Qissat: Short Stories By Palestinian Women is a new collection of stories by a diverse group of Palestinian women. Some are living under occupation, others are in the Arab world and beyond. Here's a review in Arabic and one in English.
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Saturday, September 30, 2006
New Book: Qissat
Qissat: Short Stories By Palestinian Women is a new collection of stories by a diverse group of Palestinian women. Some are living under occupation, others are in the Arab world and beyond. Here's a review in Arabic and one in English.
Defending Islam Against the Pope
Uri Avnery, who identifies himself as an atheist Jew, exposes the charge that Islam is spread by the sword as a myth.
I like the article except for the last part, where he makes a connection between the Pope and Bush--that was the least convincing part and there wasn't much evidence presented to support the link.
I like the article except for the last part, where he makes a connection between the Pope and Bush--that was the least convincing part and there wasn't much evidence presented to support the link.
Keeping Quiet
Keeping Quiet
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrup this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
Pablo Neruda
Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
For once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.
Fishermen in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.
Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.
What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.
If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrup this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.
Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.
Pablo Neruda
Here We Go Again
Yet another controversy. It seems hardly a day goes by without someone feeling the urge to say publicly something stupid about Islam and Muslims. This time it's in France. A teacher denouces Islam as a violent religion and Mohammad as a warlord and polygamist. He compares Christ and Mohammad and Christ wins.
As idiotic as these remarks are, the response to them of some so called Muslims is far more idiotic.
What do you do to prove that Islam is not violent?
You threaten violence. You send death threats. You froth at the mouth. You scream and rage. Or, if you are as "reasonable" as Al-Zawahiri, you ask the Pope to convert to Islam!
Ya, very effective.
I think the Muslims are facing two problems: one is the racist, Islamophobic discourse circulating around these days. The other is their inability to mount an argument against this racism. It's easier for those people to shake their fists, to demonstrate and torch some cars than to learn their own history and use it to counter those who are attacking them.
The worst part of all is that the Muslims who are screaming are the ones who are being heard, drowning all other voices. But perhaps the those others are . . . whispering.
When 40% of Americans believe the conflict is between the west and "Islam" (not just a group of terrorists), you know that whispering is not going to cut it.
One final note just to explain where I'm coming from: I am for free idiotic racist, sexist, and Islamophobic speech, as long as it does not directly threaten the lives of others. If that French teacher said what he said then added that the French should go out hunt some Muslims, then this is hate speech. Unfortunately, it's a few Muslims who decided to make the threat and therefore lost the argument.
As idiotic as these remarks are, the response to them of some so called Muslims is far more idiotic.
What do you do to prove that Islam is not violent?
You threaten violence. You send death threats. You froth at the mouth. You scream and rage. Or, if you are as "reasonable" as Al-Zawahiri, you ask the Pope to convert to Islam!
Ya, very effective.
I think the Muslims are facing two problems: one is the racist, Islamophobic discourse circulating around these days. The other is their inability to mount an argument against this racism. It's easier for those people to shake their fists, to demonstrate and torch some cars than to learn their own history and use it to counter those who are attacking them.
The worst part of all is that the Muslims who are screaming are the ones who are being heard, drowning all other voices. But perhaps the those others are . . . whispering.
When 40% of Americans believe the conflict is between the west and "Islam" (not just a group of terrorists), you know that whispering is not going to cut it.
One final note just to explain where I'm coming from: I am for free idiotic racist, sexist, and Islamophobic speech, as long as it does not directly threaten the lives of others. If that French teacher said what he said then added that the French should go out hunt some Muslims, then this is hate speech. Unfortunately, it's a few Muslims who decided to make the threat and therefore lost the argument.
Ethnic Cleansing Continues
Israel decided to prevent Palestinian Americans from living in the West Bank and Gaza. After Oslo these people were allowed to live there on tourist visas that they had to renew every 3 months by leaving to Jordan or Egypt for a couple of days. It was a royal pain in the neck. People put up with it because they wanted to stay "lawfully." Now, since the Hamas win, Israel decided to cancel that "tolerant" policy. So now Palestinian Americans are not allowed to renew their tourist visas. They got to leave.
This is a disaster. Families will be broken up, lives turned upside down, and the economy--whatever shreds are left of it--will be devastated. This is an ingenious policy to cleanse Palestine of any elements that may contribute to the emergence of an economically viable Palestinian state. Zahi Khour writes about the issue from an investor's point of view in this Wall Street Journal commentray.
This is a disaster. Families will be broken up, lives turned upside down, and the economy--whatever shreds are left of it--will be devastated. This is an ingenious policy to cleanse Palestine of any elements that may contribute to the emergence of an economically viable Palestinian state. Zahi Khour writes about the issue from an investor's point of view in this Wall Street Journal commentray.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Treachery, Thy Name Is Woman!
Ummaya Juha is my least favorite Palestinian cartoonist. In other words, I don't like her work. It's too heavy handed, sentimental, chiche ridden, and sometimes sexist. In this cartoon, entitled "The New Middle East," it has to be a woman who represents betrayal, defeat, and western and Israeli hegemony. Not any woman, she has to be "secular" or "western" looking, unveiled, wearing make up, etc. Enough already!
Secularism in the Post-Secular Age
On the need for more secularism and less religion in the West, by Bruce Robbins.
Hunting Women
Although some US media does not want to disturb us with news of Taliban resurgence (see Newsweek cover story here), the hunting season against Afghani women continues unabated. "Safia Amajan, the provincial director of Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs in Kandahar, was killed by gunman ...outside of her home. There is speculation that she was killed in retaliation for her outspoken support of women's rights and her work opening schools for women."
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Engaging Islam
Here are two views on how best to engage Islam: one (by Abdeslam Maghraoui) is for drawing on Muslim thinkers to develop a modern and moderate Islam that can mobilize people in the Muslim world. The other (by Najum Mushtaq) is for a secular vision that views Islam (or Islams to be more accurate) as "a product of history." According to him, "Humans shape religion and not vice versa. There are many other determinants of a people's political behavior than religion. We cannot find out ... what Muslims may actually feel or think about a “ particular, secular vision of culture, society, and the state” unless Muslim men and women are allowed to regularly exercise their right to choose and dislodge their lawmakers and goverments."
Dumb Humor: Jihadi Cars
"COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A car dealership that planned to air a radio advertisement calling for 'a jihad on the automotive market' issued an apology and promised not to use the commercial.
Several stations had already rejected the spot from Dennis Mitsubishi, which boasted that sales representatives wearing burqas _ head-to-toe traditional dress for Islamic women _ would sell vehicles that can "comfortably seat 12 jihadists in the back..."
Not So Good News
Accoring to the Arab American Institute,
"A new poll from Princeton Survey Research Associates has produced some startling, and worrying, results. While 49% of Americans said they regard September 11 as the start of a major conflict between the US/Europe and a small group of radicals, a whopping 40% consider theUS US
Notice the 40% who consider the US in conflict with Islam!
The question is, what now?
"A new poll from Princeton Survey Research Associates has produced some startling, and worrying, results. While 49% of Americans said they regard September 11 as the start of a major conflict between the US/Europe and a small group of radicals, a whopping 40% consider the
Notice the 40% who consider the US in conflict with Islam!
The question is, what now?
Newsweek Cover
These are the covers for the recent issue of Newsweek. Obviously, the editors decided not to disturb the American public with news of the resurgence of Taliban, and chose for the U.S. edition a photo spread by celebrity photographer Annie Liebovitz. Now, that's news!
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