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Tom's Take
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On AMANPOUR. today, we take a look at the recent religious violence in Nigeria, which has only served to highlight the issues facing the country at a time when it appears to be suffering on many different fronts. Today, protests will take place in the seat of government power, Abuja. The protests are set against the ongoing power vacuum. Christiane gets to the root of the latest clashes and asks if the political void will allow for a further descent into violence. Nigeria is only one of the stories in the news today. Here are some perspectives.
Tom Evans
Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
NIGERIA – How serious is the risk of a further escalation in ethnic violence in Nigeria?
– Witnesses say soldiers open fire on a crowd breaking a curfew just days after fighting between Christians and Muslims left more than 200 people dead, most of them Christians
– Residents in the Jos area in central Nigeria accuse the security forces of failing to provide security to the villages that were attacked Sunday
– Violence is latest in series of clashes over the past decade in the country’s “middle belt” where ethnic groups are battling to control fertile farmland
QUESTION: Will the Nigerian government take decisive action before the violence escalates into a much broader conflict between Nigeria’s Christians and Muslims?
And now your feedback
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/17/feedback.jpg caption="Christiane – all ears for the feedback."]
The feedback received through emails focused on two topics, the interview with Mosab H. Yousef, the son of Hamas, and its “fascinating essence”, as viewers described it. The second discussion was the professed admiration for the documentary Scream Bloody Murder that continued to receive compliments by most. In Facebook, viewers zoomed into the relationship the film Hurt Locker had with women candidates in Iraqi elections. The social media conversation began with wishes for women around the globe for a “happy International Women’s day” which turned into support for women that took and conquered leadership roles internationally, using as an example the Hurt Locker director, Kathryn Bigelow. Many recognized the challenges for women ahead, but overall a sense of solidarity accompanied most commentary.
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.amanpour.com for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
Email Comments
Christiane: If China is clearly signaling that it won't go along with the sanctions the U.S. is calling for isn't it time to seek a completely new approach to the Iran problem? Given the enormous amount of American debt China holds, don't we have essentially zero leverage to get China to see things our way? If the sanction remedy for dealing with Iran is blocked does that make war more or less likely? What can be done to avoid war? Finally, if Israel starts a war with Iran will the U.S. have to join it?
S. Jensen
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I am thankful that a Muslim knows what one day the whole world will know, there is only one God and He is not Allah. Only God can change a heart by a faith in Jesus who paid for all sin. Jesus The Lord and creator of all things says recieve the Truth and love one another to go to Heaven, NOT kill and hate and go to Heaven. The devil thru false religions is destroying many because they refuse to receive the one TRUTH, yet it is available to everyone who will believe the Bible is true
B. Smith
Iraqi activist: Women's rights must be focus for new parliament
Watch the complete interview with three women from the Middle East on our podcast.
Watch the complete interview with three women from the Middle East on our podcast.
By Tom Evans; Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
(CNN) - Even as votes are counted in Iraq's general election, a leading human rights activist in Baghdad said Monday that she is counting on the new parliament to defend and develop women's rights.
Basma al-Khateeb, of the Iraqi Women's Network, said it was vital for Iraqi legislators of both genders to defend the Iraqi "Law of Personal Status," which protects women and families, and limits the influence of religious courts.
"It's considered one of the most advanced family laws in the region. It's based on Sharia law, but takes the best (of it) for the benefit of women and family," she told CNN's Christiane Amanpour on International Women's Day.
"The Personal Status Law paved the way to mixed marriages, to more rights for women - and we need to develop it."
// Her remarks came after Sunday's vote - the first parliamentary elections in Iraq since 2005. There were nearly 2,000 female candidates, and by law women must make up 25 percent of the new legislature.
Preliminary election results are expected later this week. Final results are due by the end of March.
Al-Khateeb said the 25 percent quota was a "double-edged sword" for women because political parties choose candidates who are not trained or outspoken, and who will do as they are told.
And now your feedback
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/17/feedback.jpg caption="Christiane – all ears for the feedback."]
The interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a founder of Hamas who claimed he became a spy for Israel's domestic security service proved exceptionally popular. Religion controlled all discussions Amanpour viewers shared regarding this interview. Emotions grew strong as viewers exchanged their clearly favored point of view, especially in Facebook. In addition, peace continued to be the desired outcome among a few, who felt it was “still attainable.” Lastly, record amount of emails received concerning one topic that many considered a revelation, the documentary Scream Bloody Murder which, was described as “absolutely riveting and breathtaking!”
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.amanpour.com for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
Email comments
No levelheaded, peace loving human being want to see proliferation of nuclear weapons. While Iran is in the 'hot seat', one could not help but wonder why isnt there any scrutiny on the Israelis? Its incomprehensible to see a how a 'probably nuclear armed nation' driving the effort to pressure a 'potentially nuclear ambitious nation'. Because of this unfairness, we, in the west have no moral standing to lecture Iran.
Jean Luc Picard
France
Dear Christiane:
The foreign relations committee in Congress sticks it to a NATO ally and friend by passing a resolution condemning the Ottoman Empire for genocide! Is this how corrupt the political system has become that they would do such incredible damage to Turkish – American relations just to garner Armenian political contributions and votes? Is this how disdainful they are towards their Party leader President Obama, that they would ignore his appeals and make him look ineffective and weak! Not to mention reinforcing perceptions in the Middle East that the U.S. is still an arrogant and out-of-touch power. We are talking about the Ottoman Empire, you know, not modern Turkey! How would the American Government feel if some European country or NATO ally condemned them for the genocide they committed to the American Indian, which is more horrific than anything the Ottoman's did. Hope you will report on how the Islamic government in Turkey is moving to undermine secularism by buying votes and stacking the judiciary and military with Fethullah. Thank you for an excellent show and outstanding reporting.
Raheman
Our fabulous intern Sugam and Archbishop Desmond Tutu
Our exclusive interview with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daugher airs Wednesday:
Tom's Take
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/16/christianetom.jpg caption caption="Sr. Writer for Amanpour, Tom Evans, works on scripts with Christiane"]
On AMANPOUR. we focus on women in the Muslim world on this International Women’s Day. Are women’s rights compatible with Islam? Christiane looks at Sunday’s national elections in Iraq with a political activist working to get more women elected to the Iraqi Parliament. And then, Christiane sits down with three leading women activists from elsewhere in the Middle East to discuss the pressing issues in their respective countries and the region as a whole. From honor killings, to repressive family laws and added economic burdens exacerbated by the financial crisis, these three leaders are educating and organizing women to lobby their governments on gender equality in all realms. With the threat of encroaching Islamic fundamentalism, will women’s hard-won gains be reversed? The Iraqi election is among the top stories today. Here are some perspectives.
Tom Evans
Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
IRAQ – Will Sunday’s parliamentary elections help decrease sectarian and ethnic tensions in the country?
– Head of Iraq’s election commission tells Associated Press turnout for poll was 55 to 60 percent, which is down from roughly 76 percent in parliamentary elections in December 2005
– Faraj al-Haidari told AP the preliminary results are likely to be released in the next two to three days, most likely on Thursday
– U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Christopher Hill says overall, it was a “very successful election”. U.S. Commander, General Ray Odierno, say U.S. will draw down forces to 50,000 troops by the first of September, as scheduled, for a train and advise mission.
QUESTION: Will U.S. be forced to leave some combat troops in northern Iraq past September 1st because of tensions in that part of Iraq?
And now your feedback
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/17/feedback.jpg caption="Christiane – all ears for the feedback."]
Religion continued to play the main role in the discussions Amanpour viewers shared regarding the interview with Mosab Hassan Yousef, the son of a founder of Hamas who claimed he became a spy for Israel's domestic security service. Raw emotions were exchanged among viewers that clearly favored one side or the other. Furthermore, although peace was mentioned a few times as the desired outcome, pride for the religion these viewers practiced came first according to their commentary.
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.amanpour.com for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
Email comments
Ehud Barack will not (cannot) say anything about the assassination, but you can bet this story is unfolding exactly as the Israelis planned and wanted.
After all, they sent an entire platoon to Dubai–27 people–to take out one guy. And supposedly left fingerprints in the hotel room? Come on. These guys were pros. The only reason there were fingerprints is because they wanted to leave them.
They were not only eliminating an arms supplier to terrorists, they were sending a message to their enemies: "We can, and will, send an entire platoon anywhere in the world to strike you down. You're not safe anywhere on the planet."
S. Eagan
Norwalk, CT
Tom's Take
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On AMANPOUR. today, we focus on the U.N. nuclear agency’s meeting in Vienna and Iran’s nuclear program. A recent IAEA report stated that Iran may now be trying to build a nuclear warhead and on Wednesday, the U.S. envoy to the IAEA Glyn Davies said Iran has been playing a "cat and mouse" game with the U.N. body. Iran is pushing back – accusing the IAEA of issuing a misleading and unbalanced report singling out Yukiya Amano, the new head of the IAEA, for undermining the Iran’s cooperation. Will this meeting bolster the case among U.N. Security Council members who support further, deeper sanctions against Iran and bring China and Russia onboard? We’ll find out. Iran is not the only story in the news today. Here are some perspectives.
– Tom Evans; Sr. Writer, AMANPOUR.
NUCLEAR SHOWDOWN – Are new international sanctions against Iran inevitable?
– New York Times reporting U.S. circulating new draft proposal for sanctions against Tehran over its nuclear program
– U.S. plan for new sanctions running into opposition not just from China, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, but also other key countries such as Brazil and Turkey
– Iran’s envoy to the IAEA in Vienna is warning that Tehran may withdraw its counteroffer on the supply of nuclear fuel if there are any developments which “might disturb the climate of cooperation” as he puts it
QUESTION: Are hopes of a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran receding?
Hamas official slams spy-claim book
Watch the complete interview with Mosab Yousef on our podcast.
Watch the complete interview with Mosab Yousef on our podcast.
(CNN) - A top official in the Palestinian militant group Hamas lashed out at the son of a Hamas founding member who says in a new book he was an Israeli spy for a decade.
"The Israelis issued this book as a kind of propaganda. When you say that he was working for his enemies, it means that he lies for his own people, and we expect that there are big lies in this book," Osama Hamdan told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview from Damascus, Syria.
"He's a big liar. He lost his faith. He lost his moralities. And he's working for the enemies who are killing his own people, who are arresting his father, and who are occupying his country," Hamdan declared Wednesday.
In his book, Mosab Hassan Yousef says he gathered information about Hamas terrorist plots and fed them to Israel's domestic security service Shin Bet, and thereby saved countless Israeli and Palestinian lives.
Yousef, in an interview with Amanpour, said he did it because he came to believe that Hamas was practicing "exceptional cruelty" against its members and "killed people for no reason."
He wrote a book, "Son of Hamas," from his new base in the United States, where he has lived since 2007.
CNN could not independently confirm his story, and Israel has refused to comment.
A journalist specializing in intelligence matters on the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Yossi Melman, said he believes Yousef's story, even though some people say he is exaggerating his role.
"I know that his story is, generally speaking, accurate, (but he) may be slightly over inflating his own role and its importance," Melman told Amanpour.
And now your feedback
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/11/17/feedback.jpg caption="Christiane – all ears for the feedback."]
Unprecedented reactions took over social media and email feedback regarding the exclusive interview with Shin Bet, the son of a founder of Hamas who claimed he became a spy for Israel's domestic security service. Confusion, extreme emotions and strong words best describe the feelings portrayed by the Amanpour viewers about Mr. Bet’s beliefs. While some highly commended the interview and applauded “the conviction” Mr. Bet had displayed throughout his life, others stated that he was a ‘lost spirit” and was the “manifestation of evil.” Religion was the main cause of disagreement among most viewers who felt their religion was the “right one” and offered no consideration to those who felt otherwise.
What are your thoughts? Please share your thoughts with us! In addition, if you missed the show go to http://www.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/amanpour/ for more information.
Below, you will see some opinions from viewers like yourself. We would love to hear what you think.
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