Archive for September 2, 2009

Dahlan is back: but he never went away

“Mohammed Dahlan, the once-legendary chief of Fatah’s forces in the enclave, watched his own defeat helplessly from exile. Then he felt the sting of blame for “losing Gaza,” a debacle that split the Palestinians into hostile camps and crippled their dr…

Posted by As'ad at 12:29 PM 09/2/09

% of Women Who Believe It’s OK for Husbands to Hit Them

“% of Women Who Believe It’s OK for Husbands to Hit Them”. In the West, women may not say it is OK, but many stay, unfortunately. I say this before people rush to make distinctions between West and East on the matter. And remember that domestic v…

Posted by As'ad at 12:25 PM 09/2/09

Hazing

“Some private security guards hired to protect the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan say their contractor has allowed widespread mistreatment, sexual activity and intimidation within their ranks, according to the watchdog group Project On Government Overs…

Posted by As'ad at 12:24 PM 09/2/09

All that you have done to our peoples, is registered in notebooks

“One of the released children informed PCHR that the children were “walking normally in the street where the attack took place and that they suddenly found themselves under Israeli gunfire. The boy said that when Israeli soldiers saw the wounded c…

Posted by As'ad at 12:22 PM 09/2/09

it is official: Abu Mazen selected the “winners” of the Central Committee members

A Fath Dahlanist official, Nabil `Amru, admits what we know: that Abu Mazen selected the winners in the “election” to the Central Committee of Fath.

Posted by As'ad at 12:20 PM 09/2/09

axe-wielding Zionism

“Axe-wielding ultra-Orthodox Jews went on a rampage in a Jerusalem neighbourhood, wounding a Palestinian taxi driver, destroying his vehicle and setting dumpsters on fire, police and witnesses said on Wednesday. The violence took place overnight in M…

Posted by As'ad at 12:17 PM 09/2/09

Blatant racism is called a “mix-up” in Israel

“16 Ethiopian students still out of school due to mix-up”

Posted by As'ad at 12:14 PM 09/2/09

This is Zionism

“Thousands of children in Occupied Jerusalem’s Arab neighbourhoods were kept out of classrooms on the first day of school on Tuesday because of Israeli government neglect, activists and human rights groups said.”

Posted by As'ad at 12:13 PM 09/2/09

This is an election that the New York Times called a “success” on the first day

“Instead, aides to Mr. Karzai’s brother Ahmed Wali — the leader of the Kandahar provincial council and the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan — detained the governor of Shorabak, Delaga Bariz, and shut down all of the district’s 45 polli…

Posted by As'ad at 12:11 PM 09/2/09

Zionism-is-racism

“Government officials had asked several private religious schools, which are publicly subsidized, to accept about 100 children of Ethiopian Jews – some of whom would be well behind their peers in language, religious studies, and other areas. The s…

Posted by As'ad at 12:10 PM 09/2/09

King PlayStation visits Qadhdhafi

“His Majesty King Abdullah on Tuesday took part in celebrations here marking the 40th anniversary of Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi’s accession to power. His Majesty, who was received by Qadhafi at the airport, congratulated the Libyan leader on the …

Posted by As'ad at 12:08 PM 09/2/09

Emirates

“First Class luxurious Emirates travel amenity bag.” (thanks Paul)

Posted by As'ad at 12:06 PM 09/2/09

circumcision

“But critics say a double standard prevails: though female genital cutting is also rooted in cultural traditions, it is prohibited by law in America and considered a human rights violation. These critics object to circumcising boys for the same reasons…

Posted by As'ad at 12:01 PM 09/2/09

Tribute to Aubergine

“An unsalted aubergine owes its bitter taste to a tiny quantity of nicotine, but remove this minor piece of nastiness and an aubergine will behave impeccably, maybe mixing best of all with garlic, tomatoes and olive oil but also making surprisingly …

Posted by As'ad at 11:58 AM 09/2/09

Hashim `Ali Muhsin

This is an unknown soldier. Hashim `Ali Muhsin (there is a one line about him in Hanna Batatu’s The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq) was a Stalinist Marxist-Leninist but he was also a distinguished Arab revolutionary. This i…

Posted by As'ad at 11:48 AM 09/2/09

Clerical squabbles in Lebanon

Comrade Fawwaz on the clerical squabbles in Lebanon.

Posted by As'ad at 11:46 AM 09/2/09

Nir Rosen does not heart Karzai

“NIR ROSEN: All reports we’re getting from around the country show that, indeed, there was massive ballot stuffing, massive fraud. And yet, the international community immediately praised these elections, which—and Afghans, at this point, are ve…

Posted by As'ad at 11:12 AM 09/2/09

It is a surge: it is a surge

“Violence in Iraq produced the highest death toll in 13 months as August was marred by a series of suicide bombings in northern Iraq and a high-profile attack on two government ministries in Baghdad that stoked concerns that security was deteriorati…

Posted by As'ad at 11:11 AM 09/2/09

Fox News will now guide LBC-TV: `Amru Diab will sing for Bill O’Reilly

“News Corp. (NWS, NWSA) is in talks with Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal to take a stake in Rotana Media, marking its first major investment in the Middle East, according to people familiar with the deal. The company, headed by Rupert Mu…

Posted by As'ad at 11:07 AM 09/2/09

Begging for money

“Everyone who donates a thousand dollars or more for this project will see their name on the Acknowledgements page of my book and will receive a signed and numbered copy when it is published.” What an honor. What a distinction. Who in his/her righ…

Posted by As'ad at 10:56 AM 09/2/09

Qadhdhafi: the inventor

Qadhdhafi designs a car–kid you not. What is special about the car? It kills women and children just like Qadhdhafi. (thanks Hisham)

Posted by As'ad at 10:55 AM 09/2/09

Lebanese Madoff Update

The Lebanese press is being very closed-mouthed about the true nature of the Lebanese Shi`ite Madoff, Salah `Iz Ad-Din, who has political (and financial) connections with Hizbullah and Amal. But there are small investors who lost their life savings t…

Posted by As'ad at 10:51 AM 09/2/09

Saudi assassination attempt

Comrade Madawi Rasheed analyzes the assassination attempt on Prince Muhammad Bin Nayif. (thanks Luai)

Posted by As'ad at 10:50 AM 09/2/09