Archive for February 19, 2005
The Regatta by Raoul Dufy.
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
…off to Ann Arbor for a talk at the University of Michigan. Will return on Tuesday night. May not be able to update. But you may stay informed by visiting this site.
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Bush’s favorite dictator these days: “Libya has failed to meet a deadline for a $540-million compensation payment to the families of the 270 people killed in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103.”
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
“Flirting with Armageddon: welcome to a new arms race“
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
This is another laudatory article on Hariri in Washington Post by Lebanese ultra-nationalist Noura Bustany who works at the Post, writing on the fluff facets of diplomatic life in DC.At least she mentioned that in “the mid-’90s, he introduced a law barring journalists from criticizing “Lebanese allies,” a reference not only to Syria but to [...]
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
This Arabic website translated my post on Hariri (Myth and Reality) from below. But they translated “brothels” as “fancy beauty parlors.” I was amused.
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
The brilliant Iraqi puppet prime minister/car bomber/embezzler-in-Yemen/former Saddam henchman, Iyad `Allawi identified the killers behind the assassination of Rafiq Hariri. He said today–I am not making this up–that “terrorism” was behind the assassination of Hariri. In other news, the brilliant `Allawi also stated categorically that french fries come from potatoes.
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Malraux
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
From the Fatwas of Grand (not really) Ayatollah Sistani:Question 1: What is Islam’s opinion on love, i.e. the love of a boy for a girl?Answer: If it brought in the impermissible or the fear of it, then it is not permissible.Question 2: What is the ruling on noble love that aims toward marriage no more?Answer: [...]
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
“New information uncovered in Iraq by Human Rights Watch points to Ali Hassan al-Majid (or “Chemical Aliâ€) as the commander who ordered the summary killings of hundreds of Shia Muslims in 1999.”
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Those right-wing Lebanese Christian-oriented factions and gangs in Lebanon are now praising Hariri as their hero. Do you know that those same groups used in the 1990s to accuse Hariri of wanting to Islamize Lebanon?
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Realizing that he will be on his way out, Iraqi puppet prime minister/car bomber/embezzler-in-Yemen/former Saddam henchman, Iyad `Allawi said in an Arabic interview that he plans to leave Iraq for an Arab country if the new Iraqi government does not protect him. I say that he will not be missed in Iraq (but will be [...]
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Even children are “liberated” in Mosul.
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Hariri: the myth and the reality: None of the laudatory and fawning coverage of Hariri in the Arabic press (and to an extent in the Western press) mentions several basic facts. One: they keep talking about his international stature, and how proud Lebanese are of that stature. Let me tell you what the ingredients of [...]
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
New Documents Reveal Widespread Abuse: “The ACLU has released files obtained from the Army, under court order, revealing allegations of abuse by U.S. soldiers. Among the documents are reports that a detainee was beaten and forced to drop his claims (pdf, page 13) in order to be released.”
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
Angry Arab Guide to Middle East Media (Part I, TV) (too displeased with the stupid New York Times’ one prepared by Hassan Fattah 10 days ago):Al-Jazeera: the most important symbol of Arab media now. Owned by members of the royal family in Qatar, especially the Foreign Minister. But he allows a degree of independence. Many [...]
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad
“Sistani’s views on women “are restrictive and…he made it very clear that he abides by the age-old opinions regarding women’s inequality with men.”
Posted on February 19, 2005 by As'ad