"Security forces fear Baghdad-style tactics in London"
Baghdad style tactics in London? Why is this happening. Actually, why do we call them 'Baghdad style tactics'? Is it because they originate in Baghdad? Has Baghdad always been associated with such tactics? I don't remember reading anything about this before 2003. What could possible be behind all of this? So many questions but nobody is asking them..
Friday, June 29, 2007
Supporting Yaman Salahi
Yaman Salahi has a new blog - FrontPageMag Watch. Yaman is the student who has been sued by Lee Kaplan, who felt threatened by his articles. Click here to read more.
Fundraiser
The launch of “FrontPageMag Watch” coincides with the beginning of this fundraising campaign to fight the outcome of Kaplan v. Salahi, a case that was heard in small claims court in the County of Alameda (case number BS06288332). The website is both an expression of my opposition to the ruling, as well as a means by which we can organize and act against it.
While I am still exploring legal options, it is increasingly unlikely that there is any legal remedy to what has happened and it is more than likely that I will have to pay the judgment. As a college student, the amount of $7,500 is crippling, and one that I cannot afford. Furthermore, it will continue to be a nuisance for the next several years and will prevent me from spending time on various projects that I have been devoted to.
Because I don’t expect anybody to contribute to this fundraiser out of sympathy or out of trust (I would prefer people actually read this to know the great risk they themselves are at), I will explain the reasons why I believe this fundraiser to be important below. While the relationship between Lee Kaplan and I may be interesting to some, I believe it to be rather mundane and of little importance to the general public. On the other hand, the lawsuit is of the utmost importance to anybody who is politically active, as it threatens our most basic rights.
Posted by Maysaloon at 12:23 pm 0 comments
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Strategic map of the Arab world - Hummus style
Posted by Maysaloon at 4:29 pm 10 comments
Death of a spy
"Gad Shimron, a former officer with Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, turned military historian, told Reuters: "We know now, from testimony given by Israeli spymasters and made public years after the Yom Kippur war, that Marwan was the man who tipped off Mossad." "
If this man, Nasser's son in law was an Israeli spy as early as 1969 I wonder how high up Israel's spies have gotten to now? Hmm...
Posted by Maysaloon at 2:49 pm 2 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
"Israeli troops killed at least 12 Palestinians today, among them a boy aged 12, as well as several militants in the largest military raids in Gaza since Hamas seized full control of the territory."
Some would say that the Arab 'intelligentisa' become deranged and narrow minded when it comes to discussing Israel. I can't imagine why they could possibly be like that. In other news, Tony Blair is now officially a 'special' envoy to the Middle East and, if you thought things couldn't get any better, Paris Hilton is now out of prison and she's also found God. Happy days.
Posted by Maysaloon at 11:47 pm 0 comments
Labels: Israel
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
In Rusafa I came upon a palm;
here in these western lands a sight so rare,
I said: You stand alone, like me so far from home,
you miss the children and our loved ones there;
you have not grown tall in native soil.
Like you I too must breathe the alien air.
Posted by Maysaloon at 10:53 pm 1 comments
Wealth may be yours, wisdom too, and you may have beauty, but if pride touch them, all will turn to dross.
.Posted by Maysaloon at 7:41 pm 0 comments
Labels: Ramblings
غنوة للسلام
لو سمع غنوة سلام
يا سلام
قد ايه الغنوة تحلا
لو بدينا بالسلام
يا سلام
قد ايه الروح تميل
و النغم يطلع جميل
و الوتر يوصل كلامه
للقلوب صافي و أصيل
قد ايه
و قد ايه
بس اقول ايه
و لا ايه
السلام دا كلمة خضرة
زي أوراق الريحان
ترتوي منها الشفايف
لما ينطقها اللسان
زوقوك الناس يا دنيا
بالكلام
عن السلام
و الكلام
غير الحقيقة
و العمل
غير الكلام
يا سلام
من هنا نبدى الكلام
يا صبابة يا مغرمين
كلنا نحب السلام
و السلام يحب مين ؟
السلام
بيحب نوره
و شوفوا نوره تبقى مين
Posted by Maysaloon at 4:23 pm 0 comments
Labels: Poetry
Advice for fellow Arab bloggers
I made a recent observation for a fellow blogger recently about the use of language in their English blogs. I hold no claim to perfection, but I think we can all benefit and get our points across much more clearly to the English-speaking world, as Syrians, if we follow the following guidelines:
- Wait after typing your blog and read it a few hours later to see if it makes sense
- Check for spelling mistakes (Crucial and I can't tell you how annoying it is for me to spot them)
- Check for grammatical mistakes, read the article to yourself as "the reader" and see how well structured your argument is
- Some blogs on Syria planet are extremely well written, read them and copy their style if need be!
- If you are writing a political blog with lots of essays and articles, read this. I did and it has influenced me considerably! George Orwell is well, you get the picture. He knew what he was talking about when it came to writing in English and I think many of his examples can even apply to those who write their blogs in Arabic.
I hope this helps you all! Any questions, feel free to ask me.
.Posted by Maysaloon at 11:22 am 11 comments
Labels: Ramblings
OK- the kiddy gloves are now off!
- He wonders what can transform Arab societies into prosperous and healthy ones. Of course he assumes they are sick somehow and leaves it for the reader to deduce why.
- He pretends to care about us by asking what are the biggest risks facing Arab societies today - one is tempted to call out to him "AMERICA!" but I doubt his selective hearing would register the comment.
- He wonders how we want to project our societies 50 years from now and limits the range of options into what he believes are ideal, middle of the road and "bad" options - bad being socialism. Again, the fact that he can't conceptualise anything outside the modernist/Western conceptualisation of society is tragic.
- He continues framing the discussion by offering within his argument a dichotomy of obviously undesirable results versus the good Western Liberal option? Which one would you choose if you didn't know any better? Of course the Liberal option!! Even the word Liberal just makes me feel fuzzy and hippy, what could possibly be wrong with Liberal? Hand me the iPod and give me a bottle of Coke.
- Oh God - in this point he starts talking about Arab culture. Next.
- Now he pretends to care about the role of women in Arab societies, of course everybody knows that in Liberal societies the role of women is the model that the whole world should emulate. Just because it's from the West. Haven't you seen any Hollywood or Disney movies? The Western woman is always strong willed, independent and needs no man, she is sexy, desirable but writes her own destiny. Wow, what a gal - inside every oppressed downtrodden Arab woman is an American trying to get out!
- Ahh..Islamic institutions in need of reform. Here we have somebody who knows nothing about Islam. Yes, yes of course you are a moderate we get the picture. But you still know nothing about Islam or its institutions or Ijtihad. You're going to need a bit more than reading American books on the subject or Wikipedia. There are actual concerns and problems with these institutions, but I think you should wait till you know what they are before bringing your own confusion to any discussion.
- He wants to know how 'Takfiri Islamists' are viewed. As you can see everybody in Syria is always talking about this - America's prime concern. As a matter of fact I speak to my family everyday on the phone and ask them what they think of 'Takfiri Islamists' and we're still debating the matter. Let me get back to you on this.
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Majhool: "Did I miss anything?"
Wassim: "Yes, everything."
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.Posted by Maysaloon at 10:15 am 15 comments
Labels: Rebels without a clue
In the name of all that is holy - NO!
"Tony Blair has landed a major diplomatic job as the international Middle East peace envoy, responsible for preparing the Palestinians for negotiations with Israel."
"The idea of Mr Blair doing this job is understood to have originated with the prime minister himself in conversation with George Bush, who then suggested it to the UN. The UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, is said to be a keen supporter and Washington was reported last night to have mounted "an enormous push" to ensure Mr Blair got the post."
Posted by Maysaloon at 8:59 am 0 comments
Labels: Israel, Palestine, Rebels without a clue
Monday, June 25, 2007
Posted by Maysaloon at 7:12 pm 1 comments
"Israel is resisting US pressure to ease restrictions on movement in the West Bank ahead of a meeting aimed at bolstering the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas."
Oh go on you Israelis..they've been such good puppets too....What's that? Okaay? Awww...you guys!!
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Posted by Maysaloon at 12:43 pm 0 comments
Labels: Fatah, Israel, United States
My first visit to Damascus in 9 years!
That's it! Come what may I'm going home this summer. I'm about to go to the embassy to apply for my visa and, should that be approved, fly off at the earliest opportunity. I'm not sure how I feel yet, apart from the longing during all these years, there is also apprehension. The once familiar normalcy of speaking Arabic everyday with everybody, watching television in Arabic. Not the coffee, I never was, nor will be a big coffee drinker though I do have the nostalgia for it's scent early in the morning as my family wake up.
One thing I don't intend to be is like those expatriates who throw in a word of English in each sentence to show how sophisticated they now are after living abroad. I viewed them with disdain when I lived in Syria and I continue to do so, but perhaps I was being harsh as I too fall for that trap sometimes. I have no friends from there that I've kept in touch with or care to look up, only family and neighbours. Getting enmeshed in our noisy, interconnected family with it's disputes, outings and celebrations is going to be a real shock but I still look forward to it.
They say the Shaalan is now overcrowded, noisy and dirty but I don't remember it ever being otherwise though I keep that to myself. I still miss it. I miss Booz al Jiddee, I wonder if Johnny Salem's video shop is still open, if NAI is still selling music and about the Zenbarakji up the street from us. The Mahata 1 and 2 were never great, but they were local and we liked them. Is Nora still open at the top of the road? What about my favourite bookshop at Sahet al Najmeh behind us? I feel like I've been stuck in a time warp. I still call gas stations Kaziyeh's and grocers as Samman. I miss the Ommayad too and look forward to praying there. Little things have lingered within me that family visiting me here have been struck by as odd. I guess I know now how Rip Van Winkle must have felt like and in many ways that makes me scared. They say Syria has changed since 1998 and I'm sure it has, I just hope it's been for the better.
Posted by Maysaloon at 9:56 am 14 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Sunday, June 24, 2007
'50,000 Iraqi refugees' forced into prostitution
"Most are unwilling to talk, but Zahra, an attractive girl with a bare midriff and tattoos, tells me she's 16. She has been working in this club since fleeing to Syria from Baghdad after the war. She doesn't like it, she says, "but what can we do? I hope things get better in Iraq, because I miss it. I want to go back, but I have to look after my sister". Zahra points to a thin, pubescent girl with long black hair, who seems to be dancing quite happily. Aged 13, Nadia started in the club two months ago."
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Posted by Maysaloon at 5:40 pm 6 comments
Labels: Iraq, Womens rights
Call to Prayer by Jean Leon Gerome
Posted by Maysaloon at 9:51 am 1 comments
Labels: Art, Orientalism
Saturday, June 23, 2007
"I suppose that astonishment is not the word for it. Stupefaction comes to mind. I simply could not believe my ears in Beirut when a phone call told me that Lord Blair of Kut al-Amara was going to create "Palestine". I checked the date - no, it was not 1 April - but I remain overwhelmed that this vain, deceitful man, this proven liar, a trumped-up lawyer who has the blood of thousands of Arab men, women and children on his hands is really contemplating being "our" Middle East envoy. "
.Posted by Maysaloon at 9:45 am 0 comments
Labels: Middle East
Types of people
There are those who know that they know - these are teachers so obey them
There are those who don't know that they don't know - these are sleepers so awaken them
There are those who know they don't know - those are students so teach them
There are those who don't know they don't know - these are fools so avoid them
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Posted by Maysaloon at 9:11 am 2 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Friday, June 22, 2007
Abd al Qadir - refused occupation
Posted by Maysaloon at 4:29 pm 0 comments
فخري البارودي و قصة الدفاع عن القلعة و البرلمان
Account of Fakhri al Baroudi as they tried to resist the French occupation of Syria. Well done xlant!
Posted by Maysaloon at 4:18 pm 0 comments
" In a gesture of support for the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, Egypt has organized a summit meeting in which he will meet with President Hosni Mubarak and the Jordanian and Israeli leaders."
Who said puppets have no feeling towards one another?
Thursday, June 21, 2007
A friend of mine made an excellent point I had not thought of last night, "The best thing that happened to Salman Rushdie was the capture of those fifteen British sailors by Iran. " What else could possibly explain the timing for his knighthood as anything but an attempt to return the humiliation inflicted by Iran a few months ago.
.Posted by Maysaloon at 2:03 pm 6 comments
Labels: Iran
Some people are happy to stay on the beach, unsure about setting off. Others might paddle about just off the shore, but if the waters get too choppy they can still jump off and wade back.
A few realise they don't ever need to come back, and put the shore behind them as they paddle away..
Posted by Maysaloon at 12:50 am 0 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
"Please rally whoever you can, call whoever you can, bring as much attention to this as you can. I have no doubt that the military will bury me and hide the whole situation if they can. I'm in big trouble. I'm in the middle of Iraq, surrounded by people who are not on my side. Please help me. Please contact whoever you can, and tell them who I am, so I don't ‘disappear.’” "
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Posted by Maysaloon at 5:37 pm 0 comments
Labels: Iraq
Israeli news...
"Hamas wants Israel to starve Gaza"- so that's what's been happening, ok, we can all go home now.
"Mohammed Dahlan, Abbas's national security adviser and Hamas's arch-nemesis, branded the Islamists an "occupation force" in Gaza, the phrase commonly used to denounce Israel."
- Even the Israeli's are laughing at their own puppets.
"Barak's move came after the High Court of Justice instructed the State Attorney's Office on Tuesday night to do "everything Israel can do to save human life,"... " - no comment
.
Posted by Maysaloon at 11:57 am 0 comments
A choice of words..
We hear this often, but why do we (myself included) uncritically accept the framework of the argument. 'Failing to meet the conditions' is when somebody eager for something is expected to jump through all sorts of loops to receive something from another: A student in school 'fails to meet the conditions' necessary for a pass; An immigrant 'fails to meet the conditions' for a visa; so on and so forth, you get the picture. Now, Hamas did not 'fail to meet the conditions' of anybody, it refused the demands of the 'International Community' (otherwise known as the West), there is a crucial difference.
I don't necessarily agree with Hamas' ideology or methods, but the reason I bring this up is because this framework of description of events is presented often in news and analysis and can misguide the layperson reading them in the Western world to think they come from countries which are somehow superior to those they are dealing with, a throwback to the days of Empire? That I don't know. We see the same framework with Iran, Syria and Hezbullah amongst others. These actors always seem to 'fail' to meet 'requirements', 'conditions', 'criteria' etc etc. The language instantly tells you who is setting the conditions and who these are 'set' upon. This logic is flawed and unacceptable. When somebody you don't like wants to make you do something and you refuse, you do not 'fail to comply'. You refuse and stand your ground, 'go ahead, make my day' basically. The same applies with what is happening in the Middle East at the moment.
These 'outside powers' the Economist is referring to have helped create Israel, arm it and continue to fund and support some of the most corrupt regimes in the region (Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia), yet these countries are labelled with terms which make them softer for the reader, 'secular', 'moderate' etc. In stark contrast, actors opposed to the 'international community' (remember, this stands for the West) are portrayed as 'hardline', 'Islamist' , 'authoritarian' etc etc, even though in terms of human rights abuses and governance, they are no better than the so called 'moderate' countries. However, the criteria for judgement is never about the benevolence and effectiveness of government or human rights, it is always the position of these countries with regards to the 'international community' and in particular Israel, which is the basis for judgements. Under the illusion of objectivity, you are presented with a framework which, if accepted, can only lead you to one viewpoint.
Finally, the token bogeyman. The article also included a fleeting implication that a Gaza under Hamas would allow al Qaeda another fertile ground, " If the Islamists of Hamas win this round, the spectre will loom of a failed statelet where al Qaeda," etc etc. No mention is made of the fact that the 'statelet' might fail precisely because the 'international community' will blockade and starve it while funding and arming the pro-Israel Abbas (remember he is a moderate, never mind about corrupt). I assume that Hamas in such a scenario would again 'fail' to meet the stringent 'requirements' of these countries and so it, as well as the people who elected it, have only themselves to blame. That is the picture we can expect to be presented with at some stage if not already.
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.Posted by Maysaloon at 9:57 am 3 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
"US,Israel vow to support Abbas"
I can't put my finger on it, but something is wrong about this headline. Does anybody know what it could be?
Posted by Maysaloon at 5:36 pm 2 comments
Labels: Fatah, Israel, United States
Monday, June 18, 2007
I've just read a highly interesting article posted on Sabbah's blog. Have you noticed how increasingly in the West and in governments aligned to the West, walls are being erected to keep dark people out?
.Posted by Maysaloon at 11:08 am 1 comments
Some loose ends..
Does anybody know what happened to the Iranian general who "defected" to the West? By around this point genuine defectors would have already been busy with their book releases. Perhaps he isn't allowed a typewriter from his cell?
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Posted by Maysaloon at 10:48 am 0 comments
Labels: Iran, Israel, United States
What shall we bet that the United States, Israel and the European Union are now absolutely thrilled with the schism in the Palestinian government? They now have Hamas isolated in the Gaza strip while their favourite poodle Abbas now runs the West Bank. The news media is already shaping future frameworks for discussion and perception with Haniyah's replacement being touted as a "much respected economist". So a government of "moderates" is now going to be setup and, with Western assistance, will be touted as a model of good governance and economic development thanks to the immense funding it will receive. The entire Palestinian population of Gaza will be left to rot in degrading conditions, ostensibly Hamas will be blamed for radicalising them and for the condition they are in.
The White Man doesn't kill people. He just cuts off their food, water, electricity, and even air. It's not his problem they are dying if they won't surrender to him.
.
Posted by Maysaloon at 10:28 am 0 comments
Sunday, June 17, 2007
"What they did not say, but what was understood by all Gazans, was that the leadership of Hamas has a more personal grudge against the deeply unpopular Dahlan. Specifically, they blamed him for ordering a series of killings of members of Hamas that in their view had fuelled the cycle of violence that stepped up after Hamas swept Fatah from power in January last year."
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Posted by Maysaloon at 11:03 am 2 comments
Syrian conference on the Golan -SOAS
Yesterday I went to a conference organised by the Syrian Media Centre in London concerned with reviving attention on the Golan (Jolan) heights. I simply haven't the energy and will to write a critique of this thing right now, however I must say that several things struck me. Not just about the conference but about a number who attended.
Firstly, let me come out to say that I had never seen a bigger concentration of self important and pompous, arrogant "bourgeoisie" sponging off of an atmosphere to which they contributed little to nothing. Some of the speakers were quite good and I hear the Syrian Ambassador is particularly eloquent and forceful. Unfortunately I had to leave to see someone and couldn't stay the whole period.
Sasa, it appears was also there and we seemed to have completely missed each other! He has written much more on this than I am willing or interested to do. Overall an uninspired and uninteresting event which might as well have been funded by the Ministry of Information.
One thing I have to comment on is how terrible the so called "economic" lecture was. It was absolutely laughable, focusing on the apple trees of the region, the flaura and fauna such as the "bashful gazelle" and the "timid rock rabbits" and the man was insistent on reparations for forty years of occupation. The extreme cost of resisting the occupation, he argued, could have been used to boost Syria's infrastructure. How? Based on what figures? How much was it? How did this really affect Syria? He gave not a clue. Oh and by the way, Syria needs to move to something called "emerging market status" so companies can come and invest there once there is peace. Regurgitated and stale liberal economic slogans with not an inkling of their actual meaning - the man's lights were on but nobody was home.
His lecture was also a diatribe on the under utilised tourist resouces and the value of being able to go from watersports to a snowball fight, within twenty minutes. Again, no figures, no backing up of the argument and no depth. Highly valuable from an economic viewpoint! He also attempted to argue that Israel was under utilising the region economically (which it is not), something which he assured us Syria would do when it regains it. OK - I'll stop right there, I hope you get the picture.
If you want to increase awareness of the cause, you have to engage people, winning over their opinion through force of arguments and debate. A debate on the legality of the Jolan occupations would have been highly refreshing and thought provoking. Highly charged lectures on the 1967 conflict and what happened subsequently to give an increased insight; More information on what the Israelis were doing now on the heights and how they were exploiting it, -something, anything rather than the single tracked arguments we were presented. Overall, while the aim of the conference was to increase awareness about the Jolan heights, I feel this aim was too vague and non-specific, which was its downfall. As far as I knew, nobody there was Israeli who had come to criticise or denounce the conference. When your opposition can't be bothered to show up to your event and try to fight your argument, you know you are not doing something right.
I am afraid I can't find anything positive about this event, sorry to rain on your parade.
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Posted by Maysaloon at 10:01 am 2 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Friday, June 15, 2007
Posted by Maysaloon at 5:11 pm 2 comments
Labels: Fatah
Posted by Maysaloon at 2:12 pm 0 comments
Thursday, June 14, 2007
" "Terrorism of Syrian regime challenges the court: Walid Eido martyred," said the front-page headline of the daily al-Mustaqbal newspaper."
America is not happy right now, it is losing the Middle East. This will be a hot summer...
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Posted by Maysaloon at 8:54 pm 4 comments
"Fatah forces, although more numerous than Hamas, have been crumbling under the assault by their better-armed and better-disciplined opponents."
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Posted by Maysaloon at 8:53 pm 0 comments
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
"Fight against your ego with the four swords of training: eat little, sleep little, speak little, and be patient when people harm you... Then the ego will walk the paths of obedience, like a fleeing horseman in the field of battle."
Who has not been touched by the most vicious of all battles, raging inside you. Yes do this, no don't. One day a victory, many days a defeat. What pathetic beings we humans are, confined in these prisons of weak flesh and nerves. Yet sometimes, very often, I savour a victory. No human knows of it now or ever. Like my defeats, these too are locked somewhere deep and safe.
"He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination - you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate." (Joseph Conrad-Heart of Darkness)
Posted by Maysaloon at 11:46 pm 0 comments
Labels: Ramblings
No comment.
It is not a question of the "new friends" being loyal to anyone except themselves. People are generally faithless if they think their interests are not favored. You have to to deal with that. That is how people generally are in the Middle East (or anywhere else). The real question here is whether or not these people can be useful to you with regard to something specific that you want to get done. (like kill Jihadis) The solution, use'em and then abuse'em if they become a real liability.
- "Protection money?" Let's call it a bribe. A lot of you will be more comfortable with that. It isn't really a bribe. It is what used to be called a "subvention." Translation? Sometimes people need and want to do something for which they have not the means. Providing the equipment and money that makes that work isn't a bribe. It is just common sense.
- The Iraqi government? Hah! I am concerned with American interests.
Posted by Maysaloon at 11:38 am 1 comments
"Soldiers will be trained in a mock town built at a new urban warfare training centre. Protesters have said a central building in the "town", which will be peopled with "civilians" and which will have simulated bombs, is meant to represent a mosque but sources call it a generic cultural centre."
.Posted by Maysaloon at 10:29 am 0 comments
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
" "It seems they don't want to come. We must make them ashamed of themselves. They have killed all hope. They have killed the future." " (I've pinched the picture off of Angryarab)
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Posted by Maysaloon at 5:38 pm 2 comments
Interesting ideas in this article which I thought were quite good. Of course it is from the Daily Star and the final twist about America and how this could help it was, as usual, tasteless.
.Posted by Maysaloon at 3:06 pm 0 comments
Labels: Islam
"The US military has embarked on a new and risky strategy in Iraq by arming Sunni insurgents in the hope that they will tackle the extremist al-Qaida in Iraq."
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Posted by Maysaloon at 1:47 pm 0 comments
Labels: Iraq, United States
On Darfur
"The CIA, faced with the impossibility of infiltrating white Americans into radical groups in the Middle East, is recruiting Arab-speaking Sudanese citizens, in spite of sanctions against the country over the killings in Darfur, it emerged yesterday."
"But relations have been soured by Darfur, a high-profile issue in the US, with campaigners calling for sanctions against Khartoum."
Does anybody still doubt that the Darfur issue is a prepackaged crisis presented to people in the U.S. as a 'safe' outlet for their outrage?
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Posted by Maysaloon at 1:43 pm 0 comments
Labels: Sudan
Monday, June 11, 2007
A traitor confronted..
Posted by Maysaloon at 4:56 pm 15 comments
Labels: Rebels without a clue
Friday, June 08, 2007
MALCOLM X: Oxford University Debate
"extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice"
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Posted by Maysaloon at 10:21 pm 2 comments
"Security forces loyal to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas are seeking Israeli permission to import anti-tank missiles, grenades and other weapons to shore them up in their battle against Hamas, Israeli and Palestinian security officials said yesterday. "
I wonder if Israel will grant the permission? Hmm...Seriously, would it? Hmm
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2007 - Gathering storm clouds
Donald MacIntyre from the Independent wonders whether Syria and Israel will have a peace deal, or go to war?
While Olmert has been making noises about willing to talk peace, clearly both Syria and Hezbullah appear to know something the media do not. I have heard very recently that the price of small arms has gone up in Lebanon and that heavy digging machinery available for hire is now in short supply. It is hard for Israel to accept what happened last July based on what I have read in Israeli media. It seems the region may be heading for another rash American and Israeli military venture...
Posted by Maysaloon at 12:21 pm 0 comments
Labels: Ramblings
On Howard Jacobson from the Independent
In one paragraph he (without naming anyone) refers to those who might prefer seeing Jews in concentration camps rather than their own country. In one sentence he manages to bring up that spectre of the Holocaust, and then expects us to take for granted the ridiculous notion that a religious group should have its own country (I don't believe Saudi Arabia should be a Muslim only state). Mr Jacobsons article argues that the entire boycott is unjustified, immoral and done out of some sense of spite people have with Israel (nobody mention anti-semitism!). True, Israel's perception may have changed in the West, but Mr Jacobson attributes that to some bizarre change in peoples attitudes, rather than the fact that more information about Israel's formation and subsequent actions with its neighbours may have played a role in this.
Posted by Maysaloon at 11:17 am 5 comments
Labels: Rebels without a clue
As'ad Abu Khalil
"One of the things that you experience as an Arab in the US, is that, unfortunately, American anti-Semites try to confide in you, assuming--wrongly of course in this case--that you must as an Arab share their anti-Semitism. Just today, I had a plumber come to my house. He heard my TV blasting: he guessed it was Arabic. He asked where I am from, and I told him. As soon as I answered him, he yelled to me...something anti-Semitic. Of course, I had to immediately tell him where I stand on this (in opposition to anti-Semitism). Living in the US all these years only confirmed my theory all along: that anti-Semitism is a Western Christian phenomenon--not that there are no manifestations of anti-Semitism in the Arab world, but they are imported."
.Posted by Maysaloon at 10:56 am 0 comments
Excerpt from speech
"While I was traveling, I had a chance to speak in Cairo, or rather Alexandria, with President [Gamal Abdel-]Nasser for about an hour and a half. He's a very brilliant man. And I can see why they're so afraid of him, and they are afraid of him -- they know he can cut off their oil. And actually the only thing power respects is power. Whenever you find a man who's in a position to show power against power then that man is respected. But you can take a man who has power and love him all the rest of your life, nonviolently and forgivingly and all the rest of those ofttime things, and you won't get anything out of it.
So I also had a chance to speak to President [Julius K.] Nyerere in Tanganyika, which is now Tanzania, and also [President Jomo] Kenyata -- I know that all of you know him. He was the head of the Mau Mau, which really brought freedom to many of the African countries. This is true. The Mau Mau played a major role in bringing about freedom for Kenya, and not only for Kenya but other African countries. Because what the Mau Mau did frightened the white man so much in other countries until he said, "Well I better get this thing straight before some of them pop up here." This is good to study because you see what makes him react: Nothing loving makes him react, nothing forgiving makes him react. The only time he reacts is when he knows you can hurt him, and when you let him know you can hurt him he has to think two or three times before he tries to hurt you. But if you're not going to do nothing but return that hurt with love -- why good night! He knows you're out of your mind."
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Posted by Maysaloon at 10:38 am 0 comments
Labels: Great people
Malcolm X
I watched the film again yesterday after about 15 years. Firstly I can't believe it has been that long, secondly, while the first time I just watched it, this time I actually listened to what was being said. Spike Lee had created a masterpiece and Denzel Washington was simply amazing as the man. I was most impressed that he even learned the Fatiha (opening passage of the Koran) by heart and recited it in the film.
The life journey of Malcolm X and his transition was delivered incredibly, but what was amazing were his devastating criticisms of American society then. An opening sequence showing the beating of Rodney King which sparked the Los Angeles race riots showed how those criticisms are as valid today as they were when Malcolm was still alive. Lastly, it is interesting to watch a film made before 2001 which does not stereotype Muslims around the world. Though this only appeared much later in the film, Spike Lee managed to convey the universalism of Islamic belief which Malcolm X came to embrace, rather than the closed, rather racist views of the Nation of Islam led by a man called Elijah Muhammad. This approach was both refreshing to watch and inspirational. An amazing film about an amazing man, read more about him here.
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Posted by Maysaloon at 10:13 am 0 comments
Labels: Great people
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Posted by Maysaloon at 4:54 pm 0 comments
"Anti-semitism, a particularly pernicious form of racism and religious intolerance...". I guess other forms of racism and religious intolerance are just not as pernicious are they? In fact, some types of racism and religious intolerance are actually OK.
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Posted by Maysaloon at 3:24 pm 0 comments
Labels: Ramblings
" "On the internal front, the cause of everybody's concern is what is called the security chaos, or more precisely, standing on the brink of a civil war," Mr Abbas said in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank."
The influx of American and Israeli arms and money to fund your militias and criminal gangs has nothing to do with that, does it Mr Abbas?
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Posted by Maysaloon at 3:22 pm 0 comments
Labels: Palestine, Rebels without a clue
"Many Palestinians are quick to compare the failings of the second intifada with what they perceive as the successes of the first, begun in 1987, which was more a popular uprising and far less dominated by the militants. Within a few years, Israel and the Palestinians had signed up to the Oslo accords that brought the creation of a Palestinian Authority and, however briefly, the hope of genuine peace between two states."
Hope of genuine peace? Oslo? Two states?
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Posted by Maysaloon at 3:19 pm 0 comments
The Creative Forum - George Ajjan
I think the Creative forum is an excellent initiative which Yazan brought to our attention on Syriaplanet. The first article I read there was one by George Ajjan an American businessman, political activist and member of the Republican party. I had many criticisms of his article which triggered a number of responses that you can read here. Something did occur to me throughout the discussion however, regarding the nature and overall direction of the debates that took place on that site.
Firstly, there seems to be an implicit assumption that the real issue began in 1967 (which it did not); Secondly, the direction of most of the comments gravitated around the obstacles to a two-state solution (in my opinion unworkable) and finally there is an implicit assumption that more secularisation (heavily qualified) is needed in the Arab countries.
Something is bugging me: I just don't know where to begin in addressing all these issues, but am I the only one who believes that there is something fundamentally wrong in this internationalist dialogue taking place? Is debate about the Middle East being hijacked by busy body Western liberals, naive activists working for ineffectual NGO's and self promoting Arab expatriates? I need to think about this but any recommendations or thoughts are welcome as always.
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Posted by Maysaloon at 2:25 pm 13 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
1967
I've been reading a lot about 1967 and the Israeli attack which shook the core of the entire Arab world. Nasser's resignation, the betrayal of Jordans King Hussein, the failure of the Syrian Baath party to prepare and not enough fingers to point the blame. In the midst of all this information, I craved more, and on a personal level. I asked my father what had been happening on the outbreak of war and where he was.
He had been revising at a friends for an exam later that day (subsequently cancelled) when they heard on the radio that Syria had shot down 20 Israeli planes. Egyptian news reports came in of 40 planes shot down. As my father walked to his school, people on the street were ecstatic with the news, at the school itself it was announced that those who wished to carry arms to fight could do so as they had received a shipment of weapons from the government. My father recounted how he walked off with a Kalashnikov and 800 rounds to "defend the country" though it was more an opportunity to show off and swagger with the rifle which appealed to them. News later the next day began to prove otherwise. Damascus itself was not hit, but two military airports close to it were. About a week later, the defeated Syrian army marched back through the Mazzeh highway past the University, uniforms tattered, sunburnt, wounded and limping. The war was over. That night Nasser had come on television announcing his resignation, to which everybody expressed shock and outrage. Pilots had volunteered to the Baath headquarters to fly one way missions to Israel in an attempt to stem defeat, but they were threatened with arrest.
At the time, my grandfather was the chief of the Damascus Fire Department and had received a call telling him that three MIG's were burning at the Mazzeh airport. He refused to send his engines over, "if I send all my cars there, what will I do if anybody hits Damascus?" (Damascus at the time had only eight fire engines). He was ordered to comply and again he refused. Hours later he received another call, an Israeli plane had been shot down and was burning close to Damascus. The pilot had been captured. My grandfather said "if its Israeli then let it burn" and there was no persistence from the other end this time. 1967 disillusioned my father and his generation. It was "a war which started with lies and ended in scandals", for my fathers generation, it made them believe that if you fight Israel then you have to fight America, which means it was not possible to fight Israel. 1973 lifted some peoples hopes but this time, Sadat was the one who let the Arab world down. Still the coup Egypt and Syria accomplished with their hidden SAM's took the sting out of that tarnished victory. Families in Damascus used to gather on the rooftops to watch the Israeli airforce get shot down by the SAM's as they tried to bomb Damascus and this did much to lift the nations morale.
To conclude, I don't know what to say about all this, or how I should feel. In many ways, my generation still feels apprehensive about the military strength of Israel or America, but in many ways we have also lived to see an American defeat in Iraq, a more direct Israeli defeat in Lebanon last year and two Intifada's. Defeat begins in the mind rather than in the battlefield so I guess the innate stubbornness of the Arabs we're stuck with is not so bad after all.
Posted by Maysaloon at 10:43 pm 3 comments
Labels: Ramblings
Sunday, June 03, 2007
An article ridiculous in its tone, assumptions and direction. I don't know where to begin or if I can be bothered to dismantle it.
"They made us an offer we could not refuse. We were to accompany them to the dingy looking farmhouse and they would find someone who could "help us to do even better filming.""
What a silly silly person..
Posted by Maysaloon at 12:39 pm 2 comments
Labels: Rebels without a clue
Friday, June 01, 2007
Hilarious Arabic love poem
By the Syrian comedian Yasser al Azmeh. He's using English words as part of an Arab love poem and...it's just fantastic.
Posted by Maysaloon at 9:07 pm 0 comments