Modesto

Among the least educated city in the US.

Gaza Women Defy Hamas Shisha Ban

Hamas thinks it can control Palestinian women? Are they crazy? (thanks Linda)

Arab Jailed for Having Sex with Israeli Woman

"Gideon Levy, a leading liberal commentator, said: “What if this guy had been a Jew who pretended to be a Muslim and had sex with a Muslim woman? Would he have been convicted of rape? The answer is: of course not.” (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

Zionism is racism

"Israel said at the time that Palestinians who had acquired citizenship by marriage to Israeli citizens had abused the freedom of movement afforded by an Israeli ID for involvement in suicide bombings. Rights organizations decreed the law as the single most racist one in Israel's book. A petition to the Supreme Court failed to get the law reversed, though nearly half a 13-judge panel in 2006 found the law to violate constitutional rights of citizens. The law continues to be challenged in court."

How could Western news agencies carry such blatant Israeli trash/propaganda?

"Among those measures will be the inclusion of a humanitarian affairs officer in each combat unit." (thanks Dina)

PlayStation banned in Damascus

The governorate of Damascus banned PlayStation stores. King PlaySation will protest the ruling. (thanks Khaled)

Boycott information

All that you need to know about boycott companies.

Hamas sexism and repression

Do you know that the lousy Hamas authority in Gaza has issued one of their rulings/fatwawawas to ban women from smoking shishas in Gaza? They said it is "inappropriate" and sends the "wrong message" to newer generations. I am not making this up.

O Supporters of Obama: Unite...in Israel

"An expanded security aid package would allow Israel to reach tough decisions in its peace talks with the Palestinians, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Andrew J. Shapiro said Friday, adding that Washington planned to provide Israel with its most extensive security aid package in history.Speaking at the Brookings Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington D.C., the assistant secretary spoke of the administration's intention to enhance the annual security aid it provides Israel, saying that in "2010, the administration requested [from Congress] $2.775 billion in security assistance funding specifically for Israel, the largest such request in U.S. history.""

bribing on a large scale

"The Americans hope that implementing the $7.5 billion Kerry-Lugar package will convince Pakistanis of their long-term commitment to the country. But US lawmakers, the media and diplomatic observers acknowledge that it requires more to persuade Pakistan to refurbish its policies. The New York Times, while commenting on the visit, noted that “American officials still question Pakistan’s commitment to root out Taliban insurgents in its frontier areas, its motives in reaching out to war-torn Afghanistan and its determination to expand its own nuclear programme”." (thanks Adeel)

Land of liberty

""The Islamic foothold is not strong here, and we really don't want to see their influence spread," said Pastor Bill Rench. "There is a concern with all the rumors you hear about sleeper cells and all that. Are we supposed to be complacent just because these people say it's a religion of peace? Many others have said the same thing," he said." (thanks Dina)

Ignorant in Iraq

""I was in Baghdad after the U.S. invasion and met these young Bush appointees who, as Rajiv Chandrasekaran notes in his book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City,” were often chosen because they were 100 percent loyal to Bush, even if they were 100 percent ignorant of Iraq. Their ignorance helped fuel our failure there."" And I was not in Iraq when I did not meet those American journalists like Friedman who were 100 percent ignorant of Iraq but 100 percent loyal to a war that they now want to dissociate from.

Friedman hearts Octavia: ohhhhhhhhhhh

""But we also gain a great deal by having an Arabic-speaking, Lebanese-Christian female journalist covering the Middle East for CNN, and if her only sin in 20 years is a 140-character message about a complex figure like Fadlallah, she deserved some slack. She should have been suspended for a month, but not fired. It’s wrong on several counts."" I mean, he is telling you . She can't be bad: she is Lebanese-Christian after all. (thanks "Ibn Rushd")

This is Zionism

"A Jerusalem boy from the Baten Al-Hawa neighborhood of Silwan was issued a restraining order by an Israeli district court on Friday ordering the 12-year-old to stay away from a neighboring area."

Israel in Iraq

""...Israeli companies also have extensive business interests in the Iraqi province." "Israel also seemingly went to great lengths to humiliate Turkey in the process, a reality that will surely not be forgotten in Ankara anytime soon.""A regional force in its own right that enjoys seemingly unconditional support from Washington, Israel has grown accustomed to dealing with weak and generally compliant neighbors that have allowed it to shape events in its environment to its advantage. Turkey now appears capable and intent to steadily challenge this status quo." " (thanks Mike)

Despised and hated worldwide--except in the US (and Lebanon)

"Three Israeli men have been turned out of Mauritius on suspicion they were there on a secret mission to spy on tourists from Dubai, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Monday." They were expelled because they were wearing the official Mossad disguises that were made famous in the Dubai video releases. Hahahahhaha.

They will be promoted soon

And the interrogation is merely to suppress international criticisms. "On July 18, a bombshell report appeared in the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot. The article, which has only been published in Hebrew and was buried on page 8 as a small news item, stated that 550 officers and soldiers who participated in Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip in late 2008 and early 2009 have been investigated by IDF military police for possible war crimes." (thanks Max)

Saudi dissidents?

"For instance, Abdul Rahman al Rashid currently presides over Al Arabiya in Dubai Media City as its general manager. Prior to his appointment by Sheikh Waleed Al Ibrahim of Saudi Arabia, he was known as the editor of the most-recognised Arabic newspaper, the London-based Asharq Al Awsat. The newspaper's popularity was high during his era and he continues to publish widely read and influential pieces." I mean, where do I begin. To suggest that that Abdul Rahman Rashid, a lackey of the sons of Prince Salman, is some moderate or dissident is like suggesting that Muhammad Dahlan is the voice of the Palestinian silent majority. Give me a break, at least one. Secondly, the newspaper is certainly not the most recognized and certainly not popular, outside of Saudi royal circles and Zionist circles in the West. As for publishing influential pieces: I mean, yes, if publishing Israeli propaganda statements by Israeli officials is influential. And to speak of UAE is a cultural oasis is like talking about Vegas as a feminist destination. (thanks Olivia)

Mubarak: dead soon, but not soon enough

U.S. and Western intelligence agencies assess that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is terminally ill, and the Obama administration is closely watching the expected transition of power in a nation that for decades has been an anchor of stability in the volatile Middle East and a key U.S. ally. (thanks Sarah)

Boycotting Israel in the...US

"In accordance with its mission statement, the Olympia Food Co-op has a longstanding boycott policy, which includes a boycott of China (for its occupation of Tibet) and a previous boycott of Colorado (for legalizing discrimination against gays, lesbians, and bisexuals in 1992). The Co-op also has policies for rejecting items whose packaging feature exploitive or oppressive imagery. One Israeli product is exempt from the boycott: “Peace Oil,” a brand of olive oil fairly traded from Palestinian farmers in the West Bank and the Galilee, will continue to be carried by the Co-op." (thanks Ali)

Former Fabricated Jeeeeehad Past as a Career

"In the wake of an AlterNet exposé, Ergun Caner, president and dean of the theological seminary at Liberty University, was stripped of his leadership positions at the conservative Christian school founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.Caner, a Baptist clergyman of Turkish descent, claimed for years to have been a fervent jihadist until Jesus changed his heart. He said he was raised in Turkey, attended a madrassa, and didn’t speak English until he was a teenager. His story won him fame on the Christian conservative speaking circuit and led to his appointment as dean. In May, AlterNet reported that Caner had lied about his past in order to exploit popular sentiment after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001." (thanks Sellam)

Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd

I am guilty of not writing anything on Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd. It is not only due to constraints of time, but also due to my distance from my personal library in California.

racism in Lebanon

A report from MTV based on the brave work of IndyAct folks in Lebanon. (thanks Farah)

Official Saudi charge: "annoying others"

"Prosecutors should immediately drop charges against Shaikh Mikhlif bin Dahham al-Shammari, a human rights activist, and release him, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch has seen a copy of al-Shammari's prison file, which lists "annoying others" as the charge against him. The charge relates to peaceful criticism al-Shammari has made of public officials and therefore appear to violate his freedom of expression, Human Rights Watch said."

Zionism is racism (Western liberals will find this racism to be cute)

""Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the recent "flood of illegal workers infiltrating from Africa" into Israel was "a concrete threat to the Jewish and democratic character of the country.""" (thanks Tarek)

Good job. Now return the homes and the lands that you occupy to its rightful Palestinian owners

"The viral activists used blogs, emails and social networks in order to pressure authorities to connect a Palestinian village to running water. "We wracked our brains over how to reach people beyond the bureaucracy. We thought about the typical Israeli and how to appeal to him, and then decided to open a blog and act through the internet." Ehud Uziel from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel told Ynet.

The group, in cooperation with Bimkom – Planners for Planning Rights Foundation, launched a blog entitled 'One action a day', with the aim of getting the Palestinian village of al-Tawana, located on Israeli territory south of Mount Hebron, water."

"legally"

"Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein recently informed the Supreme Court that the state plans to apply the law on abandoned properties to properties in East Jerusalem. This in effect will mean that Israel can "legally" take over thousands of acres and buildings worth hundreds of millions of shekels.

The state intends to assume control over properties of people who moved to enemy states during the War of Independence, as well as structures in East Jerusalem that belong to people now residing in the territories." (thanks Dina)

Zionist sports

"An Israeli settler on a motorbike struck an 11-year-old boy in the West Bank city of Hebron's old city on Sunday."

When obscurantism is admired by the West

"A prohibition on obtaining licenses is common at many haredi education institutions, but most yeshiva managers are willing to compromise on the matter. According to haredi educators, the prohibition was in place in order to prevent students from neglecting their Torah studies and focusing on cars and rides instead." (thanks Olivia)

"interwoven cultures"

"The unique relationship between the United States and Israel is rooted in common values, interwoven cultures, and mutual interests. U.S. support for the idea of a Jewish homeland dates back to John Adams and John Quincy Adams, and can be traced through the letters of Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin Roosevelt. Indeed, when Israel was founded in 1948, the United States was ready to embrace its new partner. President Truman famously extended official, diplomatic recognition to the State of Israel in just 11 minutes. America’s commitment to Israel’s security and prosperity has extended over many decades and across Democratic and Republican Administrations alike. Our leaders have long understood that a robust United States-Israel security relationship is good for us, good for Israel and good for regional stability." The first paragraph is distilled from the silly thesis of the last book by Michael Oren in which he made the American "founding fathers" staunch Likud supporters. (thanks Nikki)

Ernest Renan

I never felt more disgust for the natives' celebration for a colonialist like when I saw the Ernest Renan statue in Ghazir. At least his house--or the house in which he lived--is inhabited and not turned into a museum.

This is Zionism: Religious pledge of alllegiance

"The government is expected to approve Sunday several new regulations pertaining to entry and immigration to Israel, in a bid to counter growing infiltration by illegal aliens entering the country.According to the new regulations, citizenship applicants will no longer pledge their allegiance "to the State of Israel," but rather, will have to add the words "as a Jewish and democratic state.""

Jumblat

Walid Jumblat, whose name used to be a constant refrain in the propaganda of neo-cons during the Bush years yesterday said that his picture with Condoleezza Rice during the Israeli war on Lebanon is "shameful." He said that in an interview on Al-Manar TV. I bet this interview will not make it into the MEMRI propaganda releases.

Sultan bin Salman

Sultan bin Salman may be appointed to a senior government position in Saudi Arabia, and probably in foreign intelligence. He was the Saudi prince who walked on Mars.

Saudi curricula

I met with two progressive Saudi activists last night. They informed me that references to Palestine were removed from school curricula in I`dadi school grades, and that a course on Palestine was eliminated from the course offerings at King `Abdul-`Aiz university. They were outraged.

The House of Saud and Palestine

"A 'gold-digging' male model dumped by a Saudi Arabian princess after she caught him with two other women attacked her chauffeur in a rage, a court heard yesterday.The fracas unfolded at the princess's London flat after a night of drink and drugs, jurors were told."

The refuse of Zionism

"Israeli settlements have been dumping untreated waste directly into a sewage canal that runs through the occupied West Bank, affecting Palestinian villages along its banks." (thanks Nikki)

Obama Rules

"The United States will continue to maintain Israel's military advantage as well as protect it in the diplomatic arena, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice said Wednesday, adding that the American commitment to Israel's security was "not negotiable."" (thanks Sarah)

The White Man tells Arabs what they need

"Elections, though vital in the end, are not an early panacea. What the Arabs need most, in a hurry, is the rule of law, independent courts, freeish media, women’s and workers’ rights, a market that is not confined to the ruler’s friends, and a professional civil service and education system that are not in hock to the government, whether under a king or a republic. In other words, they need to nurture civil society and robust institutions. The first task of a new Saudi king should be to enact a proper criminal code." (thanks Mohammad)

An Israeli Orientalist to the rescue

"Merhav, 76, is an Orientalist and veteran diplomat who served as the director-general of the Foreign Ministry." (thanks Linda)

Who is intimidating whom?

"Palestinian boys taunt Israeli soldiers during a protest in the West Bank town of Nabi saleh, near Ramallah, against the expropriation of Palestinian land to expand the nearby Jewish settlement of Halmish". (thanks Olivia)

To Khalid `Ulwan

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "To Khalid `Ulwan: the Glory of Hamra Street"

I feel that the US wants him dead because he did not cooperate

I mean, if this was really true, would the US really be revealing it? "U.S. Says Scientist Aided C.I.A. While Still in Iran"

attempted ordination

"The Vatican today made the "attempted ordination" of women one of the gravest crimes under church law, putting it in the same category as clerical sex abuseof minors, heresy and schism." (thanks Zainab)

A Lebanese disease is now afflicting other Arab

"The Arabic word 'Syria' appears on a mosaic of traditional Arabic sweets, measuring 112 meters long, which entered the Guiness Book of World Records as the biggest of its kind on July 14, 2010 in Damascus." (thanks Fatima)