Myrtus

Israel & Palestine be damned, world peace be damned and down with morality unless you listen to what Dr Qanta Ahmed has to say

Dr Qanta Ahmed is a Muslim woman who has so much more to offer to the world than just heart and I sincerely thank her and commend for trying to bring morality back:

"Like most things in life, morality unfortunately is a little more complex than some would have you believe. Presently, morality is sinking into oblivion deep into the Eastern Mediterranean and all that remains is some soggy, discarded flotsam bobbing up and down in a magnifying pandemonium of hysterical, biased tropism."

From a woman's perspective, I personally reject noisemakers such as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Wafa Sultan and the likes, who pretend to fight for women's rights and against Islamic terror.  To me they are nothing but a bunch of hatemongering self-serving talking heads that have absolutely nothing to contribute to the common good of mankind.

For that same reason I always refused to take sides on the Israel/Palestine issue and reject our pathetic self-serving politicians who insist on ruling our world with manipulating people into blind emotion and wild fury, keeping the fires burning, while holding the world community hostage and forcing the issue to become the center our universe, or more or less as a convenience store or drug dealer they can always run to if they need a fix to feed their bad habit.  All of them can collectively move over to make room for Dr Qanta Ahmed, who does an amazing job offering crucial insights and reasoning on not just what's actually wrong with our world today, but how to fix it as well. 

I recommend you read the entire article, but here's the part that speaks to me most:

At one stage, a spokesperson for Hamas appeared on the BBC citing that Gazans have no need for aid, adding " we do not need to fill our bellies". Well, the world thinks otherwise. In his astonishing defiance revealed by a casual, throwaway comment, the spokesperson revealed the prime goal of the Flotilla's mission, as he perceived it: to run the gauntlet against the blockade, not to alleviate material needs of his suffering electorate. The Flotilla was a bald and blatant political move designed to humiliate and provoke.

His remarks reveal the extent to which Palestinians are now objectified political pawns, rather than a people. While we are comfortable with the longstanding objectification of Palestinians by Israelis as the 'other' in the form of a security threat (after all Israel must balance a constant struggle to determine the needs of a terrorized Israeli citizenship over the needs of an exploding ever-younger ever impoverished, increasingly radicalized Gaza population) we fail to encounter our own sinister objectification of the Palestinians which we accomplish so effectively all by ourselves. This objectification is not only held by their revolving, corrupt leadership, but also by an objectifying Muslim world. We the Muslims need the Palestinians to remain locked in their plight so that they might continue to serve as the Ummah's scotoma (a blindspot) which literally prevents us from seeing our own more immediate distresses, distresses which might demand our attention and perhaps even require societal interventions . We would be lost, disarmed, and stunned without an external locus for our rage which is so piercingly trained on Gaza and the West Bank, so piercing in fact that Darfur barely warrants a sidelong glance.

Does this exonerate Israel? No. Does this implicate Muslims? You bet.

Let me continue the self-flagellation.

During this same period of Flotilla Face-Offs with the IDF, Pakistan, my nation of matrilineal and patrimonial heritage has witnessed the extraordinary massacre of 120 moderate, pacifist Muslims, followers of the Ahmadiyyah movement that subscribes to peaceful, pluralistic Islam. Specifically, they embrace non-violence, condemning violent jihad. They were massacred, in cold blood, in worship, by fellow citizens, fellow Pakistanis, fellow Muslims. Most of the murdered were elderly, and male. Hundreds more were injured, some of whom are still dying this week. Emergency services did not arrive for over two hours. Pakistani police stood back, apparently allowing the carnage to occur, supposedly too afraid to engage. Awaiting special operations commandos to intervene, in their uncertainty, perhaps their tacit tolerance, Pakistani police became silent accomplices to the massacre. Many of the pacifist Muslim worshipers died of uncomplicated hemorrhagic shock within mere minutes of advanced medical care.

Where has been the subsequent national and international outrage at the death of these Muslims? Where is the Muslim world now? Where are the Muslims calling for War Crimes to be investigated within the inert and increasingly fractious Pakistani 'leadership'? We, the Muslims find ourselves suddenly voiceless, tongue tied, jaded and unmoved, yet somehow Gaza stokes our bald fury.

So, against this deafening silence, when six passengers on the ship were regrettably killed during a confrontation with the Israeli Defense Force, this bloodshed became sufficient to call for investigations of war crimes by an elected government in charge of their military at work enforcing a public, long standing naval blockade, one which has been tacitly accepted in the region, irrespective of the ethics of this blockade. It wasn't just a member of the IDF, who was thrown overboard in the on board skirmish it would seem, it was morality.

Dutchblog Israel weighs in on the "flotilla" tragedy

The Israel/Palestine conflict is one of my least favorite topics and I tend to stay away from it because I believe that the international community can and has the means to put an end to the senseless bloodshed and useless warfare between the two entities, but conveniently refuses to do so.  This and the fact that more often than not, reports on this conflict are extremely biased in favor one side or other, which frustrates me to no end.

I do have to say that I trust Jonathan's opinion on this matter more than any other source though.

War Tourism

Normally, wars completely destroy tourism. But not always.

As they enter war zones, cross checkpoints, and stumble upon sites of political instability, these travelers come heavily armed - with cameras, guide books, maps and tour guides.

It is tourism of a seemingly "dark" variety - one that stands distinctly apart from its sun-and-sand counterpart - that has travelers heading to the Middle East not only despite war and conflict but also at times because of it.

Witnessing the damage caused by rockets in Israel's north and south, visiting the site of poison gas attacks in northern Iraq, and touring the bullet-ridden buildings of Beirut are just a sampling of the Middle East's arguably "dark" tourist attractions - places associated in some way with death, destruction, conflict or war.

"There is undoubtedly an attraction to these places but what is less known is why people may be attracted to them - whether it is to witness war through some sort of ghoulish fascination or whether it is to try to get some deeper understanding or meaning from it. That's the big issue really," says Prof. Richard Sharpley, head of tourism at the University of Lincoln.

Quenching the thirst for war

Don't be Fooled by Good Reviews

I think Barry Rubin is one of the best political analysts out there on mideast politics.  The man really knows his stuff (I often read his articles), but I wish he were slightly more centered and objective in his overall reviews on the region for the sake of promoting peace and understanding....sort of like he does here in his latest article :

http://www.gloriacenter.org/index.asp?pname=submenus/articles/2008/rubin/6_16.asp

Don't be Fooled by Good Reviews
Barry Rubin
June 16, 2008

Golda Meir once said that a bad press was better than a good epitaph. In other words, pragmatic considerations must take precedence over public relations.

Sometimes it seems as if contemporary Israeli governments have forgotten that concept. Yet in general, especially where it counts, this principle continues to prevail in Israel.

Not so in the Arab world. There, maintaining a rhetoric of war, militancy, and refusal to compromise--as proof of the regime's impeccable Arab nationalist and Islamic credentials--has always been a powerful factor in governance. This method has great benefits by mobilizing popular support for dictators and a high cost because it blocks their making peace and leads them into costly foreign adventures.

For rulers, the good news is that they remain perpetually behind the steering wheel; the bad news, at least for their citizens, is that the vehicle never gets anywhere good. But this is not to say that the masses are mere dupes in this process. Tempting as it is to say, dictators bad; people good, the fact is that even if the masses don't (in the words of George Orwell's classic on modern dictatorship, 1984) love the ruling Big Brother, they at least like what Big Brother says.

What Big Brother, and all his helping little brothers, says, however, has changed internationally if not locally. The old script, still used in Arabic, was very macho: We'll fight forever, spill oceans of blood, and win completely in the end.

The new script, available only in English, is: we're poor victims who want peace and. In tune with current world thinking, this generates much sympathy.

But the resulting public relations' victories avail them not.

First, let's ask: what, in material terms, has the shift in Western opinion and media coverage actually cost Israel? It's easy to say Israel has been restrained from triumphs by Western pressure as a result of this change. Yet that situation dates back to the early 1970s, before the public relations' blitz, and has more to do with geopolitics than public opinion.

One can argue that there have been some costs to Israel (beneficial advantages from the European Union) and some benefits to the other side (more money to the Palestinian Authority). There's been a lot of personal discomfiture for Israelis treated as pariahs and Jews abroad dismayed by waves of hatred and misunderstanding.

Yet this has amounted to relatively little material disadvantage for Israel and not much real benefit for its adversaries. After all, there's still no Palestinian state, Palestinians are more divided than ever, Hamas is isolated, there's not much pressure on Israel for concessions, the Israeli presence on the Golan Heights remains, Israel's economy thrives, Israel's relations with the major European countries are good, the international campaign against Iran's nuclear drive is as strong as can be expected, and so on.

In short, the radical Arab nationalists, Islamists, Arab regimes, and Palestinian movement have squandered their public relations' victories in the West. The main reason for this is their extremist goals. They are like a bettor who wins at the gambling table but never cashes in his chips since defeat makes him more determined and success makes him over-confident.

If, for example, Palestinian leaders had wanted a deal to get an independent state or Syria had preferred to get back the Golan Heights in exchange for full peace they would have succeeded. A good press and favorable Western opinion, reflected through government policies, would have helped them make a better deal. As it is, however, they are merely enabled to continue their endless struggle with a smile on their faces.

A second way they have lost is by failing to be constructive. Aid given Palestinians was thrown away rather than used to build a productive stable society. The same principle applies to many Arab countries, with a partial exception for high-income, low-population Gulf Arab oil-producing states. Fickle fortune doesn't favor one forever. If you don't grab an advantage it flies away. The moving finger writes and having writ moves on, as Omar Khayyam put it. And sometimes, within a very short time, the very same finger that once praised you gives you, so to speak, the finger.

Third, specific actions undermine temporary popularity. Such events as September 11, the London subway bombings, the Islamist specter, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's demagoguery turn off the Western audience.

Finally, what Arab nationalists and Islamists often cite as their strongest card that time is on their side--because of high birth rates, which also mean lower living standards, or due to Israel's impending miraculous collapse--is among their worst mistakes. You could call it the vulture strategy, wait around in hope your adversary will die. They go on fighting and suffering--postponing peace, progress, and prosperity--while Israel, despite costs, prospers and its people live much better lives.

Rather than being used as part of an integrated strategy to obtain the best possible deal, public relations' successes act as morale builders to keep fighters going in the belief that victory is inevitable. In short, the more sympathetic stories about suffering victim Palestinians, the stronger the impetus to continue policies ensuring Palestinians continue in that status.

One reason for this malady is that most Arabs and Muslims are misled by a history often characterized by the cycle famously described by the historian Ibn Khaldoun. City-centered civilizations grown rich and decadent were destroyed by warlike tribes who reveled in battle. Sheep-like peasants were preyed on by nomadic warriors who raided them like wolves, killing and pillaging.

This was before, however, developed societies built technology, organization, discipline, and identity which gave them real military superiority beyond the strong right arm of individual hero warriors who courted death in battle. Now would-be conquerors sacrifice all for a future that'll never come. A strategy based on loving death and hating life reaps the commensurate result.

Jews know well from history that it is wrong to say "sticks and stones" are physically damaging while "words will never hurt me." Experience has shown that one day, blood libel; next day, pogrom. Yet Golda Meir was in fact right: progress trumps propaganda; quality triumphs over quantity; building beats destroying; and pragmatism is superior to ideologically-based wishful thinking.

Having a nice scrapbook of press clippings doesn't equal victory. Indeed, it can spell defeat.

---

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center and editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs Journal. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), with Walter Laqueur (Viking-Penguin); the paperback edition of The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan); A Chronological History of Terrorism, with Judy Colp Rubin, (Sharpe); and The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley).

A Good Shepherd

For Christians this is Good Friday. For our Jewish brothers Purim. For the Hindus in the audience, Small Holi. In Iran they will be celebrating their New Year while others in Islam will celebrate the birth of the Prophet. And the Buddhists will be celebrating Magha Puja. All these events coinciding in this year at this time, I would classify it as a miracle.

On March 15th the Almighty called back one of His shepherds to receive his Heavenly rewards. On this miraculous Good Friday it is an opportune time to talk of this extraordinary man. Jacob DeShazer was born in 1912 and he might have remained unknown except in 1939 he joined the United States Army Air Corps. By 1941 he was assigned to the 17th Bombardment Group flying the brand new B-25 Mitchell medium bomber. It was here that DeShazer's life took a turn that would shape the rest of his life. DeShazer became one of the Doolittle Raiders. Men who were going to fly 16 B-25s off the US Navy's newest carrier USS Hornet and strike at the Japanese mainland. This mission was one for the history books. And it almost ended before a single plane left Hornet's deck when Japanese trawlers spotted the fast take force. They were 800 miles away and chances of anyone making China were slim. Still Lt. Col. Doolittle and Adm. Halsey made the bold decision to launch the B-25s. DeShazer was the bombardier for Plane #16, the last to take off. After bombing Nagoya, Lt. Farrow's plane raced for China but ran out of fuel before finding a safe landing strip. Except for York's plane landing in the USSR, none of the Doolittle B-25s made safe landings. As for the crews, most managed to land outside Japanese zones of control. Lt. Farrow's crew, including DeShazer, was not that lucky as they were captured. A total of eight Raiders were captured by the Japanese. They were brutally tortured and then, in violation of the Geneva Conventions on the treatment of prisoners, all eight were ex-post facto charged with war crimes like strafing school children under a law that was inspired by the Doolittle Raid. Three of the eight, Hallmark, Farrow, and Spatz, were executed by the Japanese while the others were sentenced, by a merciful Emperor, to life in prison. On December 1, 1943 one of the five surviving prisoners, Lt. Robert Meder, died due to beriberi.

All this time, each man was living solitary in a cell with barely any food or exercise. So they turned inward to find ways of dealing with imprisonment. In the Spire Christian Comics Attack! we learn how DeShazer felt towards the Japanese, hatred burned in his heart for all the cruelty he had witnessed being dispensed, after Meder died this hatred almost drove him insane. While this was happening DeShazer begged for a Bible and was finally allowed one. In Gline's The Doolittle Raid he recounts DeShazer would dabble in poetry and all would meditate on Bible passages they remembered. With the Bible in hand the scales fell from DeShazer's eyes as his hatred transformed into loving pity for his captors who were shackled by their own hatred. Then one day DeShazer heard the Holy Spirit command him to pray, pray hard for peace. So DeShazer prayed until two o'clock when he heard the same voice say it was enough that victory is won. That day was August 9th, 1945 and Bock's Car had dropped the second atomic weapon on Nagasaki. But it would be almost another two weeks before they learned the war was over. And then Americans showed up at the camp and all four Raiders were free at last after 40 months of hell on earth.

If you thought DeShazer's journey was over once being liberated, well thou art mistaken dear readers. DeShazer went home to the US and became a minister. Here is where Jacob did something that should have been unthinkable and for many American POWs of the Japanese it still is to this day. DeShazer went back to Japan as a missionary. During his 30 years in Japan, DeShazer helped start 28 churches and bring the Word of Christ to many. Among those who heard the Word was Mitsuo Fuchida, the man who lead the attack on Pearl Harbor and transmitted the now famous code grouping 'To ra! To ra! To ra!' When reading of Fuchida's experiences, one would be hard pressed not to see some divine hand present. From being sick with appendicitis during the Battle of Midway that prevented him from flying and lead to his evacuation when so many of his fellow pilots perished to landing at the still smoldering ruins of Hiroshima and living while the others in the team died, something or someone definitely guided him. And then Fuchida encountered DeShazer outside the courthouse in Japan where he was testifying about war crimes. Fuchida read DeShazer's story of being a prisoner and then studied the Bible himself before converting to Christianity.

Truly DeShazer was a good shepherd. One who did not stay where it was comfortable tending the 99 sheep. But the one who would brave the thickets and treacherous paths to find that one solitary sheep and bring them back to the fold. G_d speed Jacob DeShazer and thank you for all of your sacrifices.

For further reading:
PDF of Jacob DeShazer's I Was A Prisoner Of Japan.
Jacob DeShazer's page on the Doolittle Raiders site.
The Doolittle Raid by Carol V Glines, Schiffer Military History.
Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo by Capt. Ted Lawson, Random House.
Miracle at Midway by Gordon Prange, Penguin.
At Dawn We Slept by Gordon Prange, Penguin.
Attack! by Mitsuo Fuchida, Christian Spire Comics.

Lebanese Politician Warns of Civil War

Let's hope this is just more ego and posturing and not forshadowing of things to come ...

Walid Jumblatt, a leading member of the anti-Syrian majority in parliament and a strong critic of Hizbullah, made his comments from his Druze stronghold in Mount Lebanon, soon after the country's deadlocked factions postponed presidential elections for a 14th time.

"If you think that we will stand idle, this is your imagination. We might be forced to burn everything. Our existence, dignity and Lebanon are more important than anything," he said.

"If you want anarchy, you are welcome. If you want war, we welcome war," said Jumblatt, who was interrupted several times by the cheers of hundreds of his supporters.

Lebanon is in the midst of its worst political crisis since the end of its 1975-90 civil war. Former President Emile Lahoud left office on Nov. 23 without a successor, and parliament has so far failed to elect the army chief Gen. Michel Suleiman to replace him amid bickering between the parliament majority and the opposition.

Confrontational rhetoric by the pro-government groups has been on the rise in recent days as they prepare for a massive demonstration in Beirut Thursday to mark the third anniversary of the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

"We have no problem with weapons, and no problems with rockets. We will take your rockets from you," Jumblatt said in an apparent reference to Hizbullah

"Thanks and Praise" by Michael Yon

Take a look at this amazing picture.  Perhaps this is what John F. Kennedy meant when he said:

The wave of the future is not the conquest of the world by a single dogmatic creed but the liberation of the diverse energies of free nations and free men.

Michael Yon : Online Magazine » Blog Archive » Thanks and Praise

A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from “Chosen” Company 2-12 Infantry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John’s, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope.

The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. ” Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers.

Perhaps you can see why Jules Crittenden calls it Iraqi Iwo.

It is the human efforts of working together towards a common goal (in war and in peace) to raise hope and ensure freedom and liberty for all.

Behind every free nation there are brave men and women who were willing to fight for Liberty, so let's say thanks and remember especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice, be it civilians or soldiers in uniform.

<~~Click to enlarge, these old images are made of real soldiers and sailors.

Afghans seek Indian sperm donors

Afghans 'visit India sperm banks'

Doctors in India's oldest semen bank say that a growing number of couples from Afghanistan are visiting the country to look for donor sperm.

Unable to conceive, these couples look to Indian semen banks for help as India is the only country in South Asia where the banks are located.

Afghan couples tend to prefer sperm donated from Kashmir as they come from a similar ethnic stock.

India has 10 sperm banks in a country where the population is over a billion.

If war and exposure to stress cause hormonal disturbances that can lead to fertility problems, why doesn't it affect females the same way it affects males?

Petition to Indict Ahmadinejad

Found this little gem via Little Green Footballs.  Probably get blown off because of it but still I found it interesting.  A petition to the Hague against Ahmadinejad for the crime of inciting genocide.  Just think if the Hague actually considered the case and found him guilty?  Would make him visiting the UN a bit dicey.

Aish.com petition.

Of course the video gets a bit over the top by using Aushwitz in conjunction with the killing fields of Cambodia, Rawanda, and Darfur.  The 1948 UN Resolution on Genocide was created in response to Hitler's Final Solution of exterminating all the Jews.  And there were a few people in the 1930s who did see what was coming with Hitler, like Sir Winston Churchill, but were ignored.  So the passengers of the liner St. Louis and Anne Frank ended up in concentration camps to be slaughtered.  One would think human beings would learn this lesson by now, all this happening in the span of less than a century.  Lets prove we have learned the lesson.

A round of blogs in 80 seconds

Peaktalk - LIBERATED

Ayaan Hirsi Ali has started promoting her new book and was interviewed by Marie Claire.

Q: What do you say to Muslim women who fight for the right to wear the head scarf?
A: I say that's fine - unless you impose your personal choice on others. If you wear the veil, the message you convey is that you're superior to women who do not, because you're saying they are whores. You're also saying men are incapable of sexual self-restraint, and that if they see women who are partly covered or not veiled, they will react like my grandmother's he-goat.

My question is: Are these the words of a world renowned feminist intellectual who is a resident member of a highly respectable think tank?  If so, then I've got two words for Ms Ali.....attention whore....you may insert a hyphen for wordplay...not foreplay.

Laila Lalami | Iranian Intellectuals On Holocaust Conference

...contesting the Holocaust conference recently sponsored by the government of Iran...

BO18: Morocco to abolish death penalty?

To be a civilised country also means to abolish the death penalty.

Dean's World - State of the Union 2007

Yet another moderate speech from a moderately hawkish President with a slightly left-of-center view of domestic policy, with a few wonkishly good ideas that will mostly be shot down because he has an (R) next to his name.

Right Truth: Heroes

Why listen to the State of the Union Speech? Heroes, that's why. The highlight of President George W. Bush's speech tonight was the introduction of heroes at the end of the speech.

Cadillac Tight - I Ain’t Done It. » Vodkablogging the President

The return of Stephen Green. Appropriately enough, liveblogging the SOTU, with a martini or six.

Loss and lost | Random Fate

I have one bottle left.

When it is opened, I will have suffered a great loss and will be lost.

Why not a celebration, you might ask.

Because celebrations are shared, I would reply. I bear my losses alone.

For celebrations, I’ll open good wine, I’ll share other fine Scotch, but the best single-malt in the world I will be selfish and reserve for when I have no other comfort.

Sounds like a lovely poem, Jack. (:

Anna's Clue Tank: America's First Victory in the Pacific

Midway is sometimes referred to as the first American victory over the Japanese Navy. The Battle of Midway was the first complete defeat of the Imperial Japanese Navy but not the first victory in the war.

Or Does It Explode?: What a Difference Two Years Make

Hezbollah & Co., Inc. appear to have abandoned non-violence, at least partially. And thus we have the remarkable photos from the streets today in Lebanon.

TigerHawk

Just about everybody with two brain cells to rub together believes that last summer's war in Lebanon was inconclusive, and simply set the table for the next fight.

Rantings of a Sandmonkey » Consequences

Abdel Karim's trial is tomorrow, and I have to say that I can't think of anything else. Whatever transpires tomorrow, it's implications and consequences will affect every blogger in Egypt, and could lead many of us to change or close down our blogs. It is that serious.

Dinocrat » Blog Archive » Getting ready to scrutinize China’s unbelievably good numbers

WSJ on China’s unbelievable track record since 1978

Planet Multimedia BlogNoot - Te koop: brieven van Psycho Nerd

Voor zijn arrestatie in 1996 schreef Kaczynski er lustig op los. Die teksten komen nu onder de hamer.

Incidentally, our Ahmadinejad poll here on the sidebar seems to be drawing a little bit more attention from our friends in Iran as of late....looks like AJ is slowly but surely gaining ground. 

Hah!  I'm amused, aren't you?