Archive for February 10, 2006
NPR’s On the Media. “Arab Media Politics: After days of violent protests over provocative political cartoons, the old familiar phrase – CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS – kept roaring back. With two satellites dishes, seven or eight Arabic-language newspapers and a number of Internet magazines, Cal State political science professor As’ad AbuKhalil is awash in media from [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Look how Robert Fisk writes about Lebanon now: “A year ago, I watched an old friend burning on the pavement beside me. No, let us be true, many millions of Lebanese regarded Rafiq Hariri as an old friend. But he was a friend to me, calling me after I was badly beaten on the Afghan [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
An Arabian Master (thanks Yasser)
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
This is a previously unpublished interview with Rafiq Hariri by Ghassan Shirbil. In it, Hariri lied when he said that he did not know about the UNSC 1559 before its passage. (There were other lies too, but I don’t have time)
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Al-Amn Al-Markazi. How did the Hariri camp deal with the state after its parliamentary victory? Well, given its history of sectarian agitation and mobilization, it did not feel that it can rely on state institutions. So the Hariri camp simply established a separate (Hariri staffed) Sunni intelligence service within the Security Forces, called Al-Amn Al-Markazi [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
There was a clash in a Tripoli mosque yesterday between opponents of the Sunni Mufti of Lebanon, and his Hariri supporters.
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Lebanese writer/poet `Isam Mahfudh, who just died, was one of those rare Lebanese who stood away from the sects. Above the sects. My condolences to `Abdul-Hadi.
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Fallacies of US policy in Lebanon: in the contemporary history of US policy toward Lebanon, the main fallacy (which has been disastrous for all concerned), has been the assumption (by the US government) that one faction/sect can deliver Lebanon for the US. This ignores the very divisive nature of Lebanese society and politics. In 1958, [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Full text. “REPORT ON GUANTANAMO DETAINEES: A Profile of 517 Detainees through Analysis of Department of Defense Data”
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
A.G. (a reliable source in Lebanon) sent me this today (about arrests by the Hariri government since the sectarian Hariri fiasco last Sunday:“they arrested about 1000 from tripoli and released about 600 from them but what is shocking they arrested kids..a boy who is 15 has been arrested and abused his name is walid al [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
My favorite news item (which I did not see in the US press): an official US delegation flies to Mauritania to congratulate the military dictator on his coup. Enjoy the Bush’s Doctrine. (thanks Shinqiti)
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
…off to Ann Arbor, Michigan. I will be at the University of Michigan until next Tuesday for this event. I will speak on Sunday at the Roundtable session at 7:00PM in the Rackham Ampheatre at the university. I will also speak on Origins of the Syrian-Lebanese Crisis: The Hariri Factor on Tuesday at 8:30AM at [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
I saw footage of the Hamas leaders on their Arab tour. They reminded me of Arafat and his cronies when they used to tour oil rich countries. I can see the path already. Such a just cause. Such a sacrificing and brave people. And such lousy leadership: from Hajj Amin A-Husayni, to Yasir `Arafat. But [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
For the commemoration of `Ashura, most Shi`ite clerics and leaders ruled against latm (self-flagellation), including Khamenei, Faldallah, Nasrullah, etc. Only Grand (not really) Ayatollah Sistani refused to rule against it.
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Today, the official results of the Iraqi election-under-occupation was announced. Two months after the day of the elections.
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Since I posted my review of Munich (which included a reference to PLO representative in Rome Wa’if Zu`ytir who was murdered by Israeli terrorists, and his assassination was shown in the movie, Munich). His cousin (who was in my class in high school, and she remains a good friend), sent me an email which included [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
Dada Siegt, 1920. Raoul Hausmann.
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
“Similarly, the Angry Arab, also known as As’ad Abu Khalil, a political science professor in California, posted a recent musing about the cartoons that summed up many Muslims’ views. “Should mocking religion be considered part of free speech? For me, the answer is a categorical yes,” Abu Khalil wrote. “To mock religions is freethinking, but [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
“Looking at the cartoons, a non-Muslim wonders how they could possibly have given such offense. How could a few juvenile, satirical drawings of the prophet Muhammad have created a global crisis? It seems inexplicable, until you think about American reactions to a word we hesitate even to write for fear of giving offense, calling it [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad
“The former CIA official who coordinated U.S. intelligence on the Middle East until last year has accused the Bush administration of “cherry-picking” intelligence on Iraq to justify a decision it had already reached to go to war, and of ignoring warnings that the country could easily fall into violence and chaos after an invasion to [...]
Posted on February 10, 2006 by As'ad