The Dinner Game

Also known as Le Diner de Cons. I've just finished watching this movie, but there is no way to explain how much I laughed during it. This is one of the funniest movies I have seen in several months ... I really advise you to try to rent it. Enjoy.

posted by Lazarus, 9:58 PM 3 comments

Fisk

Robert Fisk has a great article in which he says

For as someone who has to look at the eviscerated corpses of Palestine and Israel, the murdered bodies in the garbage heaps of Iraq, the young women shot through the head in the Baghdad morgue, I can only shake my head in disbelief at the sheer, unadulterated, lazy bullshit - let’s call a spade a spade - which is currently emerging from our great leaders.
...
But today we seem to live on two levels: reality and myth. Let’s start with the reality
...
Alas. Like Peter Pan, our leaders wish to be forever young, forever childish, and forever ready to play in their bloodless sandpits - at our expense.

He also has an interesting article about the normalization of relations between Gulf States and Israel. Of course, this doesn't always reflect the people's desires.

*As a sidenote - for those who do live in the Bay Area (California), Robert Fisk is going to give a lecture on November the 20th.

posted by Lazarus, 6:57 AM 1 comments

With Regards to the Previous Post

As I mention below, Ibrahim Al-Amine was banned for the reason I have listed. He has now been allowed to actually republish under his name again, something he had been prevented from doing for the past several weeks. You can read his latest article here.

posted by Lazarus, 7:45 PM 1 comments

On Lebanon's Loss

Several days ago, I asked the question :

Is it true that Ibrahim Al-Amine, from Assafir, has been "banned" from writing?

Here’s a summary of the story.

Apparently, Amine was offered some money by someone to change the tone of his writings on key issues, one of which was Mehlis. They began using personal threats when he did not cooperate, to no avail. Talal Salman was then called. Salman was offered money and was reminded of the “sanctions” his paper suffered before the 2000 elections. Salman then banned Amine from actually writing his opinion piece.

So here’s the issue. If I was able to get this information, I can not convince myself that more important and better connected people don’t know about this. Yet nothing has been done. Nothing has been discussed. Why should it be? It is not related to big ideas. It has nothing to do with Arabism. It has nothing to do with fear of Western control. It has to do with us, our faults, our weaknesses, and our internal hypocrisies. There is no blaming Syria for this.

You can hold Salman accountable for actually giving in, but we should be realistic. The “sanctions” he was threatened with are unofficial ones, which basically entail stopping official ads, apparently a large source of revenue for newspapers, and pressuring private companies against advertising in Assafir.

Regardless of whom you blame, the end story is that a journalist was “silenced” because he opposed a certain powerful political force. This is the New Lebanon. This is the Lebanon we are building with our unifying hatred.

Many of my other posts were written with a nonchalant attitude of relative acceptance to what was happening and what is going to happen. This however, fueled my frustration at being a pawn. I was angry a few days ago, and even angrier today when I received the complete story.

Newspapers receive funding for political reasons. Journalists get paid to support a certain perspective. This isn’t news to any of us. But what is outrageous is the totalitarian control over simple rights and the blatant unilateralism certain groups are subjecting Lebanon to.

One of the greatest myths that Lebanese value is that Lebanon is a bastion of “freedom of speech”. In reality, it is travesty. I will not accept the argument that we are better than other Middle Eastern states – since when did better mean good enough? Furthermore, at least their citizens don’t harbor lies concerning this. And until we truly understand ourselves - until we remove our colored lenses - then there is nothing more to say, or do.

posted by Lazarus, 5:48 PM 1 comments

A Soldier

Not a sacred warrior,
Nor with a bayonet blessed by God,

Not even a human being,
Just a simple peasant….. a surrogate,
A sacrificial lamb, a frightened child,
Chosen by the rich to be an instrument of war,

A cold-blooded, battle-trained beast,
A mindless savage ordered to kill,

A molded piece of steel, an object……. a gear,
A very small cog in a far-reaching engine of death,
An insignificant fleck in the overall fabric of life,

A negligible notch on the handle of an enemy’s gun,
A mere afterthought for those who extol the wonders of war,
An unkempt grunt,
A lonely gutted, blood-spattered corpse lying on the ground,
Something like the trivial crush of dead dog on a lonely country road,
Dead meat…………. with a tin tag,

A sacred breath of life having been stripped from its mother’s womb,
A father’s pride…. his very best friend,
Someone whose name is Abdul, Mohammed, Ishmael, Ibrahim, or Hassan,
Or then again…….. perhaps even Mike, John, Mark, Eddy, Ben, or Bill,
A world diminished by the loss of another precious child!

- Doug Soderstrom

posted by Lazarus, 10:35 AM 0 comments

Hope vs. Reality

So, one of my recent posts (on Lebanon) had a hopeful tone to it. I think that was the result of writing and posting at midnight. I have tried to see the positive net sum … really. But I can’t help feel that everything going on is a zero-sum game (if not negative). Cooperation (even if it is self-serving), and not just competition, is the fundamental principle of game theory. Unlike the Von Neumann perspective – which aimed at such zero-sum games - John Nash developed a more complex equilibrium for multi-player games … which can be roughly applied by political analysts.

But why should we? We know better than that.

posted by Lazarus, 7:47 PM 0 comments

Sparkles in souls that had long been locked away came to in a surge of power as hands tried to reach the heavens. The horizon could finally be seen, the sky cloudless, the darkest holes in the darkest corners began to brim with water as past oppression dripped away. It was once that the streets had no shades, and the whispers no words, yet this surreal day finally painted all and made every murmur meaningful. Everywhere, the people turned their heads in all directions, soaking in this new life they were suddenly infinitely living. Even the lowly animals stood like kings as revelations of an afterlife dawned on them with indescribable comprehension. People felt strong. A new life was born. Windows were constantly open. Then, as summers came and winters past, the sun painfully dimmed, and burnt itself, as it slithered into the west pulling out a curtain behind it. The windows closed, and from that time hence, there was no light. There was no life. There was only the thought of the horizon that could no longer be seen, the sky that could no longer be placed. Dreams and hopes were shattered. Yet their pieces remained, waiting, waiting to be molded together.

posted by Lazarus, 7:46 PM 0 comments

Question

I wasn't going to ask this question here,but I haven't found much about it in the news, and the replies I got from some friends back home didn't answer much. Since it has been irritating me for a few days, here it is.

Is it true that Ibrahim Al-Amine, from Assafir, has been "banned" from writing?

If it is - then it is one of the ultimate travesties of Lebanese "freedom of speech". Will anything be done about it?

*Source - Angry Arab: here and here

posted by Lazarus, 11:23 AM 2 comments

As Always ...

... our "leaders" play to a crowd, and never to the country. More interestingly, they play with deep words (well, not really deep), such as zionist forces and imperialistice influences. Nasrallah did just that, among other things. He could have impressed Lebanon with his awaited speech, but didn't. Shame.

Update: The Daily Star editorial doesn't agree, and says that Nasrallah sent the world "all the right messages". Maybe. But there were certain things that were said, that could have been said differently.

posted by Lazarus, 7:43 AM 0 comments

posted by Lazarus, 11:55 PM 2 comments

On Leaving the Sidelines

posted by Lazarus, 11:18 PM 1 comments

My Nationalistic Dichotomy

In general terms, I do not refer myself as nationalistic. I don't really know how to describe myself when it comes to Lebanon. At different points of my life, I have gone through varying rampant ideologies – whether it was communism, or Pan-arabism – but all of them were discarded eventually because of their innate uselessness.

However, I have not been able to see myself as nationalistic. Of course, it all depends on how you define it, and I definitely won’t bore you with my personal identity crisis.

The reason I am writing this post is that, even though I haven’t had much time lately to develop my ideas on this properly, I have had two convergent conversations with two different people on nationalism in general. I was arguing with the first about the need for human society to take the next step in civil structure, and stated that because boundaries have caused so much havoc, nation states should evolve into something much more unified - something compatible with the concept of a "world citizenship". She replied by saying "Why would you want to do that. It's a big jump, and the concept of nations has worked for the past 150 years".

Worked? The most horrendous crimes were committed in the last century.

The second person decided to send me a link as a continuation of some discussion we had over a year ago - I don't have the link, but I do have the text. In that email, she quoted the following.

Her Email: "Is not nationalism -- that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary, so fierce it leads to murder -- one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred? These ways of thinking, cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on, have been useful to those in power, deadly for those out of power. "

She also added her own words, since she didn't agree with the statement:

"I still think that nationalism is necessary, albeit not the form he is describing which is more chauvinism. My view of nationalism is not that we have to be proud of our country, but that we should feel responsible for it and responsible for making the changes we feel it needs in addition of caring for its welfare.

I think that nationalism is a way to define our responsibility. It is a way to ensure that all parts of the world are being taken care of. The idea of "world citizenship" is great, but I think it dilutes your sense of responsibility in a way. Nationalism is an easier concept to grasp "I am Lebanese and as such, it is my duty to contribute to the welfare of my country" forces you to realize that being in the US is great for your career, but you might stay in Lebanon because if everyone who has the opportunity to do so leaves, then what guaranties that the people who are left are going to take care of the country? What guaranties that someone will be left to create new political parties and run for the elections against the "old" power?

Of course you can argue that you can contribute by staying abroad, and I agree, I'm almost sure that the Lebanese economy relies heavily on money sent by expats. Expats probably have some political clout because of their economic situation too. Plus, having such a large Diaspora helps the Lebanese expand their horizon and benefit from technologies, cultures, etc. from all over the world. And many expats come back with valuable experience to apply it in Lebanon. But then isn't that nationalism?

Also do you think it is impossible to have "commitment" without having chauvinism? I guess I am not specifically attached to nationalism as such, but I don't have an alternative on top of my mind." End of Email

For those who know me - you know (or maybe you don't know ...) that at times I'll argue just for the sake of arguing. But in this case, partly due to my "lack of nationalistic feelings", and partly because I agreed with the statement she had quoted, I replied. I've pasted it below ... there is no need to rehash what has already been written.

My Email: "First of all, why would the concept of a world citizenship dilute your responsibility? If for example, you act for your religion – which is spread throughout the entire world – does that dilute your responsibility? It all depends on how you act.

Second of all, there is a fine line in the concept of working for your county, neighborhood, and community that you identify with. Will there ever be a point where what you are doing for this country possibly hurt another country? How much should other countries suffer if your country is becoming better?

This falls under the issue of collaboration vs. competition – or in more mathematical terms, local vs. global optimization. Sure, working for a single country is much easier to define, in both the concrete and abstract sense, but working for the “world”, even if you are just working locally, doesn’t dilute your sense of responsibility, unless you are the type of person who is irresponsible – but in that case, you wouldn’t have worked for your country either.

Third of all – and I might be playing the devil’s advocate here, who knows – what do you get out of working for your country (whatever country that may be, this isn’t just directed at Lebanon), when in the end it is your life you are sacrificing. What is this commitment you have to your country based on – and how do you define it?

Besides, the word “responsibility” makes it seem as if you have to do it … whether or not you actually enjoy it.

Note that I am not saying you should be selfish with everything. You can “sacrifice” your life for a cause (and by sacrifice I don’t mean losing your life), but I have a hard time understanding this sacrifice if the country is that cause.

Finally, why are you tying commitment and chauvinism together? You can be committed to your family, but not chauvinistic – which can be defined as fanatical patriotism. It is only when you have attitudes like “My family is best” that this commitment becomes chauvinism.

So this email has a lot of incoherent ideas – and I am aware of that – but the gist of it all comes down to this.

Doing things mainly for your country and not mainly for the world can be likened to that of working for your sect. Don’t we spend all this time talking about secularism? Don’t we constantly get annoyed at people who lump and cluster individuals into amoebic sectarian blobs?

The difference between this and that of country/world is just a matter of phrasing – it doesn’t eradicate our hope that the concept of “world citizenship” (even though it won’t be in the near future) does become a reality, just as we hope that a secular Lebanon becomes a reality.

Keep in mind that I am not attacking you and your image of what you can do for your country – I’m just arguing against nationalism, or whatever you want to call it." End of Email.

That said - one of the reasons that I don't feel nationalistic is the same reason I don't feel pan-arab or communist or socialist or etc. - they all constitute some form of ideology. That is where my internal conflict comes in. I don't think Lebanon is best, I will not pointlessly throw praise on the Lebanese people, and I don't use our ancient history as claims to our greatness.

However, I do spend a lot of time thinking and arguing about the paths Lebanon should take ... socially, psychologically, politically ... in order to improve.

Would that be nationalism? I really don’t know.

posted by Lazarus, 1:10 AM 6 comments

Report # 2

Terje Roed-Larsen has finished his report, which can be read here. (PDF file).

I haven't read it, but once I do, and if there is anything to discuss, I will do so once I have time.

posted by Lazarus, 5:43 PM 0 comments

A Few Thoughts

Since I haven't had much time the past few days - my recent posts where either short or just constituted of links - I'm going to post a couple more links here ...

The first is from the Washington Post - and it discusses Assad's letter to the UN. In it he states the same line he ran by Ammanpour in the recent infamous interview:

I have declared that Syria is innocent of this crime, and I am ready to follow up action to bring to trial any Syrian who could be proved by concrete evidence to have had connection with this crime.

Yesterday's UN session was relatively interesting to watch - but the more interesting ones were the press conference with Mehlis, and the short comments with Bolton.

My half-German/half-Lebanese friend P, who had lived in Lebanon for more than 10 years in Lebanon before his college days, had these exaggerated words to say ...

"Mehlis is a God in Lebanon. Interesting German control :P. This is the one problem with Lebanese, they're so quick to praise anyone. Just chill."

When I mention the pictures with the "We love Mehlis" t-shirts, he continues, in a slightly more serious tone:

"its' like in fisk's book about lebanon (or it might be the friedman book) how he describes the lebanese people praise the different armies entering lebanon because they think they're saving them."

That's not exactly what's happening now - but the attitude is the same.

Anyway, here's another link, completely unrelated to Mehlis, or Lebanon. It deals with remotely controlled humans.

And one more thing before I sign off and get back to work - there has been alot of talk about UN sanction on Syria, and alot more about how the world and analysts are focusing more on Syria than Lebanon. For the latter, I wonder deep down how surprised we really are. For the former - I completely do not agree with the structure of sanctions, even if it is against a regime that occupied us, corrupted us, restricted us, traumatized us etc. Unless these sanction have some specially unique form that excuses the rest of the Syrian people from the regime's actions, is that the way we want to go?

Yalla - off to work.

posted by Lazarus, 7:18 AM 1 comments

The Sky Lightly Cried

The sky lightly cried as it tried to hide itself from below. It did not want this. It did not want the world to shelter within it. It did not want this suffering, this pain, this torture, this incessant redness constantly clothing the ground below it. It tried to hide, run, escape, but no amount of writhing would let it slip from its chains. It did not want to tarnish itself with the beautiful savagery that we upheld our heads with, and all it could do was cry.

So it did.

posted by Lazarus, 7:12 PM 0 comments

I could not even feel the rain

It showered gracefully, and as I sat on nature’s sidelines, I could see the grass and the trees and the flowers dancing together.

posted by Lazarus, 7:10 PM 0 comments

Bye Bye Rosa Parks

Out of the many ways to live, she chose one that triggered an avalanche of justice, a road that has no end in sight. Although life can still improve, she did her part, within a world of egocentric apathy, in making other lives more bearable. In 1955, she carved her way, and opened the paths for many more souls to follow.

posted by Lazarus, 11:08 PM 1 comments

A Pointless Clash?

Al-Jazeera has published an article about a "small" clash between Jund al-Sham and the Lebanese Popular Nasserist Group, outside the Ain El Hilweh camp. At least four people were wounded.

At least four people have been wounded in clashes between Palestinian fighters and Lebanese armed men just outside Lebanon's largest Palestinian refugee camp ... They said several cars were set ablaze on Sunday ... It was not clear what sparked the clashes in a poor neighbourhood between the camp and Sidon proper, but armed groups sporadically clash over authority inside the tense camp, which the Lebanese army does not enter. A Reuters reporter saw masked Jund al-Sham fighters emerge from Ain al-Hilweh and occupy rooftops in the neighbourhood.

Also, Jumblatt has finally given his first reaction to the Mehlis Report, in which he said that he rejects sanctions agains the Syrian people, and urges the Syrian government to "cooperate with the investigation in order to uncover the truth".

Update 1: I have just read that a small bomb has exploded in North Beirut. No immediate word on casualties.

Correction: Apparently, this was accidental.

Also - apparently Aoun had an interview with Al-Jazeera in the last couple of days, where he said something that I need to verify before I discuss it. Does anyone have the link for the interview transcript?

Update 2:Time Magazine has its view on the "forces that could lead to Assad's downfall". If you're in the mood for an article from 1976, check out their story which they start with "Is Syria's President Hafez Assad in serious trouble because of Lebanon? Israeli intelligence officials, no friends of Assad obviously, predicted that Syria 'is on the eve of a coup.'"

Interesting cycle of events.

Update 3: (and probably the last update ...) Hassan pointed out an article in Der Spiegel, that among other things, discusses the life of Sadik (on p.2). In OTHER news - there has been a large Syrian demonstration in ... Syria. To quote a friend, the current events in Lebanon, and the increasing international influence, have "gotten syrian regime stronger iternally", and have "scored Bashar points".

PS: Thanks to Hassan and VP to pointing out my dead links. The links were pointing to me. How arrogant.

posted by Lazarus, 8:57 AM 0 comments

Today

has been a great day. Just thought I'd share that with y'all.

Now - back to Mehlis: Kais has a good roundup of what has happened with the ISF so far.

And just something that I have to get off my chest - with every passing day, naharnet becomes less and less reliable. Their tactics are just too obvious - such as the linked case, where they have the title "Syria and its Lebanon 5th Column Mount Anti-Mehlis Counter-Offensive", along with a picture of Nasrallah, although at the end of the article, they say that Hezbollah hasn't reacted ... regardless of your attitude (or mine for that matter) towards HA, some things should at least be made more subtle, no?

Besides that little quirk of mine, here is an interview with Hariri on CNN.

Yalla ... Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

posted by Lazarus, 7:55 PM 2 comments

Is The Force With Us?

As I have noted below, Al-Jazeera is running a small, and mostly inconsequential poll, on how readers view the Mehlis Report.

23,000+ people have now voted. 48.7% think it is fair, and 51.3% think it isn't.

This definitely cannot be taken as THE opinion, since the sample space is not comprehensive - but it gets you thinking. Less than 50% believe it to be fair. I wonder how many of those that voted are Lebanese ... and out of those, where the dividing line falls. I'm sure that this man, who is quoted in the Daily Star, is not alone when he says "This is just the beginning. God forbid, I fear the Americans want to push Syria down Iraq's path. Why doesn't anyone penalize Israel for all its crimes? Why can't Mehlis point the finger of accusation at Israel?"

The Mehlis Report, even though most it was not NEWS per se, will be going down in history - and not only in Lebanese history. The Pinochet Case is, and will be for years to come, taught in Human Rights classes. The Mehlis investigation will be remembered as one of the (if not the) first times in WORLD history that the UN sponsored an international investigation into the assassination of one man.

But - it has had its share of botches. The most important one is the release of the "word document". Conspiracies as to why that is have been going around ... and even if they are true, it points to a realm (regardless of how minute this realm is) of unprofessionalism.

Even one speck dust can ruin an award-winning photo.

Several speeches will be made today. I will be waiting to see what "words of wisdom" they will contain. More adherence to concepts such as "the truth has been discovered" will bring with them a certain degree of backlash. On the other hand, if they follow the example of Bahia Hariri, who said the truth will be but one way [by which] to establish security and stability in Lebanon. We are required today to be up to our responsibilities and to unify our ranks and promote solidarity between all the Lebanese.", their wisdom will prove itself, and will not be forgotten.

If they don't, more people will begin to think like the man I quoted above. Double standards, when attributed to such a sensitive issue, will always steer the masses off track.

It still remains to be fully seen how Lahoud is going to react, and how people are going to react towards him. A shopkeeper was quoted "Why doesn't the president address us himself? Aren't we good enough for him? Does he consider himself better than Abdel-Nasser? Abdel-Nasser used to directly address his people so why doesn't he?"

The Report contains alot of interesting details, and lacks others - however, its danger lies not in what it does or doesn't discuss, but in how people will be persuaded to believe certain "shades" about the report. I may be wrong, but I doubt that the larger percentage of the country is going to read it. Followers will ... well, will follow what their leaders tell them. A slight embellishment here and there is simply unacceptable.

Not now. Not ever. Especially if you don't want to be pulled over to the dark side ...

And ... on a completely random tangent, and while you're waiting, check out the story of a cunning rat that just outsmarted some scientists.

Update: The statistics are now 45.8% vs. 54.2%. Will it pass the 40-60 line?

posted by Lazarus, 11:08 PM 5 comments

Popularism - An Account of Individual Reactions

It's evening now in Lebanon ... reactions - both political and personal - are abound. Different political reactions can be seen in the links I provide below. The personal reactions, especially those of people currently in Lebanon, can only really be obtained if you are on the ground. At this moment, I wish I was there.

Regardless, it's still interesting to see what some of the Lebanese here with me, and some of my friends back in Lebanon, think about the situation. Like the politicians, they have analyzed the situation only in terms of political gains/losses/desires/hatred. The consequences they forsee are those aimed at political heads. Some feel vindicated. Others feel worried. But none have mentioned the effect that this report, or its aftershocks, will have on the normal civilians - both Lebanese and Syrian. That should be the most important aspect of this all.

Once again, I'm going to quote my mother, who will not accept that Man has the potential to be his worst in the chase for power, in a conversation that just ended a while ago. It shows how the approach of the media, the gloating of different politicians (whether the gloating is justified or not ... is another issue), and the conversations in work, have already begun to slightly distort some of the facts. I do not list the exact example she provides, because there were quite a few. But distortions have always created a sense of danger - and we have to tread our way carefully.

Mother: We were talking today about how (and she cites an example)
Lazarus: Where did you hear that?
M: They were saying that at work.
L: The report didn't say that. That happened several months before February. So it's already being changed?
M: I don't know. Your brother is bringing the report home today.
L: You should read it. Some of the things are unbelievable.
M: I just don't get how they can do such things. And they think that they can get away with it?
L: You forget - they are all zo3ran (I don't really know how to translate that). They played with the country like dough.
M: Yalla, at least all this is being documented.

This might not seem like much. And it isn't.

Not now.

But in a few days, legends will be born, and myths will be taken as truths. Then, when that happens, try reconciliating any differences the different people have. When history, and in this case "truth", are adjusted according to personal convictions - even when the example is as simple as an adjusted fact - danger will ferment, and as usual, it will be the people who suffer.

posted by Lazarus, 11:32 AM 3 comments

Mehlis Report - Commentaries (Updated)

*Image: Armand Homsi - Annahar

I provide below a list of links that have been posted to date by various bloggers, besides myself, on the Mehlis Report. The links below are the most recent entries by the various bloggers. If there are any others, let me know.

Angry Arab: What did Mehlis Know, and How did He know it?

Kais: Mehlis Report Summarized

Mustafa: Arab Public Opinion

Firas: Wow

Lebanon.Profile: The Quiet Streets of Beirut

Michael Totten: Assad’s Brother-in-law Named

Ramzi: Time Zones, Watson

Vox Populi: Justice for Hariri... and the others

In addition to these various bloggers, below are links to various news outlets.

The Washington Post has this blog entry.

Joseph Samaha has his take on the report. (The link will be updated once the pdf file has been uploaded).

The Christian Science Monitor has not yet published about the report - but it does have this. It remains to be seen if such things will influence international opinion/action. It has also published this compilation of different news sources.

Haaretz quotes Rice to have said "Accountability is going to be very important for the international community", and also provides an analysis.

Al-Jazeera provides some more on the Syrian response to the report. The english version provides more details on a few other things. A new article discusses Bush's response.

BBC continues to write up the different attitudes, quoting Dakhlallah as saying ""It is a political statement against Syria that is based on a set of stories by some witnesses who are known for their anti-Syria positions, including media and political figures". It also profiles the key figures, and provides a forum for public reaction.

Here is the Washington Post article, that most of you have probably already read. I'm linking to it because they have added links to different videos in the past few months. (I believe you need a username for this).

CNN also provides Bush's reponse, and quotes him as saying "The report strongly suggests that the politically motivated assassination could not have taken place without Syrian involvement".

Updated 1:05 pm

Two days ago, Kofi Annan said the following (about the politicization of the Mehlis Report): Yesterday I indicated that this is a technical exercise, a juridical exercise, and we need to keep it pure. And I was going to keep it that way. There may be politicization of the issue by others in the region or elsewhere, but I don't think it should be my business as Secretary-General to be engaged or encourage politicization. So I would give a technical and judicial report – a prosecutorial report – done by Mehlis to the Council. And, of course, Mehlis's report is the beginning, not the end, because the magistrates and others will have to follow through on that report and decide whom to charge and whom to bring to the dock. But you are right that you can't prevent people from politicizing it and implying all sorts of – I've read things in the papers, in the press, which has really surprised me, and some of it is pure fiction, honestly.

Updated 1:46 pm

From Al-Jazeera:


In addition, you can listen to the different leaders commenting on VDL. (Note: This link will only last a week).

Updated 2:36 pm

Thanks to Mustapha my attention has been pointed to a poll being taken on Al-Jazeera. It asks for your opinion on the Mehlis Report - do you find it fair or one-sided? When Mustapha posted his image, it was 2/3 versus 1/3.

Now, it is 51.2 % and 48.8%.

You can watch Bush's reaction on CNN. (Scroll down)

Updated 6:09 pm

This will be the last update of the post. Enough have been posted here - and anything new will probably deserve a more comprehensive treatment.

Dailystar discusses Mr. X.

BBC looks at motives and the Beirut link.

Joseph Samaha has another article - the link will be updated to pdf within a day.

And, as I had thought, the Al Jazeera poll, with a total of 21,000+ votes, now has reached 49.5% and 50.5% (See above for more detail). It will go on for another 2 days - and at this rate, it does not look promising.

LA Times also has an article on Bush's response.

The Independent provides us with it's own piece - although I am waiting for Robert Fisk's view.


*Image: Armand Homsi - Annahar

posted by Lazarus, 10:11 AM 2 comments

The Danger of Uncertainty - The Mehlis Report, and the Future to Come

The Mehlis Report has been out for more than five hours now …

I’m waiting for the effects it will have in Lebanon, the inevitable internal repercussions that this report, and the resulting international opinion, will bring.

The next few days will be telling. Already, on this blogosphere, people have already taken different sides. Interpretations of less than absolute statements have been, and always will be, based on personal indoctrination, and there is nothing any of us can do about that. Let the arguments begin, and continue, and construct. Only then will this truth, whatever it may actually represent, be of any use. Otherwise, the only definite result of this report is danger.

But there are things that can most definitely be taken away with a degree of almost absolute certainty.

Lebanon, and its institutions, can learn. They have to learn – if only for the higher aim of becoming better. The investigative botches outlined in the report – the ones that we have heard about repeatedly – are unforgivable. These are some of the things that CAN be restructured. It remains to be seen whether we will build ourselves up.

According to a friend Y (as opposed to the bastard Lebanese politician X, in the conversation with Ghazali), who was in Phoenicia at the time of the assassination, who is part of the Red Cross, who was literally one of the first people on the scene, who tried to help the injured, and to sort out the corpses – according to her, the army, and others that were involved, had no sense of organization (of course, you can argue that they were organized, but for another reason). Y admitted that the Red Cross itself did not really have a plan for this type of terrorist activity, where one of the main fears is that of having another bomb near by.

What did she do? Y did her research and wrote a report about possible techniques on how to organize the necessary forces in such times, on where to place the injured and the corpses for minimum risk, etc. This is what we need for the Lebanese government to do in the long run.

But there is no point discussing this right now. There are much more important things to worry about. I almost don’t want to go to sleep – watching this play through is even worse in some aspects than just waiting for it.

To sign off, I’m going to quote my sister during our MSN chat session, that is going on as I type this:

“Inno I don’t understand why these Lebanese and Syrian leaders kill other leaders … mum is worried … the situation is not comfortable”

And then my mother continues …

“today is confusing we dont know what will happen … some parents have started taking their children from school”

What do you say to that?

Anyway, I am “glad” this investigation has happened. The precedent it sets is provoking. However, I hope that all it provokes, especially in the coming days, are thoughts and words.

I offer this moment as a tribute to all those that were assassinated in the past year. May the future be built with their fallen blood. It would be a shame to see all that disappear in vain.

posted by Lazarus, 11:14 PM 1 comments

Let the Games Begin

The report is out, and can be viewed here (and here).

I'll be updating this post with the report conclusions as I read through it.

Update 1: (p. 39) Conclusion: There is probable cause to believe that the decision to assassinate former Prime Minister, Rafik Hariri, could not have been taken without the approval of top ranked Syrian security official and could not have been further organized without the collusion of their counterparts in the Lebanese security services.

Update 2: (p. 39) Conclusion: Through the constant wire-tapping of Mr. Hariri’s telephone lines, the Syrian and Lebanese security and intelligence services were kept informed of his movements and contacts.

Update 3: (p. 40) Conclusion: Through the constant wire-tapping of Mr. Hariri’s telephone lines, the Syrian and Lebanese security and intelligence services were kept informed of his movementsand contacts.

Update 4: (p. 43) Conclusion: It would not have been difficult for individuals outside of Hariri’s “inner circle” to predict the route that his convoy would follow on 14 February 2005. The Mitsubishi Canter van shown on the HSBC bank CCTV security system was the carrier of the explosives. The negligence of the Lebanese authorities to undertake proper investigative measures and a full-scale professional crime scene examination immediately after the blast has made it difficult to resolve key questions regarding the execution of the bombing, such as the type of explosive used, or may have resulted in the potential loss of important evidence, such as useful CCTV videos.

Update 5: (p. 44) Conclusion: The investigation of the prepaid telephone cards is one of the most important leadsnin this investigation in terms of who was actually on the ground executing the assassination. This is a line of investigation that needs to be pursued thoroughly.

Update 6: (p. 45)Conclusion: It appears that the jamming devices in Hariri’s convoy were operational and functional on 14 February at the time of the blast. Further investigation may provide information about how the IED was activated.

Update 7: (p. 48) Conclusion: The explosion that killed Mr. Hariri and 22 others took place above ground. For this purpose, an amount of no less than 1000 kilgrams of military explosives was used.

Update 8: (p. 58) Conclusion: The evidence, including his links to other important figures, especially Mustapha Hamdan and the Republican Guard, his telephone calls and his involvement in the Lebanese investigation into Mr. Abu Adass, make Ahmad Abdel-Al a key figure in any ongoing investigation.

Addendum:

The report, as a whole, is worth reading. The first twenty pages or so are banal, but later on, even though alot of the general issues are those that we already know, Mehlis provides interesting detail on quite a few aspects. It is a shame though that it doesn't provide the closure Lebanon has been waiting for ... but I hope this will be enough for the first steps. For a change, I'm going to dispense with my realism and hold onto a whisp of optimism.

Regardless, all that really matters is how this plays out in Lebanon, Syria, and the international opinion. I am in no position now, to predict that.

Even with all the suspicions that have been going around, it is truly saddening to read all the accusations, evidence (especially some of the conversations), and conclusions in writing.

For one of the few times in my life, I don’t know what to say.

Let alone how to react.

posted by Lazarus, 6:58 PM 2 comments

So it has become – a cyclic march around dreams and hopes and justice, an abstract attempt to converge to the life humans strive for. We stretch our necks, flail our arms, seek success, and swim in both the treasures of glory and the dregs of tragedy. And now, we claw at the walls of our life long pit, and the rustle of autumn leaves, barely audible, lifts us above the fallen ashes in search of a single ray. This broken land, this paradox of fortune and famine, that takes, and then gives only if you let its fingers hold onto the pulse of your life … this is all at stake, creating unconscious worries like drunken laughs floating through an alley. Soon, after waiting, after being surrounded by mirages, after dreams long melted, after being flustered by the weight of solid shadows, I watch, more silent than yesterday’s memory, a statue in my own mind, not walking, not breathing … just waiting.

posted by Lazarus, 5:49 PM 0 comments

...

Waiting …

History will look back at the coming days with either the grunt of an old man whose experiences were never listened to, or the silent shock only widening eyes portray.

posted by Lazarus, 5:41 PM 0 comments

Question

Can the "greater good" be achieved without violating individual human rights?

posted by Lazarus, 5:50 PM 1 comments

A few days late ...

... but still potent.


Armand Homsi - The Mehlis Report. (Annahar)

posted by Lazarus, 8:22 PM 0 comments

Corruption Index

The yearly Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2005.

We aren't doing ... that well - but at least we aren't last.

posted by Lazarus, 12:58 PM 0 comments

Justice?

Saddam's trial should begin tomorrow. All I can say is that it's about time.

However, I do have my qualms about the whole process of international law that incriminates leaders such as Saddam and Pinochet. I'll leave Saddam for the future - once results start rolling in, but since the Pinochet case has been under public scrutiny for some time, I'll deal with that.

The main issue that irks me is the politicized view of justice and international law. The semi-realpolitik part of me understands why these things are only applied to some, but the (dying) semi-idealist in me wants to scream out.

The Pinochet case set an amazing and extremely dangerous precedent at the time - heads of states (or rather, former heads of states) can be held accountable for their actions. However, this view is seen by some as creating a potential pitfall for international relations, and that immunity should always be invoked. In the words of someone who was interviewed with regards to the Pinochet case, "It would ruin the international system. How can we, for example, invite the Chinese head to Britain, with him fearing that, 6 months from when he resigns, he could potentially be indicted?" Compelling argument? Maybe.

But on the other hand, knowing that you could BE punished for current crimes can be a potential deterrent. However, such "indictments" are too politically oriented. After the judicial win in the Pinochet case, Jack Straw decided that enough was enough, and overruled the result by saying that Pinochet can claim immunity - a position he was originally against.

Another person claimed that "Pinochet brought many good things to Chile. He ended communism, introduced democracy, helped the economy. Yes, he also attacked citizens, but this was a necessary and imperative action in order to sustain the country." This brings to mind the age old problem of how many lives can be sacrificed to save others. If a million people have a certain fatal disease, and the only way to save them is to test an antidote on 1 person (who might die, while saving the rest), is that justifiable? How about testing it on 10 people? 100? 1000? Where do you draw the line?

Something else that was also brought up in the Pinochet case was how involved Pinochet was in the actual disappearances. Was it, as he claimed, the actions of his subordinates, and not the result of his direct orders? Can he be held responsible? Will such claims be used in Saddam's case? What about the other leaders, whose crimes have been ignored? The Uzbekistan recent massacres? Putin's behavior in Chechnya? France's actions in Algeria? Qaddafi? Sharon? Should such incriminations only be limited to the behavior of a leader in his country? Can people be held accountable for the results of wars that are waged on other states? Or is, as is currently the case, a war waged by people in uniforms and expensive weapons, hiding under the banner of a "higher moral ground" forgivable? I still don't accept that moral culpability is relative. What about the issue of sovereignty versus international accountability?

It's a shame that the international court and opinion is remiss in incriminating the different mass murders - if it was up to me, then I'd say to put all of them on trial. But it isn't. I could go on with more questions, more names, yet provide even less answers ... but I don't see the point - not as long as justice is a product of might.

posted by Lazarus, 10:43 AM 0 comments

For those who haven't

go watch Crash NOW. I know I'm a bit late in saying that ... I won't explain the movie because I don't think I could do it justice.

Since I'm mentioning movies - also watch Amores Perros and City of God.

posted by Lazarus, 11:46 PM 1 comments

More Revisiting

Except this time its just pictures - some with a medium format camera, and others with a clunky 1975 35mm SLR ...

The way back from K's house in Baakline (2003)

This is actually one of my favorite pictures ... that I've ever taken - also in Baakline. Different days though. (2003)

The view from our balcony - one of the greatest things about living in Lebanon (2004)

That's it for now ... if I feel like going back in time again, I might post others.

posted by Lazarus, 3:20 PM 0 comments

Revisiting the Past

Due to some events today, I began to look at things that were written - either by me, or to me - several years ago - from 96 onwards. One things led to the other - from letters to emails to personal stories to impressions and thoughts - and it was really interesting to see how things have built up since then. There are things that are depressing and nihilistic, others that are drenched with emotion, and others that are simply - for lack of a better word - happy. Here is something I had written in 98 ... and this is one of those things that I haven't changed my mind on - the repercussions of today's actions are potentially devastating ... although I do accept that "practically" war will always exist (and I'd be happy to be proven wrong), I still dream of the day that peace is the rule, and not the exception.

Anyways, it's posted below unedited ... although now, 7 years later, the cliches are obvious ... it was still revealing to read (for me, that is).

posted by Lazarus, 3:00 PM 0 comments

Caricature

"Lebanon and the Bird Flu"
Courtesy of Armand Homsi (Annahar)

posted by Lazarus, 7:21 AM 1 comments

What do you say ...

... when a "charismatic" leader says something like:

"On October 13, 1990, many massacres took place, yet then no one was courageous enough to ask about who the killers were," Aoun said. "And today the government is still not courageous enough to ask who the kidnappers of her lost soldiers and civilians are."

Someone please remind me - because I forget ... wasn't Aoun at the time also a "killer"? Or has one life become more valuable than another - especially in a war of "causes"?

I don't mind this whole "commemoration" concept dedicated to a single battle or day ... on the contrary, in its own way its needed. But please - in remembering part of the past, let's not trash the rest.

Oh - but I forget something else. Aoun is "pure".

Right.

And while I'm at it - damn the rest as well.

posted by Lazarus, 10:53 PM 3 comments

State of the World Population

“No new promises are needed—only following through on commitments already made.” — UN Millennium Project

Of course, I have my own issues with the UN, but it's an interesting report.

*Courtesy of Angry Arab News Service

posted by Lazarus, 10:43 AM 0 comments

It's official

I finally bought a plane ticket to Lebanon this Christmas break! I know that the actual effect of paying for it will soon cripple my bank account, but that's the beauty of working - things like this can be done, without TOO much worry. I wasn't planning on this trip - especially since I had gone in June. Once a year, although maybe not frequent enough, is enough in that I wouldn't miss too much in the lives of my family and my friends and of course ... a good break from the life here.

But ... I have a good 3 and a half weeks off ... and although last year spending them here in California was fun, I am nostalgic enough to trudge 20+ hours both ways (this time however, I have taken an AISLE seat - no more being jailed next to the window for 11 consecutive hours) and spend the main celebrations with the people I have lived with and cared for and enjoyed the past years with.

Ya libnan. I wonder how long it will be before I live there again - but THAT is another story for another day. The years I did live there were perhaps some of the best years - to be more specific, they contained some of the best MOMENTS of my life - but for someone who hasn't yet seen the light of a quarter of a century, that statement is probably too general, too cliche, and too romanticized. However, I cannot consciously deny that a few of those years formed me, and the years since basically consolidated who I am.

So, to pull a shakespeare - Friends, Lebanese, Countrymen - and add to that Family - I will see you soon.

Till then ...

posted by Lazarus, 10:05 AM 1 comments

Graffiti Wisdom

The following was written on a wall near where I live:

Ideas without Action, Service without Politics, Reform without Revolution

Will not Change the World!

posted by Lazarus, 10:03 AM 0 comments

Nizar Qabbani - خبز وحشيش وقمر

في بلادي..
حيثُ يبكي الساذجونْ
ويموتونَ بكاءْ
كلّما طالعهم وجهُ الهلالِ
ويزيدونَ بكاءْ
كلّما حرّكهم عودٌ ذليلٌ.. و"ليالي"..
ذلكَ الموتُ الذي ندعوهُ في الشرقِ..
"ليالي".. وغناءْ
في بلادي..
في بلادِ البُسطاءْ..

You can read the entire poem here. A more comprehensive list is here. And recordings of his visit to AUB in 1995 are here.

Enjoy.

posted by Lazarus, 9:21 PM 0 comments

Well ...

... Ghazi Kanaan 'committed suicide', and the authorities are carrying out the 'necessary' investigations. In his last statement, he said:

I want to make clear that our relation with our brothers in Lebanon was based on love and mutual respect... We have served Lebanon's interest with honour and honesty.

Ok.

May God have mercy on his soul ...

posted by Lazarus, 7:11 AM 0 comments

Thought of the day

When the soul of a man is born in this country there are nets flung at it to hold it back from flight. You talk to me of nationality, language, religion. I shall try to fly by those nets

- James Joyce

posted by Lazarus, 7:28 PM 0 comments

In Rwanda We Say …

posted by Lazarus, 8:58 PM 0 comments

20,000

I don't know what to say. Yesterday, the numbers had reached 2,000 - and although officials had expected the death toll due to the earthquake in Asia to increase, an increase of tenfold (and still expected to rise) is ... depressing, to say the least. What a year is has been - starting with the tsunami on December 26, 2004 - to this.

Death, always cruel, Pity's foe in chief,
Mother who brought forth grief,
Merciless judgment and without appeal!

May the families of those that were killed never have to feel this pain again.

Update: The Toll has reached 30,000.

posted by Lazarus, 11:06 AM 1 comments

Rashomon

Yesterday afternoon I watched Rashomon, a 1950 movie directed by Akira Kurosawa. It has a simple plot – a woman is raped, and her husband is murdered. But the story is told through the eyes of 4 people, each of which may agree on the fundamental elements of what really happened, but disagree on the details, and on who is the murderer. Because of the differing tales, a latent complexity comes to existence, dealing with the role of perspective on reality, and with the abstract nature of truth. One of the characters – he isn’t involved with the actual crime – claims that “it is human to lie. Most of the time we can’t even be honest to ourselves” and raises the point that “is there anyone who is really good? Maybe goodness is just make-believe?” Of course, Kurosawa toys with this idea by treating the bandit differently through the 4 versions – and the nuances of behavior portray this bandit in different human shades. Setting most of the movie in the woods - quite surreal - helps in creating this (dis)illusion of truth. It may be that “man just wants to forget the bad stuff and believe in the made-up good stuff”, but more insight is gained when one of the characters says “Everyone is selfish and dishonest” only to be immediately repudiated with “And you aren’t?” The unstable nature of truth is mirrored in one of the last statements, “I don’t understand my own soul”, but even with the subjectivity of it all, and the weakness of humanity – such as those that initially made the priest say “I may finally lose my faith in the human soul” – there is still room for hope with the compassion shown in the very last scene.

Anyways ...

posted by Lazarus, 2:34 AM 1 comments

A Blogger Movie

Ramzi has made a movie that contains his recollections and impressions of the last 200 days since February 14. Thanks Ramzi.

posted by Lazarus, 9:33 AM 1 comments

Today is special.

I am doused with the poignant subtleties of the knowledge that, for the second time in my life, a small group of people are celebrating a birthday halfway around the world, and the only connecting thread has become a phone. As their voices linger, I wish I was there.

It has only been one year that my life diverged from theirs, and at times like this, sparkling memories sketch a romanticized past, their smiles etched into my thoughts, reminding me of what was. But thus is life, a never-ending story, whose irony exposes you to the novelties you dream of, yet gently saddens you with the echoes of your childhood’s pulse.

So my family, I wish I was there, just for today, to once again wish my sister a very Happy Birthday.

posted by Lazarus, 8:32 AM 2 comments

2nd Thought of the Day

Well, it's actually an article of the day ... take a look, it might (or might not) interest you, but here's a quote:

What is the Lebanese wager, a century and a quarter after the autonomy of Mount Lebanon, three quarters of a century after the establishment of Greater Lebanon, and half a century after independence? It is this: to renew the contract between those tenacious and obsolete units that are Lebanon's different communities, in order to transcend them within a structure which would allow room only for a State and its citizens; to do it despite the existence of a lightweight elite, and without renouncing liberty in a post-modern era where all affirmations and certainties have been undermined; to do it in an environment characterized by often merciless states and regimes; and finally to do it amid a rise in fundamentalism resulting from the bringing to heel of much of the world in order to plunder it of its wealth.

(the article was published in 1993)

posted by Lazarus, 7:59 PM 0 comments

Thought of the Day

The following saying has been modified slightly (the changes are emphasized) ... since it was originally one-sided.

"Civilization will not attain to its perfection until the last stone from the last religious building falls on the last religious preacher".

- Emile Zola

posted by Lazarus, 10:29 AM 1 comments

Rahbani's Letter to Fouad

There have been quite a rage of discussions lately – starting with MJT’s completely innocuous (well, not exactly completely ...) post, ending up with another post by Lebanon.Profile - mainly centered around Bashir. Of course, in such things – a mention of Bashir (or of others) never fails to bring about defenders who say “Well, what about” … you can check the comments in MJT’s blog.

Personally, I don't care too much for these discussions – well, my comments on the second blog probably show that I do care, and I DO if they are going to impede Lebanon from at least moving forwards. I don’t mind this “two steps back and three steps forwards” theory– as long as we take those three steps.

So – due to a discussion I had with a friend, who once again mentioned Rahbani – below is the transcript for Rahbani’s Letter to Fouad. Now, we all know Rahbani’s political leanings … so for those who think that this is biased against the Kataeb, replace a few choice nouns with the ones you desire. Unlike the Letter to Abdou (which dealt with the rightist nature of Kataeb), this can be done here. This isn’t the issue though. Rahbani wrote this in the 70’s, so the situation isn’t the same. A discussion on history and whether it repeats itself or not has taken place on a few other blogs in the past, so I won’t get into it here. The main point to be taken is that there are certain myths – such as Fouad’s beliefs – that cannot keep being propagated if Lebanon is to have constructive sustainability.

I am mainly doing this because I have gotten bored (years ago my anger melted into frustration into disbelief … but even that eventually decayed into boredom) of the same topics that are being tossed in the air. The War is Over. But there are several things that have to be done, if only so that the incessantly unproductive war of words gains some meaning. One of them is to not say – if X was alive, then Lebanon would have been better (this doesn’t only apply to Bashir). Another would be to try and remove the concrete (and completely meaningless) cultural divide that people put so much faith in. Third is to at least try to make a more fundamental attempt at national reconciliation (and I think I’ll write a more detailed piece on this eventually). Finally, we have to learn from the mistakes that were committed in the decades past. The proclamation by Jund El-Sham today (although there are some reports that it might have been “planted”) is dangerous in more ways than one.

So – without “further ado” … here is the letter to Fouad.

Fouad was martyred, and he was fighting with the Kataeb and the Ahrar in Hadath. He was martyred four months after the war [he actually says “ahdas”] began. This letter will reach all the people who are still alive, and you will not get it because you died, of course. But I want to send you a letter, because there are a lot of important things, a lot, that you have to know. You have to know them to settle the truth about history, for the faith that you put into the leaders before you were martyred. And there are a lot of important things you have to know, it’s unbelievable, you should know it, because you martyred yourself for a specific goal. They persuaded you, they gave you a goal, and you were martyred based on that, and because of honesty, I have to tell you a few things.

First thing is that you are a hero. On my honor you are a hero. We are against you, true, we are against you, but you are a hero. Let me tell you why. A hero, because you were convinced by something, and you gave your life for it. In other words, you are a person who will sacrifice his life for something he believes in. And only heroes do this. And you are a hero.

But because you are good and don’t ask questions, you didn’t ask. They told you one thing, and something completely different happened. You died, but … you never found out what happened. Things that you would never think of happened. For example, when you were still fighting, there was the issue of sovereignty. And today ya Fouad, what can I tell you about this sovereignty. There is no sovereignty. It doesn’t exist now. It has become a rumor. It is now part of our heritage – and that is also a rumor by the way. Sovereignty? It has reached the point that if someone says something about it, they tell him shhh what are you saying people will laugh at you. It died because of your group’s insistence on sovereignty. It died. You died, and the same way, it died.

Initially, they didn’t let a foreigner interfere in Lebanon’s affairs, and especially if he is Arabic. And Camille Chamoun and Pierre Gemayel were against Syria, because it is Arab and foreign. When you died, they supported Syria action. And they only supported it. There came a point when they united with Syria against us, and fought alongside each other as well. Now maybe if you went and asked them about this, they might tell you yeah we work with Syria even if it is foreign and arab, but the important thing is that they help us to get rid of the Palestinian foreigners. Definitely that is what they will tell you.

At the same time I will tell you, during the time you were fighting, they were with those you were fighting against. If they were such friends, then why were you fighting?

Just to die?

And then there came a point when they told you, we want to expel the Palestinians from Lebanon. And when you died, they had so many committees with the Palestinians. They even had a declaration that gave the Palestinians the right to stay in Lebanon. And what’s even worse than all this, is that today the Palestinians were not expelled from Lebanon, and are going to stay in Lebanon, and the Cairo Treaty will still exist. And your leaders are satisfied with this. The Cairo Treaty. If only you knew the Cairo Treaty – nothing in it changed. And anyway no one disagreed on it. And today, your leaders, to explain themselves are saying we are the ones who wanted it. So no one knows why they started the war. There must have been a misunderstanding – no more than a misunderstanding. And you are a victim of this misunderstanding.

It’s possible. There is no other explanation. Because here is the Cairo treaty – no one disagrees on it, and it is going to be implemented. It will be implemented ya Fouad, believe me, I wish you were here, just so that you could see it all. Words are not like seeing.

They told you the Palestinians want to occupy Lebanon. And today it is obvious to all that the Palestinians do not want to occupy Lebanon. You might tell me they weren’t able to – I tell you it’s not that they weren’t able to. They never wanted to, for them to be able or not to be able to.

They told you as well – in the days when you were still alive and when they could still tell you – they told you that the leftist parties had a communist agenda. And when you died, Bashir Gemayel declared that he is with their reformist program.

Then – why were you martyred?

My God how much they did in your absence. It’s unbelievable. I swear, if you came back to life – if you could live that is – and you came and saw them, you would think that they were your enemies. You wouldn’t believe that these are the same who encouraged you to go and fight and die. Didn’t they tell you that they aren’t arab and that they are against the arabs? Ok, and in your absence, they worked with all the arabs against us. They worked with the Saudi’s against us. And not only that. They accepted for the Arab armies to enter their areas as a deterring force. Of course, at the beginning they maneuvered slightly, and refused. Well, they had to do it, so the people don’t go against them and so that your death has a purpose. So that they could say that you didn’t die for nothing. But in the end they accepted.

Anyway, they couldn’t do anything else. Because, in your absence – you don’t know this – they asked the Arab countries to take responsibility and to take a position on the Lebanese War and on the Palestinians. And the Arabs came, and they entered their areas.

Ya lateef, the things they did in your absence. They did things in your absence – if only you could come back and see – they fought to bring Sarkis. They fought against Raymond Edde and Sarkis came, and then it turns out that Sarkis wants Lebanon to be Arab. And they don’t want Lebanon to be Arab. That’s what they made you understand. And they stood against Sarkis, then they accepted Sarkis, and they accepted Lebanon as Arab.

What else is there? The order? They want to defend the order? When you were still alive, the order still hadn’t disintegrated. Today, it’s gone. Everything’s gone. And everyone is convinced that this order needs reform. And even if no reform takes place, it is impossible for it to go back as it was. In other words, the order that they made you defend, they also began to say that the government has to modernize, and to become more just. Once you died, they started talking about all this.

What more can I tell you? They lied to you. They gambled with Lebanon as much as they gambled with you – because you are good and don’t ask. Because you believe them regardless of what they say. Seriously, I can’t explain how much they did in your absence. If you go back today and see them, I’m sure you won’t fight with them and die.

But you have died, what can I do. And you can’t come back so that you don’t die. You can’t come back and see how they are going to explain and prove and talk to redeem their image in front of people. And to explain that you didn’t die for nothing. The one thing that they might have suggested, and that came true, and that they can tell to the people, is you. They can say, we wanted Fouad to die. And he did die.

posted by Lazarus, 12:23 AM 2 comments

Beginnings

I spent around two hours yesterday with a couple of friends, who asked some seemingly ignorant questions about the Middle East (of course, in relation to Israel). They initially started by saying "Jew", to which I corrected them - but it turns out that neither of them have heard of the phrase Zionism. I was surprised - and envious. So, I began to explain the basic points of what went on in the past century - something I haven't really done, since people I usually discuss these things with have at least an inkling of the relavent histories and ideologies. My main issue was - how to explain what happened without appearing too biased.

One of the points in this discussion was religion - and they were surprised that I was basically "born" into a sect - apparently, they were born atheist (I think they are the first people I have met that hadn't chosen that path independently).

It seemed like they had a politically carefree childhood. Their political concerns (they're from Canada) were much different than mine, and from those people that I usually argue with.

Oh well ...

posted by Lazarus, 7:43 AM 0 comments

War Photographer

I have spent the last hour and a half watching War Photographer, a movie portraying James Nachtwey in his journeys through the human tragedies that he records on photographic film. Besides all the pictures (some of which can be seen here) that kept me wondering on whether human actions will ever change, there were a few lines that are worth mentioning. At one point, he described Rwanda by likening it to an "express elevator to hell". Christiane Amanpour was also interviewed, and when commenting on her experience after a massacre in Yugoslavia (former), she said that even with all the evidence that pictures provide, even with all the reports that she had handed in, people still try "to find a way ... to doubt".

I dream of the day that human life is seen as the "end", and not as the "means".

posted by Lazarus, 8:30 PM 3 comments

The Trip to NYC

So ... the trip to Boston and New York were great, especially after a summer (and a year) of work. Although I imagine that Boston would be a much nicer place to live (if not for its winter, of course), New York is the place to be. It never sleeps, and on the morning of my flight back to California, neither did I (well, I did - for an hour anyway). Besides seeing all the typical sites, and literally walking all over Manhattan - Central Park down to the South Ferry - I also "saw" the nights there, which have a completely different dynamic than the ones in the Bay Area (whose clubs/bars stop serving drinks after two am). New York welcomed me with the typical cliches that you see in movies - the first metro I walk into stood a kid trying to peddle metro tickets (after breaking the ticket machines, of course), and at the station I get out of in Columbus Circle I saw two groups of disillusioned kids shouting at each other ... oh, and I saw Rene Zellwegger - but no pictures of her.

Anyways, here are some pictures from there - none with me or my friends of course (the privilege/curse of being anonymous - although there are a few who actually do know who I am ... ).

No view from the top of the Empire State - I just don't have the patience to wait for an hour.

This guy is actually from Zahle!

Times Square

View from the ferry.

Recognize this? It was in something called "Pick my up Cafe". I know - a completely random picture unrelated to NYC.

posted by Lazarus, 2:27 PM 1 comments

Two Caricatures, Lebanon, and a Passage of Rambles

This first caricature is by Armand Homsi (From An-Nahar).



"She is waiting for the Mehlis report"

This is by Stavro (from Al-Balad).



"Terror"

Together, they make quite an interesting summary of Lebanon today. Stagnant. Impotent. Waiting. A recent comment said that Lebanon is "Waiting for Godot", and, especially with the recent reports that Mehlis hasn't gathered hard-core evidence, I cynically believe that. The UN has turned down the concept of an international court for the results of the investigation, but have said that they will support a domestic trial in the same way they did for Sierra Leone and Cambodia. This means that the bigger players will not get incriminated. So why don't we move on. Will the Mehlis Report quench our desire for the Truth, which in itself is a misnomer for our deeply trenched desire for fundamental change? If the higher circles of Syria do get directly incriminated, will that change Lebanon's course? Maybe. The report will be released soon, and we will find out. There will be other effects that are related to the report as well. However, there are several things that could happen NOW, and that are independent of the report. The government has to stop focusing on Lahoud (as long as he doesn't get incriminated). If government sessions are going to be obsessed with his role in the government for the remainder of his term, then God help Lebanon. The political leaders have to stop dealing with abstract concepts. At this moment, I couldn't care less about the role of religion, arabism, socialism, rightism, zionism, and all the other barrage of largely meaningless words with regards to the state of Lebanon. I care about what the government is going to do NOW. Seniora took an interesting path when privatization was mentioned, but instead of the pro and anti privatization parties have a serious discussion, insults were traded. I can't but help compare to the state of things in America. Here, people complain about education, health, social security, cost of housing, subsidies, etc. They discuss things that directly affect their lives, and their leaders follow suit. We still live in the dreams of grandiosity. There needs to be more transparency. Models of accountability need to be developped. Political audits need to be performed. Let the Lebanese democracy (or what is left of it) function as a democracy - rule of the majority. True, this shouldn't be at the expense of the minority, but we have taken it to the extreme and try to please (appease) everyone. Hezbollah should stop complaining about the FBI, but those who say that this American intervention is neutral also shouldn't look at things so lightly. It has been mentioned that it is better to have America involvement than Iranian involvement, and that might just be an aspect of real-politik, but we have to learn how to control the levels of involvement. The Internal-External dialectics, that have controlled the dynamics of this country for over a 100 years, have to be studied and understood, and not to be simplified. With every civil strife there exists the "point of no return into civil war", and after all of our past experiences, we have not attempted to redress the internal imbalances, nor attempted to morph our society into a more functional form of pluralism and co-existence. We need an official form of national reconciliation. Not the political game that was played the past several months. Other societies have developped a collective need to remember their past as a precondition for facing the future, yet we are willing not to speak of it. For reconciliation to be taken seriously, the efforts have to be deeprooted, requiring a serious look at the very core of social relations, and not simply to concentrate on the period of most recent conflict. But this isn't only the job of politicians. It is a social endeavour. In one community in Guatemala (which had its own civil war), the villagers were aided in creating a play that enacted (to some point) the violences that had occured, and also recited sections of the constitution that were trampled during their strife. They had moved on, and are waiting for the country, and the international community to do their part. We still need to do our part. It is dangerous to just let the war slip us by, because memory has a collective dimension and provides its own dynamic. Although this is long term, it has to start soon. We need social reforms in order to try to attempt to provide the nation with the basic necessities of life. Some are so quick to bring in the American model, yet don't apply America's own legend: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. Reforms need a census, and it is time to ignore the self-inflicted political sensitivities. We need a circle of intellectuals and thinkers who are willing to discuss with people that do not share their view. We need much more, but for now, we should not keep waiting for the truth before doing something.

Comment: Here is an interesting discussion on the importance of the Mehlis Report, and the possible effects it might have in Lebanon.

posted by Lazarus, 12:41 AM 0 comments

Foiled

An attempt to place a bomb was foiled when neighbors saw some people around a car ... Check this for more.

Yet, what does our government do? Try to protect its citizens?

It shouts and slams tables and trades insults. All in the name of liberty.

Oh well ...

On Another Note ... Bali just suffered a terrorist attack. The number of dead have reached more than 20.

posted by Lazarus, 12:49 PM 0 comments