France urges reform in Syria as mosque attack leaves six dead

FRANCE, WHICH has been increasing its condemnation of violence in Syria, has called on Damascus to carry out political reforms after security forces fired on demonstrators holed up in a mosque at the centre of the southeastern provincial town of Deraa, killing six.

The attack yesterday on the Omari mosque, the hub of recent protests, occurred just after midnight, rousing those camped on the grounds. Deraa, located in an agricultural region, has been hard hit by drought.

Protests have been sparked by the arrest last week of 15 teenagers caught writing on walls the slogan “the people want the regime to fall”, the main demand of the Egyptian uprising. Four people were killed during five previous days of protests.

Ali Ghassab al-Mahmid, a doctor from a leading local family, was the most prominent victim, shot in an ambulance on his way to the mosque. A nurse and the driver of the vehicle also died.

The government blamed outside agitators and said he had been slain by an “armed gang” that had taken over the mosque where arms and ammunition had been stored. Activists said there were no weapons and the protests had been peaceful. However, demonstrators set fire to public buildings, including the headquarters of the ruling Baath party and the provincial governor’s office.

The primary demand of the protesters is a halt to repression by internal security forces, headed in Deraa province by a cousin of President Bashar al-Assad. He has instituted economic reforms since taking power in 2000 but has failed to effect major political changes.

The government has responded to other demands by releasing the teenagers, dismissing the governor and launching an investigation into the use of violence by the security forces.

In Egypt, former president Hosni Mubarak has been charged with murder by investigators reporting to the public prosecutor. During the 18-day uprising against his rule, at least 380 people were killed and 5,000 wounded by security forces operating under his command. His interior minister, Habib al-Adly, has been accused of ordering police to open fire at demonstrators.

After a delay of 18 months, Saudi Arabia has announced it will hold municipal elections next month, but reformers pressing for change will be disappointed.

Women will not be allowed to vote because of the kingdom’s conservative social traditions, while political parties remain banned. The kingdom’s only elections, in which Muslim fundamentalists did well, took place in 2005 for just half the seats in municipal councils which have little power.

Fearful of mass protests, King Abdullah recently announced two huge spending packages totalling $129 billion to tackle unemployment and provide affordable housing. In a bid to quell demonstrations on Saudi’s flank by Bahrain’s restive Shia majority, he has also dispatched 1,000 troops to bolster the Sunni ruling family.

Jordan’s King Abdullah meanwhile has called for “decisive and quick” measures to uproot corruption and provide for reform.