Joseph Samahah on Dubai TV. I watched an interview with Joseph Samahah on Dubai TV last night. I wish I can provide link or translation. Joseph was himself: most original and most incisive. He says things that others don't say, and his mind works in very interesting ways. That is why I am hoping that he fully exercises his responsibilities as editor-in-chief in the new newspaper, Al-Akhbar. Joseph made many good points and insights: he said, among other things, that one of the most important and pressing demands of Arab public is "karamah" (dignity). How right. Imagine that there is a leftist publication in Egypt called Karamah. You would not see that in West. That is something missed in what you read in the West on Arab affairs. But I disagree with Joseph on two points only: 1) he at one point said that Saddam "'ala al-arjah" (most likely) oppressed Shi`ites in Iraq. I don't think that there is any question that Saddam oppressed Shi`ites in Iraq--we mean oppressing Shi`ites qua Shi`ites here. I have bitterly disagreed on this point with Ma'n Bashshur before. Ma'n, and others, believe that Saddam oppressed whoever posed a threat to the regime. True, but some people were more tortured than others, especially after the Iranian revolution, and the Sha`ban uprising, the presence of Shi`ites in Ba'thist ranks notwithstanding. (I just read a long piece yesterday in Al-Quds Al-`Arabi by Musa Husayni on the Sistani question, and he also made the same point. And Saddam's ideology changed over time: from Arsuzi-like paganism in the 1970s, to exploitation of religion later on. This, however, does not detract from Husayni's thesis that Sistani has become for all intents and purposes a tool of the US occupation. But Husayni sounded like an apologetic Ba'thist. I don't view any legitimate role for the Ba'th in Arab politics: they don't deserve a role. None whatever.) Back to Joseph: I also disagree with Joseph when he said that there are no taboos in the Lebanese press these days. Here are three: 1) any criticisms or ridicule of Rafiq Hariri; 2) any criticisms of Christianity or Islam--yes, criticisms of Judaism is permitted and encouraged by the ruling groups; 3) any criticisms of Saudi Arabia. And these are just a few. But a splendid interview by Joseph nevertheless. I also disagreed with him that An-Nahar is not a sectarian Christian newspaper. It is.