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)