Archive for July 11, 2007
Al-Akhbar’s special supplement on “the 6th war.”
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
“Chad Arabs also victims in tit-for-tat violence” (thanks Amina)
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
More Arab women are killed annually by Israeli occupation forces than those who die from FGM and “honor” crimes combined. Yet, Western feminists don’t seem to care for the victims of Israeli violence. If you set up an organization in the Arab world to advocate against FGM, millions in US/Europe/UN aid will come your way. [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Mini-Hariri visits Jordan. Look at those two. I mean, really look at those two. The official statement said that the two had a “working lunch.” Working lunch? With those two? They don’t work when they don’t eat, so how can they work while eating? Unless by “working lunch” they mean a discussion of the frustrating [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
“Coalition forces in Iraq kill 100 “insurgents.” Families, friends and acquaintances of the 100 dead insurgents become 200 new insurgents, fighting to avenge the first insurgents’ deaths.” (thanks Paul)
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
It is gross to have Bassam Abu Sharif speak on Ghassan Kanafani. Kanafani was everything that Bassam Abu Sharif is not, and will never be. Abu Sharif spent his life trying to emulate the path of Kanafani and failed miserably. He even tried to write novels. Compare Al-Hadaf in Kanafani’s days to the days when [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
“Majorities of respondents in five of the six nations report being concerned about the ongoing crisis in Darfur. In the only country where a majority is not concerned, Egypt, 35% report they have great concern or some concern.” (thanks N.)
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
A year later. Dear Hanady: on the people who seem to be all alone.
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
“Zayoun is one of about 200 people maimed by cluster bombs dropped by Israel, mostly in the final three days of the war before a U.N. ceasefire took effect.” (thanks Regan)
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Who needs the Geneva conventions: “The Geneva Convention on armed conflict and the 100 year-old Hague Rules on war need to be “fine tuned” to meet the challenges posed by 21st century asymmetrical warfare, Israeli and American experts said during a conference in Herzliya on Monday.” (thanks Regan)
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Manji on how to pronounce Arabic words: “ Ijtihad (pronounced “ij-tee-hadâ€).” From her I also learned to pronounce Madrasah as “maaaaadraaaasssssaaaaahhh.” (thanks Amal)
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
It is election time in Turkey. I have been watching a few rallies on TV by Erdogan. Several things struck me (although I don’t know Turkish). He is very effective on the stage and conveys self-confidence. I am also struck by the massive crowds at every event. I will be surprised if they don’t win [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
My late father told me the story. He was in Istanbul in 1968 for a parliamentary conference. He took a cab with then speaker Sabri Hamadi to the hotel. The cab driver asked them where they were from. They said that they were Arabs from Lebanon. According to my father: the cab driver did not [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Today I ate at Haci Abdullah (again thanks to Cheryl and Timor). The place was opened in 1888 and inaugurated by Sultan AbdulHamid. It is off Istiklal street in Taqsim and one block from Saray sweet shop. (I wondered when I went today: did Theodore Herzl ate there when he visited Istanbul? I asked. I [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Does anybody know how the Turkish public (in surveys) stand on the Arab-Israeli conflict? Thanks.
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
“Guess which Eastern European country will soon have the third largest military force in Iraq? That same country is strongly pro-NATO and has on retainer a Washington lobbyist who was a leading advocate for the war in Iraq? Now guess which country is getting a free ride from the Bush Administration—and the media—on human rights [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Of course, I don’t care for those lists of the best or the most beautiful. But I was quite relieved when I read that they finally voted for the 7 wonders of the world. I was happy that Lebanon did not make it. Can you imagine how crazy the country would have been with that? [...]
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
I was walking those streets in Istanbul today, and started thinking about Herzl. How he came to Istanbul to bribe the Ottoman Empire. The audacity.
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
Financial fatwawawa: “Cleric Mohammed alÂOssaimi, who has pronounced on the religious credentials of other IPOs, said on a website that some of Kingdom Holding’s investments were in businesses inimical to Islamic values, such as usury and alcohol.”
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad
I was surprised that less people than I had thought speak English in both Pakistan and Turkey.
Posted on July 11, 2007 by As'ad