Manal and Alaa's bit bucket

We frequently witness images of Palestinian children protesting Israeli occupation by throwing rocks at the occupation soldiers, their (armored) vehicles and tanks. The Israeli military usually responds by firing at the children, some are wounded, above the waist, but it’s all in the name of “keeping the peace”, right?Of course not, but let’s assume so [...]

A lot of people, many egyptians and arabs included, have believed the Hype that Hezbollah is "the most effective arab fighting force". Well, this report compares its perfromance with that of the Egyptian army in 1973 and the Jordanian army in 67.More serious misperceptions are equally obvious.For example, instead of dismissing Nasrallah's boasts, manycommentators [...]

I came across an excellent post on a Lebanese blog describing a wounded Hizb’Allah fighter’s story. Regardless of how you feel about Hizb’Allah, I think the post is well worth your time for how well written it is, if nothing else.Excerpt:Suddenly I asked, “were you scared?”He looked at me. The mysterious and piercing look in [...]

Disclaimer: Proposed, sometimes detailed, solutions to Egypt’s problems coming your way.“Were I President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, things would be very different.”It makes me smile; the number of times I have heard the previous statement… both from myself and others. And so, in the spirit of wasting my time and working on something [...]

Excerpts from a statement made by Lebanese musician, and UNESCO Artist for Peace designate, Marcel Khalife. The statment was made during a UNESCO press conference held on August 3, 2006 in Paris. All emphases are my own.My Friends,We find in you what remains in human sense. Be the hope that saves us from the loneliness [...]

Going with the mixing food with politics theme that has been ongoing in my posts comment section this past week, check this out!

I logged on to my account at wordpress this morning with a plan to write something about Egyptian politics and what I’d do were I president or in some way in charge of this country.Of course, I don’t start writing the moment I hit the PC, so I went over to Manal and Alaa’s to [...]

Lest there was any doubt that the savagery inflicted upon Lebanon does not have US neo-conservative hands behind it, this article should do the trick.The US intelligence agency, the National Security Agency (NSA), is providing intelligence to Israel about the possibility of Syria and Iran assisting Hezbullah with weapons. The article does not reveal whether [...]

So while doing my thing, surfing the Internet today, I came across this title to a blog post that I had subscribed to: “Egyptian Blogger Asks the Real Questions“.I thought to myself: cool.Clicked on the title, was taken to the blog’s address, started reading the story and discovered that the Egyptian blogger in question was [...]

Daniel Ayalon, Israeli Ambassador to the United States, on Free Speech Radio News:Q: So you do not take any responsiblity as Israeli ambassador for the occupation role for all that is going on in the region for the last fifty years, am I hearing you right?A: You are hearing me, damn right, absolutely not, [...]

Qana gets yet another massacre associated with its history, and the world, again, stands idly by. There is really nothing to say about what happened yesterday, the images and news have shown and said it all.However, I am in awe of the ludicrous nature of the Israeli Terrorist Forces (ITF) and their sympathizers in the [...]

Qana gets yet another massacre associated with its history, and the world, again, stands idly by. There is really nothing to say about what happened yesterday, the images and news have shown and said it all.However, I am in awe of the ludicrous nature of the Israeli Terrorist Forces (ITF) and their sympathizers in the [...]

I haven’t commented at all on the current situation in the Middle East; the Israeli “invasion” of Gaza or Southern Lebanon. It’s because I feel that I don’t have anything new or original to add to the discussion. That and the fact that I try not to use my blog as a medium where I [...]

I haven’t commented at all on the current situation in the Middle East; the Israeli “invasion” of Gaza or Southern Lebanon. It’s because I feel that I don’t have anything new or original to add to the discussion. That and the fact that I try not to use my blog as a medium where I [...]

أضم صوتي لشريف بن عبد العزيز.. العلم الأمريكي ليس فقط الادارة الأمريكيةهو أيضا نعوم تشومسكي، ونشطاء ضد الحرب، ومدافعين عن القضية الفلسطينية، وغيرهم كثيرونيقول بن عبد العزيز“وتخيلت ان علم مصر يحترق في السودان مثلا لان مبارك امر زبانيته بضرب وقتل اللاجئين السودانيين وكيف اني ساشعر بالضيق ان علم مصر لا يمثل مبارك ولا سياساته” أقترح [...]

There is nothing to say or add to what has already been said about the horrific situation in Lebanon. Nonetheless, I must vent.During the past two weeks I have watched and read news reports in complete shock. I have been unable to discuss the war with anyone, and have only been soaking up the pictures [...]

There is nothing to say or add to what has already been said about the horrific situation in Lebanon. Nonetheless, I must vent.During the past two weeks I have watched and read news reports in complete shock. I have been unable to discuss the war with anyone, and have only been soaking up the pictures [...]

كنت قد تسائلت منذ يومين في تدوينة سابقة عن وضع الجبش المصري وامكانيات الدخول في حرب سواء كانت باختيار مصر أو فرضت عليهامبارك رد عليا  فورا عبر تصريحات للأخبار في طريقه من السعودية للقاهرة بأن الجيش المصري تمام لكنه مخصص للدفاع فقط. كما نقلت أ.ف.ب. عن مبارك قوله أن الذين يدعون مصر للانضمام للحرب دفاعا عن لبنان يجب [...]

Why doesn't this surprise me? "There are times when I am forced to suppress a voicethat rises within me, and which wants me to tell the Israeliinterviewee: shut your mouth, you barefaced liar," says Maial-Sharabani, a newscaster on the Al-Arabiya network, in an interviewwith Ibrahim Totanji, a reporter for Al-Hayat, the Arabic-languagenewspaper published in London."The [...]

 بخخخ   -   عــــــااااووو 

ان كنت تدعم المقاومة المسلحة أو كنت تدعم وقف الحرب واقامة السلام         شارك بلافتتك، اعلن موقفكالأربعاء 26/7 السادسة مساءا.. ميدان التحريرشارك لأجل لبــنان                                          شارك لأن لافتات دعم السلام من مدونة أحد ودعم المقاومة من طي المتصل أسد ولبنان من النت

Hey anti-Bush supporters. How you all doing today? Still think that we would be living in a more peacefull world if Kerry had won the 2004 elections? Check this out:Hezbollah guerillas should have beentargeted with other terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaida and theTaliban, which operate in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Kerry said.However, Bush, has focused military [...]

               

في المظاهرات الأخيرة المناهضة للحرب الاسرائيلية على لبنان والداعمة للمقاومة اللبنانية ردد المتظاهرون هذا الهتاف مرات بعد مرات بحماس شديدواحد.. اتنين.. الجيش العربي فين؟ومن ناحية أخرى صرح مبارك - الرئيس المنتخب - أن اتفاقية الدفاع المشترك دي مش لعبة وانها محتاجة تنسيق دوري ومجهود مستمر وتكاليف كبيرة.. لكن بصراحة التصريح  دة ما أقنعنيش.. ودخلت في [...]

I was thinking a lot over the last 9 days about Lebanon and what is going on there. I was tempted to post but felt I had nothing to say or add to what seems to be an insane situation. During the past days I focused on trying to reach one of my best friends who lives in Lebanon with his wife and two beautiful children. I finally was able to reach him and that was of no comfort to me because the situation he described to me is utterly horrible.

My friend, who is also a German national, has one of two options; both are horrible:

1. Take his wife, children, and belongings and drive over to the Syrian border where he can then catch a flight somewhere where they can be safe exposing himself and his family on the road to Syria to horrific danger.

2. Take an evacuation convoy with the German embassy and basically leave everything he worked hard for behind because he cannot carry heavy luggage with him (evacuation rules imposed by the embassy which makes sense anyway).

 Yesterday I went to a "Support Lebanon and Plestine" demonstration in front of the medical doctor's syndicate, which was organized by the Al Karama (Dignity) Pan Arabist Nasserite movement, Kefaya and youth for change- basically all leftist organizations-, along with other individuals from palestinian, lebanese and syrian origion. I went there expecting a Peace demonstration, [...]

How many times must a man look upBefore he can see the sky?Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man haveBefore he can hear people cry?Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knowsThat too many people have died?… How many years can a mountain existBefore it’s washed to the sea?Yes, ‘n’ how [...]

How many times must a man look upBefore he can see the sky?Yes, ‘n’ how many ears must one man haveBefore he can hear people cry?Yes, ‘n’ how many deaths will it take till he knowsThat too many people have died?…How many years can a mountain existBefore it’s washed to the sea?Yes, ‘n’ how many [...]