Archive for December 12, 2006

“”For most of the mainstream and less mainstream political parties of political Islam, the borders of the contemporary state have been accepted,” said As’ad AbuKhalil from Lebanon, who teaches politics at the U.S. California State University. “There is absolutely no credence to the notion that the quest for the caliphate is the overriding goal of [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

If you had doubts that Kenneth Stein has brilliant ideas on the Middle East, this will discard them: “To achieve last peace, the Israelis and Palestinians must be willing to sit down and negotiate with each other, Stein said.” I can imagine the immense learning that goes on in his classroom. Wow. I already feel [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Light unto what? “A substantial share of the other criteria are also likely to give non-Arabs an advantage: anyone who lives north of Kiryat Shmona or south of Ashdod receives up to 28 points (most of the Arab students come from the Galilee); and academic excellence, which is not so simple for Arab students who [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

“Stein said two Republican committee members were “flummoxed” by such basic questions on Islam and the Middle East, and as the Iraq Study Group reported last week, only six people at the US embassy in Baghdad are fluent in Arabic.”

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

“The embattled Afghan president Hamid Karzai warned yesterday that his country’s enemies “will burn in hell with us” if Nato fails to stem a tide of Taliban violence emanating from neighbouring Pakistan.”

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Sanyurah shows his independence. Fu’ad Sanyurah yesterday chaired the council of ministers. After a couple of boo hoo hoos, the cabinet issued a statement. My favorite was the last item: it said that the cabinet condemned Israel. Sanyurah is trying to show his independence.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

I watched Saudi writer Turki Al-Hamad on Future TV. It made me realize. Some Arab writers and intellectuals love to please the Lebanese: but not so much to please the Lebanese. They think that the Lebanese can be their bridges to the White Man–to win his approval. This is why people like `Abdur-Rahman Ar-Rashid ingratiates [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

This statement by Walid Jumblat (sectarian warlord, medieval feudal landlord) was not printed (or printed and censored) in all Lebanese media. It was only printed in full in the Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Rice wants the demonstrations in Lebanon “to stop.” NOW.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Salim Huss (former Lebanese prime minister) is always cautious and careful. But here, he is uncharacteristically blunt: he accuses the ruling group of responsibility (and cover up) for the assassination of Pierre Gemayyel. He then criticizes the Mufti.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

The protests in downtown Beirut are allowing Lebanese organziations and media–and even ordinary Lebanese–to vent out their sectarianism and classism. Here, Hariri rag refers to the demonstrators in Beirut as “ru`a`” (rif-rafs).

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

A person who had first-hand dealings with the Mehlis team told me that it was very clear that they were woefully ignorant of Lebanese and Middle East affairs. This is from today’s report of Brammertz: “69. Some of the victims of the targeted attacks were directly or indirectly linked to the political coalition known as [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Brammertz report.Notice this one: “28. The complete tooth and other biological parts belonging to the same male found on the crime scene during the investigations carried out in June 2006 and earlier are being analysed in order to establish, if possible, the geographic origin of the person. It is this individual who the Commission believes [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

When Michael Kinsley comes to the rescue of Zionism. Michael Kinsley is one of my favorite columnists: he is witty and sharp, although I don’t agree with any of his politics. I once appeared on CNN’s Crossfire when he was the host from the “left”–the American Left (equivalent of Right in Europe for our international [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Arab leaders brag about their sons (not their daughters) if they can use a computer. They think that it is a sign of their genius. I can use a blender, but my parents don’t brag about me. How sad.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

Samah Idriss has an excellent editorial in the next issue of Al-Adab. I shall provide a link when it becomes available. He calls on progressives to put a distance between them and the opposition, while supporting opposition to the government. I agree. There are so many problems with the opposition in Lebanon. The ceiling is [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

After leaving office, I really think that George W. Bush should become a professor of Middle Eastern studies. Don’t you think? I mean, he now knows that there are Sunnis and Shi`ites in Iraq. That should qualify.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

I saw Hariri tool (Ilyas `Atallah of that most silly tiny organization that calls itself Yasar Dimuqrati, which supports the World Bank/IMF prime minister of Lebanon) on LBC-TV. He compared Hariri, Jubran Tuwayni, and Pierre Gemayyel to Che Guevara. I kid you not. He also said–this “leftist”–that the ultimate authority should be with the Maronite [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

I am still thinking about yesterday’s phrase by US Department of State’s spokesperson in which he criticized Lebanese demonstrators for their “non-democratic motivations.” How does the esteemed official judge the motivations? (There is a Hadith in which a Muslim fighter came back from battle and told Muhammad that he has just killed a pagan in [...]

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad

I was displeased that the Iran correspondent of Al-Akhbar newspaper–of all places–called the kooky Iran holocaust “conference” “courageous.” There is no courage in inviting David Duke and other bigots; there is stupidity, not courage.

Posted on December 12, 2006 by As'ad