Archive for June 9, 2007

I saw an interview with Yemeni poet, `Abdul Al-`Aziz Al-Muqalih. He said that “unfortunately, Arab politicians are not intellectuals.” I am not disagreeing with that statement of course although an argument can be made that PlayStation III is an intellectual kind of work (and thus the Jordanian king can be technically described as [...]

Posted by As'ad at 2:53 PM 06/9/07

“A new scandal threatens to further undermine the credibility of the Iraqi government. A newly released video of Saddam’s execution showed the prosecutor-general of the Anfal trial, Munqidh al-Far’un, celebrating the death of the ex-president while chanting sectarian slogans. According to al-Hayat, the “demonstration” shown in the video took place not too far from the [...]

Posted by As'ad at 12:08 PM 06/9/07

At a time when Palestinians are suffering from indiscriminate bombardment in Nahr Al-Barid camp, the Maronite Bishops in Lebanon issued their monthly lousy statement. You know what it complained about? I kid you not. It complained about “reports” of Palestinian purchases of land in Lebanon. When the Maronite Patriarch is not busy [...]

Posted by As'ad at 12:04 PM 06/9/07

The most courageous Arab intellectuals are people many of you have never heard of. Take somebody like Madawi Rasheed: she has been writing and speaking against the Saudi government for years, in English and in Arabic, refusing to be silenced. Yet, Western media (and Arab American organizations) are busy celebrating Queen Rania.

Posted by As'ad at 11:52 AM 06/9/07

“High cost of militancy for Lebanon’s poor” (thanks Laleh)

Posted by As'ad at 11:11 AM 06/9/07

Jalal Talabani: “God sent us George [W.] Bush to overthrow Saddam.” Did God also send you Mr. Bush to destroy and devastate Iraq too?

Posted by As'ad at 11:08 AM 06/9/07

In the long interview with Al-Hayat, its editor-in-chief, Ghassan Shribil (formerly of An-Nahar) notes that Talabani always makes time for journalists. He forgot to add that Talalabani does what Rafiq Hariri used to do: he puts journalists on the payroll. So many of Iraq’s journalists receive cash payments from him (read about [...]

Posted by As'ad at 11:04 AM 06/9/07

Exciting news. A new digitally enhanced edition of Saturday Night Fever.

Posted by As'ad at 9:29 AM 06/9/07

There is a new poll of Lebanese public opinion by the Beirut Center. It reveals that: 65.1% of all Lebanese think that there is a connection between the visit by David Welsh to Lebanon and the events in the North (39.8% of Sunnis; 90.7% of Shi`ites; 57.8% of Druzes; and 65.9% of Christians). [...]

Posted by As'ad at 9:22 AM 06/9/07

Yes, Nasserist media were guilty of empty triumphalism. But Saudi media are guilty of worse: they are guilty of destructive defeatism.

Posted by As'ad at 9:21 AM 06/9/07

Hariri/Saudi media published satellite pictures showing Fath-Al-Islam fighters infiltrating into Lebanon.

Posted by As'ad at 8:18 AM 06/9/07

Jalal Talabani tells Al-Hayat that things in Iraq are pretty good and that the only “sorrowful aspect after liberation is security.” So if you exclude security, things are great in Iraq. Similarly, he should have added, women fare very well in Saudi Arabia, if you exclude their oppression and the institutionalized inequality.

Posted by As'ad at 8:11 AM 06/9/07