Archive for October 23, 2008

Only Lebanon can turn a campaign on breast cancer into a sleazy campaign.

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

John sent me this message:“Hi As’ad: please print in full exactly as is without changes, or not at all — many thanks, JB STARTSAs’ad: Kindly allow me to respond to your critique of my book Inside Egypt: The Land fo the Pharaohs on the Brink of a Revolution. I don’t want to get into a [...]

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

An-Nahar (the right-wing, Lebanese sectarian Christian, anti-Syrian (people), anti-Palestinian (people)) printed an item on its second page the other day in which it claimed that leaders of the world are “studying” the Lebanese financial model as “the successful model” for solving the world financial crisis. I kid you not. (thanks Khalil)

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

I don’t like flags, and I don’t like nationalisms, but…for Palestine and the Palestinians anything and everything. (thanks Bakira)

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“Say you misplaced $185,481 somewhere? Just expense it — Iraq style! A U.S. contractor hired to teach Iraqis about good government physically lost that amount in cash, then claimed the loss as “an expense.””

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“Ultra-Orthodox youths rioted in Jerusalem overnight, throwing stones at passing cars and beating Arab taxi drivers, Israel Radio quoted an eyewitness as saying on Wednesday.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“West Bank Settlers Complain That Checkpoints Make Them Late For Work” (thanks Emily)

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

BBC loves this Shi`ite cleric. But the Iraqis mock him and remember him for insisting on kissing the cheeks of Paul Bremer. (thanks Ali)

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

Another victory in the “war on terrorism”: “A suspected US missile strike has killed at least eight students at a religious school in north-western Pakistan, witnesses say.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“They are lured into Lebanon to work as models, masseuses or dancers in nightclubs. But some of these young Eastern European women, especially from Moldova, are sold by criminal networks to brothels, where they are forced to work as prostitutes.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

This is Zionism: “The woman, who is blind and diabetic, was sentenced to community service when she was found guilty of harboring a Palestinian man without a residency permit.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“Perceived as ineffective and corrupt, the Afghan president faces an uphill battle to reelection.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“A former Army soldier accused of raping and killing an Iraqi teen and slaying her family was a “chatterbox” after his arrest, voluntarily making nearly two dozen statements while in custody, prosecutors said in court documents filed Wednesday.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

“The Iraqi [puppet] government has criticised US military chief Mike Mullen for warning of “major security losses” if Iraq does not pass a key security deal.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

Global Electoral College. (thanks Julie)

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

This dude regrets that the US did not “stay the course” in Lebanon in 1984.

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

Comrade Fawwaz on the Lebanese (fake) reconciliation festivals.

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

What is the eytomology of the word “boursa”? It is certainly not Arabic although the word is used in modern Hebrew and Arabic to refer to the stock market.PS Anindya tells me: “”bursa”, Mediaeval Latin for ‘purse’, which in turn comes from “bysra”, the Greek for ox-hide.”

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

Israeli dancing on Muslim graves, literally. (thanks Olivia)

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad

Sari Nusseibeh and his Al-Quds Dukkan. Every person I know who taught at Al-Quds University has a story to tell. And they all complain about not being paid. One professor told me this story: he flunked this student in his class. The next day, this person called him. He said: I am Tayyib `Abdur-Rahim, and [...]

Posted on October 23, 2008 by As'ad