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Fadel Shaker says he wants to return to “normal life”

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Former Lebanese pop star turned Islamist militant Fadel Shaker said he wants to return to his “normal, natural life” in an interview with Beirut-based LBC-TV.

Shaker is wanted on charges of committing crimes against the Lebanese Army, after fleeing street battles in Sidon between Sunni Muslim militants and the army in June 2013. The battles killed over 50 people and 17 soldiers, according to Al-Arabiya.

If convicted, Shaker could face the death penalty. But Shaker denies all charges, claiming he never advocated for any radical battles against any member of the army.

“I never participated at all in the battle,” he said. “I never carried a weapon. Everybody knows that and the army knows it too.”

Shaker’s lawyer May Khansa said Fadel planned to turn himself in “in the coming days.” Al-Akhbar reports that this may result in a lighter sentence for the former singer.

In 2013, Shaker was allegedly recorded taunting the Lebanese Army, saying “we have two rotting corpses that we snatched from you yesterday.” He has also appeared in videos calling his enemies “pigs and dogs,” according to ABC News.

But he told LBC he had a change of heart — even saying he hoped the Lebanese soldiers captured by the Islamic State and Nusra Front would be freed.

Shaker became a popular pop star in the Middle East in 2002 after a duet with Arab singer Nawal topped the charts in the Arab world. The singer fell under the influence of Sunni cleric Ahmed al-Assir in 2013 after saying he was quitting his career as a singer to “become closer to God.”

He denies asking his fans to stop listening to his music, and adds that he did not have an official Facebook page or Twitter account.

Shaker appeared clean-shaven and in a black suit in the LBC interview, which was filmed in Sidon’s Ain al-Hilwe Palestinian refugee camp, according to the TV station.

Shaker says he grew up in the Ain al-Hilwe camp to a Lebanese father and Palestinian mother. He once said he was proud to be Palestinian, and asked Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas to grant him citizenship.

WATCH the LBC Report:

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 News

VIDEO: Sheik tells Lebanese journalist to shut up, but she fires back

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanese journalist Rima Karaki fired back on Monday night after an interview with Sunni scholar Hani Al-Seba’i turned sour.

Karaki was interviewing Al Seba’i about recent waves of Christians joining ISIS when he began discussing the historical consequences of Christian involvement. That’s when Karaki asked him to redirect the angle to present day.

Al Seba’i became combative after Karaki explained there was a time limit on his interview.

“Please don’t get all worked up,” she said. “We respect you and know you want to give a complete answer.”

But Al Seba’i wasn’t having it. “Are you done?” he asked. “Shut up so I can talk.”

Karaki fired back, asking him how a “respected Sheik can tell a TV host to shut up.” She later asked producers to cut off his microphone and move on with the program.

“Either there is mutual respect, or the conversation is over,” she said.

WATCH the video below:

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 News

VIDEO: Lebanese basketball brawl makes worldwide news

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — A basketball brawl controversy has captured global attention after Lebanese officials banned fans from attending games for spawning a fist fight between players on rival teams.

Sports and Youth Minister Abdul-Muttaleb Hinnawi said his decision to ban fans from entering stadiums until the end of a game was supported by Prime Minister Tammam Salam and Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk.

The brawl erupted during a Sunday night game between Lebanon’s most popular basketball teams — the Christian-backed Sagesse Club and Sunni Muslim-backed Riyadi Club.

“There is a lack of culture and sportsmanship spirit in Lebanon,” Hinnawi said. “Political corruption has leaked into the stadiums.”

Tempers flared when Riyadi’s Ali Mahmoud and Sagesse’s Terrell Stoglin began exchanging punches, causing several of the home fans to storm the court and attack Sagesse players.

WATCH how the brawl unfolded:

Media reports say four players were injured and the game ended with less than a minute left, with Riyadi leading 109-98.

American news organization ABC News reports that brawls are not uncommon in Lebanon’s stadiums, and similar decisions to ban fans from attending games have been taken in the past.

Both teams took to Facebook to blame each other for the incident, with Al Riyadi claiming it was Stoglin’s “erratic behavior” which started the brawl and Sagesse claiming it was Mahmoud who began the “barbarian attack.”

Last year’s Game 4 of the final series between Sagesse and Riyadi caused a fight between Dewarick Spencer and Loren Woods, sparking a similar brawl between Sagesse fans and Riyadi players.

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Bassil: We are Lebanese before Arab

(MATURIN, VENEZUELA) — Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil said Lebanese citizens should focus on national identity and distance themselves from Syrians and Palestinians, in remarks from Venezuela on Sunday.

“We are Lebanese first, after that we can be Syrian and support the Syrian people, or be Palestinian and support the Palestinian people,” he said. “But in Lebanon, we must only be Lebanese.”

Bassil, who described the Lebanese as “Phoenicians and Levantines,” added that Arab alliances are secondary to a Lebanese national identity.

He also criticized countries abroad for referring to many Lebanese as “Turks”.

“We are not Turkish, the Turkish have killed us and starved us,” he said. “We are not united, neither by language, history nor race – we are Arab they are not, so please don’t refer to us as Turks.”

Bassil said Lebanese expatriates should unify with other Arabs based on similar values and political interests.

“Abroad, Lebanese, Palestinians and other Arabs must unite because we have the same cause,” he said.

Bassil also added that Lebanon should not betray Syria because of “deep historic ties” between the countries. He said Lebanon should maintain these ties to ensure Syria would not “consider entering our nation again and think that it needs to protect Lebanon.”

Bassil has been visiting Lebanese expatriates in Latin American countries and signing diplomatic agreements with his counterparts over the past week. He has been praised for being the only minister in decades to visit expatriates in South America.

On Friday, Bassil met with his Venezuelan counterpart Delcy Rodriguez and signed a memorandum of understanding, a joint cooperation agreement, and an agreement on visa exemptions for diplomatic, service and special passports.

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 News

Lebanese protestors march in favor of civil marriage

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Hundreds of Lebanese students and civil marriage activists marched on Sunday from the American University of Beirut to the Interior Ministry building, demanding that Lebanon institute civil marriage.

Protestors held signs targeting Minister Nouhad Machnouk, who has been accused of intentionally blocking the official recognition of civil marriage contracts performed in Lebanon.

But Machnouk says the issue is not “administrative decision-making” and therefore, not his decision.

“The solution lies only with a civil law regarding personal status issues,” Machnouk said in remarks published by Al-Akhbar. “Let them go to Parliament and demand a civil law on personal status, then I will be the first one to sign.”

The protesters called for secularism and civil rights, which they say is being denied in Lebanon by banning civil marriages.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement last month, however, saying that the 1936 law that legalizes civil marriage specifies the need for an official process that must be decreed by the Cabinet before the law can be implemented.

Activists claim these are excuses by Lebanese lawmakers to keep religious sectarianism carved in the system.

“We are currently in a state of war,” spokesperson Talal Husseini said during a press conference at Beirut’s Press Club. “The truth is that the Interior Ministry is abstaining from registering contracts of civil marriages performed in Lebanon and is violating the law of coexistence and the freedom and equality of the Lebanese.”

The Sunday protest was organized by two clubs at AUB — the Secular Club and the Red Oak Club. They held signs accusing Machnouk of having more than 40 civil marriage contracts awaiting approval. But Macknouk says he only has 13.

Protestors also allege that Machnouk has contradicted his opinion on the issue several times, citing a Twitter post where he appeared pro-civil marriage.

“Are you a hypocrite?” several protesters shouted.

Lebanese couples wishing to have a civil marriage can travel to places such as Turkey or Cyprus and the Lebanese state would fully recognize those marriages, according to Machnouk.

But activists say that’s not enough. They’re planning future protests in hopes to be heard by the Lebanese government.

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 News

Helen Shaker, the last surviving founder of St. Jude, dies at 90

(CHICAGO, IL) — Lebanese-American Helen Shaker, the last surviving founder of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, has died at the age of 90.

Shaker was among a group of five Chicago-area couples who worked with entertainer Danny Thomas in the 1950s to lay the groundwork for the Memphis, Tenn.-based pediatric hospital.

Shaker and her husband Joseph remained close friends with Thomas, who lived in Chicago for a short period before moving to Los Angeles.

Thomas was a struggling Detroit comedian who promised himself that if he were successful, he would build a shrine to St. Jude, who he once appealed to when debating whether he should pursue a career in show business.

When Thomas’ career took off and he approached Chicago’s archbishop Samuel Stritch about building the shrine, Stritch said there were too many and recommended a children’s hospital instead.

That’s when Thomas and a group of Lebanese-Americans in Chicago began meeting to launch the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), the official fundraising arm of St. Jude, in 1957.

Richard Shadyac Jr., the CEO of ALSAC, said the Shaker family donated “significant sums” to the hospital.

“They were some of the most generous people in lending not only their resources but also their time and talent,” he said.

Shaker is survived by three sons, Joseph, Anthony and John; a daughter, Catherine Shaker Breit; 13 grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren.

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 Lifestyle, News

Lebanon signs $6.4M loan to help youth fund tech startups

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Lebanon’s Telecommunications Minister Boutros Harb recently signed a $6.4 million loan agreement with the World Bank to establish a new NGO that would help Lebanese youth launch tech startups.

“This is a 12.8 million dollars project where the MoT provides $6.4 million, and takes on 6.4 million from the World Bank,” said Walid Karam, a representative of the Lebanese Ministry of Telecommunications. “The project will be executed over four years, and the ministry will start repaying the World Bank at the end of the four years with insignificant interest.”

Karam says the project is part of a mobile internet ecosystem fund, which was launched last year during Open Innovation Week in Beirut.

The NGO, which will be called MIHub, or Mobile Internet Hub, will provide a forum for Lebanese youth to increase open innovation and crowd-sourcing in Lebanon.

Officials say the program expects to launch over 60 startups and will accept 500 students over the next four years. Projects will include mobile app development, micro-enterprising projects, incubators, and the launching of angel investor groups.

“The importance of this project is that it opens up new areas of the Lebanese youth and enhance the national economy,” Harb said. “The cooperation between Lebanon and the World Bank is not new and will continue.”

Harb says Lebanese youth can help drive Lebanon into a new age of modern consumer technology. Karam agrees, and adds that Lebanese universities in particular, can play a major role in this project.

“Through partnerships with Lebanese universities, we will be organizing regular workshops on robotics, mobile apps development, web development, and other core tech industries,” Karam said.

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Charlie Haddad: The Lebanese Christian who joined ISIS

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Charlie Sleiman Haddad reportedly died in a suicide mission in Iraq after the 28-year-old joined the Islamic State to fight on the front lines. Now his family is reacting — and sources say they’re still shocked at their son’s decision.

Haddad was born in the Koura district of Lebanon to a modest Christian family of middle class workers. But his life seemed to change after his family moved to the Zahrieh area of Tripoli due to financial constraints.

Haddad’s brothers worked for the Lebanese Security Forces while he worked at Azmi Street’s clothing store in Tripoli. But things took a turn when Haddad suddenly stopped attending church to spend more time visiting Tripoli souks where he would meet Islamist youth.

Relatives, who wanted to remain anonymous, told Beirut-based newspaper The Daily Star that Haddad expressed negative stances toward church duties and rituals.

Months later, Haddad informed his family he was converting to Islam and joining ISIS. Just days before he moved to Turkey for military training, relatives say Haddad moved out of his family’s home.

This is when sources say he was recruited by ISIS to carry out terrorist attacks in Lebanon, but instead, ISIS sent him to Turkey for training.

Haddad visited the mayor of Zahrieh George Attieh in October 2014 where he was granted a passport to visit Turkey. Attieh says he had no idea Haddad was joining ISIS.

“The (Haddad) parents are very good people and this case is not worthy of them,” Attieh told the Daily Star.

The Haddad family is of Syrian origin and were nationalized in 1955 after a general decree was first instituted. But Haddad’s uncle Milad, a house painter, still holds Syrian citizenship, according to family members.

The Daily Star says that most of his family works in construction, including his father Sleiman who works in sewage systems.

Reports of Haddad’s death come just days after media reports alleged that George Nabih Dibeh, 23, joined ISIS in Iraq.

His family says that although Dibeh has converted to Islam, the media reports were false and that he had not joined ISIS.

Dibeh comes from a well-known Orthodox Christian family in Tripoli, where he was reportedly an active parishioner at a local church. He was pursuing higher education in France, when he suddenly came back to visit his family and announce he’s converting to Islam.

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 Entertainment

Former Miss USA to compete on MTV’s Dancing with the Stars

(BEIRUT, LEBANON) — Former Miss USA Rima Fakih will compete in season 3 of Lebanon’s version of Dancing with the Stars, according to a recent announcement by Beirut-based TV network MTV Lebanon.

Fakih, 29, will join 12 other celebrities for the show, which airs in most of the Middle East.

MTV said:

Since her revelation in 2010, the Lebanese Miss America has not stopped accumulating successes from numerous Reality TV shows to movie acting. Armed with a quote that her father raised her to believe, “You don’t know who you are until you know where you came from”, Rima Fakih also volunteered at community organizations such as American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. She went on to be honored numerous times and is dedicated to helping remove the stereotype of Arabs in America and all over the world. All the way she has proved that it is possible to be beautiful, sexy, smart and tough. Will her father’s advice help her succeed on the dance floor too?

Judges Darren Bennett, Mira Samaha, Rabih Nahas, and Mazen Kiwan will evaluate the diva’s dancing skills starting on March 1.

Fakih was born in Srifa, a small city in the Jabal Amel region of Southern Lebanon. She is the first Lebanese-American, the first Arab American and the first Muslim to win the Miss USA title.

Fakih has some professional dance experience, according to MTV.

Most recently, she trained to be a professional wrestler in WWE as a WWE Diva. She competed on the fifth season of WWE Tough Enough, but was eliminated on the fourth episode.

Dancing with the Stars, hosted by Carla Haddad and Wissam Breidi, airs Sundays at 8:30pm on MTV Lebanon.

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 Lifestyle, News

Lebanese Collegiate Network to host convention in Michigan

(DETROIT, MI) — The Lebanese Collegiate Network will host more than 150 Lebanese students and working professionals during the eighth annual LCN convention at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor from April 10 to April 12.

The convention draws students and professionals from across the country for networking events and professional development workshops, according to the group’s press release.

“When we get all these people on one campus they find innovative ways to collaborate and make lasting friendships,” said Joe Sadek, president of the 501(c)(3) organization. “I’d say most of our members are self-starters, entrepreneurs, and generally thoughtful individuals.”

Sadek says the workshops have included business presentations, resume building seminars, and marketing classes, among others. They’ve also had major keynote speakers including Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Antoine Chedid.

“The convention provides a medium for students to connect and collaborate while having a ton of fun,” he said.

Sadek adds that most LCN members are students enrolled in 4-year academic programs.

“We began our alumni track in 2011 and we attract young professionals from across the country to attend,” he said. “I’d say the conference is 65-35, students to alumni.”

This is the second time LCN hosts their convention in Michigan. The group gathered at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. in 2011.

The cost to attend the two-day convention is $80 for LCN members, and $85 for non-members. For more information, visit mylcn.org.

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