Syrian shock and Egyptian awe

The reverberations of the Syrian massacre in which over 100 civilians were killed in the town of Houla last Friday continue to occupy the Arabic-language news Tuesday.

“A state of war in Hama and the commercial sector in Damascus goes on strike,” reads the headline of Saudi-owned daily A-Sharq Al-Awsat. The article features a photo of a group of Syrian children holding up a poster with a hand-drawn caricature of President Bashar Assad bathing in a bath of blood being poured by UN representative Kofi Annan. The bath is an upside-down blue UN helmet.

“International anger increases; Annan is ‘shocked’ and Muallem stresses cooperation,”  reads the headline of London-based daily Al-Hayat. The daily reports that Annan is to meet Assad on Tuesday for the second time since beginning his position as UN special delegate on Syria.

“Even Hezbollah and Israel have agreed!” reads the headline of a column by A-Sharq Al-Awsat editor Tareq Homayed, referring to the condemnation of the Houla massacre by both.

“Both Hezbollah and the Israeli prime minister could not ignore the Houla massacre… the question is: if Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to condemn the atrocities in Syria, what is left then for the dictator Bashar Assad and his heinous killing machine?”

Al-Hayat editor-in-chief Ghassan Cherbel says that Assad is forced to meet with Annan because Syria is weaker than ever before.

“Syria has become a sick country. It is being discussed in capitals near and far and in the Security Council. Today, the Syrian regime cannot refuse to meet Annan. Not because he carries the remedy but because meeting him will help Russia and China continue to side with it. Refusal to meet with him would double its international isolation.”

 The Egyptian vote meets public exasperation

Egyptian astonishment at the outcome of the first round of the presidential elections has turned to anger and hundreds of Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo to protest.

Demonstrators gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square following the official announcement by the Central Election Committee that Muhammad Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood and Ahmad Shafiq, an independent candidate who served as Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, would contend in the second round of elections, June 16 and 17, Al-Hayat reports. The Election Committee dismissed seven appeals by the losing candidates who complained of irregularities.

According to Elaph, a Saudi-owned news website, ahead of the second round, Ahmad Shafiq is relying on the fear of the Egyptian elite of an Islamist takeover of Egypt’s political scene. He will also benefit from Egyptians’ fear of spreading chaos on the streets, Elaph reports.

Al-Ahram, Egypt’s most well-known establishment daily, is trying out a new radio service with a question to the public: “What is your opinion regarding calls to boycott the second round of elections?”

“Bravo, women of Egypt!” writes A-Sharq Al-Awsat columnist Amal Moussa. She writes that despite a struggle dubbed by Egypt’s elite as one between “the great Satan and the little Satan,” some rays of light can still be detected. Firstly, she says, the elections have proven the true level of public support for the Muslim Brotherhood to be no higher than 15%. According to Moussa, women cast a protest vote against the Muslim Brotherhood for its misogynistic approach, preferring all other candidates — including Ahmad Shafiq — to the Brotherhood candidate, Muhammad Mursi.

“Bravo, women of Egypt, but the battle has not ended and the challenge is still before us. The importance of your voices will double at the second round of elections, where the vote of every Egyptian woman should go to those who know her value,” writes Moussa.

Iran plans to assassinate officials internationally

A report by The Washington Post claiming Iran was planning to assassinate diplomats of seven different countries, including Saudi Arabia, is making headlines in Arab media Tuesday.

“Collection of evidence ties Iran to conspiracies to assassinate American officials,” reads the headline of Elaph, which focuses on communiques received by the American Embassy in Azerbaijan concerning Iran’s plan to attack American diplomats in the country, Iran’s northern neighbor.

“American and Saudi officials on an assassination list connected to Iran and Hezbollah,” reads the headline of A-Sharq Al-Awsat, which translated the entire Washington Post article.

Al-Hayat ties together Iran’s nuclear negotiations with the assassination story. Its headline reads “Tehran considers its nuclear ‘rights’ a ‘red line’ and ‘new evidence’ ties it to assassination plans in seven countries.”