دعاء الأمن - من الخوف

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A word on Gabi Ashkenazi

Mark my words, Gabi Ashkenazi is somebody we will be hearing a lot more of in the near future. He's tough, experienced and has a sensible head on his shoulders. Firmly rooted in the old school way of the early Zionists, he's not somebody to underestimate and well respected in Israel, he's probably one of the few members of the Israeli establishment that hasn't, to my knowledge, had a pulsa diNura (ancient Hebrew curse) done on him yet. Usually in Israeli popular culture that means he can't be a politician yet, but these are desparate times for the Jewish state and, jokes aside, his presence amongst the current batch of clowns running the show there has a soothing effect on the people and the soldiers. That's why he's been appointed to his current role as well as to prepare the IDF for the next war with Hezbullah and potentially Iran.

Ashkenazi is considered the right man for the job as he was also head of intelligence for South Lebanon during the time that Israel occupied it so he knows Hezbullah and knows what they are capable of. Of course Hezbullah know him well too...but they've already defeated the Israelis twice. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of liberating the south of Lebanon, Hassan Nasrallah played down some concerns about Ashkenazi's appointment, putting him in perspective with what were actually quite sensible arguments rather than bombast (not that Nasrallah has ever resorted to bombast to my knowledge). Still, Hezbullah will have to be careful, this guy will be a tough nut to crack.

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"Murder on the High Seas"

Following on from last night's post I have to say I was surprised at the number of deaths in the flotilla. Last night I wrote that If you are strong you don't need to worry about what people think about you. The killing of about 20 people yesterday conveyed a number of important messages.

Firstly it is that Israel is sovereign and international outcry is not a factor in its decision making when it comes to this sovereignty. There is a message to the Turks, you are not Europeans, you will be tolerated only so far. There is a message to the Europeans, we don't care what you think and then there is a message to Americans activists, what are you doing you idiots, your government is our ally and will never change. The second part of the message is that the Gaza siege is staying Nobody can help you and if they do we will crush them. That's it. I think Israel is moderately satisfied with the result, though they would probably have found it much more useful if this happened in broad daylight as the message would have been clearer.

It's quite sad that last night Idealism lost her virginity and not in the way she would have liked. Still, this will be an enormous propaganda coup for Syria, Hezbullah, Hamas and Iran. It puts enormous pressure on Israel's Arab allies and it introduces officially a new factor in the Middle East equation, Turkey. After much flirting it seems the role of Turkey is now increasing, and not just from a negotiations point of view. Turkey is strengthening its ties considerably with Syria and Iran on both a political and economic level. Unless there is a military coup there, or a change of government, then that situation is unlikely to change.

So the sad death of these people has not been entirely in vain. It does serve as a useful reminder to activists that this is a serious business. Twittering, blogging and wearing rubber bracelets with the Palestinian flag are nice in San Francisco or London but bullets don't see these things. There is a different world with different rules. Think of it like the difference between watching polar bears on a Coca-Cola advert and being face to face with one. It's not so cute when your life is on the line.

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Realpolitik and breaking the Gaza siege

I think it is admirable that anybody is trying to break the unjust siege of Gaza but for a nation that shamelessly killed thousands of people in Lebanon and Gaza in front of the whole world, I don't expect they will be too worried about stopping the flotilla. I think the day Israel starts to worry about what international public opinion says of it is the day that they have lost the war completely. That is a fact. If you are strong you don't need to worry about what people think about you.

In fact in the Middle East industry (yes - it is a living for many people on both sides of the divide), most people miss that point. Mao Zedong put it aptly, power flows out of the barrel of a gun and no one understands this better than the Zionist. Not that there is anything wrong with that logic. It is almost like a mathematical rule, in fact it is a necessity for anybody keen on surviving to understand the nature of power and how it flows like a stream through rocks and pathways, concentrating in little pools here and there. In that sense, when the student of politics examines the statements, political positions and public expressions of the Zionist government or military, you find expressions of strength and sovereignty in every nuance. It is something on which there is no compromise.

Machiavelli was demonised forever when he tried to sum up what a prince would need to do in order to acquire and then maintain his power. It was not about morality or right and wrong. The morality of nations is different from individual morality. To confuse the two risks injustice on a massive scale. Incontinent people, always ready to miss an opportunity at knowledge, refuse this equation foolishly. As the Arabic saying goes, الفرد في يد المنيح يدبح"the gun in the hands of a good man kills". What that means is that a weapon, in the hands of a self-styled good man, will kill because of his eagerness to do good. Good and evil have different meanings when it comes to the morality of nations and this requires individuals of a particular kind of stomach.

When one looks at the opposing camp, the majority of Arab nations lack this in their dialogue and that is because the majority have decided that they would rather become protectorates. Where you do find the same non-compromising, sovereign and power-conscious discourse is in the speeches, nuances and every detail that emanate from Iran, Hezbullah and Syria.

In this way you begin to identify the two opposing poles around which power is being concentrated. An alliance of Muslim and Arab countries on the one hand, and the Zionist state on the other. The key though is always to be able to recognise power. How is it expressed? Where is it located and what are its limits? Everything else is secondary whether it is culture, tolerance or 'freedom'.

To conclude, if your analysis of the Middle East lacks this nuance then it is flawed. Discussions of peace, tolerance and co-existence are irrelevant. Once the reins of power are assumed there is not a nation in history that has ever given them up willingly. The Cold War ended only with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Rome destroyed Carthage. Sparta defeated Athens. Nazi Germany and Japan were crushed to a pulp. This is a zero-sum game, it is neither tragic nor triumphant to recognise this fact. In the same way that you know two male lions will continue to fight until one of them is dominant, or two stags will continue to clash until only one of them wins the mate, so too the struggle for the Middle East.

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I've come up with a new term for Arab liberals. The Coca-Cola Arabs...they are sensitive, touchy feely, politically correct and open minded. Here is one I found earlier.

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Parlez-vous Arabe?

It's so difficult having a discussion with an ignorant person. I know I'm supposed to be patient and sometimes I even manage it, but I really wonder whether the democratization of information, the internet and this whole new-media revolution have really only provided a platform for stupidity. I read some of the other posts on other Arab websites, or some of the comments I get here, and I shake my head in despair.

I think that's why I'm generally happy that there has been progress on making non-Latin domain names. The Arabic speaking populace that might have been intimidated by their lack of knowledge of the English language can now gradually make inroads into creating an entirely Arabic speaking portion of the world wide web where they can express themselves comfortably and clearly. This is particularly important because it seems to me that a very vocal minority of English speaking Arabs from across the Arab world are utterly and completely subservient to the United States. Particularly from the Gulf region and from Jordan. In fact Jordanians strike me as utterly bizarre, they have a reverence for their king that no other people in the region would do, an extremely unhealthy attitude. As for Arabs from the Gulf, well the English speaking ones I've dealt with seem to hate anything to do with Islam and just refuse to acknowledge their country's status as US protectorates. They seem to only remember their sovereignty when we are talking about Iran or about other Arab states. It's quite sad talking to some of them, without realising it they are often more racist and anti-Arab than Zionists or Zionist supporters.

So ultimately I think I've given up on a large part of the English speaking Arab blogging sphere. As more people use the 'Arabic' internet perhaps finally we can overturn this monopoly that has been established by self-styled 'liberal' Arabs and maybe then they can start to feel a bit of shame. Bring out the crass, the prejudiced, the highly opinionated, the highly critical and the highly politically incorrect Arab masses. Self-confident in the uniqueness and importance of their own world. I say to you, forget about those people who pretend to be civilized and are trying to "civilize" and shackle you. Let them shake their heads in despair!

The world will know that it is "scientifically" proven that Mecca is the centre of the world, that water molecules vibrate and are charged with "positive" energy when you recite the Qur'an according to a Japanese "scientist". Send them mass e-mails proving that "Western scientists" are converting en masse to Islam as they discover more miracles, miracles that Abul Abed the taxi driver would have told you the Qur'an (which he's probably never read by the way!) in his glove compartment always told him. Share the word on magnetised soap bars that dangle from a plastic hand over the sink and teach the world the importance of washing their posteriors after a number two (Seriously, many Europeans and Americans only use toilet paper). Stake your claim for a place in this world oh Arab street and step up with pride. I love you...

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Oum Kalsoum - Baeed annak بعيد عنك (english subs)

If I could just sleep that would take care of half the problem. The other half of the problem is waking up.

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"Miss USA" - a liberated Arab Muslim woman? Yes, according to some.

Faqih is the Arabic word for somebody who has deep knowledge of a subject, an expertise of sorts. At some stage in her family history, Rima Faqih had some great grandfather who was most likely extremely knowledgeable, probably about Islam, hence that is why the name would have stuck. At least that is my speculation on the origin of her surname based on what a reasonable person from the Middle East might assume. What he would have thought of her winning this beauty pageant in a far off land can only be speculation but there is no shortage of opinion on the internet.

Naturally there is much disapproval from many Muslims about her appearance and the meaning of all this, but there is also a vocal minority of Arabs who are quite happy she has won and consider this to be a form of progress of some sorts. I think these people are ignorant. I've spoken to a few on their blogs and I must say that so far their responses have been bordering on the hysterical in some occasions, though a few have been mildly civil yet their contempt could barely be contained.

The bottom line is that as a male, a Muslim and an Arab I am particularly not allowed to say anything but in utter adulation for her behaviour. If I don't then I am some neanderthal, a misogynist, a bigot or a fundamentalist. Yet in many cases I hadn't even mentioned the Q-word (Quran) or the A word (Allah) when asking them why they thought this was good for the Muslim world. But apparently we are not allowed to discuss Islam either. It is a "personal" thing to be interpreted subjectively. So, I can be a stripper but still be a Muslim (thankfully this is only hypothetical, I don't think my hirsute man-thighs would get me far in the business).

Well I guess these Arab liberals have got it all sussed out, let's all pack up the Qur'ans and start getting our morality from Cosmo or Hello! magazine. That is progress. These brave rebels are daring to challenge a status quo and stifling traditions by blazing a trail of glory with their independent thinking - photocopied straight from glossy magazines in the West.

Truly, as Imam Ali said, "I have yet to debate with an ignorant man and win, and I have yet to debate with a knowledgeable man and lose". Today I was soundly beaten.

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أم كلثوم - محمد الموجي - للصبر حدود - Om Kalthoum

"My patience has limits" - Um Kalthoum.

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أم كلثوم - حيرت قلبي معاك

I'm falling in love with Umm Kalthoum's music, my sole companion as I revise furiously for my exams. I don't care if she'd be over 100, if that woman was alive today I'd marry her. They just don't make them like they used to.

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I'm always pleased when I get featured on Toot, but I'm happier when I get featured right next to somebody like Mona al Tahawy, the White Man's favourite 'journalist'. I like to think that in this way we show the world that not all Arabs who write in English sing praises to America and prostrate in adoration five times a day. There is also the added bonus of annoying her...which would be nice.

Yet sit and see;

Minding true things by what their mockeries be.

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Domestic violence in England and hostage taking in Pakistan

Today I followed yet another case of domestic abuse. It is almost like beneath the sometimes calm veneer of life in England, there is this darker and secret pandemic of women being beaten to a pulp. Today there was a twist in the case when the victim changed her testimony, I think she lied in court but that's just my opinion, and said it was all her fault. This time though I had no sympathy with her. In England they have a term for girls like her, apparently they are labelled "white trash" or council estate barbies. Yet somehow, in a bizarre way, both her and her boyfriend of two years (yes her baby was out of wedlock) are victims in some bizarre and vicious cycle. England is, like many other countries, a land divided between the haves and the have-nots, but here it is institutionalised and shameless in a way that not even the United States of America has managed to pull off. I pity these people, yet it is their war machines which are wreaking havoc in the world.

Meanwhile on the other side of the planet, hostage takers attacked a temple for the Ahmadi cult in Pakistan, a religion which spread in the 18th century. Apparently there are not enough Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq so jihad is now being diverted to unarmed people. In all seriousness, this is no different to the frustrated, unemployed men who I see every week in court, having taken out their weakness and frustration on their wives or children. When you feel weak it seems you need to lash out at the weakest target so that you can feel strong again. This is not right on any level, I've never been squeemish about my moral support for resisting occupation and injustice but I have never heard the Prophet say or do anything like this. Nobody has in fact and that's because he never did or condoned anything like this.

This is not our way. This is what Israelis or Americans do when there are no cameras but we as Muslims have a higher standard that we must adhere to because we know there is a judgement for our actions. Look at Hezbullah, these men and women have, through patience, perseverence and faith managed to defy the Israeli war machine and now nobody on earth can disarm them. They freed South Lebanon in 2000, something thought impossible in 1982 and they didn't need the Soviet Union, or America or China or any of the present day pharaohs or sultans.

Hezbullah don't go into churches and kill Christians, they follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah and it is they who teach the Israelis morality and justice - not the other way around. You simply can't expect to be considered a legitimate resistance movement against occupation if you end up butchering people and then tell them you're there to save them. Again, that's what the Americans do and Muslims are supposed to be the good guys. Even al Qaida in Iraq realised that they couldn't get credibility if they kept blowing up innocent civilians, and publicly 'apologised' for the 'mistakes' that had happened previously.

I'm actually quite annoyed, both because of what I saw in court today and because of the news. It is ironic that our humanity is precisely what enables us to do such horrid things to each other.

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I read the story of the Red Cross giving first-aid lessons to the Taleban with some amusement. Apparently they are 'teaching' them basics about humanitarian law as well. I think this story is more publicity than anything else and that's probably why NATO said they don't mind what the Red Cross are doing.

But the Taleban don't really need any help from the Red Cross or anybody and have been doing fine without first aid classes and knowing how to put somebody in the recovery position. What this story is all about is a reaffirmation of that silly democratic slogan of "Sir, I detest what you are saying but I will defend your right to say it". The kind of gentlemanly grace imbued with worship of the principle of no principles, sorry the principle to say whatever it is you want to say no matter how horrendous.

So that is a principle...I see. Two hundred years ago some English king taxed some middle class merchants on the west coast of North America a bit too much or forced a person to stop printing seditious materials and that is now an ideology that every mac-toting, rubber braceleted, starry eyed activist from San Francisco to Hong Kong gets teary eyed about.

You see morality now is something that is out there, it's in Palestine or Iraq. It's about lepers in Africa or about fighting Aids. Don't you dare bring morality into our everyday lives...that would mean we would have to change the way we live, that we are accountable for our behaviour. No, much better to be immoral as a person but be passionate about the Palestinian cause. Because that just makes everything else you do ok, doesn't it?

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On universal jurisdiction

In a sign of how things will be under the new Con-Dem government, William Hague, the UK's new foreign minister has said it is unacceptable that Israeli officials can be threatened with arrest under 'universal jurisdiction'. This is where a complaint can be made in the UK against personnel who are not even British for war crimes that occurred anywhere in the world.

They can do this if they want, the UK is a dualist country, meaning that international agreements made by the government are only recognised by British courts if there is a statute enacted by Parliament that integrates the agreement into British law. If that does not exist, or if a later Parliament decides to repeal the Act, then it can remove it under what is known as the Doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty. In that case international agreements are about as useful in a British court of law as a penis flavoured lollipop. Nice try in trying to arrest Israeli officials, but sadly this was never going to get far anyway.

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ام كلثوم اقبل الليل

Another quiet night, with Omm Kalthoum singing what I feel...

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"The very idea of Onemideast.org "urinates" on 2.5 million Gazans"

Although the worst kinds of Arabs have been praising and adoring of Onemideast.org, the majority of people I have spoken with have had reactions ranging from bewilderness at such stupidity to outright denunciations. That is comforting because it means that in spite of the misguided efforts of a few morally bankrupt individuals, people still have more common sense than to listen to such nonsense.

I do not need to remind the founders of this "initiative" that there are American soldiers in Iraq. See the previous video posted earlier to see that there are still Arabs who resist occupation in the only legitimate way that occupation must be resisted. There are 2.5 million people being imprisoned in Gaza who are being denied food, medical treatment, the basic amenities of life, whilst these armchair and cafe-diplomats sit there and self-congratulate each other on their "civilized" manner. In reality the very idea of Onemideast.org urinates on 2.5 million Gazans as they starve and die slowly. Over 1000 Gazans died in the last war with Israel, in Lebanon over 1000 Lebanese civilians died because of Israeli aggression. At this very moment, there are plans by Israeli generals to bomb cities in Lebanon, Syria and Iran. These are not just hypothetical scenarios, these are preparations. But you don't care about that, in fact you want to surrender before the shooting even starts. Shame on you.

There are no two-ways about it, when you support something like this you are supporting the occupation and you are supporting the systematic genocide of innocent people. You are not brave, ladies and gentlemen, you are cowards. A prostitute that wraps herself in a Syrian flag is still a prostitute. The sad thing is many of you and the people who support you will ask me, "what's wrong with being a prostitute?". Exactly...

N.B. I would like to apologise to any real prostitutes who happen to read this blog for likening the founders of this initiative to them and for any offence caused.

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مقتل سبعة جنود للعدو الأمريكي من قبل جيش رجال الطريقة النقشبندية0

The Army of Men of the Naqshabandi Order (a branch of Sufi Islam) have claimed responsibility for the successful operation yesterday that claimed the lives of seven members of the American occupation forces. It is important to note that this movement is known for focusing its resistance specifically against the occupation and has not targeted civilians.

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Musique Arabe - Egypte - محمد عبد الوهاب - أحب أشوفك كل يوم

Thanks to Lasto Adri for bringing this song to my attention. Great background music for me whilst studying into the night.

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Hors-la-loi de Rachid Bouchareb (Trailer)

This is looking excellent. I will definitely try to watch it when it is available. God I so want to visit Algeria.

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One more mountain...

In 2003 when I started this journey, I was reading Muhammad Ali's Soul of a Butterfly biography. Some lines I marked down then reminded me of my journey till that point and remind me of my journey since then. I started a race with so many faces. I ask myself, where have they gone? But they are all gone and there is only silence. Muhammad Ali said:

Outrun the people who quit when they feel discomfort, outrun the people who stop because of despair, outrun the people who are delayed because of prejudice, outrun the people who surrender to failure, and outrun the opponent who loses sight of the goal. Because if you want to win, the will can never retire, the race can never stop, and faith can never weaken.

You cannot slow down and you cannot give up. Even if exhausted you have to keep going forward. That is the great jihad, within your self and then outside it, as you express your existence in this world on the principles that you cultivate. I prepare to climb one more mountain, armed with the reassuring words of Arthur Clough:

Say not the struggle naught availeth,
The labour and the wounds are vain,
The enemy faints not, nor faileth,
And as things have been, things remain.

If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars;
It may be, in yon smoke concealed,
Your comrades chase e-en now the fliers,
And, but for you, possess the field.

For while the tired waves, vainly breaking,
Seem here no painful inch to gain,
Far back through creeks and inlets making
Comes silent, flooding in, the main

And not by eastern windows only,
When daylight comes, comes in the light,
In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly,
But westward, look, the land is bright.

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Oulaya - 3alli gara(original) عليا التونسية علي جرى الأصلية

Beautiful song from Tunisia, courtesy of Eman. She's got that diva style in a way similar to Warda the Algerian singer and her voice is confident and powerful, almost like Um Kalthoum. Enjoy.

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Domestic abuse and violence against women

In the last two weeks I've become increasingly familiar with the problem of domestic violence. Most of these incidents never get reported and of those that do get reported, most of them never result in convictions. Normally I wouldn't care less about domestic problems like this, but today I saw first hand what a vicious cycle a victim could find herself within. Most cases collapse because the victim won't testify. In fact the issue can reach court several times before a defendant is convicted.

In this case, I heard the barrister discuss with her colleague that apparently the victim was in a complete state of disarray. She didn't know what to believe anymore and had previously withdrawn previous allegations of abuse against, in this case her brother, blaming hormones and her recent experience of childbirth. In this case, the brother told his sister he was dying of lung cancer and this prompted her decision not to show up in court. In previous times he had threatened with killing himself and that seemed to do the trick. The parents are powerless over this and the relationship is strained with them too. So he walks of scott-free, to inflict more anguish on his own family. I watched him sitting cheekily in the dock nodding his head as if he was some kind of a don. All he did was beat up his sister and he thinks he's Vito-bloody-Corleone. But he walked away and nothing will come of this. Most likely this incident will happen again.

This is a domestic issue that is quite common throughout the world, in fact I've heard my fair share of horror stories from Arabic families we know who have had to endure this experience. When I was five we knew a Syrian family who lived close by and I was friends with their daughter. Once her mother came to visit us during the day and she was wearing sunglasses. She sat down with my mother whilst I played with my toys in the living room and she had been crying. I remember my mother breathed in sharply when her friend removed her glasses to show that she had a black eye. I was quickly sent to play in my room. Later I was told she had bumped into a door but I knew that Amo "M" had gotten drunk and punched her. The thing is, I was naive to think that maybe she did something wrong, because Amo "M" was a riot, we loved him and it was always fun to have him around. Little did I know the guy was nuts. The good news is she finally left him, in fact his daughter would later win a local beauty pageant in their "de'a" (village/town) in Syria. The last I heard, about fifteen years ago, was that he was hiding from Interpol because he killed his Russian girlfriend in Cyprus and ran off to Moscow. True story.

Last year I met a wonderful Syrian old man at a time when I was feeling particularly down. It was a complete coincidence that I met him, but this man was like honey, amazingly sweet and like a father. I asked him once the best way to pick a good wife, as I had just gone through a particularly devastating near-miss. During the conversation he asked me, "Maysaloon, what do you think it means when in the Qur'an Allah says الرجال قوامون على النساء".

I was puzzled and not sure what to say. I said it means that in a family the man is the one who wears the trousers and says what's what.

He shook his head and said no, then he explained:

Every human being needs to cry and is weak sometimes, if a man is weak or cries once a year, a woman might need to do so every month. When we are weak we need the other person to be strong for us. A big pot always holds the little pot in the kitchen right? You cannot expect the little pot to take in the bigger pot. The man is the big pot, he has to embrace his woman when she's upset or feeling weak and even when she lashes out at him unjustly. You have to take it, you have to accept it and bear it. That's your responsibility. That is why Allah says الرجال قوامون على النساء and not so you can walk around strutting your feathers like a peacock. It is a burden on you and not a license.

It is a burden and not a license...at that moment that verse made sense to me. That man sitting in the dock today wasn't a Muslim, but he was still a human being and that duty imposed on us as men still applied, yet he was so lost he didn't even realise it. Maybe one day they might even be able to force him from hurting his sister or his wife, but changing his heart will need the patience and kindness of prophets, and I'm not a prophet...

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OneMidEast.Org: The mighty deliberations of Syria's intellectual and blogging elite

Did you just feel the earth shake?

No?

The world wide web now has another website dedicated to resolving the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Again, "reasonable" people from both sides of the conflict will set out to try and sort out the problems our clumsy leaders have been either unable or unwilling to resolve. Will they succeed? Well you can decide as you read through a set of not 1, not 2 but 20 arguments and counter-arguments. It was that simple all along...

But firstly let me say that I am furious that Lena Sinjab of the BBC did not get the opportunity to report on this momentous occasion as Syria's cafe intellectuals stir from their slumber.

According to Ian Black from The Guardian, "The groundbreaking OneMideast.org website aims to bring together prominent Israeli and Syrian bloggers, academics and experts seeking ways to break the stubborn impasse in negotiations."

Prominent Mr Black? Let's have a look...

We've got Forward Magazine, edited by a man who defies logic and physics by being all things to all people at all times (Syria's secret weapon). Also one of three prominent Syrian intellectuals and thinkers who were turned away in spite of the fact that they were trying to prostrate themselves in front of AIPAC in Washington DC. They had not carried out the ritual ablutions required for their prayer to be accepted.

We have Hind Kabawat, everybody's favourite housewife who by night is actually our top political negotiator (stand aside Mr Muallem!). This woman is like the Nigella Lawson of Syria (sans fame) but for politics. Her most feared negotiating technique is subjecting her opponents to the inane background music on her website.

Furthermore, apparently many of the Syrians on the links in that site did not consent to having their details on there and in fact they were "volunteered". Apart from being a silly idea, I'm not quite sure how much raising your profile internationally with such stupidity will benefit a person when they fly back to Syria. Not clever, unless somebody knows something that I don't, or has contacts that nobody else knows about. I'll be commenting more on this ridiculous circus.

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"Leave no man behind" - the Revolution's promise

In line with the long list of concessions that Western governments have made to Iran, we now find another deal surfacing.

"An Iranian convicted of the 1991 murder of Iranian former Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar has been released from prison in France."

And from the same article:

"Iran recently freed a French teacher who had been convicted of espionage after the presidential election."

That's the student who was arrested shortly after the Iranian elections and I remember having wondered what had happened to her. It turns out she has been in Iran all this time. The wikipedia entry on her is quite interesting, she is alleged to have been "volunteering" information about the situation in Iran for some time- note that the French DGSE is like the CIA or MI6, responsible for intelligence outside of France. The poor girl was probably in the wrong place at the wrong time and she's hardly a Mata Hari. Still, she has proved useful in more ways than she expected or hoped for.

On a slightly different subject, Iran still holds three American students who stupidly wandered near the border. Whether by themselves or in conjunction with further prisoners the Islamic Republic will acquire, it is still not clear whose release they are being held for. Bear in mind that an Iranian nuclear scientist, Shahram Amiri, "disappeared" whilst performing the Hajj in Saudi Arabia earlier this year. Colonel Amir Mohammed Shirazi of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards also "disappeared" in Turkey in 2007.

There are unofficial claims that these men have been captured by the United States, although the Americans say that these have been defections. In all probability it is doubtful that the American claims are true, firstly because Colonel Shirazi is not just any figure, this man is a big deal. During the eighties he was a key figure in the formation and structuring of Hezbullah in South Lebanon. People like Colonel Shirazi do not "defect"; they are "believers" in their causes. You might as well shoot someone like him before they betray their cause. As for Mr Amiri, his defection whilst his entire family is still in Iran is also highly unlikely.

The message we get consistently from all these actions is simply this, no man is left behind. To support this, just consider how Hezbullah recently secured the release of Samir Kuntar, something that was considered impossible previously. In 2008, Kuntar was also awarded the Syrian Order of Merit, Syria's highest honour, for enduring the longest period of imprisonment in an Israeli jail (three decades).

This brings us to the final point I wish to make. If the Islamic Republic and Hezbullah have this much dedication and patience for securing the release of their people, then it is highly likely that the same can be said when it comes to avenging their champions. Hassan Nasrallah, in one of his recent speeches, pointed out that Hezbullah is seeking a response which is fitting for a man of Mughniyeh's stature, not just a knee jerk reaction. Watch this space.

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Greek Zorba with Alexis Zorbas - the Greek Dabkeh

Following on from my Zorba quote, here is that famous song from the film. Anthony Quinn is one of my favourite actors and his role as Omar Mukhtar in particular was inspiring. In fact I feel like watching that film again. Apparently his wife at the time complained that he was "in the role" of Mukhtar for months after finishing that film. For any of you who know me, this will be me dancing in the streets when I finish my law examinations next month. Just a happy man dancing the sirtaki to colour up what had been a grey life. From there where will I go? I don't know, I will be free for the first time in almost seven years, and the world will be my oyster.

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Reminiscing about the past...some romantic nonsense

For the past week I have been in a certain nostalgic, romantic frame of mind. Earlier, my mind went back to all the different women I have loved or been attracted to in my life, trying to see a pattern or commonality. For the first time in over twenty years, I remembered her... P was Lebanese, her very rich parents having left Beirut because of the then still raging civil war. She was probably fifteen or sixteen and I was about six. Dark haired, olive skinned and speaking in that international school accent, something about her intoxicated me. She had style, her accent fascinated me, yet she also spoke the same language we spoke at home. She also liked me and thought I was cute. To make me shy she would give me a big smooch on my cheek and I would pretend to hate it and wipe myself. As a girl, she might as well have been a different and alien species to me.

Once in the summer - it was usually summer in Cyprus - we bumped into them at the Hilton in Nicosia, where there was a huge swimming pool. She was dressed in an amazing black and white one piece swimming suit and she had a body to die for. She was swimming laps, as I noticed out of the corner of my eye as I splashed around with my friends. The thing is, at the end of each lap, she would do a strange flip in the water, without ever stopping, and continue swimming. Just like a mermaid..

I would be invited to their house, as I was friends with her brothers, and I remember one day they were having a party there later that night. Excitedly, I saw the very beginning of it before my parents came to pick me up. This was the first time I had seen her wear a mini-skirt, fully dressed up. She looked gorgeous, from her earings to the way her hair had been done. There was eighties music playing in the background and the lights had been dimmed. I remember that Berlin's song had played that night, I know because my father didn't allow me to watch Top Gun and I knew that song was for that film. She was smiling that warm smile which showed her beautiful white teeth and she had just enough makeup, not too much, not too little. My little heart melted. You don't understand, for me as a six year old boy, everything about this girl was stylish and intoxicating. From her dress sense to her taste in music, she flooded my senses.

That night, I was quiet as my parents drove me back home. They thought I was tired, but I was thinking of her and dreaming stupid boy dreams of whisking her away somewhere, but without really knowing what for. I didn't realise, but I wanted her to be mine. I don't know where she is or what her life is like today. She will never know what I felt for her or that today, somewhere in the world, somebody remembered her and how beautiful she was...

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The Israeli "Iron Dome"

The Israelis are now putting in place the "Iron Dome" in preparation for the upcoming war with at least Hezbullah, if not also Iran. The thing with missiles is that they are the great force equaliser for armies without an enormous budget to still be able to punch above their weight. Up until now the Israeli military strength, with its carefully cultivated image of invincibility, has been unable to defend both the northern and southern inhabitants of its settlements and cities. This is very important, because if the Israeli citizen does not feel safe and does not feel like his army can defend him, he will go back to Europe or America because deep inside he knows he does not belong there. Whereas the Arabs have mostly had armies which were good at killing their own people, and of course they live under the constant threat of Israeli "non-declared" nuclear missiles.

Iran and Hezbullah recognise this simple fact, and have so far known how to squeeze Israel where it hurts the most. The Katyusha was originally used by the Soviets in Stalingrad and it is as effective today as it was against the Nazis. The Qassam rockets cost only a few hundred dollars to make, as opposed to the "Tamir" rockets that compose the Israeli "Iron" dome and which allegedly cost between $30,000 and $50,000. Now because of the cost it will probably not be feasible to have this "dome" in place over every settlement near the borders. It will probably be linked with the major cities and important positions.

Crucially, this defence network will be centered around Israeli airforce airfields and runways. In the last war with Hezbullah, Israel was soundly beaten back on the ground level. The destroying of one of its gunboats off the coast of Lebanon was also a major surprise. As this blog mentioned many times, Hezbullah needed to find a way of defending Lebanon from Israel's devastating air attacks, which are responsible for the majority of Lebanon's over 1000 civilian deaths during that conflict.

Hezbullah today has rockets like no other fighting force in history. In addition, if war erupts then it is unlikely that Iran will not be involved. Iran also has long range missiles designed specifically to reach major Israeli cities. In the event of the Israelis beginning a fresh series of attacks, it is highly likely that the next set of surprises will involve some form of neutralising of Israel's air capability. After all, a plane needs to land somewhere and if the runway has been destroyed then the jetfighter will need to land on some highway, far from resupply and rearming or repair depots.

Now Israel's top generals know this and are trying to counter the problem. It would be a serious issue for them if they find that they cannot rely on airpower and will have to send their ground troops in. Apart from a core of highly trained troops, Israel's conscript army is no match for Hezbullah in an invasion. The issue is a qualitative one. That's why it is important for Israel to have some form of shield that works. So far the tests of this Iron Dome are "said" to be positive, but remember this technology has not been used in anger before. The one advantage Israel has is that it can choose the time of battle, whereas Iran or Hezbullah rely on a defensive strategy. If Israel feels confident enough to press on with another attack because of this dome, it will be interesting to see what happens if, yet again, the IDF is unable to defend its territory from attack.

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فيروز - زوروني كل سنة مرة

Tired and I want to go home. If only I knew where it is.

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شاعر الحرية أحمد مطر يتكلم عن حكام العرب

مم نخشى؟

أبصرُ الحكام أعمى

أكثر الحكام زهداً

يحسب البصقة قرشا

أطول الحكام سيفاًَ

يتقي الخيفة خوفاً

و يرى اللا شيء وحشا

أوسع الحكام علماً

لو مشى في طلب العلم الى الصين

لما أفلح أن يصبح جحشاً

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Woman, that poor sickly creature...

In spite of my insane workload and revision schedule I've still been managing to read an old copy of Zorba that I got a hold of. It's beautifully written and I have to say I have taken a liking, to a certain extent, with the character Zorba himself. An amazing yet simple man who lives life passionately, expressively and with so much gusto, yet somehow maintains a clarity and wisdom that is startling. Here he says eloquently what I have struggled for most of my adult life to understand:

"Yes, boss, they've nothing else in mind. Listen to me, now....I've seen all sorts, and I've done all kinds of things....A woman has nothing else in view. She's a sickly creature, I tell you, and fretful. If you don't tell her you love and want her, she starts crying. Maybe she doesn't want you at all, maybe you disgust her, maybe she says no. That's another story. But all men who see her must desire her. That's what she wants, the poor creature, so you might try and please her!"

Such words! What profound and painful lessons they must have sprouted from! I mean this stuff is gold dust is it not?

Woman. What will it take to please you? As you sit on that icy throne and stare down at us with your terrible beauty. It's no wonder that all the wise men in history have devised the most cunning ploys to keep you subdued and busy with other things. You would ruin the world and all men for your vanity....

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من حفلة فات الميعاد

The words for this song are amazing...I've only recently started listening to this song and paying attention to the lyrics. It's like she is pulling you into her emotions and showing you where the feelings are coming from.

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Al Zaytouna Theatre Group - Going on Friday night

Tomorrow I'll be taking a break from the business of exam revision to see a show by the amazing dabkeh group al Zaytounah, this will be my third show and if it is anything like the previous two then I expect it to be excellent. If you can, do try and come. Tickets are still available from their website.


Al Zaytouna is proud to present a new full-length production entitled Between the Fleeting Words, directed by Ahmed Masoud. The production fuses traditional dabke, contemporary dance, poetry, music and digital media.

The show is a unique tribute to the work of the late great Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, celebrating his poetry and the musical interpretations of his work, and using his words to tell the story of Palestine through the experiences of its people.

The show also commemorates the 62nd anniversary of the Nakba and explores themes of identity, struggle, loss and resistance.

Renowned Palestinian musician, singer & Oud master Nizar Al-Issa will be joining to play some of his distinguished traditional Middle Eastern music.

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More late night ramblings

There are these two trees behind my house that I always admire whenever I pass them. There is something so majestic and harmonious about them. In my mind, I always call them "the soulmates". It would be so wrong if one of them should ever be removed from the other, heaven forbid.

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Another late night...

Do people meet because it is written? Or are we just atoms colliding randomly in this existence we call a life? Well what does it mean that something is written? Does it mean that the decision we ultimately go for is the one we were meant to take regardless of all the anguish, indecision and heartache? I think that's a load of rubbish. Some people meander along in their lives, unsure of what they want, and then life makes decisions for them. Others make too many wrong decisions, not because they've thought it through, but because they can.

The more I wracked my head over it, the more I became convinced that the issue of predestination or free will is not a problem Allah has created, it is a problem that Man has created. Do you take the job or not, do you marry this woman or that, do you obey or rebel, do you do this or do you do that? Such silliness clouds our minds to the point that even after the decision has been made for us, we wonder what might have happened. We wonder about what will happen. In doing that we miss the now, the beauty of each moment and the opportunity to be the best person we can be at that time, for those that rely on us. I think that is the secret to the Prophet's saying, "What befalls you was never to miss you, and what missed you was never to befall you".

The first part is telling you to concentrate on what you are facing rather than lament over how it could have been averted, the second part is telling you not to fret over what never happened. The pull that affects you in each direction is nothing more than a foolish heart's desire, wanting what it cannot have. To want what you cannot have is to want what cannot be to be, to want what cannot be is to seek something in vain. To seek in vain is to be unhappy.

Then if we know what we can avoid in order to be unhappy, what are we looking for that can make us happy? At this moment in time, what will make me happy are some macaroons from this shop I've never even been to. A shop somewhere in Paris.

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Poetry Night

Tonight is the two weekly poetry night. I wasn't going because my exams are getting nearer. Then I saw that Lena Sinjab will be there and frankly this is too good an opportunity to miss. For those of you who don't know yet, I have a tendency to be critical of her articles on Syria. In fact I have a tag just for her on this blog. Apart from the overrated Nizar Qabbani, we will also be reading for the Iraqi dissident poet, Ahmad Mattar.

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Man can be such a wretched creature...

I spent all day today at the Magistrate's court and I must say it was a real eye opener. The kinds of people who I was seeing in the dock were all unemployed, quite illiterate and quite honestly just didn't seem to be "with it". It's quite sad when several of them are around the age of 18 and have nothing to hope for and no ambition in life. It is like whatever light somebody should have at that age is dimmed if not switched off altogether, their eyes were cold and had no sparkle behind them. Another man was only a year younger than me, but his life seemed to have taken him on a different path. He was there because his former girlfriend had asked for a restraining order against him. Apparently he beat her to a pulp prior to that and he had been convicted for that earlier. Again, he seemed extremely dimwitted, lived at home with his mother and was unemployed. He was an enormous man, in fact I would say he was almost a brute, but that would be making a judgement I am not qualified to make. The judge made clear he was to make no attempt to communicate with his former girlfriend, "neither on twitter, nor facebook nor even e-mail". It was amusing to me as I have a feeling the defendant didn't even know what these things were.

Another person was about 40 years old, a scar on his face and a shaved head, earings, tattoos on both sides of his neck, his hands and knuckles. He had been arrested for having a blade in his pocket when stopped by the police. In this case looks were deceiving and it appears he had simply forgotten about it. His previous conviction was considered irrelevant and I think his appearance was simply a result of stupidity when he was younger. I don't feel bad for judging him based on what I heard and saw initially, but it just resonated how stupid behaviour which leaves a mark on a person means they must work harder to overcome judgements that other people would rightly hold against them. That is the price to be paid I guess. We also had to deal with a witness and his friends who, to be honest, looked like they were straight out of the American deep South, not that I have ever been there. But the stereotype fit them perfectly.

The rest of the people I saw today just generally fit into the category of individuals you just wouldn't like to sit in the same room with normally. Still, they each needed, and were entitled to, a certain amount of assistance. I guess this surprise was all a part of my reconnecting with the rest of the human race, in all its sweaty, beer breathed, tattooed and tobacco stained glory. One thing that struck me immediately was how all these people were not stealing or fighting because they had to. Not one seemed like he was lacking food or clothing or even shelter. No, they were doing what they did out of idleness, peer pressure, and, truth be told, because something inside them is just twisted, broken...I don't know if they can be fixed, most just didn't seem to realise they were lost souls and wouldn't have cared even if they did. It reminded me of this...

لقد خلقنا الانسان في أحسن تقويم, ثم رددناه أسفل سافلين

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When the Moors Ruled in Europe

Very interesting documentary they had on television last week. I liked Bettany Hughes since watching her documentary about the Ancient Greeks but this documentary seemed slightly disappointing, a bit rushed at some points. Still, it is very interesting to get an insight into Andalusia, and also great to finally see someone remove this artificial distinction between a "Western" Europe and an "Eastern" Arab world. Nice.

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Checking travel information to Algeria and the place looks like a warzone. Oh dear.

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Every two weeks, قوافي الضباب meet in London and read poetry, discuss and share ideas. It's a wonderful group, but this is the third time this year somebody wants to read from Nizar Qabbani. Enough, please!

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Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

Jabi shared this with me, it is a collection of hadith and it touched me today when I was just starting to get upset with the way somebody had treated me. If I could just live through a quarter of these, what I would give!

I may not be a rich man, but I try my best each day to be a good man. Why will that not do for some people? .

ام كلثوم - اغدا القاك

كم أنا مشتاق للنهى و عطر الخزامة -أتسائل اغداً ألقاك؟

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Words of wisdom for the week

One of my favourite hadiths about the Prophet has been particularly on my mind in recent months, and it has taught me much. Firstly it is one thing to read words of wisdom, nod our heads in agreement and move on, but it is quite another for us to apply it in the heat of the moment. Still, I think I have managed to do just that, and with surprising results.

Abu Hureira, one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, told of a very interesting thing that happened one day. A man came to Muhammad and asked him, "Advise me...". The Prophet replied, "Don't get angry, don't get angry, don't get angry" - Bukhari

وعن أبي هريرة -رضي الله عنه- قال: إن رجلا قال للنبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم-: أوصني. قال: لا تغضب. فردد مرارا قال: لا تغضب رواه البخاري

We all get angry, some of us more than others, and when we do we say things that hurt the other person. The truth is, I think the reason angry people try to hurt the other is to make them feel the same pain. Of course it isn't often seen that way, but that's what it is. It took me a long time to understand this process, but when I did it became easier to rewrite it mentally so that even if a person has wronged me (in my opinion) I stay calm, forgive, and leave my door wide open. All problems can be overcome when people calm down, forgive each other and purify their hearts. I strongly recommend listening to the Prophet, this guy knows things. .

Some thoughts on literature and poetry

One day you will ask me which is more important? My life or yours? I will say mine and you will walk away not knowing that you are my life. -- Gibran Khalil Gibran

Although I thoroughly dislike quoting from Gibran, the line above struck a cord with me when I came across it today. There are some people who just don't get it, and I can accept that, but why are they all lined up waiting to meet me? There are many people who are far worse than me with whom they can go and waste life and time.

Going back to Gibran, my problem is not with his writings per se, he was in fact a very talented writer, but he is overrated through no fault of his own. The Lebanese and the urbane Arab diaspora all seem obliged to have a copy of his book The Prophet on their bookshelves, read once if that. In the same way Nizar Qabbani is constantly quoted and referred to ad nauseum. He was a great poet, although personally I find his poetry more obscene than "daring", annoyingly setting the trend for this ridiculous and artificial dichotomy - that gets the Arab intelligentsia salivating -between the forces of "conservatism" on the one hand and the daring cheekiness of rebels like Qabbani's followers. I think you get the picture of what I am getting at.

As with Gibran, Qabbani was also talented and nowhere was this more apparent than when the Arab fiasco in 1967 diverted him away from trashy love poetry into a more fiery and angry poetry that was intensely critical of Arab leadership and the general malaise. Credit where it is due, and I am the first to recognise that, but please stop making these men more than what they were.

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From Fairouz to Nizar Qabbani to al Barghouti

رد نزار على فيروز ومن ثم رد البرغوثي على نزار

غـنت فيروز لفلسـطين:
الآنَ، الآنَ وليس غداً
أجراسُ العـودة فلتـُقـرَعْ...

فرد عليها نزار قباني:
غنت فيروز مُغـرّدة ً
وجميع الناس لها تسمع ْ
"الآنَ، الآنَ وليس غداً
أجراس العَـودة فلتـُقـرَع ْ"
مِن أينَ العـودة فـيروزٌ
والعـودة ُ تحتاجُ لمدفع ْ
والمدفعُ يلزمُه كـفٌّ
والكـفّ يحتاجُ لإصبع ْ
والإصبعُ مُلتـذ ٌ لاهٍ
في دِبر الشعب له مَرتع ْ؟!
عـفواً فـيروزُ ومعـذرة ً
أجراسُ العَـودة لن تـُقـرع ْ
خازوقٌ دُقَّ بأسـفـلنا
من شَرَم الشيخ إلى سَعسَع ْ.

ومنَ الجـولان إلى يافا
ومن الناقورةِ إلى أزرَعْ
خازوقٌ دُقَّ بأسـفلِنا
خازوقٌ دُقَّ ولن يَطلعْ.

أما البرغوثي فيقول من وحي العدوان على غزة ورداً على نزار:

عـفواً فيروزٌ ونزارٌ
فالحالُ الآنَ هو الأفظعْ
إنْ كانَ زمانكما بَشِـعٌ
فزمانُ زعامتنا أبشَعْ
من حُسْـني القـَيْءِ إلى جَعجَعْ
أوغادٌ تلهـو بأمَّـتِـنا
وبلحم الأطفالِ الرّضـَّعْ
تـُصغي لأوامر أمريكا
ولغير "إهودٍ" لا تركعْ
زُلـمٌ قد باعـوا كرامتهم
وفِراشُ الذلِّ لهم مَخدعْ

عفواً فيروزٌ ونزارٌ
فالحالُ الآنَ هو الأفظعْ
كـُنا بالأمس لنا وَطنٌ
أجراسُ العَـوْدِ له تـُقـرَعْ
ما عادَ الآنَ لنا جَرَسٌ
في الأرض، ولا حتى إصبعْ
إسـفينٌ دُقَّ بعـَوْرتـنا
من هَرَم الجيزَةْ إلى سَعسَعْ
فالآنَ، الآنَ لنا وطنٌ
يُصارعُ آخِرُهُ المَطـلعْ

عـفواً فيروزٌ ونزارٌ
أجراسُ العـَودةِ لن تـُقـرَعْ
مِن أينَ العـودة، إخـوتـنا
والعـودة تحتاجُ لإصبَعْ
والإصبعُ يحتاجُ لكـفٍّ
والكـفُّ يحتاجُ لأذرُعْ
والأذرُعُ يَلزمُها جسمٌ
والجسمُ يلزمُهُ مَوقِـعْ
والمَوقِعُ يحتاجُ لشعـْبٍ
والشعـبُ يحتاجُ لمَدفعْ
والمدفعُ في دِبر رجالٍ
في المتعة غارقة ٌ ترتـَعْ
والشعبُ الأعزلُ مِسكينٌ
مِن أينَ سيأتيكَ بمَدفع ْ؟!

عفواً فيروزٌ... سـَيّدتي
نـِزارٌ قـال مقـَولـتهُ
أكلـِّم نزاراً... فليسمع ْ:
إنْ كانَ زمانكَ مَهـزلةٌ
فهَوانُ اليومَ هـو الأفظع ْ
خازوقـُكَ أصبحَ مَجلسُنا
"يُخـَوْزقـنا" وله نـَركع ْ
خازوقـُكَ يشرب من دمنا
باللحم يَغوص، ولا يَشبَع ْ
خازوقـُكَ صغيرٌ لا يكفي
للعُـرْبِ وللعالم أجمَـع ْ!

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بطاقات عاشق في زمن الخوف - للشاعر عمر الفرا

البطاقة الأولى
ذاتَ يومٍ
رُبما ينسى البنفسجُ ...
عطرهُ
ذات يومٍ
قد يموتُ ...
الياسمينه
قد يموت الناس ...
كلُّ الناسِ ...
كلُّ الناسِ
إلا أنتِ ...
تبقينَ الوحيدهْ
في خيالي
تكتُبينَ الشعرَ للأطيارِ
والأطفالِ والعشاقِ
والشمسِ المضرّجةِ
الحزينةْ
في متاهاتِ المدينه
أنتِ حينَ الرُّعبُ
يحتاجُ المدائنْ
ويخافُ الطفلُ
من نظراتِ أمَّهْ
أنتِ في قلبيْ
سكينهْ
***
البطاقة الثانية
كنتُ في الشاطئِ
يوماً
أجعلُ الرَّملَ ... دفاترْ
ثمَّ أكتُبْ ...
كلماتٍ ... همساتٍ
لم أعُدْ أذكرُ ماذا
كيفَ كانتْ ...
إنَّها بضعُ خواطر
كنت أهديها
لعينيكِ الجميلةْ
فجأة تأتي
من الأمواجِ موجهْ
ثمَّ تمحو ... كلماتي
عندها أشعر أني
كنتُ لا شيء
وألقي كلَّ شيءٍ
ثًمَّ احتارُ بأمريْ
هلْ أنا المقُتولُ
أمْ أنتِ القتيلهْ
فكلانا ...
في زمانٍ
ضاعَ فيهِ ... ، كُلَّ شيءٍ
ضاعَ فيهِ ... ، كُلَّ شيءٍ
فتعاليْ
نحملُ الحبَّ حقيبهْ
ثمَّ نمضي ...
نتبعُ البحرَ المسافرْ ...
ونهاجرْ
***
البطاقة الثالثة
حين تجتاجُ العواصفُ
كلَّ شيءٍ
تقلعُ الأشجارَ
من أعماقها
وتغرقُ الأرضُ
بمنْ فيها وتُصبحْ
طللاً ... جُرحاً
على وجهِ الزمانْ
عندها يبقى فُؤادي
وعيونكْ ...
وبقايا من قصيده ْ.
تخلقُ الدنيا الجديدهْ
بمحبهْ
ليسَ فيها
غيرُ عينيكِ ... وقلبي
وسنابلْ ...
ومعاولْ ...
وبقايا من قصيدهْ

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Quote of the day

Made me laugh - "Liars ought to have good memories." - Algernon Sidney (1698)

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On the British Elections

The English people believes itself to be free; it is gravely mistaken; it is free only during election of members of parliament; as soon as the members are elected, the people is enslaved; it is nothing. In the brief moment of its freedom, the English people makes such a use of that freedom that it deserves to lose it.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau writing in The Social Contract

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أم كلثوم - حب إيه ؟ 1

I know I've posted this song before, but this is Um Kalthoum and you can never have enough of "The Planet of the East" كوكب الشرق as she is known in Arabic. It's called "What love?" and it's one of my favourites. After yet another long day of study and hard work I can sit back in the quiet of the night and listen to a woman who has been dead longer than I've lived pour her heart out. I don't know why but I never used to listen to her when I was growing up, it was only since I left home that many of her songs began to mean anything to me. I guess you need to live a little and hurt a little before you can understand some things in life.

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The American "McPresident" Obama renews sanctions on Syria

A move that is ridiculous and means absolutely nothing. It is just another way to push up the pressure a notch on Syria rather than this measure possessing any substantive meaning. I like the way he says that the Syrian government made "some progress" to stemming the flow of militants crossing into Iraq to attack the American soldiers there. Because in world opinion Syria did this in order to gain favour with their American highnesses. How ridiculous!

President Obama is right though, Syria is supporting Hezbullah, declared by the US as a terrorist organisation, and it is trying to develop an effective deterrent against future Israeli attacks - i.e. weapons of mass destruction. But the other thing his royal highness needs to realise is that Syria can open its borders in an instant and let 'militants' flood into Iraq. If Syria is seriously threatened you will quickly be seeing 2005 - level violence erupting in an instant within Iraq and that is a certainty. The fact is Syria's army is not strong, but the Syrian's have their own "Samson" option. You destroy the Syrian government and you destroy any chance for stability in the region. The message from Damascus has consistently been that you need us to control the tap of violence in the region. You need us because there is no peace in the region without Syria in general and without the Assad government in particular. That is the message from Damascus. Period.

Meanwhile, the Iranians get stronger, Hezbullah get stronger and Israel gets more desperate with its own Hamas thorn in its side. I used to find Syria's approaches for peace and conciliation confusing. Now I know they are playing the Israelis at their own game. The Israelis are renowned for appearing ready to make concessions when they know that no Arab government is ready to accept unless on its full terms, and the Syrians are now playing the game of being prepared to make full concessions whenever there is the most pig-headed and obstinate of Israeli positions. Mr Obama there is no peace here, this is not kindergarden. This is the Middle East and we have the best god-damn politicians in the world.

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The British Elections

As far as I'm concerned, Nick Clegg is the cleanest out of the three. Qunfuz pointed out that it was Clegg who was unequivocal in calling for an arms embargo of Israel. Of course policy-wise the Liberal Democrats are a joke but frankly an effective Conservative government will be a strong ally of Israel and no advantage whatsoever. At least the Liberal Democrats will try to approach the issue with an even-handed manner.

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Thoughts on the BP oil spill

It did make me laugh, the more they try to drill closer to their shorelines the more likely such things could happen. And the bigger the potential harm. Come on guys, you want the good stuff, you know you want to. Come and get it from us Arabs, stop trying to "diversify" your oil supplies

:)

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Ahmedinejad's speech in front of the United Nations

I was very surprised to hear that Morocco walked out with France, Britain and the United States when Ahmedinejad was making his speech at the United Nations in New York. Many Arab countries have now prostituted themselves to the West, but to do so this openly and brazenly? The Moroccan envoys strutting like peacocks when really they are nothing more than a tail for their European and American masters. Meanwhile Muhammad Abed al Jabiri, the Moroccan thinker, intellectual and writer passed away. A man who spent his life opposing French occupation and colonialism of his country. A poignant reminder of how low Morocco has sunk today.

Frankly Ahmedinejad is a clean man for whom I have much respect and a lot of time for. Truth be told the Iranian people do not deserve a man like him as president. Most of the Iranians I meet stumble over each other in imitating Western life-styles and attitudes in a way that even Europeans or Americans would not contemplate. They are the fastest to reach for the glass of wine, their women choose the shortest of dresses and are quickest to the dance floor and they are all the loudest to criticise a religion they know almost nothing about.

Going back to Morocco's shameful display in New York, in a way the Arab countries deserve all the humiliation and disgust that can be heaped on them. As a people we all know what is right, we have just chosen to abandon and ignore it. What a joke, honestly. The nation of Sheesha, Rotana and ridiculous television soaps.

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حسن الحفار

Things are a bit too much for me right now, so it is comforting when I hear this guy sing and remind me that as much as you try, what has been written for you will take place regardless. My effort is the same, but these words are a comfort to my heart. After a hard day's work and much tribulation, I sleep better when I am reminded of this simple truth.

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Nahid Munir al Rayes - A Palestinian hero

I am ashamed to say I did not know who he was until his nephew Munir presented his poems at our bi-monthly poetry evenings in London. He passed away in Gaza a few weeks ago after a life of struggle with both the pen and the rifle. Nahid Munir al Rayes was of the old-school Fatah guard, and he worked closely with the late Abu Jihad in the sixties and seventies as well as numerous other Palestinian revolutionaries. His life was spent between Gaza, where he was wounded whilst trying to defend it in 1967, as well as Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. In 1994 he finally came back, reluctantly, to Gaza to serve as a judge and official in the government. After falling out with personalities such as Muhammad Dahlan and becoming disillusioned with what Fatah had become, he resigned and ran as an independent in the elections which saw Hamas sweep to power. A highly respected figure by both sides, he was offered a position as mayor of Gaza by Hamas, but declined the offer in order to spend his remaining years writing prolifically.

Even whilst incapacitated by illness and on his deathbed, he continued to dictate his words to his sons. Urbane, sophisticated and yet also comfortable in struggling with the masses and the common people, one of his inspirations was Che Guevara, whose book Guerrilla Warfare he translated into Arabic. Mr Nahid al Rayes also grew devoutly Muslim as he progressed in age, and inspirations from his Qur'anic readings glimmer in his poems with startling elegance. Always suspicious of Oslo, he was in two minds as to whether to return to Gaza, but decided in the end that, regardless, he would much prefer to be buried in his own land than in exile. Even as an old man, he continued to provide assistance and help as much as he could. Even as an old man, his struggle continued, sometimes unknown even to his family. At his wake they were surprised to hear by other people that he had been seen with his hands up against a wall, lined up with other men caught supplying people with blankets, food and supplies during the Israeli war against Gaza last year. An amazing man with an intense and vibrant spirit, he will be sorely missed I am sure, but fortunately his writings are still there for us to be inspired by.

The poem below is one in which he reflects on his life of struggle and his hopes and aspirations for Palestine.

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الشعر شاب و لكن ما وهى جلدي - للشاعرالمناضل الراحل ناهض منير الريّس

الشعر شاب و لكن ما وهى جلدي
و لا قنعت بأمسي عن جهاد غدي

و لا تلون وجداني و لا بدرت
مني الدنية في ديني و معتقدي

خرجت ذات صباح أبتغي حلماً
و كان حلمي خلاص الشعب و البلد

فبعت لله نفسي و اشتريت بها
أجر المجاهد لم أنقص و لم أزد

أعف عن سقط الدنيا عفاف غني
كنزي فؤادي و ملكي خاطري و يدي

و ما سلكت الهدى خوفاً و لا طمعاً
و لكن يليق بمثلي مسلك الرشد

أحب شعبي حباً قد ذهلت به
عن لحظة الصفو بين الأهل و الولد

شعبَ تقلب في النيران معدنه
فان شحذت فقل يا كفي اتقدي

تصيدته الضوراي و هو صائدها
و حادت الدرب عنه و لم يحد

و حين شد الى الجوزاء خطوته
بنوا عليه سجون القهر و النكد

كم حطم السجن من أركانه و هوى
ضرباً على رأس جلاديه بالزرد

رأيته يتفدي بالروح أمته
فهان ما هو فوق الروح في خلدي

وهبته زهرة العمر الجميل و من
يعشق يكن في عطاه غير مقتصد

لكنني أستحي من جهد معسرة
اما تطاول بي عمري الى أمد

و أستحي لو ببذل الروح يسبقني
و بالوفاء له في الناس من أحد

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Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,

The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;

But then begins a journey in my head

To work my mind, when body's work's expired.

William Shakespeare

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