Five Noteworthy Stories You Might Have Missed This Week (9/6)
Three Lebanese teens sparked a firestorm of controversy this week when images of them burning the ISIS Flag spread around the world under the hashtag #BurnISISFlagChallenge. It’s being called the Middle East’s version of the ASL Ice Bucket challenge. Here’s what you missed this week in Lebanon.
1. Rifi Wants ISIS Flag-Burning Teens Arrested Lebanese activists burn an adapted imitation of the ISIS flag during a protest in front of the Justice Ministry in Beirut. (Image via NYPost.com)
When the Lebanese get pissed, they burn stuff; they burn tires, garbage bins, and more recently, they turned to flags. After a picture of three boys burning ISIS and Nusra Front flags circulated on social media last weekend, Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi Called for the teens to be identified and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
The young men burnt the flags in retaliation to the alleged beheading of a Lebanese soldier by ISIS. Ali al-Sayyed is among 29 soldiers and police officers who were captured by Nusra Front and ISIS during the five-day Arsal area clashes which began on August 2 between the Lebanese Army and militants from Syria.
2. Last Piece of Public Beach in Beirut Sold and Privatized (Image via Sietske in Beirut)
Wissam Ali Ashour, a former member of the government and real estate investor, is now the proud owner of Ramlet el Bayda beach. The deal was apparently made four months ago, but the public is only finding out about it now.
Ashour purchased the 28,000 square meters of land from the Beirut municipality. According to reports, he is going to have a large wall built around the purchased land to demarcate it as a private area.
3. Six Porn Websites Banned in Lebanon (Image via Annahar)
Abdel Moneim Youssef, director general of state network owner Ogero, announced that six porn websites would be blocked “immediately” based on a decision from the Telecommunications Ministry on Monday.
While one source told The Daily Star newspaper that the decision to block the sites was made after complaints were issued by concerned family members of the “content” and “impact on society decency,” a report in An-Nahar tells a different story.
The news site reported that the decision was made after a Lebanese man in the UK was arrested by Interpol for allegedly molesting a child. The investigation found that the 6 porn sites being banned by the Telecom Ministry are the same six sites the man admitted to frequenting on the web.
4. School Registration for Syrians and Palestinians Delayed (Image via Daily Star)
Minister Elias Bou Saab announced that school registration for Syrians and Palestinians would be delayed until the the government makes sure that Lebanese students are placed first.
5. Security Forces Receive Bomb Detecting Robots from US (Image via Lebanon Debate)
The Internal Security Forces received three bomb detecting robots on Wednesday as part of a $2 million donation from the US to combat terror in Lebanon. The robots can detect and deactivate explosive devices.
Other equipment in the donation includes: five bomb suits, two water cannons, two metal detectors, portable x-ray machines and sophisticated communication devices.
