Archive for
July 29th, 2007
Stories
China: To blog to dream 
· 18:45
Two American bloggers based in southern China's Guangzhou city are gearing up for a year's worth of blogging trips which will take them through all twenty-two provinces in mainland China and see them raising funds for charities, offering scholarships for Chinese students to go study in the West as well as raising funds to cover medical costs for people struggling with cancer back in the heavily-industrialized Pearl River Delta, where cancer rates run high.
Lonnie B. Hodge, the elder of the two, US army veteran, past recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts and resident of Asia for nearly two decades, has played a very active role in China's English-language blogging community since he started OneManBandwidth in 2004, supporting not just top blogger and photo contests, but also charity initiatives being played out across the country, all on top of maintaining a business column and drawing on life experiences (and a PhD) in decoding life as a teacher and business consultant in today's China on everything from cancer to censorship to corruption on campuses.
Cancer has been a central topic on OneManBandwidth for the past year as Hodge has followed closely the lives of what he is calling The League of Extraordinary Chinese Women, linked by their shared suffering of breast cancer; one is still living today. As those around him continue to pass away, Hodge himself does not have long left to go.
And thus the inspiration for what Hodge and his Macau University of Science and Technology teaching colleague David DeGeest are calling The Dreamblogue: Traveling China for Charity and Understanding.
The first trip will take the pair to Tibet on August 15 and more information will be released shortly. One recent post looks at the Asia Library Project initiative mentioned in the short video, taken in Guangzhou this past week, below:
Hodge and DeGeest's first step toward making people's dreams come true has been to invite readers to share them on The Dreamblogue:
Dreamblogue readers and corporate sponsors are already helping fulfill some of the dreams posted here. For how you can help us visit our help page and continue to follow our adventures in China. All ad revenue will from this site benefits Chinese and American individuals with dreams deferred by health, or social circumstances.
And several have already come in:
4 comments · »»tdgardens’s dream:
That every child have a book to hug, hold, and carry them to a dream all their own.hailvict’s dream:
To become someone who makes a difference every day of their life.mmhalim’s dream:
travell to china i cannot imagine what is the great system that can organize all this people and in the same time they are be one of the great country in the worldTaitai’s Dream:
My main dream right now is that the lumps found in my mother-in-law’s lung are benign. That would be lovely, thank you.kevin’s dream:
I hope the project of “Blog of dreams” will be successful.Roxi Copland’s Dream:
touring worldwide as a vocalist and pianist
Philippines: Anti-Terror Law takes effect
· 16:10
Five months after it was passed by Congress, the anti-terrorism law known as the Human Security Act (HSA) took effect more than a week ago. The government describes the law as the centerpiece legislation that would deter terrorist activities in the country. It also claims that the Philippines, before the passage of HSA, is the only country in the region without an anti-terror law.
However, the Opposition is worried that the HSA might be used to quell legitimate dissent. The law will be implemented at a time when government is accused of committing human rights violations. Various repressive policies were enforced by the same government which will oversee the execution of the anti-terror law. Police and military forces have also low credibility in upholding human rights.
Philippine E-Legal Forum uploads the full text of the law. Caffeine_Sparks provides an initial summary of commentaries from Filipino bloggers.
According to lawmakers, the HSA contains enough safeguards to prevent abuse of the law. Ped Xing identifies some of the safeguards:
“The maximum of three days of detention without judicial warrant of arrest (rather than the originally proposed three months!); the Executive Secretary (rather than the unsuable president herself) as chair of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC); suspension of the law three months surrounding any election; designation of a Court of Appeals division to review decisions made by the ATC; the P500, 000 per day penalty for unlawful detention; the requirement for probable cause”.
Senator Jamby Madrigal who voted against the bill is disappointed with other senators who agreed that the ‘safeguards’ are enough to make the anti-terror law acceptable. An excerpt from Himagsik Kayumanggi’s interview with the lady senator:
“They were just justifying their “yes” votes because their amendments were accepted. Yes, the amendments which changed only the grammar [or wording] of the bill. But the amendments which would have changed the spirit of the bill were not accepted and the amendments to safeguard human rights were not really there. There are no safeguards in the bill. You do not have to be a lawyer to see it. So it really makes a mockery of democracy, this is a license to kill and legitimize state terror against its people.”
RG Cruz Reports echoes the motives of the President in prioritizing the enactment of HSA:
“In particular, she wants the anti terrorism law to be used against those bombing Mindanao's power plants, which have caused power interruptions in the island. She wants an end to political violence, especially those directed against the media. That's why instead, she says government will even protect its enemies, so long as they don't resort to terrorism.”
Notes of Marichu C. Lambino uploads the reactions of her students on the HSA. Here is a sample:
“Allowing agents of the government to employ surveillance and other forms of espionage on people under mere suspicion of terrorism paves the way for accessing information, no matter how privileged, may be stolen, coerced out of a journalist, a source, by any means possible, under the guise of legal action. This compromises the watchdog function of the press—any reporter could be coerced or intimidated, under the cloak of legality, to reveal sources, give out information, and report less than what is true”
Our Times writes about the failure of government to provide an Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) for the HSA:
“It is puzzling why none of the agencies in charge with writing up the IRR succeeded. If there is no political will in drafting the IRR for such an important measure, then how can there be political will in ensuring that the HSA is fairly and consistently applied against suspected terrorists?”
Postcard Headlines comments:
“Indeed, why is open terror now instrumental in the Arroyo administration's war against her critics ? Why is the state legitimizing this systematic violence against unarmed leaders and members of people's organizations at a mass scale? Aside from the rhetoric on joining the US war against terror, the implementation of the new law can also be seen in the context of the country's slide to further economic degradation.”
But Uncomplicating the complicated is supportive of the HSA:
“The law may be draconian and Big Brotherish but I believe it's really needed by the government in it's fight, actually the people's fight, against all acts or terror…HSA is there to contain the plague of humanity– for terrorists not to see the light of day– never to kill, maim and bomb again another day.”
Philippine Experience has a suggestion for the government:
“The HSA is open to any abuse by those who would implement it. There maybe safeguards but loopholes and misinterpretation by certain quarters can render these inutile… If President Arroyo really wants us to give the HSA a chance, yes we will. But she has to ratify the Rome Statute to make sure that someone will really be watching our backs. With her around, nothing should be left to chance.”
Catholic bishops want further review of the law. In and Out of Season explains:
“Since we as pastors have to look more into the morality of this law and make a pronouncement in that level, we feel that the atmosphere created by this law and its impending implementations calls on us to appeal to those concerned to review this law so that in consultation and dialogue we may have a law that is truly relevant in promoting the security of the nation and in the pursuit of authentic peace.”
Adarna's Attic has an interesting analogy:
“Like water, terror/terrorism is something which we experience everyday. We take it for granted because the government, for one, creates extreme ‘terror scenarios' to justify unleashing state terror as something short of a ‘normal' occurrence in our daily lives. Or it is something so anticipated that we somehow just get used to it. We even develop all sorts of counter-measures, but these do not make us less enraged.”
Atty-At-Work believes “the fear is not on the law itself, but seems to arise from the level of [dis]trust on the ones who are tasked to implement it.” Bryanton Post links a statement by journalism students on the implication of HSA on free press. Tingog Katawhan uploads a paper by a scientist on how government is spying on its citizens through tapping of cellphones, landlines and computers. Consumer Fanaticism insists that the HSA was passed to please the United States. Gerry Albert Corpuz Presents appeals to church authorities to discuss critique of HSA in parishes.
Awake in the interregnum cites the military death squads as terrorists:
“Right now, I can't think of any group that systematically slaughters innocents other than military death squads. They sow extraordinary fear (Just ask community mass leaders, working for the marginalized, yet hunted like animals). They create panic among the populace (Just ask the farmers who go into a cedula frenzy knowing that no proof will ever convince government soldiers that they are not insurgents)”.
Ideological Soup is also opposed to the HSA:
“The intent of the government in passing the law may be noble, but the means sought to realize its goal runs counter to the fundamental rights of men, thus, sacrificing the rationale of man's existence for the sake of security.”
Meet Micaa is disappointed with the law. This blogger wants a stronger anti-terror law:
“If there's anyone who might be caused injustice by this law, it is us, good citizens, and the government itself. The law appears to undermine itself as it overflows with relenting safeguards that might prove to promote the crime and render the law toothless”
Related posts: Most controversial military general, Extrajudicial killings in the Philippines, Anti-terror measure in Congress
3 comments · »»Kuwait: Pictures, Sights and Events
· 15:24
Kuwaiti bloggers are leaping into action, discovering their surroundings, attending events and covering them, keeping tabs on the latest developments on the arrest of the Monster of Hawali and looking for racial slurs on the shelves of supermarkets. Read this post by Abdullatif Al Omar to see what else is happening.
K.Thekuwaiti writes of what he thinks all the Kuwaiti bloggers are categorized into:
1. The Language-Challenged Blogger:
This is the category of bloggers who have trouble differentiating between languages, e.g. “I got into a car accident oo Ri7t ma5far Shamiya ilyom.” Writing a word or a sentence to refer to a specific person, place or thing in Arablish is fine, but writing the whole post – think several paragraphs - is just plain retarded
zdistrict speaks of problems that face small businesses in Kuwait.
Entrepreneurs in Kuwait have a difficult time getting themselves up and off the ground because of all the rules they make you jump through. There is no incentives for business in Kuwait to start something new, or for someone young to get some help in businesses in Kuwait.
There have also been a couple of events in Kuwait, which some bloggers covered.
Zahra over at Kuwait-Style went to the Kuwait for Kenya event.
Kuwait for Kenya (LOYAC) is having an exhibition that will start today at Bait Lothan. You can visit the exhibition on July 23rd and July 24th, from 6PM to 9PM.
Kuwait-Style had a sneak peak into the collection that contains an assortment of Kenyan objects from masks to paintings and from jewellery to kitchen utensils. Prices are very reasonable and if you wish to donate more there will be a donation jar at the entrance.
outlaw goes to the Charles Chaplin movie screening in Kuwait.
I've read and heard a lot in the news, blogs, etc about Charles Chaplin's movie's and that a lot of people are there and all the non-sense, so i decided to go there and spend some quality time with my Lil bro and sis since i like old movies and old stuff, so after i got lost cause i don't know where the place is a finally found it that's the plaaaaace
Exzombie posts about a movie screening too - this time its a documentary called Occupation 101.
The event will take place on Tuesday, July 24th, at the Cinemagic Courtyard in Bait Lothan, Salmiya, and will run between 7:30 p.m – 9:30 p.m.
This week, we will be screening Award-Winning Documentary “Occupation 101″.
A thought-provoking and powerful documentary film on the current and historical root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Da over at chillnite posts a picture that shows how the weather was in Kuwait.
…what you see is not fog, nor is it air-pollution, just plain old Humidity!
Tat The Don takes us on a trip into the past - his past as a young delinquent!
I did not want to post about the past since it’s dead and gone. But it came to my attention that some of you don’t understand me or in fact deny what it was like for me and my peers. So I’m gonna enlighten you on how it was being a teenager in Kuwait during the 90’s. We didn’t have Marina Malls or Virgin in fact we were not even allowed to go inside a mall
One case that was on the minds of bloggers this past week was the arrest of a criminal in Kuwait - a pedophile who was called the Monster of Hawali (the area were most crimes were committed).
First off, Frankom talks about something he find not right.
صور رجال المباحث والشخصيات الهامة لاتظهر في الصور أبدا … حتى عند التصوير سواء كاميرا أو فيديو … في الولايات المتحدة الامريكية هناك جريمة قتل كل عدد معين من الثواني وهناك “سفّاح” معين يظهر من فترة الى أخرى … ومع كل هذا لايظهر شكل رجال المباحث في الصور حتى وإن كانت أمريكا ذلك البلد الكبير بتعداده الضخم ولكن في الكويت الامر مختلف تماما … اليكم الصورةPhotographs of detectives and important figures never appear in the USA, where there is a murder every second and there are serial killers that appear from time to time. The detectives do not appear in the paper everyday unlike in Kuwait. Check out this picture.
Also Saints of Kuwait talks about another aspect of that case.
طالعتنا صحف الأمس و المدونات بخبر إلقاء القبض على وحش حولي كما أطلقت عليه الصحافة المحلية
و سررت شخصيا بهذا الخبر و لكني بنفس الوقت
صعقت فبدون أي منازع قامت جميع الصحف و المدونات التي أوردت الخبر بوضع صورة المتهم و أركز على كلمة متهم و اسمة و وظيفته وعنوانه و جنسيته و كل بياناته حتى
“رقم فنيلت “
و الكل قام يتساءل عن الحكم الذي سينتظره هذا الوحش
و هناك من قام بتحليل شخصيته و كيف انه تم اغتصابه في صغره الخ الخ
في استهزاء واضح و صريح بالقانون و الدستور
أين قاعدة المتهم بريء حتى تثبت إدانته
و لماذا يوجد لدينا قضاء في الكويت إن كانت الصحافة و الناس تدين
“بكيفها “
و تصدر الأحكام
بالعربي أين حقه القانوني و الدستوري
أم بسبب كونه من جنسيه عربية لا يوجد له حق و مظلة القانون لا تحميه
لا أدافع عنه ولا شيء ولكن القانون قانون و يجب أن يطبق على الكل ولا صار بطيخYesterday's newspapers and blogs alike talked about the arrest of the Hawali monster as he was called by the local newspaper. I was happy that he was caught but at the same time I was shocked. All newspapers and blogs talked about and posted the picture of the accused (and I emphasise accused) and his name and his job and his address and his nationality and everything about him even the size of his T-shirt and everyone started wondering what verdict would he face.
Some started speculations about what he had faced as a child and the abuse he had.
This is a farce. Where are the guidelines which say that the accused is innocent until proven guilty? And why do we have courts when people and newspapers can hurl accusations and pass judgments at who ever they want? In Arabic, where is the law and the Constitution? Or is it because he is an Arab (not Kuwaiti) that there is no law to protect him? I am not defending him but the law should be applied to all regardless.
And last but not least, Forzaq8 saw a logo which drew his attention at the local supermarket and wonders what its creators were thinking of when they made it!
Yesterday i went to pickup grocery for the house. The Co-OP is gold mine for comedy with misspelled words and such
but i think we need to draw a line here
this is just too much
Click on the link to see the product and read the comments on that post.
1 comment · »»Palestine: The Plight of Women
· 15:02
Although many discussions within the Palestinian blogosphere are politics as usual, I've decided to change focus this week. Rather than government and Gaza and patriarchy, this week's roundup will tackle a subject of a different kind - the subject of women.
First up is the story of Hind Mohammed Eid, a young Egyptian girl who was raped and gave birth to a child, thus prompting a nationwide discussion on hijab as protection against such crimes (an article on this story is available in Arabic here) Improvisations: Arab Woman Progressive Voice discussed the case:
What is the connection between rape and veiling?
Well, the patriarchal logic goes like this: if a girl or a woman gets raped, it is because she was provocative. She was not fully covered and therefore it is her fault. So a 7-year- old girl who is raped is to blame. Or at least her parents are to blame because they left her exposed, thus tempting some man to rape her.
According to this logic, the girl must be veiled to protect the man from temptation. He is the victim.
Rapists rape girls as young as one year old. Shall we veil those temptresses too? Rapists rape men and boys. Why don't we veil those seducers as well?
Let us veil the whole universe to protect rapists from temptation. Veil the trees, veil the sea, and don't forget the air because all can be sensuous, all can be sensual, all can be dangerous.
The blogger's comments prompted a discussion of what could deter rape, if not the veil. Qwaider قويدر commented:
In this respect, I really appreciate the Jordanian law adding the death sentence for any underage rape (doesn't matter what the gender is) I think such strong consequence might work as a good deterrent against these matters.
James Stanhope responded:
In the U.S., both adult-on-adult rape and adult-on-adolescent rape (statutory rape) are decided by state criminal law, and, since these cases are nearly always decided by juries, it is not clear that the death sentence would act as a deterrent. In the U.S. state of Georgia, where I live, studies show that perpetrators of apparently both premeditated and impulsive violent crimes are not deterred by awareness of the punishment (including the death penalty) because these perpetrators expect not to be detected or apprehended.
Raising Yousuf, Unplugged: diary of a Palestinian mother is an extremely interesting blog which recently returned after a short hiatus. The blogger is a Palestinian mother who documents her life as such; in this post, she speaks of exiting Gaza and the difficulties it presents:
We spent 14 grueling hours on the crossing, along with thousands of other Palestinians, desperate to either leave or enter the Strip. Busload after busload, entire families and their children and spouses were clinging to the ceilings, crushed inside, or piled on top of the luggage in back. Some fainted. Others erupted in hysterics. Everyone had a reason to. There were mothers separated from their spouses. Students needing to return to college. The ill. The elderly. And those with nothing particularly remarkable to preface their reason for traveling with-it was their right, after all.
Our last stop this week is KABOBfest, where the talk is about the video for Hilary Duff's song Stranger. The blogger criticizes the video clip for being orientalist:
Hilary Duff's current music video “Stranger”, an Orientalist's wetdream come to life-that bizarre fusion of all Arabian, North African and Indian cultural elements into a unified vision of the overly-sexualized “Exotic East” that “strange” culture, has effectively hit the top of every pop chart and disturbed the fuck out of me.
Photo of women at the Rafah border crossing by Raising yousuf, Unplugged: diary of a Palestinian mother
2 comments · »»Morocco: The Intellectual Capabilities of Sheep
· 14:59
As summer wears on and the heat rises to 45 degrees, Moroccan bloggers are posting even more frequently (perhaps they have air conditioning), even though Moroccan news seems to be at a standstill. One major story involves two Moroccan journalists on trial for leaking top secret security information. Laila Lalami comments:
In the course of investigative work, journalists the world over try to get access to classified information, so the idea that obtaining these documents is a crime in itself is a little bizarre. An independent court system might have helped Ariri and Hormatallah regain their freedom, but don't hold your breath. The case is likely to be influenced by politics.
Regardless of the lack of news, bloggers still find things to talk about. One major subject this week was culture; Braveheart-does-the-Maghreb discussed the differences between French and Moroccan cultures:
If you have traveled to France you know it is custom and good manners there to announce yourself when entering a shop with “Bon jour” and to signify your leaving with “Au Revoir”. It is much the same here, but you get much better service if you take the time to say hello in Arabic or French, , and then ask after the health of the shopkeeper. You will receive handshakes, smiles, and an array of tidbits such as fresh, tasty walnuts, dates, and an invitation to the back of the shop where he keeps the fresh spices.
The blogger also shared an interesting tidbit about a special summer custom in Morocco:
Another custom here is the sprinkling of water on the front stoop and the street, followed usually by a sweeping with a squeegee device. At certain times of the day in the morning and the afternoon around three you have to dodge the water being tossed in the Medina. As Q points out it doesn’t appear to really clean anything but rather to keep the dust down.
While those anecdotes deal with Morocco's urban culture, Samuel Gunter of Life Called… ruminates on the rural culture in which he lives by asking whether or not sheep are intelligent - he personally believes they're not, explaining:
Because they follow each other around and would follow each other off of a cliff it that's where they were led. I've seen them repeatedly walk into a fence to try to get to the other side when the door is 3 feet away. Not the brightest animal in God's creation.
Apparently his Moroccan counterparts disagree, claiming that sheep are, in fact, quite smart. The blogger concludes:
The sheep here are the same sheep in the rest of the world, the only difference is what the people deem praiseworthy. I'm going to let you draw your own conclusions about what that says about our cultural differences.
Throne Day, a holiday which honors the accession of His Majesty King Mohammed VI to the throne, is on Monday, July 30. A national holiday, banks and other offices will close, and many Moroccans will celebrate. The View From Fez informs us that Fez's Jewish community has already held a special celebration:
To start the proceedings, the Rabbi said a prayer in Hebrew praising His Majesty, which was followed by another in Arabic. Finally, the grandson of Dr Guigui, President of the Jewish Community, read a prayer in French.
Finally, we'll close this week's post with a few special haiku written by one of Morocco's many Peace Corps volunteers, 27monthswithoutbaseball
Cactus and palm trees
Ocean outside the window
Gleaming white buildingsWashing tiled floors
Hanging laundry on the line
Clean? Then the dust comesLabyrinth of streets
Surprises and mysteries
The romance of Fes
Photo of sheep - Agouray, Morocco by Jillian York
0 comments · »»Japan: Protester nearly killed at Henoko Bay
· 14:18
An activist protesting environmental surveys currently being conducted in Henoko Bay (Okinawa) in preparation for the construction of a new military base was reportedly nearly killed when government-contracted divers attacked him. While the Defense Facilities Administration Agency (DFAA) denies the incident, the activist himself, pastor Taira Natsume, released a statement last Thursday which confirms the sequence of events as he experienced them [Ja].
A blog entry at Kichi Kensetsu Soshi [Stop Construction of the Base] describes the event in detail:
7/21夜までの情報です。今日は阻止行動をやって来たなかで最悪の事件が起こりました。東京新聞には早くも記事が載っていました。流石です。
15:00の段階の「辺野古から緊急情報」で、作業ダイバーによる暴行が酷すぎて阻止行動中止しています、と流しました。経過説明と事件に関する緊急声明をアップします。
まず今日は朝6:00前から5船団10隻の作業船が出ていて、阻止行動の船1隻、ゴムボート1艇、カヌー3艇で出たところパッシブソナーのメンテ作業は終わっていました。大浦湾より北の嘉陽での作業までは追えていなかったのですが、リーフ内での作業を阻止しようとダイバーが潜っていたところ、業者の作業ダイバーがハンマーで殴りつけ、蹴りつけ、マスクを引き剥がすという暴行を繰り返すのです。
その中で、作業員1人がこちらのダイバーを羽交い締めにしたうえで、もう１人がボンベのバルブを締めたため息が出来ない状態で海上にも上がれないという事態が引き起こされました。危うくこちらのダイバーが死ぬ寸前でした。水深3〜4m付近でのことでしたので、何とか振り切って海上まで浮上出来ましたが、重大な危険行為です。
さらにもっと深い所だったら浮上前に意識を失うか、肺に障がいが残るかしたはずです。このため相手からの暴力のあまりの酷さに阻止行動を中止し、15:00から辺野古の命を守る会事務所で記者会見をしました。過失という部類の話ではなく「故意の殺人未遂」です。以下に「緊急声明」をアップします。
The statement itself (quoted in the blog entry) outlines the background to reasons for the protests, describes the involvement of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), and notes that the survey operations have continued despite local resistance. It also repeats information about the incident itself.
The blog entry then continues:
とにかく今日の事件は、「殺人未遂」どころか「暗殺未遂」と言ってもいいほどのものでした。ある意味密室の海底で、三人掛かりで襲いかかって、羽交い締めにして空気ボンベのバルブを閉めるということは、脅しではなく完全な「殺意」が認められるということです。
羽交い締めにして、バルブを閉めて空気を遮断し、意識がなくなったのを確認してバルブを戻せば、夏芽さん個人の過失による事故死を証拠を残すことなくでっち上げることが出来ます。ボンベからその水深に合った気圧の空気を吸うためのレギュレーターという機材は、自分で吸わなければ空気は出てきません。
つまり意識を失ってしまったならばバルブを戻しても空気は吸えず、あとは溺死するしかありません。3人の作業ダイバーはそういう知識のプロです。暗殺未遂を引き起こした彼等は、海に生きるダイバーとしてはもちろん、人間として完全に失格です。
Bangladesh: The threat of floods and current politics
· 08:50
A flood on its way
Like many places in the world it has been raining incessantly in many parts of Bangladesh for a number of days. The rain water had waterlogged many places. Back to Bangladesh posts some pictures of some parts of the waterlogged Dhaka. He wonders whether there will be flood in Bangladesh this year.
Canadian Expat blogger Mikey Leung shares his experience of surviving a fall into a hole in the footpath and the generosity of the passersby who helped him get out instead of laughing at him. He says these holes may create a problem during flood:
Random gaping holes in roadways, back streets and footpaths, are a fact of life in Bangladesh. During the incredible downpours of Bangladesh’s monsoon season, they often become dangerously obscured to the inattentive visitor.
So watch out when you are walking in a waterlogged Dhaka street.
Expat Tom posts pictures of temporary water-logs near his house. He also describes the ingenuity of a Taxi driver who drove in pouring rain with an out-of-order wiper:
He had attached a small wire to the right hand wiper which was hanging down against the side of the car. As we drove along he had his arm out of the window pulling the wire and thereby replicating a rudimentary windscreen wiper, allowing him a small patch to see out which enabled him to continue to drive like a lunatic, the common state in Dhaka come wind or shine.
E-Bangladesh is reporting that flooding in Bangladesh is turning towards a disaster as major rivers are flowing above danger levels.
Blogger Safayet of Nagarik [bn] blog urges bloggers to stand besides the flood affected people by creating a relief fund.
Bangladesh politics:
The Bangladesh Poet of Impropriety uses his verses to describe the current state of Bangladesh politics.
He signs off with a slogan:
there is no slogan worthy of our respect
than to DEMAND FREEDOM or
Be DAMMED..
Following a comment of Gen. Matin, the advisor and spokesman of National Coordination Committee on the current anti-corruption drive and the religious party Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, Shahzaman Mazumder comments on Gen Matin's statement “It just may be that Jamaat leaders were not involved in corruption”:
Jamaat is not free from corruption. However, the definition of corruption needs to be widened and should include abuse of power and violation of established laws and regulations of the country.
Shahzaman Mazumder also analyzes Jamaat's ideologies and agendas and interprets:
In a sense, the current caretaker government is now implementing part of Jamaat’s plans by “recast(ing) economy, education system and administration, i.e., the total political system of this country.” The caretaker government is a blatant failure of the mainstream political parties. It shows that the mainstream political parties are incapable of resolving their disputes through the constitutional institutions of the country. The only way to combat Jamaat is to replace these aging and corrupt political structures with more potent and honest ones.
In the Middle of Nowhere lists seven instances where civil bureaucrats were replaced by military bureaucrats and asks a pertinent question:
Are military bureaucrats better, more efficient, more honest than civil bureaucrats?
The price of the essensial commodities in Bangladesh are increasing and have already crossed tolerable level. An Ordinary Citizen says:
0 comments · »»Politics is also playing a part in the instability of the prices of essential commodities in the market.
Bahrain: The Return of the British ‘Butcher of Bahrain’
· 04:10
Politics and human rights are, as ever, the chief topics of discussion on Bahrain’s blogs this week, but we also hear about things that aid and interrupt sleep, creatures that won’t buzz off, and stories of both loneliness and new friendship.
‘The Butcher of Bahrain’
This week has seen the arrival of Ian Henderson in Bahrain, and Bahrain’s bloggers are not happy about it. Ian Henderson was the head of the state security services in Bahrain for over 30 years; he is accused of having employed brutal tactics to suppress the opposition in Bahrain, such as imprisonment, torture and forcible exile, and has been given the moniker ‘The Butcher of Bahrain’. Mohammed AlMaskati couldn’t believe the news:
When I first heard it I thought it’s another one of those rumors that float around every once in a while, something within the same lines as the “Naturalization of 50,000 Baathist Iraqis of the Fedayeen Saddam” or that of a nationwide full payment of all outstanding debt of locals, but the pictures proved me wrong.
[…]
How inconsiderate could this really be? Allowing this monster, a symbol of the 90’s era, an icon to the horrors that took place not so long ago on this island, a reminder of the screams and pains of the tortured the blood of the martyrs, the lives of the families that were destroyed because of imprisonment and forcible exile, we have became the first country in the world to deport its own citizens and then demand that other countries refuse to give them asylum.
It is honestly sad to see that international authorities investigating the torture allegations against him instead of our own government, which not only turn a blind eye to the issue at hand but absurdly grants him free access to the country. The US State Department, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other international Human Rights organizations have all produced veritable mountains of documented evidence of such abuse and torture and linking Mr. Henderson to them.
Mahmood wants to welcome Mr Henderson:
Your exalted excellency, you are in excellent company here, sir, do relax and enjoy the festivities in your honour and let whoever asks for reparations with your past be damned. You are - after all - a retired gentleman of 81 and could not be held responsible for bygone eras, surely. The world’s powers - to one of which you belong - have turned a blind eye, and why shouldn’t they, it has become their culture. Generations who will continue to have nightmares for the rest of their lives and those who succeed them be damned. The almighty Pound and Dollar rule supreme.
Welcome welcome your excellency, to the land of milk and honey!
Both he and LuLu report on a campaign spearheaded by the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights to bring Henderson to justice:
The concept of forgiving and forgetting has been repeatedly used and abused as a slogan to shelter violators of human rights in Bahrain. To an extent, this may have been tolerable if the government had shown signs of seriousness about acknowledging, compensating, and re-integrating torture victims. However, the recent arrival of Mr. Henderson to Bahrain and the semi-official welcome he received is a sign that no such intent exists. I'm not sure what he is doing here but simply receiving this guy here is a slap in the face to anyone who had taken government promises seriously.
So, while this may seem like a small gesture in the grand scheme of things, the Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights had launched a campaign to support justice and human rights in Bahrain– by calling for trial of Bahrain's major human rights abuse symbol, Officer Ian Henderson, Head of Bahraini Security and Intelligence Bureau (1966-2000). Shamefully, he continues to be sheltered by the Bahraini (reformist) government, despite his instrumental role in orchestrating arrests, torture, and exile of national activists.
Summer dreams and nightmares
It seems some bloggers can’t stop thinking about politics, even in their sleep. Haythoo isn’t sure if exams or politics are giving him nightmares:
“.
لا أدري هـل هو إمتحان أمر بـه لـتغيير الكثير من الأفكار و الـتبنيات السياسية لدي, أم هي مجرد هلوسات, كل ما أعرفه هو إنني إستيقظت من النوم مفزوعاً, بعد عدة أحلام حول مسيرات, ندوات, خطب, و مواجهات. كانت أحلاماً و كوابيس, و كان الحلم الذي شغل بالي هو حلمٌ بين الجميل و المخيف. كـان يوم الجمعة, و كان جـميع خطباء الجوامع و المساجد قد إعتلوا منابرهم, و جـميع السياسيين قد إجتمعوا في معاقلهم, ثم بـدأت الصورة تتـغير في داخل الحــلم, ليأتي مشهد لـمدرج في أحد ملاعب الكرة, و الجماهير تقوم بـحركة الموجة. تــعود الصورة مجدداً, لـيبدأ الخطباء بـترديد ” مـطلبنا دستوراً عقدي “, كـانت الصورة في مـخيلتي تنتقل من جامع, إلى مسجد, إلى مقر جمعية, إلى مـجلس, إلى ملتقى إلكتروني, كان الجميع يردد ” مطلبنا دستوراً عقدي “, كانت أشكال الناس تبدو على غير طبيعتها, فـتنتقل الصورة بي فجأة إلى مقطع من أحد الأفلام ” ريزدنت إيفل “, و الأحياء الأموات يرددون بـعض الكلمات من غير أحاسيس أو شعور, ثم تعود الصورة بي مجدداً للناس, و لا زالوا يرددون ” مطلبنا دستوراً عقدي “. إنتقل بي الحلم إلى منطقة جافة, كان يقف فيها شـخص ذو عدة رؤوس, كانت الوجوه عديدة, الملك, رئيس الوزراء… إلخ. كان الصوت لا زال يـتردد ” مطلبنا دستوراً عقدي “, و كانت وجوه الجسم متعدد الرؤوس تبـدو شاحبة, تـتشقق بـخطوط حمراء, و أصوات صرخات تعلوا منها, أصوات مخيفة جداً, إلى أن إنفجرت…
Yagoob waxes lyrical about the sounds of summer nights:
Ahhhh don’t you just love the sound of switched on window air conditioners * TRA-HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM* and feel the cool cool breeze turning your room into a heat free sanctuary, whilst you roll up in your blanket like a cocoon…
Ahhhh don’t you just love the sound of switched on window air conditioners * TRA-HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM*, with that sound which is so reassuring and loving like a mother wishing her child a good night’s sleep before kissing him goodnight…
Ahhhh don’t you just hate when that sweet * TRA-HUMMMMMMMMMMMMMM* turns into silence in the middle of the night where it’s too dark to know what’s going on and the formerly suppressed heat creeps back in through the walls. Ugh!
Bugged
Two bloggers have had enough of various winged creatures. Um Naief is at breaking point:
What is up with the flies in this country? Never have I seen flies that don't go away and aren't afraid of humans.
When I was a young girl, I hated them so much that I would go outside, taking the fly swatter with me, and kill as many flies as I could in order to keep them from coming into the house….. yeah, ok… I was young… so bear with me here! :) I would spend hours killing them. My mom would always be home and I can remember her telling me on more than one occasion that it wouldn't make a difference, but it never deterred my determination. For I was the Fly Killer and proud of it!!!
Now… living here in Bahrain, I don't think I'd ever be able to swat one of these dang little creatures… they're so fast. Not only that, but they seem to withstand even the hardest swat with the hand…. so would they even be affected by the good ‘ole swatter?
And Notes From Behind The Bike Shed entertains us with a description of trying to practise tai chi in the grounds of a luxury hotel when a wasp has other ideas:
As I sat immobile, nursing my swollen feet, my mind was left to ponder how I was supposed to react to this. Here I am trying to commune with the universe and find some inner peace and along comes this wasp and violently (it really hurt) disrupts my exercise. I mean, sure, I was stepping on his home and blocking him from getting out, but I certainly wasn't being Israeli about it. After all, I pay exorbitantly for the privilege of trampling on that grass. Couldn't he wait until I was done?
The thing is, once you do tai chi outside, it is a totally different experience from practicing inside. It really does feel different (the expression that described the difference best: practicing outside was like eating off fine bone china after having eaten off paper plates). I guess my choice of metaphor kinda explains my waistline.
… At first, I tried to choose where I practiced carefully, looking for telltale mounds where the wasps had burrowed underground. Then I tried different times of day when I thought they might either be at sleep or out and about taking care of their waspy chores. Eventually, I got so tired of watching the wasps that I gave up and just went out, not caring too much what would happen. And that was when it started to change for me.
The wasps would circle around me so I tried to keep extra still, my feet became lighter on the ground cause I was overly careful about any wasps underneath and I was always watchful of what was happening around me, which took my mind off my form and helped me relax about the movements I was making. All in all, my tai chi improved tremendously and I enjoyed my practice more than ever and I have been given the Native Indian name: dances with wasps
Feelings of loneliness…
Ashish Gorde is prompted by article analysing the work of the American artist Edward Hopper, to wonder if feelings of social isolation are solely a Western phenomenon:
From a purely Asian or even Middle-Eastern perspective, such descriptions would lend credence to the more popular indictments we have about the West as a place that lacks familial relationships, and where individuals are left to fend for themselves without parental or any other support. Isolation as a cultural motif and not an exception to the general rule of social decorum.
[…]
It would be almost blasphemous to suggest that loneliness is a familiar pattern in our societies because we've been trained to acknowledge the supportive presence of family, tribe and community. Togetherness is, what we believe, to be the natural state of people in our communities, and individuals, if there be any, exist only in relation to someone else. Individuals cannot exist on their own, and if they do, then, there is something decidedly wrong with them. Wrong as in, morally wrong.
But the fact of the matter is, lonely people do exist in our societies, and their loneliness is made even more acute because no one expects them to be. Perhaps parallel could be drawn between Hopper's portraits because just like the supposed incongruity of those images neither does anyone expect painful isolation to be part of our social landscape.
…and making new friends
A group of female bloggers met up for first time this week, and Gardens of Sand was pleasantly surprised:
July, 21st 2007 marked the first female bloggers’ meeting, or at least the very first I attended. Us gals met in Dolce cafe (am I saying the name right) at 11am. Me being myself and Bahraini on top of that arrived a few, ok more like 20, minutes late. … Ok, back to the meeting; it was quite good! I expected to either be dreadful or great. Fortunately, it turned out to be the latter.
[…]
The turn out was good, 8 of us there I think. I met some ladies that I can see myself befriending! … The meeting reaffirmed that I should never judge the book by its cover. Or in this case, never judge the book cover by the book's contents. It is amazing how one form's this notion of another's appearance and behavior based on their writings. You expect them to be and look a certain way, and boom! You meet in person and they are not at all how you thought they would be. It is funny how quick we are to peg someone. I also decided to read more Arabic blogs. I am missing out on some really good blogs. … Ladies, here is to all you gals, may we continue to successfully and happily blog away and may friendships blossom out of our experiences.
Appearances matter
We end this week with a poem by Hisham Khalifa, called Intelligentsia:
See and be seen
know and be knownIt’s the game of society
we playRun like a champ
avoid the chimpsA few tips
for sounding intelligentWhen someone says something, nod ever so slightly, as if you’re agreeing, then stop as if you’re disagreeing. A subtle frown might add to the effect.
When someone mentions the “government,” look distressed and say “1984.”
Quote Oscar Wilde whenever someone talks about literature.
For the rest of the poem, see here.
More from Bahrain next week.
0 comments · »»Touring Libyan Blogs: Health Sector, Old Ladies, Confrontating a Racist Bully, Globetrotting and Another Libyan Writer
· 03:33
The case of the Bulgarian nurses (and the Palestinian doctor) is already fading into history - while speculation rages if they have been bought off, whether they were guilty or not, if they were hostage to a political settlement in the New World Order or who is it exactly that defused the situation? One thing is sure on this side of the world is that their innocence or the lack of it has not been proven 100 per cent. However, in the interest of self preservation Libyans are moving on.
Blogger Tasnim thinks this is the right time to discuss the topic of Libyan healthcare in general and gossip a little about our own medics:
“Every single young doctor in each new batch of Libyan doctors has a collection of tales to tell. Being blessed with the undoubted blessing of having many female doctor cousins all new to the trade, (mashallah) I get to hear a lot on the subject. Such as, the patients who correct the doctor. Or the nurses who sit gossiping about henna this and farah (wedding) that and retorts ‘Mich Fadya’ to a doctor’s request”
The blogger is also complaining about the foreign medics employed in Libya on long term contracts. Why don't they speak Arabic - or even English for that matter? Are Libyans expected to communicate in Ukrainian or in Tagalog?
“Then there’s the grousing about the Ukrainan and other east European medics who speak neither Arabic nor English. I’ve seen this myself; otherwise I’d think it was an exaggeration. In the medical centre we live close to, the foreign medics are all from Ukraine or Philippines. Those from the Philippines speak English, very little Arabic. Some of those from the Ukraine couldn’t speak either.
Communication in these cases must be a mixture of sign language and…well, sign language. When this fails, appeal for translation.”
These are doctors and nurses not some labourers laying a pipeline. They need to communicate correctly. How else do we expect them to provide accurate diagnosis if they don't even understand what the patient is feeling? Tasnim goes on to compare this with a reverse hypothesis :
“[]imagine an Arab doctor in a foreign country. Then imagine that doctor not learning the language of the country s/he is residing in, showing no interest in learning the language of the country s/he is residing in, and what’s more, expecting ‘the natives’ to learn Arabic so that s/he can be understood”.
The readers would have to make their own conclusion but my first thought is that an Arab doctor would be thought off as pretty arrogant if h/she tried to pull that off abroad.
In another topic Duniazad likes to read the Tripoli Post and usually brings out gems that we might overlook one of these is her post Old and New in which she quotes the recent article by Zainab Alarbi in which she criticizes how Libyan mothers-in-law are bullying their daughters-in-law.
“If you would think that all old ladies are soft and gentle, then you are wrong. I’m sorry to tell you that they can be deceivingly strong, and verbally abusive; especially towards daughters-in–law. And when a certain tradition or custom is turned into an iron-clad rule, it turns into tyranny. We should have an association that specializes in educating women on how to stand up to their female ‘elders’. Superstitions, ignorance, and harmful habits are passed on from generation to generation in some areas of our country specifically by these elders.”
I'm not sure if Duniazad agrees but I must say that some elder women are a nuisance but they are still someone's mother, sister, aunt etc…and we have been brought up to respect our elders so the balancing act is going to be very tough. On the other hand I would encourage Zainab to become a blogger as she has good story-telling talent!
Safia had an encounter in Denmark with a drunken racist bully but she won the round by standing her ground. But Safia was very close to showing the guy her martial arts skills. I'm wondering if she knocked him out what would the papers in the next morning carry on their front pages?
Anyway I will leave you to enjoy her adventure:
“An obviously drunk/high male individual with shaved head and badly drawn tatoos on his arms and neck is having fun with some of the others. […]Mr. Alcohol spits at waiting passengers, shouts loudly, dangles around and pushes people, laughing at himself.[…]Of course the jerk stops right in front of my bench, looking at me. Then he snorts and says: “Are you half nigger or what?” […]Mr. Queer Tattoo backs of a second, then gathers himself: “Shitty nigger! Why don´t you go home to where you came from?” [..]Now he verbally threatens to beat the living shit out of me and all people like me, but I answer him back, looking him straight into his grey/red eyes: “Why don´t you leave this station now? Might be better for you and your kind if you just shut up and leave!” - my voice is still very calm but firm and filled with icy anger. I am ready for him, already thinking what to tell the police when they arrive to pick him up in a bucket.”
Whiteafrican has been on a trip to Bangladesh and she is regaling the blogosphere with her photos, thoughts and account of the voyage.
“now i wasn't relying on Bengali coffee being the best of coffee so i had brought my own, all they needed to do was supply hot water and presto that's my breakfast done, but i was expected to eat something at least, well breakfast in Bangladesh consists of roti or parata (similar to chapatis or for Libyans ‘iftat') with sabzi (mixed cooked vegetables) and occasionally curry, i kinda invented my own style of breakfast that consisted of the roti with honey, curry is a bit to heavy for me in the morning, the best thing though is the fruit, mango and pineapple fresh for breakfast is out of this world.”
You can follow it here, here, here, here, and here.
And finally we can end this tour by congratulating Libyan doctor and blogger Ghazi Ghiblawi on the recent publishing of his short stories in Arabic. The title in English ( my translation) would be “A face that knows no sadness”. Ghazi's blog Imtidad is full of his thoughts and stories in Arabic and English and I can only stress how talented he is as a scientist and writer.
1 comment · »»Iraq: Goooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaal !!!!!
· 02:27
… or Kicking off at the Iraqi Blogodrome.
a hungry song
battered words
don't get me wrong
a silent plea
a plate of sand
orange winds
and a human brand
a happy sink
a dirty heart
a playful leaf
the soul of art
: ) ( :
poem by April Girl
It's a football special today. With Iraq through to the finals of the Asian Cup bloggers are alight with comment on the national team. And there's more, read about how one Iraqi blogger has had enough of blogging; how to survive a trip through Baghdad International Airport; what it is like to have the Iraqi army move in next door; Why Iraqi oil is so critical to the world and much,much more. And, if you read to the end, why one blogger got banned from YouTube. Today's side quotes are from Iraqi poet and blogger April Girl.
a spot of rust
a doubtful truth
this world: distrust
all sparks happy
all sparks sad
nothing makes sense
and nothing is bad
i write for nothing
and nothing i write
to please my soul
or satisfy my mind
to tear my heart
or tear do my eyes
sigh-filled lungs
and restless beats
of a pump of tongues
poem by April Girl
If you read no other blog post this week read this one…
Marshmallow26 has had enough of blogging and signs off with spite and vitriol:
I know the fact that “Bloggin” is something to vent and express your ways and thoughts and come up with something new every time you write, but since my thoughts keep reoccurring in my posts like an echo and tells no story about life and experience except for: death, killing, boring, bombs, terror, surviving as if the terrorism becomes something we should bow for when it comes to talk about it…as if we will lose our taste of writing and visitors to the site if we don’t mention that we are the most Dog on poor nation on earth! And yet, we are!!What will I gain if I still talk and blab about the Iraqi prime vampire and his entourage? Nothing but a pointless drivel!!
What difference will my articles make? Nothing!! Who cares if I say that I spent 30 consecutive hours at home begging God with my prayers to get the power back on?? Not much!
What is my goal in this shitty life after I lost so many opportunities of studying abroad? Bewail my bad luck and try the same shit again! What am I doing trying to encourage those who lost hope and faith while I’m acting worse?? Mocking them!! …
The chaos and violence escalation affect my daily basis life big time, I can’t digest all that and keep going in this life…what have I done to live in the war and experience the difference between the sound of explosions whether its and IED or VBIED??? What? HUH?? What is my fault to have such a heart, a heart that melts and aches for its beloved folks, or for any bloody scene in reality or on TV?? Why should I care that much?
I need a break from my blog, … until there will be something new, fun, real and exciting to write about I will get back with Iraqi Roses…
Until then…peace be with you all.
And its for rants like this that I really want her to come back :(
a dance with the bugs
the truth of trees
the addiction potential of hugs
will render me free
of my responsibility
to breathe and be
to be and breathe
to waste my time
and yours along mine
we might discover
or we might not
the truth of time
and that of the dot
be with me
or be not
be to be
and for nothing else
it might matter
when we rot
an easy ending
a bright red rock
a hardened smile
on an old maidens frock
show me the way
to disengage
and free this thought
poem by April Girl
Football crazy
This is the first time that Iraq has made it this far in the Asian Cup. For Neurotic Iraqi Wife the significance of this means more to her than (to quote Muqtada Al-Sadr) watching grown men running after a ball:
The game on Sunday is crucial. Especially because its against the Saudis. God, I hope and pray we will win, I really do. I wanna bring their noses down for once. I know I shouldnt be judgemental and I know I shouldnt generalize for many of my friends are Lebanese, Jordanians and Palestinians but in general the Arabs did nothing but hurt us. They hate us, they hate us because they dont want to see a beautiful unified flourishing Iraq….Iraqis were always respected in the Arab world, before and during Saddam's time. People from Palestine, Egypt, Syria and Jordan begged to come here to get the Iraqi nationality. Ofcourse with their benevolent leader, they were always treated better than the Iraqis themselves. I remember when I used to travel with my parents and say we are Iraqis, its like we've just said we are royalty. But now, now being an Iraqi means nothing but a destitute poor country. … This is the reality that we live in. We have become like some disease that everyone runs away from.
Seeing Iraq win in soccer is one of the most cherished sensations for an Iraqi. To see the team play soccer has become reality and it is a reality many yearn for… It is the success not to win the cup but to reminiscence the identity of Iraq and what it stood and will continue to stand for as long as there will be something valuable to remember Iraq by
The Iraqi team has won a new supporter from Sunshine who admits that she never watched a football match in her life but now is a devoted fan. She writes:
Today was a different day , really nice day , we achieved a great success , won the football game and reached the [finals] … Our football players won today .. and that made Iraqis extremely happy , our streets are full of young men celebrating , it was a day that all Iraqis united , I am so glad not only because we won ,but , because all the Iraqis today were feeling the same way , when we achieve a goal or miss one , we all jumped when we won , and prayed while the players were playing to win the game ..
The Iraqi football team and the match bring together all the Iraqis , regardless on our religions or castes , whether they are , Arabs , Turkmen , Kurds , Muslims ( Sunnis , Shiites ) , Christians , etc …I know our country news are in every where … BUT this time (for the first time) It will be good news.. I want Iraq’s name to be high and it’s flag fluttering so high .
Laith thanks the team…
Our forward star Younis Mahmoud … took us to a new world where no politicians could ever take us too because Younis Mahmoud is a real Iraqi man while our politicians … having two citizenships, they are never pure Iraqis and they will never be ones. I just wanted to say thank you very much our young men, thank you for pleasing all the Iraqis, thank you for unifying all the Iraqis, thank you for being so loyal Iraqis. Thank you Younis for your great efforts, Thank you Karrar, Thank you Nash'at, thank you Abbas and thank you all. GOD Bless Iraq, GOD Bless you young men, GO Forward men and get the golden cup to return smile back to the drooping lips of your people.
Nibras Kazimi sees the Western media failing Iraq:
The celebrations of Iraqis … have been truly remarkable. But it seems that most foreign news agencies, which cover every nitty gritty about Iraq, are not interested in the jubilant spectacle.The images are amazing, Al-Iraqiya TV has been doing a good job reporting on the happy, spontaneous carnival, and from around Iraq, including Mosul.
Everyone who grabs the microphone is shouting out a positive message, and the recurring theme is that all Iraqis are united on this day.
Civil war? Despair? “Iraq is lost” ?
I think not but spoilsports-of-the-match go to two political blogger from the left and right wings of the field. Iraqi Pundit saw politics inside sports during the last match between Iraq and Iran at the WAFF championship:
I couldn't help but notice striking similarites between their football and politics (with regards to Iraq). After they scored the first two goals, which I admit were excellent, they seemed to have only one thing on their minds. It was almost as if they were subconsciously telling each other ‘when ever an Iraqi has the ball, break his legs'…Iraq started to gain momentum and were playing brilliant attacking football, nice moves, nice passes, but just as they go near the goal they slow down and lose the ball. That is also how Iraqi politics is, all the hype, all the hard work, all the effort…but just no results.
and Truth About Iraqis goes looking for disunity among the Iraqi football team and finds it. He writes:
hoopla over how united the Iraqi team is and how the country is united in celebration.B***s***. The team itself is highly divided.
In the first half of the Iraq-Thailand game, two Iraqi players headbutted each other. The referee had to restrain both. In the Iraq-Vietnam game, the players were simply not communicating with one another. But when they did, it was usually with strife. … Sharqiya commentators even noticed this and said the Iraqi players were performing with anger and selfishness. And this is for a team that was leading at half-time 1:0.
But, the last word goes to Dulaimy who writes:
Today, we danced for like 30 minutes or maybe an hour. i don't know i lost sense of time while we where dancing. it felt so good. We did not have such a good time for a long time. i have to say the place look different; shiny.I am so happy for what happened today.
I miss normal life… I miss it so much.
and they're all i am
this one, and this one,
: )
too swift to let in the self
too miserly to provide truth
too afraid to hold hands
too long a few lines
too easy an ending
to reiterate
that rain finds no place
that thoughts leave no trace
my brother, agree with me
coals are chemicalized
to their religion
ay ay i hear you say
stop
dot
.
or period?
no, a speck, a molecule, an iota, and an atom, all at random
stop~pots
…
..
.
.
..
…
: ) ( :
poem by April Girl
Word from the streets
An Iraqi Army Battalion moving in next door brought back painful childhood memories to Chikitita of the dreaded “Pink House”, which she describes as “a perfect set for scary movies.” A house her family rented for a time which over looked a building run by the notorious Iraq Intelligence Agency and where they were warned not to be seen looking out of the windows for fear of getting into “big trouble “. A house where she used to have “nightmares … of men in uniform breaking into our residence and huge rats nibbling at my toes.” But her fears turned out be completely unfounded. She writes:
As the days went by I noticed that we were making their job more difficult than they did our lives, mum noticed that in the mornings, they never faced our house until we’re all downstairs. … They seemed to do whatever it takes to gain our trust.What I like the most about their presence is the fact that our neighbourhood is getting cleaner. It takes an army uniform and a rifle to stop people from throwing trash in front of our house. Of course they’re only doing it to avert any IED emplacing attempts, but it was for our own good.
Their presence might entail more mortar attacks and shootouts but our house has not been searched in months, now that’s something!
Sheko Mako recalls his life as an Iraqi doctor, from graduating with top marks at school to practising medicine in Iraq during the sanctions making a monthly salary of $2, to years of exile as an “illegal immigrant” in the UK and finally gaining the right to live and work as a doctor in Britain just one day after another Iraqi doctor decided to attempt blowing himself up at Glasgow airport. He wonders:
But most importantly shall I be able to cope with the restrictions, policies and demands of the medical authorities here. In the “good doctor guide” sent along with my GMC registration license, the words “you must” were mentioned nearly 75 times. And if eighteen years ago I did not know whether I would like to be a doctor or not, now the question that buzzes in my head “do I still have the energy, physically and mentally, to carry on with the profession? The answer is simply again: I don’t know.
Staying on the medical theme A&Eiraqi compares the way infirm elderly people are treated in the UK compared to Iraq:
I remember an elderly man was admitted to the hospital when I was working in Northern England; he was depressed as his wife had died and he had no one but a son who visits him 10 minutes a year, the poor man kept saying he doesn’t want to live anymore.For a while I thought this is the worst thing could happen to a person who lives here, yet, while working in the casualty unit, I received a 69 year old lady who presented unconscious and no one knew what happened to her, as no one had phoned her since a week before she presented to us. No one of her sons had bothered himself to ask about his mother, their mother was dying silently; probably they were busy with things more important than her!
I was always impressed that there is a great system in [the UK] for looking after elderly and disabled people … Yet, being in touch with those old people made me get an entirely different view. Everyday I see many old people who are dirty, smelly, depressed and in a bad health condition, they’re being left in their houses visited once a day by their carers … who are receiving money from the government to look after their parents, however, they don’t really do their duties in a complete way. …
I know that the