Saeed Noman, the most prominent leader of the Joint Meeting Parties opposition coalition.

In addition, Press TV reported another US drone strike in Yemen killed at least eight people in Hadhramaut Province, the second such attack in the region this week. Dubai TV reported the killing of three al-Qaeda members in an air raid in the Khashamir area of the Qatan district, but the source did not specify the origin of the plane that carried out the raid.

Yemen has been experiencing difficulty in restructuring the country's government after the fall of former president Saleh. Earlier this week, members of the Southern Movement in Yemen refused to participate in the national dialogue conference scheduled for the end of the year. They demand the south's secession from the north, which would mean a return to the country's pre-unification division.

More leaders express stance on Syrian Civil War

As the Syrian army's shelling intensified all across Syria this week, Press TV reported that President Bashar al-Assad sat down for an interview with Syrian channel Al-Dunya, saying more time is needed to end the insurgency in his country and that a buffer zone, the idea being championed by "hostile countries" and "Syria's enemies," is unrealistic.

Meanwhile, some leaders expressed their stance on the Syrian war during the NAM summit, most notably Egypt's President Morsi, Iran's President Ahmadinejad, and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who opposed any kind of military intervention, as well as criticized the ongoing flow of weapons to insurgents. The head of Russia's army also rejected media reports this week that Moscow was winding down its military presence in Syria, saying that it is not in the process of evacuating its naval base in the Syrian city of Tartus, which it has leased since Soviet times.

Image: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad talks to Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi (R) after his speech during the 16th summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, August 30, 2012. REUTERS/Majid Asgaripour/Mehr News Agency

Palestinians honor the dead returned by Israel

Al Jazeera -  The Palestinian Authority received the remains of 91 Palestinian martyrs, including 12 from the Gaza Strip. For years, the remains were nothing but a number in a mass grave inside Israel. Today, they are reclaiming their identities. And on their tombs, a story of life, revolution, and martyrdom will be written. The oldest remains belong to seven martyrs who carried out the Savoy Hotel Operation in Tel Aviv in 1975. The Palestinian Authority hopes to receive another wave of martyrs in a few weeks.

Angry Egyptian portesters torch Shafiq's campaign headquarters

Al Alam - Egyptians took to the streets to express their anger towards presidential candidate Ahmed Shafiq, who is participating in the runoff round, and possibly becoming Egypt's first president after the revolution. Once again, the revolutionaries took to the squares in different governorates to protect their revolution, which would be at stake if Shafiq won the elections, given that he was one of the figures of the regime they revolted against.

The enraged protestors reached Shafiq's campaign headquarters in several governorates and set them on fire, throwing his campaigns'advertisement materials outside his headquarters in the Dokki area in Cairo, where some of his supporters gathered.

Syria faces diplomatic backlash over Houla massacre

BBC Arabic - The Geneva-based UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that in its preliminary investigations, at least 20 of the victims in the Houla massacre, which took place last Friday, were killed in artillery shelling. A spokesman for the U.S. State Department told the BBC that the U.S. administration decided to expel the Syrian charge d'affaires in Washington, Zuheir Jabbour. French President Francois Hollande announced the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador in Paris, and Australia also announced that it has requested the charge d'affaires, as well as other diplomats in the Syrian embassy in Canberra, to leave Australia within 72 hours, all in response to the massacre.

UAE revokes citizenship of seven rights activists

Al Alam -  A United Arab Emirates court issued its final decision, withdrawing the citizenship of seven activists. Another Emirati court is looking into the case of blogger Ahmed Abdel Khaleq, who is expected to be exiled to the Comoros Islands. Media and legal reports indicate that in 2009, the Emirates paid 200 million dollars to the Comoros Islands to issue Comorian citizenship to residents of the Emirates who do not have one, or the stateless who are subject to persecution, abuse and are deprived from citizenship rights. It is a chronic problem in the Emirates and several countries of the Persian Gulf.

Six bomb attacks in Baghdad kill at least 17 people

Dubai - In the bloodiest attacks on the Iraqi capital in weeks, six bombings rocked Baghdad today, killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens. These attacks broke the weeks of relative calm in Baghdad as the country is witnessing conflict inside the Iraqi government over a political crisis that threatens to fuel sectarian strife again. The bustling residential neighborhood of Shuala in the northwestern part of Baghdad was the most targeted by a wave of bombings that also hit the areas of al-Ghazaliya, al-Ameriya, al-Yarmouk, al-Zafaraniyah and al-Dora. As usual, booby-trapped vehicles and explosive devices claimed the lives of dozens of innocent people, and a state of emergency was declared at the hospitals in the Iraqi capital amid today's new wave of violence targeting civilians.

Image: A Palestinian woman shouts as others carry a flag-covered coffin containing the remains of a Palestinian militant following a ceremony in the West Bank city of Ramallah May 31, 2012. The remains of 91 Palestinian militants whose attacks killed hundreds of Israelis were returned to the West Bank and Gaza on Thursday in a gesture Israel said it hoped could help revive peace efforts. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside

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Syria: Eyewitnesses said government forces are indiscriminately firing at the outskirts of Maarat al-Numan with the intention of terrorizing residents. This has led more residents to flee the town. Fifteen kilometers east of Maarat al-Numan, residents of Mantas are also fleeing as armed convoys approach the village. The city of Hama witnessed anti-regime demonstrations yesterday to counter the pro-regime protests in Damascus. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged President Bashar al-Assad to carry out reforms before time runs out.

Libya: Revolutionaries say they have taken control of various areas in the Jabal al-Gharbi region after days of battles against Gaddafi's forces. Seesaw battles continue between the two sides in areas east of Tripoli, particularly between of Misurata and Zliten. While a number of countries assert that NATO's air strikes on Libya are impeding the efforts to reach a political resolution to the crisis, disputes between NATO members emerged as some refused to pledge to provide additional supplies for the military operations in Libya.

Iraq: On the first Friday since the end of Maliki’s 100-day deadline, protests in Tahrir Square were drastically different from prior weeks’ protests. As the weekly anti-regime protests began, they were soon met by opposing slogans swearing allegiance to the prime minister. The competing slogans did not last long and the protests soon turned violent.

Libya: Muammar Gaddafi met with South African President Jacob Zuma on Monday in Tripoli. After the meeting, Gaddafi called for ending NATO air strikes and agreed to to a ceasefire in addition to opening a dialogue with the Libyan opposition and to enact a ceasefire.  He refused to leave the country, however, and continued to call for NATO to end air strikes. The opposition rejected the African Union’s peace initiative because it does not include Gaddafi stepping down, and was bolstered by Italy's announcement that it will provide €100 million in aid to the Libyan opposition.

Yemen: After a brief ceasefire, new clashes erupted today between pro-government forces and gunmen loyal to the Hashid tribe leader Sadek al-Ahmar and pro-government forces. The death toll from the attack on protestors in Taiz rose to over 50.  Massive Yemeni civilians, fearful of civil war, took to the streets in Sana’a demonstrations took place in Sana’a to condemn the killing of protestors in Taiz and to demand the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. 

Syria: Syrian state TV reported that President Bashar Bashar al-Assad willwould issue a decree granting general amnesty to members of all political movements for crimes committed before May 31. According to human rights activists, the Syrian army continues to besiege and shell a number of regions near Homs and Daraa to prevent residents from taking part in protests. Fourteen people have been killed in Homs in the past two days.  

Iraq: Protests erupted in the city of Nasiriya in Dhi Qar province against Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government and the Dawa Party. Protestors have accused Maliki of been being unable to deliver on promises made to Iraqi citizens during either of his terms in office. Maliki gave his administration a 100-day deadline to achieve reform in Iraq. As that day deadline approaches and as Iraqis grow increasingly frustrated, many believe the date will mark the beginning of an Iraqi revolution. 

As the Syrian military finally retreats from Dara’a after a ten-day siege, Dubai TV reports that tanks and armored vehicles were seen entering a number of other towns in Homs province, including Rastan and Talbisa. The Syrian state news agency SANA reported that the military began withdrawing from Dara’a after capturing what it referred to as “terrorist elements.” However, activists on social networking sites said that Dara’a is still under a “suffocating siege,” with military forces in the street and snipers stationed on rooftops. 

Al-Jazeera features a report on media repression throughout the Middle East during the revolutions in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain. These countries’ regimes have carried out similar campaigns to suppress the media by confiscating permits, arresting journalists, and even killing journalists and photographers. Al-Jazeera’s office in Syria was shut down after several employees received threats. Only Syrian state-run media has been allowed to cover the protests in Dara’a since they erupted two months ago. Yet these extreme measures have not prevented the spread of revolutions across the Middle East. 

Amnesty International has called on Bahraini authorities to end the arrests of opposition members and to release detained protestors. Bahraini authorities continue their violent crackdown on protests despite international pleas. Religious scholars, soldiers, medical personnel, and journalists have been arrested throughout the country. Al-Alam reports that Bahraini authorities asked Human Rights Watch lawyer Joshua Colangelo to leave the country before he was able to investigate human rights abuses. 

Sixteen police officers were killed and 65 people injured in a terrorist attack in the Iraqi city of Hilla early this morning. Al-Iraqiya reports that a car filled with explosives targeted police headquarters in the city center. Residents of Hilla affirmed that the attack will not hinder the determination of the Iraqi people to “pave the way to a new Iraq.”

The BBC reports that protests calling for the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh's regime continued in cities throughout Yemeni, as living conditions deteriorate due to heightened food and gas prices. Some believe that the gas crisis is being staged by Saleh and as a punishment to the opposition.

Several days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas a choice between seeking reconciliation with Hamas and achieving peace with Israel. Today, Abbas said the Palestinian Authority will stand by Hamas. He made this statement at the signing ceremony for the national reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas in Cairo, Egypt. Palestinians expressed cautious optimism over the agreement, hoping it will open a new chapter for Palestinians.

Dubai TV reports that Syria protests have spread to the country’s second largest city, Aleppo. Students from the University of Aleppo took to the streets to demand that authorities lift the siege on Daraa. Nearly 3,000 protestors demonstrated in the coastal city of Baniyas with the same demand. Over 1,000 people have been arrested over the past three days, raising the total number of Syrian detainees to 2,800.

In Bahrain, 23 doctors and 24 nurses will be put on trial for their involvement in the uprising. The Bahraini military court is accusing them of providing medical care to protestors, being involved in the attempts to topple the ruling family, participating in illegal gatherings, and damaging public opinion by spreading false news. Al-Alam reports that this comes days after the military court issued death sentences to four young men accused of killing two police officers during protests.

In Libya, Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have shelled the Misurata port again, this time killing five people. Al-Jazeera reports that the forces are preparing to launch a new attack on the Wazen border crossing with Tunisia. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that over 80,000 Libyans have been displaced from the western Jabal al-Gharbi district in the past few days. International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that NATO forces might be used to capture Gaddafi.

France 24 reports tonight from Morocco, where demonstrators are gathering under the slogan “the people want to topple corruption and despotism.” The Morocco protests began on February 20, and have been growing in size everyday, despite King Mohammed VI’s promises to release of political prisoners and enact reforms.

Hundreds of Iraqis poured into Tahrir Square in central Baghdad last week to participate in the “Friday of Resistance.” Protestors are demanding the end of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s government, the eradication of corruption, and the release of detainees. In Mosul, demonstrators rallied in Ahrar Square for the 20th consecutive day, despite the government’s attempts to scatter the crowd.

(Mosaic Video Alert: April 26, 2011) Two people were killed and over 20 others were injured in Iraq when security forces opened fire on protestors in Mosul's Ahrar Square. Protestors have rejected concessions made by the government, which include the nomination of a new police commander and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's invitation to meet with a delegation of Mosul residents.

Al-Jazeera reports that two people were killed and over 20 injured when security forces opened fire on protestors in Mosul’s Ahrar Square in Iraq. Protestors have rejected the concessions made by the government so far, including the nomination of a new police commander, and have also rejected Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's invitation to meet with a delegation of Mosul residents.

Al-Alam brings us the latest developments from Libya, where Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces have shelled Misurata's port, injuring several African refugees. The attack also forced a ship carrying humanitarian aid to Misurata to turn back. NATO attacks targeted Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound, but Gaddafi himself was not harmed. While some sources have indicated that Gaddafi forces have retreated from Misurata, residents say that the city is still under siege.  

The BBC reports that Britain, France, Germany, and Portugal are circulating a draft statement within the Security Council condemning the violent crackdown on Syrian protestors. The White House announced yesterday that it is considering imposing sanctions on the Syrian government in response to what it described as brutal violence against Syrian civilians.

The Yemeni opposition has fully approved the Gulf transition plan after receiving clarifications on several of the initiative’s clauses. Dubai TV reports that while the Yemeni president's position on the initiative remains vague, the ruling party has announced that Saleh will agree to step down from power in exchange for immunity. The revolution's youth groups have rejected the initiative and say they will continue to protest until their demands are met.

Cairo Criminal Court has delayed the trial of former Interior Minister Habib el-Adly, six of his senior assistants, and Interior Ministry security leaders, until May 21st. The case relates to their involvement in the attacks and killings of protestors during the January 25 Revolution. Nile TV reports that Egypt's Attorney General Abdul Majid Mahmoud has decided to extend the detention of Alaa and Gamal Mubarak for another 15 days as a precaution while the allegations against them are investigated.