Archive for April 10, 2007

From the poem Awaiting the Bird of Thunder by Palestinian poet Samih Al-Qasim (my translation):“And it happens that he comeshe comes with the suna face distorted in the dustof school curriculaand it happens that he comesafter the suicide ofdrought in my voicesomething…its splendoris limitlesssomething called in songs:the bird of thunder!He must comewe have reached it,we [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“”We know there are anti-Iraqi forces waiting out there to fight, and wanting to fight when it is to their advantage,” said Garver, using the military’s term for insurgents.” Anti-Iraqi? How do you define that, o military expert? So in this particular case, the US forces are pro-Iraqis, while the Iraqi themselves are anti-Iraqis? And [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“The White House wants to appoint a high-powered czar to oversee the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with authority to issue directions to the Pentagon, the State Department and other agencies, but it has had trouble finding anyone able and willing to take the job, according to people close to the situation. At least three [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

A what unto the nations? “The High Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that Haifa University would be allowed to continue its policy of giving preference to Israel Defense Forces veterans in its dormitory application process, a policy which some consider discriminatory against Arab students.”

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Hizbullah accuses US of secret war and arming opponents” (And Na`im Qasim just realized that now?)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Faced with an ever-more ruthless insurgency in Baghdad – despite President George Bush’s “surge” in troops – US forces in the city are now planning a massive and highly controversial counter-insurgency operation that will seal off vast areas of the city, enclosing whole neighbourhoods with barricades and allowing only Iraqis with newly issued ID cards [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Ethiopian, gunship helicopters attack a busy shopping boulevard in down town Mogadishu, killing hapless civilians; shoppers, traders, pedestrians; young and old alike flee for their lives and run for cover, during last week’s major offensive against clan militiamen was launched by the occupying Ethiopian forces in Mogadishu. Photo by Shabelle Media. (SL Times © ) [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

From the poem I Call On You by Palestinian poet Tawfiq Zayyad (my translation):“I call on youI press your handsI kiss the ground under your feetand I say: I sacrifice myself for youI give you as a giftthe light of my eyesand the warmth of heart, I give youMy tragedy that I liveIs my share [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

From the poem Traveler Without Luggage by Iraqi poet `Abdul-Wahab Al-Bayyati (my translation):“…under the skywithout hopeinside me the self dieslike a spidermy self diesand on the wallthe light of the dayabsorbs my years,and spits it out in bloodthe light of the dayNever for me, was this daythe door is shut!the day never wasNever for me [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

Some Arab intellectuals specialize in signing petitions for the release of political prisoners in Syria. Don’t get me wrong. I agree: but I also want the release of political prisoners in Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Libya, Egypt, Israel, Tunisia, and Mauritania among others.

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Many in the crowds were seen burning US flags and some were trampling on and striking US and Israeli flags painted on the ground with their shoes, an act considered one of the worst insults in Arab culture.” (thanks Michael)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“The islands, formerly part of the American-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, officially became an independent nation under an agreement with the United States in 1986. With a population of about 107,000, the Federated States of Micronesia consists of 607 islands extending 1,800 miles across the archipelago of the Caroline Islands.”

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Just before he was scheduled to undergo surgery to treat oral cancer, Mohammed A. Hussain went to the bathroom at the hospital — and that’s when he says the humiliation began. Inside the restroom at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore, the 61-year-old Muslim performed the Islamic ritual of washing his hands and [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

This is how women’s rights are measured in the Wall Street Journal (and in other US newspapers for that matter): “In a modest liberalization move here last year, the government decreed women henceforth would be allowed to work in stores that sell lingerie. The religious establishment loudly objected, saying this could result in women working [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

I see shoes in this picture from yesterday’s demonstration against US occupation in Najaf. Does anybody know if there is any significance to the use of shoes in Arab culture? Thanks. (thanks D)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Misogyny in the Morning”

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

Ethiopian government explains: “Almost all the states whose citizens are involved were notified in good time after the transfer to Ethiopia of the suspected terrorists. The only exceptions are few individuals whose dual and multiple citizenship is under investigation. Nothing has been done in secret. All legal procedures are being followed, and the suspected terrorists [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

If only I can issue a fatwa to end all fatwas: “The chief of a radical mosque in the Pakistani capital has issued a decree calling on the government to sack a woman minister after a photograph was published showing her hugging a foreign man.” (thanks Wissam)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“[US] Federal officials are increasingly turning to genetic testing to verify the biological bonds between new citizens and the overseas relatives they hope to bring here, particularly those from war-torn or developing countries where identity documents can be scarce or doctored.” (thanks Laleh)

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad

“Unfortunately, in the West, particularly in the United States, most of the king’s speech went unnoticed, with the mainstream media preferring instead to focus on the phrase “illegitimate foreign occupation.” Abdullah used the phrase for two reasons: primarily to play to his audience, most of them highly unsympathetic to the invasion of an Arab country [...]

Posted on April 10, 2007 by As'ad