I said to myself, “God forgive me hate this man. If I had hated, I must hate war” Those are Ms. Koko Kondo, one of the atomic bomb survivors that destroyed Hiroshima which occurred 70 years ago. Kondo describes the moment when the suicide bomber co-pilot Enola Gay, that hit Hiroshima, and who was shedding tears of severe reprimand of his conscience, because he felt extremely guilty as a result of his actions.

When the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima, Ms.Kondo was only eight months old. Since then she has devoted her life to tell the story of Hibakusha - the injured people from the blast - This year, as in every year, Coco Condo will roam the streets of her hometown to talk with students about the horrors of the war disaster that hit her home and childhood. And she will share with them the humiliation that she felt when she was a teenager, especially when she stood naked on stage while the men with white robes - doctors and scientists - examining her body from the impact of radiation poisoning signs. Coco Kondo stated that she still remembers the painful incident, when the US fiancé abandoned her a few days before their wedding, for fear of exposure to radiation that may cause her inability to have children.

Kondo is pacifist who hopes that her story will help young men and women to understand the terrible devastation felt by the victims of nuclear war. Through her intensive tours and novel stories, she is working tirelessly to reveal to the world, the way to avoid a terrible unprecedented war. The story of Ms Kondo has filled a complete edition of the New Yorker magazine in August 1946 when published for the entire year since the disaster of Hiroshima bombing, in order to make it clear to everyone how dire the destructive power of this incredible weapon, and it is imperative for all nations and peoples to reflect well, considering how terrible the effects of its use.

On the sixth day of August 1945, 70 years ago, Ms Kondo was one of those victims of thousands of women, children and elderly who experienced the worst kind of random wars. That should be rebuked by the human conscience and should not have occurred in the first place. When the nuclear weapons’ war hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki seventy years ago - even though for only three days - it is still living in the human imagination, as if it did not end, because successive wars have not stopped yet, especially if we know that nowadays, one out of every 122 people are living in exile, they have been forced to leave their homes because of past conflicts, and that the number of people killed in conflicts from 49,000 in 2010 had risen to180, 000 in 2014. It is estimated that violence costs have risen over the past four to 13.4 per cent of gross domestic product in the world. But today's conflicts are different from World War II, for most of them being internal and not between nations - such as civil wars, insurgencies, conflicts, gangs, sectarians, fanaticism, violence and terrorism, and that take place often at the grassroots level in the civil societies, if not, some of which are being abroad for the occupation, colonization and domination.

For all these reasons, we as human beings, individuals, societies and nations, we should strongly and firmly believe that it is necessary to mobilize actions and support local capacities for world peace with justice. And we should always remember subjugated peoples who suffer under imperialism, colonization and genocide, such as the people of Palestine, Iraq, Syria and the list is endless.  We must therefore working hard to prevent wars in the long term, and replace them with the development of appropriate solutions and direct negotiations for a radical change in the public opinion and in the feeble methods that are being practiced by some world leaders and politicians. Seeking therefore, to achieve a just peace in the light of true humanistic values and peace building with justice This is what we can aim to do.

At the same time we should remember the horror of the atomic Hiroshima war. We should also remember its martyrs and pay tribute to the memories of the survivors and respect those living on the renewal of their stories. It is the time to remember what does humanity means and to rethink and action those wounded humanitarian concepts, which is still suffering and bleeding in complete silence.

By Asharf Helmey

Shortly, with the prayers of the His Holiness Pope Tawadros II, Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St Mark, His Grace Bishop Daniel El Antouny, the head of the Monastery of St Shenouda The Archimandrite in Sydney/NSW will head the 20th year anniversary celebration since the inauguration, by his Holiness Pope Shenouda III, God bless his soul. The Monastery passed into 3 stages to reach its current flourishing status of a well established Monastery recognized by The Holy Synod. The idea came in 1990 from Dr. Medhat Guirgis – The Secretary of the NSW State Board of The Coptic Orthodox Church at the time and his wife Dr. Sara Fuirgis – to give a present from the son and daughter to their Father H H Pope Shenouda III. H H devoted his life to re-build the old un-occupied monasteries and promote monasticism in the Coptic Orthodox Church. This would provide the NSW Diocese with one of the pillars of the Coptic Orthodox Church. The hard work to establish the Monastery was completed with the prayers and blessings of H H Pope Shenouda by the Very Reverend Fr Tadros Elbakhoumi who was experienced in the construction of monasteries after successfully re-building the ancient St Bakhomious Monastery in Edfo in the 1970’s.

First stage: The constructions since 1991 till 1995

1. The Very Reverend Father Tadros Elbakhomi, Mr. Soubhi Nicola and Mr. Issa Tadros made many trips, taking the burdens and hardships of travelling around NSW to find a suitable place. Finally in early 1991 find a spot around 110 Acres was found in Putty 150 km away from Sydney about. This land was perfect and commensurate with the monastic life. Then the land was purchased by Dr. Medhat Guirgis & his wife Dr Sara Guirgis.

2. In one of his visits to Australia in the same year His Eminence Metropolitan Bishoy, the Secretary of The Holy Synod at the time, visited the parcel of land. His Eminence was impressed, blessed the land, and prayed for the completion of the work. His Eminence’s signature was imprinted on one of the trees there.

3. The hard work started by preparing the architectural drawings to build a church, a hall, a kitchen as well as four quarters – (Klaly) for the monks according to the regulations of the Putty City Council's.

4. Father Tadros Albakhomi and both engineers Sobhi and Issa, lobbied intensively with the authorities until finally, the miracle happened and they got the DA approved.

5. The process of preparing the land and construction under the supervision of Fr Tadros continued reaching its final stages and in 1993 His Holiness Pope Shenouda III blessed the monastery and laid the cornerstone after the prayers of Thanks Giving. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III thanked the V Rev Tadros Elbakhomi and the other servants participating in the project. H H gave some observations that he would like to add before his next visit to celebrate the inauguration of the monastery.

6. After completion of the monastery buildings and the provision of water, electricity, and telephone facilities H H Pope Shenouda III visited the monastery for the second time on 26 August 1995 amid the joy of the Coptic community and celebrated the inauguration of the monastery. Dr. Medhat Guirgis and his wife transferred the ownership to H H as a gift on the occasion of the Silver Jubilee of the Coptic Orthodox church In Australia. So the Contracts were exchanged and were signed by father Tadros Elbakhomi as a witness in his capacity as a Justice of the Peace in accordance with Australian law.

7. Then Pope Shenouda III handed the monastery keys to the priest Pavlos Anba Bishoy.

Second stage: development and attraction 1996 till 2006 

This phase started with the leadership of Fr Pavlos El Anba Bishoy and Fr Bishoy who played a prominent role in the advancement of the monastery as a result of their faith and strong relationship with the Coptic people and good hospitality in the monastery. An increased number of the visitors flocked to the monastery, especially the youth during the public holidays and in the weekends. Under their leadership the following was achieved

1. The number of monks increased in the monastery during this period as follows:

a. Shenouda was ordained a monk under name WISSA on 1999/4/3 then priest on 2002/1/92 by Pope Shenouda III.

b. Both John and Daniel requested to be monks on 2000, then became monks under names Shenouda and Theodor on 2004/2/22.

2. The area of the land was increased in three phases, till reaching 268 acres now.

3. Building a large workshop, and the purchase of heavy and light equipment for use in agriculture, construction, and architectural constructions.

4. using areas in the land for cultivation, and establish farms raising birds and cows and sheep.

5. Construction of new buildings including twelve monks’s Quarters, a private dwelling for the Bishop of the monastery, kitchen for visitors, a hall and library for the monks, as well as a medical facility. In addition to Bethlehem (a room for making the Eucharist) there was also another separate building for visitors to the monastery include a large kitchen, a hall, a library for the visitors, and seven extension guest house to accommodate 28 guests with toilets. This building was used for spiritual seekers or church youth trips. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III blessed this construction on his last visit to Australia by the end of 2002.

Third stage: the recognition from 2006 so far:

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, decided to assign Fr Daniel El Antony to take over the Affairs of the monastery after the return of Fr Pavlos to Cairo. Fr. Daniel was ordained in 2009 as a Bishop for the monastery in 2009 with the name H G Bishop Daniel. During his time, the monastery implemented the conditions that allow the Holy Synod to officially recognize the monastery including:

1. Complete the construction of the gate of the monastery including two small towers – (Manara) , and also a metal bell beside the Church.

2. Establishment of the "Altafoos” a building of a private cemetery for the monks who pass away.

After the Monastery’s recognition by the Holy Synod H G Bishop Daniel started further projects on the land of the monastery:

1. Laying the foundation stone for the Cathedral construction project in 2014, after the monastery access permits from government agencies responsible.

2. The monastery became a major educational for the new priests for the period condition of forty days as a new priest.

3. Ordaining the monk Fr Wissa to be a Hegoman, and ordaining the monks Shenouda and Theodor to became priests. Moreover, other two persons called Moses and Daniel requested to be monks on 6/01/2014.

4. Increasing the monastery land to 418 acres now.

To mark the occasion we give here a simple summary of the history of the monastery. We congratulate all who toiled for the establishment and advancement of the monastery and ask God to bless them and reward them for their efforts in completing the process of monasticism in NSW with the blessing and prayers of his Holiness Pope Tawadros II, H G Bishop Daniel the head of the monastery of Anba Shenouda The Archimandrite, H G Bishop Daniel the Bishop of Sydney & Affiliated regions, and all our Orthodox bishops.

Saturday 15 August 2015

on the occasion of the 

Feast of the Assumption, 

OLOL Harris Park

Honourable Ministers and Members of Parliament,

Your Excellencies the Consuls General,

Members of Local Councils,

Presidents of our Australian Lebanese associations,

Representatives of the media and other organisations,

Representatives of Maronite councils and organisations,

Reverend Monsignors, Members of the Clergy, and Religious Sisters, 

Distinguished guests,

Dearly Beloved in Christ,

1. When Pope Francis proclaimed the Year of Mercy to commence on 8 December this year, he called our attention to Our Blessed Mother, and quoted from the Gospel reading , which we heard today. His Holiness said that Our Lady:

... treasured divine mercy in her heart in perfect harmony with her Son Jesus. Her hymn of praise, sung at the threshold of the home of Elizabeth, was dedicated to the mercy of God which extends from “generation to generation”. We too were included in those prophetic words of the Virgin Mary. This will be a source of comfort and strength to us as we cross the threshold of the Holy Year to experience the fruits of divine mercy. 

2. The Virgin Mary is indeed the Mother of God and the Mother of Mercy, for God is mercy, and mercy is a quality which leads us to God and makes us more Christ-like.

3. As we prepare for the beginning of the Year of Mercy, we need to experience the mercy of God in order to be able to practice it and spread it through our everyday actions. In order to experience the mercy of God, we should approach Him in the Sacraments of the Eucharist and of Reconciliation. There is an essential link between these two sacraments. Apart from the Eucharist, there simply is no greater gift that the Church can give us which is the gift of reconciliation. The Eucharist is the sacrifice of Christ offered for the forgiveness of sins, “This is my body which will be given up for you... this is the cup of my blood... it will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven.” 

4. When we have felt God’s compassion and forgiveness in these two great sacraments, and experienced his strengthening presence, we could then become messengers of his mercy and love to the world. This could be done through charitable work, acts of love, and small gestures of kindness. Our constant companion on this journey of receiving God’s mercy and bringing it to the world is, of course, Our Lady, Mother of Mercy. 

5. As such, and in our roles as messengers of God in this world, I wish to speak now about two important events: one at the level of our Maronite Church here in Australia and the second for the Universal Catholic Church.  These events aim to engage with our people and society, so that the light of Christ might shine everywhere.

6. First, allow me to mention the Maronite Youth Convention which we held in July this year, and which would not have been possible but for the selfless work of youth and clergy of our Diocese. More than three hundred of our Maronite youth came together for three days.

7. I am personally gratified that, with your generous assistance, we have brought our youth together from across this wide land, from Brisbane to Melbourne, to Adelaide and to Perth and back to Sydney. In coming together their eyes were opened to their identity in the faith and the potential for good which they possess. May they now come more and more to live and to spread their Christian values and the fruits of their Maronite heritage wherever they may be, in the workplace, at institutions of education, and in the family. 

8. So successful was the Convention, so serious were the youth in the pursuit of their faith that a decision was taken that the Convention should be held each two years. And on this night, I call on our young Maronites to start preparing for ARISE 2017.

9. The second significant engagement I wish to mention is the General Synod on the Family which will be held in Rome in October this year. Bishop Antoine Andary and I have been elected by the Maronite Bishops to represent our Maronite Catholic Church and to accompany His Eminence Mar Bechara Boutros Cardinal Rai, our Patriarch, to participate in the Synod, a matter which is very humbling but also very challenging, as the challenges faced by the family today have never before confronted it.

10. The traditional family, as father, mother and children, is the natural cradle of humanity. A good family is the best provider of physical, mental and emotional health. It is the ideal nest in which to protect the weak and vulnerable members of our society. 

11. In this respect, I wish to talk about an important topic, concerning the family, which has been at the forefront of Australian politics recently: the redefinition of marriage. It is not a sign of wisdom to change the nature of marriage, and therefore of the family, to something incompatible with the sacrament of marriage which is the union before the altar of God of one man and one woman, of their own free will, for life.

12. It is of utmost importance that we always remember that the “Catholic tradition teaches that every human being is a unique and irreplaceable person, created in the image of God and loved by Him. Because of this, every man, woman and child has great dignity and worth, which can never be taken away. This includes those who experience same-sex attraction. They are people with dignity and must be treated with respect, sensitivity, and love.”  So when we speak about same-sex attraction, we do so with charity without attacking or disrespecting any person.  

13. Marriage between one man and one woman is the social unit which God has ordered for the birth and raising of children. In a joint statement issued by a number of Eastern Bishops and Muslim Leaders earlier this week, we urged Members of Parliament to consult with their constituents and respect their views on this matter. 

14. The statement also stated that “any amendment to the Marriage Act can be expected to unleash further changes in the nature of State-sanctioned marriage. We are all members of the one society. What affects one, affects the other... While people with the same sex attraction currently enjoy relationship equality, where they live in committed relationships and are cherished as people with dignity, we do not see why this has to be “marriage”. 

15. It is our firm belief that marriage should only remain between a man and a woman, as intended by God from the beginning of times. In protecting the sanctity of marriage, we would be upholding our Christian values, the very values on which this parish has been founded and has flourished over the years into the wonderful community that it is today. 

16. On this note, I praise and thank the beautiful work done by Msgr Shora Maree, the Parish Priest, assisted by all the priests, and in particular Fr Tony Sarkis, the Administrator. Their work would not be possible without the support of our parishioners. I thank all those who generously donate of their time and talents through the choir, and the various committees including the stewardship, children, youth, families, seniors, sodality and many others. You all contribute in wonderful ways and enrich your parish and honour Our Lady. 

17. This raises one practical matter, where some of you may be able to help us to honour Our Lady in a special way. The statue which crowns this Cathedral is in need of replacement. Unfortunately, the substance of which it is made is decaying, and if it is not replaced soon, it will damage the roof, causing even greater problems. For all the people of good will who would like to assist us in this regard, please contact the parish office or priests. This is an unusual opportunity to serve and to help us replace the statue of Our Lady which announces the presence of this Cathedral and its patron to all within view. 

18. On this holy evening, allow me to acknowledge and thank Tele Lumiere, the Christian network celebrating this year its Silver Jubilee, 25 years of its existence. Tele Lumiere/ Noursat perform a noble mission at the service of the Church and all the Christians in Lebanon, the Middle East and all around the world. We ask the Lord to bless the founders and every staff member, volunteer and benefactor who support this organisation in carrying the Good News of the Gospel to the ends of the earth. 

19. In conclusion, let us never forget that God has cast down the proud and reserved special fountains of his mercy for the humble. Let us all pray to the Lord and in humility of heart beseech his mother on this great Feast of the Assumption. May our Eparchy be an ark of faith and salvation in a turbulent world. We remember especially our brothers and sisters yearning for peace in the Middle East. We pray for Lebanon and its people, that they may through the intercession of Our Lady of Lebanon, come together, as one people, rising above all what divides them, and rebuild their country and give it hope for a better future. 

20. Dearly beloved, may the Lord God bless you and your families, on this Holy Feast and every day of your lives. 

Amen.

Wednesday 12 August 2015

On behalf of those Muslim and Christian communities whom we represent, we declare that we believe that there should be no change to the traditional definition of marriage as spelled by the 2004 Amendment incorporated into the Marriage Act 1961. The amendment reads:

“Marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others voluntarily entered into for life.”  

We are very concerned about the rush to introduce new legislation allowing for Same-Sex Marriage (“SSM”), which is wrong both in policy and in principle. 

It is wrong in policy because far-reaching changes should not be implemented in haste. Parliamentarians of Australia have a duty to lead the debate over SSM rather than opportunistically seeking to garner votes by jumping onto what seems to be an irresistible bandwagon. They should be encouraging people to reflect upon what marriage is all about, its parameters, its relationship to child-rearing and how children shall be raised outside of the institution of traditional marriage. Studies of the children raised in same-sex unions have produced conflicting results. It would be wrong and inacceptable to allow children, those who are the most vulnerable, to be born into situations where it may transpire that the situation they are born into is too often unsuited for a balanced and healthy development.

The rush to amend the current Marriage Act is also wrong in principle because even the weakening of marriage has had disastrous consequences in the society we live in. One does not need to be religious or to refer to the natural order to appreciate this, although for us, as Christian and Muslim community leaders, these concerns are significant and should be respected. The so-called “promiscuous society” has resulted in a generation where commitment and loyalty are disappearing, and in their place selfishness is flourishing.

On the other hand, we are not calling upon Parliamentarians to adopt religious principles simply to gain points in the polls. But they should consult with their constituents and respect their views as they hold these principles, and recognise that they have proved their value in social and human, not to say spiritual, terms. 

We see no reason to believe the breezy assertion that we who do not agree with altering the traditional nature of marriage will be unaffected by it, and that the laws of Australia will respect our principled stand. 

Any amendment to the Marriage Act can be expected to unleash further changes in the nature of State-sanctioned marriage. We are all members of the one society. What affects one, affects the other, not least in that the law has a formative effect upon expectations and values. While people attracted to the same sex currently enjoy relationship equality, where they live in committed relationships and are cherished as people with dignity, we do not see why this has to be “marriage”. 

On what basis will our faiths and their ministers be protected if we refuse to celebrate religious same-sex marriages? If same-sex marriage is implemented it will only be a matter of time before someone sues us for refusing to marry them to their same-sex partner. 

What begins as an attempt to allow freedom of choice for some people may well end in denying freedom of worship to many others.

We have already arranged for a meeting with the Prime Minister, and have written to the Leader of the Opposition, seeking a similar encounter.

In light of the projected escalation by the Tayyar and the call to demonstrate on the streets I suggest that the message and the means be reconsidered. To force a unilateral confessional confrontation in these times of deadly radicalization is a fraction of what is needed.

Demonstrating against Christian confessional discrimination is falling into the role of the victim. We, the Christians of Lebanon are not victims! We are the architects of this nation and of our future.

The real discrimination that needs to be addressed goes beyond confessional limitations. The target of this blatant offensive discrimination is the Lebanese citizen. The message that needs to be conveyed is a national message.

The political paralysis, the state of emergency around the waste matter collection and disposal, the financial abuses, the dismissal of constitutional authority, the power-mongering and profiteering and many other issues affect all Lebanese equally.

Please take your time General Aoun to rally allies from all sides - from traditional allies, from the silent majority, from civil society, from independent politicians with a conscience and others as well. The crisis is beyond the confines of March.

We also have to clarify that the army is not the culprit , the culprit is the self-serving motivation that drives all the political choices in the country.

General Aoun you are right to be angry but you are not alone, we are all angry and feeling the pressure of our powerlessness to bring about change. Do not let them make you feel as though you are isolated in this frustrating situation.

I ask you not to fight your battles on your own. Call on all the Lebanese not just the Tayyar to come to the table and create and to stand against the compounded violations that the decent citizens face.

"To fight alone is valiant, to resist together is powerful." I urge you to delay the vehemence of your rebuttal by coalescing a front to combat the problems that we face as a nation and not just as Christians. In this national fight you will find unanimity.

Respectfully,

Tracy Chamoun

Baabda - August 2015

Peace in Yemen will continue to be elusive unless the United Nations shifts its mission from sponsoring an inter-Yemeni dialogue to mediating ceasefire negotiations between the actual warring parties, namely Saudi Arabia & allies and the de facto representatives of Yemenis who are fighting to defend their country’s territorial integrity and independent free will, i.e. the Huthi - Saleh & allies.

Convening its 70th session while celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, the United Nations is unlikely to reconsider its stand on Yemen, but it must do, at least to provide a face – saving exit strategy for Saudi Arabia if not to stop a snowballing severe humanitarian crisis in the country.

The United Nations Mauritanian special envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed will sooner than later face the fate of his predecessor Jamal Benomar, who resigned his mission last March acknowledging its failure.

The Saudi insistence on dictating a fait accompli on Yemen is undermining the UN efforts to bring about a political solution, which was made impossible by the Saudi – led war on Yemen.

The legitimacy controversy

The UN sponsored Yemeni – Yemeni talks in the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, Muscat, and elsewhere will continue to be deadlocked. They are a non-starter. The Saudis have held their Yemeni allies captives of their dependence on Saudi financial, political and military support without which they could not survive internally.

The UN and Arab League recognition of them as the legitimate representatives of Yemen was counterproductive. They are viewed by most Yemenis more as Saudi puppets than legitimate delegates of their people.

Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is recognised by the UN and the Saudi – led coalition as the legitimate president of Yemen, arrived in Aden last week aboard a Saudi military aircraft and his safety was secured during his three – day stay there by military bodyguards from the United Arab Emirates. The arrival of his prime minister Khaled Bahah a week earlier was not different.

Conferring UN and Arab League legitimacy on them serves only to turn both organisations into biased parties to the conflict if not partners to it or at least accomplices and compromises their credentials as mediators.

The Huthis are portrayed by the Saudi – led propaganda as a sectarian fanatic and violent intruders into the Yemeni society or as agents of Iran who are waging a proxy war in Yemen, but the Huthis are not aliens. Their ancestors ruled Yemen for some one thousand years. They represent more than one third of the country’s population. Their role could have been strengthened by Iranian support and weakened by their religious speech, but nonetheless they are uncontroversial native integral component of Yemen’s national history and society.

Similarly, their ally in fighting off the Saudi – led war on Yemen, ex – president Ali Abdullah Saleh, is part and parcel of Yemeni political infrastructure. More than a three – decade ally of Saudi Arabia, when Saleh resisted a Saudi transition plan he hardly survived a bombing of his Friday prayers. Despite his individual ruling style and a wide spread corruption of his governance, he is credited with building a state infrastructure, a national army, a tolerable pluralistic political life and a relatively civil freedoms that were the envy of his Arab compatriots in the north who are still living under the Middle Ages systems of government and, more importantly, making the unity of Yemen a fact of life. When his representative credentials are questioned by his former Saudi allies it is noteworthy to remind them that his “al-Mutamar” party still controls the majority of the last democratically elected Yemeni parliament.

The “external” Iranian interference in Yemen and Iran’s sectarian support for “Shiite” Yemenis, in addition to a self – proclaimed role in defence of a controversial legitimacy of a Yemeni president, are the main raison d'être cited by Riyadh as the casus belli of the Saudi ongoing six – month old war on Yemen.

However history and realpolitik facts refute such Saudi claims and render them as merely thinly – veiled justification for installing a puppet regime in Sanaa by the brutal and inhumane force of an external invasion.

The current Saudi war on Yemen could be a “rite of passage” for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), particularly the United Arab Emirates (UAE), but not the Saudi Arabia as claimed by Rami G. Khouri (1).

Long history of Saudi military intervention

Long before there was an “Iran threat” or a “Shiite threat,” the Saudi ruling family never hesitated to interfere in Yemen militarily or otherwise whenever Yemenis showed signs of breaking away from Saudi hegemony towards a free will to determine their lives independently.

In the 1930s the Saudis engaged in a war on the Mutawakkilite Imamate of Yemen and succeeded in annexing the Yemeni provinces of Asir, Jizan and Najran to their kingdom, thus creating a border dispute that was not settled until 2000, but the current Saudi war on Yemen seems to reignite it.

Then, they occupied the Yemeni port of Hodeida on the Red Sea and attacked the Yemeni capital Sanaa. Yemen at the time was a similar conservative “kingdom” bound, like the Saudis, by treaties with the British colonial power.

From 1962 to 1970 the Saudis interfered militarily on the side of the “Shiite” Yemeni “royalists” whom they fought in the 1930s against republican revolutionaries who sought to usher Yemen into the twentieth century out of the Middle Ages. The Saudi military intervention led the Pan – Arab leader of Egypt Gamal Abd al-Nasir to rush to the rescue of the Yemeni republicans, thus regionalising a Yemeni internal affair into an Egyptian – Saudi war among the “Sunnis.”

History it seems is repeating itself nowadays, but the Saudis have so far failed to embroil Iran in Yemen as they did with Egypt then. Instead, the kingdom is itself plunging deeper into the Yemeni quicksand.

“In 1977, then, Saudi Arabia conspired (together with Salih) to the assassination of modernist President Ibrahim al-Hamdi, who was determined to loosen the stranglehold of the kingdom over Yemeni politics,” Tobias Thiel (2) of The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) wrote on last April 2.

In the aftermath of the emergence of the Islamic Republic of Iran into the regional scene, “the House of Saud expelled around 800,000 Yemeni guest workers to punish the newly united republic for its stance in the 1991 Gulf War (Kuwait war), plunging the country into an economic crisis” and “the kingdom simultaneously supported both sides – Sunni Islamists and Marxist separatists – in the 1994 war of secession,” Thiel added. Both those events had nothing to do with the so –called “Iran threat” or the “Shiite – Sunni” sectarian rivalry; both were inter – Arab and inter Yemeni conflicts.

“Finally,” according to Thiel, “Riyadh has backed the Salih regime against the mass protests in 2011 and has – as elsewhere – tried to stifle the democratic opening.”

Launching the Saudi war on Yemen last March had regionalised a Yemeni internal conflict, undercut short a Yemeni successful national dialogue sponsored by the United Nations, undermined the territorial unity of the country, which was then compromised only by the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) that was isolated in the far south eastern part of Yemen, destroyed the infrastructure of the Yemeni state, created a snowballing severe humanitarian crisis and rendered the possibility of a Yemeni – Yemeni political solution a mission made impossible by both the mutual bloodshed and the Saudi insistence on shaping by brutal force the future ruling regime in Yemen on Saudi terms.

Riyadh intervened militarily in Yemen when the Saudi – led GCC initiative for a “transition” on their terms in Yemen broke down in 2014. The Saudis planned the “transition” in Yemen to be a show case that could be replayed in Syria where they have been arming and financing a similar “regime change” for the past five years. The failure of their “show case” in Yemen doomed their plan for Syria.

Historically, Sanaa and the northern rough mountainous provinces failed all Arab and non-Arab invaders. The Ottoman Empire at its zenith could not subjugate it. It is the bedrock of Yemen’s independence and self determination. There the hardcore of the Yemeni anti-Saudi invasion is entrenched and there this invasion will most likely meet it defeat.

The so – called “liberation” of Aden by Saudi and UAE military intervention could serve only as a recipe for a perpetuated civil war and regional capital of a divided Yemen. Hadi is unlikely to deliver in Aden what he failed to achieve when he was in Sana’a.

On last March 22, the former UN special envoy Jamal Benomar, addressing the UN Security Council via video conference, warned that, “the situation is on a rapid downward spiral” that is “leading the country away from political settlement and to the edge of civil war”. The status quo is “inviting a protracted conflict in the vein of an Iraq-Libya-Syria combined scenario," he told an emergency UNSC session. Benomar resigned his UN mission acknowledging its failure. His successor is more likely to come to the same conclusion sooner than later.

The presence now of reportedly between 5 – 10 thousand ground GCC troops in Yemen is proof that the aerial onslaught had failed and that the so-called pro-government forces are merely a Yemeni make – believe address for the thinly – veiled Saudi – led external invasion.

The introduction of GCC ground troops into Yemen is more a show of the failure of the so – called Yemeni pro – legitimacy and pro – Saudi forces than a display of GCC military prowess.

Quoted by the Qatari News Agency (QNA) on September 18, the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir, tacitly acknowledging his country’s failure in Yemen, said that he “personally … suggested Israeli help as our only hope to end the status quo … His Highness King Salman put this proposal forward for further consideration."

Ruling out any open Israeli contribution to the US-led war on Iraqi forces in Kuwait in 1991, the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 and the US “leading from behind” in the ongoing war on Syria is an instructive strong reminder that any Israeli role in the Saudi – led war on Yemen will most likely be ruled out as well, at least in public, because it would be definitely counterproductive.

It is high time that the UN moves to facilitate an exit strategy for Saudi Arabia from Yemen.

* Nicola Nasser is a veteran Arab journalist based in Birzeit, West Bank of the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories (nassernicola@ymail.com).

(1) http://america.aljazeera.com/, September 16, 2015. Rami G. Khouri is a senior public policy fellow at the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut and a senior fellow of the Harvard Kennedy School.

(2) Tobias Thiel is a PhD Candidate at the LSE’s Department of International History. His dissertation is about contentious politics, collective memory and violence in post-unification Yemen. He has spent the past three years in Yemen conducting field research.

Nig

Like the waves of a merciless raging tsunami they landed on the rugged hilly terrains and engulfed the entire area around Mount Sinai. They stood waiting for Ramses's army to arrive and regroup, carefully eyeing their immense numbers. Ramses's infantry quickly advanced the lines, following were the cavalry, then chariots. In the earthly realm and as the hands of the clock struck 5:45 in the afternoon, both armies finished grouping from their travel. Within seconds they both released vicious beastly screams and threats towards each other, their voices echoing immensely through the surrounding mountains. 

Ramses looked at the gruesome figure in twentieth century clothes that stood in front of the beasts, while his army stood on the hilly terrains of Sinai. He understood his commanding rank as he looked back at him defiantly. Three thousand years ago this army was attacking him on the outskirts of his cities, threatening to ravage him and his civilization to shreds. If it wasn't for his braveness and the courage of his army, Egypt wouldn't be what it was today, a prosperous nation boasting the civilization of his people. Although today his realm was governed by people of a different human lineage, Egypt was still Egypt and it deserved to be protected by the people that governed it for ages. He clutched his sword in expectancy and looked at Ptah to give the attack signal.   

The opposing general studied the three thousand three hundred and six year old royal mummy and his military advisor, that were wrapped in worn out linen, standing ahead of their massive strike force, smiling with anticipation, as the evil beasts roared behind him with threats. He clutched the handle of his sword in his right hand and smiled while he thought of what gifts Oxen would give him for Ramses's head. His mind raced with the enticements which quickly wore his patience out. He impatiently withdrew his sword and the army behind him copied on the double. He screamed commanding, "TEAR THEM APART!!!"

Within seconds the grounds underneath quaked as they dashed towards each other. The church's old structure on Mount Sinai rocked from the echoes of the warriors as they clashed outside of it underneath its hilly terrains. The priest took the Holy Grail and Plate that contained the sacrament and placed them on the alter as the armies outside tore at each other. The priests looked at their watches as it read fife fifty, and waited patiently for the last ten minutes before the unison global mass; the choir's chants surfacing barely from the wars about. The crowds inside looked at the holy icons that hung on the iconostasis and begged with tensed looks the mighty Lord to save them from the consequences of what was going outside of the holy church they were sheltered in. 

Angel and Nigel crashed down on hard grounds in the open muddy wilderness. They were in a ravine centered between two high hills that were over populated with the armies. They screamed with terror as they quickly realized that they were totally sandwiched between the charging coalitions. They got up on their feet and scanned the hilly region for refuge. The armies clashed filling the entire atmosphere around them with deafening metal banging and battle cries. The grounds underneath filled with body parts within seconds as they got quickly caught in the battle between the warring soldiers. They yelled with fear and barely made their way through the battle searching for safe grounds. 

The mummies' diligent training posed a challenge to the opposing beasts. They swiftly took command of the situation with their swordsmanship and physical agility. The vicious beasts' powerful bodies posed no threat for them at all and the coming chariots stormed through the crowds striking off the fiendish heads and bodies mercilessly. The beasts roared with pain as their body parts and heads rolled on the muddy grounds by the scores. The mummies' casualties were not as severe as their counterparts as the minutes raced towards six, nearing earth to the inevitable universal mass. 

A beast flew over and grabbed Nigel attacking him and attempting to tear him apart with his hands. Nigel's heart screamed with terror as he felt its mighty hands grip his shoulders and yank him in the air. Angel panicked and grabbed Nigel's waist as the beast's wings flapped hurling them upwards. They danced in the air as the beast grappled with Nigel trying to get a good hold of him to hurt him. Nigel's muscular arms beat the beasts' hands away as they approached the church on the summit of Mount Sinai. The beast feeling worn out by the fight finally dropped the couple on the steps of the church. As it attempted to fly away it suddenly closed its ears from the echoes of the chanting that was going on inside the church. It shook and roared with pain then burst into pieces. 

Angel and Nigel managed to get up, aching and rubbing their backs from the fall. They looked at the magnificent view the church provided from on top of the summit. The warring armies were flooding the hilly chains making their spine chill with fear. Worn out and tired but thankful that the beast left them unhurt, Angel brought up the piece of papyrus and looked at Nigel whom was breathing heavily. 

Nigel said, "Go ahead. Its time."

Angel searched through the glyphs till she found what she was looking for. She paused for a while, a contrasting frown slowly showing on her face as she read and remembered the words of the wise man they had met earlier in the Egyptian desert. Now she knew what he meant by what he said. Nigel asked unaware of what was going on, "What is keeping you?"

In a minute's time, she looked at him with very sad eyes. Tears made their way down her cheeks as his image blurred then came clear. 

"Angel what is going on? What does it say?"

She took in a deep breath and read, "Brave hearted soldiers of Ramses and the Nile, awakened to rescue Egypt from the vile, return to your grave you slumbered in for a while, your calling has finished go back as I desire."

Within seconds the battle stopped and the beasts all erupted into sand. The mummies stood silently in their places. Two chariots strongly made their way to the middle of the ravine amongst the crowds that were looking upwards towards them. Angel and Nigel looked carefully as the chariots maneuvered then stood silent.

Nigel asked, "What are they waiting for?"

"Remember the old man in the desert. Remember when he told us that the scriptures will be conditional, demanding something in return. Well the scriptures asked for me in return to give me authority to command the army.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Nigel grabbed angel by her arms and looked at her, "What are you talking about."

Angel read the rest of the glyphs, "As history repeats itself once again, while she stands up above the sacred mountains of Sinai and commands the eternalness guarding the Nile, her ancient blood shall return to her body, a lost piece within her heart shall call her back to the golden palaces of royalty. She shall rule again in the history of her people, her place has already been made once again. Her magnificent army will wait for her, a graceful precession while she returns to the ancient realm."

"Angel no, no!!!" Nigel hugged her warmly and cried like a child. "No!!! I will not lose you!!! What did you? You had no right to make this decision by yourself?"

Angel walked away from his embrace and commented, "I was predestined to stand here and read what I had just read. I had no choice; it was me or the earth's well being. We can't walk away from what was predestined an age earlier."

"ANGEL I'M COLLAPSING FROM WHAT IS GOING ON!!!"

"I have no choice."

"You will find another wife Nigel. I shall always remember you in my heart."

Suddenly an empty chariot stormed upwards from the ravine towards them riding the thin air. Its horses gallantly galloped pulling it towards the couple and landed besides them. She climbed on to it and the chariot took off towards the massive army that silently waited for the arrival of their queen. As the chariot headed back to lower earth the army disappeared into thin air, leaving the hilly terrain in peace once again. The only thing that engulfed Nigel was the cool air and the soft echoes of the monks as they chanted just outside the church. 

As Nigel wept the departing of his sweetheart, still in totally disbelief that she sacrificed herself for the sanity of her mission, the skies began raining once again. A feeling of numbness from the frustration was reverberating through him. Hardship and pain were his companions throughout the past days, not giving him a chance to even catch his breath, compelling him to war and meet the most gruesome creatures ever in probably the history of the universe, and now the taking away of his only beloved. It was just unfair. He screamed his frustration out towards the skies, "Fate, you were a complete adversary to me and my beloved, what do you want from me!!! Couldn't you have left her for me as a reward for my fight and patience!!! I love her!!!" A lightning bolt and a thunder clap raged around him muffling the sound of the chanting inside the church he stood by. 

He knelt down and cried only to find in seconds a creepy feeling swarming all over him. As the lightning bolts ensued above him and preceded the thunders, a separate lightning bolt of terror ravaged his inner soul as well. But what was strange about that. He was used to alarm and fear. He felt that there was something not quite finished yet. His wrist watch was nearly six. A fresh series of lightning bolts and thunders passed as a huge blanket surfaced in the horizons of the mountains up ahead. It was hastily homing in on the area. Nigel cautiously watched as they arrived at the same ravine that had earlier witnessed the war and engulfed the entire area. They were waves of beasts like the ones that were earlier present. Nigel stood perplexed as he wasn't comprehending what was happening. Suddenly a deep blood curdling unfathomable voice spoke prompting him to turn around. "Did you think a disgusting scripture would end my domain in your world Nigel?"

Chills bolted down his spine as he looked at Oxen's disgusting beastly figure. He asked with disgust, "What do you want from me?"

The Bull walked towards him, his footsteps releasing huge thuds as they moved on the muddy earth, "It's true that those scriptures wiped out my army earlier, but they were good only for one time use. As for me, well, as long as man is around I'm around."

"Are you the cause of all of this you disgusting creep?!"

"No, your race's hatred and ill ways are the cause. They summon me to your world. I don't get summoned by myself. Do you see my army down there? They are invincible? You are a stout figure. I need you. Come with me and I will return your Angel. Trust me."

"Get away from me. My Angel chose to trade in her happiness for a noble deed. A truly noble lady that I will feel honored to have known for my entire life; unlike you and your filthy realm."

The general suddenly surfaced out of nowhere. It was as if he had just came in from an invisible door and stood besides Oxen. 

Nigel's mind lit with knowledge, "It's you. Where the hell did you come from."

"You will never win this war. You are just too weak." The general laughed with happiness and victory as Nigel stood in front of them raging with frustration and panic. "I warned you earlier. We are just too strong." 

Suddenly the bell of the church besides them rang. The general and Oxen closed their ears with their hands and danced around with frustration as the bell struck over and over again. The earth underneath their feet shook with a quaking as they fell on it and rolled around a few times unable to maintain stability. The beasts down in the ravine screamed and ran about in panic as the quaking continued. Oxen cried out loud, "NO!!! I WILL NOT DIE!!!" and got up angrily. He jumped up and down a couple of times then headed for the church screaming menaces and curses. Suddenly the quaking stopped. The chanting in the church continued but was soon dwarfed by the sound of horse galloping. 

The skies around lit with a soft blue as a knight holding a spear came galloping on a white horse from the skies. He gallantly landed on the grounds besides the church and looked at Oxen threateningly. The beast opened his mouth in terror as he saw the horse charge again only this time towards him. The horse stopped and rose on its hind legs as the knight in full armor raised the spear and dipped it with skill in Oxen's chest. Oxen roared magnificently as the spear cut through his chest, his blue blood spilling from his chest. The general screamed with terror as he saw the killing and began to move backwards unaware that he was moving towards a sharp cliff. Soon he fell meeting an ill fate while the army of beasts diminished into dust as their earlier breeds. 

Nigel unbelievingly looked at the gallant knight as he took off towards the skies again. As the church bell continued to ring a huge deep echoing in the distances sounded as well resembling church bells. It was powerful, magnificent, awe inspiring and propelled him to look towards the skies. It felt that the whole world was ringing its church bells with the church bells on Mount Sinai. He found himself moving towards the church where he knew that he will find his consoling and rest. It was over. Thank God it was over, the cult, the wars, earth was saved, and although the tax was heavy on him in a way he was grateful. When a wolf walks around a pack of hungry sheep the shepherd tries to shoo him off with no loses, but if he succeeds in snatching a lamb he runs off afterwards leaving the rest of the pack in peace. If Angel was that sacrificed lamb in the midst of this brawl so let it be. She made her choice. There was nothing he could but present his pain to the Lord and see how he will enlighten him to deal with it.

August 20, 2009, New York, 

Memories Of A Requiem To A Near Past

"The church community safely continued their prayers my dear David. We met shortly afterwards in New York, if you remember, upon your arrival from Jordan with the help of the authorities there."  

David replied in deep thought, "I received my medal of honor from the president shortly after I arrested the rest of the organization. I remember." He gave Nigel a look of sympathy and said, "No wonder you wrote on her grave stone 'died in the line of duty somewhere in time,' I'm sorry my friend."

Nigel looked at David and tapped his hands softly on his’, "She was a free spirit and a decent person. She lived smartly, fought the tyranny of evil bravely, and was proudly buried with royalty upon her death after ruling one of the strongest civilizations that captivated the realm of mortals ever. Now let me be and spend what remains of my days besides my true love David. She didn't die besides me. At least I will die besides her."

"But you didn't tell me. Who was in the coffin?"

Nigel managed a smile and took out some dollars from his pocket while stating, "A John Doe who died from powerful burns a day earlier. I found a way to negotiate things with the morgue and receive the body. I explained that Angel's fate was so upon her death, or how else could I have convinced the priest not to open the coffin during the funeral? In return the poor unknown fellow had the chance to receive the blessings of a priest and a descent burial."

David smiled at Nigel's keen mindedness. Nigel placed the money back and shook hands with his friend before he quietly stepped out of the rolls and closed the door behind him. He softly paced the sidewalks with his feeble old footsteps, his stick releasing soft tick tocks on the grounds as it aided him in his soft trek towards the museum. David watched him slowly ascend the steps that led to the mighty edifice in Manhattan before he ordered Stewart, "Take me home." 

He thought within himself as Stewart got the engine in gear, "I shall live my remaining days in peace because of God's kindheartedness, and because of the bravery of the good breed of humans like you and Angel, that resist evil and its disciples."

The End

(Echoes of a Nightmare will follow soon in paperback)