Arab League holds emergency Syria debate

(CNN) -- The Arab League, which held an emergency meeting in Cairo on Sunday about the ongoing unrest in Syria, is considering suspending the country from the organization.

     The Gulf Cooperation Council, made up of six Gulf Arab states, is spearheading the motion, which would need two-thirds of the assembly vote to pass.

     In his opening remarks, Syrian ambassador Yousef Ahmad blamed foreign influences for the unrest in his country. He cited the influence of Arabic-language news groups, which he said are targeting Syria.

Israel apologizes to Egypt over August border incident

    
Jerusalem (CNN) -- Following an investigation, Israel apologized to Egypt this week over an August incident in which five Egyptian border guards were killed, the Israeli Ministry of Defense said.

     The apology, issued Tuesday, was overshadowed by news that a deal had been reached for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was captured by the Palestinian group Hamas more than five years ago. However, it was largely seen as an olive branch to the transitional Egyptian government, as relations between Israel and Egypt have become strained in recent months.

     On August 18, militants crossed into Israel from Egyptian territory to attack Israeli civilian targets. Eight Israeli citizens were killed in the attacks, which Israel has said were the work of a jihadist group based in Gaza. Responding to the attacks, Israeli troops killed five Egyptian border guards while in pursuit of the militants.

Prime minister says Egypt 'scrambling' after at least 23 killed in clashes

     Cairo (CNN) -- Egyptian Prime Minister Essam Sharaf said Monday that clashes hours earlier between army forces and pro-Coptic Christian protesters had "brought us back" to the tense, violent period at the onset of the recent revolution.

     "Instead of going forward, we found ourselves scrambling for security," Sharaf said on state television in an early morning speech, noting that the incident had produced "martyrs, both civilian and from the military."

     The bloodshed in Cairo occurred just over a week after the burning of a Coptic Christian church in southern Egypt. The burning prompted the Sunday protest demanding equality and protection of Coptic places of worship.

Nobel Peace Prize recognises women rights activists

     This year's Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded jointly to three women - Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen.

     Mrs Sirleaf is Africa's first female elected head of state, Ms Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist and Ms Karman is a leading figure in Yemen's pro-democracy movement.

Arab Spring

    Mrs Karman heard of her win from protest camp Change Square in the capital Sanaa, where she has been living for several months calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to stand down.

     She was recognised for playing a leading part in the struggle for women's rights in Yemen's pro-democracy protests "in the most trying circumstances" and is the first Arab woman to win the prize.

     As the head of Yemeni organisation Women Journalists without Chains, Mrs Karman has been jailed several times.

     Mrs Karman told BBC Arabic she was dedicating it to "all the martyrs and wounded of the Arab Spring" - the wave of unrest which has swept the Middle East and North Africa in the past year - and to "all the free people who are fighting for their rights".

     Mr Jagland said the oppression of women was "the most important issue" in the Arab world and that awarding the prize to Ms Karman was "giving the signal that if it [the Arab Spring] is to succeed with efforts to make democracy, it has to include women".

via bbc.com

Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani 

    Nizar Tawfiq Qabbani (Arabic: نزار قباني) was a Syrian, poet and publiser. His poetic style combines simplicity and elegance in exploring themes of love, eroticism, feminism,religion, and Arab nationalism. He is one of the most revered contemporary poets in the Arab world.

     one of his most famous poems is (أشهد أن لا امرأه الا انت ) i.e I witness that there is no other woman except you ;

أشهد أن لا أمرأه إلا أنت

أتقنت اللعبة إلا أنت 
 
واحتملت حماقتي 
 
عشرة أعوام كما احتملت 
 
واصطبرت على جنوني مثلما صبرت 
 
وقلمت أظافري 
 
ورتبت دفاتري 
 
وأدخلتني روضة الأطفال 
 
إلا أنت .. 
 
2 
 
أشهد أن لا امرأة ً 
 
تشبهني كصورة زيتية 
 
في الفكر والسلوك إلا أنت 
 
والعقل والجنون إلا أنت 
 
والملل السريع 
 
والتعلق السريع 
 
إلا أنت .. 
 
أشهد أن لا امرأة ً 
 
قد أخذت من اهتمامي 
 
نصف ما أخذت 
 
واستعمرتني مثلما فعلت 
 
وحررتني مثلما فعلت