Archive for January 3, 2006

For those who study and follow the Middle East, this is an important article. The first one I see about a new cultural and religious phenomenon in the Middle East, the TV preacher `Amr Khalid. He is so popular around the Arab world. Several years ago, I predicted to my mother that he will be [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

You know that story about the Florida schoolboy who went to Iraq? I am not buying it, or buying very little of the story. OK?

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

In sovereign and free Iraq: “”I absolutely confirm there were no terrorists in this house,” police chief Colonel Sufyan Mustafa told Reuters. “Even if there had been, why didn’t they surround the area and detain the terrorists instead?” People at the scene of the blast said seven bodies were recovered from the rubble, including at [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

“Secret services say Iran is trying to assemble a nuclear missile” (Angry Arab says Israel already assembled nuclear missiles. Did you hear me? So which one is more alarming?)

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

CAIR has a new fatwa: Spielberg is pro-Palestinian. I am not kidding. The woman who interviewed me today at KPFK quoted to me statements in praise of the movie made by those people at CAIR. This is an organziation that never misses an opportunity to appear foolish (and pro-Saudi).

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

Full Text: “False Freedom: Online Censorship in the Middle East and North Africa”

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

So preliminary results of the Iraqi elections-under-occupation reveal that the candidate of US and Saudi Arabia, Iyad `Allawi (former puppet prime minister/Saddam’s henchman/embezzler-in-yemen/car bomber), did not get more than 8% of the votes, the millions that were spent on his behalf by US and Saudi Arabia notwithstanding. I like that. With every election, his standing [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

Freedom and Gasoline in the New Iraq. Iraqis waiting in line for their rations of gasoline.

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

When the puppets get upset: “U.S. Airstrike on House Enrages Iraqi Officials” (Oh, and I forget to mention that Iraq is sovereign now, although US planes are known to fly on bombing missions once in a while).

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

The youth of the village of Shimlan in Lebanon (a lovely village I should say) issued a statement (rare in the new Lebanon) in which they condemned the attacks on Syrian workers in Lebanon, and the obscenities hurled at the Syrian people in Lebanon. Cars with Syrian license plates are often stoned, and their winshield [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

This is a public school in Rshaf in the Hummus homeland.

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

A Person of Integrity. Joseph Samahah, my favorite columnist, did not write one word about Jubran Tuwayni. You know why? Because he can’t lie. That is a man of principle.

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

False Ads at KFC. I was excited to see the new KFC’s ads about boneless chicken wings although I am a vegetarian. In fact, I was rather intrigued. But I have been told by people who know that if you enter the store to buy them, they have a sign in fine print that breaks [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

MTV is…globalization of misogyny and sexism. Oh, and it also heavily obscures class inequalities.*For the purpose of full disclosure, I can’t watch a glimpse of Real World, without having to watch the entire thing. I am hooked on that program, damn it. Oh, and it is based on a true story.

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

In the fight between `Abdul-Halim Khaddam and the Syrian government I feel like Kissinger on the Iran-Iraq war: I don’t want any side to win.

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

I know that this may hurt the feelings of Zionist supporters in the US, but the residents of the Lebanese village of Al-Ghajar are protesting Israeli plans to put them under Israeli occupation.

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

“AMERICA is to spend £1billion on an embassy in Baghdad “more secure than the Pentagon”. Plans for the hi-tech complex are being kept secret because of the terrorist threat in Iraq. The exact location is not being released until later this year but it is likely to be built in the heavily fortified Green Zone [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

And who is the terrorist in the Middle East? According to Palestinian government sources, Israel has managed to kill 286 Palestinians in 2005 (more than the number of executions in Saudi Arabia, but Israel–mind you–does not have “the death penalty”). Those Palestinians killed included 68 children. 4000 Palestinians were arrested. Twelve were killed by Israeli [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

Most of the Syrian serials that are shown on Lebanese TV stations (like LBC-TV and Hariri Al-Mustaqbal TV) are produced by Sham Production, owned by Basim Khaddam (son of `Abdul-Halim Khaddam). The status of Sham productions remains uncertain; a freeze on all productions have been announced; and the director, Ayman Zaydan, flew from Cairo to [...]

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad

For the first time in 30 years, a Copt is appointed governor in Egypt. 30 years!!!!

Posted on January 3, 2006 by As'ad