SYRIA: Facing rising anti-Assad, the Syrian Christians are reluctant to take a stand

While the Syrian regime is working to quell violent protests calling for his ouster and the proceedings were extended and radicalized in the country, some segments of the Syrian population - Multifaith - watch carefully the movement that is shaking up the system President Bashar al-Assad, in power since 2000.

Iraqi scenario

Since the uprising began, two million Christians living in Syria (12% of the population) were kept out of events, consisting of an overwhelming majority of Sunnis, who spearheaded the mobilization. "Most Christians have been left out of the revolt, Syrian sitters.They fear an unfavorable outcome to the crisis that would affect their lives and their property, "said Mohamed Ajlani, professor of political science and international relations at the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies (CEDS), joined by FRANCE 24.

Within this community, concern of a repeat the Iraq scenario is very strong. Many fear being forced into exile, as were Iraqi Christians since the fall of Saddam Hussein, victims of several murderous attacks."The destabilization of Syria could jeopardize relations between religious communities and, in the same way as happened in Iraq after the occupation of Americans, harm to the two million Christians living in the country," said recently Vicar Apostolic of Aleppo Latin Catholic Bishop Giuseppe Nazzaro, the missionary agency Misna.

So far in fact, the Assad family in power in Damascus since 1970, itself a result of the Alawite religious minority (derivative of Shia Islam), has placed de facto under the protection of Christian and Druze minorities in the country ."The regime has always tried to maintain a privileged relationship with the Christians of Syria to secure its internal legitimacy. Partnering with minorities, the authority wanted to balance the roles against the Sunni majority, and maintain its image bulwark against Islam vis-à-vis the outside, "Mohamed Ajlani analysis.

Caught

For their part, Christians have been comforted over the years by the secular nature of the regime and not by the establishment of radical Islam that they fear the takeover in case of revolution."The Assad has always operated this card, claiming that if the regime falls, chaos will reign and that Christians would be the first to pay the piper," notes Mohamed Ajlani.

In exchange for the security and freedom of worship, the Christians of Syria have renounced to play a political role similar to that of their fellow Lebanese. Despite the presence of some of their representatives in government or parliament.At the cost of this implicit bargain - and not so much political commitment to the Assad regime - one of the oldest Christian communities in the world has prospered economically in a climate of religious tolerance.

"The Syrian Christians are a very active component of Syrian society, especially in the economic and cultural.If some people are accommodated in the scheme and benefited from the system to enrich themselves, others chose the opposition and the underground, like other communities, "analysis for its part Samir Arbache, religious historian and specialist Middle East at the Catholic University of Lille, joined by FRANCE 24.

Sandwiched between demonstrations calling for the downfall of the regime and pending a political solution to the crisis, the Christian community is therefore reluctant to take a stand. "If the regime falls, you may get wrong to anger all those who have been frustrated by the regime of Assad. If we participate in the demonstrations, the regime could make us pay dearly by addressing our rights.In both cases we lose! "Concluded Sami, a young Maronite Christian from Damascus.

TECH 24: A royal marriage celebrated also in digital

It is far from the marriage between Prince Charles and Diana in 1981: the British monarchy has this time coverage of the event ... very 2.0 way, the Twitter feed of Clarence House, the official residence of Prince Charles and Camilla distills information such as seating arrangements, or the floral composition of the ceremony ...

The wedding will be seeing, and again, on YouTube.

The Queen has become a geek

It must be said that Queen Elizabeth II is itself passionate new technologies. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, all that has no secrets for her. It was already the case in 1953, when she brought the television cameras to Westminster for his coronation.She had also filmed his Christmas message in 1957.

Queen Elizabeth wrote her first email in 1976 from a military base ... For the renovation of the British monarchy in 2009, Tim Berners-Lee, the father of the Web, was part ... The Queen of England also has his Facebook page since November 2010 ... You can "liker" Her Majesty, but out of the question to be his friend or his comment on current events, protocol requires ... And to join the happiness of bride and groom, it is now possible to leave them a video message of congratulations!

Are you traced?

Apple on the spot and within the scope of collective action in the U.S. for invasion of privacy ...According to researchers, a fixture on iOS 4 records the location data, and maintain them without encryption. Steve Jobs' terse response: "We do not follow anyone. But Google, yes."

Nokia 1616: a reliable phone for emerging markets.

No miracles or tablets overpriced gadget this week, but a phone that has managed to create a market in emerging countries: the Nokia 1616. Finally a phone that is used to call!

And that is precisely what attracted you.We asked our African members on Facebook to tell us why Nokia 1616 had a preference.
Watch this reaction Awada ehem Chad: "Two reasons: the battery lasts longer than other mobile phones, and especially his torch is very useful at night in places where electricity is unreliable. It even a luxury. " Affordable luxury, since it costs 35 euros.

A high-tech advertising targeted

We close this issue by the Royal buzz of the moment. A video where the operator T-Mobile does not care about traditions and away the monarchy for a march to the altar House more than ever. advertising exceeds 12 million views on YouTube.Look!

This recalls another viral video, "J & K wedding entrance, which was all the rage on the Web a few months ago (with 65 million unique visitors).

Apple FRANCE 24 Internet Wedding Prince William TECH 24 YouTube

BURKINA FASO: President Blaise Compaore took over the Ministry of Defence

The Burkinabe President Blaise Compaore, whose country has been faced with mutinies of soldiers, has assigned the Ministry of Defence in the new government, whose composition was announced Thursday night, according to decrees read on state television RTB.

"The president of the (Burkina Faso) Faso, supreme commander of armed, took office as Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs," reads one of the decrees.

This position is particularly sensitive in the present context, the regime of President Compaore, a soldier who seized power in a coup in 1987, facing more than a month to the mutinies of soldiers who received up his own personal guard.

These riots occurred in parallel with other protest movements of most of society in Burkina Faso which began in late February.

Fifteen new ministers enter this government comprises 29 ministers (against 38 previously), all members of the ruling party or the presidential movement.This is the team most ressérée history of Burkina Faso.

Djibril Bassolé, former joint mediator of the UN and African Union (AU) for Darfur (Sudan), was appointed foreign minister.

Economy and finance back to Lucien Marie-Noel Bembamba, brother-in-chief of the State, Territorial Administration, Decentralization and Security, Jerome Bougouma, another close to Blaise Compaore.

The new team includes three women appointed to the Ministries of National Education, Social Action and Promotion of Women.

This government was formed by the new Prime Minister Luc Adolphe Tiao, a journalist by training and former ambassador to Burkina Paris, appointed Monday to replace Tertius Zongo, who was fired after a mutiny within the leader's own presidential guard of State, April 14.

Mr.Compaore had also replaced the main army officials, including Chief of Staff.

The new team of faithful head of state, while many observers had expected an opening to members of civil society and opposition, will have to try to stem a wave of protest unprecedented in history of the country.

Since late February, all segments of the population, youth, students, judges, soldiers, traders, expressed with varying degrees of violence across the country against Compaore's regime and the high cost of living while most of the 16 million Burkinabe live with about 1.5 euro per day.

Balance: At least six deaths, injuries, looting, damage to property.

CHINA: A wave of shock after the arrest of Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei

Main photo taken from the blog of Ai Weiwei (blog.aiweiwei.com /)

Since his arrest Sunday morning in broad daylight, at the international airport in Beijing, Ai Weiwei has given more news. This internationally renowned artist, troublemaker Chinese policy was to go to Hong Kong and Taiwan to discuss the organization of an exhibition. His wife was interviewed Sunday night by local police and then released, but said he could not collect any information about her husband. The eight assistants from studios headed by Ai Weiwei, the district Caochangdi, north-west of Beijing, were also released on Monday afternoon, reports the website on Ai Weiwei.The studio has been excavated and is still under police surveillance, several computers and hard disks were confiscated, and Internet access was cut in the neighborhood.

The absence of new Ai Weiwei, more than a day after his arrest, is not a good sign. The Wall Street Journal points out that Chinese law provides that the relatives of a detainee must be alerted within 24 hours. Neither his lawyer nor his wife could not contact him.

"The time of open dissent is over"

Concern about the fate of Ai Weiwei is all the greater because it follows "the arrest of dozens of people in recent months," the statement from Amnesty International.The authorities have reacted to the appearance on the Internet encouraging messages at rallies in China regularly on Sunday to protest against inflation, corruption and the gap between rich and poor.

By these waves of arrests, the Chinese government wants to "send the message that the time of open dissent is over," understands the organization of human rights based in London."If the Chinese authorities have the audacity to question a world-renowned artist in broad daylight at the Beijing airport, one can only worry at the thought of how treaties are likely to be other dissidents least known, "says the NGO.

"What I find most disturbing is the fact that these activists have" disappeared "and that the government refuses to take responsibility for their detention. It has been almost over a month they are unreachable.There is serious risk of torture and abuse ", reports the China specialist at Human Rights Watch based in Hong Kong, Nicholas Bequelin, interviewed by Le Monde.

Very popular on the blogosphere

The arrest of Ai Weiwei is an important step in this "wave of repression, the largest since more than ten years," said Agnes Gaudu, head of the section China, Singapore and Taiwan International Mail. "For the first time since the criminal detention of twenty people - activists, lawyers, activists, bloggers, known to a limited circle - someone who is extremely popular in China has been arrested," decrypt- she said.Ai Weiwei had made known to the general public during his survey of public buildings that collapsed during the earthquake in Sichuan province in 2008. "It also has built a solid reputation for his impertinence and his political jokes," recalls Agnes Gaudu.

His subversive photos on Tiananmen Square have been around the Chinese web, and his blog on the consumer website Sina.com has been a big success, before being censored two years ago. So much so that he had been elected by Chinese netizens "Artist of the Year" in a poll conducted by Sina.com earlier this year. The website had finally had to back off and hold a new vote.Ai Weiwei's works are currently exhibited at the Tate Modern Gallery in London. They should have been the subject of a first major exhibition in Beijing, before the Belgian gallery UCCA will withdraw in February.

CHINA: Fearing a wave of revolt, Beijing promised to fight against inflation

Premier Wen Jiabao said Saturday that his government's priority was to fight against inflation and a recognized public discontent, while setting a growth target of 8% for 2011, in a speech to parliament.

"We have to consider price stability as the priority of our macro-economic control," said the head of government before the nearly 3,000 delegates to the NPC, met for ten days in the Chinese capital, according to the translation his official speech in French.

He described the price rise and inflation expectations "problems which are closely the standard of living of the population, the overall situation and stability of the country."

The aim of rising consumer prices, which reached 4.9% in January over one year was set at "4%" for 2011, against 3% last year, while the objective of growth of gross domestic product (GDP) was maintained at 8%.

China's GDP in 2010 became the world's second largest behind the United States, surpassing that of Japan.

This year, the Chinese government "will continue to pursue a policy of recovery", but by reducing the budget deficit will be contained in "about 2% of GDP."

Priority spending will be devoted to "rural development", "to improve the level of the population and develop the social sectors," according to this discourse that determines the main directions for the country's official year.

"Some issues are subject to strong reactions among the population have not been completely resolved," admitted the Prime Minister.

"The educational resources and lack of quality medical and their distribution is uneven," he detailed.

"The property prices have experienced an excessive increase in some cities," continued Mr.Wen wants to boost the construction of social housing.

He further stressed that "social contradictions raised by the illegal requisition of land and demolition of illegal houses have multiplied," that "food security is poor" and that "some sectors are vulnerable to corruption."

China also wants to continue to "improve the formation mechanism of RMB exchange rate," considered undervalued by its major trading partners, but without making any specific commitments.

Always fight against inflation, it wants to implement "a prudent monetary policy" by limiting to 16% increase in money supply M2 (broad money comprising currency in circulation, deposit accounts and accounts of savings).

The National Popular Assembly (ANP) is the largest parliament in the world. She just basically endorse Communist Party projects and the government.

This body meets only once a year in plenary session for ten days in March.

TUNISIA: The Islamist Nahda movement allowed to form a political party

The current banned Tunisian Islamist Nahda was authorized by the provisional government to reform a political party, reported Tuesday the official news agency Tap.

This initiative will allow the moderate Islamist Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi, who returned from exile in London January 30, two weeks after the fall of President Zine Ben Ali to stand for parliamentary elections.

Nahda (Renaissance) had been banned during the two decades of dictatorship Ben Ali, forced to flee the country after four weeks of "jasmine revolution" and now a refugee in Saudi Arabia.

Rachid Ghannouchi, who is 69 years old, is considered a moderate intellectual.His organization, founded in 1981, is seen as less conservative than the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

Ennahda, who says he's ideologically close ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to power in Turkey, was the main opposition force in Tunisia at the coming of Ben Ali.

In the elections of 1989, two years after taking power by Ben Ali, the party won 17% of the vote officially, but his actual score was probably closer to 30 or 35%, according to observers.

Punishment which then hit the movement was forced into exile in 1989 Ghannouchi. The Islamists have played a role in the revolution that led to the downfall of Ben Ali.