Archive for August 21, 2012
Shaykh Hasan As-Saffar
The statement that was signed by Saudi Shi`ite cleric, Hassan As-Saffar, and other colleagues of his either reflect their utter stupidity or their desire for House of Saud’s largesse. It cant be anything else, especially when they take seriously …
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
The dispicable sectarianism of Ali Farzat
I have promoted the art of Ali Farzat on this blog for years, I described him–and still do–as the most talented Arab cartoonist today, although he failed to produce one good–not brilliant, just good–cartoon during this crisis. The man has now…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
hostage taking
As for as hostage taking is concerned, the Yemeni tribal captors are by far the most generous as captors. Those throw lavish buffets for their hostages. I heard of some Western adventurers roaming Yemen hoping to be “hosted” by a Yemeni tribe.
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Saudi riches
“But while its princes gallivant in private jets and build massive air-conditioned palaces in the desert, 40 percent of Saudis live on less than $850 per month and almost 20 percent live on less than $480 per month.”PS I should say that the reviewer…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Khaled Fahmy and Arabic books in the West
Regarding this interesting note on Arabic books at Western libraries by Khaled Fahmy in Jadaliyya. Yes, he has a point regarding lamentations and sorrow when you see the Arabic collections (especially when it is rarely used or opened as in the Wi…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
blind spots
“”Aung San Suu Kyi’s continued silence on the plight of Burma’s Rohingya Muslims is sparking concern that the Nobel Peace Prize winner is failing to live up to her stature as one of the world’s most celebrated pro-democracy campaigners.” (thanks Raed)
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Reading about Syria
Akram sent me this: “This is one of the best article about the situation in Damascus.”
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
In a nutshell
“Niall Ferguson is an intellectual fraud whose job, for years, has been to impress dumb rich Americans with his accent and flatter them with his writings. It’s a pretty easy con, honestly, if you’re born shameless and British (or French). His ma…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Theories
“We argue, instead, that Muslim anti-Americanism is predominantly a domestic, elite-led phenomenon that intensifies when there is greater competition between Islamist and secular-nationalist political factions within a country. Although more observant …
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
How Iraqi victims are forgotten
711 Iraqis have been killed in the month of Ramadan alone and barely a mention in the US or Arab (read Saudi and Qatari) press.
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Aramco and Saudi support for Israel
“In a statement posted on PasteBin, the hitherto unknown Arab Youth Group suggested the attack against Aramco’s “administrable structures and substructures” had been carried out to protest what it claimed was the support shown to Israel and the Unit…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Tribute to Syrian armed gangs in the New York Times
I read the long boring piece and saw the accompanying pictures in the New York Times. This is not new. They embedded themselves with the rebels: it is very much like 1980s US media’s fawning coverage of Afghan mujahidin.
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Air France
An Air France pilot deemed the situation in Beirut to be too dangerous so he landed in Aleppo airport instead. (thanks Semir)
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
Mohammad Shatah
This former Lebanese minister is a follower of Fu’ad Sanyurah, who is a follower of Hariri family, which is a follower of the entourage of the House of Saud. Mr. Shatah has a new blog. Reading it a bit made me eager to rush and read the nea…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
what will Walid Jumblat tell his friend Fisk about this passage???
“”At least a dozen civilians emerged from their homes, retirees in their 70s, shopkeepers and local businessmen with their families and, unaware that a foreign journalist was watching, put their arms round Syrian troops. One told me he had stayed i…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
"return of the native"
” “I think the neo-imperialists and their sympathisers are best seen as a symptom of Anglo-America’s bizarre political culture of the previous two decades — a culture in which politicians supported by an unquestioning corporate media wage genoc…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
"Hamas and the old/new American crescent "
This is an important article by comrade Joseph: I wanted to cite the whole article in full here. It deals with many aspects of the Arab uprisings: “As Hamas is admitted into the US camp, the new “crescent” that is slated to dominate (part …
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
charity in Syria
You may not have heard of Rami Makhluf as of late but the man has been very busy with charitable work. Remember: it is his life’s work now.
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
For Barry Obama, Syria’s chemical weapons are in the right hands…of Bashshar: kid you not
““We cannot have a situation in which chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people,” Mr. Obama said”… So Bashshar and his ruling clique are the right people?
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad
US government dispatches Todd Akin to teach Muslims about Women’s rights
“A story from CNSNews reveals that the U.S. Department of State has once again undertaken the dubious task of trying to reform Islam to fit the department’s international agenda. According to an August 10 report released by the State Department and t…
Posted on August 21, 2012 by As'ad