Archive for March 9, 2007

“And an 11-year-old girl, Jihan Dadush, told B’Tselem that soldiers took her from her home three days later, on February 28, forcing her to go into a neighbouring apartment ahead of them. The soldiers then took her home, she said. In her testimony to B’Tselem, Jihan said that after the soldiers left, “I was shaking [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

“And an 11-year-old girl, Jihan Dadush, told B’Tselem that soldiers took her from her home three days later, on February 28, forcing her to go into a neighbouring apartment ahead of them. The soldiers then took her home, she said. In her testimony to B’Tselem, Jihan said that after the soldiers left, “I was shaking [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Don’t you like it when Zionists shed tears over Darfur victims? Does that mean that they care? That they really care?

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

I have said that Saba Mahmood’s Politics of Piety: The Islamic Revival and the Feminist Subject is one of the most important and original works in Middle East studies in years. So I was reading a review of it in the last issue of Middle East Quarterly. The editors chose a researcher from Rand Corporation [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

The official definition of Chutzpah: A Saudi website headlines: “Iranian Government Scared of a Women’s Demonstration.” (Notice the sexist message implied).

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

“Michael Young once said to me that if Taif were rewritten and Christians were allocated less than their present 50% share of Parliamentary seats, he might be forced to leave Lebanon.” (thanks Joshua) When I read that I thought: Let us rewrite Taif, NOW. Fast.

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

“The FBI improperly and, in some cases, illegally used the USA Patriot Act to secretly obtain personal information about people in the United States, a Justice Department audit concluded Friday.”

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Al-Quds Al-`Arabi is reporting that the judge in the case of Saddam Husayn, Ra’uf Rashid Muhammad, who issued the execution order, has arrived with his family in London, and asked for political asylum.

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Yet another miracle at the Lady of Bishwat Shrine near Ba`albak in Lebanon. I have covered the stories of those miracles–relying on the “accurate” and constant coverage in An-Nahar (the right-wing, sectarian Christian, anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian (people) newspaper). The latest miracle features the kid above: as soon as he entered the church, the [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

An-Nahar and its editors think that they are exhibiting “civilized” traits when they praise Amos Oz.

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

All Lebanese newspapers yesterday led with the news that Olmert admitted that he had planned for the war on Lebanon back in March of 2006, except the Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal. It totally neglected the news story. Only today it mentioned it but only as part of a report on the political controversies of Israel. But [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Two weeks after the release of Seymour Hersh’s article in the New Yorker, the Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has just decided to respond, denying that it has received payments from the US or even from Arab sources. Between Seymour Hersh and the Muslim Brotherhood, who do you believe? Hersh, of course.

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

An account of the relationship between Hariri Inc and Patriarch Sfayr by Jean `Aziz.

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

This picture was taken in Lattakia, Syria. The writing on the wall says: “Don’t urinate here, o animal.” (thanks Brian)

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Always flying high. Always.

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

A teacher in Lebanon reminded me that today is The Day of the Teacher. I disliked that day as a student, and dislike it as a teacher today. Why the teacher? Why not the Day of the Plumber or the Carpenter or the shoe shiner? What elitism. My least favorite part of the day was [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Excuse me but I thought that Human Rights Watch is doing an investigation of Lebanese attacks on Syrians in Lebanon since Hariri’s assassination? I even met the head of the team in Beirut. Just yesterday, a Syrian man was robbed in Ta`lbaya in the Biqa`, and two Syrian workers were viciously attacked in Shikka (with [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Times Literary Supplement January 26, 2007 “A photograph in the New York Review of Books (October 5, 2006) shows the attractive Hirsi Ali at a TIME-sponsored party chortling with fellow influential person, Condoleezza Rice. In the accompanying review, Timothy Garton Ash notes his ‘enormous respect for her courage, sincerity and clarity.’ The American Enterprise Institute [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

Times Literary Supplement January 26, 2007 “A photograph in the New York Review of Books (October 5, 2006) shows the attractive Hirsi Ali at a TIME-sponsored party chortling with fellow influential person, Condoleezza Rice. In the accompanying review, Timothy Garton Ash notes his ‘enormous respect for her courage, sincerity and clarity.’ The American Enterprise Institute [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad

John wrote this (with his permission):“An open letter to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and SciencesI had the great fortune of attending the 79th Academy Awards following my nomination as producer for a film in the Best Documentary Feature category. At the Awards ceremony, most categories featured an introduction that glorified the filmmakers’ craft [...]

Posted on March 9, 2007 by As'ad