Archive for July 18, 2011
Beyond Reform
Columnists in the mouthpieces of Saudi princes have really been talking non stop about the need for reform in all Arab countries outside the GCC. They leave us with this inescapable conclusion: that Saudi Arabia is beyond reform. That it is…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Ethan Bronner: like Rami Makhluf, he is now a humanitarian
“Controversial New York Times Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner has spoken out at last on a topic he is expert in – advocacy journalism.” (thanks Electronic Ali)
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
The commander of the Faithful’s gifts to Israel and Zionism
“No one can estimate the true value of the Knesset treasures. The diamond pendant necklace, for example, was given to Opposition Leader MK Tzipi Livni (Kadima) by the wife of the king of Morocco during a secret visit to the capital, Rabat, when she wa…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
The new Libyan opportunist, `Abdur-Rahman Shulqum
This opportunist, joining the ranks of other Libyan opportunist, served Qadhdhafi for decades before realizing that Qadhdhafi is a dictator a few weeks. He spills his guts to the mouthpiece of Prince Khalid Bin Sultan, Al-Hayat. And he take…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Syrian mukhabarat intercepting calls from overseas?
A Syrian student in the US sent me this: ”Hey As’ad,I’ve been trying to reach family inside Syria for the past 2 hours and it seems that my calls were intercepted and rerouted to a recorded mock answer by a shabbee7/mukhabaraat. Its purpose is …
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
What happened to Husni Mubarak
I have the details from an Egyptian source. Mubarak was informed that he would be transferred to jail. Mubarak replied: I hereby enter a coma.
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Bahrain royal beatings
“A female member of the al-Khalifa royal family in Bahrain has been accused of repeatedly beating the 20-year-old student poet Ayat al-Gormezi when she was in prison accused of reciting a poem at a pro-democracy protest rally criticising the monarchy.”
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Kurds are not invited
So Kurdish groups and representatives withdrew from the Istanbul conference. They were not allowed to speak, they complained. I guess that Kurds will be oppressed by Arabs (and by Iranians and Turks) no matter who is ruling. What do I…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
If an Arab used the term "Jewish terror", he would be accused of anti-Semitism (personally, I am against linking terror and any religion)
“A senior Israeli army commander has warned that unchecked “Jewish terror” against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank threatens to plunge the territory into another conflict.”
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Arab victims of revolutions
I called on people on Facebook yesterday to launch a website dedicated to immortalizing the victims of the Arab revolutions: from Bahrain to Tunisia and in between. We can divide victims by country and add whatever information on each victim and …
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Al-Akhbar AND As-Safir banned in Syria
The lousy Syrian regime has officially banned As-Safir and Al-Akhbar from Syria.
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Men only
Israel hosts a men-only conference.
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Muslim Brotherhood
`Abdul-Halim Qandil on the reactionary ideology and practice of the Ikhwan. (thanks Shihadeh)
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Banning mosques in the US
“Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain said Sunday that any community should be able to ban mosques because there is a big difference between Islam and “our other traditional religions.”"
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Israeli (in)justice
“Only one Palestinian minor of 853 charged with rock-throwing between 2005-2010 was acquitted, according to a new report by the human rights group B’Tselem.” (thanks Sarah)
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Israeli war on children
“In a report entitled “No Minor Matter,” B’Tselem found that military law encouraged minors to plead guilty to avoid lengthy pre-trial detention, and that children were routinely sentenced to prison terms as a punishment rather than as a final re…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Syrian opposition
A Syrian reader abroad sent me this: ”Notice that when you speak to somebody who did a Phd in the Middle East that they always insist on being referred to as “Doctor”. In fact, notice the plethora of “Doctors” who pepper Arabic satellite channe…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Obama’s drone attacks in Pakistan
“For the past three years, Noor Behram has hurried to the site of drone strikes in his native Waziristan. His purpose: to photograph and document the impact of missiles controlled by a joystick thousands of miles away, on US air force bases in Nevada a…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Arrested for blogging in UAE
“The trial of five bloggers who called for democratic reforms in the United Arab Emirates is set to resume on Monday. Ahmed Mansoor, Nasser bin Ghaith, Fahad Salim Dalk, Ahmed Abdul Khaleq and Hassan Ali al-Khamis stand accused of “publicly ins…
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad
Syrian protesters express their anger at US hypocrisy on Syria
Syrian protesters in Dayr Az-Zur have noticed the changing tone of the US administration on Syria. It seems that Israel has lobbied on behalf of the regime. (Reuters)
Posted on July 18, 2011 by As'ad