Here I am, sitting in my small apartment in Hamra, thinking about New Year's Eve, travelling plans, friends and spending the next hour at the gym. I decide to check the news before stepping out into the jolly streets of Beirut. With a click of a button, reality hits me again (it has been hitting me for the past 24 years).
The scene: Gaza city burning underneath the savage Israeli war planes. People running around the narrow city streets; screams; blood; bewilderment; anger; desperation. This is Gaza. This is Palestine. This is Israel. This is reality. This is us... and this is them.
Here I am sitting here and writing; trying to make sense out of whats happening around me. Since I came to read and understand our conflict with Israel, I've been always trying to be as objective and neutral as I can be. I thought that as an educated individual living in this part of the world, I had to stick to objectivity in order to open dialougue and maybe pave the road to a solution to this vicious cycle. As an Arab, a Palestinian and a Muslim, I've always been open to criticisms, to labels and prejudice. I've argued, discussed and worked hand in hand with people who displayed obviouse malace to my "kind". I've joked about my stereotype and laughed out loud at comedy shows that discussed it.
Let's face it, to maybe more than 50% of the world, I am a terrorist by default because of my appearance: Arab features, olive skin, dark eyes and a veil (!)
So, here I am asking myself: why should I be any different from those who label me? Why should I be tolerant, objective and neutral when 155 people of my "kind" just perished in the last hour? Why should I assume that Jews are different from Zionists when ALL Palestinians in Gaza are categorized as Hamas-biased and ALL Muslims are globally known as terrorists?
I have reached a point where all my exercised objectivity, ideologies and concepts have collided with emotions and reality. Actually, it is the reality of emotions that struck me hard this time.
We are all guilty for the deaths and blood in Gaza and Palestine as a whole.
We are all as guilty as the Israeli war planes, bullets and IDF soldiers.
We are all guilty for the ideological extremism and hypocritism that has invaded our world.
We, human beings, are guilty for our own sorrow.
Beirut
27.12.2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
"But David Peretz, an Israeli felafel-maker who runs the Golani restaurant, was having none of it. “Are they joking? Felafel belongs to the world, no one can claim it,” he said." Oh, yeah? To the world? OK then. Palestine belongs to the world. No one can claim it either. Get out NOW.
Asa'ad Bou Khalil (aka Angry Arab).
www.angryarab.blogspot.com
Asa'ad Bou Khalil (aka Angry Arab).
www.angryarab.blogspot.com
Forgive and Forget (??)
As I was making my way slowly through London’s Imperial War Museum’s Holocaust section, I couldn’t help but feel sick to the stomach with all the pictures, videos and survivors’ testimonials. It is without any doubt that what the Nazis have done throughout the duration of their existence remains as one of the most horrendous actions against humanity. The Holocaust section of the museum is perfectly designed to stir a mixture of feelings among its visitors including anger, disgust, hatred, sympathy and sadness. Emotions usually climax to reach their peak as visitors take a turn to learn more about the steps through which the Holocaust process was completed. I left that part of the museum with a clear understanding of why Jews around the world commemorate the Nazi crime every year with tearful prayers.
But then I started looking back at the course of history and reflecting on the thousands of bloody and indescribable crimes humans have committed against each other since their existence: the Ottomans and the Armenians; the Americans and the Japanese; the Serbs and the Bosnians; the French colonialism and more recently the Americans and the Iraqis on the one hand and the Afghans on the other. So, I thought why should the Palestinians be any different from all the other persecuted nations around the world and simply forgive and forget the countless crimes committed by the Isrealis against them?
Nowadays, all I hear from educated peers and acquaintances is that the Palestinians should make an effort to end the bloodshed in their country and around the region to spare everyone the headache (!) It is a sad fact that many, and mostly fellow Arabs, look at Palestinians as true war criminals by pinpointing (after learning by heart) the number of Israeli victims who fell throughout this conflict. No one seems to remember how many Palestinians have perished in “cross-fire” (I wonder if it’s simply because they’re too many or because it’s not important anymore).
Everyone seems to settle for the new, probably more relaxing and headache relieving attitude of “lets converse with the Israelis; talk to them and make business deals or so called peace pacts with them”. Apparently, open investments with the Israelis is a key solution to hunger in the Arab world (hmm.. I will remember to thank Israel the next time I visit a poor neighborhood with enough bread to get them through the winter). So, if this theory applies then Egypt and the respectable Jordanian kingdom should have successfully eradicated starvation, malnutrition and homelessness by shaking hands with Israel (I’ll make sure I check those indicators the next time I visit either country). Well, people must realize that business deals run both ways. So, if Israel is actually giving something, it is definitely taking many things in return and the devious Mosad agents that scurry around our streets sniffing for dirt are the first indicator of this business transaction. Control over resources (land, natural, money) is the second essential reason for running such business deals.
At the end of the day, the unfortunate truth that we’re faced with is the sad fact that innocent victims fall in any kind of conflict between two rivals. Conflicts range from international opponents, to local ones (the corrupt Fatah and the radical Hamas) and even domestic disputes (children lost between their parents’ fights).
In this regard, I will only recall massacres and crimes committed against Palestinians: the Naqba in 1948; Deir Yassin; Sabra and Shatila; Tal el Zaatar; Gaza; Nablus; Khalil and Ramallah. All in addition to daily crimes (including social and economic) against Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Israel, their business partners, Fatah and Hamas are to blame for all the abovementioned crimes.
So, if the Armenians cannot forgive the Ottomans; the Jews cannot forgive the German Nazis; the Bosnians cannot forgive the Serbs and the Iraqis/Afghans cannot forgive the Americans, then why should we expect the Palestinians to be any different and forgive the Israelis?
Beirut 16.10.2008
But then I started looking back at the course of history and reflecting on the thousands of bloody and indescribable crimes humans have committed against each other since their existence: the Ottomans and the Armenians; the Americans and the Japanese; the Serbs and the Bosnians; the French colonialism and more recently the Americans and the Iraqis on the one hand and the Afghans on the other. So, I thought why should the Palestinians be any different from all the other persecuted nations around the world and simply forgive and forget the countless crimes committed by the Isrealis against them?
Nowadays, all I hear from educated peers and acquaintances is that the Palestinians should make an effort to end the bloodshed in their country and around the region to spare everyone the headache (!) It is a sad fact that many, and mostly fellow Arabs, look at Palestinians as true war criminals by pinpointing (after learning by heart) the number of Israeli victims who fell throughout this conflict. No one seems to remember how many Palestinians have perished in “cross-fire” (I wonder if it’s simply because they’re too many or because it’s not important anymore).
Everyone seems to settle for the new, probably more relaxing and headache relieving attitude of “lets converse with the Israelis; talk to them and make business deals or so called peace pacts with them”. Apparently, open investments with the Israelis is a key solution to hunger in the Arab world (hmm.. I will remember to thank Israel the next time I visit a poor neighborhood with enough bread to get them through the winter). So, if this theory applies then Egypt and the respectable Jordanian kingdom should have successfully eradicated starvation, malnutrition and homelessness by shaking hands with Israel (I’ll make sure I check those indicators the next time I visit either country). Well, people must realize that business deals run both ways. So, if Israel is actually giving something, it is definitely taking many things in return and the devious Mosad agents that scurry around our streets sniffing for dirt are the first indicator of this business transaction. Control over resources (land, natural, money) is the second essential reason for running such business deals.
At the end of the day, the unfortunate truth that we’re faced with is the sad fact that innocent victims fall in any kind of conflict between two rivals. Conflicts range from international opponents, to local ones (the corrupt Fatah and the radical Hamas) and even domestic disputes (children lost between their parents’ fights).
In this regard, I will only recall massacres and crimes committed against Palestinians: the Naqba in 1948; Deir Yassin; Sabra and Shatila; Tal el Zaatar; Gaza; Nablus; Khalil and Ramallah. All in addition to daily crimes (including social and economic) against Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq. Israel, their business partners, Fatah and Hamas are to blame for all the abovementioned crimes.
So, if the Armenians cannot forgive the Ottomans; the Jews cannot forgive the German Nazis; the Bosnians cannot forgive the Serbs and the Iraqis/Afghans cannot forgive the Americans, then why should we expect the Palestinians to be any different and forgive the Israelis?
Beirut 16.10.2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
I Do
The white veil, topped with a sparkling tiara drops softly on her shoulders, vaguely revealing her beautifully done golden hair. She checks herself one last time in the mirror, presses her lips together, glances swiftly at her nails, holds her fresh flower bouquet, turns around studded with her white gown and smiles as the camera shutter clicks away. He stands by her side, his arms around her waist, flashes his bright smile as he lovingly looks into her eyes and swipes her off her feet for another picture shot in motion. The beautiful couple makes their grand entrance to the ballroom, smiling widely at the gathered crowd of friends and family. They make their way into a new life filled with ups and downs that they vowed to share together from this day on.
Dressed up in long silky gowns, our high heels clack their way to the ballroom dance floor. We’re all smiling widely at the princess of the night dancing around with her prince and waving at the gathered perfectly dressed up crowd. As I clap my hands away, I look around me at the potential bachelors and bachelorettes as they spend the night checking each other out, trying to look for their own prince and princess; and I start wondering: why do people get married?
Reproduction and hence continuity of life is naturally the first answer one can bring up. Religiously, people could argue that God created two sexes of all creatures on earth for them to mate and reproduce. So, this is how life is meant to be. Yet, maybe we should dig a little bit deeper and look at the social forces that drive one to act in a certain way in the presence of a potential member of the opposite sex.
The oriental social forces are more pronounced than the western ones. In this part of the world, the pressure mainly lies on the single females of the society, due to several reasons. The fact that females have been historically dependent on men, in terms of food, shelter and clothing provision could be the first reason. The society believed that it is not important for a girl to advance in education and employment since she will eventually marry and depend on her spouse to “hunt and gather” while she bears children and executes her duties as a wife (i.e. sex tool and maid around the house). Nowadays, this perception did change dramatically, since generations have evolved to believe that female education is important for a more developed society, and females have grown stronger and more verbal to demand this right. Consequently, females also demand their right to delay marriage and choose their own spouse at the right time. However, many societies in the oriental world, especially low-income ones, do not see the new age picture of marriage and female education, mainly due to the fact that they cannot afford to educate their daughters. Hence, the latter are forced to get married to the first potential bachelor to decrease family members and hence the pressure of feeding an extra hungry stomach. Unfortunately, some societies still choose to bury their girl children in order to reduce their spending, which they cannot afford, as they are afraid that she might not marry and hence remain as a burden.
In some parts of the Arab world, female education and work are currently two distinct aspects. It is apparent that girls are earning high degrees in education which allow them to travel around the world and engage in professionally challenging and long-term experiences; thus the personal choice of delaying marriage and refusing tens of traditional proposals. However, social pressures took a different shape here, which brings us to the second reason of why people get married. Of course the phenomenon of “fixing up couples” is still apparent in the Arab world. Yet, the reason is not because of poor families that cannot support their daughters. It is because of the social stigma that is initiated once a girl reaches the age of 25 and above. The minute the clock arm hits 12 am and a girl turns a certain age, she is swarmed by “fixed up” potential grooms sent by the older female generation. Once the same girl exceeds a certain age while still single, social labels are unleashed against her, including: handicapped; suffers from terminal illness; lost her virginity (another long argument about Arab hypocrites and honor crimes); socially spoiled; arrogant and incompetent. So, females find it easier to make the choice of marriage rather than to suffer from such social stigmata.
When it comes to males, the pressure is not as obvious; mainly because of their social status which places them at the top end of the pyramid. Hence, they are expected to make the choice of marriage and select the potential partner when they feel the time is right; in other words, when they’ve earned enough money to start a family. Also, if males choose not to get married at all, they do not suffer the kind of social stigma as females do.
Unfortunately, nowadays the rates of divorce, break-ups and unhappy marriages are on the rise. This is a whole new argument that deserves further discussion. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the contradicting combination of advanced technologies, globalization, the internet and satellite TV along with social values and norms, plays a role in forcing many men to get married in order to satisfy their fiery sexual desires (since cohabitation and premarital sex are religiously and socially refused). This, among other reasons, thus leads to many questionable marriage institutions.
So, the question still stands: why do people get married? As Hollywood once put it: “people get married to have a witness to their lives”. Yet, it does take a little bit more than a movie to convince one to take the step forward and say “I do”.
Beirut
12.8.2008
Dressed up in long silky gowns, our high heels clack their way to the ballroom dance floor. We’re all smiling widely at the princess of the night dancing around with her prince and waving at the gathered perfectly dressed up crowd. As I clap my hands away, I look around me at the potential bachelors and bachelorettes as they spend the night checking each other out, trying to look for their own prince and princess; and I start wondering: why do people get married?
Reproduction and hence continuity of life is naturally the first answer one can bring up. Religiously, people could argue that God created two sexes of all creatures on earth for them to mate and reproduce. So, this is how life is meant to be. Yet, maybe we should dig a little bit deeper and look at the social forces that drive one to act in a certain way in the presence of a potential member of the opposite sex.
The oriental social forces are more pronounced than the western ones. In this part of the world, the pressure mainly lies on the single females of the society, due to several reasons. The fact that females have been historically dependent on men, in terms of food, shelter and clothing provision could be the first reason. The society believed that it is not important for a girl to advance in education and employment since she will eventually marry and depend on her spouse to “hunt and gather” while she bears children and executes her duties as a wife (i.e. sex tool and maid around the house). Nowadays, this perception did change dramatically, since generations have evolved to believe that female education is important for a more developed society, and females have grown stronger and more verbal to demand this right. Consequently, females also demand their right to delay marriage and choose their own spouse at the right time. However, many societies in the oriental world, especially low-income ones, do not see the new age picture of marriage and female education, mainly due to the fact that they cannot afford to educate their daughters. Hence, the latter are forced to get married to the first potential bachelor to decrease family members and hence the pressure of feeding an extra hungry stomach. Unfortunately, some societies still choose to bury their girl children in order to reduce their spending, which they cannot afford, as they are afraid that she might not marry and hence remain as a burden.
In some parts of the Arab world, female education and work are currently two distinct aspects. It is apparent that girls are earning high degrees in education which allow them to travel around the world and engage in professionally challenging and long-term experiences; thus the personal choice of delaying marriage and refusing tens of traditional proposals. However, social pressures took a different shape here, which brings us to the second reason of why people get married. Of course the phenomenon of “fixing up couples” is still apparent in the Arab world. Yet, the reason is not because of poor families that cannot support their daughters. It is because of the social stigma that is initiated once a girl reaches the age of 25 and above. The minute the clock arm hits 12 am and a girl turns a certain age, she is swarmed by “fixed up” potential grooms sent by the older female generation. Once the same girl exceeds a certain age while still single, social labels are unleashed against her, including: handicapped; suffers from terminal illness; lost her virginity (another long argument about Arab hypocrites and honor crimes); socially spoiled; arrogant and incompetent. So, females find it easier to make the choice of marriage rather than to suffer from such social stigmata.
When it comes to males, the pressure is not as obvious; mainly because of their social status which places them at the top end of the pyramid. Hence, they are expected to make the choice of marriage and select the potential partner when they feel the time is right; in other words, when they’ve earned enough money to start a family. Also, if males choose not to get married at all, they do not suffer the kind of social stigma as females do.
Unfortunately, nowadays the rates of divorce, break-ups and unhappy marriages are on the rise. This is a whole new argument that deserves further discussion. Nevertheless, it should be mentioned that the contradicting combination of advanced technologies, globalization, the internet and satellite TV along with social values and norms, plays a role in forcing many men to get married in order to satisfy their fiery sexual desires (since cohabitation and premarital sex are religiously and socially refused). This, among other reasons, thus leads to many questionable marriage institutions.
So, the question still stands: why do people get married? As Hollywood once put it: “people get married to have a witness to their lives”. Yet, it does take a little bit more than a movie to convince one to take the step forward and say “I do”.
Beirut
12.8.2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Smile! You Are In…
No matter how many times we get together, dinner with friends remains one of the most dynamic social activities throughout the week. As we work our jaws through dinner, we share stories and exchange interesting anecdotes. Busy preparing for her wedding, a girlfriend jumps in with a story about the rules and regulations posed by her wedding venue. A club belonging to the Lebanese Army and hence guarded by a few soldiers, absolutely forbids foreign housemaids from attending the wedding. When asked why, the organizers claimed that the East Asian individuals would distract their “tough” soldiers/officers by flirting with them, winking at them and igniting their sleepless sexual fantasies. Gasps and questions started flying about the group. I started thinking about the “Lebanese Ego” and how it never fails to surprise me every time it reveals itself on the surface.
The next day, I wake up early and walk up through the empty and calm streets of Hamra towards the gym. I bump into an African American friend on her way to exercise on Manara. We exchange hellos and greetings and as she walks away, she looks back at me, flashes a wide smile and exclaims “Bye! I’m going to go and get harassed by the Lebanese for an hour!” I pause for a few minutes wondering: how come people in this country would spend hours and days on the beach under the scorching sun to obtain darker skin color, while they spend their lives labeling, offending and harassing people with concentrated levels of melanin in their skin?
Smile you are in Lebanon where people classify you in a barn that exists in their mindsets according to external looks and skin color.
Enjoy your stay, but please use sunscreen and whitening creams constantly in order to avoid harassment (verbal/physical) and jailing.
I sigh deeply breathing in the dry dusty air. I wait with sleepy eyes, cracking lips and aching muscles. I scan the crowd: men, women, children and elderly; all looking up at the skinny yet mighty Syrian border officer, waiting for him to call out their names and give out their little black books. The crowd is dispersed; some pace the filthy border hall, others sit down and wait with their wailing children and most men step outside for a cheap smoke and a cup of stale coffee. The officer suddenly turns around with a bunch of black books in hand and the crowd goes crazy, standing up, jogging to gather around the scrawny man. He starts calling out names and a hundred arms extend to reach out and retrieve the little black book. The whole bunch is distributed; the man turns his back to the anticipating crowd which in turn walks away again for a second round of pacing, smoking and waiting. With every round of little black books distribution, a salad of emotions fills up the room: relief, joy, excitement, disappointment, anger and disgrace. The same motion pattern is repeated with every round. I look around and imagine a zoo for homo sapiens where they are treated like animals, fed little black books, ordered around and shouted at. Finally, my name is called out, I retrieve my black book and walk away.
Smile you are in Syria where people are treated like animals without tails.
Enjoy your stay, but please keep some change in your pocket to tip the officer for placing you at the top of the animal kingdom and treating you accordingly.
I let out a sigh of relief as we all squeeze ourselves into the little cab about to cross the Jordanian border. We make our final stop next to the last Jordanian police officer for passport inspection. He notices the little kid accompanying one of the passengers and asks her for written permission from his father to leave the country. The passenger cries out in surprise and declares that she doesn’t have the requested piece of paper. After consulting a senior officer, the beer bellied lieutenant reads our verdict: go back to the border to check with the big boss in his air-conditioned office.
We head back (the driver cursing sisters and mothers on the way). The driver walks with the mother and her child into the main offices and I wait in the shade. An hour later, the trio emerges: the driver cursing God and the prophets this time; the woman and child walk behind him with grim faces and voices filled with thirst. Apparently, they had to call the father, ask him to go to the nearest police station and fax his consent to allow his child cross the border with the child’s mother (!).
So in Jordan, women, naturally, bear children in their wombs for 9 whole months . Yet, to travel with them for a few hours across the border, they need the sperm donor to wiggle his tail and say “Yes, the womb can carry the child one last time without my grace presence”.
Talk about male dominance!
I spent the last week walking around Amman and its suburbs watching people’s interactions and listening to their conversations. West Amman residents drive their posh cars, wearing their expensive clothes, thinking that they live in heaven on earth just because they have a few new malls and a couple of skyscrapers (funded by Israeli money, camouflaged by big Jordanian names). They look down at residents of East Amman who live in little houses and complain about the expensive prices every hour of the day.
Smile you are in Jordan where an individual is referred to as “this” instead of “he/she”.
Enjoy your stay, but please keep in mind that you are served according to gender only and anyone can have their tongues cut off and eyes removed from their sockets if a Hashemite is mentioned at the wrong time in the wrong place.
The Syrian border.
27.7.2008
The next day, I wake up early and walk up through the empty and calm streets of Hamra towards the gym. I bump into an African American friend on her way to exercise on Manara. We exchange hellos and greetings and as she walks away, she looks back at me, flashes a wide smile and exclaims “Bye! I’m going to go and get harassed by the Lebanese for an hour!” I pause for a few minutes wondering: how come people in this country would spend hours and days on the beach under the scorching sun to obtain darker skin color, while they spend their lives labeling, offending and harassing people with concentrated levels of melanin in their skin?
Smile you are in Lebanon where people classify you in a barn that exists in their mindsets according to external looks and skin color.
Enjoy your stay, but please use sunscreen and whitening creams constantly in order to avoid harassment (verbal/physical) and jailing.
I sigh deeply breathing in the dry dusty air. I wait with sleepy eyes, cracking lips and aching muscles. I scan the crowd: men, women, children and elderly; all looking up at the skinny yet mighty Syrian border officer, waiting for him to call out their names and give out their little black books. The crowd is dispersed; some pace the filthy border hall, others sit down and wait with their wailing children and most men step outside for a cheap smoke and a cup of stale coffee. The officer suddenly turns around with a bunch of black books in hand and the crowd goes crazy, standing up, jogging to gather around the scrawny man. He starts calling out names and a hundred arms extend to reach out and retrieve the little black book. The whole bunch is distributed; the man turns his back to the anticipating crowd which in turn walks away again for a second round of pacing, smoking and waiting. With every round of little black books distribution, a salad of emotions fills up the room: relief, joy, excitement, disappointment, anger and disgrace. The same motion pattern is repeated with every round. I look around and imagine a zoo for homo sapiens where they are treated like animals, fed little black books, ordered around and shouted at. Finally, my name is called out, I retrieve my black book and walk away.
Smile you are in Syria where people are treated like animals without tails.
Enjoy your stay, but please keep some change in your pocket to tip the officer for placing you at the top of the animal kingdom and treating you accordingly.
I let out a sigh of relief as we all squeeze ourselves into the little cab about to cross the Jordanian border. We make our final stop next to the last Jordanian police officer for passport inspection. He notices the little kid accompanying one of the passengers and asks her for written permission from his father to leave the country. The passenger cries out in surprise and declares that she doesn’t have the requested piece of paper. After consulting a senior officer, the beer bellied lieutenant reads our verdict: go back to the border to check with the big boss in his air-conditioned office.
We head back (the driver cursing sisters and mothers on the way). The driver walks with the mother and her child into the main offices and I wait in the shade. An hour later, the trio emerges: the driver cursing God and the prophets this time; the woman and child walk behind him with grim faces and voices filled with thirst. Apparently, they had to call the father, ask him to go to the nearest police station and fax his consent to allow his child cross the border with the child’s mother (!).
So in Jordan, women, naturally, bear children in their wombs for 9 whole months . Yet, to travel with them for a few hours across the border, they need the sperm donor to wiggle his tail and say “Yes, the womb can carry the child one last time without my grace presence”.
Talk about male dominance!
I spent the last week walking around Amman and its suburbs watching people’s interactions and listening to their conversations. West Amman residents drive their posh cars, wearing their expensive clothes, thinking that they live in heaven on earth just because they have a few new malls and a couple of skyscrapers (funded by Israeli money, camouflaged by big Jordanian names). They look down at residents of East Amman who live in little houses and complain about the expensive prices every hour of the day.
Smile you are in Jordan where an individual is referred to as “this” instead of “he/she”.
Enjoy your stay, but please keep in mind that you are served according to gender only and anyone can have their tongues cut off and eyes removed from their sockets if a Hashemite is mentioned at the wrong time in the wrong place.
The Syrian border.
27.7.2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
King PlayStation III of Jordan praised the election of a new president in Lebanon. If you are impressed o King of Jordan, we can arrange for the election of a new president of...Jordan.
As'ad Abou Khalil (aka Angry Arab)
http://www.angryarab.blogspot.com/Friday, May 16, 2008
60 Years
Sixty years of occupation.
I grew up to my mother’s stories about our homeland. My mother’s soft voice recalls the fields of Nablus, the churches of Jerusalem, the black tulips of Ramallah, the orange trees of Yafa and the sandy beaches of Gaza. As a little girl, I look up at her with shining dark eyes and draw a colorful picture of home.
As I grew up, reality became clearer day by day. The blood, the broken bones, the yells, the cries, the demolition, the bullets, the martyrs, the prisons, the torture, the wall, the scars: my homeland, shredded into pieces by a ruthless monster. I realize that people’s hearts are empty and brotherhood is a dream.
The colors fade away from my picture.
Sixty years of refuge.
I walk down the dingy narrow alley. Children pop up from every corner laughing and chasing one another. They stop at one corner and invent their own toys using wooden sticks and metal scraps. They look up at me curiously, smile and ask me to take a picture of them. I look at their faces through my camera lens: boney cheeks, innocent smiles, bright eyes … unknown future.
I keep on walking through the narrow alleys, jumping over sewage water puddles and bending down to avoid tangled electric wires. Two old ladies in the traditional “toub” sit together in front of a tapered door, chatting the hours away. They greet me as I walk by and offer a bite to eat. Despite all desperate conditions, traditional hospitality and generosity never fade away. I decline politely and walk on.
A group of teenagers huddle together in front of a wall that’s decorated by graffiti. They chat, smoke and stare into space dreaming about untouchable ambitions. A group of men set off to work in a near by construction site. A doctor, an engineer and a lawyer work together, under the scorching sun, to assemble the bricks and paint the walls of a brand new building.
I draw a new picture of humiliation and faded dreams.
Sixty years of identity loss.
With a fizzy drink in hand, I look around at the cozy gathering at a friend’s place. A new acquaintance approaches me and asks me where I’m from. “Palestine” I respond. My answer raises interest as the questions start flowing rapidly: where do you live in Palestine? How’s the situation there? How did you end up here? Etc. I quickly explain the existence of my Jordanian passport and my childhood spent in the Gulf. The acquaintance raises one eyebrow in bewilderment and states “So you’re Jordanian not Palestinian! How come you’re wearing a kaffiyeh though?! You don’t even have a Palestinian ID!!”
I walk away, wondering if identity is branded by a little black book and roots are discarded as soon as you hold a foreign ID card in hand. If a kaffiyeh is what it takes to revive my roots in front of others so be it.
I add people wearing kaffiyehs to my original picture of home.
Sixty years and counting..
We sleep and wake up with the Nakba everyday. Our identity has been contaminated by the rape of Palestine. We are disgraced by the shame of ignorance and indifference towards the holy land. On the other side of the border, Palestinians stand honorable, solid and strong despite 60 years of hardship. We owe our existence to their courageous struggle against a merciless enemy.
I head southwards to the border. I walk down the small hill and stare at the other side. It looks so close, yet it is very far away. I close my eyes; let my self dissolve through the boarder’s electrified wires and run through the meadows of Palestine. I open my eyes and settle for a small jug of Palestinian soil. I turn my back to the boarder and walk away.
I sprinkle the soil over my picture of home … and hope.
Beirut
15.5.2008
I grew up to my mother’s stories about our homeland. My mother’s soft voice recalls the fields of Nablus, the churches of Jerusalem, the black tulips of Ramallah, the orange trees of Yafa and the sandy beaches of Gaza. As a little girl, I look up at her with shining dark eyes and draw a colorful picture of home.
As I grew up, reality became clearer day by day. The blood, the broken bones, the yells, the cries, the demolition, the bullets, the martyrs, the prisons, the torture, the wall, the scars: my homeland, shredded into pieces by a ruthless monster. I realize that people’s hearts are empty and brotherhood is a dream.
The colors fade away from my picture.
Sixty years of refuge.
I walk down the dingy narrow alley. Children pop up from every corner laughing and chasing one another. They stop at one corner and invent their own toys using wooden sticks and metal scraps. They look up at me curiously, smile and ask me to take a picture of them. I look at their faces through my camera lens: boney cheeks, innocent smiles, bright eyes … unknown future.
I keep on walking through the narrow alleys, jumping over sewage water puddles and bending down to avoid tangled electric wires. Two old ladies in the traditional “toub” sit together in front of a tapered door, chatting the hours away. They greet me as I walk by and offer a bite to eat. Despite all desperate conditions, traditional hospitality and generosity never fade away. I decline politely and walk on.
A group of teenagers huddle together in front of a wall that’s decorated by graffiti. They chat, smoke and stare into space dreaming about untouchable ambitions. A group of men set off to work in a near by construction site. A doctor, an engineer and a lawyer work together, under the scorching sun, to assemble the bricks and paint the walls of a brand new building.
I draw a new picture of humiliation and faded dreams.
Sixty years of identity loss.
With a fizzy drink in hand, I look around at the cozy gathering at a friend’s place. A new acquaintance approaches me and asks me where I’m from. “Palestine” I respond. My answer raises interest as the questions start flowing rapidly: where do you live in Palestine? How’s the situation there? How did you end up here? Etc. I quickly explain the existence of my Jordanian passport and my childhood spent in the Gulf. The acquaintance raises one eyebrow in bewilderment and states “So you’re Jordanian not Palestinian! How come you’re wearing a kaffiyeh though?! You don’t even have a Palestinian ID!!”
I walk away, wondering if identity is branded by a little black book and roots are discarded as soon as you hold a foreign ID card in hand. If a kaffiyeh is what it takes to revive my roots in front of others so be it.
I add people wearing kaffiyehs to my original picture of home.
Sixty years and counting..
We sleep and wake up with the Nakba everyday. Our identity has been contaminated by the rape of Palestine. We are disgraced by the shame of ignorance and indifference towards the holy land. On the other side of the border, Palestinians stand honorable, solid and strong despite 60 years of hardship. We owe our existence to their courageous struggle against a merciless enemy.
I head southwards to the border. I walk down the small hill and stare at the other side. It looks so close, yet it is very far away. I close my eyes; let my self dissolve through the boarder’s electrified wires and run through the meadows of Palestine. I open my eyes and settle for a small jug of Palestinian soil. I turn my back to the boarder and walk away.
I sprinkle the soil over my picture of home … and hope.
Beirut
15.5.2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Throw that in my face: "You're not more Lebanese than I am!!"
Who the hell made you Lebanese in the first place?
You, coming up with excuses for all the thuggish actions that took place those last few days.
You, claiming that its not as bad as it looks like because you could drive through from East to West Beirut without any problems.
You, who believe that the Arabs are goning to pay for all the damages that resulted from this whole scenario. So, according to You, its not so bad afterall.
You, who wished (even if in a sarcastic way) that clashes continue so you don't have to come to work in West Beirut.
You, who live in "Wonderland" neighborhood dare say that all the Lebanese are equally represented now.
You, my friend fail to see the bigger picture:
It is a game of bigger parties outside Lebanon.
The country is a bigger threat to its Jewish neighbor (so You will have another bigger war and hence sleep it off at home)
You, will be further marginalized in terms of political decisions. So, you're not equally represented!
You, my brother/sister have just agreed to creating a new dectatorship in the region.
Its not a matter of being more or less Lebanese (or not Lebanese for that matter).
Its a matter of respecting the country that was your home for years.
Its a matter of loving it and protecting it as if it were your own child.
Its a matter of realizing the roots of whats been happening.
Its a matter of understading all the dimensions of the existing scenario before making any trivial comments or assumptions.
So, dont You dare tell Me that I'm not more Lebanese than you.
Who the hell made you Lebanese in the first place?
You, coming up with excuses for all the thuggish actions that took place those last few days.
You, claiming that its not as bad as it looks like because you could drive through from East to West Beirut without any problems.
You, who believe that the Arabs are goning to pay for all the damages that resulted from this whole scenario. So, according to You, its not so bad afterall.
You, who wished (even if in a sarcastic way) that clashes continue so you don't have to come to work in West Beirut.
You, who live in "Wonderland" neighborhood dare say that all the Lebanese are equally represented now.
You, my friend fail to see the bigger picture:
It is a game of bigger parties outside Lebanon.
The country is a bigger threat to its Jewish neighbor (so You will have another bigger war and hence sleep it off at home)
You, will be further marginalized in terms of political decisions. So, you're not equally represented!
You, my brother/sister have just agreed to creating a new dectatorship in the region.
Its not a matter of being more or less Lebanese (or not Lebanese for that matter).
Its a matter of respecting the country that was your home for years.
Its a matter of loving it and protecting it as if it were your own child.
Its a matter of realizing the roots of whats been happening.
Its a matter of understading all the dimensions of the existing scenario before making any trivial comments or assumptions.
So, dont You dare tell Me that I'm not more Lebanese than you.
Friday, May 9, 2008
A Day in Chaos... A Night in the Bathroom
A Day in the Chaos
Another bright sunshiny day in the city of cities: Beirut.
The day after fierce clashes broke out in the streets of the city. The airport highway is closed. The atmosphere is electrified with tension.
Souraya, Mike and I head to the office (West Beirut) with the hope of starting the day in an ordinary way in order to push away the increasing anxiety. As the hours pass, the anticipation of “the speech” builds up in the atmosphere, in the body language and the faces of the people around us. Souraya and Mike leave the office for an event in a university in Kaslik (East Beirut). I leave the office early to have some lunch with Nayla in Hamra Street.
Hamra is half empty. A few separate shops are open. People are walking lazily down its narrow parallel streets. I’ve never seen so much garbage build up in Hamra.
Nayla and I head to her place after lunch for “the speech”. We notice the last few open shops in Hamra close their doors. Everyone is foreseeing severe negative consequences of “the speech”. I maintain the positive vibe, for Nayla’s sake and mostly for my own sanity.
“The Speech”: threats, curses, sarcasm, body language and the repetition of the word “war”.
I leave Nayla’s place and walk down to Hamra’s main road. The air is heavy with tension. A few young residents of the area wonder around looking for a place to hang out and have a bite to eat. Echoes of gun shots are heard from several different areas at once (expected). People are still calm on Hamra. I return to the office, thinking of the quick internet connection and TV.
Mike calls: he’s nervous and wants to hang out in a little café, opposite to his friend’s house on Makdissi Street (the only one left open). As I make my way out into the street again, the doorman gives me a worried look and says “Hurry up. It’s getting close”.
I smile indifferently and walk up to HSBC towards Makdissi Street parallel to Hamra. The heavy gun fire is indeed close, yet I maintain a calm pace.
Suddenly, as I reach HSBC, I hear screams and yells. I look up at the main street and witness about 40 people running away from something in one direction all at once. I stop and watch. An equal number of masked, heavily armed men come running after them. It seemed so surreal that I didn’t even notice a bulky heavy man in a black mask, carrying a machine gun, come running up to me from Hamra street, yelling in a scratchy yet thick voice “GO HOME! GO HOME NOW!” I look at him bewildered for a second. What I do notice though is the fancy white Mercedes cruising slowly behind him with flashers on. The driver, a fair slick man with a well trimmed French beard and sunglasses looks at me and nods in a way to agree with the fighter’s demands.
I break into a run towards Makdissi Street, praying that I bump into Mike since the phones are dead. The gun shots pollute Hamra’s calm atmosphere. Finally, I spot Mike frozen against one of the walls of a small alley leading to Hamra’s main street. He stands there watching the whole action scene with an expression of disbelief. I call out to him, grab his arm and we run together towards the closest shelter: Rima’s apartment just around the corner of Makdissi Street.
A Night in the Bathroom
I walk out into the balcony, nervously yet excitedly holding onto a smoke (smoking my excitement away!). We both watch the bizarre situation of people running in all directions; fighters with black masks and Kaffiyehs wrapped around their faces replacing civilians and closing down the roads.
A group of fighters gather around the corner. Mike’s nervousness gets out of hand, so we go inside. Gun shots start banging uncontrollably, so we rush to the bathroom (the apartment is on the first floor.. so you can imagine the noise!). Mike remembers that we should draw the curtains in the two bedrooms at the back, which overlook a construction site that could be used by the animalistic fighters. The shooting subsides yet the yells continue. We go back to the sitting room and turn on the TV. I, naturally, cannot sit still, not knowing what’s happening outside. So, I practically crawl out to the balcony with my cell phone’s video cam on and start filming a thug standing at the corner (red shirt and a kaffiyyeh .. the whole outfit!). Mike crawls after me (curious yet shivering). Unfortunately, I shift weight and the thug notices me, walks down the street towards the building with his machine gun pointing upwards. I grab Mike, sprint into the back of the apartment into the bathroom and slam its door. Of course, massive gunfire erupts for a good 30 minutes. We sit it out on the floor and I treat a minor case of hyperventilation (Mike!).
Ironically, I slam my phone camera shut before saving. I lost the video :s (!).
The fighting outside starts off: light and heavy guns, hand grenades and RPGs. Mike and I jump back and forth: sitting room…BANG – Bathroom….sitting room ..BANG – Bathroom etc..
Rima finally makes it home from AFP (Associated French Press) at around 12 am. She’s drained. She got a ride on a scooter of another reporter from Al Akhbar newspaper. We exchange experiences and news, sitting on the floor in the back of the apartment. The harsh clashes continue outside.
An hour later, it’s all surprisingly calm, you can actually hear a pin drop. In our PJs (me in my head scarf for more than 12 hours now) make it out to the sitting room. I lie down on the couch, Rima and Mike on the floor. All wrapped up in blankets, we watch the news updates on the vicious fighting in Ras el Nabih. A violent rain storm starts outside with thunder resembling the RPGs. Divine Intervention, I thought.
Rima and Mike doze off. Despite the eerie silence, I cannot sleep, mostly because I’m having my own battle with a Beiruti mosquito (classic!).
5:30 am: I hear yells and curses across the street. I sit up; wake Mike and Rima the second furious clashes erupt again. We all jump up at once and dash into the bathroom. After an hour sitting on the bathroom floor, we hear the thugs cry “Allaho Akbar!” and fire their machine guns haphazardly all over the neighborhood. Apparently, they finally take over the Future Movement militia office next to Rima’s apartment.
The sun is out. Rima has to go to AFP for another round of journalistic innovation and brilliance. We collectively agree to leave West Beirut to East Beirut (Mike’s place in Mar Mkhayel).
As Annahar newspaper put it today: “The Lebanese are fully aware of the A, B and C of a civil war. Yet, they lack the full alphabet knowledge that leads to Z, that is, the end of a civil war”.
Beirut
9.5.2008
Another bright sunshiny day in the city of cities: Beirut.
The day after fierce clashes broke out in the streets of the city. The airport highway is closed. The atmosphere is electrified with tension.
Souraya, Mike and I head to the office (West Beirut) with the hope of starting the day in an ordinary way in order to push away the increasing anxiety. As the hours pass, the anticipation of “the speech” builds up in the atmosphere, in the body language and the faces of the people around us. Souraya and Mike leave the office for an event in a university in Kaslik (East Beirut). I leave the office early to have some lunch with Nayla in Hamra Street.
Hamra is half empty. A few separate shops are open. People are walking lazily down its narrow parallel streets. I’ve never seen so much garbage build up in Hamra.
Nayla and I head to her place after lunch for “the speech”. We notice the last few open shops in Hamra close their doors. Everyone is foreseeing severe negative consequences of “the speech”. I maintain the positive vibe, for Nayla’s sake and mostly for my own sanity.
“The Speech”: threats, curses, sarcasm, body language and the repetition of the word “war”.
I leave Nayla’s place and walk down to Hamra’s main road. The air is heavy with tension. A few young residents of the area wonder around looking for a place to hang out and have a bite to eat. Echoes of gun shots are heard from several different areas at once (expected). People are still calm on Hamra. I return to the office, thinking of the quick internet connection and TV.
Mike calls: he’s nervous and wants to hang out in a little café, opposite to his friend’s house on Makdissi Street (the only one left open). As I make my way out into the street again, the doorman gives me a worried look and says “Hurry up. It’s getting close”.
I smile indifferently and walk up to HSBC towards Makdissi Street parallel to Hamra. The heavy gun fire is indeed close, yet I maintain a calm pace.
Suddenly, as I reach HSBC, I hear screams and yells. I look up at the main street and witness about 40 people running away from something in one direction all at once. I stop and watch. An equal number of masked, heavily armed men come running after them. It seemed so surreal that I didn’t even notice a bulky heavy man in a black mask, carrying a machine gun, come running up to me from Hamra street, yelling in a scratchy yet thick voice “GO HOME! GO HOME NOW!” I look at him bewildered for a second. What I do notice though is the fancy white Mercedes cruising slowly behind him with flashers on. The driver, a fair slick man with a well trimmed French beard and sunglasses looks at me and nods in a way to agree with the fighter’s demands.
I break into a run towards Makdissi Street, praying that I bump into Mike since the phones are dead. The gun shots pollute Hamra’s calm atmosphere. Finally, I spot Mike frozen against one of the walls of a small alley leading to Hamra’s main street. He stands there watching the whole action scene with an expression of disbelief. I call out to him, grab his arm and we run together towards the closest shelter: Rima’s apartment just around the corner of Makdissi Street.
A Night in the Bathroom
I walk out into the balcony, nervously yet excitedly holding onto a smoke (smoking my excitement away!). We both watch the bizarre situation of people running in all directions; fighters with black masks and Kaffiyehs wrapped around their faces replacing civilians and closing down the roads.
A group of fighters gather around the corner. Mike’s nervousness gets out of hand, so we go inside. Gun shots start banging uncontrollably, so we rush to the bathroom (the apartment is on the first floor.. so you can imagine the noise!). Mike remembers that we should draw the curtains in the two bedrooms at the back, which overlook a construction site that could be used by the animalistic fighters. The shooting subsides yet the yells continue. We go back to the sitting room and turn on the TV. I, naturally, cannot sit still, not knowing what’s happening outside. So, I practically crawl out to the balcony with my cell phone’s video cam on and start filming a thug standing at the corner (red shirt and a kaffiyyeh .. the whole outfit!). Mike crawls after me (curious yet shivering). Unfortunately, I shift weight and the thug notices me, walks down the street towards the building with his machine gun pointing upwards. I grab Mike, sprint into the back of the apartment into the bathroom and slam its door. Of course, massive gunfire erupts for a good 30 minutes. We sit it out on the floor and I treat a minor case of hyperventilation (Mike!).
Ironically, I slam my phone camera shut before saving. I lost the video :s (!).
The fighting outside starts off: light and heavy guns, hand grenades and RPGs. Mike and I jump back and forth: sitting room…BANG – Bathroom….sitting room ..BANG – Bathroom etc..
Rima finally makes it home from AFP (Associated French Press) at around 12 am. She’s drained. She got a ride on a scooter of another reporter from Al Akhbar newspaper. We exchange experiences and news, sitting on the floor in the back of the apartment. The harsh clashes continue outside.
An hour later, it’s all surprisingly calm, you can actually hear a pin drop. In our PJs (me in my head scarf for more than 12 hours now) make it out to the sitting room. I lie down on the couch, Rima and Mike on the floor. All wrapped up in blankets, we watch the news updates on the vicious fighting in Ras el Nabih. A violent rain storm starts outside with thunder resembling the RPGs. Divine Intervention, I thought.
Rima and Mike doze off. Despite the eerie silence, I cannot sleep, mostly because I’m having my own battle with a Beiruti mosquito (classic!).
5:30 am: I hear yells and curses across the street. I sit up; wake Mike and Rima the second furious clashes erupt again. We all jump up at once and dash into the bathroom. After an hour sitting on the bathroom floor, we hear the thugs cry “Allaho Akbar!” and fire their machine guns haphazardly all over the neighborhood. Apparently, they finally take over the Future Movement militia office next to Rima’s apartment.
The sun is out. Rima has to go to AFP for another round of journalistic innovation and brilliance. We collectively agree to leave West Beirut to East Beirut (Mike’s place in Mar Mkhayel).
As Annahar newspaper put it today: “The Lebanese are fully aware of the A, B and C of a civil war. Yet, they lack the full alphabet knowledge that leads to Z, that is, the end of a civil war”.
Beirut
9.5.2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Professionalism: A Display of Power?
The following scenario took place in one of the most reputable and prestigious universities in the Middle East.
Setting: A corridor of one of the pioneer faculties in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Time: A sunny Lebanese afternoon.
Take 1:
A dressy student adds the final touches to a master’s thesis defense presentation one hour before the time comes to present. While rapidly going through the slides in the presence of a classmate for last comments and feedback, the thesis committee’s second reader and faculty dean passes by and requests to have a few words with the student alone. With a bright smile, the student enthusiastically walks with the professor, expecting encouragement and a final piece of advice. Suddenly, the professor stops, turns around with malice, and ejects venom in the student’s face by claiming that the first page of the thesis displayed unsatisfactory characteristics. The professor retains the insults to the student’s piece of work, less than one hour before the defense, by stating that the draft was mal-formatted by a glance at the results tables!! The professor dares to assert that a book’s cover reflects its content, and hence when the cover is not convincing the whole book should be shredded. Surprised yet furious, the student firmly raises the issue of not receiving any feedback from the professor and other committee members, other than the advisor, prior to the defense date although they had been given the completed draft over a month earlier. The professor mumbles an excuse, dismisses the topic and walks away after flushing the student’s thesis project and self-confidence down the toilet.
Setting: A classroom in the pioneer faculty in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Time: 45 mintues later -The same sunny Lebanese afternoon.
Take 2:
The student gathers all the strength provided by friends and supporters and proceeds with the defense as scheduled. With a positive and indifferent attitude, the student goes through the presentation slides one at a time. In the presence of a full house of invitees, and the ‘virtual’ presence of the advisor, the committee members unleash their weapons and start shooting their leaded questions and comments at the student in the middle of the presentation. The student holds on to an unreal shield trying to avoid as many shots as possible. The committee members make it shamelessly clear that this is their first peek at the thesis project, through their surprised expressions and interlocked eye brows. Nevertheless, they blatantly continue with their display of power in front of each other, the audience and the student. The “respectful” second reader and faculty dean, spices up the whole scene by a slouched seating position, a disgusted expression, a phone call and a loud side talk. Eventually, the same professor leaves the defense session to attend to “more important matters”….!!! The student proceeds.
The student eventually succeeds, with a headache, a breached self-confidence and a sick feeling in the gut.
It is a pity to realize that the “reputable and prestigious university”, the American University of Beirut, employs such examples as professors and representatives of its historical academic and “professional” team of educators. Indeed, the professors in the scenario displayed obvious lack of any academic “professionalism” in their duty towards their student, in the sense that they failed to read the thesis proposal one year earlier, in addition to the completed thesis draft prior to the defense. Consequently, their comments and questions were not posed at the right time for modifications and corrections which may have resulted in either inaccurate implementation or result display and analysis. This was further aggravated by the inadequate input from the advisor and his physical absence.
Furthermore, the professors failed to conceal any personal problems that pre-exited between them by using the student’s thesis defense as an event to demonstrate their power to each other through a pathetic competition of who can crush the student first. The situation was aggravated even more when the student was advised to let go of basic scientific principles and paint the thesis project in a pink and flowery color for publishing purposes. In other words, disregard any insignificant findings and stress on the significant ones only, for the professors’ names to appear on a 100% successful study (!!).
At the end of the day, the student will go on with his/her life pursuing his/her dreams, no matter what four people had to say about him/her. However, giving the fact that students look up to their professors for professional advice, conduct and research skills, the scenario illustrated above displays a totally opposite reality.
So, the student will always wonder: will one ever come across wholesome professionalism in this competitve world?
13.4.2008
Setting: A corridor of one of the pioneer faculties in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Time: A sunny Lebanese afternoon.
Take 1:
A dressy student adds the final touches to a master’s thesis defense presentation one hour before the time comes to present. While rapidly going through the slides in the presence of a classmate for last comments and feedback, the thesis committee’s second reader and faculty dean passes by and requests to have a few words with the student alone. With a bright smile, the student enthusiastically walks with the professor, expecting encouragement and a final piece of advice. Suddenly, the professor stops, turns around with malice, and ejects venom in the student’s face by claiming that the first page of the thesis displayed unsatisfactory characteristics. The professor retains the insults to the student’s piece of work, less than one hour before the defense, by stating that the draft was mal-formatted by a glance at the results tables!! The professor dares to assert that a book’s cover reflects its content, and hence when the cover is not convincing the whole book should be shredded. Surprised yet furious, the student firmly raises the issue of not receiving any feedback from the professor and other committee members, other than the advisor, prior to the defense date although they had been given the completed draft over a month earlier. The professor mumbles an excuse, dismisses the topic and walks away after flushing the student’s thesis project and self-confidence down the toilet.
Setting: A classroom in the pioneer faculty in Lebanon and the Middle East.
Time: 45 mintues later -The same sunny Lebanese afternoon.
Take 2:
The student gathers all the strength provided by friends and supporters and proceeds with the defense as scheduled. With a positive and indifferent attitude, the student goes through the presentation slides one at a time. In the presence of a full house of invitees, and the ‘virtual’ presence of the advisor, the committee members unleash their weapons and start shooting their leaded questions and comments at the student in the middle of the presentation. The student holds on to an unreal shield trying to avoid as many shots as possible. The committee members make it shamelessly clear that this is their first peek at the thesis project, through their surprised expressions and interlocked eye brows. Nevertheless, they blatantly continue with their display of power in front of each other, the audience and the student. The “respectful” second reader and faculty dean, spices up the whole scene by a slouched seating position, a disgusted expression, a phone call and a loud side talk. Eventually, the same professor leaves the defense session to attend to “more important matters”….!!! The student proceeds.
The student eventually succeeds, with a headache, a breached self-confidence and a sick feeling in the gut.
It is a pity to realize that the “reputable and prestigious university”, the American University of Beirut, employs such examples as professors and representatives of its historical academic and “professional” team of educators. Indeed, the professors in the scenario displayed obvious lack of any academic “professionalism” in their duty towards their student, in the sense that they failed to read the thesis proposal one year earlier, in addition to the completed thesis draft prior to the defense. Consequently, their comments and questions were not posed at the right time for modifications and corrections which may have resulted in either inaccurate implementation or result display and analysis. This was further aggravated by the inadequate input from the advisor and his physical absence.
Furthermore, the professors failed to conceal any personal problems that pre-exited between them by using the student’s thesis defense as an event to demonstrate their power to each other through a pathetic competition of who can crush the student first. The situation was aggravated even more when the student was advised to let go of basic scientific principles and paint the thesis project in a pink and flowery color for publishing purposes. In other words, disregard any insignificant findings and stress on the significant ones only, for the professors’ names to appear on a 100% successful study (!!).
At the end of the day, the student will go on with his/her life pursuing his/her dreams, no matter what four people had to say about him/her. However, giving the fact that students look up to their professors for professional advice, conduct and research skills, the scenario illustrated above displays a totally opposite reality.
So, the student will always wonder: will one ever come across wholesome professionalism in this competitve world?
13.4.2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
For the Love of the Country
The skyscrapers, the luxurious cars, the gigantic malls, the artificial landscapes, the man-made weather, the veiled, the nude and the multi-language speaking streets: Welcome to Dubai. The minute you step out the airport doors, you instantly feel like you’ve landed on a new planet. It’s metropolitan… it’s cosmopolitan……..it’s drastic! While sitting with family members in one of Dubai’s synthetic atmospheres (i.e. mall), I was asked about my “plan B” if a war erupts in Lebanon. My clear intentions of not leaving the country were followed by a long debate on whether war is the only solution left to solve all conflicts in this region. In other words, it is obviously believed by many that war would be the clear cut determinant of the strongest party/side and hence the authority that should rule the area of conflict. At one point, my sister stated that “We (the Arabs) do not love our countries anymore. If we did, internal conflicts in Palestine and Lebanon would not be happening and hence we would not be so vulnerable.” With that, I couldn’t help but wonder: Have we grown out of “loving” or getting attached to certain territory because it’s a small world after all and we belong everywhere? Do we belong anywhere? And, if this is a small world, then why does a new Holocaust in Gaza not trigger any kind of response from cities just a few hours away?!
Normally, societies blame politicians and stakeholders for not “loving” the country and holding individual interests or hidden agendas instead, hence spinning around in a conflict impasse. However, expression of an abstract term like “love” should be defined first, especially when it’s directed towards a certain place. Therefore, the blame could also be shared by the people, since the expression of love, or hatred in this case, can go down to the smallest details like littering the streets or vandalizing the properties of the country.
Nowadays, people would argue that the place that guarantees one a good life deserves all the love one would hold. So, many would dismiss their Palestinian roots and settle for the new identity, granted to them by a little blue book called a passport, because Palestine has not given them anything while the new place granted them a life. Similarly, many Arabs would deny their Middle Eastern roots for the new American, Canadian or European identities because in those countries human beings are respected, rights are secured and accountability is held by strict laws. Accordingly, we should redefine “love for the country” and whether such feelings are directly related to the adoption of a certain identity, since it is apparent that most of us living in this part of the world suffer from an identity crisis.
On the other hand, some might argue that we still hold so much love for our countries. Nevertheless, the expression of love has changed from one generation to the other as we are moving to becoming more individualistic societies. Nowadays, one is usually putting oneself in advance before the nation, while our ancestors concentrated on the nation as a whole and hence they fought to stay on a particular piece of land rather than leaving it for another life somewhere else. Another stated argument is that we get attached to a certain place because of the people in it. Thus, we grow to love a specific place as a result of the experiences and relations we make in it rather than what that territory has to offer in terms of materialistic possessions. Consequently, our expression of love should stem out of respect to that place in the sense that we should try our best to stay there and create a respectful life rather than wait to be granted one.
The problem with us (the Arabs) is that we are still linking identity to certain piece of land. Alternatively, a new stream of thinking is emerging where people around the world are relating identity to the whole world. Therefore, it is a small world after all and we do belong everywhere. In other words, we belong to a whole system and we are all related to one another. This mode of thought is the main force that urged the French people in Paris to walk the streets in protest shortly after the Holocaust in Gaza. Unfortunately, reactions from the Arab world were concentrated in areas that share the Palestinian enemy, like Lebanon for example. Conversely, the deluxe Gulf countries are experiencing the biggest economic boom in their history and have no direct threats; hence they tend to smoothly dismiss such violent events.
In reality, this is a long argument with multiple dimensions. For the love of the country, we should learn to contemplate the changes that we can make and accumulate the courage to make them. The initiative to change should come from each individual for the good of an entire nation. For the love of the country, we should appreciate the land that holds us all together and work for its development rather than its destruction
Normally, societies blame politicians and stakeholders for not “loving” the country and holding individual interests or hidden agendas instead, hence spinning around in a conflict impasse. However, expression of an abstract term like “love” should be defined first, especially when it’s directed towards a certain place. Therefore, the blame could also be shared by the people, since the expression of love, or hatred in this case, can go down to the smallest details like littering the streets or vandalizing the properties of the country.
Nowadays, people would argue that the place that guarantees one a good life deserves all the love one would hold. So, many would dismiss their Palestinian roots and settle for the new identity, granted to them by a little blue book called a passport, because Palestine has not given them anything while the new place granted them a life. Similarly, many Arabs would deny their Middle Eastern roots for the new American, Canadian or European identities because in those countries human beings are respected, rights are secured and accountability is held by strict laws. Accordingly, we should redefine “love for the country” and whether such feelings are directly related to the adoption of a certain identity, since it is apparent that most of us living in this part of the world suffer from an identity crisis.
On the other hand, some might argue that we still hold so much love for our countries. Nevertheless, the expression of love has changed from one generation to the other as we are moving to becoming more individualistic societies. Nowadays, one is usually putting oneself in advance before the nation, while our ancestors concentrated on the nation as a whole and hence they fought to stay on a particular piece of land rather than leaving it for another life somewhere else. Another stated argument is that we get attached to a certain place because of the people in it. Thus, we grow to love a specific place as a result of the experiences and relations we make in it rather than what that territory has to offer in terms of materialistic possessions. Consequently, our expression of love should stem out of respect to that place in the sense that we should try our best to stay there and create a respectful life rather than wait to be granted one.
The problem with us (the Arabs) is that we are still linking identity to certain piece of land. Alternatively, a new stream of thinking is emerging where people around the world are relating identity to the whole world. Therefore, it is a small world after all and we do belong everywhere. In other words, we belong to a whole system and we are all related to one another. This mode of thought is the main force that urged the French people in Paris to walk the streets in protest shortly after the Holocaust in Gaza. Unfortunately, reactions from the Arab world were concentrated in areas that share the Palestinian enemy, like Lebanon for example. Conversely, the deluxe Gulf countries are experiencing the biggest economic boom in their history and have no direct threats; hence they tend to smoothly dismiss such violent events.
In reality, this is a long argument with multiple dimensions. For the love of the country, we should learn to contemplate the changes that we can make and accumulate the courage to make them. The initiative to change should come from each individual for the good of an entire nation. For the love of the country, we should appreciate the land that holds us all together and work for its development rather than its destruction
Have Your Say: Religious or Civil?
As I was browsing the internet the other day, a friend popped a question (on msn) on what I thought about “inter-religious marriage”. Before filling my friend in with my opinion, I started googling civil marriage. As expected, several hits returned with the word “Lebanon” shinning in the title. Most of those articles supported civil marriage as it was asserted a solution for the Lebanese society’s religious/sect segregation, by allowing young couples from different religions to get married without having to alter their beliefs or religious practices. After reading all related articles on the topic and reflecting back on the time I have and still am spending in Lebanon, I wondered: can we really consider civil marriage a key solution to this society’s religious sects’ separation or are we basing our pro-civil marriage views on basic instincts and lovers’ dreams?
Going back to the conversation with my friend on msn, and as a moderately religious person (who loves and practices her religion), my views were mainly against the issue. I consider religious marriage vital for the long-term success of any relationship under the marriage “umbrella” for several reasons. Initially, marriage is a system created by and put forward by religion. Hence how can we bypass that and sign a piece of paper in court without any religious consent? This is why many agreed that civil marriage is considered a weak bond that can be easily broken and hence they would not consider it either. Others have pointed out that the fact that religion is not involved should create some doubt since “religious rights” are not guaranteed (that mainly include assets stated in some religions for either party involved in the pact). Of course, the main question that remains is: how will any children resulting from such a bond be raised? In my opinion, I thought it would be very difficult and would result in the children getting confused regarding the different religions, their beliefs and practices. It is not very realistic to ask the child to choose between either religion. I believe it is the parents’ role to guide their children through their respective religious beliefs and practices, and hence a conflict in religious views would hinder that role from being executed.
On the other hand, those for civil marriage argue that religion should never be the reason to separate people. In fact, since all main religions around the world call for peace, love and honesty, people should find religion a resort and a solution to solve their problems and break down all obstacles. In addition, civil marriage is viewed as an internationally recognized contract and hence is flexible. Regarding children, it was said that they should be raised as believers, introduced to both religions and then left to choose to choose their own religious practices as long as they are believers in God. An interesting view that was also put forward was that civil marriage is a solution for the “belonging” problem (i.e. belonging to a certain religion, country, ethnicity….culture). So, it would free people from all those ties and taboos that are inherited, hence decreasing restrictions and divisions around the world.
Yet, another question is raised here: can we free ourselves from our cultural and religious ties with a small signature on a piece of paper? As one colleague put it: “religion and culture go hand in hand. It was never religion that separated people. It is in fact the cultural background that goes with it”. Actually, after reading several case studies of civil marriage in the Middle East, the longevity of such cases is indeed affected by the incoherent diffusion of the two cultural circles of either party. In reality, the cultural aspect is valid since both parties agreed to overlook their religious differences, but for some reason they still fail to sustain their marriage.
When I laid my views out in the open, I was judged as being radical, strict, extreme and rigid. Since this type of marriage was proposed it has been the focus of many debates. So, I want you to have your say: religious or civil?
Going back to the conversation with my friend on msn, and as a moderately religious person (who loves and practices her religion), my views were mainly against the issue. I consider religious marriage vital for the long-term success of any relationship under the marriage “umbrella” for several reasons. Initially, marriage is a system created by and put forward by religion. Hence how can we bypass that and sign a piece of paper in court without any religious consent? This is why many agreed that civil marriage is considered a weak bond that can be easily broken and hence they would not consider it either. Others have pointed out that the fact that religion is not involved should create some doubt since “religious rights” are not guaranteed (that mainly include assets stated in some religions for either party involved in the pact). Of course, the main question that remains is: how will any children resulting from such a bond be raised? In my opinion, I thought it would be very difficult and would result in the children getting confused regarding the different religions, their beliefs and practices. It is not very realistic to ask the child to choose between either religion. I believe it is the parents’ role to guide their children through their respective religious beliefs and practices, and hence a conflict in religious views would hinder that role from being executed.
On the other hand, those for civil marriage argue that religion should never be the reason to separate people. In fact, since all main religions around the world call for peace, love and honesty, people should find religion a resort and a solution to solve their problems and break down all obstacles. In addition, civil marriage is viewed as an internationally recognized contract and hence is flexible. Regarding children, it was said that they should be raised as believers, introduced to both religions and then left to choose to choose their own religious practices as long as they are believers in God. An interesting view that was also put forward was that civil marriage is a solution for the “belonging” problem (i.e. belonging to a certain religion, country, ethnicity….culture). So, it would free people from all those ties and taboos that are inherited, hence decreasing restrictions and divisions around the world.
Yet, another question is raised here: can we free ourselves from our cultural and religious ties with a small signature on a piece of paper? As one colleague put it: “religion and culture go hand in hand. It was never religion that separated people. It is in fact the cultural background that goes with it”. Actually, after reading several case studies of civil marriage in the Middle East, the longevity of such cases is indeed affected by the incoherent diffusion of the two cultural circles of either party. In reality, the cultural aspect is valid since both parties agreed to overlook their religious differences, but for some reason they still fail to sustain their marriage.
When I laid my views out in the open, I was judged as being radical, strict, extreme and rigid. Since this type of marriage was proposed it has been the focus of many debates. So, I want you to have your say: religious or civil?
The Bold Reality about Sex!
The red season of love is back. The flower shops, the gift shops, the clothing stores, the book shops and even pharmacies, all have their red hearts decorations put up and ready for the lovers’ day: Valentine’s Day! As I was heading to have dinner with friends, I couldn’t help but smile at the red color covering Beirut and the couples holding hands and strolling lazily down the bustling streets of Hamra. As we chatted our way through dinner, one of my friends shared the flyer that the Lebanese Red Cross AIDS committee would be using on this year’s Valentine’s Day to promote safe sex using condoms (as is always the case every year). Most of us loved this year’s slogan and flyer design when another friend mentioned his opposing opinion to such an activity which in some way promotes premarital sexual relationships. He argued that the Red Cross is actually saying “It’s okay to have premarital sex, as long as you’re having it in a safe way”. I was surprised by such an argument coming from a fully educated, exposed and experienced Red Cross member. Of course the debate started on whether this campaign is appropriate or not, and I started wondering: Are we still so unaware of the realities of our sexual relations in the light of today’s deeply high tech, “globalized” and open society? Or do we tend to dismiss the reality of people having sex outside the context of marriage due to strict religious views, values and beliefs?
The argument here is not whether premarital sex is right or wrong. It is the fact that values, morals and concepts in our somewhat conservative society have changed due to the global media, cross-cultural exchange and globalization. So, people are having sex outside the context of marriage whether we like it or not. It is this reality that we should understand and accept before making judgments on initiatives, like that of the Red Cross AIDS program’s, which targets the reality of sex in order to decrease its drastic effects that comprise unwanted pregnancies and STDs (including HIV that tops the list).
Regarding religious views, the strict catholic stream of thought promotes abstinence, as the use of contraceptive methods, especially condoms, is forbidden. As far as my knowledge goes, all main religions encourage marriage and sticking to one sexual partner. Yet, it is Islam that recognizes sexual needs as a basic instinct that comes with the creation of every creature and hence it is realistic when it comes to the fact that people could engage in haphazard sexual relations not only to reproduce but to fulfill their sexual innate desires. So, marriage in Islam came as a solution to those random relations (that existed before Islam) which resulted in unwanted children and the spread of many diseases. In other words, we should all accept the presence of sexual needs since birth and the fact that those needs reach their peak during the years of adolescence onwards (with varying degrees from one person to the other).
However, this acceptance is still not the case in many societies of the oriental world. Many parents across the region fail to educate their children and teenagers on various sexual issues since they’re still considered taboo. Hence, youngsters reside to other abundant resources (the internet, TV satellite channels, books, magazines, friends, etc..) in order to find answers for their questions. This lack of proper sex education plays a key role in a range of physiological and psycho-social problems that some might suffer from. Therefore, the first solution to our problem would be to raise awareness among the older generations on the fact that our societies have developed in such a way that we are accessing a vast amount of information from a variety of sources. This means that the silent approach to sexual issues is not valid anymore and we need to intervene aggressively in the younger generations’ perceptions on the matter through accurate sex education.
Another factor also affected by this extensive globalization phenomenon is the alteration of moral values, in the sense that premarital sexual relationships and cohabitation are becoming more and more apparent in our societies. Each one of us has been brought up in a specific way that included religious and moral primary and secondary orientation. So, it is only one’s choice to get involved in any premarital sexual experience, since one supposedly knows right from wrong. Ultimately, our role is to recognize the reality of such relationships in our societies and raise awareness on their dangers. This would have a double effect on such occurrences: deter people from engaging in premarital relations because of fear of their consequences, and simultaneously decrease the effects of those relationships (unwanted pregnancies/diseases) through promoting mechanical contraceptives (i.e. condoms).
The main conclusion is that our societies need to wake up and be aware of the many changes and foreign introductions that have been made from the outside world. We live in a “small village” and we should acknowledge the bold truths that come with that existence including the truth about sex.
Beirut 10.2.2008
The argument here is not whether premarital sex is right or wrong. It is the fact that values, morals and concepts in our somewhat conservative society have changed due to the global media, cross-cultural exchange and globalization. So, people are having sex outside the context of marriage whether we like it or not. It is this reality that we should understand and accept before making judgments on initiatives, like that of the Red Cross AIDS program’s, which targets the reality of sex in order to decrease its drastic effects that comprise unwanted pregnancies and STDs (including HIV that tops the list).
Regarding religious views, the strict catholic stream of thought promotes abstinence, as the use of contraceptive methods, especially condoms, is forbidden. As far as my knowledge goes, all main religions encourage marriage and sticking to one sexual partner. Yet, it is Islam that recognizes sexual needs as a basic instinct that comes with the creation of every creature and hence it is realistic when it comes to the fact that people could engage in haphazard sexual relations not only to reproduce but to fulfill their sexual innate desires. So, marriage in Islam came as a solution to those random relations (that existed before Islam) which resulted in unwanted children and the spread of many diseases. In other words, we should all accept the presence of sexual needs since birth and the fact that those needs reach their peak during the years of adolescence onwards (with varying degrees from one person to the other).
However, this acceptance is still not the case in many societies of the oriental world. Many parents across the region fail to educate their children and teenagers on various sexual issues since they’re still considered taboo. Hence, youngsters reside to other abundant resources (the internet, TV satellite channels, books, magazines, friends, etc..) in order to find answers for their questions. This lack of proper sex education plays a key role in a range of physiological and psycho-social problems that some might suffer from. Therefore, the first solution to our problem would be to raise awareness among the older generations on the fact that our societies have developed in such a way that we are accessing a vast amount of information from a variety of sources. This means that the silent approach to sexual issues is not valid anymore and we need to intervene aggressively in the younger generations’ perceptions on the matter through accurate sex education.
Another factor also affected by this extensive globalization phenomenon is the alteration of moral values, in the sense that premarital sexual relationships and cohabitation are becoming more and more apparent in our societies. Each one of us has been brought up in a specific way that included religious and moral primary and secondary orientation. So, it is only one’s choice to get involved in any premarital sexual experience, since one supposedly knows right from wrong. Ultimately, our role is to recognize the reality of such relationships in our societies and raise awareness on their dangers. This would have a double effect on such occurrences: deter people from engaging in premarital relations because of fear of their consequences, and simultaneously decrease the effects of those relationships (unwanted pregnancies/diseases) through promoting mechanical contraceptives (i.e. condoms).
The main conclusion is that our societies need to wake up and be aware of the many changes and foreign introductions that have been made from the outside world. We live in a “small village” and we should acknowledge the bold truths that come with that existence including the truth about sex.
Beirut 10.2.2008
Political Garbage
As the time signaled the arrival of our lunch hour at the office, we heated up our food and gathered around the lunch table. As usual we started discussing various issues, when one colleague asked about the status of recycling plants in Lebanon. So one thing led to another and the story of garbage division into organic and inorganic matter by the major garbage disposal company in Lebanon, Sukleen, was recalled. The story’s conclusion was that efforts to establish a factory for categorizing Beirut’s garbage and hence send clean organic and inorganic material for recycling in their respective factories have failed due to political disputes. In other words, the factory’s location was not agreed upon by any political party because no one wanted it in “their” territory. As my colleague put it “I don’t want my or your garbage in my backyard and I don’t care what you do with it!” So large areas, like Dahyeh for example, ended up accumulating their waste in a huge in-land dumping area close to the airport. The story entertained yet surprised me, for I began to wonder: Are we so engrossed in our politics that we tend to politicize everything including garbage, or are we so clueless when it comes to politics?!
As defined by Webster’s English dictionary, politics is the “art or science of government; the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing a government policy; the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government”. Political actions were defined as “activities characterized by artful and dishonest practices”.
We should all recognize the word “art” in the definition and how some politicians have artistically excelled. Since dishonesty is the color used in politics, politicizing media, or in other words coloring media with dishonesty, could be a valid fact. It is true that various media resources around the world are politicized to serve a certain political body and attack the other by influencing the general public. Fox news, CNN, Al Jazeera, Al Manar, Future TV and LBC are just a few examples of visual media (going into other media resources will require another article!).
On the other hand, how valid is it to politicize religion for instance. All religions around the world call for peace and honesty. It is a pity to see leaders and whole nations for that matter, politicize religion and hence lead to severe consequences of such “art actions”. Throughout the course of history, humans have started and led massive wars in the name of religion. In addition to the blood shed and other losses, such wars and conflicts have increased the number of non-believers who argue that it is because of religion that people are killing each other around the world, so why believe in such a brutal and problematic concept? In fact, I am continuously bombarded by questions like “Where is God? What is he doing watching the continuous blood bath in the world you claim he has created?” Some might argue that religious wars are actually a result of unsuccessful political actions and so they do not fall under the umbrella of sound artful politics. Hence we are not politicizing religion. Yet, when you come to think of it, it is those extreme religious terms and speeches painted with the many colors of political deceitfulness that trigger the bomb. So, we are also politicizing certain terms to serve our ultimate goal: take control of governmental or territorial reigns.
Of course, since politics is an art and science being educated in universities around the world, it is a vital part of our lives. We actually use politics very often if not daily. It is actually healthy and advanced to have political views, insights and beliefs. It is believed that political affiliation and/or inclination is becoming part of human nature. Unfortunately, for many, the understanding of politics has become too advanced (or too backward!) that their artistic politicizations due to their perceptions have included political signals, symbols, body gestures and car horns! So the ultimate question that remains is: are we going to be able to co-exist in a world full of political garbage?
Beirut 1.2.2008
As defined by Webster’s English dictionary, politics is the “art or science of government; the art or science concerned with guiding or influencing a government policy; the art or science concerned with winning and holding control over a government”. Political actions were defined as “activities characterized by artful and dishonest practices”.
We should all recognize the word “art” in the definition and how some politicians have artistically excelled. Since dishonesty is the color used in politics, politicizing media, or in other words coloring media with dishonesty, could be a valid fact. It is true that various media resources around the world are politicized to serve a certain political body and attack the other by influencing the general public. Fox news, CNN, Al Jazeera, Al Manar, Future TV and LBC are just a few examples of visual media (going into other media resources will require another article!).
On the other hand, how valid is it to politicize religion for instance. All religions around the world call for peace and honesty. It is a pity to see leaders and whole nations for that matter, politicize religion and hence lead to severe consequences of such “art actions”. Throughout the course of history, humans have started and led massive wars in the name of religion. In addition to the blood shed and other losses, such wars and conflicts have increased the number of non-believers who argue that it is because of religion that people are killing each other around the world, so why believe in such a brutal and problematic concept? In fact, I am continuously bombarded by questions like “Where is God? What is he doing watching the continuous blood bath in the world you claim he has created?” Some might argue that religious wars are actually a result of unsuccessful political actions and so they do not fall under the umbrella of sound artful politics. Hence we are not politicizing religion. Yet, when you come to think of it, it is those extreme religious terms and speeches painted with the many colors of political deceitfulness that trigger the bomb. So, we are also politicizing certain terms to serve our ultimate goal: take control of governmental or territorial reigns.
Of course, since politics is an art and science being educated in universities around the world, it is a vital part of our lives. We actually use politics very often if not daily. It is actually healthy and advanced to have political views, insights and beliefs. It is believed that political affiliation and/or inclination is becoming part of human nature. Unfortunately, for many, the understanding of politics has become too advanced (or too backward!) that their artistic politicizations due to their perceptions have included political signals, symbols, body gestures and car horns! So the ultimate question that remains is: are we going to be able to co-exist in a world full of political garbage?
Beirut 1.2.2008
What’s Your Favorite Dish?
While I was having my usual lunch break with work colleagues, I was asked by one of them about my favorite dish. Among many, I told her I loved a Palestinian dish called Msakkhan (this of course was followed by giving the recipe). So one thing led to another and we ended up talking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as my colleague expressed her admiration to the late King Hussein of Jordan (although I don’t understand her feelings yet!). Then she suddenly asserted that the only solution for the Palestinians is for Jordan to donate parts of it territories for them to form a land, in addition to Gaza, and hence end the struggle with the Israelis by building a “new” Palestine for themselves, and give up the rest to live in peace. As expected, I was furious. Her suggestion (in addition to many other similar comments that came rushing through my head at that moment) made me wonder: did we become so inhumane so to brush away this key regional matter, around which the Arab history has revolved for years, with a ridiculous solution? Or are we so humane that we want to find a solution, regardless of how unreasonable it sounds?
Yes, there are a million conflicts and issues around the world. Africa, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Bosnia …you name it. And yes, we do wish for all of them to get solved this minute. Yet, have we become so ignorant when it comes to the Palestinian issue? I do agree with the fact that the current and really sad dispute between the Palestinian leaderships has tainted the original cause with the corruption and silliness of all political parties. This might have led many Palestinians, Arabs and others to ridicule the main core issue since the internal conflict has taken over the whole picture. But, it does remain appalling to see that some people, including some Palestinians (at least the ones I have come across over the past few years) idolize several Arab leaders who have played significant roles over the course of history to worsen the Palestinian situation in favor of personal interests. It’s even more shocking to find that a significant number of Palestinians and Arabs call for the compromise of Jerusalem and the right for the refugees to return for peace with Israel (an enemy that has proved its deceitfulness since its existence), so that they would all live in peace and party with a clear conscious!
Of course the most common questions that friends, colleagues and acquaintances raise are: what do you think is the solution then? Are you with Fateh or Hamas? Don’t you think that we (Arabs) have suffered enough because of your conflict? Who’s to blame for this whole ordeal?
In reality, Israel has established itself as a country made up of people, a government, scholars, journalists etc. Yet, we cannot ignore the fact that it has stolen the land on which all of this was built. And we should not forget that the Israelis and all their allies have outwitted the Arabs throughout history by planning ahead of time for all their actions. So the solution remains vague. This vicious cycle of constant killings on both sides will continue, because and like it or not, resistance is only normal and corruption will always invade the minds of our leaders.
Many would argue that as a Palestinian, born in Jordan, raised in the Gulf and currently residing in Lebanon, I wouldn’t fully understand the intensity of the internal situation and the day to day action in my homeland. The fact that a single twist in fate that led me (like a million others) to grow up in well-off family, receive the best education and have access to various life resources, does not mean that I have lost my Palestinian roots (“identity” is another controversial term!), my Arab heritage and most importantly my humanity. In fact, I believe that all of these circumstances have put additional pressure on me to keep the Palestinian humanitarian case alive and relay the message to the next generation.
Our duty towards Palestine is to read more, learn more and write more about it. Educating our children and young people on this eternal conflict (since it’s also known as the “Arab-Israeli” conflict) remains an essential responsibility. The answer is not to hate the Israelis, but to deeply understand all dimensions related to this issue in order to hopefully, find a clear solution in the future. We must realize that this is a humanitarian matter and not purely political. Therefore, it is vital that we reinforce our own humanitarian instincts in order to effectively raise awareness and disseminate peace.
Beirut 5.1.2008
Yes, there are a million conflicts and issues around the world. Africa, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Bosnia …you name it. And yes, we do wish for all of them to get solved this minute. Yet, have we become so ignorant when it comes to the Palestinian issue? I do agree with the fact that the current and really sad dispute between the Palestinian leaderships has tainted the original cause with the corruption and silliness of all political parties. This might have led many Palestinians, Arabs and others to ridicule the main core issue since the internal conflict has taken over the whole picture. But, it does remain appalling to see that some people, including some Palestinians (at least the ones I have come across over the past few years) idolize several Arab leaders who have played significant roles over the course of history to worsen the Palestinian situation in favor of personal interests. It’s even more shocking to find that a significant number of Palestinians and Arabs call for the compromise of Jerusalem and the right for the refugees to return for peace with Israel (an enemy that has proved its deceitfulness since its existence), so that they would all live in peace and party with a clear conscious!
Of course the most common questions that friends, colleagues and acquaintances raise are: what do you think is the solution then? Are you with Fateh or Hamas? Don’t you think that we (Arabs) have suffered enough because of your conflict? Who’s to blame for this whole ordeal?
In reality, Israel has established itself as a country made up of people, a government, scholars, journalists etc. Yet, we cannot ignore the fact that it has stolen the land on which all of this was built. And we should not forget that the Israelis and all their allies have outwitted the Arabs throughout history by planning ahead of time for all their actions. So the solution remains vague. This vicious cycle of constant killings on both sides will continue, because and like it or not, resistance is only normal and corruption will always invade the minds of our leaders.
Many would argue that as a Palestinian, born in Jordan, raised in the Gulf and currently residing in Lebanon, I wouldn’t fully understand the intensity of the internal situation and the day to day action in my homeland. The fact that a single twist in fate that led me (like a million others) to grow up in well-off family, receive the best education and have access to various life resources, does not mean that I have lost my Palestinian roots (“identity” is another controversial term!), my Arab heritage and most importantly my humanity. In fact, I believe that all of these circumstances have put additional pressure on me to keep the Palestinian humanitarian case alive and relay the message to the next generation.
Our duty towards Palestine is to read more, learn more and write more about it. Educating our children and young people on this eternal conflict (since it’s also known as the “Arab-Israeli” conflict) remains an essential responsibility. The answer is not to hate the Israelis, but to deeply understand all dimensions related to this issue in order to hopefully, find a clear solution in the future. We must realize that this is a humanitarian matter and not purely political. Therefore, it is vital that we reinforce our own humanitarian instincts in order to effectively raise awareness and disseminate peace.
Beirut 5.1.2008
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