Iranian rial falls to all-time low as Western sanctions take hold

The rial has hit an all-time low against the American dollar, trading at 37,000 to the dollar this week, Future TV reported. And as objections against his government have risen, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad denied the presence of a shortage of hard currencies in the Iranian market, and clarified that the Iranian rial was devalued because of international sanctions on Iran. He also said that he sees a psychological war accompanying this external international pressure, which led to the devaluation of the currency.

Tunisian woman accused of indecency after being raped by security forces

Dubai TV reported that the Tunisian judiciary charged a girl with public indecency on Wednesday, after police said they had arrested her in a car under what they described as "suspicious circumstances" this past September. The girl had accused security agents of raping her. After a number of protests worldwide, Tunisian President Moncef al-Marzouki offered a state apology to the girl, and viewed the security flaw as not being within the security institution, but rather in the mindset of some of its members.

Turkey strikes Syrian targets in retaliation for deadly shelling

Press TV reported that tensions simmered between neighbors Turkey and Syria, as Turkey hit targets on Syrian soil in retaliation for mortar shelling from Syrian territories that hit Akcakale in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa on Wednesday. At least five people were killed and over a dozen others injured.

On Thursday, Al Jazeera reported that Turkey's parliament agreed to allow the government to wage a military operation outside the border if found necessary. Following the decision, anti-war protestors gathered around parliament and clashed with riot police there. Turkey's shelling eventually stopped, but New TV reported that at an AKP gathering on Friday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a new warning to Syria of the consequences of another shelling in Turkish territory.

Jailed Bahraini activist Mohammed Mushaima dies in custody

On Tuesday, 24-year-old Bahraini activist Mohammed Mushaima died of an illness while in custody. Press TV reported that he was in jail serving a prison term of seven years for taking part in anti-regime protests. Manama officials said that he was suffering from a hereditary disease. Lawyers said that they asked the court to release Mushaima because of his health, but their request had been denied.

Al-Alam reported that Bahraini regime forces launched a crackdown on his funeral procession in Manama on Wednesday, which was attended by "tens of thousands" of protestors. Al-Wefaq Society accused the Bahraini regime of being behind Mushaima's death, through depriving him of medical treatment and fabricating accusations against him.

Thousands of Jordanians take part in Friday protests despite king's dissolution of parliament

On Thursday, Jordan's King Abdullah II decided to dissolve parliament and call for early parliamentary elections in his country, reported Dubai TV. This was likely a preemptive move to head off the massive protests being called for by opposition groups on Friday. However, BBC Arabic reported that thousands still gathered in Amman on Friday for a day of protests dubbed "Friday to Save the Homeland," as called for by the opposition parties, most notably the Islamic Action Front.

Image: Protesters chant slogans during a demonstration against charges of indecency filed against a woman raped by two police officers, in front of the court in Tunis October 2, 2012. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

American film offensive to Islam sparks anti-US protests across Muslim world

Adding to the death of the American ambassador to Libya and members of his staff in Benghazi on September 11, demonstrations condemning a film that insulted the Prophet Muhammad have spread to Egypt, Yemen, Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Tunisia, Sudan, Morocco, and Mauritania, leading to four deaths in Yemen. Other Western embassies have also been attacked in Sudan.

IBA reported that the film that was released on the Internet and sparked the protests is called "Innocence of Muslims," and was produced by a California-based Jewish writer and producer. Most of Mosaic's broadcasters have reported that he is an Israeli American, leading to further anti-US and anti-Israel sentiment among Muslims.

Israel quickly denounced the film, with New TV reporting on Wednesday that the Israeli Foreign Ministry called it "unbearable extremism." Press TV noted that US President Barack Obama condemned the killings, but stopped short of condemning the film.

In addition to depicting the prophet Muhammad, which is strictly taboo in many interpretations of Islam, the film struck a nerve in the Muslim and Arab worlds for being American-made. Al Jazeera English discusses the nature of the protests, touching on the deep-seated anger of some citizens in the region regarding US foreign policy, especially in the wake of the Arab Spring.

Syrians come out for another round of Friday protests after a week of heavy shelling

As the new UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi visits Damascus for the first time since his appointment, cities and villages across Syria have continued to endure heavy army shelling, especially in and around Aleppo and Damascus. Algerie TV reported that the most recent statistics from the UNHCR indicate the number of Syrian refugees has surpassed 250,000, with 85,000 currently in Jordan.

Despite the daily attacks, BBC Arabic reported that on Friday, anti-regime demonstrations took place across Daraa, Idlib, the countryside of Damascus-- which the Syrian government says still harbors "terrorists" that they are trying to pursue-- and al-Hasaka Province, which has a Kurdish majority.

Newly-elected Somali president escapes assassination attempt

Hassan Sheikh Mahmud, who hails from the same tribe as departing president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, is the first Somali president to be elected within the country in more than two decades. However, BBC Arabic reported that just days after his election, he escaped two bombings that targeted the Mogadishu hotel in which he was residing. He was was meeting with Kenyan Foreign Minister Samson Ongeri at the time of the attack, which came as a surprise given the number of Somali and African Union forces protecting his hotel and convoy.

Image: Tunisian protesters burn the U.S. flag during a demonstration outside the U.S. embassy in Tunis September 12, 2012. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

Libyan court revokes law banning Gaddafi glorification

Al Jazeera - Libya's Supreme Court ruled that a law, passed by the National Transitional Council, was unconstitutional. The law criminalizes the glorification of Gaddafi and his ideas, and punishes with a prison sentence anyone who harms the February 17 Revolution. The court's ruling ended the debate between the law's opponents and proponents. Some viewed the law as a restoration of the former regime's tools of governance, while others considered it a rupture with the Gaddafi era.

Egypt's high court dissolves parliament two days before presidential elections

New TV - Egypt's Supreme Constitutional Court dissolved parliament, and confirmed the presidential run-off elections will be held on time. the struggle between Egypt's judges and the dissolved parliament seems ongoing, after parliament insulted and defamed the Egyptian judiciary and Judge Ahmed Rifaat, who presided over Mubarak’s case. This led the chairman of the union of judges to respond in kind, as the battle continues between the legislative and judicial powers. The ruling also found the disenfranchisement law invalid, keeping Ahmed Shafiq in the presidential race.

A look at Gaza after five years of Hamas rule and Israeli siege

BBC Arabic - Tuesday marked the 5th anniversary of Hamas’ control of the Gaza Strip following an internal battle with its opponent Fatah, that lasted many months and shaped the beginning of the Palestinian political division. Attempts to remedy this division continue today. It also paved the way for an economic blockade by Israel on Gaza's crossings, the price of which is being paid by Gaza’s residents.

As rhetoric intensifies, the Syrian conflict nears global proxy

Al-Alam - In light of the on-the-ground developments of the Syrian crisis, and as clashes continue between armed groups and government forces while a political solution is still lacking, the positions of European and world capitals have differed on the situation in Syria. In contrast to the UN position expressing concern over the eruption of a civil war in Syria, France's position explicitly urged an escalation of the situation in order to topple the regime. It also threatened to impose harsh sanctions on Syria.

Tunisia arrests dozens of Salafi Islamists rioting over art show

BBC Arabic - Clashes in some areas of the densely populated capital continued until the early morning hours. According to the Interior Ministry, the clashes erupted overnight between security forces and groups affiliated with Salafi forces, and vandals in several neighborhoods of the capital Tunis. Vandalism, burning and looting affected security and judicial institutions, and syndicates. Protesters say the reason is the display of portraits they considered offensive to Islam.

Image: Judge Kamal Bashir Daham, head of Libya's Supreme Court, and members of the court panel meet to approve the constitutional invalidation of a law that will criminalise the glorification of ousted leader Muammar Gaddafi or any of his supporters in Tripoli June 14, 2012. REUTERS/Ismail Zitouny

Ennahda: Tunisia's constitution will not be based on Islamic law

Dubai TV - The debate raging over the new constitution in Tunisia has intensified, after the government-led Ennahda Islamist Movement announced that it will not adopt sharia, or Islamic law, as the main source of legislation.

The decision was met by opposition from members of the Ennahda and its coalition blocs, which said the decision violates the principles which the party was elected based on. It is an ongoing debate over state identity, which has been polarizing the country since the downfall of the regime a year ago.

Sudan Summit Suspended After Border Clashes

Al Jazeera - South Sudan's authorities said the Sudanese army's fighter-jets shelled its border state for a second consecutive day after ground battles broke out between forces of Khartoum and Juba the day before. The long border between Sudan and South Sudan, still awaiting demarcation in accordance with the treaty recently signed by the two sides, has suddenly turned into a battlefield for military conflicts targeting the oil-rich areas in the two countries.

After several days of clashes, the Sudanese army celebrated the withdrawal of South Sudan soldiers from the disputed border region Heglig. Both Sudan and South Sudan agreed to meet in Addis Ababa do discuss security issues.

Israeli Website Recruits Retired Soldiers to Evict Palestinians

Palestine TV - An Israeli extremist recently created a website, announcing job opportunities for soldiers who completed their military service. The website is recruiting them to storm the homes of Jerusalemites and evict them to later seize their houses. These calls seek to evict citizens from their homes were started by Israeli militant Aryeh King, the director of the Israel Land Fund and a founding member of the Israeli Association for Distributive Justice, called on soldiers with a strong build to join him in evicting Jerusalemites.

Rift Widens Between Egypt's Military Rulers and Muslim Brotherhood

New TV - In Egypt, anger erupted after the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafis monopolized the Constituent Assembly as the youth of the revolution are calling for a million-person march next Friday, under the banner "the constitution is for everyone."

The constitutional committee, consisting of 100 members, ended with an Islamist majority from the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party and the Salafi al-Nour Party, turning the world upside down for the Islamists, who monopolized the committee as the Copts only received six seats and the youth only one seat. In a stern address, the council announced it will not allow the Brotherhood or its Freedom and Justice Party, to seize control of the constitution.

Image: Protesters hold up placards, which read "Down with Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie", during a rally against the formation of a constituent assembly tasked with drafting a new constitution outside the Cairo convention centre March 24, 2012. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

This time last year, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire, sparking a popular uprising in Tunisia that spread to countries throughout the Middle East and North Africa. The uprisings have come to be known throughout the world as the "Arab Spring" and have caused more change in one year than the region has seen in decades. For months, chants across the Middle East echoed, "The people want the downfall of the regime." Only a month after Tunisians ousted Tunisian President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, it took the Egyptian people only 18 days to overthrow Hosni Mubarak after being in power for 30 years. 

Shortly after the downfalls of Ben Ali and Mubarak, Libyans took up arms against Muammar Gaddafi. After ten months of violent battles that took the lives of thousands of civilians, Libyan revolutionaries claimed victory when Gaddafi was killed in his hometown of Sirte. 

Protestors in Yemen hope to turn a new page after months of bloody crackdowns as embattled ruler Ali Abudllah Saleh belatedly signed the Gulf-brokered deal that will transfer power in the country by early next year. 

Early election results indicate that the moderate Islamist party, Ennahda, has claimed victory in Tunisia's first elections since the country's popular revolution ousted longtime leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali last January. Tonight, al-Alam features a profile on the once-banned political party that has so far claimed 30 percent of votes in Tunisia's historic election, in which some 90 percent of eligible voters turned out. While many worried about the potential for violence and chaos, the elections are being hailed a success. One voter said, "We used to be so ashamed of our country…But today we're proud to be Tunisian." Another observer tweeted, "singing and fireworks outside [Ennahda] HQ after first results announced." 

According to al-Arabiya, Ennahda's leader Rachid al-Ghannouchi, who was in exile for 22 years during Ben Ali's rule, wants a moderate system of Islamist governance modeled after Turkey's Justice and Development party. The party's campaign manager added that Tunisia's priorities in this new phase "are stability, conditions for a dignified life and the building of democratic institutions in Tunisia. We are open to anyone who shares these objectives. We are open to all forces without exception." While secularists see al-Ghannouchi as a dangerous radical, Islamists believe he is far too liberal. The Ennahda leadership, however, vows to uphold its pre-election promises of forming a broad coalition government and is currently in discussions with secular parties. 

With the first democratic elections, Tunisia is once again paving the way in the region as the next phase of the "Arab Spring" takes shape. Egypt is scheduled to hold elections next month and many eagerly await to see whether other countries in the region will follow Tunisia's lead. 

(Photo: Supporters of the Islamist Ennahda movement celebrate outside Ennahda's headquarters in Tunis. Zohra Bensemra / Reuters)

Tunisia: Tunisian security forces attacked hundreds of protestors who took to the streets of the capital Tunis to call for a second revolution. Police forces, who had blocked the streets leading to the interior ministry, tried to scatter the protestors by firing tear gas and beating several of them. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the cathedral in Tunis, shouting "new revolution," "the people want the system to fall," and "Free Tunisia, throw out the thieves."

Libya: In an audio message on Libyan state television, Libyan Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi called on his supporters to prepare to fight to recapture the cities controlled by the revolutionaries, and predicted a swift end to the opposition and NATO. The state-run channel broadcast live images from Green Square in Tripoli, where hundreds of regime supporters gathered, holding photos of al-Gaddafi and waving green flags. Gaddafi's speech came after the revolutionaries gained control of the city of az-Zawiyah, in western Libya, only 50 kilometers from Tripoli.

Syria: According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Syrian army continued its shelling of several neighborhoods in Latakia for the third consecutive day. The army also stormed the Palestinian refugee camp al-Ramel and the city of Hula in Homs province. Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA, denies these reports. The state run channel broadcast videos of Hama showing that the city is regaining vitality and that official business has resumed.

Egypt: At the Cairo Criminal Court, Chancellor Ahmed Rifaat has ordered that former President Hosni Mubarak's trial be merged with the proceedings against his former interior minister, Habib el-Adly. He also decided to end live television coverage of the court sessions. Chaos and altercations between lawyers erupted today during the court's second session for the trials of the former president and his two sons, Ala'a and Jamal.

Egypt: Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has made significant changes to his Cabinet to placate those accusing the new government of being slow at implementing reforms. However, protestors do not see the reshuffle as sufficient and continue to protest against the government. Egyptian state-run television reported that preparatory work will start on September 18 for the Egyptian parliamentary elections, which were recently postponed to November.

Bahrain: Leading opposition group al-Wefaq National Islamic Society announced its withdrawal from Bahrain’s national dialogue. It attributed the withdrawal to Manama’s failure to accept any of al-Wefaq's reform proposals, including initiatives for a constitutional monarchy, an elected government, and for drafting a constitution. Bashra al-Hindi, a member of al-Wefaq's dialogue delegation said, "The existing administration [does] not care for a real dialogue." Three other opposition groups said they may also pull out of the talks.

Tunisia: Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi said violence in the country is aimed at preventing elections from taking place. He warned that extremist political groups are trying to derail the date of the elections but confirmed that they will be held on October 23, as scheduled. Tunisia's recent protests led to the death of one person during a wave of riots that swept the capital Tunis and a number of other cities.

Syria: Syrian security forces continue their military operations in cities and town throughout the country. According to the Syrian Coordination Committees, ten people died in the al-Khalidiya region in Homs when a funeral was targeted by gunfire. The crackdown led to the deaths of several of people, including a 12-year-old boy, and to the injury of dozens. This military escalation was met with massive demonstrations in a number of areas as part of what was named the Tuesday of "Nashama al-Furat" by the Syrian opposition.

Jordan: Violent confrontations erupted between Jordanian security forces and protestors during a demonstration today. The protest was organized in central Ammam by popular and youth movements, which have named themselves the July 15 Parties. Jordanian police used batons to disperse hundreds of protestors who chanted "the people want to reform the regime." Tomorrow, they will hold a sit in at the prime minister's headquarters.

Libya: Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said that the International Contact Group on Libya will recognize the National Transitional Council as the official representative of the Libyan people. Frattini told reporters that the international recognition for the Council leaves no choice for Muammar Gaddafi but to step down. Gaddafi's supporters took to the streets in Ajalat, west of Tripoli, in their largest demonstration yet to support Gaddafi and reject foreign interference.

Tunisia: Police prevented demonstrators from pitching protest tents at the government square in al-Kashbah and dispersed the protestors using tear gas. The protestors are demanding the dismissal of the interior and justice ministers, the judiciary's independence, and the prosecution of anyone responsible for the killing of protestors during the revolution.

Egypt: Thousands of people gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the "Friday of Final Warning." They are demanding that the authorities hasten the transfer of former President Hosni Mubarak to Tora hospital and assign a court to prosecute anyone responsible for killing revolutionaries. They demanded that members of the court be independent from the former judiciary and for the former president to be the court's first defendant.

Syria: Demonstrations were held in a number of cities to mark the "Friday of Freedom for Prisoners." In Damascus, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that two people were killed and dozens were injured by security forces' gunfire, while Syrian TV reported that one civilian and two security forces were wounded by gunmen. According to the Syrian opposition's websites, almost 150,000 people protested in Hama, while Syrian TV said the city witnessed a limited gathering of participants demanding that the authorities combat corruption, adding that the rally ended without any security concerns.

Syria: Over 4,000 gathered in front of the US and French embassies in Damascus to condemn both countries' interference in Syrian affairs. The protestors threw tomatoes and eggs at the buildings, broke windows, wrote angry messages on the walls of both embassies, and held banners condemning the French and Americans ambassadors' violation of diplomatic norms. Security at the French embassy fired at the demonstrators, leading to the injury of two people. 

Libya: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said that while efforts to reach a political solution are being exerted, it is necessary to maintain military pressure on the Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi. Juppe proposed a solution involving four phases: immediate ceasefire by Gaddafi's forces, Gaddafi relinquishing power, beginning a dialogue hosted by the Transitional National Council, and drawing a roadmap for establishing a democratic system with free elections.

Bahrain: The February 14 Youth Coalition has called for demonstrations on Sitra Island this Friday, named "Self Determination III." The coalition considered the dialogue called for by the king a failure, describing it as a "farce" because it was conducted amid the continuous crackdown on protests by Saudi-backed Bahraini forces. The people saw the dialogue as a maneuver to buy time as the authorities continue to arrest opposition figures and take arbitrary measures against peaceful protestors.

Tunisia: Six months after the Tunisian revolution toppled President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, the country is witnessing a new wave of angry demonstrations. In January, the Tunisian revolution inspired other Arab countries to rise up against their corrupt dictators, but today, Tunisia remains unstable and is demonstrating that removing a corrupt leader won’t solve all the country’s problems. Elections have been postponed to October and the country faces severe unemployment.