Cinnamon Zone: Arab World

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Saddam, off to history

I think it happened too fast. Usually a good deal of time elapses before they carry out a death sentence. Well, now Saddam is dead, like many Iraqi's who were murdered during his reign... but my problem is not Saddam himself, Allah yer7amoh anyways, he needs His mercy badly. My problem is the manner in which he was deposed, captured and sent to death. Now it's like a fairy tale, a new story added to histpry books: The knight in shiningarmor (US) came and overthrown the tyrant, and then sent him to death... It bugs me that we couldn't get rid of tyranny ourselves, till when will we stay like this? handfolded waiting for soemone to do the job for us so that we can sigh in relief? And, I'm afraid to say, even hail and applaude...

Another thing, the timing. Why exactly today? the first day of Eid? I think this must have some significance... Never underestimate the timing!

Another idea is kind of a nuisance: Do you think Saddam's death will save Iraq? No. I mean, what next? who's next? Don't youthink that Saddam has taken some secrets with him to the grave? so, that's it?

My brother had a somehow interesting idea: "imagine that this was his look-alike!" LOL, I seriously doubt it, but this could make a good indian movie :D

posted by Ola Eliwat, in Arab World @ 10:52 AM, Email this post to friend

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Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Brilliant!!

LOL!! How come I never saw this animation before? nice work , Hajjaj!

posted by Ola Eliwat, in Arab World @ 7:00 PM, Email this post to friend

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Monday, November 13, 2006

We are getting killed

That simple sentence sums it all up...

As I was browsing Rafah Today, the best website where you can find updates on the situation on Gaza, live from the crime scene, and I came across this:

Mohammed wrote to me last night saying: 'We are getting killed'. [The Webmaster]

It's been a while since I wrote about the sufferring of the Palestinians in the occupied terretories, I don't know why, I'd rather not investigate the reasons, because I feel guilty, so guilty! I know little about what's going on in there, I never knew what happens there in details, and I urge you to visit that website and read some of the heart aching, outrageous stories posted there...

Hope this madness will come to an end very soon

posted by Ola Eliwat, in Arab World, Palestine @ 11:42 PM, Email this post to friend

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

Drama & Terrorism

Few years ago, when the issue of terroris in the Arab world began to surface, and there was desperate shouts to seperate between Islam and terrorism, and how the extremists do not represent Islam int heir acts...

The Arabic media, as usual, was there trying to make a contribution to the process of spreading this awareness, and since then we've been having that fad, meaning the Arabic TV series that deal with the issue of terrorism from different angles, but, frankly, I don't know if that was a good idea.

You know those programmes try to represent the terrorist mindset to the public. they show them in the typical way: a beard, the dishdash, the frown, etc. And then they start preeching and justifying the terrorist acts as "Jihad", and you know the rest.

As an Arab and a Muslim, I know that this is wrong and stuff, and that it's inconsistent with the teachin of Islam, and that the way those terrorist onterpret Qur'an as to justify their acts is wrong and misleading. But, the problem is: Not everyone who watches those programmes knows that.

You might argue that it's obvious and everyone should know it by default. The thing is, the picture they give is so negative that it can really bug the crap out of you, and one should have a very solid faith to shake off the images that might permeat your subconscious... Do you know that these series are being translated into English? I've been working on them for a while now, I haven't seen those episoes on TV, but as I translated them I was like: Okay, non-Arabs and non-Muslims are supposed to see this??

The thing is: If you want to do something about terrorism, then do it in the right way. I personally think that our media is not mature enough to tackle such a sensitive subject. When you make a TV series you have to bear in mind that everyone will watch it, from different ages and mentalities. You can't just make up scenes and throw it on them... It has to be extra-detailed and elaborate. When you show the wrong, you have to immediatly expalin why it is wrong and what the right thing is. Those new series are si confusing... Have some compassion for people's brains!

I have to say that not all of those series are equally bad or confusing, I think that Al-hour al3een for example was way better than the latest series, this can really get on your nerves...

I just hope that this will fade away shortly and we focus on more fruitful ways to spread awareness agaisnt terrorism

posted by Ola Eliwat, in Arab World, Politics, Religion @ 12:40 AM, Email this post to friend

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Friday, August 11, 2006

Middle East for dummies

The Middle East for dummies
Anon

August 7, 2006

-- Here are the rules to keep in mind when watching television news in the evening or reading the morning newspaper. Observing them closely will simplify things considerably.

Rule 1: In the Middle East, it is always the Arabs who attack and the Israelis who defend themselves. This is called reprisal.

Rule 2: Arabs, Palestinians or Lebanese do not have the right to kill civilians of the other side. That would be terrorism.

Rule 3: Israel has the right to kill Arab civilians. This is called legitimate defense.

Rule 4: When Israel kills too many civilians, Western powers urge restraint. This is called the response of the international community.

Rule 5: The Palestinians and Lebanese do not have the right to capture Israeli soldiers, even if their number is very small and does not exceed three.

Rule 6: Israelis have the right to kidnap as many Palestinians as they wish (around 10,000 prisoners to date of which some 300 are children). There is no limit whatsoever and Israel is under no obligation to provide any proof of guilt of the kidnapped persons. It only suffices to pronounce the magic word "terrorist." Lately this included members of the Palestinian Administration cabinet ministers, and members of parliament.

Rule 7: When mentioning "Hizbullah," one must always add the words "supported by Syria and Iran."

Rule 8: When mentioning "Israel," one should never add "supported by the United States, France and Europe;" otherwise people would think the conflict unequal.

Rule 9: Never speak of "Occupied Territories," UN Resolutions, violations of International Law or Geneva Conventions. This could disturb and confuse TV News viewers.

Rule 10: The Israelis speak better English than Arabs. This is why they and their supporters are allowed to speak as frequently as possible. This way they could explain to us the foregoing Rules 1 to 9. This is called journalistic neutrality.

Rule 11: If you are not in agreement with the above rules or you think they favor one party over the other, it is because you are a dangerous anti-Semitic, anti-democracy, and anti-freedom.

Source: http://metimes.com/articles/normal.php?StoryID=20060807-025355-5179r

posted by Ola Eliwat, in Arab World, Politics @ 1:49 PM, Email this post to friend

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