Amnesty International: Deliberate Targeting of Civilian Infrastructure

First-hand information gathered by recent Amnesty International research missions to Lebanon and Israel points to an Israeli policy of deliberate destruction of Lebanese civilian infrastructure during the recent conflict.

That's what they Believe

I was trying to explain to supposedly well exposed and well knowledgeble people form the US the Lebanon perspective of the situation from under fire. At first, I thought they were not well aware of the conflict. Instead, I realized that by complaining, I was attacking well rooted beliefs. An American might not know the name of his president, but he knows Israel. After a while, one realizes that this struggle is not merely between Right and Wrong. Someone (Zionists) are incredibly capable of camouflge.

I'm not sure how many American share the views of this particular American, but I have reason to doubt there are plenty of ignorance, and those ignorant "folks" have no reason to doubt or to question their beliefs.

This is a summary of the beliefs based on real quotes:

Jewish Settlement in Palestine: 20th Century
“The Jews,” as they are called, did not take Palestine away from the Palestinians. In the first instance, they originally “stole” it from the Turks (sic), who also governed Egypt and Syria and a few other countries for several centuries.

Israel's right of existence: Nobody Existed before 1948
Many of the nations in the ME today are actually younger than Israel. … The English—God help us all—“invented” Iraq after WWI, by bulldozing together not merely Sunni and Shiite territory, but also Armenian, Kurd…

Middle East is not Arabic
The Middle East is not Arabic, though that may be the predominant culture, contested now and in the past 30 years by Iran.

Acceptance of Injustice: Reason to Pursue
[The conflict has to be put in] the context of the past 50 years in the ME as a whole and the violent bloodshed and genocide which have taken place there. Peoples of the ME accept (apparently) without blinking these terrible casualty figures and mindless wars. Allah wills it. Blessed be….

Selective Amnesia! Just make sure one forgets all the massacres, and the rest will be just right?

Others are just as bad: Hence, you cannot complain (Widespread injustice, Complete impunity)

Instead of looking only at Israel, look at the all of the elements in this tragedy, the daily rockets which have been raining down on Northern Israel for years, the brutality of Syrian politics within Lebanon, the antiquarian Iranian agenda behind the Hezbollah organization with all the tools of modernity.

I would hope that Israel is judged by a higher standard…. Is Israel uniquely and profoundly evil?


You've been Quiet before-Why Complain Now
[The accusation againt Israel] conceals (perhaps not accidentally) the enormous human violence and suffering which have taken place in the ME in modern times—WWI down to the present. British colonialism? OK. French colonialism? OK. But “the Jews” re-creating a nation for themselves on an ancient territory which had been theirs “only” until the Roman destruction of their country in the first century AD?

That is a cosmic atrocity against which all else just pales in comparison…?? [I think especially now of the mass contempt for human life, showed on both sides in the terrible war between Iraq and Iran in the ‘80s. What was the toll? Probably somewhere just under a million, but numbers vary by as much as half a million. Anyway…God (Allah) wills it.

I wonder if the native Americans who were infected with pest and hunted down like deer choose to reestablish their tribal dominance 100 years from now, how would the Americans feel? Or the Arabs to reclaim Spain as their land, or the Lebanese attack Tunis as they own Carthage {some still have the deeds}.. What kind of twisted logic is that?


Israel is now a better country than it were
I look at the political role of Israel in the Mediterranean world from the perspective of left-wing Israel (from its founding to 1980) and right-wing Israel (from 1980 to the present). Right wing Israel now includes the absolutely pernicious influence and funding of fundamentalist Christian America. …. There is a real difference between Golda Meier and Menachim Begin, as there was also between Moshe Dayan and Ari Sharon.

Others are as bad
Israel is neither on the side of the angels, nor of the demons. It is, like all other countries in the world, merely a political-economic-cultural entity, not the worst by any means and clearly not the best either (and both Switzerland and Sweden are far worse historically than either’s currently angelic reputation might lead one to believe).

Israel: The Harbinger of Modernity
This is a war against the complex symbolism of the state of Israel. Should the state of Israel be wiped off the face of the earth nothing in the very modern / very ancient Levant will have fundamentally changed. Islamic fundamentalism, not a religion, but a political ideology, will continue to rage because it is in a genocidal conflict with "the culture" of modernity itself.

Israel, lives in the world of modernity. Its enemies do not. They only use all the tools of modernity, to bring down the World Trade Center building in NY, …. by brilliant, ingenious people who believe that the only hope for the world is a return to sixth century AD darkness.

Israel is not fighting Lebanon
Israel is not fighting Lebanon, though that Lebanon is the one that is dying under Israel's air strikes and rockets. Israel is fighting Syria. Israel is fighting Hizbollah. And the only way this can happen is by Israel killing real Lebanese, against whom there is no strategic or political issue, only the deeply personal one of living or dying.

UN-believable

UN: Hostage of US Policy. US Policy: Unethical, Unpardonable, Unfair Unjust.

They let the civilians die for 34 days without calling for a ceasefire.

The Lame UN, where VETO is the answer to the complaints of the small

countries, is a hostage of US policy. Where Mr. Annan dares not criticize

the US's favourite protege: Israel. A policy dripped in blood.

The inept UN, the crippled UN, the politicized UN. A secretary general

expresses concern at a war crimes, but dares not call for Justice.

Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, who's next?

Express your feelings towards the UN.

Restez Au Liban - (Poet Unknown)

Restez au Liban ...
Pour les premières amandes vertes que l'on croque, trempées de sel, et qui sonnent le glas de l'hiver,
Pour l'arbuste du balcon que l'on croyait mort et qui refleurit inexplicablement en décembre,
Pour le grincement familier de la balançoire sur laquelle on s'assoupit, enivrés de soleil, dans le chant des cigales,
Pour les klaxons « sauvages » d'un mariage d'été qui nous précipite pourtant tous au balcon pour voir si la mariée est belle,
Pour ces tribus de parents qui attendent&n bsp;à l'aéroport le retour au pays de l'enfant prodigue, et qui arrivent toujours beaucoup trop tôt,
Pour cette vieille mémé qu'on a refusé de mettre à l'asile malgré l'appartement de Beyrouth trop étroit,
et que son fils continue d'embrasser chaque soir,
Pour cette femme voilée qui fait, au mois de mai, le pèlerinage de Harissa,
Pour le jeune policier du carrefour qui fait semblant de rêver quand on traverse un feu orange,

Pour le « Ya hala » claironnant du steward qui nous accueille sur l'avion de Beyrouth,
Pour cet automobiliste souriant en trois pièces cravate qui,
un soir de Nouvel An très pluvieux, vous change votre pneu, sans vous rien demander
Pour ce soleil lumineux de janvier qui nous fait douter que la tempête terrifiante de tout à l'heure ait vraiment eu lieu,
Pour la voix si&n bsp;triste de Feyrouz qui réveille en nous une âme enfouie de villageoise d'opérette,
Pour l'odeur de la « mankouché » du matin qui est bien plus qu'une galette
au thym, comme la traduit bêtement le dictionnaire,
Pour ces cerises de juin si noires qu'elles colorent de violet les langues des enfants, Pour la maison d'en haut qu'on fait plus belle que l'autre, parce que c'est là qu'au soir de notre mort, on accueillera les gens du village,
Pour les soirs de Juin sur la terrasse, pour la vigne de septembre qui finit par nous offrir une grappe, pour les gardénias de mai,

Pour l'odeur mouillée de la terre après la première pluie,
Pour ne pas avoir froid, pour ne pas avoir peur, pour ne pas vivre seul,
pour...Pour tout cela .....
Restez au Liban!

Victims:Cats & Dogs

Victims: Marine Life

Oil Spill, destroyed homes. Some heartbreaking photos on the Animal victims of war.

Trust: A Snowball's Chance in Inferno!!

Ok, As I was saying before this outburst, I never liked Hizbullah, don't like Syria or Iran, and reiterate that Lebanon needs to "absorb" Hizbullah's alacrity into an official "underground, Lebanese army controlled, non-sectarian para-military civil resistance."

To elaborate on the plan, If Martians invade; everyone would go to his or her post on the front, near the mother-ship landing site. If Israelis invade, the "recruits" would head to anti-aircraft missile pads around bridges, hospitals, Dairy and Biscuit factories, Civil Defense centres, water dams, and Peach orchards. Those are normally the IDF's favourite targets.

A few unique Lebanese qualities passed on to HA are: intelligence and scheming. One has to admit that HA was fully capable of constructing undercover rocket launch pads, and dug a maze of tunnels under the noses of Israel's watch-towers, not to mention the thousands of over flights, and 3 spy-satellites twinkling high above.

If one uses Google Earth – chances are one can spot a water pump, but somehow the IDF intelligence (or lack of it) missed spotting missile-launchers that are – emmm.. Visible? The more dogmatic and presumptuous comments I read from the Israeli side, the more and more I lean towards the belief that God's Angels where distracting the IDF soldiers. Hallelujah!!!! Not only should one never trust the IDF's sagacity, we have reason to suspect vision and visibility impairment. What else can explain how they managed to hit all the bomb shelters and civilian buildings, but failed to incapacitate rocket launchers. If it weren't God, who was it - the IDF should come with an explanation quick before I fall on my Knees in praise and adoration.

Typically, "Israeli" fellow-bloggers cannot help involving themselves in everyone else's business but their own. I need to be clear here. I'm in no position to contemplate the peace of mind of Israel or any its non-Arab population (including the Egyptian and Jordanian Ambassadors), or how to defend "Israel." I do however have something the "Israelis" can do as part of the Lebanon Defense plan - at the end of this article. I will spend some time to respond to a very interesting comment from Jordan. Other comments were hysterical; some were racist and plain ignorant. Some were properly responded to, or otherwise properly laughed at. With all due respect I have no business defending my "blueprint Defense plan" to Israelis at the moment.

However, in response to a refreshing comment, I have some News on how trustworthy Israel has been towards Arab nations. -

Q: When was the last time you hear of Israeli jets pounding Egyptian or Saudi or Jordanian bridges?

o Israel-Egypt: Egyptian soldiers were shot with cold blood less than two months ago. Not the first incident, certainly not the last. I can go further, but I have more below!

o Israel-Iraq: In 1981 Israel launched a surprise air strike that destroyed an Iraqi reactor, which Israel feared would be used for plutonium production. Israel has its own nuclear power plant and arsenal. It too plans to drop them sometime soon. Anyway, by flying to Iraq, IDF violated Saudi Air Space- an act of War against two nations. If they used El-Al aircraft, it would have been only a civilian incursion. {hint: they're not smart}

o Israel-Saudi Arabia: Oh Raja! Why do you need a bridge if you don’t have rivers? Notheless, don't be surprised, probably the Israelis are STILL looking for a bridge.

o Israel-Tunis: In April 1988, some four months after the outbreak of the first intifada in the occupied territories, an Israeli death squad broke into the home of Abu Jihad in the Tunisian capital of Tunis and gunned down the Palestinian military and political leader. Abu Jihad, born Khalil Al-Wazir. An act of war.

o Israel-Jordan: in 1988 Jordan's late King Hussein relinquished his claims to the West Bank, which Jordan had lost to Israel in 1967. Does the Bridge over river Jordan qualify? Israelis didn't destroy it, they just seized it. The Dome of the Rock and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre are of invaluable importance to Christians and Muslims around the world. Jordan gave them up, Palestinians couldn't get them. Bridges? Bridge that gap!! I will not even mention the loss of the Jordanian 60th brigade exterminated by Israelis. Ok that was war, before the Peace treaty.

While Jordan does not need military tanks to fight off Israel, it required water tanks to transport water to the residents of Amman city when a few years ago Israel diverted the water to its side not to Jordan. Should I mention the Israeli dream to build a controversial Mediterranean-Dead Sea Canal which if completed, could devastate Jordan's vastly insufficient groundwater supplies? Drown it's fertile lands in the Ghor-Urdon?

One can live without bridges, dignity, or sense of security. One needs water to fill the swimming pools though.. Ooops, forgot, that goes to the Israel west-bank Settlements, not to the Jordanians or Palestinians!! Water is a strategic weapon. What will Jordan do if ten years from now Israel decides to build the canal? Wave the Araba Peace Treaty in their faces? Threaten to cut diplomatic ties! Perhaps resort to the UN! Done that, been there – 68 times!! Goooooooooooooooooood Luck. Endangering a strategic resource is an act of war.

Do you honestly believe that Israel would NOT endanger any country's interests unless it fears retaliation? Switzerland is always ready for a war. Switzerland! They host the Red Cross and the UNICEF, not the IDF! Never sleep on silk; you won't wake on thorns - brother.

When Israel disarms, removes chemical weapons and nuclear arsenal, perhaps then, only then one can trust that no war-driven bigot would press the wrong button, or that a fanatic who rises in power with crazy plans colludes with the battle-thirsty Generals to loose "forbearance." [Nice word, really!] The only Forbearance I see is what Egypt, Tunis, Jordan, Iraq, and Saudi have excercised at different times - for lack of proper "responses."

o Israel-Syria: Just the recent incidents:

§ In 2001, Israel raided a Syrian radar position in the Bekaa valley in Lebanon. An act of war against 2 nations.

§ October 2003: Israelis hit several targets at the Ein Saheb camp northwest of Damascus. An act of war.

§ Last but not least: June 28, 2006 - Israeli warplanes (not kites) flew over one of Bashar al-Assad's palaces. An act of war. President wasn't in the palace; otherwise he would have declared war.

o Israel-Libya: My favourite. On February 17-18, 1986, two Israeli missile boats, the SAAR 4-class Moledet, disembarked naval commandos to plant "Trojans" transmission devices in Tripoli-Libya. Not only that, the Mossad used the Trojans to transmit false messages to make it appear that a long series of terrorist orders were being transmitted to various Libyan embassies around the world. On April 14, 1986, one hundred and sixty American aircraft dropped over sixty tons of bombs on Libya. The attackers bombed Tripoli international airport, Bab al Azizia barracks, Sidi Bilal naval base, the city of Benghazi, and the Benine airfield outside Benghazi. - An act of war by Israel and the US against Libya.

We know that Israeli people are not monsters, we are only worried about the monsters among them who inhabit in IDF and War Cabinet caves. They create more damage than Bigfoot set free in a Crystal shop! My question is: Can Israelis really control their own government and army? I think you are as victims of the belief as you think we are victims of HA.

The Israeli civilian population opposes war only when they hear sirens for too long, but they never seem to stop war before it starts, or have not heard enough sirens already? They somehow miraculously believe that war brings peace, just like HA believes that Katioushas fly longer and hit harder if they say a certain prayer. Something should be clear, you cannot beat someone into altering conviction; Better still, it's not for lack of trying that Israel has failed down that specific road, time after time. No matter how much you think the cause is "justified," violence only aggravates the situation.

Instead of telling the Lebanese what to do, I would suggest Israelis write letters to Peretz or to Halutz (the cutest among all the bigfeet in IDF), or to its successors if he goes to prison before you get the chance to draft the letter. Tell them that 2 million Israelis spent 34 days in bomb shelters (as opposed to 1 million Lebanese who spent 34 days in the Open ... i.e. Sanayeh Park) because someone "lost his forbearance."

An Arabic saying goes, do not attempt to limb in front of the crippled, it just won't work!!

It depends how you look at "no Americans in Baghdad": for some it's funny – until it's no longer funny (ha ha), for some it's a promise, for others it's an oath, for me – it's a just a matter of time. Arabs and Iraqis are patient; we've been here for 7000 years uninterrupted. No Plans to go anywhere, {certainly not to Table Mountain!} While in Iraq however, the US is welcome to take the blows for the whole Free-world while attempting to restore democracy and uproot terrorism. When they're done, they'll be gone {one way or the other}. Vietnam will look like an afternoon ride by then.

When the Israeli army (backed by the US) invaded Beirut in 1982, someone hung a road sign that says:
Beirut 12 KM,

Saigon 3000 KM

Welcome!

With the Defense plan, or with HA if we cannot find someone better, it will read:

Saigon: 3000 KM

Baghdad: 750 KM,

Beirut: 3.5 light years

Invaders Graveyard: 0 KM.
Bye!

{You see, the road map was a trap for the invaders to stop, to read, &to turn into dust!!}.

Let us think of peace. Do your part, when you're done, and when Ein Helwe is turned into a golf-park after the Palestinians return to the State of Palestine, and Chebaa farms is a ski resort on the Lebanese tourist map, and water is pumped to Jordan, and the rest of the 7 points plan is applied, and the 68 UN resolutions honoured, and a few hundred more falters Israel has to look into… then perhaps we can begin to build trust. I won't say bring back the dead, remember, God is on our side (refer to earlier paragraph) - HE will take care of that.

Until then, keep the truce, we will draft our plans. Anyone with a brain doesn't need an F-16, really! A pop-corn pot near the border is enough to squeeze half the population of northern Israel into bomb-shelters (except for the Arabs who have NO shelters); A few pops of corn on the boarder are sufficient to bring Haifa, Yafa and Ashdod to a standstill.

You see, we're peaceful. As long as nobody gets hurt! {Except for egos, perhaps}.. How does it feel?!

WARNING>> For profanity and hateful comments, I would gladly receive and properly respond only if you leave your email address. Otherwise, such comments will be deleted.

... أن تكون شيعياً الآن

نمر بمرحلة كارثية ومصيرية سوف تنعكس آثارها على بلدنا والمنطقة على امتداد القرن الطالع؛ وبما انها على مثل هذه الخطورة ارتأيت ان أطرح علنا الاسئلة التي يطرحها البعض بينه وبين نفسه او خفية فلا يتجرأ على اعلانها مخافة مخالفة الجماعة والاجماع، ومخافة ان يتهم بالعمالة والخيانة اذا لم يكن الكفر. ان مواجهة بعض الاسئلة الصعبة وطرحها علانية ربما يساهم في كبح انجرارنا نحو الهاوية التي لا قرار لها ويساعد القيادة على اتخاذ القرار الحكيم والصعب من اجل وقف هذه الحرب الجهنمية مهما كلف الامر

فما معنى ان تكون شيعيا – لغالبية الشيعة راهناً - وفي هذه المرحلة المصيرية؟

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تسلم امرك للقيادة الحكيمة والمعصومة دون التجرؤ على طرح اي تساؤل ولو من باب الاستفسار

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تشاهد محطة "المنار" و"نيو تي في" و"إن بي ان" حصرا وتنتشي بأغانيها الحماسية واخبارها حصرا، وان تنظر بعداء مستحكم الى جميع المحطات الاخرى لانها إما "اميركية" وإما "صهيونية" طالما انها تشير مثلا الى القوات الاسرائيلية باسمها هذا ولا تسميها قوات العدو حصراً ولا تشبعها نعوتا وتكتفي بنقل معلومات

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ألا تسال عن معنى النصر؟ هل هو انتصار العسكر وبقاء الجنود – مدججين بالسلاح- على قيد الحياة مع تدمير العمران وافناء البشر الذين تعبوا في بنائه ويشكلون الحماية الفعلية للمقاتل نفسه؟

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ألا تسأل عن معنى الصمود والكبرياء، هل هو الهرب من القصف والتكدس على بلاط المدارس وغبارها؟

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تساهم في فبركة "كربلاء 2" اللبنانية اذ ان "كربلاء 1" العراقية لم تقم بدورها كما يجب في تعبئة العرب وحملهم على الانتصار على العدو

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تكون بطلا لا تتألم ولا تشتكي ولا تتأزم نفسياً، وتقبل التضحية بنفسك وبلادك وكل ما تم انجازه لكي تلقن اسرائيل درسا وتظهر جنونها، وتؤكد هزيمتها المدوية على ما أشار علينا الوزير السوري في إذاعة البي بي سي من ان اسرائيل خرجت خاسرة "مع التشديد اللازم على مخارج الحروف". فهي مكروهة الآن كما لم تكن من قبل وألّبت عليها معظم دول العالم... التي تأكدت الآن وبالملموس – والدرس ما زال مستمراً – في مدى وحشيتها وجنونها

وعندما تكون شيعيا عليك ان ترضى بهذا المنطق بل ان تشيد به معجبا بفصاحته وحكمته ودوره العالمي على صعيد نشر ثقافة الحقوق وتفعيل المواثيق الدولية ودوره على الصعيد القومي في التحرير والصمود. ألم نتاكد بواسطة هذه الحرب علينا ان "سوريا هي حجر الزاوية في المنطقة"؟ والكلام لا يزال للوزير نفسه. بالطبع كان يجب كل هذا الدمار والخراب لكي نؤكد بالملموس صحة هذا المنطق العقلاني فنحن من شدة موضوعيتنا لا نعمل الا بالبرهان والتجربة الحسيين

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تقبل بان يخرب بلدك امام عينيك – غير المندهشتين – وينهدم على رأسك وتتهجر عائلاته وتتشرد وتصبح "لاجئة" في اربع زوايا الوطن والارض، وان تقبل الصمود دون تذمر طالما هناك مقاتل يملك صاروخا يمكنه ان يطلقه على شمال اسرائيل وربما جنوبها ايضاً دون ان تسأل عن "اللماذا"؟ أو عن صحة التوقيت؟ أو عن مدى جدوى النتيجة النهائية الحاصلة؟

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تقبل بان تضحي بكل شيء ما دام هناك من سيعوض عليك بالمال وهو شريف فوق ذلك لكي تعيد بناء ما دمر؟ ما مشكلتك في ذلك؟

فنحن قوم ابطال لا نعرف سوى ان نضحي وبامكاننا امتصاص الصدمات النفسية وموت الاحبة وبهدلة التهجير والقضاء على مقومات الدولة - فهي دولة فاسدة وضعيفة وتابعة - امام اعيننا أفلا يكفي أن الى جانبنا دولا قوية نعمل على تثبيت دعائمها ونقوي من عزيمتها في مجابهة القوة الاميركية الغاشمة والآلة العسكرية الجهمنية الاسرائيلية التي علينا ان نبرهن عن ضعفها وعدم قدرتها على إلحاق أي هزيمة بمقاومي "حزب الله"؟ او أي امكانية للحد من قدراتهم العسكرية؟ وبأي ثمن؟

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تلتزم الصمت ولا تسأل ما هو دور تحرير الاوطان في العادة: هل لإعادة تدميرها وتسهيل إعادة احتلالها مجددا!؟ وان لا تسأل عن دور القيادة: هل للمحافظة على قوتها العسكرية ورجالها المدججين بالسلاح دون ان تلقي بالا الى الانسان العادي؟ كونك شيعيا يجعل بامكانك فقط ان تشكر الحزب لبطولته وتضحياته فليست مهمتك الآن ان تساهم في "أضعافه" او في "كسر كلمته" وتجعله يعرف متى يتراجع او يهادن لكي يحفظ انتصاره من جهة والدولة اللبنانية وبشرها وعمرانها من جهة اخرى!! فذلك يعني ان تضع موضع تساؤل ان يكون للعزة اولوية على حياة الآخرين وللحجر افضلية على السلاح

ان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تفوّض سيد المقاومة بطلا مخلصا للامة العربية باجمعها، ليس سواء شئت انت ام ابيت بل سواء شاءت هذه الامة نفسها ذلك ام أبت، بل عليك ان تكتفي بالانتشاء بسماع المدائح الجماهيرية والشعبوية التي سبق ان مدحت بطلها المخلص عبد الناصر ولا تزال تذرف الدموع على بطلها الآخر صدام حسين وهي مستعدة لمديح اي بطل يدغدغ احلامها ومشاعرها لكي تنام قريرة العين (يمكنك هنا مراجعة ادبيات المثقفين وبطولاتهم في صحيفتي "السفير" و"الحياة") او لكي تستعيد كرامة مداسة تحت نعال الحكام من نمرة صدام ما دمنا وحدنا ندفع الثمن في انتظار صحوتهم الحقيقية

ولكن السؤال الى اي مدى يمكن الاعتماد على هذه الجماهير العاجزة والمستعبدة لكي تقاد – غصبا عنها - لكي تتحرر وتنتفض؟ دون ان نفكر مجرد تفكير في اعادة النظر بهذه الخطة الجهادية والثورية!! هل هي ممكنة؟ هل هي حكيمة بما يكفي؟ هل هيأت الارضية فعلا للبدء بها؟ هل اعدت العدة لتهيئة هذه الجماهيربما يمكنها من القتال والصمود بغير سلاح الحماسة والانفعال والخطابة؟

واذا كنت شيعيا ليس عليك ان تسأل هذه القيادة اين وكيف تمت تهيئة البنية التحتية لاستيعاب مثل هذه الحرب الشعواء ونتائجها "الاحتمالية"، اين هي المستشفيات وسيارات الاسعاف ناهيك عن الملاجئ وغيرها؟ فهذه من المهمات التي نلقيها على عاتق الدولة - التي لم يؤخذ لها رأي في اعلان الحرب - لكي تكون ذريعة للومها على عجزها وقلة حيلتها. فالدولة هي المرجع عندما نحتاجها لكي تضمد الجراح والقرارات الرشيدة والمصيرية ليست من حقها

وان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تعطل عقلك وتترك للسيد خامنئي أن يملي عليك ويسوقك ويقرر عنك حول ماذا يريد(هو) من سلاح "حزب الله"، وان يفرض عليك معنى للانتصار الذي لا فرق بينه وبين الانتحار

وان تكون شيعيا يعني ان تدافع عن تدخل الوزير الايراني متكي السافر بشؤون الدولة اللبنانية من دون مراعاة حتى للمظاهر، وهو ربما اتى لينبّه وزيري "حزب الله" في الحكومة انهما "لم يوافقا" على البنود السبعة (بل هيّئ لهما) وخاصة بند القوات الدولية كي لا نقفل باب المقاومة ونبقي البلد مشرعا ومستباحا وساحة للاستغلال، بعدما تبيّن الآن ان مزارع شبعا سورية وتخضع للقرار 242 والى عدم وجود اجماع حول هذا البند. وهو بهذا كأنه ينبههما الى خطئهما في تغليب انتمائهما اللبناني على تبعيتهما الايرانية، فعليهما رغم انفهما ان يغلبا مصلحة البرنامج النووي الايراني ومصلحة الدولة الايرانية على مصلحة دولتهما واولوية الحفاظ على ارواح اللبنانيين وممتلكاتهم، سواء أكانوا شيعة ام غير ذلك، بل خاصة اذا كانوا شيعة. أفليست الأولوية هي جعل إيران قوة اقليمية شيعية عظمى؟ ما أهمية التضحية ببلد اسمه لبنان؟ او بشيعة هذا "اللبنان"؟

وعليك في هذا الجو المتوتر والقلق عندما تكون شيعيا ان تستمع لمحدثك الشيعي المتوتر والغاضب والذي يريد ان يقلب الدنيا على رأس "14 آذار" وان يمنع نشر القوات الدولية، وتسمعه يوزع العمالة والخيانة والامركة والصهينة يمينا وشمالاً دون ان تنبس ببنت شفة بل عليك ان تمتص غضبه وتوافقه على كل آرائه التي عرضنا عينة منها

وهذا ما يجعلك أبعد ما يمكن ان تكون عن ان تفكر في من انت؟ هل انت مواطن لبناني؟ هل كونك شيعيا يلزمك باعطاء اولوية لإيران على لبنان؟ هل لك حرية رأي؟ او حرية تعبير؟ هل مسموح ان تفكر بروية وتسأل الى اين نحن ذاهبون بالوطن وبمقومات الدولة وبالتعددية وبالعيش المشترك الذي صار علينا ان ندافع عنه الان؟

فأن تكون شيعيا وتتجرأ على مثل هذه الكتابة وهذا التفكير يعني انك عميل وخائن ومع التقسيم والتوطين ومع مشاريع الصهينة والأسرلة وتدافع عن الدولة بفسادها ومحسوبيتها وانك تؤيد السياسة الاميركية المنحازة (بجدارة) وانك تقبل بقصر نظرها وبدعمها لارهاب الدولة الصهيونية وبعدم اعطائها الفلسطينيين دولتهم اسوة ببقية خلق الله بحجة عدم دعم ارهاب "حماس". ويعني انك تدعم اسرائيل نفسها وآلتهـا الجهنميــة ووحشيتها الفائقة وتبرر قتلها واحتلالها وجنونها وتكون محظوظا اذا لم تتهم بانك انت من يساهم بتهديم البيوت على رؤوس اصحابها وتمزيق جثث الاطفال ونثرها على الركام بإعلاء صوتك

فهل نسيت شيئا من المعزوفة؟ اذا فعلت سوف تعذروني لأني لا استطيع مقاطعة مسلسل نشرات الأخبار أكثر من ذلك، عليّ ان اذهب لأرى من يتهجر الآن ومن يتهدم بيته في هذه اللحظة اذا نجا من القتل

منى فياض
استاذة في الجامعة اللبنانية
monafayad@hotmail.com

Of Survival, Accusation & a bit more...

A caricature of Stavro Jabra, in Opinion, August 16, 2006. Lebanon is wounded, but nonetheless victorious.

Notice the two fingers: combined – they are the symbol of victory over ruthless agression, of resilience. Separated, one is the finger of accusation, and the other finger – is… errrr… of defiance.

Refer to my earlier post, Give it Your Best Shot Halutz! He will barely fly kites after the interrogation committee is done with him. Hague Tribunal for War Crimes? Most certainly.

Another image from Cox& Forkum mocking Olmert's fate; Having turned into a butt of all jokes, he hasn't seen the end of the blows yet.

For No Reason, For all the Reason in the World

Today, I received an email from my friend Hasan, who is currently in Dubai. It talks about our common love - a city called Beirut. I will publish a long list, but it is smaller than the one he sent - we have our "secret" reasons to love Beirut. Beirut is a small Lebanon, and Lebanon is a small world, and the world deserves peace, but is faced with agression instead.

There was a song on Future TV about Beirut, Songs seem to come back when one's emotions are not expressive:

"all the houses of the world are pretty, but its houses are something else,

all the seas of the world are pretty, but its sea is something else.

It not big, or small, it's as big as you and me,

If you want, it's as big as the world, if you want, it's as small as a kiss on your cheek"

Now, an abridged list of why Hasan and I love Beirut!

I love Beirut because one can party till 6 in the morning and not realize that it is Wednesday morning.

I love Beirut because Beirut is live as if they are going to die tomorrow and party as if they are going to live forever.

I love Beirut because every Beiruti has a political opinion and will share it with you even if you could care less about his and you want to share yours with him.

I love Beirut for all the conspiracy theories and how people actually believe them.

I love Beirut because as soon as I arrive at one of my friends houses his mom makes me to the kitchen & becomes the spokesperson of the refrigerator.

I love Beirut because one can smell gardenia, and jasmine.

I love Beirut because strawberries taste like strawberries & fruits taste like fruits.

I love Beirut because of the traffic jams and the people you meet because of them.

I love Beirut because we can differentiate between Civilians and Militants.

I love Beirut because we feel that it is better to die standing than to live on our knees.

I love Beirut because on MEA we can clap in unison when we are about to land.

I love Beirut not because it is my city, but because it is the city of Everyone.

I love Beirut because when I explain Beirut to my friends, my friends see the passion of Beirut in my eyes.

I love Beirut for no reason. I love Beirut for all the reasons of the "world".

The Bird is Back!

This morning, I woke up early, literally at a sound of a bomb. At any other day, dressing up and a 30 minute drive were things I wouldn't think of much. But today, things were different. As of 8.00 a.m, a ceasefire was about to take place. One has to commend the IDF forces for stopping their killing spree on time. They spent the last few minutes before the ceasefire came into effect raiding a Biscuit factory in Choueifat!

For the first time in a month, I got to wear a shirt and pants (as opposed to a T-shirt and jeans) to work, and I embarked on the very strange drive to Beirut – where I work. Going against the direction, then to parallel old roads, then back to highways, then back to parallel old roads is quite extraordinary. One has to avoid every kind of bridge (all destroyed), and flyovers. Then, a scene of devastation: Damour Bridge, completely gone. Cars from both directions are crossing over a pile of sand remaining on the edge of the Western Lane, pick-up trucks were leaning so hard towards the pit that one thinks they are about to fall over. Yet, people were lining up, most of them going south; In their cars, in trucks, and buses. They all know that their homes were probably completely demolished while the USA was working on a "sustainable cease fire," but they were happy to be heading home.

Then to Beirut. Roads get better the closer you get to Beirut. I usually get at the Khaldeh Intersection at 8.05 daily, just in time to see the MEA flights depart to London and Paris. Today the airport was empty, and the MEA aircraft were in Damascus and Amman. A hole in the Airport tunnel that goes under the runway, and then Ouzaii, covered in white paper pamphlets dropped by the IDF. Life slowly going back to normal. We have been into more difficult days than this. I found myself humming a song my Fairuz, "The Bird comes back," and I will translate it my way:

"the bird is back to build a nest in the brick roof,
and the flower is back to blossoming,
Winter is back, lovers get together,
Schools are back.. Kids.. Snow.. Festival..
...but those who are gone are gone!

They say it's destroyed, the country of Roar,
The country of time, that taught and built,
And World cried, the world cried..
BUT WE Shall stay.. But We shall stay..
We will come back from fires,
From streets Destroyed by Guns, We shall be back,

The True Lebanon is coming,
The Simple Lebanon is coming,
To push away painted faces and stamped promises,
And the rain will swipe them away,

In the shadow of doors, childhood is growing,
Heroism is growing,
Places are shinning,
Oh Great Country, the river of joy is bursting,
And in the light of the rising sun,
Life glitters. Life Glitters!

I sang the words, and then I said: as long as I shall live, that is my prayer, my Oath, my Promise!!

A Staged War: Read More!

A long - but interesting - article that has appread in the New Yorker by SEYMOUR M. HERSH, titled "Washington’s interests in Israel’s war," posted August 14, 2006, on the bitter realities and possible implications of the USA in the Israeli war on Lebanon.

Whatever the objective, does the end justify the means?

Will of Life under Siege

At a time when the IDF Neandertals are still hovering with their death-birds over Sidon City, ‎and trying [and failing] to exterminate indiscriminatly all of the Lebanese civilians, I decided that's it's high time to get ‎my car washed. Of course, I ignored that Israel only yesterday destroyed the Power Station in ‎Sidon, hence no water pumps are working to provide water to the Car-Wash – until ‎I got to the Car-wash – that is. ‎

Looking at my dusty car then towards the sea in despair, I was happily amazed that Sidonians ‎decided that neither Halutz or any of the other cavemen will stop them from resuming normal ‎life, so they're back at the Sidon Public beach, only 100 meters away from the destruction site ‎of the Awali Bridges and other Petrol Stations. Not to mention the threat of Israeli frigates ‎going up and down the Lebanese coast.‎ (2nd, 5th and 8th Umbrella from the Right, and those in the water).

Better still, it seems that the Lebanese people believe that looking good even under a death ‎threat is always the priority. The Salon Chic Top for Men and the Wajih hair design for Ladies ‎are packed full with guys who want to trim their goatee, and with ladies who are determined to ‎maintain the perfect look [you can see my dusty car in the photo].‎

While two million Israelis are in bomb shelters beacuse their army's death machine is at the ‎moment hovering over besieged-Sidon and all over Lebanon preparing for another air raid, ‎the Lebanese win the war by keeping LIFE on their side, not fear, nor death. ‎

To that I say, We have won this war again. The war of Life, the war of Hope, the war of ‎Tomorrow. ‎

God's Chosen People: Maybe Not!

God's chosen people

Jostein Gaarder, Aftenposten 05.08.06

An article in a leading Norwegian newspaper last weekend lambasted Israel and Judaism and said Israel has lost its right to exist in its present form. Entitled "God's chosen people," the article by author Jostein Gaarder in Aftenposten is raising a storm in Norway. Gaarder, author of the book "Sophie's World," links the Israel Defense Forces' acts in Lebanon to Jewish history and foresees the coming dismantling of the state as it exists today, with the Jews becoming refugees.

Save any anti-semite attacks or racism attacks and send them to Olmert, Peretz , and to Halutz. I am relaying what is widely discussed in the civilized states that used to give up "moral coverage" for Israel's war crimes and what not.

There is no turning back. It is time to learn a new lesson: We do no longer recognize the state of Israel. We could not recognize the South African apartheid regime, nor did we recognize the Afghan Taliban regime. Then there were many who did not recognize Saddam Hussein's Iraq or the Serbs' ethnic cleansing. We must now get used to the idea: The state of Israel in its current form is history. The author was also interviewed on Haaretz:

The article starts as follows:

We do not believe in the notion of God's chosen people. We laugh at this people's fancies and weep over its misdeeds. To act as God's chosen people is not only stupid and arrogant, but a crime against humanity. We call it racism.

Limits to tolerance
There are limits to our patience, and there are limits to our tolerance. We do not believe in divine promises as justification for occupation and apartheid. We have left the Middle Ages behind. We laugh uneasily at those who still believe that the God of flora, fauna, and galaxies has selected one people in particular as his favorite and given it funny stone tablets, burning bushes, and a license to kill.

We call child murderers 'child murderers' and will never accept that such have a divine or historic mandate excusing their outrages. We say but this: Shame on all apartheid, shame on ethnic cleansing, shame on every terrorist strike against civilians, be it carried out by Hamas, Hizballah, or the state of Israel!

Unscrupulous art of war
We acknowledge and pay heed to Europe's deep responsibility for the plight of the Jews, for the disgraceful harassment, the pogroms, and the Holocaust. It was historically and morally necessary for Jews to get their own home. However, the state of Israel, with its unscrupulous art of war and its disgusting weapons, has massacred its own legitimacy. It has systematically flaunted International Law, international conventions, and countless UN resolutions, and it can no longer expect protection from same. It has carpet bombed the recognition of the world. But fear not! The time of trouble shall soon be over.

The state of Israel has seen its Soweto.
We are now at the watershed. There is no turning back. The state of Israel has raped the recognition of the world and shall have no peace until it lays down its arms.

Without defense, without skin
May spirit and word sweep away the apartheid walls of Israel. The state of Israel does not exist. It is now without defense, without skin. May the world therefore have mercy on the civilian population. For it is not civilian individuals at whom our doomsaying is directed.
We wish the people of Israel well, nothing but well, but we reserve the right not to eat Jaffa oranges as long as they taste foul and are poisonous. It was endurable to live some years without the blue grapes of apartheid.

They celebrate their triumphs
We do not believe that Israel mourns forty killed Lebanese children more than it for over three thousand years has lamented forty years in the desert. We note that many Israelis celebrate such triumphs like they once cheered the scourges of the Lord as "fitting punishment" for the people of Egypt. (In that tale, the Lord, God of Israel, appears as an insatiable sadist.) We query whether most Israelis think that one Israeli life is worth more than forty Palestinian or Lebanese lives.

For we have seen pictures of little Israeli girls writing hateful greetings on the bombs to be dropped on the civilian population of Lebanon and Palestine. Little Israeli girls are not cute when they strut with glee at death and torment across the fronts.

The retribution of blood vengeance
We do not recognize the rhetoric of the state of Israel. We do not recognize the spiral of retribution of the blood vengeance with "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." We do not recognize the principle of one or a thousand Arab eyes for one Israeli eye. We do not recognize collective punishment or population-wide diets as political weapons. Two thousand years have passed since a Jewish rabbi criticized the ancient doctrine of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth."
He said: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." We do not recognize a state founded on antihumanistic principles and on the ruins of an archaic national and war religion. Or as Albert Schweitzer expressed it: "Humanitarianism consists in never sacrificing a human being to a purpose."

Compassion and forgiveness
We do not recognize the old Kingdom of David as a model for the 21st century map of the Middle East. The Jewish rabbi claimed two thousand years ago that the Kingdom of God is not a martial restoration of the Kingdom of David, but that the Kingdom of God is within us and among us. The Kingdom of God is compassion and forgiveness.

Two thousand years have passed since the Jewish rabbi disarmed and humanized the old rhetoric of war. Even in his time, the first Zionist terrorists were operating.

Israel does not listen
For two thousand years, we have rehearsed the syllabus of humanism, but Israel does not listen. It was not the Pharisee that helped the man who lay by the wayside, having fallen prey to robbers. It was a Samaritan; today we would say, a Palestinian. For we are human first of all -- then Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. Or as the Jewish rabbi said: "And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others?" We do not accept the abduction of soldiers. But nor do we accept the deportation of whole populations or the abduction of legally elected parliamentarians and government ministers.
We recognize the state of Israel of 1948, but not the one of 1967. It is the state of Israel that fails to recognize, respect, or defer to the internationally lawful Israeli state of 1948. Israel wants more; more water and more villages. To obtain this, there are those who want, with God's assistance, a final solution to the Palestinian problem. The Palestinians have so many other countries, certain Israeli politicians have argued; we have only one.

The USA or the world?
Or as the highest protector of the state of Israel puts it: "May God continue to bless America." A little child took note of that. She turned to her mother, saying: "Why does the President always end his speeches with 'God bless America'? Why not, 'God bless the world'?"

Then there was a Norwegian poet who let out this childlike sigh of the heart: "Why doth Humanity so slowly progress?" It was he that wrote so beautifully of the Jew and the Jewess. But he rejected the notion of God's chosen people. He personally liked to call himself a Muhammedan.

Calm and mercy
We do not recognize the state of Israel. Not today, not as of this writing, not in the hour of grief and wrath. If the entire Israeli nation should fall to its own devices and parts of the population have to flee the occupied areas into another diaspora, then we say: May the surroundings stay calm and show them mercy. It is forever a crime without mitigation to lay hand on refugees and stateless people.

Peace and free passage for the evacuating civilian population no longer protected by a state. Fire not at the fugitives! Take not aim at them! They are vulnerable now like snails without shells, vulnerable like slow caravans of Palestinian and Lebanese refugees, defenseless like women and children and the old in Qana, Gaza, Sabra, and Chatilla. Give the Israeli refugees shelter, give them milk and honey!

Let not one Israeli child be deprived of life. Far too many children and civilians have already been murdered.

From Norwegian by Sirocco

Another Crime that Did Not Happen!

Photographs of 20-month-old Mohammed Dahaineh and his mother are placed on top of their bodies, draped in Lebanese flags - Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2006, during the mass funeral of Lebanese citizens who were killed when an Israeli airstrike hit an apartment building late Monday in the Beirut suburb of Chiah.

A series of at least six missiles fired from Israel ships off the Lebanese coast slammed into the south Beirut suburbs Wednesday, as residents were conducting a funeral for some of the 41 victims killed in Israeli airstrikes there three days earlier.

This photo was also published in Al-Safir Newspaper last Thursday.

(Courtesy: AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

War Images: Pax Israeliana on Live TV

For those who would even DARE to claim this footage is a fake, there are videos on live TV, including CNN of the Qana Massacre, on what the IDF has always claimed to be a "regretable mistake." Their regretable mistake list is longer than the New York City Phone Book.

War Images

Images of War: Hollywood & Nazionist Propaganda

The Zionist Lobby is accusing the Press of faking the Lebanon War Images. That is probably the best Nazionist [Nazi Zionist] Propaganda ever. It's become so easy that a person with little background on the conflict could come up with a quick response that the pictures I posted are possibly fake. He was too kind to draw my attention to that.

I also got another Hate mail that objects to the use of word genocide to describe what is going on in Lebanon. Seems that someone has an exclusivity on "genocides," in both the victim and the perpetrator roles. Human life is not measured in numbers. Human life is invaluable, no matter what the numbers are. Otherwise, it's just a matter of time till we qualify for Genocide - courtesy of the IDF.

For those people who live in "Hollywood," all death looks the same. All rubble looks the same. Truth and lie are the same. It might be confusing: In the age of Photoshop, even a photo is no longer a reliable source. Here is the Link to the Nazionist Propaganda piece: http://www.aish.com/movies/JP/PhotoFraud.asp

My answer is:it's also documented on Video. Time will come - your time, and the time for truth!!

On the other hand, for those who want to watch death on "Real TV" live -: please go to www.jumptv.com, and you can subscribe to streamline LIVE TV. It's in Arabic, but news and film footage need no explanation. Suggestions are: AlArabiya, AlJazeera, FutureTV, LBCI, ANB.

It takes more than Hollywood and Bollywood combined to be able to produce such a film set.

For the misguided mind, it takes one Nazionist to say it's a lie, and a world to believe that.

Stop the war, bring the war criminals to justice!

Amensty: 1.8 million asked to write to Israeli government demanding safe passage for trapped civilians

Amnesty International has launched an "Urgent Action" to its 1.8 million members around the world calling on them to write to the Israeli Minister of Defence, Amir Peretz, asking him to take urgent steps to ensure safe passage for civilians in the south of Lebanon.

Israeli bombardment of roads, bridges, telecommunication transmitters, electricity networks and fuel depots throughout southern Lebanon has forced tens of thousand of civilians to flee their homes. But thousands of others who were unable to leave are now trapped in the area.

"The plight of civilians in the south of Lebanon is at crisis point. Evacuation of civilians who wish to leave must happen immediately, and emergency supplies and aid needs to reach villages in Southern Lebanon urgently," said Kate Gilmore, Amnesty International's Executive Deputy Secretary General.

"The Israeli authorities must allow immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access, as well as safe passage out of Southern Lebanon. It is absolutely shameful that humanitarian convoys trying to deliver badly needed aid cannot gain safe access."

For at least a week, neither the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), nor any other humanitarian or relief organization, has been able to reach the villages under Israeli siege. United Nations' top humanitarian official Jan Egeland on Thursday criticised Israel and Hizbullah for hindering access to 120,000 people still in South Lebanon, calling it a "disgrace".

Amnesty International delegates who visited a number of villages earlier this week reported that in at least two of them, Aitatoun and Bint Jbail, more than 200 people remain trapped, including women, children, elderly and disabled people. At least one of those trapped is a pregnant woman.

The Amnesty International delegates described the unbearable stench of rotting corpses that pervades the villages as the bodies of people killed in their homes remain under the rubble, roaming dogs often indicating where bodies are buried.

"The dire humanitarian situation is not exclusive to the villages that our delegates were able to visit, the situation of despair of those who remain trapped by the conflict is likely to be replicated in villages all over the south of Lebanon," said Kate Gilmore.

"Israel's repeated calls for residents to evacuate villages has led to massive internal displacement. The mere issuing of warnings does not excuse disrespect for the rules of war," Kate Gilmore cautioned.

Amnesty International called on Israel to respect the distinction, that is protected under law, between civilian and military objects. It must put an end to the direct, disproportionate and indiscriminate targeting of civilian objects, such as residential buildings and medical facilities.

Appeal for Cease Fire: Stop Waging War!

Civilians have been targeted in Lebanon by the Israeli Defence Forces leaving over a ‎thousand civilian deaths, 30% of whom were children. Israeli Forces are invading ‎Lebanon at this moment, and this is complicating the political, security, and ‎humanitarian situation even further.

The Lebanese Government and Hizbullah have accepted a bi-lateral cease-fire, ‎and to dispatch the Lebanese Army to the Southern Border to take charge of the security situation, assisted by ‎the UN.‎

Nonetheless, all calls for cease fire have been rejected by Israel, and the one time 48 hour ‎‎"cessation of air strikes"‎ was violated by Israel, and civilians were targeted. ‎

Please write to the "Israeli" Officials asking for an immediate cease fire, and to put an ‎end to Human Rights Violations in Lebanon that has lead to over 1100 deaths, and to demand a withdrawl ‎of Israeli forces immediately from Lebanon. Also please demand that Israel respects ‎the Geneva Convention on the protection of Civilians, and the treatment of the Prisoners of War.

Amir Peretz ‎
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence ‎
Ministry of Defence ‎
‎37 Kaplan Street ‎
Hakirya ‎
Tel Aviv 61909 ‎
‎"Israel" ‎
Fax: +972 3 691 6940; +972 3 696 2757; +972 3 691 7915 ‎
E-mail: sar@mod.gov.il; pniot@mod.gov.il; ‎

and to ‎

Chief Military Attorney ‎
Military postal code 9605 ‎
IDF ‎
‎"Israel"‎

Light vs. Fight: Eat your Hearts Out IDF!

Today, the Israelis attacked Beirut with their American supplied Fighter Jets, to destroy a TV antenna... Or was it a wash-line confused for a rocket launcher? Does it make a difference. They haven't heard the last of us yet! [For a more vivid commentry, please refer to my previous post: Give it your best Shot, Halutz! & For avoidance of doubt, I wasn't pointing a finger of Accusation]

A few weeks ago, Israelis made a point to target the Beirut Light House, the symbol of Beirut's enlightening role in the Middle East. The poor things don't know that it is minds that create light. They are not familiar with either concept: Mind or Light.

In this, they have our sympathy..

For everything else, they have the FIST.

Believe it or not, the IDF are dreamers too. Their dreams take the shape of nightmares.

They dream of turning Lebanon into rubble, and setting Beirut ablaze. Huh! Wake up and smell the ARABIC Coffee [or the cough medicine, if you're chocking with anger].

Dream on IDF (Incredibly Dumb Fools); Every rocket you drop creates a poet, Every fire you set brings in tunes of music, and every death make the Beirutis and the Lebanese cling on to life... more.. and even more.. and more.. and more.. till you run out of Offenses.

Music we will make of you bombs,

A thousand Tomorrows we will guard for every day you kill,

Words we will write of your thrashings,

Light we will make of your fires,

And Nails for you coffins we will make of your Rockets,

Haven't you learned your lessons yet - you Blind Blood-Thirsty Bats of Darkness?

In their Beauty and Resilience, Lebanon & Beirut kill you...

We are everything you're not..

Eat your hearts out!

Hearts?

Yeah sure!

After an Israeli Air Raid on S. Lebanon: Mother dies in lap of her surviving Child!

Ode of a mother and Child:

My Son,

Oh, thank God you're alive and well,
Listen, time is short,
I can hear the planes coming back;

To you I entrust a country,
As small as your tears,
but more precious than my life,

To you my son, I entrust a tune,
A song of hope, of Liberation,
A song of life, of resurrection,

To you my son, I entrust tomorrow,
Oh yes, To you my son, I entrust a Lebanon,
of the soil that will shroud thousands of those who die
...with their heads high

We will die today, and rise tomorrow,
With waving banners we will rise,
With smiling children,
10,452 smiles!

From heaven I will oversee you,
There, I will be higher than the F-16,
And from above, even from above,
I will defend this country.

A Coffee in Beirut!

Over my friend's Ahmad blog http://colddesert.blogspot.com/ , I wrote a comment, afterwhich an Israeli blogger invited himself for a coffee in Beirut. But of course, he had to be aggressive at first without dropping the victim act for one second. This was my response:

Let's not flaunt strenght at each other, we were trying to have a civilized discussion. Being stronger doesn't mean you're right. Better still let's agree, we're are Right, you are Strong [see my posting below]. Or the other way around, shall we sit and talk this through or should we proceed with killing each other? Or shall we wait till you march on to Beirut and then rockets start falling from across the Dead Sea &Aqaba & Golan from discedents and guerilla fighters who might "just" slip the attention of their governments?

If HA singlehandedly - with Syrian and Iranian support as you claim - put 2 million Israelis in bomb shelters, HA, add to it the new HA of Syria &Jordan &Egypt ...oops, forgot Gaza, sorry.. (you and I know that all the people on those fronts are just Hizbollahs-to-be if this war doesn't stop now). Katiousha anyone?

Or maybe a nuclear bomb from Iran with Pistachio flavour and Khomeini picture painted on the barrel might do the trick? Do keep in mind that Iran lost millions of its people in the Iran-Iraq war. Numbers do not matter for the Ayatollahs - not Iranian, not Israeli, and certainly not Arab numbers. They have already booked their people and ours a place in heaven. Did you make any plans for the afterlife in case of a nuclear warfare? Hurry up, the place is filling up fast.

Bottom line, Iranians can claim they are stronger and more cruel, do you want them to drop their Nuclear Arsenal on you - for God's sake? Perhaps an itsy bitsy drop of your own poison? Come ON!! Put an end to Maddness NOW before it gets out of hand! If the Iranians aim right, we'll fry from the Radiation for ages. If they aim wrong, they'll just shoot another one at you!!

As an Arab, anyobody is welcome into my home as a guest to have coffee or tea or fresh squeezed lemonade, as a guest. Leave your machine guns outside and F-16 grounded, and come to Beirut as friends - you will note that while you stroll around the down town of the city, that the Jewish neighbourhood - NOT Ghetto - neighbourhood in the middle of Solidere - is still there, and that the 20,000 Lebanese jews who chose to move abroad in 1977 because of the war are still Lebanese citizens and welcome back to their homeland and town anytime, and they are welcome to help rebuild the country that was destroyed by Mad Generals. Can you say the same about the Palestinians who were driven out - even out of courtesy?!

Come as enemies, and the cycle of violence will not cease, and coffee or tea in Beirut you won't have - nor will you have it in Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Haifa, Yafa, or anywhere outside a bomb shelter because them rockets will be falling like rain from all sides next time...

The sky will be filled with war planes and deadly rockets instead of kites and birds.

That's one nightmare, and there's a rosy dream. Wake up and smell the coffee!!

Arabs are Right, Israel is Strong: Let's go over this one more time

One questioned I received from a very learned man was:

Was their no invasion of Israel in 1948 by five Arab armies? Was their no economically mortal blockade of the Suez Canal in 1956?

Of course, I needed a strong drink to calm down. Then I thought that alcoholism would not put an end to ignorance, although it might turn one oblivious to the 4 ton bombs the Israeli Jets are dropping over civilian homes, so I decided to write down another research instead – in simple terms, for those who never read history.

It comes as a surprise to most westerners to know that before 1948, there was no such thing as Israel... there was a country called Palestine.. If green people from Mars drop into Washington D.C. and decide to establish a state of Green Folks right next to Capitol Hill, and the US Army goes in to drive them out, would that be entitled as an invasion of Greenfolksland?

The problem is that no one reads one year before 1948, and if they do, they selectively move two millennia in time, when Jews/Hebrews lived in Palestine, to give Historic Land rights to the Jews in Palestine.

Of course, it escapes their attention that there are plenty of Arab Jews, in Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, Morocco, Tunis, and perhaps the Arabs were the only Civilization in HISTORY never to prosecute the Jews. If and when in doubt, find out for yourselves. Many are flabbergasted to know that there are Christian Arabs, or Christian Palestinians. What do you expect; Jesus was born in Palestine for Jeez sake!!

Better still, no one reads how Israel was established over the land of Palestine, and at what humanitarian cost. Before 1948, or to be precise, before May 1948, there was no country on earth called Israel - for more history on that, please check the following link: http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/his_palestine.html - Jordan is a moderate Arab state that is "friendly " and at peace with the US and Israel, so I would assume their recounts of the tragedy of Palestine should be well balanced,

Why is that legitimate for the USA but not for the Arabs? Or is it that the European settlers in America, having terminated the Native Americans "Red Indians,' and reduced them to semi-animals and worthless people, consider the land to belongs to the powerful, not to the rightful?

I fail to understand how it is acceptable for one to walk into your home, kick you out (meanwhile, rape your wife, tear you with a knife, kill your kids, steal your money), then call the police every time you try to break back in Your OWN home? Is that NOT audacious? Am I required to keep my temper and knock politely? It reminds me so much of the movie, Anger Management - Jack Nicholson? Someone drives you mad then cries foul!!

1956… In Simple Words
In 1956, Abdul Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal. If you know anything of slave labor, you should check how the Egyptians were dragged in slave marches to dig the canal in the 1850s, and how Colonial Britain and France took the full proceeds of the canal because "they built it" - just like the farmers of the southern states "planted tobacco and cotton" – ignoring their labour. In 1956, Nasser nationalized the Canal as a property of the Egyptian People.


Please run a quick moral comparison with George Washington. Washington was an English man, but still he rose against England and demanded independence and land rights and equal treatments - Washington rose against HIS own country. At least, Nasser was an Arab, asking for the Egyptian Canal to belong to the Egyptian People. In military terms, Washington betrayed his homeland (England), Nasser didn't. Why do you acclaim Washington a hero but Nasser a terrorist?

"We the people," said the Egyptians, want our resources back. We the people, said Nasser, Shall take it back. What happened, England, France &Israel attacked Egypt (not the other way around). If it weren't for the Soviet Union threat to side with Egypt, they would have occupied Egypt. Let me repeat, English, French armies, and Jewish Immigrants who barely knew Hebrew at the time, want to take a canal back from Egyptians who dug the canal in 1856, with their hands, with their sweat, in their land, between the two seas that separate their country.. Land belongs to the people; Arab Egyptian Land, Arab Egyptian people, Arab Egyptian right of self Defense. No more, no less.

Israel rose on the bodies of dead Arabs in 1948, Arab states (just like Texas would run for the help of Florida) sent their armies to help their brethren.
Because, "We the people" cried the Arab Palestinians "want to have our country." Therefore, the 1956, 1967, 1973 wars were a continuation of wars not to "get Jews out of the land" only, but to "get them Palestinians back into their homes as well. Those wars did not have any relationship to the Jews history, to their origins, to their grievances against Europeans and everyone else except the Arabs. It had to do with their attitude and actions. Remember, Arabs & Muslims were the only two civilizations in history not to prosecute Jews per se. Arabs and Muslims are not responsible for the discrimination against Jews or for the prosecution of Jews or for the Holocaust. Arabs were next in Line on Hitler's list to be turned into fertilizer.

In 2006, Israel is destroying the country because it is "defending its citizens", and the US, Bush and Rice are both watching over protectively. How come Arabs had no right to "defend their citizens and sovereignty" in 1948?

An age when the victim turns oppressor, and the oppressor plays victim is a very sad age indeed. It's sadder when this happens when it happens in a world of free flow of media.

For God's sake, or for whatever you believe in's sake, go to www.google.com, type Palestine, Israel, 1948, Nakba, and Read.

Human life is sacred, human dignity is valued, human rights, including the right of having a country and a nationality is universally agreed.

Admittedly, regardless of who is right and who is wrong, both sides have committed atrocities against each other, and the conflict was not between armed forces, civilians were caught in the line of fire. Could it have been different?

Jewish life is sacred, Jewish dignity is valued, Jewish rights, including the right of having a country and a nationality is universally agreed. Of all people, we the Arabs agree.

Equally important, Arab life is sacred, Arab dignity is valued, Arab rights, including the right of retaining their country and their nationality is universally agreed. Yet all peoples of the world seem to turn the deaf ear and the blind eye.


Could it have been different? See my post tomorrow, it will be titled:

Only if Theodore Hertzel were Theodore Hertzelian?

Let's Coexist!

Photo: courtesy of Tima
Link also to Ahmad's Blog: http://colddesert.blogspot.com/

Beirut "Poem by Nadia Tueni"

"Beirut is the last sanctuary in the East - Where a man can wear light"

--Nadia Tueni from "Lebanon: Twenty Poems for one Love"

Give it your best Shot... Halutz!

Israel should try harder to destroy more. The Wimps!! Considering that we are under attack, and under siege, everything in Beirut is available and plenty thank God - except severe shortage of Fuel. The problem is to get aide through - inside town and outside town - to almost 1 million displaced people.

One might ask, what's the use of piling food/medicine/fuel in storage if they don't get to those who need them? Having failed to stop the resistance forces, the IDF (Indiscriminet Destructive Force) of Israel has destroyed 150 bridges that connect cities, and their warplanes attack everything that moves, including Ambulances. With nothing left to destroy, now they are trying to level the mountains with their fury.. they have gone mad .. There are the sort of people who would run after a mosquito with an F-16.. the poor poor poor little minds.

Poor Poor Poor little jealous minds!

One thing there is no shortage of is High spirits, we know it won't be easy, the war mongers have managed to throw 700,000 people into public schools and the rest into friends homes or even driving them out of the country, they are still working to destroy Lebanese houses and livelihoods, but they have not destroyed Lebanese spirit. Hell, they've not even scratched the surface!

I have never seen so much unity in Lebanon as I've seen in this war.. Unbelievable.. People are actually SMILING at each other at supermarkets and on intersections, and opening their houses for complete strangers. Another thing Israeli generals succeeded in was to make Israel as an enemy for every single Lebanese. Some had illusions that Peace can prevail, but Israel just proved to every single Lebanese, and to 200 million Arabs that Israelis are not after self defense, otherwise how do you justify targeting Farmers two hundred kilometers NORTH of the border. Do they think Lebanon is North Korea? Do they think that if Hezbollah (HA) has weapons of 200km range, they would shoot them from the El Qaa Village when they're capable of shooting RIGHT under the noses of the IDF at the border line and right under the nose of the IDF warplanes

How it Started, Before it Ends.

Blogging was not on my mind at all, as other things in life, like vacationing and wrapping up work before I run away to Europe for two weeks - were keeping my quite busy for the first half of July.

Then something happened. So many things started unfolding that one thinks it's a nightmare. For History fans, or for movie goers, to sum it up, if Nazis invaded Switzerland, they would have been more compassionate than the Israelis are inflicting on Lebanon.. I have yet to comprehend how people who claim to have survived a holocaust can inflict so much pain and hatred on others. They are killing children, bombing hospitals, disconnecting highways, targeting even the Light-houses, bridges, aracheological places, water dams, milk factories (?), ambulances, humanitarian aid, gas stations and all. They are dropping 25 tonne bombs, all that for a kidnapping of two soldiers - for heaven's sake they are two soliders , not two nuns, or two old ladies with flower brimmed hats!!! They forgot that they have stolen someone else's land, thrown a million Palestinian refugees out since 1948, and gone to war against their neighbours in the name of finding a safe haven for their people. They have brought nothing but hatred and destruction.

For those who will throw accusations back at me of being anti-semite, I can afford to be called an anti-semite, as I am a semite myself!! Try something else.

Another thing to be said, the US tax payers are paying for F-16, they are defending Israel on false pretences and whether they know it or not, they are contributing to genocide against a whole country.. they are inviting havoc and hatred on themselves more and more.. then someone asks, why do Arabs &Muslims hate the US? Perhaps they should take some more time to see what is being done and committed in their names with or without their knowledge.

Ignorance is not always the best defense in the face of terrorism and hatred.I'm back at work despite the dangers involved, in the afternoons and weekends I try to contribute some work with the disaster relief efforts. To make it easier to comprehend, Lebanon is asking for Earthquake relief equipments , a magnitude 8 earthquake. As if it's not enough destruction, any moving vehichle heading towards the severed cities or towns, whether an ambulance, a truck, a motor cycle, a UN or International Red Cross truck, ANYTHING is being targeted. Those are the civilized people who survived Auschwitz - who have the right to defend themselves.The problem is not the lack of food, medicine, supplies, the problem is that the civilized helpless defenseless [yeah.. right] Israelis hit any truck carrying aid - or should i say, especialy any truck carrying aid. They managed to kill 65 people, including 42 children in Qana in a bomb shelther last sunday, and prevented ambulances from arriving there for 12 hours. The very same village they "accidently" dropped a bomb that killed 102 civilians in 1996 who were seeking refuge in a UN barracks, and lately they have grown accustomed to the killing of civilians everywhere else around the country. 1000 Dead civilians.

My friends, coworkers and family are still fortunate to be alive, but we dont know when our luck will run out. Until then, we will not give in to the force of evil. Until then, we dare to dream of peace.