Archive for October 1, 2008
I will be offering comments on AlJazeera momentarily. It is about the bailout alas.
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
I got so pissed. I watched a hagiographic report on Mansur Ar-Rahbani on Al-Arabiya TV. The report said that his theater is the most important in the Arab world. It is the typical stupid and silly recylced vapidity that you see in his work. By the way, Mansur Ar-Rahbani wrote an official letter to Al-Akhbar [...]
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
““Their nature requires war, cries out for war,†he says. “In peace, the Albanian becomes sluggish and only half alive, like a snake in winter. It is only when he is fighting that his vitality is at full stretch.—
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
This is a historic document: the last letter written by Salah Jadid from his jail cell to his daughter (in response to a letter in which she asked his permission to get married). Notice that he wrote it on a cover page from Dostoevsky’s The Insulted and Humiliated.(I am still trying to render a better [...]
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
I went to get a haircut in Berkeley: the woman who cuts my hair was busy. I was too impatient to wait so this man volunteered to cut my hair. I obliged, and only later I learned that he was the receptionist. It was a lousy haircut. I called on Lebanese prime minister to shed [...]
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“Blogging in Saudia Arabia can carry risks. The Saudi authorities detained one blogger, Fouad al-Farhan, for four months this year after he called for political reform. But people are still speaking their minds online. Topics in this selection of posts include a fatwa, repressive Arab regimes, religion as empowerment, and menswear with a twist.”
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“The US Government on Tuesday said it approved the sale to Israel of 25 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Corp and an option for 50 more in coming years – a deal valued at up to $15.2 billion.” (thanks Marcy)
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“The U.S. Africa Command, the Pentagon’s first effort to unite its counterterrorism, training and humanitarian operations on the continent, launches Wednesday amid questions at home about its mission and deep suspicions in Africa about its intentions.”
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“Though unequivocal in his view that terrorists are kaffirs (unbelievers), Asghar also has no doubt where the root cause of the recent increase in suicide bombings and other deadly attacks lies: the United States and its military incursions into Pakistan’s tribal zones.”
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“A missile attack by a suspected US drone aircraft has destroyed a house in northwest Pakistan, killing at least four people, according to security officials.” Obama calls that “keeping your eye on the ball.”
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“Shadi Muhammad Shahin died Monday night in the Jericho prison run by the Palestinian Authority. While the circumstances around his death remain unclear, his family claims that he died due to torture by the Palestinian police.” (thanks Olivia)
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
This is what I want to know: why does not the government of Israel not pay the New York Times for propaganda services rendered? Look at this piece of propaganda: “Israel’s connection with nature runs deep, and there are many ways to gain access to its diverse landscapes. The 580-mile Israel Trail allows hikers to [...]
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“Recent security improvements in Iraq are “fragile, reversible and uneven” and the country is still locked in a “communal struggle for power and resources,” a Pentagon report said Tuesday.”
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“Nearly a thousand housing units are being built in Maale Adumim, according to Peace Now’s Settlement Watch project. At Givat Zeev, another of the settlements ringing Jerusalem, a 750-unit project was approved this year. The government has asked for bids on building nearly 350 homes in Beitar Illit, also near Jerusalem. Meanwhile, hundreds of homes [...]
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
Condoleezza Rice is really enjoying the UAE’s beverage.
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
This is an editorial in the mouthpiece of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, edited by Hassan Fattah: “Brothers and sisters – there are 1.5 billion Muslims in this world today. Imagine if only half of them were to embrace the primary shama’il character traits of our beloved Mohammed (PBUH): patience and forbearance; generosity and forgiveness; courage [...]
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
“Finally, we need to impose a special financial sector tax to pay for the bailouts conducted so far. We also need to create a reserve fund so that poor taxpayers won’t have to be called upon again to finance Wall Street’s foolishness.”
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
Read the last paragraph of this interview with the Muftititi of Saudi Arabia: he pays tribute to the mouthpiece of Prince Salman, Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat.
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
Hazem Saghiyyah says that Israel does not threaten its neighbors: that it only threatens in retaltions–just as it kills and invades in retaliation.
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad
I am an atheist but there are times when I develop strong pagan urges: when I see Arab rulers praying. This is the King PlayStion of Jordan. What devotion. What piety. Wait. Is that the Wii behind him? (It is funny that this newspaper is considered liberal: which means pro-Saudi Arabia).
Posted on October 1, 2008 by As'ad