"Your attention please. This is a courtesy announcement. If you are on the moving sidewalks, please stand directly in the middle, so as to block everybody in your path. Thank you"
"Your attention please. Mr. Smith, your flight is departing. If you're not on it, you better run, cause it's going to leave!"
"Your attention please, flight 107 to Tokyo, connecting... somewhere... has now departed. Thank you"
Thursday, February 09, 2006
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Monday, January 30, 2006
Free Speech is Great, but is Anybody Listening?
Written by Jesse Paikin, Contributor
Wednesday, 25 January 2006
http://www.excal.on.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1317&Itemid=2
Edward Corrigan's letter to President Lorna Marsden regarding the university's alleged "suppress[ion of the] discussion of Palestinian human rights" is a fine example of the right to free speech that we so value at our university and in our country. It is also an example of the drivel masquerading as newsworthiness that so frequently invades Excalibur.
I do not wish to jump back into the ongoing Israel vs. Palestine debate, however, I will briefly address one of the issues that Corrigan raises, as I feel that it is important to present the inherent flaws in his argument.
The most disturbing argument Corrigan presents is his belief in Israel's "ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs", which he believes is "a crime not unlike the one committed against Jews in the WWII". Here, Corrigan resorts to an emotional attack
rather than the constructive criticism that he states he is an ardent supporter of.
Corrigan chooses to ignore the fact that Israel's actions are most certainly not racially motivated and are not carried out with some sort of systematic "final solution" in mind, as he suggests. His correlation is flawed and offensive, and is only designed to provoke an emotional response. This is a prime example of the repeated techniques used by many anti-Israel propagandists. Flinging facts and figures back and forth doesn't hurt people, so instead they use emotional attacks, with such disturbing falsities such as "apartheid state", "ethnic cleansing" and "Nazi-like". These attacks have no place in the arena of constructive criticism and intellectual debate.
The ongoing Israel vs. Palestine debate has apparently shifted from the rotunda of Vari Hall to the pages of Excalibur. It is not hard to ponder why. Those of us who remember how outrageous the atmosphere was in the past are simply tired of the shouting and screaming matches, where the loudest and most provocative voices determined the winner. People got tired of the spectacle and stopped watching. The likes of Corrigan, who are more interested in provoking emotional responses than in stimulating intellectual debate, have been searching for a new arena for their circus-like antics. And they have found it - on the opinion pages of Excalibur.
This in mind, I have been wondering for months if people are just as tired of reading the fights on paper as they were tired of the fights in Vari Hall. Perhaps Excalibur should commission a poll.
This all being said, Excalibur is to be commended for valuing free speech and for keeping the many voices of this debate in some sort of balance. I would hope that future debaters do not waste their valuable right to free speech by flinging intellectual feces at each other.
Wednesday, 25 January 2006
http://www.excal.on.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1317&Itemid=2
Edward Corrigan's letter to President Lorna Marsden regarding the university's alleged "suppress[ion of the] discussion of Palestinian human rights" is a fine example of the right to free speech that we so value at our university and in our country. It is also an example of the drivel masquerading as newsworthiness that so frequently invades Excalibur.
I do not wish to jump back into the ongoing Israel vs. Palestine debate, however, I will briefly address one of the issues that Corrigan raises, as I feel that it is important to present the inherent flaws in his argument.
The most disturbing argument Corrigan presents is his belief in Israel's "ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Arabs", which he believes is "a crime not unlike the one committed against Jews in the WWII". Here, Corrigan resorts to an emotional attack
rather than the constructive criticism that he states he is an ardent supporter of.
Corrigan chooses to ignore the fact that Israel's actions are most certainly not racially motivated and are not carried out with some sort of systematic "final solution" in mind, as he suggests. His correlation is flawed and offensive, and is only designed to provoke an emotional response. This is a prime example of the repeated techniques used by many anti-Israel propagandists. Flinging facts and figures back and forth doesn't hurt people, so instead they use emotional attacks, with such disturbing falsities such as "apartheid state", "ethnic cleansing" and "Nazi-like". These attacks have no place in the arena of constructive criticism and intellectual debate.
The ongoing Israel vs. Palestine debate has apparently shifted from the rotunda of Vari Hall to the pages of Excalibur. It is not hard to ponder why. Those of us who remember how outrageous the atmosphere was in the past are simply tired of the shouting and screaming matches, where the loudest and most provocative voices determined the winner. People got tired of the spectacle and stopped watching. The likes of Corrigan, who are more interested in provoking emotional responses than in stimulating intellectual debate, have been searching for a new arena for their circus-like antics. And they have found it - on the opinion pages of Excalibur.
This in mind, I have been wondering for months if people are just as tired of reading the fights on paper as they were tired of the fights in Vari Hall. Perhaps Excalibur should commission a poll.
This all being said, Excalibur is to be commended for valuing free speech and for keeping the many voices of this debate in some sort of balance. I would hope that future debaters do not waste their valuable right to free speech by flinging intellectual feces at each other.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
Is this a balanced article? I'm interested in people's thoughts.
January 16, 2006
The Things That Have Not Changed
By Fareed Zakaria
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10756413/site/newsweek/
The graveyards are filled with indispensable men, Charles de Gaulle once remarked. Ariel Sharon would seem to be the exception, one who truly became irreplaceable in his final years. Everyone seems to agree that his passing from the political scene would change everything, opening up a political void and jeopardizing the prospects for progress between the Palestinians and Israelis. But perhaps de Gaulle was right, even in the Middle East.
Sharon came to hold the view that he is now firmly associated with-unilateral disengagement with the Palestinians-extremely reluctantly. Withdrawal from Gaza was always a left-wing idea. In fact, the Labor Party leader, Amram Mitzna, campaigned on it in the 2002 election. Sharon rejected any such thinking, believing firmly in a "Greater Israel," one that he had risked his life conquering and building.
What changed his mind were demographic realities-namely the prospect that as the Palestinians multiplied, Jews would become a minority in their own country. Add to this a political reality: Israelis had soured on the dream of a Greater Israel-because they saw that it came with Palestinians in it. The Israelis wanted out. Sharon, a shrewd politician, recognized these trends and followed them.
These realities persist with or without Sharon. That is surely why his new party, Kadima, continues to poll as well as it did weeks ago, even though Israelis know now that Sharon may not lead it. Kadima fills a political vacuum. The Likud position remains a flat refusal to give up land, which the Israeli public thinks is implausible. The Labor Party, on the other hand, opposes unilateralism, arguing for a negotiated comprehensive settlement with the Palestinians. Israelis think this is naive. "The Palestinians cannot deliver, but we cannot stay," says Israeli politician Alon Pinkus. "These are the two pressures that will shape any Israeli government's approach." That means some kind of unilateral disengagement.
To be sure, Sharon's role was vital. He was the one leader who could break the taboo on returning land and evacuating settlers. Israelis trusted him to implement a difficult policy. He had credibility on the right, with the security forces and with key segments of the electorate. His probable successor, Ehud Olmert, actually advocated withdrawal from Gaza well before Sharon did, but would still face a huge challenge in executing any new moves. The West Bank is far more important to the Israeli right than Gaza was, and perhaps most important, Olmert is not Sharon.
Even with this large caveat, I do not believe that Sharon's absence would prove to be the crucial stumbling block. That's because the great obstacle to progress in the Middle East is no longer Israeli intentions but rather Palestinian capabilities. The big story that no one wants to admit yet is that the Palestinian Authority has collapsed, Gaza has turned into a failed state and there is no single Palestinian political organization that could create order in the territories and negotiate with Israel. Palestinian dysfunction is now the main limiting factor on any progress in the peace process.
There were many hopes that Gaza could become a model of what the Palestinians would do once liberated from occupation. Last week The Christian Science Monitor reported on the new scene: "As the first year devoid of an Israeli presence since 1967 dawns," it wrote, "armed militias roam the streets freely, foreigners are kidnapped with regularity, and the measure of a man in this coastal territory is not his political title, or even the size of his house, but the number of AK-47-wielding bodyguards he employs."
Some of these problems are not all of the Palestinians' making. Israel has ruled them harshly and disrupted their political and economic life, and some of these disruptions continue even in Gaza. Goods have to be loaded and unloaded at checkpoints, people checked and rechecked, all of which imposes huge costs on normal activities. But whatever the past and whatever the constraints, the fact remains that Gaza lacks a single authority, a functioning government, and as a result is in a "state of anarchy," in the words of The Christian Science Monitor. This is not the model that people had hoped for.
If the United States and the international community are looking to push along the peace process, the urgent need is to build Palestinian governing capability. Without that, Israeli intentions do not matter. If the Palestinians can get their act together, the spotlight will inevitably shift to the Israelis. And then the United States should urge Israel to continue in the direction that Ariel Sharon has pointed toward, separating itself from the Palestinian population in a process that inevitably will result in a Palestinian state on more than 90 percent of the territories captured in the 1967 war. A sense that this is what Sharon would have done eventually will be essential in moving to that settlement. In that sense, he might still prove to be utterly indispensable.
The Things That Have Not Changed
By Fareed Zakaria
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10756413/site/newsweek/
The graveyards are filled with indispensable men, Charles de Gaulle once remarked. Ariel Sharon would seem to be the exception, one who truly became irreplaceable in his final years. Everyone seems to agree that his passing from the political scene would change everything, opening up a political void and jeopardizing the prospects for progress between the Palestinians and Israelis. But perhaps de Gaulle was right, even in the Middle East.
Sharon came to hold the view that he is now firmly associated with-unilateral disengagement with the Palestinians-extremely reluctantly. Withdrawal from Gaza was always a left-wing idea. In fact, the Labor Party leader, Amram Mitzna, campaigned on it in the 2002 election. Sharon rejected any such thinking, believing firmly in a "Greater Israel," one that he had risked his life conquering and building.
What changed his mind were demographic realities-namely the prospect that as the Palestinians multiplied, Jews would become a minority in their own country. Add to this a political reality: Israelis had soured on the dream of a Greater Israel-because they saw that it came with Palestinians in it. The Israelis wanted out. Sharon, a shrewd politician, recognized these trends and followed them.
These realities persist with or without Sharon. That is surely why his new party, Kadima, continues to poll as well as it did weeks ago, even though Israelis know now that Sharon may not lead it. Kadima fills a political vacuum. The Likud position remains a flat refusal to give up land, which the Israeli public thinks is implausible. The Labor Party, on the other hand, opposes unilateralism, arguing for a negotiated comprehensive settlement with the Palestinians. Israelis think this is naive. "The Palestinians cannot deliver, but we cannot stay," says Israeli politician Alon Pinkus. "These are the two pressures that will shape any Israeli government's approach." That means some kind of unilateral disengagement.
To be sure, Sharon's role was vital. He was the one leader who could break the taboo on returning land and evacuating settlers. Israelis trusted him to implement a difficult policy. He had credibility on the right, with the security forces and with key segments of the electorate. His probable successor, Ehud Olmert, actually advocated withdrawal from Gaza well before Sharon did, but would still face a huge challenge in executing any new moves. The West Bank is far more important to the Israeli right than Gaza was, and perhaps most important, Olmert is not Sharon.
Even with this large caveat, I do not believe that Sharon's absence would prove to be the crucial stumbling block. That's because the great obstacle to progress in the Middle East is no longer Israeli intentions but rather Palestinian capabilities. The big story that no one wants to admit yet is that the Palestinian Authority has collapsed, Gaza has turned into a failed state and there is no single Palestinian political organization that could create order in the territories and negotiate with Israel. Palestinian dysfunction is now the main limiting factor on any progress in the peace process.
There were many hopes that Gaza could become a model of what the Palestinians would do once liberated from occupation. Last week The Christian Science Monitor reported on the new scene: "As the first year devoid of an Israeli presence since 1967 dawns," it wrote, "armed militias roam the streets freely, foreigners are kidnapped with regularity, and the measure of a man in this coastal territory is not his political title, or even the size of his house, but the number of AK-47-wielding bodyguards he employs."
Some of these problems are not all of the Palestinians' making. Israel has ruled them harshly and disrupted their political and economic life, and some of these disruptions continue even in Gaza. Goods have to be loaded and unloaded at checkpoints, people checked and rechecked, all of which imposes huge costs on normal activities. But whatever the past and whatever the constraints, the fact remains that Gaza lacks a single authority, a functioning government, and as a result is in a "state of anarchy," in the words of The Christian Science Monitor. This is not the model that people had hoped for.
If the United States and the international community are looking to push along the peace process, the urgent need is to build Palestinian governing capability. Without that, Israeli intentions do not matter. If the Palestinians can get their act together, the spotlight will inevitably shift to the Israelis. And then the United States should urge Israel to continue in the direction that Ariel Sharon has pointed toward, separating itself from the Palestinian population in a process that inevitably will result in a Palestinian state on more than 90 percent of the territories captured in the 1967 war. A sense that this is what Sharon would have done eventually will be essential in moving to that settlement. In that sense, he might still prove to be utterly indispensable.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
An island of calm in a stormy sea
The responses to the Ha'aretz articles on Sharon's stroke are typical. Most offer prayers for a speedy recovery. Too many claim that this is G-d's punishment for evacutating Azza. Some people just try to spark up the typical Israel vs. Palestinians debate.
This response stood out. It's by a guy named Raymond Blumenthal from somewhere in New York. Read it and think...
~~~~
Sharon is a complicated person. He is not only one of Israel's greatest Generals but ranks as one of the world's military leaders. I respected him as a General but was not happy with him in his early days as a politician. He was a proponent of settlements, not understanding of the Palestinians and used a heavy hand with some of Israel's neighbors.
But one thing made him different from most other leaders in the Middle East. He learned. He understood that Israel could not go on doing what it was doing to the occupied territories. Israel had to rethink its way in the world and its future. Like the good General he was, he realized that sometimes you must retreat and reformer your lines before you continue.
He, more then most other people, felt that giving up Gaza would be painful but it had to be done. Was he not partly responsible for the capture of Gaza and the settlements? Those who lament over the loss of Gaza are shot sighted. They only see one small part of what is Israel. Gaza would never be part of Israel. What I worry about is the Israel of today, not the one of 2000 years ago.
He made many mistakes in the past, and if he recovers, he may make a few more. But remember what he has done has always been for the good of Israel and its people. He doesn?t deserve the abuse of some religious zealots who want to live in the past.
This response stood out. It's by a guy named Raymond Blumenthal from somewhere in New York. Read it and think...
~~~~
Sharon is a complicated person. He is not only one of Israel's greatest Generals but ranks as one of the world's military leaders. I respected him as a General but was not happy with him in his early days as a politician. He was a proponent of settlements, not understanding of the Palestinians and used a heavy hand with some of Israel's neighbors.
But one thing made him different from most other leaders in the Middle East. He learned. He understood that Israel could not go on doing what it was doing to the occupied territories. Israel had to rethink its way in the world and its future. Like the good General he was, he realized that sometimes you must retreat and reformer your lines before you continue.
He, more then most other people, felt that giving up Gaza would be painful but it had to be done. Was he not partly responsible for the capture of Gaza and the settlements? Those who lament over the loss of Gaza are shot sighted. They only see one small part of what is Israel. Gaza would never be part of Israel. What I worry about is the Israel of today, not the one of 2000 years ago.
He made many mistakes in the past, and if he recovers, he may make a few more. But remember what he has done has always been for the good of Israel and its people. He doesn?t deserve the abuse of some religious zealots who want to live in the past.
Monday, January 02, 2006
A Brave Priest
| In a Past Life... |
 You Were: A Brave Priest. Where You Lived: Burma. How You Died: Decapitation. |
Freedom Rock
| You Are a Freedom Rocker! |
 You're stuck in the 70s - for better or worse Crazy hair, pot soaked clothes, and tons of groupies Your kind showed the world how to rock Is that freedom rock?... Well turn it up man! |
Saturday, December 31, 2005
an early morning narrative
I have an inability to go to bed when my body tells me it's time to sleep. My body told me it was time for bed 2 hours ago, but I shoved it aside and stayed up. Didn't have a good reason. Didn't really have anything productive to do. And I love sleep. Someone used to tell me that sleep is overrated... for a while I agreed. But I just love it too much. It feels great, and it makes you happy. Sleep and sex - two seemingly antithetical bodily functions, yet they achieve extremely similar results. Sort of. As much as I love sleep, I also love being up at night when it's quiet and I've got the world to myself. I look out the window at the lights in people's houses and apartments and wonder who else is up right now and what are they doing.
What do I do at 3:09 am?
I just heard footsteps on the front porch - scared me for a minute. I went to look out the window. It was a hooded figure with a dark bag. Why is there a hooded figure with a dark bag outside my house at 3:09 am?
Damn you Toronto Star and your early Saturday morning delivery. Why do you need to persist in scaring the shit out of me at this time of night?
That's what I do at 3:09 am. Freak out at the weird noises :-) Or write a journal entry.
What do I do at 3:09 am?
I just heard footsteps on the front porch - scared me for a minute. I went to look out the window. It was a hooded figure with a dark bag. Why is there a hooded figure with a dark bag outside my house at 3:09 am?
Damn you Toronto Star and your early Saturday morning delivery. Why do you need to persist in scaring the shit out of me at this time of night?
That's what I do at 3:09 am. Freak out at the weird noises :-) Or write a journal entry.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
short now
it has been pointed out that I am guilty of writing very long posts (or stealing very long articles and posting them)
this is a short post.
happy?
this is a short post.
happy?
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Jews don't go to confession... here's mine
Mark your confessions:
[ ] I'm afraid of the quiet
[x] I'm really ticklish.
[x] I'm afraid of the dark.
[x] I'm afraid of facing my back to open doors at night.
[ ] I am homosexual.
[x] I believe in true love.
[ ] I've run away from home.
[ ] I collect comic books.
[x] I shut others out when I'm sad.
[x] I've stayed out all night.
[x] I open up to others easily.
[x] I am keeping a secret from the world.
[ ] I watch the news.
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[x] I love Disney movies.
[ ] I love porn... it's not awful. It has it's uses
[x] I am a sucker for pretty eyes
[ ] I am a sucker for hot asses
[x] I don't kill bugs.
[x] I curse once in awhile.
[x] I curse often
[ ] I have (had) "x"s in my screen name
[x] I've slipped and fell in public.
[ ] I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation.
[ ] I love Spam.
[x] I cook well.
[ ] I cook badly
[x] I have worn pajamas to class.
[ ] I have owned something from Carhartt. (What the fuck is Cahartt??)
[x] I have a job.
[x] Talked on a phone for 5+ hours.
[ ] I love Dr. Phil
[x] I like someone
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[ ] I am self-conscious.
[x] I love to laugh.
[x] I have tried alcohol.
[ ] I drink alcohol on a regular basis
[ ] I have smoked a pack in one day.
[x] I loved Lord of the Flies
[ ] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[x] I have a few scars.
[x] I've been out of this country. (Like every weekend?!)
[x] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room. (Oh shit!)
[x] I love chocolate.
[ ] I bite my nails.
[x] I play computer games when I'm bored. (Minesweeper, baby!)
[x] Gotten lost in the city (NYC and Jerusalem I'm fine... I get lost in Toronto)
[x] Seen a shooting star.
[x] Had a serious surgery.
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas. (camp, school, israel...)
[x] Have kissed a stranger.
[x] Hugged a stranger
[ ] Had sex with a stranger
[x] Tossed a salad (Like waldorf salad? or eating an asshole???)
[ ] heard a sibling having sex (hell no)
[ ] Been in a bloody fist fight with someone of the same sex.
[x] Been in a fist fight.
[ ] Been arrested.
[x] laughed and had some type of beverage come out of your nose.
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator. (today at work)
[x] Made out in an elevator.
[x] Made out in a bar.
[x] Swore at your parents.
[x] Kicked a guy where it hurts on purpose.
[ ] Been skydiving.
[x] Been bungee jumping. (does extrene skyflyer count?)
[x] Gotten stitches.
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
[ ] Bitten someone.
[x] Been to Niagara Falls.
[ ] Gotten the chicken pox twice.
[ ] Crashed into a car.
[x] been to Africa. (Egypt for 5 seconds! Whoo hoo!)
[x] Ridden in a taxi.
[x] Shoplifted. (I think I stole silly putty once from the IT store
[ ] Been fired.
[x] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[ ] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[x] Been to Europe.
[ ] Slept with a co-worker.
[ ] Been married.
[ ] Gotten divorced.
[ ] Saw someone/something dying
[ ] Driven over 1000 miles in one day.
[x] Been to Canada. (ummmm)
[x] Been on a Plane.
[x] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
[x] Thrown up in a bar.
[x] Eaten sushi.
[ ] been snowboarding.
[x] been skiing.
[x] Been ice skating.
[x] Cried in public.
[x] Walked purposely into traffic with your eyes closed. (The Joys of NYC)
[x] Liked someone even though you knew you shouldn't have.
[x] Thought of someone almost 24/7.
[ ] Hated the world.
[x] Been In love
[x] Ever thought you were in love
[x] Cried over somebody
[x] Ran in the rain for fun (Hava Nashira!!! Such a wonderful time! Everyone should play in the rain)
[ ] I'm afraid of the quiet
[x] I'm really ticklish.
[x] I'm afraid of the dark.
[x] I'm afraid of facing my back to open doors at night.
[ ] I am homosexual.
[x] I believe in true love.
[ ] I've run away from home.
[ ] I collect comic books.
[x] I shut others out when I'm sad.
[x] I've stayed out all night.
[x] I open up to others easily.
[x] I am keeping a secret from the world.
[ ] I watch the news.
[ ] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[x] I love Disney movies.
[ ] I love porn... it's not awful. It has it's uses
[x] I am a sucker for pretty eyes
[ ] I am a sucker for hot asses
[x] I don't kill bugs.
[x] I curse once in awhile.
[x] I curse often
[ ] I have (had) "x"s in my screen name
[x] I've slipped and fell in public.
[ ] I've slipped out a "lol" in a real conversation.
[ ] I love Spam.
[x] I cook well.
[ ] I cook badly
[x] I have worn pajamas to class.
[ ] I have owned something from Carhartt. (What the fuck is Cahartt??)
[x] I have a job.
[x] Talked on a phone for 5+ hours.
[ ] I love Dr. Phil
[x] I like someone
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[ ] I am self-conscious.
[x] I love to laugh.
[x] I have tried alcohol.
[ ] I drink alcohol on a regular basis
[ ] I have smoked a pack in one day.
[x] I loved Lord of the Flies
[ ] I have cough drops when I'm not sick.
[ ] I can't swallow pills.
[x] I have a few scars.
[x] I've been out of this country. (Like every weekend?!)
[x] I can't sleep if there is a spider in the room. (Oh shit!)
[x] I love chocolate.
[ ] I bite my nails.
[x] I play computer games when I'm bored. (Minesweeper, baby!)
[x] Gotten lost in the city (NYC and Jerusalem I'm fine... I get lost in Toronto)
[x] Seen a shooting star.
[x] Had a serious surgery.
[x] Gone out in public in your pajamas. (camp, school, israel...)
[x] Have kissed a stranger.
[x] Hugged a stranger
[ ] Had sex with a stranger
[x] Tossed a salad (Like waldorf salad? or eating an asshole???)
[ ] heard a sibling having sex (hell no)
[ ] Been in a bloody fist fight with someone of the same sex.
[x] Been in a fist fight.
[ ] Been arrested.
[x] laughed and had some type of beverage come out of your nose.
[x] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator. (today at work)
[x] Made out in an elevator.
[x] Made out in a bar.
[x] Swore at your parents.
[x] Kicked a guy where it hurts on purpose.
[ ] Been skydiving.
[x] Been bungee jumping. (does extrene skyflyer count?)
[x] Gotten stitches.
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
[ ] Bitten someone.
[x] Been to Niagara Falls.
[ ] Gotten the chicken pox twice.
[ ] Crashed into a car.
[x] been to Africa. (Egypt for 5 seconds! Whoo hoo!)
[x] Ridden in a taxi.
[x] Shoplifted. (I think I stole silly putty once from the IT store
[ ] Been fired.
[x] Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[ ] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[x] Been to Europe.
[ ] Slept with a co-worker.
[ ] Been married.
[ ] Gotten divorced.
[ ] Saw someone/something dying
[ ] Driven over 1000 miles in one day.
[x] Been to Canada. (ummmm)
[x] Been on a Plane.
[x] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
[x] Thrown up in a bar.
[x] Eaten sushi.
[ ] been snowboarding.
[x] been skiing.
[x] Been ice skating.
[x] Cried in public.
[x] Walked purposely into traffic with your eyes closed. (The Joys of NYC)
[x] Liked someone even though you knew you shouldn't have.
[x] Thought of someone almost 24/7.
[ ] Hated the world.
[x] Been In love
[x] Ever thought you were in love
[x] Cried over somebody
[x] Ran in the rain for fun (Hava Nashira!!! Such a wonderful time! Everyone should play in the rain)
Sunday, December 18, 2005
A GAME! Can you figure out what happened?
Look at this:
http://utoronto.facebook.com/profile.php?id=28101218
then this:
http://utoronto.facebook.com/profile.php?id=28101108
and this:
http://yorku.facebook.com/profile.php?id=48900038
and finally, this (at the wall):
http://nyu.facebook.com/profile.php?id=802182
Can you piece the story together? Serious points to you if you can.
http://utoronto.facebook.com/profile.php?id=28101218
then this:
http://utoronto.facebook.com/profile.php?id=28101108
and this:
http://yorku.facebook.com/profile.php?id=48900038
and finally, this (at the wall):
http://nyu.facebook.com/profile.php?id=802182
Can you piece the story together? Serious points to you if you can.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
A Muslim in a Jewish Land [supremely interesting]
A Muslim in a Jewish Land
by Dr. Tashbih Sayyed (Courtesy of Muslim World Today)
On a trip to Israel, a Muslim journalist sees firsthand a litany of lies.
As I boarded EL AL flight LY 0008 for Tel Aviv on November 14, 2005 with my wife Kiran, my mind was busy arranging and re-arranging the list of things I intended to accomplish. I wanted to use my first visit to Israel to feel the strength of the Jewish spirit that refuses to give in to evil forces despite thousand of years of anti-Semitism. It was not Israel's suicidal sacrifices that I wanted to investigate but the foundations of Israeli determination to live in peace.
There are many things that I wanted to talk about with Israelis, the foremost among them being their reluctance to do something about the bad press that continues to paint them as villains. Although I understand why the media, which reasonably covers most events accurately, chooses to ignore all rules of ethical journalism when it comes to Israel, I could not fathom Israel's reluctance to challenge the negative press effectively. Media bias against Israel reminded me of the Nazi era German press that was recruited by Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels who picked up every hate-laden word against the Jews. Just like the German press who refused to print the truth about the gruesome atrocities in Europe's death camps - or claimed that it was all an exaggeration, the media today also ignores the Arab terrorism. I wanted to see if there was any truth in the media allegations that Israel was an apartheid state, undemocratic and discriminatory.
I knew that a true Jewish State could not be undemocratic since democratic concepts were always a part of Jewish thinking and derived directly from the Torah. For instance when in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, he was basically referring to Torah that said that all men are created in the image of God. I was confident that Israel cannot be racist or discriminatory since it is based on the idea of the covenant between God and the Israelites, in which both parties accepted upon themselves duties and obligations underlining the fact that power is established through the consent of both sides rather than through tyranny by the more powerful party.
My understanding of the Jewish State was confirmed when the entry form that I needed to fill before landing in Tel Aviv did not ask for my religion as is the law in Pakistan. Also, unlike Saudi Arabia, no one in Israeli immigration demanded from me any certificate of religion.
As the El Al approached the Promised Land, I continued to shuffle the list of charges
made routinely against Israel by its enemies.
Israelis live in a perpetual state of fear.
Israel is undemocratic.
Muslim Arab citizens of Israel do not have equal rights
Israelis live in a perpetual state of fear:
From Tel Aviv to Tiberias, Jerusalem to Jezreel, and from Golan heights to the Gaza border, I could not find any evidence of fear. In fact the people felt so secure that none of the stores, gas stations, market places, or residences we went to, and where it was known that we were Muslims, deemed it necessary to either search or interrogate us. Especially when Kiran and I went to the Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem one evening, we found it bursting at its seams with people of all ages. The ground was shaking with music and young boys and girls were so busy having fun that they did not bother to even look around. Tourists were busy making deals and the whole crowd seemed to throb with the beat of the music.
I could not help but compare Israel's sense of security with the environment of insecurity that exists in Muslim countries. From Indonesia to Iran and from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia, people are not sure of anything. In Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the port city of Karachi, I was constantly advised not to make big purchases publicly for it encourages robbers to come after you. I did not hear news of any rape, honor killing or hold-up in Israel.
Israel is undemocratic:
As a Muslim I am much more sensitive to the absence of democratic freedoms in any society. And I do not believe that anyone but a committed anti-Semite will deny that Israel is not a democracy. Democracy in Israel is proportional and representative, but democratic coalitions, necessary in order to effect any decision making also have its problems.
The very first day in Caesarea introduced us to the Israeli democracy. The air was full of political debate and discussion. Ariel Sharon's decision to leave the Likud and form a new political party dominated the hotel halls and underlined the problems caused by the necessity of having democratic coalitions. "The object of a free and democratic Israeli society is to reach satisfactory compromise but often the conclusions are less than satisfactory -- especially for the majority. It involves coalitions and unity which are also checks and balances on any potential abuse of minority rights. It is a better system than the American representative Republican system -- which is really a representation of power and special interests. In the U.S. you get a democracy for the few. In Israel you have a democracy for everyone."
I tried very hard to find any Muslim state that has true democracy and where religious minorities are accorded equal democratic rights, but failed. The map of the Muslim world is too crowded with kings, despots, dictators, sham democrats and theocratic autocrats and the persecution of minorities is an essential part of Islamist social behavior. But here, protected by Israel's democratic principles, the Muslim Arab citizens of Israel are afforded all the rights and privileges of Israeli citizenship. When the first elections to the Knesset were held in February 1949, Israeli Arabs were given the right to vote and to be elected along with Israeli Jews. Today, Israel's Arab citizens are accorded full civil and political rights entitled to complete participation in Israeli society. They are active in Israeli social, political and civic life and enjoy representation in Israel's Parliament, Foreign Service and judicial system.
The Israeli faith in democracy also explains their refusal to respond to Islamist terrorism in violent ways. Despite my being aware of the human weaknesses which allow anger to subjugate the best of intentions, I could not find Israelis acting in vengeance against their Arab compatriots. My experience as a Muslim was also instrumental in expecting the worst in human behavior; Muslims under the influence of radical Islam have been unleashing their terror against non-Muslims even when the charges of anti-Muslim offenses were determined to be false.
I thought that it requires a superhuman effort to ignore the atrocities meted out to you and remain free of vengeful emotions. In my experience of Muslim societies, minorities have never been allowed the benefit of the doubt. Hatred of non-Muslims and outbursts of violence against minority faiths among radical Islamists have remained a norm rather than an exception. As a non-Wahhabi Muslim I have personally faced their barbarism and have watched Christians, Hindus and other minorities being persecuted on false pretenses. I thought that if Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia can sentence a teacher to 40 months in jail and 750 lashes just for praising Jews, it will not be unreasonable on the part of Israelis to punish Palestinians for throwing stones at worshippers at the Western Wall and burning down the tomb of Joseph.
But even in this section, Israelis have proved the world wrong. Despite daily provocations, they have managed successfully not to descend to the same level of depravity as their Arab enemies. The world is used to daily violence that is unleashed against religious minorities in the Muslim world. Only a couple of days ago the Muslim faithful in Pakistan had broken through the walls of a Church, torching and tearing open its doors. They were reacting to a rumor that a Christian had desecrated their holy book, the Quran. They smashed the marble altar of the Holy Spirit Church and shattered its stained glass windows. They torched a Christian residence and the neighboring St. Anthony's Girls School. Within moments flames were licking the walls and black smoke filled the sky. For days the Wahhabi clerics kept on calling their Muslim followers to come out from their houses and defend their faith by unleashing a reign of terror against Christians.
I wondered if an Israeli may someday find it justified to copy what Wahhabis have been doing in Iraq and other places -- abducting, murdering and beheading "infidels". Most recently, the body of a Hindu driver, Maniappan Raman Kutty, was found with his throat slashed in southern Afghanistan for no evident reason but his faith.
But there was nothing in history that could have substantiated my fears; Jews, despite being subjected to the most barbaric acts of terrorism have yet to react in vengeance against their perpetrators. And I concluded that my first visit to Israel will help me in untangling the knot of Israel's insistence on continuing to remain a target of Islamist terror.
Muslim Arab citizen of Israel do not have equal rights:
As our air-conditioned bus negotiated the mountainous curves of the road to the heart of Galilee, I could not miss the rising minarets identifying a number of Palestinian Arab towns dotting the hillsides. The imposing domes of mosques underlined the freedoms that are enjoyed by the Muslims in the Jewish State. Large Arab residences, wide spread construction activity and big cars underlined the prosperity and affluence of Palestinians living under the Star of David.
On my way from the city of David to the Royal Prima hotel in Jerusalem, I asked my
Palestinian taxi driver how he feels about moving to the territories under Palestinian Authority. He said that he could never think of living outside Israel. His answer blasted the myth spread by anti-Semites that Israel's Arab citizens are not happy there.
Another Israeli Arab informed me that Arabs in Israel have equal voting rights. In fact, Israel is one of the few countries in the Middle East where Arab women can vote. In contrast to the non-Israeli Arab world, Arab women in Israel enjoy the same status as men. Muslim women have the right to vote and to be elected to public office. Muslim women, in fact are more liberated in Israel than in any Muslim country. Israeli law prohibits polygamy, child marriage, and the barbarity of female sexual mutilation.
Moreover, I found out that there are no incidences of honor killings in Israel. The status of Muslim women in Israel is far above that of any country in the region. Israeli health standards are by far the highest in the Middle East and Israeli health institutions are freely open to all Arabs, on the same basis as they are to Jews.
Arabic, like Hebrew, is an official language in Israel and underlines the tolerant nature of the Jewish State. All the street signs call out their names in Arabic alongside Hebrew. It is official policy of the Israeli government to foster the language, culture, and traditions of the Arab minority, in the educational system and in daily life. Israel's Arabic press is the most vibrant and independent of any country in the region. There are more than 20 Arabic periodicals. They publish what they please, subject only to the same military censorship as Jewish publications. There are daily TV and radio programs in Arabic.
Arabic is taught in Jewish secondary schools. More than 350,000 Arab children attend Israeli schools. At the time of Israel's founding, there was one Arab high school in the country. Today, there are hundreds of Arab schools. Israeli universities are renowned centers of learning in the history and literature of the Arab Middle East.
Aware of the constraints that a non-Wahhabi is faced with while performing religious rituals in Saudi Arabia, Kiran (my wife) could not hide her surprise at the freedoms and ease with which peoples of all religions and faiths were carrying out their religious obligations at the Church of the holy Sepulcher, Garden Tomb, Sea of Galilee, newly discovered Western Wall Tunnels, Western Wall, tomb of King David and all the other holy places we visited.
All religious communities in Israel enjoy the full protection of the State. Israeli Arabs --Muslims, as well as many Christian denominations -- are free to exercise their faiths, to observe their own weekly day of rest and holidays and to administer their own internal affairs. Some 80,000 Druze live in 22 villages in northern Israel. Their religion is not accessible to outsiders and Druze constitute a separate cultural, social and religious Arabic-speaking community. The Druze concept of taqiyya calls for complete loyalty by its adherents to the government of the country in which they reside. As such, among other things, the Druze serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Each religious community in Israel has its own religious councils and courts, and has full jurisdiction over religious affairs, including matters of personal status, such as marriage and divorce. The holy sites of all religions are administered by their own authorities and protected by the government.
A Hindu journalist who came to visit me talked about the openness that Jewish society represents. He told me that more than 20% of the Israeli population is non-Jewish of which approximately 1.2 million are Muslims, 140,000 are Christians and 100, 000 are Druze. Another non-Jewish Israeli told me that Christians and Druze are free to join even the defense forces of the Jewish State. Bedouins have served in paratroops units and other Arabs have volunteered for military duty.
The big houses owned by Arab Israelis and the amount of construction that was going on in the Arab towns exposed the falsity of propaganda that Israel discriminates against Israeli Arabs from buying lands. I found out that in the early part of the century, the Jewish National Fund was established by the World Zionist Congress to purchase land in Palestine for Jewish settlement. Of the total area of Israel, 92 percent belongs to the State and is managed by the Land Management Authority. It is not for sale to anyone, Jew or Arab.
The Arab Waqf owns land that is for the express use and benefit of Muslim Arabs. Government land can be leased by anyone, regardless of race, religion or sex. All Arab citizens of Israel are eligible to lease government land.
I asked three Israeli Arabs if they face discrimination in employment. They all said the same thing; normally there is no discrimination but whenever homicide bombers explode and murder Israelis, some Israelis feel uncomfortable dealing with them. But that uncomfortable feeling is also very temporary and does not stay for long.
My first visit to Israel has not only consolidated my belief that Israel is vital for the stability of the region but has also convinced me that the existence of Israel will one day convince the Muslims of the necessity of reformation in their theology as well as sociology.
A journey through the Israeli desert brought another important aspect of life to light; Prophets are not the only ones who can perform miracles -- people who believe in themselves can also perform unbelievable acts. Acres and acres of sand dunes have been transformed into the best possible fertile land; Wheat, Cotton, Sunflowers, Chickpeas, Groundnuts (Peanuts), Mangoes, Avocados, Citrus, Papayas, bananas and any other fruit and vegetable that Israelis want to consume is grown within Israel. In fact, Israelis have proved beyond any doubt why God promised them this land - only they could keep it green.
The land is described repeatedly in the Torah as a good land and "a land flowing with milk and honey". This description may not seem to fit well with the desert images we see on the nightly news, but let's keep in mind that the land was repeatedly abused by conquerors that were determined to make the land uninhabitable for the Jews. In the few decades since the Jewish people regained control of the land, tremendous improvement in its agriculture has been witnessed. Israeli agriculture today has a very high yield. Agriculture in Israel is very effective, and is able to cover about 75% of domestic needs, despite the limited land available.
Looking at the development and transformation that the land has gone through because of the Jewish innovative spirit, hard labor and commitment to freedoms for all times to come, I am convinced that it is true that God created this earth but it is also a fact that only an Israel can keep this earth from dying.
by Dr. Tashbih Sayyed (Courtesy of Muslim World Today)
On a trip to Israel, a Muslim journalist sees firsthand a litany of lies.
As I boarded EL AL flight LY 0008 for Tel Aviv on November 14, 2005 with my wife Kiran, my mind was busy arranging and re-arranging the list of things I intended to accomplish. I wanted to use my first visit to Israel to feel the strength of the Jewish spirit that refuses to give in to evil forces despite thousand of years of anti-Semitism. It was not Israel's suicidal sacrifices that I wanted to investigate but the foundations of Israeli determination to live in peace.
There are many things that I wanted to talk about with Israelis, the foremost among them being their reluctance to do something about the bad press that continues to paint them as villains. Although I understand why the media, which reasonably covers most events accurately, chooses to ignore all rules of ethical journalism when it comes to Israel, I could not fathom Israel's reluctance to challenge the negative press effectively. Media bias against Israel reminded me of the Nazi era German press that was recruited by Hitler's Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels who picked up every hate-laden word against the Jews. Just like the German press who refused to print the truth about the gruesome atrocities in Europe's death camps - or claimed that it was all an exaggeration, the media today also ignores the Arab terrorism. I wanted to see if there was any truth in the media allegations that Israel was an apartheid state, undemocratic and discriminatory.
I knew that a true Jewish State could not be undemocratic since democratic concepts were always a part of Jewish thinking and derived directly from the Torah. For instance when in the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson wrote that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, he was basically referring to Torah that said that all men are created in the image of God. I was confident that Israel cannot be racist or discriminatory since it is based on the idea of the covenant between God and the Israelites, in which both parties accepted upon themselves duties and obligations underlining the fact that power is established through the consent of both sides rather than through tyranny by the more powerful party.
My understanding of the Jewish State was confirmed when the entry form that I needed to fill before landing in Tel Aviv did not ask for my religion as is the law in Pakistan. Also, unlike Saudi Arabia, no one in Israeli immigration demanded from me any certificate of religion.
As the El Al approached the Promised Land, I continued to shuffle the list of charges
made routinely against Israel by its enemies.
Israelis live in a perpetual state of fear.
Israel is undemocratic.
Muslim Arab citizens of Israel do not have equal rights
Israelis live in a perpetual state of fear:
From Tel Aviv to Tiberias, Jerusalem to Jezreel, and from Golan heights to the Gaza border, I could not find any evidence of fear. In fact the people felt so secure that none of the stores, gas stations, market places, or residences we went to, and where it was known that we were Muslims, deemed it necessary to either search or interrogate us. Especially when Kiran and I went to the Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem one evening, we found it bursting at its seams with people of all ages. The ground was shaking with music and young boys and girls were so busy having fun that they did not bother to even look around. Tourists were busy making deals and the whole crowd seemed to throb with the beat of the music.
I could not help but compare Israel's sense of security with the environment of insecurity that exists in Muslim countries. From Indonesia to Iran and from Afghanistan to Saudi Arabia, people are not sure of anything. In Pakistan's capital Islamabad, and the port city of Karachi, I was constantly advised not to make big purchases publicly for it encourages robbers to come after you. I did not hear news of any rape, honor killing or hold-up in Israel.
Israel is undemocratic:
As a Muslim I am much more sensitive to the absence of democratic freedoms in any society. And I do not believe that anyone but a committed anti-Semite will deny that Israel is not a democracy. Democracy in Israel is proportional and representative, but democratic coalitions, necessary in order to effect any decision making also have its problems.
The very first day in Caesarea introduced us to the Israeli democracy. The air was full of political debate and discussion. Ariel Sharon's decision to leave the Likud and form a new political party dominated the hotel halls and underlined the problems caused by the necessity of having democratic coalitions. "The object of a free and democratic Israeli society is to reach satisfactory compromise but often the conclusions are less than satisfactory -- especially for the majority. It involves coalitions and unity which are also checks and balances on any potential abuse of minority rights. It is a better system than the American representative Republican system -- which is really a representation of power and special interests. In the U.S. you get a democracy for the few. In Israel you have a democracy for everyone."
I tried very hard to find any Muslim state that has true democracy and where religious minorities are accorded equal democratic rights, but failed. The map of the Muslim world is too crowded with kings, despots, dictators, sham democrats and theocratic autocrats and the persecution of minorities is an essential part of Islamist social behavior. But here, protected by Israel's democratic principles, the Muslim Arab citizens of Israel are afforded all the rights and privileges of Israeli citizenship. When the first elections to the Knesset were held in February 1949, Israeli Arabs were given the right to vote and to be elected along with Israeli Jews. Today, Israel's Arab citizens are accorded full civil and political rights entitled to complete participation in Israeli society. They are active in Israeli social, political and civic life and enjoy representation in Israel's Parliament, Foreign Service and judicial system.
The Israeli faith in democracy also explains their refusal to respond to Islamist terrorism in violent ways. Despite my being aware of the human weaknesses which allow anger to subjugate the best of intentions, I could not find Israelis acting in vengeance against their Arab compatriots. My experience as a Muslim was also instrumental in expecting the worst in human behavior; Muslims under the influence of radical Islam have been unleashing their terror against non-Muslims even when the charges of anti-Muslim offenses were determined to be false.
I thought that it requires a superhuman effort to ignore the atrocities meted out to you and remain free of vengeful emotions. In my experience of Muslim societies, minorities have never been allowed the benefit of the doubt. Hatred of non-Muslims and outbursts of violence against minority faiths among radical Islamists have remained a norm rather than an exception. As a non-Wahhabi Muslim I have personally faced their barbarism and have watched Christians, Hindus and other minorities being persecuted on false pretenses. I thought that if Wahhabis in Saudi Arabia can sentence a teacher to 40 months in jail and 750 lashes just for praising Jews, it will not be unreasonable on the part of Israelis to punish Palestinians for throwing stones at worshippers at the Western Wall and burning down the tomb of Joseph.
But even in this section, Israelis have proved the world wrong. Despite daily provocations, they have managed successfully not to descend to the same level of depravity as their Arab enemies. The world is used to daily violence that is unleashed against religious minorities in the Muslim world. Only a couple of days ago the Muslim faithful in Pakistan had broken through the walls of a Church, torching and tearing open its doors. They were reacting to a rumor that a Christian had desecrated their holy book, the Quran. They smashed the marble altar of the Holy Spirit Church and shattered its stained glass windows. They torched a Christian residence and the neighboring St. Anthony's Girls School. Within moments flames were licking the walls and black smoke filled the sky. For days the Wahhabi clerics kept on calling their Muslim followers to come out from their houses and defend their faith by unleashing a reign of terror against Christians.
I wondered if an Israeli may someday find it justified to copy what Wahhabis have been doing in Iraq and other places -- abducting, murdering and beheading "infidels". Most recently, the body of a Hindu driver, Maniappan Raman Kutty, was found with his throat slashed in southern Afghanistan for no evident reason but his faith.
But there was nothing in history that could have substantiated my fears; Jews, despite being subjected to the most barbaric acts of terrorism have yet to react in vengeance against their perpetrators. And I concluded that my first visit to Israel will help me in untangling the knot of Israel's insistence on continuing to remain a target of Islamist terror.
Muslim Arab citizen of Israel do not have equal rights:
As our air-conditioned bus negotiated the mountainous curves of the road to the heart of Galilee, I could not miss the rising minarets identifying a number of Palestinian Arab towns dotting the hillsides. The imposing domes of mosques underlined the freedoms that are enjoyed by the Muslims in the Jewish State. Large Arab residences, wide spread construction activity and big cars underlined the prosperity and affluence of Palestinians living under the Star of David.
On my way from the city of David to the Royal Prima hotel in Jerusalem, I asked my
Palestinian taxi driver how he feels about moving to the territories under Palestinian Authority. He said that he could never think of living outside Israel. His answer blasted the myth spread by anti-Semites that Israel's Arab citizens are not happy there.
Another Israeli Arab informed me that Arabs in Israel have equal voting rights. In fact, Israel is one of the few countries in the Middle East where Arab women can vote. In contrast to the non-Israeli Arab world, Arab women in Israel enjoy the same status as men. Muslim women have the right to vote and to be elected to public office. Muslim women, in fact are more liberated in Israel than in any Muslim country. Israeli law prohibits polygamy, child marriage, and the barbarity of female sexual mutilation.
Moreover, I found out that there are no incidences of honor killings in Israel. The status of Muslim women in Israel is far above that of any country in the region. Israeli health standards are by far the highest in the Middle East and Israeli health institutions are freely open to all Arabs, on the same basis as they are to Jews.
Arabic, like Hebrew, is an official language in Israel and underlines the tolerant nature of the Jewish State. All the street signs call out their names in Arabic alongside Hebrew. It is official policy of the Israeli government to foster the language, culture, and traditions of the Arab minority, in the educational system and in daily life. Israel's Arabic press is the most vibrant and independent of any country in the region. There are more than 20 Arabic periodicals. They publish what they please, subject only to the same military censorship as Jewish publications. There are daily TV and radio programs in Arabic.
Arabic is taught in Jewish secondary schools. More than 350,000 Arab children attend Israeli schools. At the time of Israel's founding, there was one Arab high school in the country. Today, there are hundreds of Arab schools. Israeli universities are renowned centers of learning in the history and literature of the Arab Middle East.
Aware of the constraints that a non-Wahhabi is faced with while performing religious rituals in Saudi Arabia, Kiran (my wife) could not hide her surprise at the freedoms and ease with which peoples of all religions and faiths were carrying out their religious obligations at the Church of the holy Sepulcher, Garden Tomb, Sea of Galilee, newly discovered Western Wall Tunnels, Western Wall, tomb of King David and all the other holy places we visited.
All religious communities in Israel enjoy the full protection of the State. Israeli Arabs --Muslims, as well as many Christian denominations -- are free to exercise their faiths, to observe their own weekly day of rest and holidays and to administer their own internal affairs. Some 80,000 Druze live in 22 villages in northern Israel. Their religion is not accessible to outsiders and Druze constitute a separate cultural, social and religious Arabic-speaking community. The Druze concept of taqiyya calls for complete loyalty by its adherents to the government of the country in which they reside. As such, among other things, the Druze serve in the Israel Defense Forces. Each religious community in Israel has its own religious councils and courts, and has full jurisdiction over religious affairs, including matters of personal status, such as marriage and divorce. The holy sites of all religions are administered by their own authorities and protected by the government.
A Hindu journalist who came to visit me talked about the openness that Jewish society represents. He told me that more than 20% of the Israeli population is non-Jewish of which approximately 1.2 million are Muslims, 140,000 are Christians and 100, 000 are Druze. Another non-Jewish Israeli told me that Christians and Druze are free to join even the defense forces of the Jewish State. Bedouins have served in paratroops units and other Arabs have volunteered for military duty.
The big houses owned by Arab Israelis and the amount of construction that was going on in the Arab towns exposed the falsity of propaganda that Israel discriminates against Israeli Arabs from buying lands. I found out that in the early part of the century, the Jewish National Fund was established by the World Zionist Congress to purchase land in Palestine for Jewish settlement. Of the total area of Israel, 92 percent belongs to the State and is managed by the Land Management Authority. It is not for sale to anyone, Jew or Arab.
The Arab Waqf owns land that is for the express use and benefit of Muslim Arabs. Government land can be leased by anyone, regardless of race, religion or sex. All Arab citizens of Israel are eligible to lease government land.
I asked three Israeli Arabs if they face discrimination in employment. They all said the same thing; normally there is no discrimination but whenever homicide bombers explode and murder Israelis, some Israelis feel uncomfortable dealing with them. But that uncomfortable feeling is also very temporary and does not stay for long.
My first visit to Israel has not only consolidated my belief that Israel is vital for the stability of the region but has also convinced me that the existence of Israel will one day convince the Muslims of the necessity of reformation in their theology as well as sociology.
A journey through the Israeli desert brought another important aspect of life to light; Prophets are not the only ones who can perform miracles -- people who believe in themselves can also perform unbelievable acts. Acres and acres of sand dunes have been transformed into the best possible fertile land; Wheat, Cotton, Sunflowers, Chickpeas, Groundnuts (Peanuts), Mangoes, Avocados, Citrus, Papayas, bananas and any other fruit and vegetable that Israelis want to consume is grown within Israel. In fact, Israelis have proved beyond any doubt why God promised them this land - only they could keep it green.
The land is described repeatedly in the Torah as a good land and "a land flowing with milk and honey". This description may not seem to fit well with the desert images we see on the nightly news, but let's keep in mind that the land was repeatedly abused by conquerors that were determined to make the land uninhabitable for the Jews. In the few decades since the Jewish people regained control of the land, tremendous improvement in its agriculture has been witnessed. Israeli agriculture today has a very high yield. Agriculture in Israel is very effective, and is able to cover about 75% of domestic needs, despite the limited land available.
Looking at the development and transformation that the land has gone through because of the Jewish innovative spirit, hard labor and commitment to freedoms for all times to come, I am convinced that it is true that God created this earth but it is also a fact that only an Israel can keep this earth from dying.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Friday, December 02, 2005
Stephen Harper has a handsome new hairstyle!
The following is rom the Conservative Party's "Anyonymous Blog"... HA! Utterly dispicable. The tories try to paint everything as either black or white (or in this case, Blue or Red). They make it look like if you don't vote Conservative, then you oppose getting money, and people who oppose getting money are idiots. Such blind rhetoric:
The bottom line is simple: Stephen Harper is promising to reduce the GST to 5%. If you like the idea, vote Conservative. If you don’t, then you’re welcome to take the other option and vote for four more years of ethical lapses, missing billions, investigation, scandal, and corruption. A or B. Blue or Red. Your call.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party of Canada continues to blog away: "People keep sayng this campaign is a carbon copy of the 2004 election. But that's not true. Stephen Harper has a right handsome new hairstyle."
Useless information segment:
What is Canada's smallest riding? Papineau, Quebec: 9 sq. km.
What is Canada's largest riding? Nunavut: 2,093,190 sq. km. This concludes our useless information segment.
And lastly: OOPS!
Thanks to Dan Cook at the Globe and Mail for the humour!
The bottom line is simple: Stephen Harper is promising to reduce the GST to 5%. If you like the idea, vote Conservative. If you don’t, then you’re welcome to take the other option and vote for four more years of ethical lapses, missing billions, investigation, scandal, and corruption. A or B. Blue or Red. Your call.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party of Canada continues to blog away: "People keep sayng this campaign is a carbon copy of the 2004 election. But that's not true. Stephen Harper has a right handsome new hairstyle."
Useless information segment:
What is Canada's smallest riding? Papineau, Quebec: 9 sq. km.
What is Canada's largest riding? Nunavut: 2,093,190 sq. km. This concludes our useless information segment.
And lastly: OOPS!
Thanks to Dan Cook at the Globe and Mail for the humour!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Surreal Socio-Religious Experience (also known as FUNNY SHIT AT THE SECOND CUP)
I'm sitting in Second Cup, and I needed somewhere to plug my laptop in. The only socket near me was fully occupied. One outlet was being used by another girl's laptop, and the other outlet had the obligatory table-top Christmas tree plugged into it. Now, as mesmerizing as it was to stare into the ever-changing fibre-optic tree, I needed to work. So I unplugged the tree and plugged in my powerbook.
The girl with the laptop looked at me, smiled, and said "You just ruined Christmas for everyone"
I was bursting with laughter inside, but I merely smiled back and said to her "Oh well, I need to study."
How wonderful is it that I unplugged the Supreme Christian Religious Icon so that I would be able to study for my Rabbinic Judaism midterm tommorow. This could be more than a funny coincidence. It could be a supreme sign. Should the Jewish people somehow dramatically and surprisingly increase in size so as to dwarf Christianity sometime in the near future, everyone take note: IT WAS I THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE.
I'm not saying I'm the Messiah. I'll leave that to Dan Bern.
I'm not going to do a whole social commentary on this. I'm just going to leave it pure and enjoyable. Smiling, I'm going to go study Saadiah Gaon while the Nutrcracker plays overhead.
The girl with the laptop looked at me, smiled, and said "You just ruined Christmas for everyone"
I was bursting with laughter inside, but I merely smiled back and said to her "Oh well, I need to study."
How wonderful is it that I unplugged the Supreme Christian Religious Icon so that I would be able to study for my Rabbinic Judaism midterm tommorow. This could be more than a funny coincidence. It could be a supreme sign. Should the Jewish people somehow dramatically and surprisingly increase in size so as to dwarf Christianity sometime in the near future, everyone take note: IT WAS I THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE.
I'm not saying I'm the Messiah. I'll leave that to Dan Bern.
I'm not going to do a whole social commentary on this. I'm just going to leave it pure and enjoyable. Smiling, I'm going to go study Saadiah Gaon while the Nutrcracker plays overhead.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
so inspired
Sitting in my Theatre of the Holocasust right now.
So very much inspired.
The teacher of the class is a theatre mother. Not like a snobby "drama mom" but truly, a mother to all of us in the theatre. She's taken care of us this term as we've dealt with a very sensitive subject. It has been amazing to learn with her.
My director right now is incredible - organic, inspiring, inspired, funny, wise... such a pleasure to work with her.
Tonight, I got offered a fantastic opportunity to star in a play being written by the head of the theatre department.
In spite of the three exams and one essay I have on my mind, today has been an incredibly refreshing day.
Wow.
So very much inspired.
The teacher of the class is a theatre mother. Not like a snobby "drama mom" but truly, a mother to all of us in the theatre. She's taken care of us this term as we've dealt with a very sensitive subject. It has been amazing to learn with her.
My director right now is incredible - organic, inspiring, inspired, funny, wise... such a pleasure to work with her.
Tonight, I got offered a fantastic opportunity to star in a play being written by the head of the theatre department.
In spite of the three exams and one essay I have on my mind, today has been an incredibly refreshing day.
Wow.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Yeah, I guess you could say so...
| Your Birthdate: September 15 |
 You take life as it is, and you find happiness in a variety of things. You tend to be close to family and friends. But it's hard to get into your inner circle. Making the little things wonderful is important to you, and you probably have an inviting home. You seek harmony with others, but occasionally you have a very stubborn streak. Your strength: Your intense optimism Your weakness: You shy away from exploring your talents Your power color: Jade Your power symbol: Flower Your power month: June |
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
Amichai poem that describes Israel well--
(Excuse me, this fell. Is it yours?
The stone? Not this, this fell
nine hundred years ago.)
The stone? Not this, this fell
nine hundred years ago.)
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