Archive for May 4, 2008

“On the occasion of Labor Day, Ethiopia has officially banned its citizens from traveling to Beirut in search of jobs, the African country’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has disclosed. Ethiopia passed the bill after it probed the human right violations and domestic violence Ethiopian migrants face behind closed doors in Beirut while employed [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Oh, no. Saddam Husayn’s memoirs. I would rather read the phone book. (But notice the introduction written by the writer in Prince Khalid Bin Sultan’s mouthpiece).

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

This has been the case since I came to the US. White America has always needed a black man to hate. Whether it is OJ, or Farrakhan, or whoever, there is always a need for one black man to be made the object of white hate. It is now Rev. Wrigtht. Somebody else will take [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

This account by the lousy Bassam Abu Sharif is worth reading only because of what it contains about Walid Jumblat’s role. It is also worth reading about the lousy role of the Soviet Union during that period.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

“Saudi Crown Prince Sultan’s visit to a Swiss clinic for medical checks last week provided a reminder of a potential power vacuum in the world’s biggest oil exporter, analysts and diplomats say.”

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

The Syrian regime banned Faruq Al-Qaddumi from entering Syria, according to Al-Quds Al-Arabi. Syria does not want Qaddumi to announce his official formation of a new splinter Fath movement.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Sa`dallah Mazra`ani on the Saudi role in Lebanon.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Gun Zionism, bragging: “So let the entire free world join Israel in its celebration of sixty years of nationhood, since no nation in the world has contributed more per capita to the general welfare of the people of this planet than Israel.” And did Dershowitz write that sentence by himself, or did he also rely [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Fatawawawas for dictatorships. The book burning cleric, Shaykh Yusuf Al-Badri, of Egypt issued a fatwawa to prohibit any participation in today’s strike in Egypt and to consider anybody who participates in the strike to be “religiously guilty”. He compared in his fatwawawa Mubakak to `Uthman Bin `Affan–did Badri forget how `Uthman was killed?

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Al-Arabiyya readers. From the site of Al-Arabiyya: the most read article on the website, is one about a father who raped his daughter. The most saved news item, is the one about the father who raped his daughter. That gives you an idea of Saudi media and how they operate.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

The Arab organization of Red Cross and Red Crescent gave a medal to the Saudi King. It cited his “humanitarian” role, and his supervision of public beheadings in the kingdom.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

NBN-TV aired a report on the oratorical skills of Lebanese leaders. The “experts” interviewed ruled that Nabih Birri (who just happens to be the owner of NBN-TV) is the best speaker in Lebanon.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

“Indyk said that, based on his recent talks with Arab leaders, many “are perplexed as to why discussions of such security guarantees have not yet been undertaken.””

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

“Finally, the fact that Asmea refuses to disclose the sources for its original funding might send the message that there are some notorious conservatives behind the group.” (thanks Ahmad)

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

“Amid the furore of how a plot – apparently known of in advance – could have come so close to killing Karzai, the death of Syed Ali has all but been forgotten. An official from the President’s office came to see the family and said he would come again. When I met the family, they [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

“Qom may have become a prostitution hot spot due to the abundance of shrines. Young female runaways with no shelter come to the city knowing they can take refuge at holy sites by sleeping in rooms intended for pilgrims. They have no way of making a living, so after awhile they get involved with the [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Globalization of the media. Yesterday, I tuned in to Al-Arabiya TV: I saw Thomas Friedman interviewing some students in India. I felt the same urge that my father used to feel when the then president of Lebanon, Charles Hilu, used to appear on the screen when I was growing up: he used to throw his [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Why is the Maronite patriarch of Lebanonesia always grumpy?

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Al-Arabiyya TV officially refers to the last trip by Abu Mazen as “the peace trip.” Enjoy.

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad

Another brilliant Lebanese: his name is Wa’il Abu Shaqra. He is featured on the first page of Hariri rag, Al-Mustaqbal, and apparently has invented 56 different inventions, in the US and other countries. He lives in the US and can’t elaborate or explain all his inventions because it was “in coordination with the security sector” [...]

Posted on May 4, 2008 by As'ad