Pakistan: Anti-Islam film protests turn deadly in Peshawar [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
A BBC correspondent in Islamabad reported that medical sources confirmed the deaths of 16 people, as well as the injury of 150, during protests today. Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said that the offense to the Prophet Muhammad represents an insult to over one billion Muslims around the world. In the meantime, angry protests regarding the insulting film and drawings continued across Pakistan, with deaths and injuries reported.

Reporter, Male #2
A Friday of anger in Pakistan, due to what Pakistanis consider an insult to Islam and their Prophet. This was the result of a film produced in the United States, and drawings published in France. They took to the streets and burned the flags of the two countries, and destroyed a great deal of private and public property. As they reached the compound of embassies in Islamabad, a large number of security and military personnel were dispatched, and cellular communications were cut. The insulting film induced a response by the country's prime minister, in which he warned that an insult to the Prophet Muhammad is considered an insult to Muslims worldwide.

Guest, Male #3 (Raja Pervez Ashraf, Pakistani Prime Minister)
The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is an educational example of the principles of forgiveness, peace, and harmony of our great religion, and is at the center of Muslim beliefs. An attack on the Prophet is an attack on the core of the beliefs of 1.5 billion Muslims. We request that the United Nations, and other international organizations, draft a law banning speech that aims to spread the seeds of hatred through these falsehoods.

Reporter, Male #2
In Peshawar, protests were marked with blood. People were killed and injured when movie theaters and a number of cars and buildings were torched. As a result, authorities closed the roads leading to the American Consulate, and to the offices of western relief agencies. Rawalpindi witnessed violent acts. Protestors hurled rocks and firebombs at police officers. These events pushed the government to ban violent protests and the carrying of weapons in Islamabad and its surrounding areas, while permitting peaceful demonstrations.

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Muslim blasphemy anger spreads to Asia [BBC Arabic, UK]

Presenter, Male #1
In the midst of intense security measures, demonstrations were organized after Friday prayers in several Islamic countries to protest the American film that insulted Islam, "Innocence of Muslims," and the cartoon drawings insulting the Prophet Muhammad, which were published by a French magazine.

Reporter, Male #2
In Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, a massive demonstration took place to protest the film that insulted Islam. Demonstrators carried a coffin, on which they inscribed, "Obama's Coffin." They later set it on fire, while chanting, "Kill us, but do not direct insults at the Prophet Muhammad."

Reporter, Male #2
A while later, they burned the French flag to protest a French magazine's publication of cartoon drawings insulting Islam. In Indonesia, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in various cities around the country.

Reporter, Male #2
Demonstrators amassed in front of both the American and French embassies in the capital, Jakarta. In the midst of intense security measures, protestors carried placards denouncing the United States for what they described as insults to the prophet.

Reporter, Male #2
Protests also reached the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, where protestors carried a banner which read, "Insulting God's Messenger Does Not Fall Under Free Speech."

Reporter, Male #2
The protestors amassed in front of the American Embassy, as police tried to contain them. They carried a sign stating, "Obama, our patience has its limits."

Reporter, Male #2
In the Thai capital, Bangkok, police cordoned off the American Embassy. Meanwhile, the president of the Muslim Students' Association in Thailand asked the American administration to punish those responsible for producing the film that insulted Islam.

Reporter, Male #2
In the Indian portion of the Kashmir region, an area in dispute with Pakistan, a student protest took place. Most of the demonstrators were female students who chanted slogans condemning the United States. They were carrying a placard calling for the execution of Sam Basili, who is suspected of producing the film, "Innocence of Muslims," which insults Islam and its Prophet Muhammad.

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Egypt's Copts and Muslims come together to denounce anti-Islam film [Al-Alam, Iran]

Presenter, Female #1
Prominent Egyptian Islamic and Coptic figures organized a mass public conference at the Journalists' Syndicate in Cairo under the slogan, "Victory for the Honorable Prophet." The attendees confirmed the need to bring the producers of the film that insulted Islam to trial. They stressed that the aim is to extinguish the flame that sparked the events, demanding that the United States hand over the suspects, who are wanted for trial in Egypt. Additionally, the observer for the Muslim Brotherhood group demanded the issuing of an international law criminalizing offenses to divine religions.

Reporter, Male #1
At the headquarters of the Journalists' Union in Cairo, it was an unusual day. There was a mass conference to avenge the Prophet Muhammad, God's peace and prayers be upon him, with the attendance of a multitude of Islamic preachers and Christian clergy, who announced their repudiation of actions aiming to harm Muslims, ignite strife, and fabricate a civil war in Egypt.

Guest, Male #2 (Bishop Tadrus Najib, Coptic Church Representative)
Why was it done specifically in the Egyptian dialect? Why was it produced by a Jew? We must understand the purpose of the film. It isn't to offend the Prophet, but to bring Egypt into a civil war.

Guest, Male #3 (Mohammad Amara, Islamic Intellectual)
This is a message to the outside world. We're telling them that if the Western world makes anti-Semitic aggression a crime, it should make Zionism an equivalent crime. Therefore, a stand must be a taken that allows religious symbols and religious holy sites to be safeguarded.

Reporter, Male #1
The Egyptian Attorney General ordered the referral of seven accused individuals from the Coptic diaspora, as well as an American, to the Criminal Court, and sent a official request asking the United States to hand them over to Egypt. However, the American response has yet to come, which is what pushed the attendees to demand the acceleration of an international agreement that protects the symbols of the divine religions from intellectual extremism.

Guest, Male #4 (Mohammad Badie, Supreme Guide of the Muslim Brotherhood)
You must issue an international treaty that forbids any offense to any of the holy sites we all respect. This is the duty of all international institutions.

Guest, Male #5 (Nabil Luka Babawi, Coptic Lawyer)
They will not respond, because America has its own interests. It's wrong for America to include this issue under "free expression."

Guest, Male #6 (Mohammad Majed Kholousi, Head of Egypt's Engineers Syndicate)
We are a signatory in an extradition agreement with America. Therefore, if we issue rulings, America is forced to hand them over.

Reporter, Male #1
Angry reactions with regard to the film offending the honorable Prophet are still ongoing. This is where a notable Islamic-Coptic Egyptian alliance was displayed. They demanded the prosecution for those they call the "producers" of the crisis, at a time when Western attacks on Muslims continue.

Reporter, Male #1
The French magazine Charlie Hebdo published pictures insulting the Prophet Muhammad, God's peace and prayers be upon him. This move reveals a systematic plan to provoke Muslims. Or, as some say, the Zionist entity has become the main engine behind these works, following the Arab Spring revolutions. Islam Abu al-Majd, Al-Alam, Cairo.

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Over 300 officers charged in Turkey's 'sledgehammer' coup plot [Press TV, Iran]

A Turkish court delivered its verdict today on the case of 365 military officers accused of plotting to overthrow the government. So far, the court has sentenced three of the officers to life in prison; several others have been given jail terms of up to 20 years, while 34 of the officers have been acquitted. The "Sledgehammer" trial revolves around a 2003 military seminar, which prosecutors say was part of a conspiracy to trigger a military coup and overthrow the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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Bahraini forces fire tear gas, rubber bullets at anti-regime protestors in Manama [Press TV, Iran]

Bahraini protestors once again took to the streets in the capital Manama. Reports say security forces fired tear gas and rubber bullets at the demonstrators; there have been no reports of casualties.

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Activists accuse Canada of 'double standard' after UAE nuclear deal [Press TV, Iran]

Press TV reports that activists are accusing the Canadian government of applying a double standard in its Middle East policy, after they inked a deal with the United Arab Emirates, to help the human rights violator with its nuclear program. Activists doubt the government's sincerity, while the Canadian government says its Middle East policy is motivated by human rights concerns.

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Syrian army, rebels clash near Aleppo bases as anti-government demonstrations continue [New TV, Lebanon]

Presenter, Male #1
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi denied that President Bashar al-Assad gave a special interview to an Egyptian newspaper. Meanwhile, shelling and clashes continue in several areas in Syria. And Friday's demonstrations were titled, "The Messenger's Beloved in Syria Are Being Slaughtered."

Reporter, Female #1
The city of Aleppo and its countryside witnessed clashes between regime forces and opposition fighters in the surroundings of the Hanano military barracks in the neighborhood of al-Arkoub, as well as in the surroundings of the Ming Military Airport, as many neighborhoods in the city were subjected to shelling. Regime forces also shelled Douma in the countryside of Damascus, and the city of al-Raqqah, in the al-Raqqah Governorate, in addition to the city of al-Rastan in Homs. And in the governorate of al-Hasakah, a gunman assassinated Mohammed Wali, who was a member of the General Secretariat of the Kurdish Council, by opening fire on him in front of the Local Council, which is part of the National Kurdish Council.

Reporter, Female #1
Officials announced that the appropriate authorities raided a residential apartment in the neighborhood of Project 7 in Latakia, and confiscated 30 kilograms of C4. The opposition National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change announced that it lost contact with two of its members. They are Dr. Abdul Aziz al-Khayer, head of its foreign relations office, and Eyas Ayash, a member of its executive committee, in addition to Maher Tahan, who was accompanying them. This happened when they were returning from Damascus International Airport, after a delegation from the committee visited China.

Reporter, Female #1
And under the banner, "The Messenger's Beloved in Syria Are Being Slaughtered," anti-regime demonstrations came out in several areas across the country.

Reporter, Female #1
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi denied that President Bashar al-Assad had given an interview to any Egyptian newspaper. He noted that al-Assad received an Egyptian delegation of journalists, and that a personal chat took place between them, but it was not considered a press meeting.

Reporter, Female #1
On the other hand, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle met with defected Syrian Prime Minister Riad Hijab in the capital Berlin, and asserted that his country will address the Syrian crisis at the upcoming UN General Assembly meeting in New York. He stressed the importance of agreeing on common ground for all parties, in order to reach a political solution to the crisis.

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IDF soldier, three gunmen killed in Sinai shootout [IBA, Israel]

An Israeli soldier was killed and another wounded today when terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula opened fire on an IDF patrol in the Mount Sagi region midway between Gaza and Eilat. Three gunmen, who were equipped with explosives, a rocket-propelled grenade, and rifles, were also killed in a gunfire exchange. The Israeli army is investigating whether the gunmen originated from the Gaza Strip or belonged to the Global Jihad organization operating in the Sinai.

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Western powers warn Iran that 'time is running out' for nuclear dispute settlement [IBA, Israel]

The United States, Britain, and France have warned Iran at the United Nations Security Council that time is running out for a negotiated settlement to a showdown over its disputed nuclear program. US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice said that the international powers cannot pursue nuclear talks with Tehran indefinitely, stressing that the West will not engage in an endless process of negotiations that fails to produce results. Western members of the Security Council also blasted Iran for providing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad with weapons under a humanitarian pretext to help his efforts to crush the Syrian uprising against his regime.

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Arab states refrain from targeting Israel with IAEA resolution in goodwill gesture [IBA, Israel]

As a goodwill gesture, representatives of the Arab states convening at this week's annual meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna said that they refrained from targeting Israel with a resolution aimed at its assumed nuclear arsenal. Arab envoys said that the move came in support of wider efforts to eliminate nuclear weapons from the region.

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Islamic Movement in Israel marks 17th annual 'Al-Aqsa in Danger' festival [Al Jazeera, Qatar]

Presenter, Male #1
The Islamic movement inside the Green Line, headed by Sheikh Raed Salah, is holding the 17th annual festival called "Al-Aqsa is in Danger" this evening.

Presenter, Female #1
Thousands of Palestinians inside the Green Line are expected to participate in the festival. It is being held in support of the case of the holy al-Aqsa, in light of what al-Aqsa Mosque is being subjected to from Israeli violations. Calls are being made to turn its courtyards into public spaces, and as well as calls to divide it.

Reporter, Male #2
Excavations in the surroundings of the holy al-Aqsa Mosque have not stopped. This is the latest excavation taking place at the Umayyad palaces, adjacent to the southern wall of the mosque. The occupation is looking for archeological evidence of the Temple of Solomon. The search is continuing underground as well. Out of sight, tunnels are being dug that may have extended underneath al-Aqsa. Muslims say that there are landslides, aged trees are falling in the courtyards, and cracks are spreading in its seating and prayer areas, which prove that excavations are taking place.

Guest, Male #3 (Ikrimah Sabri, Chairman of the High Islamic Commission)
There are two goals. The first goal is to look for their ruins, if there are any. Until now they haven't even found a stone to support their claims. The second goal is to demolish al-Aqsa through twisted and hidden ways.

Reporter, Male #2
Al-Aqsa is surrounded by biblical gardens, and the occupation's hands are extending out to its southern enclave, Silwan, which is witnessing expedited settlement projects that will eradicate its Arab and Islamic roots. The occupation has prepared plots to expand the yard of the Buraq Wall, otherwise known to Jews as the Wailing Wall. From the Palestinians' perspective, all of this calls for forming a fact-finding committee of unbiased experts to discover what the occupation is destroying at the holy site.

Guest, Male #2 (Hatem Abdel Qader, Fatah's Minister of Jerusalem Affairs)
Al-Aqsa Mosque is sounding an alarm bell. It is calling on the Arab and Islamic world to urgently and immediately take action in order to save it, and to pressure for an investigation committee that can look into the violations, breaches, and dangers surrounding the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.

Reporter, Male #1
This settlement siege is not the only thing worrying Palestinians. There are Israeli calls to turn al-Aqsa's courtyards into public areas for everyone to enter, and for imposing a time division between Jews and Muslims to perform their prayers at al-Aqsa. These calls accompany the daily indecent violations by foreign tourists and Jewish extremists, which do not take into account the holiness of the place, or the feelings of the family of the Prophet.

Reporter, Male #1
This raises the level of danger looming around the first Muslim Qibla, and the third holiest site. Palestinians want Arabs and Muslims to point their compasses in this direction. They think that the Arab Spring distracts from Jerusalem and the Palestinians' case, which encourages the Israeli occupation to besiege al-Aqsa, and to tighten its grip on Jerusalem. Elias Karram, Al Jazeera, occupied Jerusalem.

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IMF: Palestinian economy faces serious risks [Palestine TV, Ramallah]

Presenter, Male #1
After a report from the World Bank was released yesterday, the International Monetary Fund said that the Palestinian economy is facing serious risks with declining growth and increasing unemployment, in both the northern and southern governorates. The report covers the Palestinian National Authority's financial performance during the current year, and will be presented at a meeting of donor countries, scheduled to be held in New York on the 23rd of the month.

Presenter, Male #1
In the report, the Fund added that the recent severe decline in funding for the Palestinian National Authority led to difficulties paying overdue local debts to commercial banks. The Fund called for implementing joint arrangements between the National Authority and Tel Aviv to raise clearance revenue, which should be implemented promptly to support fiscal adjustment efforts. The Fund also called on the Palestinian National Authority and Israel, in addition to the international community, to take expedited measures in order to limit the risks of the continuing economic slowdown, the increase in unemployment rates, and the financial crisis itself, which will lead to a fueling of social tensions.

Presenter, Male #1
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said that the Palestinian National Authority is exerting all efforts to strengthen the citizens' resilience, and to overcome the crisis it is facing. And during the graduation ceremony for the participants of the training programs that were organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs, he added that the Authority is very confident about overcoming this crisis.

Guest, Male #2 (Salam Fayyad, Prime Minister)
First, we will intensify our efforts to provide sufficient funding and aid through donors during their meeting in New York, in order to transfer what was agreed upon in aid pledged to the Palestinian National Authority. For two years, the amount of aid received was less than that needed to balance the Palestinian National Authority's budget, which led to a suffocating financial crisis. On the other hand, the Palestinian National Authority is intensifying its efforts aimed at strengthening our ability to improve revenue, and to improve the proceeds of this revenue, including tax proceeds. And also, to make additional improvements to the management by unifying it.