How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe:
Oxford professor of international relations Avi Shlaim served in the Israeli army and has never questioned the state's legitimacy. But its merciless assault on Gaza has led him to devastating conclusions...
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Random News
Given that I don't have much time to write even though there is so much I want to write about, I will just quickly go through some of the stuff that I have found interesting.
Israel Passes New Law
Israel is on the verge of passing a new law which makes it illegal for anyone to deny that Israel is a Jewish state to which the punishment will be imprisonment. According to an Arab-Israeli talking to aljazeera this will make it easier for the Zionist authorities to persecute the Arabs of '48. This will not be the only law that will be passed that will curtail freedom of speech and opinion there are another two laws being prepared one of which makes remembrance of the catastrophe by Arab-Israelis illegal and the other is known as the "patriotic citizen law" which makes it compulsory to swear allegiance for any Arab that has gained an Israeli I.D. card.
Amazingly enough I have yet to see this being publicized on any western news outlet, the same ones that rush to write about an incident where a muslim person is in the middle of it.
The Under-cover King
Apparently the King of Jordan has been going around ministries and government buildings undercover, in order to get to know the problems people face in those places and get a first hand experience of how it is there. At the same time a majority of people in a recent poll stated that they cannot recall any achievements of the current government, to be exact 70% said that.
The Champions
And finally, although I don't like to write about sports here, but I must admit this is the most amazing day in football history. Barcelona won the treble!! HAHAHAHA.. im so happy.. i think im gonna cry.. :D anyways thats all for today.. Visca El Barcaa!! o 3ashat 2umatuna..
Israel Passes New Law
Israel is on the verge of passing a new law which makes it illegal for anyone to deny that Israel is a Jewish state to which the punishment will be imprisonment. According to an Arab-Israeli talking to aljazeera this will make it easier for the Zionist authorities to persecute the Arabs of '48. This will not be the only law that will be passed that will curtail freedom of speech and opinion there are another two laws being prepared one of which makes remembrance of the catastrophe by Arab-Israelis illegal and the other is known as the "patriotic citizen law" which makes it compulsory to swear allegiance for any Arab that has gained an Israeli I.D. card.
Amazingly enough I have yet to see this being publicized on any western news outlet, the same ones that rush to write about an incident where a muslim person is in the middle of it.
The Under-cover King
Apparently the King of Jordan has been going around ministries and government buildings undercover, in order to get to know the problems people face in those places and get a first hand experience of how it is there. At the same time a majority of people in a recent poll stated that they cannot recall any achievements of the current government, to be exact 70% said that.
The Champions
And finally, although I don't like to write about sports here, but I must admit this is the most amazing day in football history. Barcelona won the treble!! HAHAHAHA.. im so happy.. i think im gonna cry.. :D anyways thats all for today.. Visca El Barcaa!! o 3ashat 2umatuna..
Friday, 22 May 2009
نكات اهل حمص تتحول الى وسيلة تعبير مأمونة لنقد المجتمع السوري
من القدس العربي
دمشق ـ ا ف ب: 'اجريت لحمصي عملية جراحية ناجحة، فقرر اجراءها مرة ثانية'. هذا نموذج عن النكات التي لاحقت اهالي مدينة حمص عبر التاريخ واوردها كتاب عن 'النكتة الحمصية' التي تحولت وسيلة تعبير مأمونة لنقد المجتمع السوري.
ويسبر الصحافي والكاتب الحمصي جورج كدر الخلفيات التاريخية للنكتة الحمصية في كتابه 'ادب النكتة: بحث في جذور النكتة الحمصية'، مبينا ان صفة 'الجنون' لم تكف عن ملاحقة اهل حمص منذ ايام العبادات الوثنية.
ويقول المؤلف في كتابه الذي اعاد اخيرا اصدار الطبعة الثانية منه بعد عامين على صدور طبعته الاولى، ان التندر على الحماصنة والسخرية منهم اخذ في الماضي البعيد شكل نوادر وقصص زخرت بها كتب من زارها من الرحالة والكتاب.
واشهر هؤلاء الرحالة ياقوت الحموي وابن الجوزي الذي قال عنهم انهم 'بين الحمقى والمغفلين على الاطلاق'.
اما الآن فيأخذ هذا التندر اشكالا مختزلة ومكثفة صارت شبكة الانترنت مجالا خصبا لتناقلها ونشرها.
ويعيد الكاتب في حديث لوكالة فرانس برس دوافع تأليفه هذا الكتاب الى ايام انتقاله للدراسة في جامعة دمشق. وقتها كما يقول 'ما ان يقابلك شخص ويعرف انك من حمص حتى يسألك: ما آخر نكتة لديك عن الحماصنة'.
هذا السؤال الذي لا يزال يكرر على مسامع اهل حمص دفع الكاتب للبحث والتقصي ان كان 'التنكيت على الحماصنة يأتي من فراغ ام له امتدادت تاريخية؟'.
وللنكتة الحمصية جذور 'موغلة في القدم' تصل الى 'عيد المجانين' الذي كان موجودا في العبادات القديمة واندثر، بحسب ما يستعرضه الكتاب.
كما ان المؤلف يجد ان لها صلات بعبادة إله الشمس في القرن الثالث الميلادي والتي كانت تتم في حمص واتسمت بمظاهر مجون وصخب حتى الهذيان، وهو ما حمل كل من يمر بحمص وقتها على الاعتقاد بان اهلها مصابون بـ 'لوثة جنون'.
ولم يغير في هذا 'الصيت' ان من حكم روما حينذاك كانت جوليا دومنا ابنة حمص، ووالدها ابسيانوس الثاني من دعا لعبادة اله واحد هو اله الشمس بعد الفرعون المصري اخناتون. وحتى الآن يستخدم السوريون في سخريتهم احالة دارجة على يوم الاربعاء بوصفه 'عيد الحماصنة'.
وفي هذا السياق، يسلط كتاب 'النكتة الحمصية' الضوء على روايات شعبية وتاريخية تحكي كيف تفادت حمص غزو تيمورلنك المغولي عبر استقبال اهلها الحافل له، وتظاهرهم بالجنون ليجنبوا المدينة الدمار.
وكما يورد الكتاب كانت مدن الشام التي دمرها المغول تتندر بهذه الحادثة بالقول 'جدبها اهل حمص على تيمورلنك يوم الاربعاء فعفا عنهم' ليبقى منه مع مرور الوقت فقط ما يتعلق بربط 'الجدبة' بيوم الاربعاء.
ومن القضايا التي يؤكد الكاتب تأثيرها على ظهور النكتة الحمصية تلك المتعلقة بالعصبيات القبلية والدينية.
فهو يسرد كيف كان اهل حمص 'كثيري التقلب في الامور الدينية' وهو ما جعلهم في مرمى نوادر جاءت لتكرس 'رؤية مسبقة' حولهم او انها انبثقت من خلفيات 'تحامل' بعض الكتاب والرحالة على اهل حمص، كما يشير الكتاب الذي جاء اشبه بمرافعة مطولة عن اهل حمص.
ويعلي الكاتب السوري الساخر نبيل صالح من شأن النكتة التي تدخل في نسيج كتابته الساخرة.
وهو يعتقد ان 'النكتة اكثر قدرة من الموعظة على اصلاح العالم' معتبرا ان 'اهل حمص الاذكياء هم الاكثر تأليفا وتسويقا للنكات حول انفسهم'. ويضيف ان ذلك يشكل 'دليل قوة وثقة وصحة نفسية عند الحماصنة'.
ويروي صالح كيف كان يعبر حمص في الماضي ويلاحظ عبارة على واجهة بقالية تقول 'لدينا ثلج بارد'.
وبعد سنوات طويلة دفعه فضوله لدخول البقالية والتأكد من 'جدبنة' صاحبها كما يقول، والذي اخبره ان العبارة كتبها والده وكانت عاملا في كسب زبائن استدرجهم فضولهم لشراء ما لا يلزمهم. وينقل صالح تعليق صاحب البقالية الذي قال له: 'من الجدبة برأيك: انا ام الزبون الواقف امامي'.
وعلى غلاف كتاب 'النكتة الحمصية' يوقع فنان الكاريكاتور السوري علي فرزات رسما لرجل حمصي باللباس التقليدي، يقف على تاج عمود تاريخي وقد اخترقت السهام كل جسده، ويبدو هذا الرجل واجما فيما لم يصب اي سهم التفاحة فوق طربوشه.
ويعلق فرزات على اشتغاله هذا الرسم غلافا للكتاب بان الرجل يجسد شخصية الحمصي 'الذي يتلقى النكات برحابة صدر دائما'.
ويشير الى ان الجميع يصيبون شخصية الحمصي ملحقين بها صفة 'الحمق' فيما تبقى الحكمة من نكاته مثل التفاحة في الكاريكاتور 'غير مصابة'، على حد تعبير فرزات في حديثه لفرانس برس.
ويعتبر الكاتب كدر ان النكتة الحمصية تحولت لدى السوريين الى 'وسيلة مأمونة لنقد الواقع السياسي والاقتصادي والاجتماعي'، مشيرا الى انها 'دخلت في الكثير من المحظورات'.
ومما يورده الكاتب من نكات جمعها من المتداول في الانترنت حول الحماصنة، تلك التي يذهب فيها حمصي الى ضابط في وزراة الداخلية طالبا الترشح للانتخابات فيجيبه الضابط 'هل انت مجنون؟'، فيرد عليه الحمصي 'وهل هذا شرط للترشح؟'.
ويدعو مؤلف كتاب 'النكتة الحمصية' في ختام بحثه التاريخي الاجتماعي الى اقامة مهرجان عالمي للفكاهة في مدينة حمص التي تعد اكبر المحافظات السورية مساحة، معتبرا انه صار من الضروري ان تتحول هذه المدينة الى 'عاصمة عالمية للضحك تثور على ما يسود العالم من كآبة وحروب'.
دمشق ـ ا ف ب: 'اجريت لحمصي عملية جراحية ناجحة، فقرر اجراءها مرة ثانية'. هذا نموذج عن النكات التي لاحقت اهالي مدينة حمص عبر التاريخ واوردها كتاب عن 'النكتة الحمصية' التي تحولت وسيلة تعبير مأمونة لنقد المجتمع السوري.
ويسبر الصحافي والكاتب الحمصي جورج كدر الخلفيات التاريخية للنكتة الحمصية في كتابه 'ادب النكتة: بحث في جذور النكتة الحمصية'، مبينا ان صفة 'الجنون' لم تكف عن ملاحقة اهل حمص منذ ايام العبادات الوثنية.
ويقول المؤلف في كتابه الذي اعاد اخيرا اصدار الطبعة الثانية منه بعد عامين على صدور طبعته الاولى، ان التندر على الحماصنة والسخرية منهم اخذ في الماضي البعيد شكل نوادر وقصص زخرت بها كتب من زارها من الرحالة والكتاب.
واشهر هؤلاء الرحالة ياقوت الحموي وابن الجوزي الذي قال عنهم انهم 'بين الحمقى والمغفلين على الاطلاق'.
اما الآن فيأخذ هذا التندر اشكالا مختزلة ومكثفة صارت شبكة الانترنت مجالا خصبا لتناقلها ونشرها.
ويعيد الكاتب في حديث لوكالة فرانس برس دوافع تأليفه هذا الكتاب الى ايام انتقاله للدراسة في جامعة دمشق. وقتها كما يقول 'ما ان يقابلك شخص ويعرف انك من حمص حتى يسألك: ما آخر نكتة لديك عن الحماصنة'.
هذا السؤال الذي لا يزال يكرر على مسامع اهل حمص دفع الكاتب للبحث والتقصي ان كان 'التنكيت على الحماصنة يأتي من فراغ ام له امتدادت تاريخية؟'.
وللنكتة الحمصية جذور 'موغلة في القدم' تصل الى 'عيد المجانين' الذي كان موجودا في العبادات القديمة واندثر، بحسب ما يستعرضه الكتاب.
كما ان المؤلف يجد ان لها صلات بعبادة إله الشمس في القرن الثالث الميلادي والتي كانت تتم في حمص واتسمت بمظاهر مجون وصخب حتى الهذيان، وهو ما حمل كل من يمر بحمص وقتها على الاعتقاد بان اهلها مصابون بـ 'لوثة جنون'.
ولم يغير في هذا 'الصيت' ان من حكم روما حينذاك كانت جوليا دومنا ابنة حمص، ووالدها ابسيانوس الثاني من دعا لعبادة اله واحد هو اله الشمس بعد الفرعون المصري اخناتون. وحتى الآن يستخدم السوريون في سخريتهم احالة دارجة على يوم الاربعاء بوصفه 'عيد الحماصنة'.
وفي هذا السياق، يسلط كتاب 'النكتة الحمصية' الضوء على روايات شعبية وتاريخية تحكي كيف تفادت حمص غزو تيمورلنك المغولي عبر استقبال اهلها الحافل له، وتظاهرهم بالجنون ليجنبوا المدينة الدمار.
وكما يورد الكتاب كانت مدن الشام التي دمرها المغول تتندر بهذه الحادثة بالقول 'جدبها اهل حمص على تيمورلنك يوم الاربعاء فعفا عنهم' ليبقى منه مع مرور الوقت فقط ما يتعلق بربط 'الجدبة' بيوم الاربعاء.
ومن القضايا التي يؤكد الكاتب تأثيرها على ظهور النكتة الحمصية تلك المتعلقة بالعصبيات القبلية والدينية.
فهو يسرد كيف كان اهل حمص 'كثيري التقلب في الامور الدينية' وهو ما جعلهم في مرمى نوادر جاءت لتكرس 'رؤية مسبقة' حولهم او انها انبثقت من خلفيات 'تحامل' بعض الكتاب والرحالة على اهل حمص، كما يشير الكتاب الذي جاء اشبه بمرافعة مطولة عن اهل حمص.
ويعلي الكاتب السوري الساخر نبيل صالح من شأن النكتة التي تدخل في نسيج كتابته الساخرة.
وهو يعتقد ان 'النكتة اكثر قدرة من الموعظة على اصلاح العالم' معتبرا ان 'اهل حمص الاذكياء هم الاكثر تأليفا وتسويقا للنكات حول انفسهم'. ويضيف ان ذلك يشكل 'دليل قوة وثقة وصحة نفسية عند الحماصنة'.
ويروي صالح كيف كان يعبر حمص في الماضي ويلاحظ عبارة على واجهة بقالية تقول 'لدينا ثلج بارد'.
وبعد سنوات طويلة دفعه فضوله لدخول البقالية والتأكد من 'جدبنة' صاحبها كما يقول، والذي اخبره ان العبارة كتبها والده وكانت عاملا في كسب زبائن استدرجهم فضولهم لشراء ما لا يلزمهم. وينقل صالح تعليق صاحب البقالية الذي قال له: 'من الجدبة برأيك: انا ام الزبون الواقف امامي'.
وعلى غلاف كتاب 'النكتة الحمصية' يوقع فنان الكاريكاتور السوري علي فرزات رسما لرجل حمصي باللباس التقليدي، يقف على تاج عمود تاريخي وقد اخترقت السهام كل جسده، ويبدو هذا الرجل واجما فيما لم يصب اي سهم التفاحة فوق طربوشه.
ويعلق فرزات على اشتغاله هذا الرسم غلافا للكتاب بان الرجل يجسد شخصية الحمصي 'الذي يتلقى النكات برحابة صدر دائما'.
ويشير الى ان الجميع يصيبون شخصية الحمصي ملحقين بها صفة 'الحمق' فيما تبقى الحكمة من نكاته مثل التفاحة في الكاريكاتور 'غير مصابة'، على حد تعبير فرزات في حديثه لفرانس برس.
ويعتبر الكاتب كدر ان النكتة الحمصية تحولت لدى السوريين الى 'وسيلة مأمونة لنقد الواقع السياسي والاقتصادي والاجتماعي'، مشيرا الى انها 'دخلت في الكثير من المحظورات'.
ومما يورده الكاتب من نكات جمعها من المتداول في الانترنت حول الحماصنة، تلك التي يذهب فيها حمصي الى ضابط في وزراة الداخلية طالبا الترشح للانتخابات فيجيبه الضابط 'هل انت مجنون؟'، فيرد عليه الحمصي 'وهل هذا شرط للترشح؟'.
ويدعو مؤلف كتاب 'النكتة الحمصية' في ختام بحثه التاريخي الاجتماعي الى اقامة مهرجان عالمي للفكاهة في مدينة حمص التي تعد اكبر المحافظات السورية مساحة، معتبرا انه صار من الضروري ان تتحول هذه المدينة الى 'عاصمة عالمية للضحك تثور على ما يسود العالم من كآبة وحروب'.
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Missing Link.. Found!! ?
Apparently the missing link to human evolution has been in someones attic for quite a while.. only recently was the significance of the find known.
Update:
In a poll conducted by the washington times more than 70% of the people who voted said that they didn't believe "Ida" the missing link was really.. the missing link.
On another note an article on the independent explained what really this find is, how it happened, and why it is being revealed right now.
Update:
In a poll conducted by the washington times more than 70% of the people who voted said that they didn't believe "Ida" the missing link was really.. the missing link.
On another note an article on the independent explained what really this find is, how it happened, and why it is being revealed right now.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
View of Recent Events
Having posted the "Vision 2015" of the American-Israeli plans for the region, I would like to solidify those stated points by using current events to do so, and just to remind you that what is happening right now is bigger than what some might think it is.
1) Liquidation of the Palestinian cause:
We have seen how the coming of an extreme right leadership in Israel with Netenyahu as it's prime minister and Lieberman as foreign minister, pointing to one thing which is similar to the camp david negotiations between Ehud Barack and Yasser Arafat, the Israeli proposition is back to being that of a "economical" peace between the Israelis and Palestinians with no defined sovereign state for the Palestinians. Not that it hasn't been that way for the past 9 years but they are actually saying that it is an economical peace rather than claiming a peace done through the two state solution "the road map". The Fateh Leadership seem to accept anything that they can benefit off directly while the only people resisting those plans are cornered in Gaza with no-say on whats happening in the West Bank.
2) Removal of Any Regional Entities that would oppose the American-Israeli plans:
Wars in Gaza this year and in Lebanon 3 years ago prove this point. Recently there has been a diplomatic move by the US specifically to try to erode this coalition between Syria and Iran on the one hand and Syria-Hizbullah-Hamas on the other. With the arrival of many diplomats recently to Syria from the US and others from other countries to try and persuade the Syrians to break off those ties by offering them better economic relations and more aid to help in development and such. It seems that so far this has been ineffective as the American administration kept the US sanctions on Syria.
Indeed the Americans and Israelis would like to see their plans go through without having to fight in another war, the recent meeting between Netenyahu and Obama for the purpose of synchronizing actions between the two countries in order to maintain this aim of trying to reach the objectives without war. The question is how long will this period last for?
Other events to consider:
- Hussein Hajj Hassan (Hizbullah member of the Lebanese Parliament) visits the UK.
- The continued siege on Gaza by Israel and Egypt.
- Recent accusations made by Egypt towards Hizbullah, after 5 months of capturing the Hizbullah member in Egypt.
- Revealing Israeli military actions in Sudan and the air force exercises in long distance bombing and exercises on mid-air refueling.
- Publishing of reports on possible Israeli military strikes in Iran and their consequences to the region.
- Al Assads' speech during Abdullah Gul's visit to Syria.
The proposed visit of US Middle East envoy George Mitchell to Syria anytime between now and Barack Obama's visit to Egypt should be a defining moment as to what the next 7 months hold. The thing to watch out for after that visit is the Saudi-Syrian relations which seem to be massively effected by the attitude of the US policy towards Syria, and what happens at the US embassy in Syria.
3 and 5) Normalisation of relations between (Arab) states and Israel and the creation of a (regional) alliance to counter the rise of new global powers.
Writing this would seem to King Abdullah of Jordan as shortsightedness, as he accused those who wouldn't back the American agenda for this region of being, at least in the broad context of his claims.
Anyways, In addition to the proposal made by Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa the foreign minister of Bahrain in October last year of a regional alliance between The Arab states, Israel, Turkey and Iran, there has been recent proposals of a similar alliance yet with a wider reach of not only Arab countries but also all 56 Islamic states that form the OIC. That way normalization of relations (once a humiliating peace agreement has been reached between the Israelis and Palestinians) between Israel and a quarter of the countries of the world will be achieved. This alliance has been called out for by the Jordanian King twice and by the Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Al Dahabe. Amr Mousa on the other hand 'only' stated that there needs to be a 'regional security agreement'.
To make things easier for Israel since it has to make a lot of concessions in order to achieve peace between them and the Palestinians (sarcasm) the Financial Times has stated that some Arab governments are looking to reduce some of the terms and conditions relating settlement expansion in the West Bank in order to achieve the peace they (the governments) always dream about. Not to forget that settlement building on occupied land (let alone expansion) is illegal according to the Geneva convention agreement.
With the re-surfacing of old US policies coupled with a new vision, the Muslim world is yet again going to be used to fight the wars of the West as a proxy to achieve their plans without sacrificing much except some of their wealth (Afghanistan in the 1980's and Chechnya). However, there is a huge difference with the situation back then and today. The Muslim world is a fast developing one with growing economies and huge economic potential with a rapid predicted increase if those potentials are harnessed correctly. Obama's romance with the muslim world is not being pursued with no aim or objective behind it, and it isn't just to refresh America's image in the Muslim world.
1) Liquidation of the Palestinian cause:
We have seen how the coming of an extreme right leadership in Israel with Netenyahu as it's prime minister and Lieberman as foreign minister, pointing to one thing which is similar to the camp david negotiations between Ehud Barack and Yasser Arafat, the Israeli proposition is back to being that of a "economical" peace between the Israelis and Palestinians with no defined sovereign state for the Palestinians. Not that it hasn't been that way for the past 9 years but they are actually saying that it is an economical peace rather than claiming a peace done through the two state solution "the road map". The Fateh Leadership seem to accept anything that they can benefit off directly while the only people resisting those plans are cornered in Gaza with no-say on whats happening in the West Bank.
2) Removal of Any Regional Entities that would oppose the American-Israeli plans:
Wars in Gaza this year and in Lebanon 3 years ago prove this point. Recently there has been a diplomatic move by the US specifically to try to erode this coalition between Syria and Iran on the one hand and Syria-Hizbullah-Hamas on the other. With the arrival of many diplomats recently to Syria from the US and others from other countries to try and persuade the Syrians to break off those ties by offering them better economic relations and more aid to help in development and such. It seems that so far this has been ineffective as the American administration kept the US sanctions on Syria.
Indeed the Americans and Israelis would like to see their plans go through without having to fight in another war, the recent meeting between Netenyahu and Obama for the purpose of synchronizing actions between the two countries in order to maintain this aim of trying to reach the objectives without war. The question is how long will this period last for?
Other events to consider:
- Hussein Hajj Hassan (Hizbullah member of the Lebanese Parliament) visits the UK.
- The continued siege on Gaza by Israel and Egypt.
- Recent accusations made by Egypt towards Hizbullah, after 5 months of capturing the Hizbullah member in Egypt.
- Revealing Israeli military actions in Sudan and the air force exercises in long distance bombing and exercises on mid-air refueling.
- Publishing of reports on possible Israeli military strikes in Iran and their consequences to the region.
- Al Assads' speech during Abdullah Gul's visit to Syria.
The proposed visit of US Middle East envoy George Mitchell to Syria anytime between now and Barack Obama's visit to Egypt should be a defining moment as to what the next 7 months hold. The thing to watch out for after that visit is the Saudi-Syrian relations which seem to be massively effected by the attitude of the US policy towards Syria, and what happens at the US embassy in Syria.
3 and 5) Normalisation of relations between (Arab) states and Israel and the creation of a (regional) alliance to counter the rise of new global powers.
Writing this would seem to King Abdullah of Jordan as shortsightedness, as he accused those who wouldn't back the American agenda for this region of being, at least in the broad context of his claims.
Anyways, In addition to the proposal made by Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmad al-Khalifa the foreign minister of Bahrain in October last year of a regional alliance between The Arab states, Israel, Turkey and Iran, there has been recent proposals of a similar alliance yet with a wider reach of not only Arab countries but also all 56 Islamic states that form the OIC. That way normalization of relations (once a humiliating peace agreement has been reached between the Israelis and Palestinians) between Israel and a quarter of the countries of the world will be achieved. This alliance has been called out for by the Jordanian King twice and by the Jordanian Prime Minister Nader Al Dahabe. Amr Mousa on the other hand 'only' stated that there needs to be a 'regional security agreement'.
To make things easier for Israel since it has to make a lot of concessions in order to achieve peace between them and the Palestinians (sarcasm) the Financial Times has stated that some Arab governments are looking to reduce some of the terms and conditions relating settlement expansion in the West Bank in order to achieve the peace they (the governments) always dream about. Not to forget that settlement building on occupied land (let alone expansion) is illegal according to the Geneva convention agreement.
With the re-surfacing of old US policies coupled with a new vision, the Muslim world is yet again going to be used to fight the wars of the West as a proxy to achieve their plans without sacrificing much except some of their wealth (Afghanistan in the 1980's and Chechnya). However, there is a huge difference with the situation back then and today. The Muslim world is a fast developing one with growing economies and huge economic potential with a rapid predicted increase if those potentials are harnessed correctly. Obama's romance with the muslim world is not being pursued with no aim or objective behind it, and it isn't just to refresh America's image in the Muslim world.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Thoughts On Zionism
Its been a long while since I last read or discussed Zionism or the history of Zionism. It is fine when I am discussing the topic with someone who is unbiased towards a particular subject, as a person should be when history is being debated, but then again very few are, sometimes I can't help myself when looking at history and not trying to justify it with reasoning that seems logical and to an extent 'right'. But this is not the subject. The subject of this post is Howard Jacobson's commentary on the independent titled "A letter to an Anti-Semite who isn't".
" because Zionism itself has turned the screws. And certainly there are cruelties committed in its name."
The history of Zionism is a cruelty in itself. What has Zionism brought other than destruction, disparate, violence, racism and hate? Since the late 1800's leaders of the Zionist movement have been feeding on the misfortunes of European Jews, misguiding them to believe that they Must go to Palestine, that they must go back to the promised land in order to escape the persecution they faced in Europe. It is worth noting that it was only until the second world war and the holocaust incident did the Jews of Europe decided that it was their time to leave, before that the number of Jews that believed the lies of the Zionists were minimal.
"Anyone who has read the history of Zionism will be aware that its aim was to dispossess the Arabs," a critic of Israel has recently written. To which both the long and the short answer is that anyone who has read the history of Zionism will be aware of no such thing. "
Mr Jacobson, in a very juvenile way goes on to say:
"For Zionism was never a single movement, and whatever isn't a single movement cannot be said to have a single aim. A complex of ideologies, Utopian, messianic, visionary, practical, communistical, sometimes dreamily idealistic – Jews and Arabs working the land side by side – sometimes just plain desperate, came together (and indeed didn't always do that) to form that which we call Zionism."
Jacobson assumes here that all Jews are Zionists, and that the Zionist movement is an entirely Jewish ideology. Lets point out that although the leaders of Zionism did have differing beliefs other than Judaism (Herzel and Nardou were Atheists), Zionisms' ultimate aim is one, and that was ending the Jewish diaspora. Even though Jews at that time knew that they were only meant to return to the 'homeland' through divine intervention, hence the relatively small number of Jews that believed the Zionist ideology and accepted the aims of Zionism.
In addition, Zionism was not only an ideology which is explicit to Jews, in fact Christian Zionism existed way before the Zionism that Zionists today believe in, the Herzel Zionism. The gathering of Jews was seen by Christians in Britain and America as an act that needs to be done in order for the second coming of the messiah.
"Living with Arabs, not dispossessing them, was to be a way of achieving this."
If that is so, then why did the Jews that came under the Zionist banner live in Kibbutz's and isolated themselves from all Arabs, grew their own food, built their own homes and created their own independent communities and militias that later on massacred and killed and ethnically cleansed many Palestinian Arabs in different villages and towns across Palestine? It is unbelievable how people like Jacobson pretend as if that is what they want, they want "Arabs and Jews to live with each other" yet go on and try to justify the criminality of the Zionist state for the past 60 years. The Jewish people did suffer but that doesn't give them the right to claim a land that they probably have never seen before (talking about Jews 70 years ago) and steal it claiming its their land because their ancestors were there. Really? Your ancestors? Were they also blond, blue eyed and white?
Jacobson who pretends to be a fair person and plays that game of "I sympathize with the Palestinians but we the Jews are always right because of the HOLOCAUST", then goes on to explain to us how the word Zionist and Jewish are interchangeable words, that both mean the same thing as he criticized Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN earlier last month. Zionism a political ideology is the same as Judaism, a 5000 year old religious belief?
"Holocaust denial is the fulfillment of Primo Levi's greatest dread – that those who suffered would never be believed."
Let me just state right now that I will deny the holocaust not because I don't believe it happened, and even if it did happen then why should I be so saddened by the thought of the Holocaust, why should I put my head down in respect of those who died in a terrible genocide, why can't I discuss it in a critical way, when much worse crimes were committed in the same acts of hate and racism in different parts of the World? 20 million native Americans were slaughtered by European Immigrants, hundreds of thousands Aboriginal were massacred, the 60 million killed during World War II many of which were innocent civilians and so on and so forth. Why can I discuss these events, research them and write papers about them, yet as soon as anyone utters the word holocaust followed by 'I don't...' a person has to stand up and shout "Holocaust Denier!!" and "Anti-Semite!". I will tell you why people are not allowed to talk about the holocaust, simply because someone doesn't want people to know the truth. They don't want people to even put that thought into other peoples' heads to such an extent that they have made laws that criminalize those who deny the holocaust, yet homosexuality is a matter of freedom of choice and slandering Islam is a freedom of speech and opinion. Not only that but they even built museums and placed the topic in their school's educational curriculum just to make sure that no one thinks otherwise. What is so special about the genocide of Jews (and Gypsies and french resistance fighters caught in the war, By the way!) that it has a special title "Holocaust" what makes it so different from other genocides, why is there no special name for the genocides in Rwanda for example? Isn't that just a little bit racist?...?
Let me end this by saying to Mr. Jacobson that the only thing that is wrong is you. And I say it with full confidence.
" because Zionism itself has turned the screws. And certainly there are cruelties committed in its name."
The history of Zionism is a cruelty in itself. What has Zionism brought other than destruction, disparate, violence, racism and hate? Since the late 1800's leaders of the Zionist movement have been feeding on the misfortunes of European Jews, misguiding them to believe that they Must go to Palestine, that they must go back to the promised land in order to escape the persecution they faced in Europe. It is worth noting that it was only until the second world war and the holocaust incident did the Jews of Europe decided that it was their time to leave, before that the number of Jews that believed the lies of the Zionists were minimal.
"Anyone who has read the history of Zionism will be aware that its aim was to dispossess the Arabs," a critic of Israel has recently written. To which both the long and the short answer is that anyone who has read the history of Zionism will be aware of no such thing. "
Mr Jacobson, in a very juvenile way goes on to say:
"For Zionism was never a single movement, and whatever isn't a single movement cannot be said to have a single aim. A complex of ideologies, Utopian, messianic, visionary, practical, communistical, sometimes dreamily idealistic – Jews and Arabs working the land side by side – sometimes just plain desperate, came together (and indeed didn't always do that) to form that which we call Zionism."
Jacobson assumes here that all Jews are Zionists, and that the Zionist movement is an entirely Jewish ideology. Lets point out that although the leaders of Zionism did have differing beliefs other than Judaism (Herzel and Nardou were Atheists), Zionisms' ultimate aim is one, and that was ending the Jewish diaspora. Even though Jews at that time knew that they were only meant to return to the 'homeland' through divine intervention, hence the relatively small number of Jews that believed the Zionist ideology and accepted the aims of Zionism.
In addition, Zionism was not only an ideology which is explicit to Jews, in fact Christian Zionism existed way before the Zionism that Zionists today believe in, the Herzel Zionism. The gathering of Jews was seen by Christians in Britain and America as an act that needs to be done in order for the second coming of the messiah.
"Living with Arabs, not dispossessing them, was to be a way of achieving this."
If that is so, then why did the Jews that came under the Zionist banner live in Kibbutz's and isolated themselves from all Arabs, grew their own food, built their own homes and created their own independent communities and militias that later on massacred and killed and ethnically cleansed many Palestinian Arabs in different villages and towns across Palestine? It is unbelievable how people like Jacobson pretend as if that is what they want, they want "Arabs and Jews to live with each other" yet go on and try to justify the criminality of the Zionist state for the past 60 years. The Jewish people did suffer but that doesn't give them the right to claim a land that they probably have never seen before (talking about Jews 70 years ago) and steal it claiming its their land because their ancestors were there. Really? Your ancestors? Were they also blond, blue eyed and white?
Jacobson who pretends to be a fair person and plays that game of "I sympathize with the Palestinians but we the Jews are always right because of the HOLOCAUST", then goes on to explain to us how the word Zionist and Jewish are interchangeable words, that both mean the same thing as he criticized Ahmadinejad's speech at the UN earlier last month. Zionism a political ideology is the same as Judaism, a 5000 year old religious belief?
"Holocaust denial is the fulfillment of Primo Levi's greatest dread – that those who suffered would never be believed."
Let me just state right now that I will deny the holocaust not because I don't believe it happened, and even if it did happen then why should I be so saddened by the thought of the Holocaust, why should I put my head down in respect of those who died in a terrible genocide, why can't I discuss it in a critical way, when much worse crimes were committed in the same acts of hate and racism in different parts of the World? 20 million native Americans were slaughtered by European Immigrants, hundreds of thousands Aboriginal were massacred, the 60 million killed during World War II many of which were innocent civilians and so on and so forth. Why can I discuss these events, research them and write papers about them, yet as soon as anyone utters the word holocaust followed by 'I don't...' a person has to stand up and shout "Holocaust Denier!!" and "Anti-Semite!". I will tell you why people are not allowed to talk about the holocaust, simply because someone doesn't want people to know the truth. They don't want people to even put that thought into other peoples' heads to such an extent that they have made laws that criminalize those who deny the holocaust, yet homosexuality is a matter of freedom of choice and slandering Islam is a freedom of speech and opinion. Not only that but they even built museums and placed the topic in their school's educational curriculum just to make sure that no one thinks otherwise. What is so special about the genocide of Jews (and Gypsies and french resistance fighters caught in the war, By the way!) that it has a special title "Holocaust" what makes it so different from other genocides, why is there no special name for the genocides in Rwanda for example? Isn't that just a little bit racist?...?
Let me end this by saying to Mr. Jacobson that the only thing that is wrong is you. And I say it with full confidence.
Saturday, 9 May 2009
Miss Saudi Arabia.. ??!
YES! finally what all the women in Saudi Arabia have been waiting for! A Miss Saudi Arabia competition is going to be held this week with more than 200 contestants striving to become the first ever Miss Saudi Arabia. You may be confused as to how such a competition is going to be held in one of the most non-women-friendly countries where women cannot even drive. However, this competition is not like those held in other countries where half naked women show off their beautiful figures and faces to a bunch of judges, the Miss Saudi Arabia is actually quite deep where God given looks and figure is not part of the competition.
So what is the judging criteria, if not beauty? There will be four areas that the contestants will be judged on, those are her morals or manners, her commitment to her family, obedience to her parents and her commitment to her religion, Islam.
I must say that it would be really tough to judge on these things unless each woman comes in with a file of her entire life. How are they going to judge her morals or manners? Will they drop rubbish on the ground and see how the girl reacts to it? Will they start yelling at them and see how they react, or will they wait until its prayer time to see who prays and who doesn't? Will they ask the women about their life experiences and from that make a judgment?
Unfortunately I won't be able to know how the competition works, and neither can anyone since it is not going to be shown on TV since its a women only thing and the Saudis are not very fond of women being on TV. This is the second time this competition is held. The winner receives a prize amount of $2600
So what is the judging criteria, if not beauty? There will be four areas that the contestants will be judged on, those are her morals or manners, her commitment to her family, obedience to her parents and her commitment to her religion, Islam.
I must say that it would be really tough to judge on these things unless each woman comes in with a file of her entire life. How are they going to judge her morals or manners? Will they drop rubbish on the ground and see how the girl reacts to it? Will they start yelling at them and see how they react, or will they wait until its prayer time to see who prays and who doesn't? Will they ask the women about their life experiences and from that make a judgment?
Unfortunately I won't be able to know how the competition works, and neither can anyone since it is not going to be shown on TV since its a women only thing and the Saudis are not very fond of women being on TV. This is the second time this competition is held. The winner receives a prize amount of $2600
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