People have a right to bring down elected rulers early when those rulers make fatal mistakes
The Egyptian situation raises a pivotal question: does winning an election give the ruler total authority to do as he wishes? This question was asked by Mohammed El Sasi in the Moroccan news website Febrayer.
The Tamarrod movement that collected 22 million signatures demanding an end to Mohammed Morsi's rule and early presidential elections was a new, youth-led group, coming from the people, and not part of a score-settling scheme by those who lost the previous elections, the writer observed.
No doubt, the signatories were revolting against acute fuel and food shortages, deteriorating public services, the Brotherhoodisation of the state's institutions and inefficient policies.
Mr Morsi admitted that he had made mistakes when he issued a decree granting himself sweeping presidential powers. Even worse, he failed to honour his electoral promises, acting as if these had no value or binding force, according to the writer.
The events of June 30 were a second revolution, where anti-Morsi protesters outnumbered those who rose up against former leader Hosni Mubarak in 20011.
The Brotherhood and their president dismissed the events as a coup against legitimacy and democracy, arguing that the elected president must finish his term, and whoever wants him down must seek the ballot box, not the street.
This perception is probably part of the fundamentalist thinking that reduces democracy to ballot boxes on the one hand, and a repudiation of the reciprocal compromises required with "minorities" in transition periods on the other.
To Islamists, making concessions to minorities equals ceding democracy.
Certainly, democracy is the ballot box. But it is also basic freedoms and rights, including the freedom of expression and the freedom to protest. Protesters have a right to demand an elected official step down, the writer argued, adding that this is not a coup against legitimacy.
The Egyptian protesters, for example, did not seek to give power to what the street elected; they demanded early elections that might return Mr Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party to office. Protesters did not seek to move from civil to military rule, bring in an unelected president or nullify the electoral system.
Changing elected presidents before their terms end is a constitutionally acceptable and democratically permissible act, the writer said. Hence, the process of withdrawal of confidence laid down in many constitutions.
The right to revolution is a human right. The people can take to the street and peacefully demand their rulers step down when they see that these rulers have not honoured their pledges and made fatal mistakes that no longer allow them to run public affairs.
As rebels lose track, the regime recovers
Radical armed groups roaming rebel-controlled areas in Syria - and trailing with them Al Qaeda's view of the world - are increasingly ganging up against the West-aligned Free Syria Army (FSA), which they accuse of being "secular", while their plan for the region is to establish an Islamic State.
This is a godsend for the regime of President Bashar Al Assad, which has capitalised on western indecision and Russian-Iranian assistance to uncoil from its bases in Damascus and advance on once-secured rebel territories, wrote Abdullah Iskandar, managing editor of the London-based newspaper Al Hayat, in a column published yesterday.
In online videos, members of these radical groups are seen "lashing and killing in the name of 'the authentic rulings of Sharia'; persecuting young boys and women … and destroying heritage sites, ancient masterpieces and historic icons in their 'crackdown on polytheistic practices'," the editor said.
The happy winners are, of course, the Syrian regime and its Iranian and Russian backers.
"The Syrian regime has succeeded in planting this idea in too many minds, especially in the West and the US; the idea that terrorists are seeking to topple him, and that if those terrorists succeed, Syria will become another Afghanistan, at the West's doorstep," the author observed.
The West has dallied for so long that the regime's narrative has gained legs to stand on.
Pew's topical survey on Islamic Sharia
With the Arab Spring rekindling a dormant debate among Muslims about the place of Sharia (Islamic law) in life and legal practice, it is perhaps worth revisiting the findings of an interesting study published earlier this year by the US-based Pew research centre, according to Abdullah El Madani, a Bahraini expert on Asian affairs.
Writing for the Abu Dhabi-based newspaper Al Ittihad, the writer said that the study - in which more than 38,000 Muslims from around the world were interviewed - gives us insight into how Muslims feel about Sharia, but also about their sense of tolerance and belief in the freedom of worship.
Among other questions, the respondents were asked whether they wanted Sharia to become the law of the land in their countries.
"Even in the Islamic nations, where there is a strong support and enthusiasm for the application of Sharia rulings, a majority of respondents said they had a preference for citizens to be free to practise their faith and spiritual rites," El Madani wrote.
"For instance, in Pakistan, where 179 million of the country's 183 million are Muslim, 75 per cent of respondents supported this freedom, with 84 per cent of them saying they are in favour of the integration of Sharia into the legal system, and for its application to Muslims only."
* Digest compiled by The Translation Desk
translation@thenational.ae
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
- v Sri Lanka, Tuesday
- v New Zealand, Saturday,
- v South Africa, June 15
- v England, June 18
- v India, June 22
- v Bangladesh, June 24
- v Pakistan, June 29
- v West Indies, July 4
Grand slam winners since July 2003
Who has won major titles since Wimbledon 2003 when Roger Federer won his first grand slam
Roger Federer 19 (8 Wimbledon, 5 Australian Open, 5 US Open, 1 French Open)
Rafael Nadal 16 (10 French Open, 3 US Open, 2 Wimbledon, 1 Australian Open)
Novak Djokovic 12 (6 Australian Open, 3 Wimbledon, 2 US Open, 1 French Open)
Andy Murray 3 (2 Wimbledon, 1 US Open)
Stan Wawrinka 3 (1 Australian Open, 1 French Open, 1 US Open)
Andy Roddick 1 (1 US Open)
Gaston Gaudio 1 (1 French Open)
Marat Safin 1 (1 Australian Open)
Juan Martin del Potro 1 (1 US Open)
Marin Cilic 1 (1 US Open)
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Bugatti Chiron Super Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,600hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.4seconds
0-200kph in 5.8 seconds
0-300kph in 12.1 seconds
Top speed: 440kph
Price: Dh13,200,000
Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport - the specs:
Engine: 8.0-litre quad-turbo W16
Transmission: 7-speed DSG auto
Power: 1,500hp
Torque: 1,600Nm
0-100kph in 2.3 seconds
0-200kph in 5.5 seconds
0-300kph in 11.8 seconds
Top speed: 350kph
Price: Dh13,600,000
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Fixtures
Friday Leganes v Alaves, 10.15pm; Valencia v Las Palmas, 12.15am
Saturday Celta Vigo v Real Sociedad, 8.15pm; Girona v Atletico Madrid, 10.15pm; Sevilla v Espanyol, 12.15am
Sunday Athletic Bilbao v Getafe, 8.15am; Barcelona v Real Betis, 10.15pm; Deportivo v Real Madrid, 12.15am
Monday Levante v Villarreal, 10.15pm; Malaga v Eibar, midnight
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
FIVE%20TRENDS%20THAT%20WILL%20SHAPE%20UAE%20BANKING
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Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5