Many of us might recall the horrible photos depicting the horrendous Iraqi prisoner abuse by U.S. soliders at Abu Ghraib. Walter Shipro of Salon writes: “We have all seen the pictures repeatedly: a pyramid of unclothed prisoners; a naked detainee cowering in front of snarling dogs; captives wearing punitive hoods that seem borrowed from a medieval inquisition; American soldiers grinning over Iraqi dead bodies and, always, that chillingly ironic thumbs-up sign.”

But wait there is more. The photographs that news organizations have so far published “represent only a partial sample of the government’s chilling documentary record from Abu Ghraib.”

“When Salon’s national correspondent Mark Benjamin obtained the never before released photographs  (I guarantee viewer discretion is advised. I myself could not even go on to read the description of the never releasted photos without feeling utterly disgusted and outraged!) we had to both establish their authenticity and to answer the basic question of our justification for publishing. The images themselves partly answered the why-publish question for us. Speaking for myself, I remain haunted by one of the more seemingly banal pictures in this new collection from the dark side. Taken on Dec. 6, 2003, the photograph shows a uniformed and seemingly untroubled Army sergeant leaning against a corridor wall completing his paperwork. All routine, except standing next to the sergeant is a hooded and naked Iraqi prisoner. Just another day of methodical record-keeping at Abu Ghraib.”

“The other compelling reason for publishing these pictures is that the system itself broke down over Abu Ghraib. Beyond the collapse of military discipline and adherence to the basic rules of civilized behavior, Abu Ghraib also symbolized the failure of a democratic society to investigate well-documented abuses by its soldiers. After an initial flurry of outrage, the Republican-controlled Congress lost interest in investigating whether senior military officers — and even Pentagon officials — created a climate in which torture (yes, torture) flourished. In similar fashion, the Army still seems intent on ending this shameful story by jailing the likes of Lynndie England and Charles Graner. At least after the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, Lt. Calley was convicted. ”

Yes, torture, and very unethical.

“Abu Ghraib cannot be allowed to fade away like some half-forgotten domestic political controversy, which may have prompted newsmagazine covers at the time, but now seems as irrelevant as the 2002 elections. Abu Ghraib is not an issue of partisan sound bites or refighting the decision to invade Iraq. Grotesque violations of every value that America proclaims occurred within the walls of that prison. These abuses were carried out by soldiers who wore our flag on their uniforms and apparently believed that Americans here at home would approve of their conduct. Rather than hiding what they did out of shame, they commemorated their sadism with a visual record.”

This is beyond disturbing. And these are soldiers who are supposed to protect and  preserve peace?!

“That is why Salon is willing to publish these troubling photographs, even as we are ashamed to live in a country that somehow came to accept that torture and prisoner abuse were simply business as usual — something that occurs while a sergeant catches up on his paperwork.”

PALESTINIAN ARTIST
NAZARETH — Ali Suliman is a Palestinian actor who played the part of Khaled in the recent film, “Paradise Now,” the only Palestinian film ever to be nominated for an Academy Award.

The film tells the story of two suicide bombers, Said and Khaled — in what may be the last 48 hours of their lives — as they make their way from their West Bank City of Nablus to their target in Tel Aviv.

The film has been both praised and criticized for bringing a human dimension to suicide bombers. Directed and written by Hany Abu-Assad, the production faced daily obstacles from the continuing violence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while filming on location in Nablus.

Abu-Assad said in other interviews that barely a day went by when filming wasn’t shut down because of gunfire, explosions or dire warnings from factions concerned about how the film would deal with the subject matter.

Suliman, 28, is Palestinian but an also an Israeli citizen. He has appeared in five other films, but this is his first starring role. I spoke with him by telephone from his home in Nazareth.

Kevin Sites:
Were there were parallels from your own life that you were able to use for the character Khaled in “Paradise Now”?

Ali Suliman:
For me as an actor it was like a puzzle to build the role. The first thing was (the city of) Nablus where we did most of the filming. A lot of things look familiar to me. But as far as the character is concerned, we have similarities — sometimes I don’t think things all the way through, I just do it. Like Khaled — he doesn’t think about this mission deeply, he just goes and does it. Sometimes I take decisions without thinking them through.

KS:
What was it like on location in Nablus?

AS:
The characters are supposed to live in Nablus and we did too while shooting. It’s surrounded by (Israeli) soldiers 24 hours, there are checkpoints everywhere. You are a target for the soldiers all the time. The soldiers go inside and take people, whoever they want. It’s like you’re waiting for your death all the time. Everyone there has someone they’ve lost in the conflict or is in jail. When we made the film, there was no one in Nablus that didn’t know about it.

KS:
You’re Palestinian but also an Israeli Citizen. Where does that leave you in the conflict?

AS:
It’s a big conflict — for me as a human being — I face a big conflict by being Palestinian and Israeli citizen. I’m not Palestinian at all and I’m not Israeli at all. I’m not like a part of this country as a citizen. The country should give citizens support and I don’t get that support. I don’t have the rights to do what I want. As a Palestinian I also don’t have a country. I’m so confused when I go to Arab countries; they look at me like I’m Jewish because I have an Israeli passport.

KS:
Have you ever felt discriminated against because you’re Palestinian, even though you’re also an Israeli citizen?

AS:
I’ve been humiliated by Israel police when I was a student. I went to the mall and I’m surrounded by security and they suspected me as a terrorist. They asked me for my ID, but I’d forgot it at home. So they took me to the security office and I was really scared. I was put in handcuffs. I asked them, “What did I do?” I was humiliated. They started questioning me for six or seven hours until someone came and told them I was an Israeli citizen and they released me.

KS:
What do you think this film sets out to accomplish?

AS:
It’s the first time someone looks at these people (suicide bombers) like human beings — that there’s courage needed to do it. The message is, there is a human being under this wall, they scream about being able to do what they need to do to have life.

KS:
How do you think Jewish Israelis will react to the film?

AS:
A lot of people who didn’t see the film wrote things against it. But those who did see it like the actors and like the issues. It’s not about taking sides. It’s a story about two friends who decide to bomb themselves in Tel Aviv and there is a human story behind the issue. I think the reaction has really been positive (among the Israeli Jewish community).

KS:
Do you think the film in way glorifies the idea of suicide bombers?

AS:
I don’t think so. It’s not about taking sides. There are a lot of things it takes for people to make this step. The occupation shows how bad their lives are and why they choose to do it.

KS:
Can this type of film advance the peace process, or simply highlight the divisions?

AS:
I think the story of these people everywhere in the media in the West is, they think the Palestinian people are born to kill, that they like to kill themselves, but it’s not like that. But everyone has the potential to be like this because of the bad situation in which they live.

[For full script]

I was listening to NPR Radio this morning and my mouth dropped hearing a news report about Standardized testing in colleges.  A literacy study funded by the Pew Charitable Trust found that over 50% of students at 4 year institutions cannot understand a news story or editorial (this is why journalists are taught to write for 6-8 grade audience) and struggle with basic math such as figuring out a 15% tip! How outrageous is that?! These students are surely not ready for the real world work! It’s good to know that we have concern for domestic issues. The Bush administration has appointed a commission that is considering standardized testing for all institutions receiving federal funding. The testing is meant to measure the quality of higher education in the US. 

I never believed that standardized testing is an effective method of measuring quality, but it has proven otherwise… I guess we’ll have to stay tuned for this one!

Februray 14, 2006 marks Lebanon’s former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri’s one year assasination. One year ago, an explosion ripped through Hariri’s motorcade killing him,  seven of his bodyguards and bystanders.

A self-made billionaire through hard work and dedication, Hariri was able to rebuilt Beirut form all aspects within a very short period after the Civil War.

“If there is anything that defines Hariri’s and points to his proudest achievement, it is, by his acknowledgement, the Hariri Foundation. It is a testimony to the importance that he gives to education and future generations. He admits that the work of the foundation is the closest to his heart. He founded the Hariri Foundation in 1979, a non-profit organization that helped educate more than 33.000 Lebanese students in the best universities in Lebanon, the U.S., the U.K, France, and Canada.

The Hariri Foundation provides also health, social and cultural services to the needy in Lebanon as well as promotes cultural issues and childrens welfare. It maintains offices in Lebanon, Paris and Washington. In recognition of the Hariri Foundation’s commitment to education and culture, it has granted scholarships, built schools and colleges throughout Lebanon and sponsored efforts to preserve Islamic architecture and refurbished mosques, the Foundation won “King Faysal International Award for Serving Islam”, for the year 2005, equally with the Islamic Bank for Development, in Jeddah.”

God bless his soul.

[For more]

Be my anti-Valentine. By Olivia Barker, USA TODAY 

Traditionally sweet symbols and sayings are getting tweaked in the card and gift aisles, resulting in teddy bears that are more wry than warm and fuzzy and candies that are more sarcastic than saccharine.

 It’s a reflection of the anti-Valentine sentiment that’s been streaking through the holiday for the past few years, with singletons asserting their solidarity in Feb. 14 parties that champion camaraderie over coupling.

After all, divorces, prenuptial agreements and annulments historically spike around Valentine’s Day — 36%, 28% and 21% respectively in 2005, according to LegalMatch.com — so why not archly acknowledge the holiday’s less-romantic side with a T-shirt that proclaims “Cupid can’t aim”?

Yet Valentine’s Day is the third biggest gift giving holiday after Christmas and Mother’s Day!  I never actually understood the concept of Valentine’s Day! Other than the fact it’s purely commercial … after all, why would anyone want to celebrate their ‘love’ and appreciation for another on a date picked by God knows who?!

Throughout history, culture and art have always been the celebration of freedom under oppression. The blooming of Palestinian culture and art under harsh and thorny conditions is a true example of the strength and defiance of the Palestinian character. The Palestinian art and artists have come a long way over the years and are beginning to enjoy international fame.

 Palestinian artists ought to be recognized for their creativity, talents, and persistence. Resistance Art is a Palestinian initiative to celebrate the diversity and richness of Palestinian art and culture.

As John Lennon said, “Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding is all you see.” It takes courage to face life with eyes open. The peopel at Resistance Art are happy to present to us a small window to the Palestinian people and culture.

Resistance Art is an initiative dedicated to celebrate the diversity and richness of Palestinian art and culture. It was founded in 2003, and is located in Toronto, Canada. It’s wonderful to have such dedicated people who will put time and effort into bringing to light and keeping alive a rich culture. Here you go … Enjoy learning more about Resistance Art and enjoy the collection of available products.

Blahnik by Boman: Shoes, Photographs, Conversation

Book Description
Long before their supporting role in Sex and the City, Manolo Blahnik’s shoes were legendary—exquisitely detailed, unabashedly luxurious, and impossibly sexy. The epitome of sophistication and taste, they have graced the feet of royalty, supermodels, and movie stars. In these breathtaking pictures by Blahnik’s longtime friend, photographer Eric Boman, the shoes take center stage in a dazzling array of intriguing and often lighthearted scenes and settings.  A white leather stiletto plays an incriminating role in a suggested crime worthy of Hitchcock. A pale green mule nestles among ferns in homage to Blahnik’s recurring botanical themes. The straps of a sandal echo the strands of spaghetti in which it lays entwined. Boman’s unerring eye and oddly keen understanding of Blahnik’s creations make for spellbinding pictures, full of wit, playfulness, and sole. Elegant allusions to Blahnik’s eclectic influences abound—from the cinema to history, from the natural world to art and literature. As covetable as a pair of Manolos, this is a book of consummate creativity, addictive power, and unrivaled individuality: a cult object on a cult designer.

About the Author Manolo Blahnik was born in the Canary Islands. He studied at the University of Geneva before moving to Paris and then London to work as a set designer. On a trip to New York in 1971, Blahnik was sent to show his sketches to legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland, who famously suggested, “You should do shoes.” He lives in England. Eric Boman, originally from Sweden, has worked in London, Paris, and New York for, among others, Vogue, Marie-Claire, Yves Saint-Laurent, Vanity Fair, The World of Interiors, and House & Garden. Since 1988, he has increasingly explored art photography and still-lifes. He lives in New York.

Here is what some readers had to say about the book…

  (Read on …)

MORE than half of Victorian schoolchildren view Muslims as terrorists, and two out of five agree that Muslims “are unclean”, a survey has revealed.

Just over 50 per cent believe Muslims “behave strangely”, while 45 per cent say Australians do not have positive feelings about Muslims.

These are the preliminary findings of the survey, which aims to measure student attitudes towards the Muslim community. The research was conducted in the second half of 2005 and is based on responses from 551 year 10 and 11 students in Victoria.

Almost half said they had learned “a little” about Muslims and Islam at school, but more than a third said they had learned nothing on these subjects.

–  so more than a third they have not learned anything about Islam, yet they have a negative image of Islam and Muslims … Are they to blame? I don’t know. But what I know for sure is this is exactly why we, muslims, need to invest our time and effort in promoting programs focused on educating the public about Islam and what it truly represents.

[source]

Ibn Khaldun (1332-1395 C.E.) 

Ibn Khaldun, considered the greatest Arab historian, is also known as the father of modern social science and cultural history.

[His contribution to history is marked by the fact that, unlike most earlier writers interpreting history largely in a political context, he emphasized environmental, sociological, psychological and economic factors governing the apparent events. This revolutionized the science of history and also laid the foundation of Umraniyat (Sociology).]

…..

Abd al-Rahman Ibn Mohammad is generally known as Ibn Khaldun after a remote ancestor. His parents, part of the Banu Khaldun, an upper-class Andalusian family which held many high offices in Andalucia, who were originally Yemenite Arabs, had settled in Spain, but after the fall of Seville, had migrated to Tunisia.

He was born in Tunisia in 1332 C.E. (732 A.H.), where he received his early education and where, still in his teens, he entered the service of the Egyptian ruler Sultan Barquq.  Under the Tunisian Hafsid dynasty, some of his family held political office; Ibn Khaldun’s father and grandfather, however, withdrew from political life and joined a mystical order. 

(Read on …)

Food is a fundemental need! And in this age, so is knowledge

~Maya

Chicago Tribune: Secrecy’s corrosive effect in terrorism case

Published February 2, 2006

Muhammad Salah has been on my conscience for the last 13 years.

Salah is the fellow from Bridgeview who is awaiting trial in federal court here for allegedly conspiring with at least two others to fund Hamas, the Islamic radical group that the Palestinian people last week voted into power in their government.

Don’t ask me why he has been on my conscience. It just happens.

It has happened twice before in my life. The first time was when, as a graduate student at the University of Chicago, I learned on Dec. 4, 1969, of the killing of Black Panther leaders Fred Hampton and Mark Clark by Chicago police. That one caused me to shift my life course from academia to journalism.

(Read on …)

The 3rd anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq–send a message to George Bush and all supporters of this illegal war:

End the War and Occupation!Troops Home Now. Saturday, March 18, 2006

In Chicago a diverse coalition has been working to spread the anti-war message far and wide on the third anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The day will begin with neighborhood feeder marches and car caravans–more than a dozen slated so far– culminating in a 3 pm mass rally at Union Park (Lake Street & Ashland Avenue, Chicago).

{For More}