Archive for January, 2010

This is exactly what the West have in mind when it speaks of reforms

“Yet beneath the kingdom’s glossy surface lies an autocratic underbelly. Despite economic liberalisation, the political reforms of the early 1990s have stalled. While Abdullah talks the language of change, domestic supporters have grown frustrated a…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

The New York Times and its Israeli propaganda standards

The Israeli government has not yet released an official response to the Goldstone report. Yet, the New York Times has printed tens of articles in which Israeli military commanders and propagandists were allowed to respond to the Goldstone report. The…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Israel’s dirty feet

“Liberia awarded Israel’s Elenilto Mineral Mining Ltd. the rights to develop the $1.6 billion Western Cluster iron ore project, the West African country’s President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, said.” (thanks Hani)

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Zinn

If the New York Times could snicker it would have: “A conventional historical account held no allure; he concentrated on what he saw as the genocidal depredations of Christopher Columbus, the blood lust of Theodore Roosevelt and the racial failings of…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Anthony Shadid

I am not sure that I am happy that a fine foreign correspondent, Anthony Shadid, is working for the New York Times. I have a feeling that he won’t be allowed to touch the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

The worst puppet your money can buy

“Moreover, the Palestinian Authority (PA), which Mr Abbas heads, depends on American cash.” (thanks Olivia)

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Winning hearts, minds, and buttocks of Muslims

“Saudi Arabia’s Civil Aviation Authority has reportedly received a list of instructions from Washington, saying travelers may be subjected to random manual inspection that includes sensitive body parts like the buttocks. The decision applies not on…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Zionists: occupiers and book burners

“Israel plundered and destroyed tens of thousands of Palestinian books in the years after the State’s establishment, according to a doctoral thesis to be submitted next month by a Ben-Gurion University researcher.” (thanks Ibrahim)

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Hizbullah and Iran

I was watching a news show yesterday in which Lebanese journalist, Rafiq Khuri was talking. I really like this man: he is knowledgeable, funny, erudite and is a great conversationalist. He knows Arabic poetry very well, and was a sounding board (at a…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Ethiopian delegation in Lebanon

There was an official Ethiopian delegation in Lebanon. I worried about them in officially racist Lebanon. I imagined that some Lebanese official would order them to go to the kitchen and make coffee.

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Davos

I want to visit the town of Davos but I am talking here about the Davos forum. Have there been more boring and silly exercises than those gatherings?

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Obama: the Middle East has obviously plagued the region for centuries

“The Middle East has obviously plagued the region for centuries.” If Bush came up with this dumb observation, he would widely mocked. Obama should be equally mocked for this dumb statement. But play the whole clip and see how awful, cowardly, nervous…

Posted on January 29, 2010 by As'ad

Mary Daly

I suspended my New York Times during my trip but my delivery person insists on saving all copies for me until I come back. So I was going through them and just today I learned that Mary Daly died. I feel guilty for not noting that on this blog. She …

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

Charles Mathias

Nowhere in this NYT obituary is there a reference to his criticisms of the Israeli lobby.

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

Celebrity worship

Abdullah sent me this (displeased): “”A People’s History” had some famous admirers, including Matt Damon and Affleck. The two grew up near Zinn, were family friends and gave the book a plug in their Academy Award-winning screenplay for “Good Will Hu…

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

A tribute to Howard Zinn

“Howard Zinn (1922-2010): A Tribute to the Legendary Historian with Noam Chomsky, Alice Walker, Naomi Klein and Anthony Arnove.” (thanks Mina)

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

The festival of Lebanese racism

“”Un homme, venu avec Ali à l’hôpital, affirme calmement : « Il y a eu déjà deux crashs à bord desquels ont péri des Libanais travaillant en Afrique… Il est temps que la Middle East Airlines desserve correctement ce continent. »”" (thanks M…

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

Lebanese marriages

“But the study has proven the argument to be out of touch with the facts: slightly more Lebanese women are married to Syrians than Palestinians (22 percent compared to 21.7 percent), with those married to other Arabs or foreigners forming the majori…

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

This should be a national emergency in Lebanon

“Abused, humiliated and deprived of the most basic rights, foreign maids in Lebanon are starting to fight back against their employers in court and, in rare cases, they are winning. Nanda, from Sri Lanka is one of the few to break the silence. The …

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad

Dubbing

If you compare Syrian dubbing of foreign TV serials to Lebanese dubbing of foreign TV serials you can only reach this conclusion: the Syrian people are so much more likable and adorable and charming.

Posted on January 28, 2010 by As'ad