The Illusion of Democracy

According to dictionary.com, a democracy is " a government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.''. In popular culture, a democratic government is a goverment from the people, by the people, and for the people.

Based on the above, we see a huge association between the government and the people. This means that the government is directly or indirectly represening the population and its wishes. Performing what this population wants internally and externally.

Jumping to another concept called Responsibilities Versus Rights, this rightly translates to the following conclusion:

"In a democratic country, every citizen is part of the government. He or She has the right to all the services expected from the government, and responsible for its actions" 

In that sense, a citizen is a health minisiter when his chosen government passes a healthcare-related resolution. He is a finance minister, when his government decides the budget. He is an interior minister, when the government passes resolutions with regards to national security, and he is a defence minister or a soldier when his goverment decides to wage wars or sign peace pacts.

However, the matter of the fact is that the population is not held responsible for the actions of their representatives. equally, democratically elected governments rarely implement the population wishes. Should one of the previous statements be false, then the whole balance of rights versus responsibilities is ruined, and the whole process is just a big lie, cover up, and even a complete illusion!

Here is an example of an unbalanced equation!

Rights

A government elected by the people is supposed to work on a healthcare system that provides the best healthcare possible to the citizens of the country. The right of the population is to get what they elected the government to do. If that doesn't happen, the population will be stuck with a government that doesn't perform its duties. Logically, this government is illegal, and should be dismissed immediately.

Responsibilites

A government elected by the people decides to wage war on a soverign nation. The responsibility is immediately cascaded to the population, as their chosen government took the decision to attack another nation. Therefore, everybody in that country is a soldier, and as a result a potential target for the enemy. However, citizens are usually considered as civilians, and as a result attacking them is illegal and is a war crime. This violates the second argument of the equation. In other words, the population is exempted from the responsibility of waging war on another nation even if the government they chose went to war.

A very simple argument really, which reduces the whole process and concept into a politicized version of American Idol. A version in which you vote and acknowledge that a certain contestant has the talent and the ability to be a star singer, but as soon as the voting is finished and the idol is chosen what happens is anybody's guess. He or she might become a drug addict, a murderer, a football player, or simply a couch potato, but naturally you will not be held responsible for his actions, neither you are expecting anything from him.

The conculsion is that as long as the citizens are not achieving their goals behind electing a government, and/ or not held responsible for its policies, especially the foreign ones, the whole concept of democracy is an illusion, and a sedative. It becomes more of a capitulation of rights and responisbilities to a chosen few. This is greatly reflected by the relationship between a sheperd and his sheeps.

An Advice to all Arab/ Muslim bloggers

You don't realize how little accuracy there is in network TV reporting until they cover a story in your hometown.  ~Robert Brault


I came across this post about a dog. As I understand, a guy did something nice to a dog, and as a result he deserves to be praised. 


Accidently, the guy who did the good deed is an Israeli. The outcome of the story is 25 comments so far. Ranging from complaining about Zionist Propaganda, to ranting about those who think it's a Zionist Propaganda and believe that it was only about a dog.


I personally have no problem with the post, and I didn't actually read it. But I read the subsequent post and the comments that it received and I would like to lend "Ange" the writer, and the rest of the Arab/ Muslim bloggers an advice. After all, it's free of charge, and the best thing about it is that you can totally ignore it. 


What is the most powerful weapon in the world? A nuclear bomb? A hydrogen bomb? No, I strongly believe that Media, in all its forms and shapes, is the biggest weapon of our time. As Arabs and Muslims, we clearly lack in this department. We are not powerful or influential. We don't own huge network channels like CNN, FOX, SKY, BBC or the rest. In many cases we lost wars before they even began. I'm not only talking about wars carried out by tanks and guns, and aiming at winning a territory or some natural resource. I'm referring to public opinion, and the way people look at us.


Now, if I came across Ange's post, I would have probably read it, and kept browsing without leaving a comment. I have my reasons not to leave a comment, but this is just me. However, some people were a little annoyed by the post and they made it clear in their comments. I understand why they felt so. Ange got offended, and extremely defensive. I also understand that. 


Sorry about the long introduction, but I had to put things in the right context. 


The problem, I think, is that there is always subtext to the things we write. or they write. Few weeks ago, when disaster hit Haiti, people across the world felt it. Countries and NGO's from across the globe sent aid. Either in the form of man power, clothes, medicine, food or Money. As I was watching CNN for a full day, there was one story that kept being repeated and repeated. I think it was a woman, maybe a man, who was saved from under the rubble. Her family and neighbours were ecstatic. Happy to have him/her back, which I totally I understand and respect. That person was a victim, and he/she deserved all the help possible. Then you have images of the local crowd chanting the name of the country where the crew who did the rescue come from. "Good job Israel, Good job Israel". This is the same Israel who is still killing, abusing and starving Palestinians while the world is watching. This is the same country that still illegally occupies the land of other people. This, of course, takes nothing from the good job the Israeli rescuers did, and we applaud them for that. But the question that baffled a lot of people like me I'm sure was, why all the emphasis on Israel? Why didn't CNN show the good jobs done by France, Germany, Cuba, Japan, Brazil or any of the other countries? I'm sure there were others? 


It's a world of propaganda. It serves to polish the image. They say, you are as good as your last deed, and therefore whatever you have done, especially if not covered by the media, will be wiped off by a good thing you did, which gets tirelessly and relentlessly repeated. 


The problem those guys had with your post is that you applauded and act of humanity an Israeli did towards an animal. While they believe that this same person, or the regime he comes from will NOT extend the same act of humanity to Palestinian humans. They got tired of the overwhelming propaganda about how good Israelis are, and how evil and violent Arabs are. They see this post as another serving in the plate of good deeds of the Zionists. 


Once a newspaper touches a story, the facts are lost forever, even to the protagonists.  ~Norman Mailer


To be clear, I don't agree with those who posted comments on that post simply because they have probably pushed the post up the Technorati, delicious, bloglines, twitter.. etc rankings! Making it more visible to the world. Clearly this might be good for the blog hosting it, but for all the wrong reasons. 


If a TV network wanted to feature this story on one of its shows, it will probably be something like this: "A post about an Israeli man who takes good care of a sick dog draws scathing attacks from Arabs and Muslims in an anti-semitic wave. The post written by an Australian woman, A catholic turned Muslim through marriage, sparked attacks on her for showing sympathy towards Jews. We were not able to interview or get a picture of the writer apparently because her Muslim husband doesn't want her to show her photo on her blog."


How does that sound? Good? I don't think so. Neither for the blogger, nor for the commenters. She will sound like an oppressed convert, and they will sound like mindless and angry terrorists. I know she says that she doesn't write about Palestine, because she has nothing to add. But it was surprising to see how much she had to say explaining the difference between Jews and Zionists. How there are good Jews as well as bad ones. She is definitely right, but this discussion only serves to add fuel to the fire and emphasizes the difference between what she supposedly represents as moderate oppressed convert, and what they present as angry and racist Arabs and Muslims. She could've ignored those comments, or simply deleted them. They could've skipped by the post and let it be. We often shoot ourselves in the foot, and then make things worse while we try to correct the wrongs that we have done. I know she is an animal lover, but had she looked beyond the dog, she would've picked a different story. After all, there are humans all over the world who at the very least are as kind to humans as they are to animals. As one of the commenters, Femme I think, said she wished her family received at the Gaza crossing a treatment as good as the one offered to a bug! It's her own experience, it's her pain and millions like her. She has the right to be angry, she has the right to complain about it, and she has the right to hate because of it! She is human after all. I don't hear people anyone complaining about the never ending milking of the Holocaust story! It happened more than sixty years ago by the Germans under the watch of the Europeans. Until now any criticism of Israel is an anti-semitic act, and whoever questions the actual event of the Holocaust or the mere magnitude of it is criminalized and accused of anti-semitism! And the worst part is that Palestinians are paying for it. They don't seem to get tired of connecting everything to the Holocaust, and it doesn't look like people mind it! In fact, they still feel guilty. Then why are people surprised that Palestinians are also obsessed with their own ordeal?  


it's a complicated issue indeed. There is always sub-text. There is always something that will be taken out of context to get back at you, and bite you. We don't have the media. We are not the ones writing history in these times. 


I urge you to be careful. If you want to write something about Palestine. Please be careful. Please look at it both ways. We have enough people questioning our religion and our rights. It does more harm than good to have people questioning the despair and frustration others feel. If you didn't understand it, then who will? And if you want to write about animals, food, music, culture or anything else you want, be careful where that might lead. Watch out for the conversations on your blog. Don't let it divert and lead to where nobody wants it to lead. At least nobody we care about. Nobody who knows what we are all about. 


It's an advice. You can take it, and you can leave it.


People can, and will mutate the truth. Use it to their own good. Propaganda is built to brainwash people, and if you are not there... You never really know the truth.


If one morning I walked on top of the water across the Potomac River, the headline that afternoon would read:  "President Can't Swim."  ~Lyndon B. Johnson


That's all I have to say

The Arab National Anthem!

Well... Not exactly. It's not even in Arabic, but it says exactly what almost 300 Million Arabs give or take think and wish every single day of their lives!



Uprising by Muse. A song for the oppressed. for those who had their dreams stolen, their ambitions shattered, their hopes diminished and their life hijacked by fat cats and blood suckers!

09.09.09

The date 09.09.09 is now an important day in the history of the Arab nation, it’s the launching day of Dubai Metro, the first modern train in the gulf region.

Celebrating this day was a must on every Arab who lives in the gulf region; it shows that we are capable of adapting new and modern ideas, and as always Dubai is the pioneer in this, always giving us the hope that we can rise and take the place that we deserve on earth, giving us the hope that we might one day advance from the third world to the first world, the way we were before.

So, I was happy in that day and glued myself to Dubai One TV because I didn’t know when the ceremony will start, waiting waiting waiting,..., and finally it started, and what a shame, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, the officials were speaking English and there was no Arabic translator, I couldn’t believe it when an Egyptian reporter asked his question in Arabic, he got the answer in English, and to be fair, not good English, the English of a beginner, nothing professional in it,....

Why Dubai, why couldn’t you do it in Arabic and provided translators to the most important languages? What is wrong with speaking your own language?

YOU ARE NOT GOING TO LOOK LESS CIVILIZED IF YOU SPEAK ARABIC, or at least learn to speak good English.

Photo was taken by (Ali Haider / EPA / September 9, 2009)

A Trip to Watch the War on Gaza

WHY DO YOU KILL ZAID?

A Brand New American Lie

We all remember the American invasion to Iraq, we all remember why that happened – according to the American government and the CIA- but still, I will remind you of the main reason president Bush gave us to justify this war. According to Bush, Iraq has developed mass destruction weapons, and he wanted to be the hero who saves the world from the Iraqi monster, he claimed he has the evidence before he went to the war and “convinced” the whole world that he is right.

Now, again everyone knows that it was just a lie; he didn’t have any evidence that Iraq has MDW, he confessed that the CIA has fooled him, and again, we all know that it’s just another lie to justify the first lie, it’s a stupid one though.

And yet again, the American government comes with a brand new type of lies, they claims that Saddam, the late Iraqi leader has lied to them and told them that he has developed MDW!!!!!! Yes they do. On the 2ed of July the BBC reported the US investigators have released documents of questioning of Saddam Hussein, it is documents and recordings of interviews and informal conversations he had when he was in the FBI custody in 2004!!!!!!!

The documents reveals that Iraq was so weak, and according to the FBI Saddam has refused to let UN investigators do their job because he thought that they will go and report to Iran that Iraq is so weak now and they will tell Iran where to hit to cause the maximum damaged!!!!!!

It continues to show that Saddam has identified the Iranian threat long time ago, he knew that Iran was developing nuclear weapons and he claimed has those weapons too and more to scare the Iranians, again !!!!!!!

So in the end, the CIA didn’t fool anyone, president Bush was a hero and he did want to save the world, and the rest of the world are just a bunch of idiots.

I really upload the Americans for their boldness, no matter what happens they still can’t admit they were wrong, and they still can find a way to tell us how fool we are, and they are the guarding angels of the earth, they really deserve to run a world full of idiots.


To see the BBC story, please visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8131478.stm

Israel Condemned by Human Rights Watch

Israel has been condemned by Human Rights watch for using drones to kill civilians during Gaza War. According to the report, Israel used unmanned aircrafts during the war in Gaza, and has unlawfully killed 29 civilians in the process.

You can read the full story here:
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10327469.html

It's nice to see that someone is actually paying attention!! However, this raises some serious questions, and only the reaction of the International Community in the coming few weeks can answer them. Would Israel be condemned by the UN, or the Security Council? Would the US denounce the Israeli actions?! Would that change Israel's policies towards the Palestinians?!! If yes, then maybe the International Community including the US will retain some face, and along with it some of its lost credibility. Because I'm sure a lot would agree with me that the reaction of countries like the USA or the EU would be very predictable if the condemnation was targeting countries like Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Russia or any other arab country. I'm quite sure that the US will be limbering up and flexing its muscles in preparation for a new Holy war, or a set of davastating sanctions.

Naturally, Israel denied those allegations and accused Human Rights' Watch of being biased. Come on! for heaven's sake. How can people develop such thick faces!

Scraps about politics! Risk and Nothing Else!

It's very hard to be blogging these days. At least for me! Being a person who has a keen interest in politics because of how it impacts our lives I find it very hard to write about it more and more everyday, because it feels like in 99% of times we are on the losing end. If you consider the exception of Hezbollah that percentage might actually go higher.

It's funny and equally pathetic to know that the only victories we score are in some irrelevant quarrels amongst us, and even in that case we end up losing sometimes. A perfect example would be the brotherly relationship between Jordan and Qatar, or the new Middle Eastern Allies vs Axis situation.

I wonder if politicians have a huge Risk Board game in some room -probably in the Monarch Hotel in Dubai- where they sit around a big table, each one of them carrying his colored pawns "us", and wondering where he should be putting his reinforcements, while another is contemplating exchanging his 3 Cards for a Blitzrig of Soldiers! In Iran's case nobody really knows if its collection of cards can actually yield anything, while Israel will always be drafted a Wild card, and the Palestinians will never manage to add another card to their limbing collection because it's been a long time since they achieved any advances on any front!

I think it's high time for someone to show up and spank all of those players on the back of their heads!.. Maybe they'd realize that life isn't simply a Risk Game!!

Whatever!

The 5 Monkeys Theory

Once a scientist wanted to do an experiment on behaviour trends and how it develops with time, so he got 5 monkeys and put them in a cage, he places some bananas on the top of the cage and put a ladder in the cage, one monkey tried to reach the bananas, and at once the scientist aimed a water hose and fired very cold water at the other 4,he scared them to death.

Next, another monkey tries to reach the bananas and the scientist did the same thing, after sometime and couple of cold water hits, he found that whenever a monkey tries to reach the bananas, the other monkeys will hit him hard and keep him from reaching the banana.

Next, he took one of the monkeys out and let another one in, let’s call the new monkey XY. The moment XY gets into the cage, he goes up the ladder to get the banana, but the other monkeys still remember the cold water torture, so they jump and start hitting him to ban him from reaching the banana, after a couple of tries and some really hard hits XY learned that if he tries to get the banana he will be hit hard by the other monkeys, although none of them wants the banana, he doesn’t understand why he’s being hit, he just knows it will happen.

The scientist continued on the process of taking out one monkey and adding a new one and the same thing happened all the time with all the new monkeys and even XY was hitting the new comers even though he doesn’t know why.

After taking out all the monkeys that have been tortured with the cold water and placing new monkeys in the cage, and even repeating this process until he changed the group twice (of course one by one he does it) the same thing kept happening.

Now, none of the new monkeys has been tortured with the cold water, so none of them knows why he is defending these bananas, but they still do it anyway, because they are used to it and they saw the late ones doing it, and also each one of them get hit at least once because he tried ti reach the bananas.

Get it?!

The World's Worst Places to Work

A friend e-mailed me a part of an article about the world’s worst places to work, so, I had to go search for the full story to see what’s going on.

It’s an article published on the businessweek magazine about a study made by ORC (a HR consultancy company) about the cities that fall in the hardship tag.

Now, before I go and list these cities, I have to say that this article is not fair, not because the cities don’t fall in the hardship tag, but because of the reasons it was chosen for.

There it is starting from number 1;

No. 1 Lagos, Nigeria
Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Severe Problems: Infrastructure, Crime
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Availability of Goods and Services
Other Problems: Climate, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment, Culture & Recreation

There's no more challenging place on ORC's list than the largest city in Africa's largest country. Lagos not only has a severe crime problem and extremely poor infrastructure, the city has inadequate housing, sanitation, and medical facilities. Moreover, according to ORC, "the risk of being caught up in sectarian violence is another concern."
I’ve never been there, but from what I see in the news, that might be true.


No. 2 Jakarta, Indonesia
Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment, Crime

Indonesia may be holding up better than many other developing countries during the global recession, but that doesn't make life in Jakarta much easier for expatriates moving there. Despite problems common to many Third World cities—risk of disease, poor sanitation, and excessive pollution—the Indonesian capital "can be an enticing location," according to ORC. However, Indonesia is the world's largest Muslim country and has suffered several high-profile attacks by Islamic terrorists targeting foreigners. "The threat of violence, from Islamic extremists in particular, is a serious drawback to living here," says ORC.
Now, I see where they are coming from, “IT’s THE WORLD LARGEST COUNTRY” I don’t have to say more, guess who’s next!!


No. 3 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Severe Problems: Political Violence & Repression, Political & Social Environment
Major Problem: Culture & Recreation Facilities
Other Problems: Housing, Climate, Disease & Sanitation, Education Facilities, Physical Remoteness, Communications

No surprise here. Life in the Saudi capital is not easy. "The possibility of a terrorist attack is an ongoing threat," according to ORC, "while wide-ranging restrictions on dress, movement, conduct, food, alcohol, travel, and communications limit expatriate life." The city is especially hard for foreign women. Finally, adds ORC, "violating the country's strict moral religious codes is a particular danger in this conservative city."
I agree, life there is hard, I’ve tried it, but not because it politically violent, especially for the Americans and Europeans, it’s because after work, there is absolutely nothing to do there but to kill yourself out of boredom.


No. 4 Almaty, Kazakhstan
Overall Grade: Very High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Medical Facilities, Physical Remoteness
Other Problems: Housing, Climate, Education Facilities, Infrastructure, Communications, Culture & Recreation

The remoteness of Almaty, largest city in Kazakhstan, is one of the city's biggest problems as far as outsiders are concerned. Other significant hardships include pollution, the threat of disease, and poor medical facilities. "Inadequate infrastructure, substandard housing, crime and difficulties with communications are additional drawbacks," says ORC.
I can’t argue with that, I don’t know anything about Kazakhstan, not even from the news.


No. 5 Mumbai, India
Overall Grade: High Risk Location
Major Problems: Pollution, Disease & Sanitation, Infrastructure, Political Violence & Repression
Other Problems: Climate, Medical Facilities

India's financial capital has some of the country's best architecture, restaurants, and museums. It also has some of the worst slums, traffic jams, and security problems. "While some may be energized by the hustle-bustle of this cosmopolitan city and by its beautiful setting," writes ORC, "many more are likely to be overwhelmed by its crowded and chaotic conditions and by the poor sanitation and violence."
I don’t know about that either, but I saw some photo’s of Mumbai and I have friends who’s been there, and they all say it’s like every other city, it has some good places and some bad ones to be.

I will settle for the top 5 and will add the link to the full article at the end of the post.

It’s really annoying that they kept on using high crime risk as one of the top reasons, it’s not that London or New York has the lowest crime rate in the world!

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/03/0304_difficult_cities/1.htm

Webster- Arabic- American Dictionary

As they say, different words mean different things to different people! This is only a small sample;

Prostitute:
Webster: a woman who engages in promiscuous sexual intercourse especially for money.
Arabic: Arab female Singer with her main talent being her body.
American: A female whose father was a junkie and/or used to hit her mother and occasionally refused to let her get away with whatever she does. Occassionaly a figure hosted on the famous TV show Dr. Phil

Consistency:
Webster: harmony of conduct or practice with profession.
Arabic: Status Quo.
American: Making the same mistake, as in electing George W. Bush twice.

Political Change:
Webster: the act, process, or result of changing political direction and approach to social and international problems.
Arabic: Face left.
American: Using different words to describe the same action. e.g exchanging KILL with Neutralize, Crusade with Dialogue, and Elephants with Donkeys!

Democracy:
Webster: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.
Arabic: Dillusion.
American: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections, while not being held responsible for its action whatsoever. Another definition would be a political version of American Idol.


Crook:
Webster: a person who engages in fraudulent or criminal practices
Arabic: Politician.
American: A politician or businessman who doens't fully cover his ass.

This is how arabs make the world laugh at them. Courtesy of Mona Al Tahawy

I know a lot of people who would love to be called pundits, who like to shine on us with their wisdom and educate us and the world about all sorts of things!! Recently, I came across one of them. An Egyptian lady who posts on her website a long and impressive CV stamped by an award and a recognition as a columnist and speaker about Arab & Muslim affairs. Her last dose of wisdom was a lecture at the University of Delaware. It was titled understanding the Arabs!

Now, you would assume that the purpose of this lecture by an Arab "independent" pundit would be to help the world understand the Arabs. The People. How they think? What are their priorities? What are the causes that matter to them the most? And how can those interested reach out to the Arab people for the greater good. However, what you get is an incosistent and lame trial to promote and push and shove in everybody's head certain beliefs and certain agendas that will actually give "Those" interested all the needed tools to keep us as the most shattered nation in the world for centuries to come!

Ms. Al Tahawy took pride in announcing to her audience that Arab Unity has been shattered and forever. She did her best to throw about assurances that Arab Unity "and I'm talking about the Arab Street here" is an outdated legend that no one believes in anymore. In fact, she made an interesting announcement, and I quote "There is no such thing as an Arab Street". It feels like the kind of message a zionist would like to send to the American Government assuring them that no matter what you do to this pathetic nation they shouldn't worry about any comeback or a resilient and meaningful stand from them. It's an invitation for everyone to come and wreck havoc in the middle east!

But you kind of understand where that declaration she made comes from. Al Tahaway spent the most part of her lecture talking about regimes! and to be more specific four regimes. Carefully selected and for different but mirrored reasons. I think it was an ill-advised decision to call this lecture "Understanding the Arabs". It should have been called "Understanding America's proxies and its enemies".

I don't see how more than an hour of talking about the Egyptian, Saudi, Qatari and Syrian regime would help the west understand the Arabs! Aren't these the same regimes that made the world misunderstand us in one way or another? Aren't these regimes the screens put between us and the world that makes us look useless, violent and unready for democracy? How can she make such a mistake?... Or was it??

For someone who takes pride in being progressive, moderate and egyptian, it surprises me to hear the loaded words she was gracing the crowd with. She is actually promoting Saudi now! Talking about an important and commendable change in the highly conservative Saudi government. Pushing people to accept that change in Saudi is hard and has to be done slowly. You know, that kind of change with a pace that you will live you entire life without ever noticing. And then, she shrinks Qatar and its policy into the role of the jealous loser brother!! One that is desparately trying to piss the Saudis off!! Like a girl crying during her elder sister's birthday to get some attention. According to her, whatever Qatar does is merely the opposite of what Saudi does! Along the way, she did her utmost to shatter the reputation of the most reliable media outlet in the Arab world, Aljazeera. The only station where arabs can listen to the real story. The only channel that can actually reach the world, and tell them in English our point of view and what the other channels don't show. According to her, Aljazeera entices the masses by showing unnecessary and biased information and images from Palestine and Iraq. It's very depressing to see an "Enlightened" arab denounce the only free media in the arab world, and for the same reasons Bush and Netenyahu will flag. Again, in the process she promoted Al Arabiyya! A biased station built to counter Aljazeeraa and sell out to the masses any idea that comes to the head of the american government or any of its clowns in the region.

Altahawy carried that same analogy to compare the Egyptian government and the Syrian government. As expected, Egypt although a dictatorship, has a major role in the region and has structured its policy strategically for the greater good. Syria is just like Qatar, trying to piss off Egypt.

In very few sentences did Mona say anything about the people. What they want. how they think. Are they united or not, do the same things matter to them or not. These things clearly didn't mean anything to her, apparently because she didn't notice any uprising or support in favor of Gaza during the Israeli savage campaign. Basically, she didn't explain how the eguptians felt when their government took that shameful stand from the war, and as usual she downgraded the Islamic movement to a last resort, that people go to because of lack of options. Totally disregarding any value those parties might add and calling them "Nut Heads" in the process!!

One more nail in that lectures' coffin was the exclusion of 18 Arab nations and God knows how many muslim nations! Nothing about Palestinians, jordanians, iraqis, Sudanis, lebanese or the rest. and if you want to argue the small impact of these countries on politics, although it would be silly, how can she explain the absence of turkey in her hour or so of wisdom!?!

Promoting Saudi and Egypt, Bluntly denouncing Aljazeera and subtly denouncing Qatar and Syria. If you look at the political directions of these countries at the moment and the powers they are close to you start to wonder what agenda and purpose people like Mona Al Tawahy is serving?

She opened her speech stating that she intends to confuse her audience about their ideas of the Arabs and Muslims. One guy in the audience actually told her that she succeeded. But I think I was confused more than the whole crowd put toghether. It was the worst portray of the arabs I've seen in awhile, and sadly it came from an arab!!

For the video you can go to this link: http://www.ums.udel.edu/podcast/watch?c=198

Kadima's Website HACKED By Gazzan!! E-War!!

The official website of the ruling Kadima party has been hacked by hackers from Gaza! The site has been down since early Friday morning and is posing a challenge to the israeli ruling party!

This probably will not have a great impact on the Israeli regime! But I think it was the smartest timing ever! Now, Kadima can not post their terrorist propaganda on their website, in the times of elections, and right after it!

Check the website: http://www.kadima.co.il

How the world looked at Gaza Differently

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

During the past few weeks we have witnessed another episode from a non-stop series of killing and massacres Israel has orchestrated in the holy land! A land, they

claim, has been promised to them by God!! And this is basically the most basic reason why this state is on the face of the Earth. What is funnier is the fact that they are getting all support needed from all the Western, and supposedly “Secular” countries!.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            However, during this episode we have witnessed some changes!! Things that never really happened before! Or at least for as far as I remember. Gazing at these changes and dissecting them might come up with conflicting feeling for all parties. It can be very confusing, and probably will not help any party coming up with any conclusions, or make any prediction. Or, let’s be more specific, unpredictable predictions!! But I choose to look at the overall picture! Change is good. Why? SImply because it means things are not going the way they have always gone! And this, undoubtedly is good for us! And I can argue, for the world!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   For the first time the Arab Countries have publicly taken sides! Different sides that is. While the Egyptian government has shamelessly taken the side of the aggressor along with a couple of those governments, Other Arab states showed the same level of solidarity with Palestinians as always! Albeit useless and lame!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Turkey, one of the biggest Muslim countries, a key player in the Middle East, and usually one with an independent decision! have criticized Israel with a new tone! Harshly, uncompromisingly and straight in the face. They refused to receive any Israeli diplomats, and on several occasions called this operation a crime and a massacre. It is important to note that Turkey has always been considered a close ally of the US, and a close ally of Israel as well.

   MR. Erdogan made his voice, and his nation’s, clearer on where he stands and walked out on Perez and Davos. He felt offended simply because Perez and Israel as usual try their best to fool people by twisting facts and reversing irreversible arguments; like who came first, the chicken or the egg? It’s obvious, you are the one who is breaking the law by occupying other people, end of story.

                                                                                                                                                     BBC, CNN and the rest were forced for the first time to extensively cover the events in Gaza and show the world the ugly face of Israel. Because the simply couldn’t avoid the fact the Aljazeera International has its reach, and people can actually watch on it what happens. So the state of denial and masking the facts had to be tuned down by these station, although they made sure every single time they show a dead body, the stick the sentence “Hamas is firing rockets”. As if Hamas and the Palestinian should have rolled down and died silently. I think Al Jazeera is doing a great job, and I always thought that somebody must do this job. Telling the story to the world, in its language that is. I personally got sick of Arabic channels telling you the same story over and over again, on every occasion and evey anniversary! WE KNOW THE STORY!! THE WORLD DOESN’T YET!.                                                                                                                                                       More and more people around the world started opening their eyes and looking at the atrocities the Israeli government is commiting in Palestine!! And it’s safe to say that the European governments can not keep ignoring their citizens for a long time, if those citizen grow sick and tired of the ever forgiving policies that their country implement towards Israel. Those demonstrations in Denmark, Norway, UK and other European countries probably didn’t help the people of Gaza that much, but it can be a good indication that there is still some goodness in this world, and that people can actually look beyond religion, ethnicity or the Holocaust Guilt to see the real and contemporary tragedies in this world.

 

                                                                                                                                                     Hugo Chavez and Morales. They probably have their own agenda, and they should. But they proved to me and two millions like me just how pathetic the leaders of the arab world generally are. Again, they might not be the most influential countries in the world, but how about we try to make them be. Just a theory, if Saudi, Iran, Venezuela, Libya, Algeria form some kind of coalition like the G7 for example. Don’t you think they can exert enough political pressure to do whatever they want in their regions? The answer is yes they can! But No, God forbids Saudi does such a thing! How can they ever do something useful.                                                                                                                                                   Just one more thing before I wrap up. One mindless idiot, or probably more, came out after the infamous Arab summit, which I think has been ranked top of the list on the world’s laughing stocks, and said we should not allow non-arab countries interfere with the Palestinian issue. Whisper “ Turkey and Iran “. You mindless losers, what is it that you’ve done to the Palestinians to play the role of the guardian of the Arab world and say such sickening sentence!! They are afraid of a new Ottoman empire!!. You know what, if Turkey decides to invade the Arab world, I’ll stand on the gates of Aleppo waving a Turkish flag, because we have reached a new level of mediocrity that we can actually co-habit with cockroaches!!

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A Look At The World Leaders’ Standings Of Gaza Crisis

The Arab leaders, no need to talk about it, we all know where they stand.

Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, as always, against the US and “Israel”, but this time he didn’t just condemn what they are doing, he went one step further and expelled the “Israeli” ambassador in Venezuela, and to give him the credit, HE WAS THE ONLY ONE WHO’S DONE THAT.

France, surprisingly confused, there president first condemns the attack and blames “Israel” for the crisis then, goes and change his mind blame both sides, then he goes and supports the “Israeli defensive” operation.

Britain, very surprisingly, they condemn the attack, and that’s it.

Turkey, great effort to end this crisis without any support from any country what so ever.

The European Union, the president, Czech Republic, obviously understood the game but they played it wrong, in the first day of it’s presidency, they went and announced their complete support to “Israel”, while France and Britain went and said that is not the European standing, a novice move Czech, you’ve got to practice more politics, I would suggest an intensive induction program in the US.

The US, I have to separate them into two parties, old monkeys and the monkeys to be.
Bush and his people, total support, absolute idiotic (as always) rudeness.
Obama and his people are WORRIED.

Russia is busy with a $2 billion crisis with Ukraine, although I think they are making a longer term point here, but let’s wait and see, it could be really about money.

Germany, not a word.

Of course that’s not all, but I’m really sick of talking about how worthless we are to the world, so I’m going to stop here without any hope that things will change.

GAZA Massacre: Latest Update!

Below are some of the latest developments from the Massacre in Gaza!
It's getting worse by the day. The UN is paralyzed, and the arab league is useless!

Feed from Gaza as per Reuters.

* GAZA - Palestinian medical workers pulled 11 bodies from the rubble of a house east of the city of Gaza that was hit by an Israeli air strike. The dead included five children, they said.

* GAZA - An Israeli air strike in the city of Gaza killed two
militants riding a motorcycle and wounded a third, medical workers
said.

* KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - A five-year-old boy was killed when an Israeli tank shell hit a house in the southern Gaza Strip, medical workers said.

* GAZA - Palestinian medical workers put the civilian death toll on Tuesday at 35.

* GAZA - Death tolls since December 27: At least 588 Palestinians, three Israeli civilians and six Israeli soldiers. Toll for Palestinians excludes Israeli army reports of some 130 militants killed in ground fighting since January 3.

* SOUTHERN ISRAEL - Palestinian militants fired more than 30 rockets toward Israel on Tuesday, the Israeli military said. A three-year-old girl suffered light shrapnel wounds when a rocket hit a house.

GAZA - An Israeli air strike killed three Palestinians at a United Nations school in the Gaza Strip, medical workers and U.N. officials said. Hundreds of Palestinians sought refuge at the school after fleeing fierce fighting in the north of Gaza.

GAZA - A father and his daughter were killed by an artillery shell east of Gaza, near the border with Israel, Palestinian medical workers said.

GAZA - The Israeli army said an officer was killed in fighting in the northern Gaza Strip. A military spokesman said the army believed the officer was killed by "friendly fire" and an investigation was under way.

KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - Israeli tanks, backed by heavy artillery fire, moved toward Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Palestinian
witnesses said.

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip - Firing from Israeli naval ships killed 10 Palestinians in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, medical workers said. Witnesses said ships had fired shells toward a beach in the area.

GAZA - Two Palestinian militants and eight civilians were killed in the north of the Gaza Strip where Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants fought fierce battles on Monday.

GAZA - The Islamic Jihad said two of its fighters were killed in fighting with Israeli soldiers east of the Gaza Strip.

GAZA - Israeli army says more than 130 militants have been killed since the start of the ground offensive on Saturday.

Israeli tank fire kills 42 at U.N. school: medics

Israeli tank fire kills 42 at U.N. school: medics

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli tank shells killed more than 40 Palestinians on Tuesday at a U.N. school where civilians had taken shelter, medical officials said, in carnage likely to boost international pressure on Israel to halt a Gaza offensive.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said she was looking into information on the incident at al-Fakhora school in Jabalya refugee camp, on the fourth day of a ground assault launched after a week of air strikes failed to end Hamas rocket salvoes.

People cut down by shrapnel lay in pools of blood in the street. Witnesses said two Israeli tanks shells exploded outside the school, killing at least 42 civilians and wounding dozens -- Palestinians who had taken refuge there and residents of nearby buildings.

A senior U.N. official in Gaza said 350 people had been sheltering at the school and the United Nations regularly gave the Israeli army exact geographical coordinates of its facilities to try to keep them safe from attack.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, asked by reporters about the deaths, said she was "not familiar" with the incident.

The deaths in Gaza, home to 1.5 million people, raised to 77 the number of Palestinian civilians killed on Tuesday alone, according to medical officials.

The spike in civilian casualties could prove to be a turning point in Israel's "Operation Cast Lead," launched on December 27 with the declared aim of removing the Hamas rocket threat.

The killing of dozens of unarmed Lebanese in Israel's bombing in the village of Qana in the 2006 Lebanon war drained foreign support for its campaign against Hezbollah guerrillas. Israel said it had not known civilians were in the area.

In Washington, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States "would like an immediate ceasefire" but one that is "durable, sustainable and not time-limited" -- comments that stopped short of a formal demand for a truce now.

International efforts already under way to end the fighting have focused on securing a deal that would meet Israel's demand that Hamas, an Islamist group in charge of the Gaza Strip, could not rearm once hostilities end.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip, at least 631 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,700 wounded since Israel began its offensive.

For more of this visit, http://www.thomsonreuters.com/

Occupation 101

I am posting this because it’s the first time I see non-Arabs non Muslims saying the truth about the Zionists terrorism in Palestine, following is the synopsis:

"A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Unlike any other film ever produced on the conflict -- 'Occupation 101' presents a comprehensive analysis of the facts and hidden truths surrounding the never ending controversy and dispels many of its long-perceived myths and misconceptions. The film also details life under Israeli military rule, the role of the United States in the conflict, and the major obstacles that stand in the way of a lasting and viable peace. The roots of the conflict are explained through first-hand on-the-ground experiences from leading Middle East scholars, peace activists, journalists, religious leaders and humanitarian workers whose voices have too often been suppressed in American media outlets. The film covers a wide range of topics -- which include -- the first wave of Jewish immigration from Europe in the 1880's, the 1920 tensions, the 1948 war, the 1967 war, the first Intifada of 1987, the Oslo Peace Process, Settlement expansion, the role of the United States Government, the second Intifada of 2000, the separation barrier and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, as well as many heart wrenching testimonials from victims of this tragedy. "

The following is the intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SbjAanvUqs&feature=related

I couldn't upload the video so I posted the link from YouTube.

Poll Results: Is Obama's win a good news for the Middle East

66% of those who participated in the Poll posted on this website on whether Obama's win will be good news for the Middle East thought that Obama won't be any better than George W. Bush!

After all the saga surrounding these elections and all the hope that came with it, I think it is safe to say that the majority of Middle Easterns realize that Obama will make no difference whatsoever in their lives!! Iraqis, Palestinians or Afghanis better not count on him to sort out the mess inflicted on them by the US army or Israel!!

I have to say that 18 votes is not a big indication of the region wide opinion, but Obama wasted no time to confirm my theory and those who voted with his deafening silence towards the Holocaust the Palestinians are suffering on the hands of Israel!!

Only 16% thought that Obama can be a positive influence, and move the region towards the change it desperately needs!