Archive for July 5, 2007
Al Gore is now offering a seven-point pledge for people to sign regarding the environment. The pledge does not speak to Gore’s own record of unconditional support for wars–but in the US you can be an environmentalist who champions war. But I am willing to sign his pledge if he pledges to stop boring me [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
“The anti-Dahlan camp, while lacking the financial resources at Dahlan’s disposal, has the advantage of wide support within Fatah and even stronger public support.” (thanks Yasmine)
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
“West Bank settlements have been allocated huge amounts of land, but use very little of it, according to a Peace Now report. Only nine percent of the area under settlement jurisdiction has been built on, and only 12 percent is being used at all, the report said, citing Civil Administration figures. But despite their huge [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
The Foreign Ministry of Australia explains: “They want ultimately to establish a caliphate – a pan-Muslim super-state that unites all Muslims and all lands now or ever part of the Islamic world. This includes the Middle East and North Africa from the Red Sea to the Atlantic coast. It includes Andalusia in Spain, parts of [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
To make myself less of a big baby I can simply claim that I encountered not lizards in Islamabad but small alligators. That is right. Alligators. I need to revise all my previous posts now. Wait. I have to go now: I need to chase a new alligator.
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Nobody knows how to serve Saudi interests better than Lebanonese journalists. Yesterday, Lebanese columnist, Samir `Atallah castigated Shi`ites for not serving and dying with the Lebanese Army in Nahr Al-Barid. (That is how blatantly sectarian Saudi media are these days). Today, he published a correction that he was wrong. Did you get overzealous in your [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
You will not read this in the Western press: a demonstration in Cairo against FGM.
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
The leader of Hamas bloc, Sa`id Siyam, explains why Hamas has not released to the public “the documents” that it keeps saying it captured in its takeover in Gaza. He said that the documents are “sensitive.” So why do you keep talking about them and keep threatening to release them then?
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
People in the West often ask me why people in the Middle East don’t condemn terrorism. Well, the answer is that they do, but they are ignored by your media when they do. Here, from a demonstration in Yemen following a bombing. Can you look to see if one US newspaper will print the news [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Hariri media are fuming: the official statement by the Hariri group was more crude and vulgar than usual. You see: Ahmad Jibril gave an interview on Al-Manar TV in which he made accusations against Hariri family and their connections with fanatical Salafi groups. The Hariri media are reacting with nervousness bordering on insanity. Somebody need [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Fath official in Lebanon, Sultan Abu Al-`Aynayn represents the corruption in dishonesty of the Fath Movement. He gave an interview to a Saudi newspaper in which he said that the Saudi members of Fath-Al-Islam gang were “misled.” Notice that only the Saudis were misled.
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
English language newspapers in Pakistan, I noticed, really like to use cliche expressions. Yesterday, The News daily had this as the main headline: “Lal Masjid Clerics Bite the Dust.” (The subheadline was this: “Lizards chase a visiting Arab in the streets of Islamabad. Arab not amused.”)
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Maronite Bishop, Bisharah Ar-Ra’i, accuses the Sanyruah government of trying “to Islamize Lebanon.”
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
It is not that the US ambassador in Lebanon is a High Commissioner (he is of course, just as Rustum Ghazalah was), but the media with colonial nostalgia, like the LBC TV (the TV of the militia that perpetrated the Sabra and Shatila massacres) want the US ambassador to serve as High Commissioner. Yesterday, LBC [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Yesterday, I read in An-Nahar that UNESCO has “chosen” Lebanon as its “international center” for books–whatever that means. Nobody has fed and fueled Lebanese delusions more than this right-wing, sectarian Christian, anti-Palestinian (people), anti-Syrian (people) newspaper. I am sure that probably UNESCO gives that dubious honor to some 200 countries of the world. I went [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Yesterday, I spoke at the Women’s College at the International Islamic University here in Islamabad. (It is sexist that the male faculty at the university can teach at the women’s college, but the female faculty does not have that privilege at the men’s college). It was the most interesting event for me: I really enjoyed [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
“U.S. university presidents visit Israel to strengthen academic ties.” I would not be surprised if US university presidents offer to serve in the West Bank occupation army; I would not be surprised if US university presidents offer to torture Palestinians for free. I would not be surprised if US university presidents offer to go on [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Don’t try the food at the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, and even if you do, bring your portable AC with you.
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Wave your Lebanese flags: Lebanon is cheering its armed forces. Rania sent me this from Beirut: “Another assault. By the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (aka, police). He – R.S. – was standing on a sidewalk, waiting for a friend to come out of T Marbouta (off of Hamra street, a main, popular street in Beirut). [...]
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad
Today, an explosion from the clashes at the Lal mosque in Islamabad echoed in my hotel at 3:15 AM. It awakened me and awakened the lizards in my room.
Posted on July 5, 2007 by As'ad