Archive for July 6, 2007
The Personality cult around Rafiq Hariri can only be compared to that about Maximum leader in North Korea. Here, an account of a football camp named: “The Fourth We Love the Martyr Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri Camp”. Enjoy Lebanon.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
“Part of the cosmetics giant L’Oréal was yesterday found guilty of racial discrimination after it sought to exclude non-white women from promoting its shampoo.”
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
On Mahmud Darwish’s visit to Israel (thanks Jingol–my mother)
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
The priorities of Arab ruling dynasties: “Construction includes the Burj Dubai, which will be the world’s tallest building, and the Mall of Arabia, the world’s largest shopping mall at twice the size of the Mall of America. Dubai has one of the biggest indoor ski slopes, in a 25-story building in the desert.”
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
“In July 1950, Majdal – today Ashkelon – was still a mixed town. About 3,000 Palestinians lived there in a closed, fenced-off ghetto, next to the recently arrived Jewish residents. Before the 1948 war, Majdal had been a commercial and administrative center with a population of 12,000. It also had religious importance: nearby, amid the [...]
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
This Palestinian columnist says that the Lebanese people “are among the most intelligent in the world.” How I hate such statements. What do they mean? Are there contests to measure the intelligence of people? If you ask me, the intelligence people is inversely proportionate to the amount of Hummus they consume. But seriously: aside from [...]
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
Nothing worries me in Arab politics more than signs of rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. If those two government reconcile it will mean that all Arab media (including AlJazeera) will finally fall under the control of House of Saud. I am worried. Very worried.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
When you read the mouthpiece of Prince Salman bin `Abdul-`Aziz, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat, you get the impression that the columnists are instructed to write with two goals in mind: 1) to make pro-Bush arguments as to make it in MEMRI selective slection of Arab media; 2) to be quoted perhaps in a column or two in [...]
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
So which country is causing trouble for the US in Iraq (I dont understand why all those countries just don’t let the US occupy Iraq in peace. I mean, is that too much to ask?)? Well, it depends when you ask. Today, China is being blamed.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
There is this long article on Lebanon in the New York Times (front page study) with a byline of three correspondents (and one contributor), no less. Read it and see if you learn anything new. It is a summary of what has been going on in the country over last few months.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
Don’t you love it when an ambitious politician conveniently discovers religions: “Mrs. Clinton and others who have known her well as a church youth-group member or a Sunday school teacher or as a participant in weekly Senate prayer breakfasts, say faith has helped define her, shaping everything from her commitment to public service to the [...]
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
Before every talk, somebody comes and recites a passage of the Qur’an. I have never ever heard of something like this in the Arab world. But I told you: I felt that Pakistanis are far more religious than Arabs. They are almost as religious as people in…the Central Valley of California.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
Fox News is carried here in Pakistan. Why? Do they think that the shows have some universal values? I bet that the US administration pulled some strings to have it carried. I saw Hussein Ibish (formerly of the ADC) on some show: I did not know that he is “Executive Director of the Foundation for [...]
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
In one talk I gave here, I spoke against the chants “Death to USA” and such silly slogans. I was pleasantly surprised that not one member of the audience defended such slogans–not to my face at least.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
A member of the audience asked me yesterday about my opinion of the decision to appoint Tony Blair as an envoy for the Middle East. I said that this is like appointing Ariel Sharon as an envoy for Kashmir.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
I read that a leader of Fath’s Kata’ib Shuhada’ Al-Aqsa called Salam Fayyad “the Hamid Karzai of Palestine.” The first time anybody used that expression was `Arafat when he called Abu Mazen “Hamid Karzai” of Palestine. Abu Mazen was so hurt, that he secluded himself in his house for weeks. I read that Dennis Ross, [...]
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
I felt that my audiences in Pakistan could not relate to my humor.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
“Lebanese rights activists on Friday rose to the defence of Palestinians from a besieged refugee camp in northern Lebanon at the centre of alleged “racism” and cases of abuse at the hands of the army.” (thanks Rania)
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
There is a song running regularly with the commercial for Goldcrest on Dawn News TV. She has the most beautiful voice: does anybody know her name and the name of the song? It is angelic.
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad
Dear Sinan Antoon on the state of Iraq now. (thanks Sherene)
Posted on July 6, 2007 by As'ad