These pics are taken from Islam Online
Monday, July 31, 2006
Israel Kills 55 Civilians in Qana
At least 55 people, including 23 children, were killed when Israeli war planes blitzed the southern Lebanese village of Qana on Sunday, July 30, 2006, the scene of a similar Israeli massacre in 1996. Rescue workers had pulled 40 bodies from under the rubble and were searching for more. Red Cross sources said 23 children had died and at least 17 bodies were feared still buried, including seven more children.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Protest the Attacks on the Palestinian People and Lebanon - Majed, 7/28/06
These are some photos taken at a demostration against Israeli attacks on Lebanon and Palestine. The protest took place infront of the Israeli consulate in New York , USA
This protest brought people from all faiths,nationalities, sex, age, race and political background to stand united for one cause. The photos speak for themselves.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
From Israel to Lebanon
Just click on the banner to see photos of the war in Lebanon...
WARNING:
Some Photos are very graphic so if you don't have a strong stomach or a strong heart, try not to see the photos. Thank you very much....
PEACE!!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Because This Is the Middle East
'Because This Is the Middle East'
CBS' Schieffer ignores context in Mideast crisis
7/19/06
On July 16, CBS Face the Nation host (and CBS Evening News anchor) Bob Schieffer dedicated the entire Sunday morning news show to the Middle East conflict. In his closing editorial, he adapted a well-known fable in an attempt to explain the causes of the current conflict—or rather, the lack of causes:
Finally today, when the war broke out in the Middle East, the first thing I thought about was the old story of the frog and the scorpion who were trying to cross a river there. The scorpion couldn't swim, the frog was lost. So the scorpion proposed a deal, ‘Give me a ride on your back, and I'll show you the way.’ The frog agreed, and the trip went fine until they got to the middle of the river, and then suddenly the scorpion just stung the frog. As they were sinking, the frog asked, in his dying breath, ‘Why would you do that?’ To which the scorpion replied, ‘Because this is the Middle East.’
Lest there be any doubt about who is the frog and who is the scorpion in that parable, Schieffer went on to spell it out:
It is worth noting that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip did not kidnap that Israeli soldier and provoke all of this because the Israelis were invading Gaza. No, all this happened in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal, which was what the Palestinians supposedly wanted. But this is the Middle East. Why would fundamentalists in Gaza and Lebanon choose to provoke this war at this time? There is no real answer except this is the Middle East.
Schieffer was echoing the media’s conventional wisdom in portraying the Palestinian raid that captured the Israeli soldier as an inexplicable provocation. The New York Times, in a June 29 editorial headlined “Hamas Provokes a Fight,” declared that "the responsibility for this latest escalation rests squarely with Hamas," adding that "an Israeli military response was inevitable."
The media assumption is that in withdrawing from Gaza in September 2005, Israel ended its conflict with at least that portion of Palestine and gave up, as Schieffer put it, "what the Palestinians supposedly wanted." In reality, however, since the pullout and before the recent escalation of violence, at least 144 Palestinians in Gaza had been killed by Israeli forces, often by helicopter gunships, according to a list compiled by the Israeli human rights group B’tselem. Only 31 percent of the people killed were engaged in hostile actions at the time of their deaths, and 25 percent of all those killed were minors.
From the time of the pullout until the recent upsurge in violence, according to B’tselem’s lists, no Israelis were killed by violence emanating from Gaza. Although during this period Palestinian militants launched some 1,000 crude Kasam missiles from Gaza into Israel, no fatalities resulted; at the same time, Israel fired 7,000 to 9,000 heavy artillery shells into Gaza. On June 9, just two weeks before the Hamas raid that killed two Israeli soldiers and captured a third, an apparent Israeli missile strike killed seven members of a Palestinian family picnicking on a Gaza beach, which prompted Hamas to end its 16-month-old informal ceasefire with Israel. (Though Israel has denied responsibility for the killings, a Human Rights Watch investigation strongly challenged the denial, calling the likelihood of Israel not being responsible "remote"; Human Rights Watch, 6/15/06.) Hamas has repeatedly pointed to the Gaza beach incident as one of the central events that prompted its cross-border raid—indeed, Schieffer's own CBS Evening News has reported that claim (CBS Evening News, 6/25/06). Even so, Schieffer seems unable to recall this recent event (see Action Alert, 6/30/06).
Hamas also points to the capture of some of its leaders by Israel as the provocation for its raid. If Israelis had every right, as Schieffer said, to respond with force to the capture of one soldier by Hamas, then how are Palestinians expected to feel about the more than 9,000 prisoners captured and held by Israel—including 342 juveniles and over 700 held without trial (Mandela Center for Human Rights, 4/30/06)?
Moreover, Israel's withdrawal did not remotely give Palestinians "what they wanted." In addition to its continued deadly attacks on Gaza, Israel has continued to control Gaza’s borders and has withheld tens of millions of dollars of tax revenue in response to Hamas’ victory in democratic elections in January 2006. Israel’s actions crippled the Gaza economy and prompting warnings from the U.N. of a looming humanitarian disaster (UNRWA, 7/8/06).
None of this is to say that Hamas, which has regularly ignored the distinction between military and civilian targets, does not share part of the blame for the current crisis. But to act as though Israel had been behaving as a peace-loving neighbor to Gaza until the soldier’s capture is a willful rewriting of very recent history. The most Schieffer can bring himself to say about Israel is this:
Israel had every right to respond, and it did. But again, this is the Middle East, so perhaps a response may have made it all worse by giving moderate Arabs in the region an excuse to distance themselves from Israel.
Israel’s “response” has resulted in the deaths to date of at least 103 Palestinians, while no Israelis have died other than one soldier killed by friendly fire (New York Times, 7/19/06). Meanwhile, Israel has also destroyed Gaza's main power plant and its water system, leaving tens of thousands of Gaza families without access to food, water and medical care (Oxfam, 7/19/06). In Lebanon, Israel has killed over 300 people, the vast majority of them civilians, wounded over 1000 and displaced half a million (MSNBC, 7/19/06). To call such devastation an "excuse" for Arabs to “distance themselves from Israel” is a trivialization of real human suffering.
Why is Bob Schieffer allowed to get away with such shallow, dismissive coverage of complicated and tragic events? Because it’s the Middle East.
ACTION: Please ask Bob Schieffer to accurately report the history and current reality of the conflict in the Middle East.
CONTACT:
Bob Schieffer
Face the Nation
202-457-4481
ftn@cbsnews.com
You can also contact CBS's "Public Eye" ombudsman:
publiceye@cbs.com
- Taken from - www.fair.org
CBS' Schieffer ignores context in Mideast crisis
7/19/06
On July 16, CBS Face the Nation host (and CBS Evening News anchor) Bob Schieffer dedicated the entire Sunday morning news show to the Middle East conflict. In his closing editorial, he adapted a well-known fable in an attempt to explain the causes of the current conflict—or rather, the lack of causes:
Finally today, when the war broke out in the Middle East, the first thing I thought about was the old story of the frog and the scorpion who were trying to cross a river there. The scorpion couldn't swim, the frog was lost. So the scorpion proposed a deal, ‘Give me a ride on your back, and I'll show you the way.’ The frog agreed, and the trip went fine until they got to the middle of the river, and then suddenly the scorpion just stung the frog. As they were sinking, the frog asked, in his dying breath, ‘Why would you do that?’ To which the scorpion replied, ‘Because this is the Middle East.’
Lest there be any doubt about who is the frog and who is the scorpion in that parable, Schieffer went on to spell it out:
It is worth noting that the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip did not kidnap that Israeli soldier and provoke all of this because the Israelis were invading Gaza. No, all this happened in the wake of the Israeli withdrawal, which was what the Palestinians supposedly wanted. But this is the Middle East. Why would fundamentalists in Gaza and Lebanon choose to provoke this war at this time? There is no real answer except this is the Middle East.
Schieffer was echoing the media’s conventional wisdom in portraying the Palestinian raid that captured the Israeli soldier as an inexplicable provocation. The New York Times, in a June 29 editorial headlined “Hamas Provokes a Fight,” declared that "the responsibility for this latest escalation rests squarely with Hamas," adding that "an Israeli military response was inevitable."
The media assumption is that in withdrawing from Gaza in September 2005, Israel ended its conflict with at least that portion of Palestine and gave up, as Schieffer put it, "what the Palestinians supposedly wanted." In reality, however, since the pullout and before the recent escalation of violence, at least 144 Palestinians in Gaza had been killed by Israeli forces, often by helicopter gunships, according to a list compiled by the Israeli human rights group B’tselem. Only 31 percent of the people killed were engaged in hostile actions at the time of their deaths, and 25 percent of all those killed were minors.
From the time of the pullout until the recent upsurge in violence, according to B’tselem’s lists, no Israelis were killed by violence emanating from Gaza. Although during this period Palestinian militants launched some 1,000 crude Kasam missiles from Gaza into Israel, no fatalities resulted; at the same time, Israel fired 7,000 to 9,000 heavy artillery shells into Gaza. On June 9, just two weeks before the Hamas raid that killed two Israeli soldiers and captured a third, an apparent Israeli missile strike killed seven members of a Palestinian family picnicking on a Gaza beach, which prompted Hamas to end its 16-month-old informal ceasefire with Israel. (Though Israel has denied responsibility for the killings, a Human Rights Watch investigation strongly challenged the denial, calling the likelihood of Israel not being responsible "remote"; Human Rights Watch, 6/15/06.) Hamas has repeatedly pointed to the Gaza beach incident as one of the central events that prompted its cross-border raid—indeed, Schieffer's own CBS Evening News has reported that claim (CBS Evening News, 6/25/06). Even so, Schieffer seems unable to recall this recent event (see Action Alert, 6/30/06).
Hamas also points to the capture of some of its leaders by Israel as the provocation for its raid. If Israelis had every right, as Schieffer said, to respond with force to the capture of one soldier by Hamas, then how are Palestinians expected to feel about the more than 9,000 prisoners captured and held by Israel—including 342 juveniles and over 700 held without trial (Mandela Center for Human Rights, 4/30/06)?
Moreover, Israel's withdrawal did not remotely give Palestinians "what they wanted." In addition to its continued deadly attacks on Gaza, Israel has continued to control Gaza’s borders and has withheld tens of millions of dollars of tax revenue in response to Hamas’ victory in democratic elections in January 2006. Israel’s actions crippled the Gaza economy and prompting warnings from the U.N. of a looming humanitarian disaster (UNRWA, 7/8/06).
None of this is to say that Hamas, which has regularly ignored the distinction between military and civilian targets, does not share part of the blame for the current crisis. But to act as though Israel had been behaving as a peace-loving neighbor to Gaza until the soldier’s capture is a willful rewriting of very recent history. The most Schieffer can bring himself to say about Israel is this:
Israel had every right to respond, and it did. But again, this is the Middle East, so perhaps a response may have made it all worse by giving moderate Arabs in the region an excuse to distance themselves from Israel.
Israel’s “response” has resulted in the deaths to date of at least 103 Palestinians, while no Israelis have died other than one soldier killed by friendly fire (New York Times, 7/19/06). Meanwhile, Israel has also destroyed Gaza's main power plant and its water system, leaving tens of thousands of Gaza families without access to food, water and medical care (Oxfam, 7/19/06). In Lebanon, Israel has killed over 300 people, the vast majority of them civilians, wounded over 1000 and displaced half a million (MSNBC, 7/19/06). To call such devastation an "excuse" for Arabs to “distance themselves from Israel” is a trivialization of real human suffering.
Why is Bob Schieffer allowed to get away with such shallow, dismissive coverage of complicated and tragic events? Because it’s the Middle East.
ACTION: Please ask Bob Schieffer to accurately report the history and current reality of the conflict in the Middle East.
CONTACT:
Bob Schieffer
Face the Nation
202-457-4481
ftn@cbsnews.com
You can also contact CBS's "Public Eye" ombudsman:
publiceye@cbs.com
- Taken from - www.fair.org
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Jews aren't hated,The Zionists are...
Let me clear something up here. Muslims don't hate the Jewsish people. The ones that do are simply ignorant. For crying out loud we have the same Prophets and we both follow the 10 commandments.
Click here for The Ten Commandments & The confirmation in the Qur'an.
Click on the actual commandments to get a clearer view.
"Surely We revealed the Taurat in which was guidance and light; with it the prophets who submitted themselves (to God) judged (matters) for those who were Jews, and the masters of Divine knowledge and the doctors, because they were required to guard (part) of the Book of God, and they were witnesses thereof; therefore fear not the people and fear Me, and do not take a small price for My communications; and whoever did not judge by what God revealed, those are they that are the unbelievers."
-(Qur'an 5:44)
Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
-(Qur'an 2:62 )
Click here for The Ten Commandments & The confirmation in the Qur'an.
Click on the actual commandments to get a clearer view.
"Surely We revealed the Taurat in which was guidance and light; with it the prophets who submitted themselves (to God) judged (matters) for those who were Jews, and the masters of Divine knowledge and the doctors, because they were required to guard (part) of the Book of God, and they were witnesses thereof; therefore fear not the people and fear Me, and do not take a small price for My communications; and whoever did not judge by what God revealed, those are they that are the unbelievers."
-(Qur'an 5:44)
Those who believe (in the Qur'an), and those who follow the Jewish (scriptures), and the Christians and the Sabians,- any who believe in God and the Last Day, and work righteousness, shall have their reward with their Lord; on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
-(Qur'an 2:62 )
The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) honored Jews, married a Jewish wife, forbade forced conversions of Jews, always bowed in respect when a Jewish funeral passed, and promised that good and faithful Jews would go to Paradise just as good Muslims and Christians would, and that the Jews would have their Holy Place in the west (meaning Jerusalem) while Muslims would have their Holy Place in the East (meaning Mecca).
The problem is not Jews, in matter facts according to the Jews themselves as well, The Zionist movement is the problem...
This is what some Jews have to say,
"Contrary to common perception, Jewish anti-Zionism is not restricted exclusively to the well know Jewish anti-Zionist movements such as Satmar and Neturei Karta.
There are in fact many Jewish movements, groups and organizations whose ideology regarding Zionism and the so-called "State of Israel" is that of the unadulterated Torah position that any form of Zionism is heresy and that the existence of the so-called "State of Israel" is illegitimate.
No one has had to create any antagonism between our Torah and Zionism because such antagonism exists by virtue of the essence of Judaism itself, which can never tolerate the heresy of Zionism.
Zionism is wrong from the Torah viewpoint, not because many of its adherents are lax in practice or even anti-religious, but because its fundamental principle conflicts with the Torah.
Unfortunately, due to many undesirable factors, the view of Torah-true Jewry has been concealed from the general public."
- taken from http://www.jewsnotzionists.org/index.htm
Thank you very much...
Peace...
Monday, July 17, 2006
Syrian Bloggers: Today, we are all Lebanese
I
Today, we are all Lebanese.
Lebanon has been sentenced to death. On Wednesday 12 July, she was put in prison, and now she's being tortured.
Israel's war is with Lebanon's civilians, not Hizbollah. Nearly every person killed has been a civilian. Power stations, bridges and petrol stations have been targeted. Israel has warned residents to get out of certain villages, but bombed roads to make it difficult - and refugee
convoys have been picked out for deadly air raids.
And getting out of the country is impossible now too. The airport has been destroyed, the sea ports are blockaded, and the border posts and highways have been razed to the ground.
Lebanon is held hostage to the angry Israeli war machine. And now more than ever, Syrians bloggers, just like every Syrian stand by her.
Another generation of Lebanese will know nothing but war. We can't let this happen, Again.
Today, we are all Lebanese.Lebanon has been sentenced to death. On Wednesday 12 July, she was put in prison, and now she's being tortured.
Israel's war is with Lebanon's civilians, not Hizbollah. Nearly every person killed has been a civilian. Power stations, bridges and petrol stations have been targeted. Israel has warned residents to get out of certain villages, but bombed roads to make it difficult - and refugee
convoys have been picked out for deadly air raids.And getting out of the country is impossible now too. The airport has been destroyed, the sea ports are blockaded, and the border posts and highways have been razed to the ground.
Lebanon is held hostage to the angry Israeli war machine. And now more than ever, Syrians bloggers, just like every Syrian stand by her.Another generation of Lebanese will know nothing but war. We can't let this happen, Again.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Bridging the Gap Through Children
Hello once again Syrians... I need a HUGE favor from any Syria that is willing to help. So here goes...
I've been told that there are a group of Danish people (A reporter, photographer, school teacher and a musician) are coming to Syria to learn about Syrian children culture.
These Danes are trying to create a program that can be taught in Danish schools. They want to have a CD of Arabic children's music and a book about Arab Children with pictures. This is used to bridge the gap between the two cultures. They want to show there is no difference between Arabs and the Westerners.
They are traveling all over the Middle East and now they are in Syria till Thursday night (July 13th)... They want to meet with families to get material for the book they're working on. Do you know of any families with young children that are willing to meet with them?
If you are interested or know anybody that can help or need to know more information you can email me at stellar101@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you guys soon...
Salamat...
I've been told that there are a group of Danish people (A reporter, photographer, school teacher and a musician) are coming to Syria to learn about Syrian children culture.
These Danes are trying to create a program that can be taught in Danish schools. They want to have a CD of Arabic children's music and a book about Arab Children with pictures. This is used to bridge the gap between the two cultures. They want to show there is no difference between Arabs and the Westerners.
They are traveling all over the Middle East and now they are in Syria till Thursday night (July 13th)... They want to meet with families to get material for the book they're working on. Do you know of any families with young children that are willing to meet with them?
If you are interested or know anybody that can help or need to know more information you can email me at stellar101@gmail.com
Hope to hear from you guys soon...
Salamat...
Sunday, July 09, 2006
A New Muslim...
When a devoted Muslim receives this kind of email, he/she will be beyond ecstatic and I mean beyond the believable.
Sobhan Allah, I met this lady who wrote me this email, as you see below, on Couch Surfing... She is traveling to Syria and neighboring countries to learn about Islam since she already started to learn for a while now and now wanted to check out Islamic countries. I had to help her out it every way possible. So I contacted her and after a few emails, some chatting on MSN messenger and answering a few questions of hers, I got this email, ElHamdullah (Thank God)
Well Sara ...
Something truly amazing happened to me today!
I said out loud the Shahada and really believed what I was saying!
Next week I start a new placement for 4 weeks ... do you believe this ... there is a Mosque on the same road as where I'm working ... that can't be a coincidence ... so I'm going to contact them and ask for their advice on what to do next (I'm not going to tell my family for the moment I've decided)!!!
I'm seriously happy for this lady and I can't wait till she comes to Syria to help her some more.
Sobhan Allah, I met this lady who wrote me this email, as you see below, on Couch Surfing... She is traveling to Syria and neighboring countries to learn about Islam since she already started to learn for a while now and now wanted to check out Islamic countries. I had to help her out it every way possible. So I contacted her and after a few emails, some chatting on MSN messenger and answering a few questions of hers, I got this email, ElHamdullah (Thank God)
Well Sara ...
Something truly amazing happened to me today!
I said out loud the Shahada and really believed what I was saying!
Next week I start a new placement for 4 weeks ... do you believe this ... there is a Mosque on the same road as where I'm working ... that can't be a coincidence ... so I'm going to contact them and ask for their advice on what to do next (I'm not going to tell my family for the moment I've decided)!!!
I'm seriously happy for this lady and I can't wait till she comes to Syria to help her some more.
Monday, July 03, 2006
Black Flag
A black flag hangs over the "rolling" operation in Gaza. The more the operation "rolls," the darker the flag becomes. The "summer rains" we are showering on Gaza are not only pointless, but are first and foremost blatantly illegitimate. It is not legitimate to cut off 750,000 people from electricity. It is not legitimate to call on 20,000 people to run from their homes and turn their towns into ghost towns. It is not legitimate to penetrate Syria's airspace. It is not legitimate to kidnap half a government and a quarter of a parliament.
A state that takes such steps is no longer distinguishable from a terror organization. The harsher the steps, the more monstrous and stupid they become, the more the moral underpinnings for them are removed and the stronger the impression that the Israeli government has lost its nerve. Now one must hope that the weekend lull, whether initiated by Egypt or the prime minister, and in any case to the dismay of Channel 2's Roni Daniel and the IDF, will lead to a radical change.
Everything must be done to win Gilad Shalit's release. What we are doing now in Gaza has nothing to do with freeing him. It is a widescale act of vengeance, the kind that the IDF and Shin Bet have wanted to conduct for some time, mostly motivated by the deep frustration that the army commanders feel about their impotence against the Qassams and the daring Palestinian guerilla raid. There's a huge gap between the army unleashing its frustration and a clever and legitimate operation to free the kidnapped soldier.
To prevent the army from running as amok as it would like, a strong and judicious political echelon is required. But facing off against the frustrated army is Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz's tyro regime, weak and happless. Until the weekend lull, it appeared that each step proposed by the army and Shin Bet had been immediately approved for backing. That does not bode well, not only for the chances of freeing Shalit, but also for the future management of the government, which is being revealed to be as weak as the Hamas government.
The only wise and restrained voice heard so far was that of the soldier's father, Noam Shalit, of all people. That noble man called at what is clearly his most difficult hour, not for stridency and not for further damage done to the lives of soldiers and innocent Palestinians. Against the background of the IDF's unrestrained actions and the arrogant bragging of the latest macho spokesmen, Maj. Gen. Yoav Gallant of the Southern Command and Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, Shalit's father's voice stood out like a voice crying in the wilderness.
Sending tens of thousands of miserable inhabitants running from their homes, dozens of kilometers from where his son is supposedly hidden, and cutting off the electricity to hundreds of thousands of others, is certainly not what he meant in his understated emotional pleas. It's a shame nobody is listening to him, of all people.
The legitimate basis for the IDF's operation was stripped away the moment it began. It's no accident that nobody mentions the day before the attack on the Kerem Shalom fort, when the IDF kidnapped two civilians, a doctor and his brother, from their home in Gaza. The difference between us and them? We kidnapped civilians and they captured a soldier, we are a state and they are a terror organization. How ridiculously pathetic Amos Gilad sounds when he says that the capture of Shalit was "illegitimate and illegal," unlike when the IDF grabs civilians from their homes. How can a senior official in the defense ministry claim that "the head of the snake" is in Damascus, when the IDF uses the exact same methods?
True, when the IDF and Shin Bet grab civilians from their homes - and they do so often - it is not to murder them later. But sometimes they are killed on the doorsteps of their homes, although it is not necessary, and sometimes they are grabbed to serve as "bargaining chips," like in Lebanon and now, with the Palestinian legislators. What an uproar there would be if the Palestinians had grabbed half the members of the Israeli government. How would we label them?
Collective punishment is illegitimate and it does not have a smidgeon of intelligence. Where will the inhabitants of Beit Hanun run? With typical hardheartedness the military reporters say they were not "expelled" but that it was "recommended" they leave, for the benefit, of course, of those running for their lives. And what will this inhumane step lead to? Support for the Israeli government? Their enlistment as informants and collaborators for the Shin Bet? Can the miserable farmers of Beit Hanun and Beit Lahia do anything about the Qassam rocket-launching cells? Will bombing an already destroyed airport do anything to free the soldier or was it just to decorate the headlines?
Did anyone think about what would have happened if Syrian planes had managed to down one of the Israeli planes that brazenly buzzed their president's palace? Would we have declared war on Syria? Another "legitimate war"? Will the blackout of Gaza bring down the Hamas government or cause the population to rally around it? And even if the Hamas government falls, as Washington wants, what will happen on the day after? These are questions for which nobody has any real answers. As usual here: Quiet, we're shooting. But this time we are not only shooting. We are bombing and shelling, darkening and destroying, imposing a siege and kidnapping like the worst of terrorists and nobody breaks the silence to ask, what the hell for, and according to what right?
- Gideon Levy
A state that takes such steps is no longer distinguishable from a terror organization. The harsher the steps, the more monstrous and stupid they become, the more the moral underpinnings for them are removed and the stronger the impression that the Israeli government has lost its nerve. Now one must hope that the weekend lull, whether initiated by Egypt or the prime minister, and in any case to the dismay of Channel 2's Roni Daniel and the IDF, will lead to a radical change.
Everything must be done to win Gilad Shalit's release. What we are doing now in Gaza has nothing to do with freeing him. It is a widescale act of vengeance, the kind that the IDF and Shin Bet have wanted to conduct for some time, mostly motivated by the deep frustration that the army commanders feel about their impotence against the Qassams and the daring Palestinian guerilla raid. There's a huge gap between the army unleashing its frustration and a clever and legitimate operation to free the kidnapped soldier.
To prevent the army from running as amok as it would like, a strong and judicious political echelon is required. But facing off against the frustrated army is Ehud Olmert and Amir Peretz's tyro regime, weak and happless. Until the weekend lull, it appeared that each step proposed by the army and Shin Bet had been immediately approved for backing. That does not bode well, not only for the chances of freeing Shalit, but also for the future management of the government, which is being revealed to be as weak as the Hamas government.
The only wise and restrained voice heard so far was that of the soldier's father, Noam Shalit, of all people. That noble man called at what is clearly his most difficult hour, not for stridency and not for further damage done to the lives of soldiers and innocent Palestinians. Against the background of the IDF's unrestrained actions and the arrogant bragging of the latest macho spokesmen, Maj. Gen. Yoav Gallant of the Southern Command and Maj. Gen. (res.) Amos Gilad, Shalit's father's voice stood out like a voice crying in the wilderness.
Sending tens of thousands of miserable inhabitants running from their homes, dozens of kilometers from where his son is supposedly hidden, and cutting off the electricity to hundreds of thousands of others, is certainly not what he meant in his understated emotional pleas. It's a shame nobody is listening to him, of all people.
The legitimate basis for the IDF's operation was stripped away the moment it began. It's no accident that nobody mentions the day before the attack on the Kerem Shalom fort, when the IDF kidnapped two civilians, a doctor and his brother, from their home in Gaza. The difference between us and them? We kidnapped civilians and they captured a soldier, we are a state and they are a terror organization. How ridiculously pathetic Amos Gilad sounds when he says that the capture of Shalit was "illegitimate and illegal," unlike when the IDF grabs civilians from their homes. How can a senior official in the defense ministry claim that "the head of the snake" is in Damascus, when the IDF uses the exact same methods?
True, when the IDF and Shin Bet grab civilians from their homes - and they do so often - it is not to murder them later. But sometimes they are killed on the doorsteps of their homes, although it is not necessary, and sometimes they are grabbed to serve as "bargaining chips," like in Lebanon and now, with the Palestinian legislators. What an uproar there would be if the Palestinians had grabbed half the members of the Israeli government. How would we label them?
Collective punishment is illegitimate and it does not have a smidgeon of intelligence. Where will the inhabitants of Beit Hanun run? With typical hardheartedness the military reporters say they were not "expelled" but that it was "recommended" they leave, for the benefit, of course, of those running for their lives. And what will this inhumane step lead to? Support for the Israeli government? Their enlistment as informants and collaborators for the Shin Bet? Can the miserable farmers of Beit Hanun and Beit Lahia do anything about the Qassam rocket-launching cells? Will bombing an already destroyed airport do anything to free the soldier or was it just to decorate the headlines?
Did anyone think about what would have happened if Syrian planes had managed to down one of the Israeli planes that brazenly buzzed their president's palace? Would we have declared war on Syria? Another "legitimate war"? Will the blackout of Gaza bring down the Hamas government or cause the population to rally around it? And even if the Hamas government falls, as Washington wants, what will happen on the day after? These are questions for which nobody has any real answers. As usual here: Quiet, we're shooting. But this time we are not only shooting. We are bombing and shelling, darkening and destroying, imposing a siege and kidnapping like the worst of terrorists and nobody breaks the silence to ask, what the hell for, and according to what right?
- Gideon Levy
Friday, June 30, 2006
With my Own Two Hands
A while back I bought Jack Johnson's Curious George soundtrack when I was back in the UAE. It is by far one of the most beautiful albums my ears ever heard. The simple music, the striking lyrics and Jack Johnson's warm voice is just perfect for my taste of serenity. Another thing I find fascinating about the album is that it's perfect for kids to listen to it and learn from the lessons sung. One song in particular caught my attention; Ben Harper's "With My Own Two Hands"
The new version that was featured on this album just expresses what I've been trying to express all my life. It simply is me and all I want to be. I just love the straightforwardness of the music and lyrics.
I can change the word
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I'm going to help the human race
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you've got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
If children learn to sing along to that and learn this priceless virtue of knowing that we can able to work together to make a better place on earth, then this song would've done it's purpose.
Of course, along with our two hands, help and guidance from Allah (SWT) would be just an extraordinary combination to make this world a better place. For the creator of mankind and the universe knows best and has all power to give us strength to make things happen for us and the world around us.
The new version that was featured on this album just expresses what I've been trying to express all my life. It simply is me and all I want to be. I just love the straightforwardness of the music and lyrics.
I can change the word
With my own two hands
Make it a better place
With my own two hands
Make it a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a brighter place
With my own two hands
I'm going to make it a safer place
With my own two hands
I'm going to help the human race
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you've got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
If children learn to sing along to that and learn this priceless virtue of knowing that we can able to work together to make a better place on earth, then this song would've done it's purpose.
Of course, along with our two hands, help and guidance from Allah (SWT) would be just an extraordinary combination to make this world a better place. For the creator of mankind and the universe knows best and has all power to give us strength to make things happen for us and the world around us.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
What now?
Every experience comes with a lesson but I still haven't figured this one experience out yet. When I first started out in my current job I was beyond ecstatic. It was my dream job I've ever imagined. Everything was going great. My boss was the greatest, the nature of my work was amazing, the timing was just the best. I couldn't ask for better.
Now I can't help but wonder. I moved from the UAE especially to get that kind of job here in Syria. Since I was freelance and I've been not doing anything for over a month sitting at home doing nothing. Right before that I worked on an amazing and fun project. Most of the time before that, I'd be at home doing nothing. I didn't travel to live alone, do nothing and get no paycheck at the end of the month. This is getting to be a seriously frustrating situation. If I'm not productive and actually accomplishing something, I'm not going to be a happy person.I am the kind that needs to see that my work is making some sort of difference in the world. When I feel I'm stuck going nowhere, I go crazy and freak out. Being unemployed and unproductive is out of the question.
One of things that I despise is sitting doing nothing. I feel useless and worthless. All my insecurities come bursting out. It's actually physically painful. I can't even sleep well at night. I know this might sound like I'm exaggerating but I'm not.
I have no idea what to do next. I have a choice to go back to college for year to get my BA. I even applied for a job in the same college, maybe I can work and finish my studies, so I won't lose any time on getting working experience.
Since I didn't get to go to Egypt a few weeks ago, I still need to go there to check out work and Insha'Allah (If God Permits it) I'll be able to start my career there as either a musician or Audio Engineer or anything in the field. I know people there that might be able to help me out to at least know where to apply. That's the least I ask for.
We'll see how all this would go. I just need prayers and good positive vibes from all people that care. I desperately need it.
I pray for guidance.
I pray for solace.
I pray for assurance.
I pray for strength.
I pray for faith.
Now I can't help but wonder. I moved from the UAE especially to get that kind of job here in Syria. Since I was freelance and I've been not doing anything for over a month sitting at home doing nothing. Right before that I worked on an amazing and fun project. Most of the time before that, I'd be at home doing nothing. I didn't travel to live alone, do nothing and get no paycheck at the end of the month. This is getting to be a seriously frustrating situation. If I'm not productive and actually accomplishing something, I'm not going to be a happy person.I am the kind that needs to see that my work is making some sort of difference in the world. When I feel I'm stuck going nowhere, I go crazy and freak out. Being unemployed and unproductive is out of the question.
One of things that I despise is sitting doing nothing. I feel useless and worthless. All my insecurities come bursting out. It's actually physically painful. I can't even sleep well at night. I know this might sound like I'm exaggerating but I'm not.
I have no idea what to do next. I have a choice to go back to college for year to get my BA. I even applied for a job in the same college, maybe I can work and finish my studies, so I won't lose any time on getting working experience.
Since I didn't get to go to Egypt a few weeks ago, I still need to go there to check out work and Insha'Allah (If God Permits it) I'll be able to start my career there as either a musician or Audio Engineer or anything in the field. I know people there that might be able to help me out to at least know where to apply. That's the least I ask for.
We'll see how all this would go. I just need prayers and good positive vibes from all people that care. I desperately need it.
I pray for guidance.
I pray for solace.
I pray for assurance.
I pray for strength.
I pray for faith.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Coming back Early...
Here I am coming back much earlier to Syria a lot earlier than I thought. I really don't want to come back and live my old disgusting routine. The only thing that'll make this a lot easier is that my mom is coming down and would be staying till August. That should take some crap off of me.
I still have seriously mixed feeling towards Syria. My job situation isn't getting any better and I don't think staying in that company is going to do me much in developing my career sitting at home most of the time doing nothing. I get no pay and I learn jack.
I've decided to go back to college next year. I'll be moving once again, this time to either London or Dubai (haven't decided yet) for a year to get my audio engineering BA. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a job as well at SAE (School of Audio Engineering) That way I wouldn't miss out on the working experience while I'm in that year of college. What happens once I graduate, I'm not too sure yet. A friend of mine told me that there might be a new Islamic Entertainment satellite channel opening by that time. I think I might apply for a job there and see where that takes me.
Other than that, I still have to talk to people I know about my music, maybe I can get that going as well. I think it'll be amazing if I get it published. My trip to Egypt is postponed but doesn't mean I can't talk to other people who might be help me who know other people. I'll see where all this might lead me.
I just need to find a really awesome web designer to start my own website where I can promote my own music. I have some cool ideas that might get this going. Woohoo. I'm getting all excited just thinking about it. Well good luck for me and in God's will all would work out in the end.
I still have seriously mixed feeling towards Syria. My job situation isn't getting any better and I don't think staying in that company is going to do me much in developing my career sitting at home most of the time doing nothing. I get no pay and I learn jack.
I've decided to go back to college next year. I'll be moving once again, this time to either London or Dubai (haven't decided yet) for a year to get my audio engineering BA. Hopefully, I'll be able to get a job as well at SAE (School of Audio Engineering) That way I wouldn't miss out on the working experience while I'm in that year of college. What happens once I graduate, I'm not too sure yet. A friend of mine told me that there might be a new Islamic Entertainment satellite channel opening by that time. I think I might apply for a job there and see where that takes me.
Other than that, I still have to talk to people I know about my music, maybe I can get that going as well. I think it'll be amazing if I get it published. My trip to Egypt is postponed but doesn't mean I can't talk to other people who might be help me who know other people. I'll see where all this might lead me.
I just need to find a really awesome web designer to start my own website where I can promote my own music. I have some cool ideas that might get this going. Woohoo. I'm getting all excited just thinking about it. Well good luck for me and in God's will all would work out in the end.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Silly Coincidence.
I know this might be silly to share but I just thought I'd share the coincidence. I was searching for some info about what movies theaters are playing the Da Vinci Code here in the UAE and I got this from an English teaching site that I found while searching online. The Ironic thing is that I bought a new CD, actually 3 CD's, the other day I am going to Africa soon. Hehehehe...
infinitive of purpose
The infinitive with to is used to talk about people's purposes, the reasons why they do things.
*Sara is going to the shop to buy a new CD. (= because she wants to buy a new CD)
* I'm going to Africa to have a vacation. (= because I want to have a vacation)
Do not use "for" before the infinitive of purpose!
* Sara is going to the shop for to buy a new CD.
* I'm going to Africa for to have a vacation
infinitive of purpose
The infinitive with to is used to talk about people's purposes, the reasons why they do things.
*Sara is going to the shop to buy a new CD. (= because she wants to buy a new CD)
* I'm going to Africa to have a vacation. (= because I want to have a vacation)
Do not use "for" before the infinitive of purpose!
* Sara is going to the shop for to buy a new CD.
* I'm going to Africa for to have a vacation
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Finally
So the day has finally come... I'm actually going back to the UAE to visit my parents and my kitties. YAY!! Oddly enough, I'm traveling in 8 hours and I still didn't pack. Bleh... I really don't like it. It's a drag. Well, it's a good thing that I don't have much to pack.
Everything is good. Finally found a home for my little rascal, my place is sorta tidy. It'll be more tidy once I pack my stuff that is all over the place.
YAY!! I'm excited and very sleepy.. Hence I can't think of anything to write.
So good nigh
Zzzzzz....
Everything is good. Finally found a home for my little rascal, my place is sorta tidy. It'll be more tidy once I pack my stuff that is all over the place.
YAY!! I'm excited and very sleepy.. Hence I can't think of anything to write.
So good nigh
Zzzzzz....
Monday, May 22, 2006
My Conclusion.
Human nature is quite interesting with all its complexes. I've been surprising myself how I'm really aware of how I'm behaving and why I am behaving the way I am. It's not good enough though. I'm being reactive more than proactive simply because, it's easier to handle even though I know that the consequences are relentless. Maybe it's something I'm used to and is what everybody around me seems to be doing. I guess, I'm just comfortable, not really absorbing the concept of the consequence.
One of things thing I really am not enjoy in particular is letting my anger out on somebody who doesn't deserve it at all. It's all because I don't feel he understands. I have to explain everything to him thoroughly again and again. Then I don't know how I end up listening about his things. This guy is one of the most loving human beings on earth but I need more. I feel disconnected as it is and he doesn't know how to deal with my situation. So why am I mad at him in particular? It's because of me. I expect too much of him. I know he's doing the best he can and I seriously appreciate it but I need more.
My feelings of loneliness is turning into anger. According to a therapist I once talked to, that is a good thing. Anger is one of the signs of being fed up and when I'm fed up, I'll actually do something about it to make things better if I'm in a positive state of mind otherwise I'll be a disaster. That is unlikely in my opinion. I just wish it didn't involve me pushing the people that care about away from me. I do have a habit of doing that. It's either I don't want to them to see me weak because of the fear they might leave or that I feel they are not giving me what I need so they get fed up and they leave.
Wow!! As I am typing this, I figured the problem... I'm afraid of people leaving me because that is what usually happens. So what do I do? I push them away before I get too attached then they leave. Quite interesting observation. I should be my own therapist. hehehe.. Yeah, I just don't know what to do about it though... I'm sure within time, I'll get it right.
One of things thing I really am not enjoy in particular is letting my anger out on somebody who doesn't deserve it at all. It's all because I don't feel he understands. I have to explain everything to him thoroughly again and again. Then I don't know how I end up listening about his things. This guy is one of the most loving human beings on earth but I need more. I feel disconnected as it is and he doesn't know how to deal with my situation. So why am I mad at him in particular? It's because of me. I expect too much of him. I know he's doing the best he can and I seriously appreciate it but I need more.
My feelings of loneliness is turning into anger. According to a therapist I once talked to, that is a good thing. Anger is one of the signs of being fed up and when I'm fed up, I'll actually do something about it to make things better if I'm in a positive state of mind otherwise I'll be a disaster. That is unlikely in my opinion. I just wish it didn't involve me pushing the people that care about away from me. I do have a habit of doing that. It's either I don't want to them to see me weak because of the fear they might leave or that I feel they are not giving me what I need so they get fed up and they leave.
Wow!! As I am typing this, I figured the problem... I'm afraid of people leaving me because that is what usually happens. So what do I do? I push them away before I get too attached then they leave. Quite interesting observation. I should be my own therapist. hehehe.. Yeah, I just don't know what to do about it though... I'm sure within time, I'll get it right.
Sunday, May 21, 2006
People come into your life for a reason
People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.
Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow or learn. They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it, it is real. But only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Sunday, May 14, 2006
The Importance of Mothers in Islam...
Here's a little something I thought I'd share with you guys. I believe it simply says it all about how in Islam we should take care of a woman before anything. Just to clear the misconceptions about women are not treated well in Islam.
One day a man came to see the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It seemed that he was trying to solve something but couldn't quite work it out. So he asked the Prophet. ''Tell me, O Prophet!'' I have many relatives and many friends whom I love, and whom I wish to care for and help. But I often find it difficult to decide which of them has the greatest claim upon me? Which of them should come first?'' The Prophet replied immediately, ''Your mother should come first and before all others.''
The man was very pleased to have this clear guidance from the Prophet. But of course there were all his other relatives and his friends, so he asked ''and after my mother, who has the greatest claim upon me?'' The Prophet's reply this second time surprised him. ''Your mother!'' he said again.
The man wondered why the Prophet was repeating himself. Perhaps he had not spoken clearly, the man thought, so he asked the question again, ''What I want to know is, after my mother, who has the greatest claim upon me? Again the Prophet said ''your mother!''
Your mother, your mother, your mother!
The Prophet had now said it three times. Slowly, the man realized why he had done so. ''The Prophet means that my mother is extremely important, so much so that my duty to her must be stressed over and over again. Even so, the man's thoughts ran on, ''what about all the others I love and wish to care for?'' Still uncertain and wanting to know more, he once again turned to the Prophet and said, ''and after my mother, who comes after her? Is there anyone besides her?'' The Prophet then replied ''after your mother, your father.'' ''And then?'' asked the man. ''Then people who are nearest to you,'' said the Prophet. Allah's peace and blessings be upon the Prophet.
One day a man came to see the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. It seemed that he was trying to solve something but couldn't quite work it out. So he asked the Prophet. ''Tell me, O Prophet!'' I have many relatives and many friends whom I love, and whom I wish to care for and help. But I often find it difficult to decide which of them has the greatest claim upon me? Which of them should come first?'' The Prophet replied immediately, ''Your mother should come first and before all others.''
The man was very pleased to have this clear guidance from the Prophet. But of course there were all his other relatives and his friends, so he asked ''and after my mother, who has the greatest claim upon me?'' The Prophet's reply this second time surprised him. ''Your mother!'' he said again.
The man wondered why the Prophet was repeating himself. Perhaps he had not spoken clearly, the man thought, so he asked the question again, ''What I want to know is, after my mother, who has the greatest claim upon me? Again the Prophet said ''your mother!''
Your mother, your mother, your mother!
The Prophet had now said it three times. Slowly, the man realized why he had done so. ''The Prophet means that my mother is extremely important, so much so that my duty to her must be stressed over and over again. Even so, the man's thoughts ran on, ''what about all the others I love and wish to care for?'' Still uncertain and wanting to know more, he once again turned to the Prophet and said, ''and after my mother, who comes after her? Is there anyone besides her?'' The Prophet then replied ''after your mother, your father.'' ''And then?'' asked the man. ''Then people who are nearest to you,'' said the Prophet. Allah's peace and blessings be upon the Prophet.
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Calling out people in Syria...
Hello readers in Syria...
I terribly need your help. I have this really cute kitten that needs a good home. He's lively and cute... I trained him myself and I took care of him myself. So he's in great condition...
The reason why I'm leaving is because I'm leaving the place I'm staying at and can't take the cat with me. So please please please, if anybody wants him please let me know as soon as possible because I'm leaving in 2 weeks and I can't put this kitten in the streets.
If anybody is interested or know somebody that might be please let me know. For people outside of Syria, I really wish I can ship him to you.email me at
stellar101@gmail.com
Thank you and I hope to hear from you really soon.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
True Love...
I just realized that true love does not die no matter what. When I was living back in the US I had friend that I only loved with all my heart. He was one of the most amazing human beings on earth. The sweetest, the hottest, the most loving, the most gentle human being I've ever known. His name, Mikel Cunha.
It all started back in 1999 in English class. He forgot his book so I shared mine with him. He kept dropping his pen and kept apologizing to me for the distraction. I wasn't bothered though, I thought it was cute. At that moment, for some reason I knew, I just knew, that something special is going to develop between us.
One day I was taking part of an International fair and who do I see walking around, not the least, it was Mike. He saw me and was surprised to see me all dressed up in Traditional Syrian wear. He came up to me and started talking. He mention something about him wanting to go to California to pursue his acting career. Ironically, I wanted to check out California for my music career. So that's when we exchanged numbers. We were 2 people who wanted to share their goals together. From then it a beautiful friendship has started. We joined the drama club together and let me tell ya, he is one good actor. He sure did convince me.
Then few months later, he simply dropped from the face of the earth. I stopped hearing from him and I for some reason, I never tried to contact him. Then a year later I was walking in a corridor at college and who do I bump into? No one but Mike. I was ecstatic to see him. I gave him my new number and ever since then we've been closer than ever.
I have a few wonderful memories of him. Like one I had the cancer scare he took me out to let me forget and just was the most loving human being. Drove me around Boston, and just showed me a wonderful time. Another when we were acting together, when I went over his place when he was taking part of this local reality TV show in Boston. When I was freaking out about not being able to stay in the US after 9/11, he actually offered to marry me, to keep me in the country. I remember him saying, "we're a team we need to follow our dreams in California together."
Obviously that never happened and when I couldn't go back to the US, I kicked myself in the head for not accepting. Oh well, that is what's meant to happen. I can't complain now. Anyways, so we exchanged emails since then we just lost contact again. About a year later when I was living in Malaysia I contacted him and we had a great talk. This guy just always knew how to show how much he cared. As it is I missed him terribly and that was the last time I heard from him.
It has been 3 years since we talked. Finally after trying to attempt to contact him, I get an email from a friend of mine, Blake that he has contacted him for me. Oh man, for the past few months I was suffering. I was worried sick about Mike because I hadn't heard from him for ever, I didn't know his email addy, I kept getting weird dreams about him and last but not least I couldn't when I called his home, his mom for some odd reason told me that I got the wrong number. I guess she thought I was some stalker or something. hehehe...
This is what Blake had to say in his email when he contacted Mike:
"He sounded very nice and sort of surprised yes. He asked if I was calling for Sara from the Middle East and sounded relieved when he realized I meant you. I told him you had called once and was told he did not live there anymore and that it obviously seems much harder to track someone down stateside when you are so far away. He asked where you are now and said he had not heard from you since you were in Malaysia. I said I knew that, you had told me that was about 3 years ago. He really sounded like he wanted to get a hold of you. He did not sound at all like he was smoking BC Bud...He wanted my email address too and he was thankful and very pleasant indeed to speak with. I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship...I have an uber-smile for you Sara! Amazing what can turn up from chatting online twice, hey?!? "
So you can see, Mike still is thinking of me as well. Hehehehe... Now that's what I call true love. Both of us always knew that we had feelings for one another but we never did anything about it. We even discussed it. We didn't want to ruing the special friendship that we had. Well, I believe it's good that nothing happened. It only makes our relationship even more special. We never held back to tell the other how we love each other. In matter of facts his last words to me were "I love you" Of course, it's not in the sense romantically, it's said in the most innocent and loving way... It's a seriously close friendship kinda thing.
It hasn't happened yet but now we're going to be in touch again and I'm happy beyond words. I just thought I'd share this heaven like experience. What makes it odd is that Blake is a cool Canadian that I met on Couch Surfing . I never met him personally and still was able to make this sad little girl's decade :D The ironic thing is that, Mike and I had an mutual friend and I contacted him so he can help me out but nothing has happened. He told me that he'll contact Mike but that never happened. While Blake, the min he knew about the story, he tried to contact him and the next day he sends me the email telling me, it was a great success.
Sometimes, strangers are better than the people you've known for years and claim that they care about you. That's life for ya. Well, all I care now is that Mike and I are going to be in touch again and I'm super thrilled.
Thank you BLAKE!!!
It all started back in 1999 in English class. He forgot his book so I shared mine with him. He kept dropping his pen and kept apologizing to me for the distraction. I wasn't bothered though, I thought it was cute. At that moment, for some reason I knew, I just knew, that something special is going to develop between us.
One day I was taking part of an International fair and who do I see walking around, not the least, it was Mike. He saw me and was surprised to see me all dressed up in Traditional Syrian wear. He came up to me and started talking. He mention something about him wanting to go to California to pursue his acting career. Ironically, I wanted to check out California for my music career. So that's when we exchanged numbers. We were 2 people who wanted to share their goals together. From then it a beautiful friendship has started. We joined the drama club together and let me tell ya, he is one good actor. He sure did convince me.
Then few months later, he simply dropped from the face of the earth. I stopped hearing from him and I for some reason, I never tried to contact him. Then a year later I was walking in a corridor at college and who do I bump into? No one but Mike. I was ecstatic to see him. I gave him my new number and ever since then we've been closer than ever.
I have a few wonderful memories of him. Like one I had the cancer scare he took me out to let me forget and just was the most loving human being. Drove me around Boston, and just showed me a wonderful time. Another when we were acting together, when I went over his place when he was taking part of this local reality TV show in Boston. When I was freaking out about not being able to stay in the US after 9/11, he actually offered to marry me, to keep me in the country. I remember him saying, "we're a team we need to follow our dreams in California together."
Obviously that never happened and when I couldn't go back to the US, I kicked myself in the head for not accepting. Oh well, that is what's meant to happen. I can't complain now. Anyways, so we exchanged emails since then we just lost contact again. About a year later when I was living in Malaysia I contacted him and we had a great talk. This guy just always knew how to show how much he cared. As it is I missed him terribly and that was the last time I heard from him.
It has been 3 years since we talked. Finally after trying to attempt to contact him, I get an email from a friend of mine, Blake that he has contacted him for me. Oh man, for the past few months I was suffering. I was worried sick about Mike because I hadn't heard from him for ever, I didn't know his email addy, I kept getting weird dreams about him and last but not least I couldn't when I called his home, his mom for some odd reason told me that I got the wrong number. I guess she thought I was some stalker or something. hehehe...
This is what Blake had to say in his email when he contacted Mike:
"He sounded very nice and sort of surprised yes. He asked if I was calling for Sara from the Middle East and sounded relieved when he realized I meant you. I told him you had called once and was told he did not live there anymore and that it obviously seems much harder to track someone down stateside when you are so far away. He asked where you are now and said he had not heard from you since you were in Malaysia. I said I knew that, you had told me that was about 3 years ago. He really sounded like he wanted to get a hold of you. He did not sound at all like he was smoking BC Bud...He wanted my email address too and he was thankful and very pleasant indeed to speak with. I think this is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship...I have an uber-smile for you Sara! Amazing what can turn up from chatting online twice, hey?!? "
So you can see, Mike still is thinking of me as well. Hehehehe... Now that's what I call true love. Both of us always knew that we had feelings for one another but we never did anything about it. We even discussed it. We didn't want to ruing the special friendship that we had. Well, I believe it's good that nothing happened. It only makes our relationship even more special. We never held back to tell the other how we love each other. In matter of facts his last words to me were "I love you" Of course, it's not in the sense romantically, it's said in the most innocent and loving way... It's a seriously close friendship kinda thing.
It hasn't happened yet but now we're going to be in touch again and I'm happy beyond words. I just thought I'd share this heaven like experience. What makes it odd is that Blake is a cool Canadian that I met on Couch Surfing . I never met him personally and still was able to make this sad little girl's decade :D The ironic thing is that, Mike and I had an mutual friend and I contacted him so he can help me out but nothing has happened. He told me that he'll contact Mike but that never happened. While Blake, the min he knew about the story, he tried to contact him and the next day he sends me the email telling me, it was a great success.
Sometimes, strangers are better than the people you've known for years and claim that they care about you. That's life for ya. Well, all I care now is that Mike and I are going to be in touch again and I'm super thrilled.
Thank you BLAKE!!!
Thursday, May 04, 2006
To love or not to Love?
For the past few days I've been thinking about my homeland. Well, since I've never lived here before, I'm thinking about in a whole new perspective. I've always loved Syria. It's filled with history and there are the simple fun social activities and the volunteer work etc...
Well, before I moved to Damascus, I was seriously in LOVE with Syria, especially last year. Everything about her was beautiful to me. He streets, her people, her nature her hsitory. Just simply every little thing. Maybe because last year I was in love with somebody from here that I was ready to devote my whole life to. I have no idea.. It's weird how we associate the love of a person to the places and things that has nothing to do with him/her directly.
When I was in Malaysia, all I wanted is to be in Syria... Something I never really felt in my life. The urge, the passion. I would look at pics of Syria and just yearn to be here. Mind you, I didn't know much people. Just that one guy and family.
The day finally came and I finally moved to Syria. At first I was gleaming with excitement and just was having the best time of my life. Then a dosage of reality hit me. I've been warned not to live here and a lot of people are moving out of here because they are miserable. I figured, that I should be fine.
Well, now things are weird. I don't know if I should love living in this country or hate it. The reasons why I still love this country are the same and a few extra things. I met wonderful people here who introduced me to a whole new experience I never thought I'd ever find here in Syria. One of my dearest friends to my heart Amr, has introduced to me to volunteer work here. That just made my life a whole lot better. We'd hang out and just have a ball. I've never met anybody like him in my life. There are the other bloggers as well, like Ayman, Zena, Sinan etc... They have been very wonderful.
I'll just put this in point form...
Why I love Syria:
1) The social simple life
2) The volunteer activities
3) My friends
4) The history of the country
5) The nature of this country.
6) Weird enough, my job.
Why I hate Syria:
1) The complicated part of social scene
2) Nothing is easy here.
3) Nothing is organized
4) Nothing is stable
5) People here in general
6) My job.
You might wonder how on earth do I have the same things on both my love and hate list. Well, it's simple.
I love being social with my friends and family, I can be somewhat myself. Then what I hate is I can't be 100% myself. I feel that there's something in me being surpressed and I'm often misunderstood.
My job, well. I love what I do for a job but I hate the fact, I'm a freelance audio engineer. I don't have a salary, I get paid for each project I do. Sometimes there aren't any projects and I stay home do nothing and get bored. Simply, I don't feel stable in this job at all.
I feel this seriously annoying inncer conflict. I want to go back to the UAE to be at least living with family instead of living completey alone in this one bedroom apartment. I get seriously lonely. It's depressing to walk into my place and there's nobody there to greet me and when I leave, nobody to say goodbye to. It sad, that not many come over even though I do invite them. I have no idea why.
I guess what it comes down to is that I just need something special and steady in my life. Or I just need to stop bitching and adjust to this. I have no idea... I just think, we're suppose to develop and be better and by adjusting to the chaos I feel I'll need to be unstable and chaotic. I want to improve not become worse. I have no idea what do honestly.
When you have lived in totally different environments, I think you'd become complicated. lol I don't know. I think I just need to finish a year experience of work then move back to the UAE to finish my education as I work. That is my back up plan. If my original plan works out this summer, I'll be in great condition and I'll be floating from happiness... Let's see how all this would work out.
Well, before I moved to Damascus, I was seriously in LOVE with Syria, especially last year. Everything about her was beautiful to me. He streets, her people, her nature her hsitory. Just simply every little thing. Maybe because last year I was in love with somebody from here that I was ready to devote my whole life to. I have no idea.. It's weird how we associate the love of a person to the places and things that has nothing to do with him/her directly.
When I was in Malaysia, all I wanted is to be in Syria... Something I never really felt in my life. The urge, the passion. I would look at pics of Syria and just yearn to be here. Mind you, I didn't know much people. Just that one guy and family.
The day finally came and I finally moved to Syria. At first I was gleaming with excitement and just was having the best time of my life. Then a dosage of reality hit me. I've been warned not to live here and a lot of people are moving out of here because they are miserable. I figured, that I should be fine.
Well, now things are weird. I don't know if I should love living in this country or hate it. The reasons why I still love this country are the same and a few extra things. I met wonderful people here who introduced me to a whole new experience I never thought I'd ever find here in Syria. One of my dearest friends to my heart Amr, has introduced to me to volunteer work here. That just made my life a whole lot better. We'd hang out and just have a ball. I've never met anybody like him in my life. There are the other bloggers as well, like Ayman, Zena, Sinan etc... They have been very wonderful.
I'll just put this in point form...
Why I love Syria:
1) The social simple life
2) The volunteer activities
3) My friends
4) The history of the country
5) The nature of this country.
6) Weird enough, my job.
Why I hate Syria:
1) The complicated part of social scene
2) Nothing is easy here.
3) Nothing is organized
4) Nothing is stable
5) People here in general
6) My job.
You might wonder how on earth do I have the same things on both my love and hate list. Well, it's simple.
I love being social with my friends and family, I can be somewhat myself. Then what I hate is I can't be 100% myself. I feel that there's something in me being surpressed and I'm often misunderstood.
My job, well. I love what I do for a job but I hate the fact, I'm a freelance audio engineer. I don't have a salary, I get paid for each project I do. Sometimes there aren't any projects and I stay home do nothing and get bored. Simply, I don't feel stable in this job at all.
I feel this seriously annoying inncer conflict. I want to go back to the UAE to be at least living with family instead of living completey alone in this one bedroom apartment. I get seriously lonely. It's depressing to walk into my place and there's nobody there to greet me and when I leave, nobody to say goodbye to. It sad, that not many come over even though I do invite them. I have no idea why.
I guess what it comes down to is that I just need something special and steady in my life. Or I just need to stop bitching and adjust to this. I have no idea... I just think, we're suppose to develop and be better and by adjusting to the chaos I feel I'll need to be unstable and chaotic. I want to improve not become worse. I have no idea what do honestly.
When you have lived in totally different environments, I think you'd become complicated. lol I don't know. I think I just need to finish a year experience of work then move back to the UAE to finish my education as I work. That is my back up plan. If my original plan works out this summer, I'll be in great condition and I'll be floating from happiness... Let's see how all this would work out.
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