Archive for May 20, 2008

“An outspoken critic of the Saudi government who was previously jailed for calling for greater democracy has been arrested, his wife said Tuesday.” The US immediately asked for his extradition to Guantanamo.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Saudi singer, Muhammad `Abduah, apologized for saying that Muhammad was “Saudi.” He admitted that he did not carry the passport.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Al-Azhar denies a report by Hizbullah TV, Al-Manar, regarding an ostensible Azhar’s support for Hizbullah.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

The White House says that Bush did not apologize to puppet prime minister, Nuri Al-Maliki, about that US soldier who used the Qur’an for target practice, and the mouthpiece of Prince Salman (Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat), hoping to boost Bush’s image in the Middle East, insists (in a headline) that Bush has apologized.c

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

One of the funniest slogans during the Lebanese civil war was one by Al-Jam`ah Al-Islamiyyah (the Lebanese branch of the Muslim Brotherhood). It said: “No to sectarianism, yes to Islam.”

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Saudi religious police chasing the star of…Star Academy.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Suddenly, after Bush’s visit to the Middle East, Egyptian leaders speak about the use of force to liberate Palestine. Do you believe them?

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

The American Left and the Middle East: the case of MERIP, again (the tale of “crazed Shi`i thugs”). I don’t have time to give a detailed critique of this piece in MERIP on-line service, but it certainly fits the picture of its editorial congruence with the Hariri Inc, since the Hummus Revolution, when MERIP asked [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Angry Arab and Rep. Kucinich. I received an email from the office of Dennis Kucinich (House member from Ohio, and former Democratic presidential candidate) that he has read my interview on Democracy Now and that he would like to discuss the Lebanon situation with me. So he called me a few hours later and we [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Samir Ja`ja` slipped. He was on LBC-TV when he mentioned Tripoli-based Da`i Al-Islam Ash-Shahhal: a fanatic Salafi cleric. Ja`ja` said: “He is our friend, and he is not a fundamentalist in the full sense of the word.” You be the judges.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

“Despite the belief of some students, water pipes may expose users to more toxic materials than cigarettes. Each puff has as much as 100 times the smoke as a puff from a cigarette, the study said. And smokers are also inhaling fumes from the charcoal.”

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

It is awfully quiet around here as of late. What gives? For those who don’t care, I shall speak tomorrow on Palestine It will be Wednesday May 21 at 7 pm at the Stevenson College Room 150, at University of California, Santa Cruz. Hummus will be served.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

A Lebanese graduate student in the US sent me this (I use with his permission although he does not want his name mentioned): ” I wanted to share this with you As’ad, just to present yet another example on corrupt sectarianism in Lebanon. I was leaving for my summer vacation last week, and got stuck [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

One thing is clear. Neither Hariri Inc and its allies nor Hizbullah and its allies cares about the refugees of Nahr Al-Barid.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

“Leading Saudi reformist Matruk al-Faleh, who once served almost a year and a half in jail for demanding a constitutional monarchy, has been arrested, his wife said on Tuesday.”

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

On the first anniversary of the destruction of Nahr Al-Barid refugee camp one can only send disrespect to the lousy Lebanese Army, which never showed heroism in the face of invading armies in Lebanon.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Assassination by poisonous manaqish? I say that in the pro-Israeli community, if people like you they plant trees in your name in Israel and get you Israeli bonds. In the pro-Palestinian community, they feed you if they like you. I was sitting at the hotel in Anaheim on Sunday and this man (who I did [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

I think that the Qatari government put the Lebanese politicians in the Sheraton (and not say, in nicer hotels, like the Ritz or the Four Seasons) because it has large halls. The food of the Sheraton is excellent and I like its buffet better than the Four Seasons’ (but people who know me well don’t [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

A Palestinian active in the movement for the right of return was meeting with Abu Mazen last year. He told me that Sa’ib `Urayqat approached him and told him to stop calling for the right of return. He told him: I, for example, can represent 6 refugees.

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad

Why did the PLO ambassador in Washington, DC resign? My sources tell me that PLO ambassador in Washington, DC, `Afif Safieh, has resigned in protest (and in disgust) against the heavy-handed intervention in his office’s affairs by the Muhammad Dahlan (official or unofficial) front, the American Task Force for Palestine. Apparently, Abu Mazen-Dahlan gang has [...]

Posted on May 20, 2008 by As'ad