Mahmoud Abbas getting ready to eat

George Tarabishi and Western correspondents in the Middle East

One of the manifestations of the inadequacy of Western reporting on the Middle East is the ignored passing of one of the most influential or read Arab intellectuals of the 20th century, the Syrian George Tarabishi.  He died a week ago and I didn't see any reference to him in any Western media.  His intellectual transformation took him from Ba`thism to Marxism to Existentialism to a mix of liberalism/Freudism.  He was silent about the Syrian war because he--like the Syrian Adonis--never was a fan of the Syrian "revolution".  But, also like Adonis, he avoided criticizing the Syrian regime.  He authored and translated many works: almost a 100 books. He translated (not always adequately) works of Western thought (Freud and Marcuse among others) but from French translations and not from the original German or English.  He was a great stylist who wrote on many topics.  I, of course, disagreed with him politically and only met him once briefly in London.  For those who are interested  in learning more about him, the writings of Michaelle Browers of Wake Forest University include references to him.  Michaelle, who has an excellent command of Arabic, is one of the few Western experts of the Middle East who keep track of Arab intellectual debates and trends.

PS Of course, the fact that most Western correspondents can't read Arabic and can't follow Arabic intellectual debates explains the omission in coverage.

Saudi-Qatari relations: a Saudi channel moves to Doha

So former Ben Ladenite-turned Saudi Wahhabi liberal, Jamal Khashuqji (who worked for various Saudi princes over the years) decided to move the new news channel that he will be running on behalf of his patron prince, Al-Walid, from Bahrain (where it lasted for one day before it was shut down by the Bahrain tyrants) to Doha.  The amusing thing is that Khashuji during the conflict years between the Saudi and Qatari regimes was one of the most loud voices against the Qatari regime. In this interview he defines the role of the new channel:  "And he confirmed that the stances that will be adopted by the Al-Arab channel will be to serve to the policies of Saudi Arabia which we believe in".  Kid you not. 

Representative of the Israeli terrorist regime offer callous advice to Belgium

"“If in Belgium, they continue to eat chocolate and enjoy the good life with their liberalism and democracy, and do not understand that some of the Muslims there are planning terror, they will never be able to fight against them," Israel’s minister of intelligence and atomic energy, Yisrael Katz, told Israel Radio on Wednesday morning." (thanks Fred)

Russian bombing of ISIS: in comparison to US bombing

There is no question that Russian bombing of ISIS has been far more effective in crippling the capabilities of ISIS than US bombing.  The destruction of ISIS oil export abilities was undertaken by Russian bombing.  The US failed (or didn't even try to) in destroying their truck and expert facilities.

The conservative reactionary country of Jordan: the Foreign Minister didn't dare hug the crying EU foreign minister for fear of offending Muslim reactionaries

Watch the vide: the cowardly foreign minister avoided hugging the EU foreign minister because he wanted to respect the silly reactionary conservative values of Jordan's religious establishment.  

The war between Syrian regime forces and ISIS around Palmyra

After weeks--by the admission of the New York Times--of ferocious battles between Syrian regime forces and ISIS the New York Times just today decided to write a brief story. You see this contradict the conventional narrative about Syria, in which the story holds that there were never battles between Syrian regime forces (or their allies) and ISIS.  

Saudi King: his days are numbered

As-Safir published this week what it said was a medical report about the degenerative mental state of the Saudi King.  The Saudi ambassador in Lebanon issued a stern warning and denied the report and insisted that the King is in excellent health. You know what that means? The King is on the verge of dying any second now.  

UC and free speech: a victory for democracy?

Last night, after I wrote my brief post about the UC Regents decision regarding free speech and anti-Zionism, I thought about the matter. I felt that we should not be really celebrating the decision as a victory for free speech.  It should be seen as a regression of democracy.  The matter should not have come to that in the first place.  We should not celebrate the basic and axiomatic right to criticize a foreign government and an ideology.  The harm to democracy has already been done by deliberating the matter.  This was a setback for democracy regardless of the outcome.  

FLASH: Zionist censors in US--biggest enemies of democracy in the country--lose: UC regents reject blanket censure of anti-Zionism

"University of California regents said Wednesday that anti-Semitism has “no place” on a college campus but declined to issue a broad condemnation of anti-Zionism as a form of discrimination.  Instead, they unanimously approved a report on intolerance that decried only “anti-Semitic forms” of the political ideology, which challenges Israel's right to exist in Palestine." 

This is basically a reiteration of our stance in the pro-Palestinian community in the US: we reject any and all forms of anti-Semitism of any kind, and we don't welcome any anti-Semites in our midst.  We remain steadfast in our stiff and categorical opposition to all forms of Zionism, which is a form of racism and segregation.  This victory for free speech should energize the anti-Zionist movement worldwide.  States based on racism, exclusion, and occupation have no place in the modern world.  Furthermore, all states based on an exclusive religious identity--whether Muslim or Jewish--should be opposed as relics of medieval times.  

US partners in war crimes in Yemen

"Around midday on March 15, fighter jets from a Saudi-led coalition bombed a market in Mastaba, in Yemen’s northern province of Hajjah. The latest count indicates that about 120 people were killed, including more than 20 children, and 80 were wounded in the strikes — perhaps the deadliest attack yet in a war that has killed more than 6,000 civilians." "While the horrific terrorist attacks against civilians in Europe receive extensive media coverage, the U.S.-supported bombings of civilians in Yemen get scant attention."

U.S. media cover-up of close ties between US-armed gangs & Al Qaeda

"The twists and turns in the three major newspapers’ coverage of the issue of relations between US-supported opposition groups and Al Qaeda’s franchise in Syria thus show how major news sources slighted or steered clear of the fact that US client armed groups were closely intertwined with a branch of Al Qaeda"

Conspiracy in Syria? What conspiracy? And isn't Google in Syria part of civil society and "revolution"?

"An interactive tool created by Google was designed to encourage Syrian rebels and help bring down the Assad regime, Hillary Clinton's leaked emails have reportedly revealed." "WikiLeaks has previously been responsible for publicising links between Google and high-ranking State Department officials, and founder Julian Assange's 2014 book When Google Met WikiLeaks accused the company of helping to further the US government's foreign policy agenda." (thanks Amir)

Hannah Arendt "Zur Person" Full Interview (with English subtitles)

I am dying for someone to name for me those "democratic revolutionary forces"? who are they? I would love to know them to cheer them, really

"Its murder spree has greatly weakened the democratic revolutionary forces".

What is happening in Palmyra

This is rather curious.  There are ferocious battles going on around Palmyra between the Syrian regime forces and ISIS forces but the Western media does not cover it because it does not fit into the Liz Sly narrative: that there are no battles between Syrian regime forces and ISIS.

Saudi regime media war on Obama

The front page of Al-Hayat (mouthpiece of Prince Khalid bin Sultan) carried this headline: "Obama bows down to Catro".

Saudi Lobby in US

"When Nimr al-Nimr, a peaceful government critic, was executed in January, the Podesta Group helped the regime shape media coverage, providing a quote to the New York Times to smear Nimr as a “terrorist.” Other American consultants working for the Saudi Embassy used social media and other efforts to attack Nimr and justify the execution."

Differences between Obama, Hillary, and Sanders

Obama relies on UAE* ruling dynasty to promote a moderate version of Islam.  Sanders relies on Jordan ruling dynasty to promote a moderate version of Islam.  While Hillary relies on Netanyahu to promote a moderate version of Islam.

*I am not making this up. The US administration has assigned UAE regime to be in charge of promoting a moderate message of Islam on social media to combat ISIS.

BDS stickers in stores across Canada

"Stickers calling for the boycott of Israeli products have been spotted in stores across Canada." "They read: “Warning! Do not buy this product. Made in Israel: A country violating international law, the 4th Geneva Convention, and fundamental human rights…#BDS.” "

Saudi Arabia remains one of Britain's closest allies worldwide

"The official title of the religious police is the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice. Chillingly, only two other movements in the world — the Taliban in Afghanistan and Islamic State in Syria and Iraq — have organisations with the same name. The Saudi government has always denied that it has any connection either with Islamic State or with Al Qaeda. Nevertheless, both jihadist organisations endorse the state religion which Saudi Arabia has spent an estimated $70 billion (£48 billion) exporting around the world."

Western governments and the dangers of terrorism

Western governments will spend years and years trying to deal with the dangers of terrorism but they will finally realize the ultimate contradiction in their policies: that they are aligned with the Saudi regime which remains the Number One source of terrorism i noted world (directly or indirectly, materially or ideologically).  

Basically, Western governments are relying on Saudi regime and its Jihadi fanatical Wahhabi clerics to promote a moderate version of Islam

life in Saudi Arabia

"Saudi Arabia Uncovered aims to reveal the hidden reality inside one of the world's most secretive and strict Islamic regimes and questions Britain's relationship with the country." "Saudi Arabia is a key ally of the West," "The documentary was filmed for six months undercover and also exposes the extremes of wealth and poverty in Saudi Arabia. Women are considered to be second-class citizens and police beating women is the norm."

U.S. support for apartheid regime

"Palestinians must travel on separate roads, which are patrolled by Israeli soldiers. They often walk under enormous nets that look like cages, and settlers drop objects — and even urinate — on them from their windows above. Levy described Israel’s occupation simply as a form of apartheid. “It looks like apartheid, it walks like apartheid, it behaves like apartheid; it’s apartheid,” he said." (thanks Amir)

Among the training of Syrian rebels in Syria are home-made explosives: Western responsibility

Western governments (notably US but also France and UK) have secret and not-so secret programs to train Syrian rebels: we know now (see yesterday post here) that 50% of US arms in Syria wind up in the hands of Nusrah (the official Al-Qa`idah branch in Syria).  Among the training that ISIS and Nusrah give is to make home-made explosives (from hair bleach and nail polish, as we learned from an investigation by the NYT of the Paris bombing).  Those graduates then spread around the world.  Western governments ignored those same Jihadi Syrian rebels when they were sending car bombs into Lebanon: they thought as long as they are hitting Lebanese, they don't have to worry about them.  

Repression and Censorship: the refuge of Zionists

Zionists are desperate in the 21st century.  They know that anti-Zionism is spreading among the youth of the world.  The only response they have is to try to censor expressions of anti-Zionism.  They make force the US Department of State to introduce a new ridiculous definition (since when the US Department of State become the headquarters of philosophical and political definitions?), and they can pass new laws and regulations to censor voices of anti-Zionism.  But they will never succeed in silencing our anti-Zionist voices.  And their most vulgar and crude and anti-Semitic tricks is to conflate anti-Semitism with anti-Zionism.  Those are the same people who tolerate anti-Semitism when it comes from the pro-Zionist camp (as in the evangelical Christian crowd).  Do you remember when US House member, Robert Dornan (a right-wing loud mouth of the 1980s and 1990s) referred to Soviet spokesperson (Vladimir Posner) with a grotesque anti-Semitic slur? The Zionists came to his defense at the time because of his pro-Israeli voting record.  

MESA's response to UC's attempt to muzzle criticisms of Zionism

"If anti-Zionism is conflated with anti-Semitism or treated as a covert manifestation of it, then any criticism of Israel might conceivably be perceived as harassment under these policies. This would surely constitute a violation of the First Amendment rights of students, staff, and faculty at the University of California as well as a violation of the university’s own academic freedom protections under Policy 010 of the Academic Personnel Manual. It would also undermine the principles of academic freedom that all institutions of higher education have a duty to respect and defend."

Raul Castro

It is fair to say that Raul Castro has the charisma of a Ted Cruz.  

Apologists for Al-Qa`idah?

Do people notice that US Zionists have become apologists for Al-Qa`idah and its variants (especially in its Syrian branch) as of late?

	Matthew Levitt (@Levitt_Matt)
3/22/16, 6:15 AM Don't think this is unrelated 2 Brussels attack... Assad May Bet Russia & West Need Him More Than He Needs Them nytimes.com/2016/03/23/wor…

Terrorism in Europe: how US and Western governments nourished and encouraged Al-Qa`idah terrorists in Syria

You can really trace the current problem of terrorism hitting Europe to the beginning of the Syrian war in 2012 and the insistence of Western governments--against all available evidence--on creating the myth of "moderate Syrian rebels".  Western propaganda glamorized a non-existing Syrian "revolution" and romanticized those Muslims in the West who took the trip to fight with the various Jihadi group.  The myth of the moderate Free Syrian Army was in full swing at the time, and any opinion which warned of the dangers of rise of terrorist groups in Syria was immediately dismissed as pure Syrian regime propaganda.  The dangerous propaganda ploy of Western media continues. Look at this map from this article in Bloomberg.  Look how the areas designated as "Syrian rebels" is so widely expanded.  In fact, if you look at the areas around Idlib, the dominant force there is Nusrah Front even if it works with other militant Jihadi groups under the banner of Jaysh Al-Fath.  So basically, whenever Nusrah Front (the descenents of the terrorists of Sep. 11) align themselves with other rebel groups, Western propaganda and media outlet regard the rebels in that area as "moderate Syrian rebels" because they are not fighting under the banner of Nusrah although the banner exists.  This is one of many example but it gives you an idea.  And Zionists have been most active in this regard and in spinning this propaganda but they are not alone: some liberal and leftists have also been spinning this fable.

PS This article by the research arm of the Israeli lobby concedes the point about Nusrah Front in Idlib.

Some more additional information about Trump's foreign policy advisers

"On his LinkedIn page, Papadopolous lists among his awards and honors that he was U.S. Representative at the 2012 Geneva International Model United Nations."

The text of Bernie Sanders speech at AIPAC (which was published but not delivered)

I can't believe that some progressives are hailing the speech.  His vision of Middle East peace is exactly that of George W. Bush with an added love and admiration for the King of Jordan.

Well, Bernie Sanders does not rule out US war on Iran for Israel's sake

"we should re-impose sanctions and all options are back on the table.  Moreover, the deal does not mean we let Iran’s aggressive acts go unchecked. The world must stand united in condemningIran’s recent ballistic missile tests as well as its continued support for terrorism through groups like Hezbollah."

Flash: Bernie Sanders calls on the only Social Democratic states of the Middle East to lead the Middle East region

"What I am saying is that the major powers in the region – especially the Gulf States – have to take greater responsibility for the future of the Middle East."  If this is what the US socialist candidate thinks, imagine how bad the rest would be.

Here it is: text of the speech by Bernie Sanders to AIPAC

Let me summarize the speech for you in one sentence from his speech: "I agree with Jordanian King Abdullah".

Foundation for Defense of Democracies and Dictatorships supportive of Israeli wars and occupation

I think that people often miss how influential this shop has become in US foreign policy debates.

US Presidential candidates and foreign policy

Why don't they all make the task of reporters easier: why don't they all declare that Netanyahu is their collective and sole adviser on foreign policy?

Hillary asks: why has it taken the US so long to elect a woman who would order fighter jets to bomb children in refugee camps

"And, of course, some of us remember a woman, Golda Meir, leading Israel’s government decades ago and wonder what’s taking us so long here in America?"

Donald Trump reveals foreign policy team in meeting with The Washington Post

"“Walid Phares, who you probably know. Ph.D., adviser to the House of Representatives. He’s a counter-terrorism expert," Trump said." Some background on Walid Phares.

Saudi cleric arrested

Did I not predict to you below that the Saudi Shi`ite cleric who defended Hizbukkah would be arrested? He was arrested today. 

Only in America

Only in America is neutrality toward a conflict is considered a bad word.

When they talk about the next level of US-Israeli relations: what do they have in mind? Sexual relations?

"That’s why I believe we must take our alliance to the next level."

At AIPAC: Hillary pledges to combat freedom of speech

"and the growing effort to de-legitimize Israel on the world stage — are converging to make the U.S.-Israel alliance more indispensable than ever.

(APPLAUSE)

We have to combat all these trends"

Some people should avoid joking as they are very unfunny: Hillary at AIPAC

"although I don’t think Yitzhak Rabin ever forgave me for banishing him to the White House balcony when he wanted to smoke."  Who wrote this joke for her?  

The woman to the right claims that she is a global supporter of women's rights

Gulf regimes buying influence in Washington DC think tanks

"By 2014, the Gulf money in Washington had become unmistakable. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), for example, had opened a towering, gleaming new office downtown, financed with a $1 million donation from the United Arab Emirates.

The New York Times, that year, published an investigation on foreign government funding at think tanks, which the paper found had risen dramatically. It identified millions in donations going to many of Washington's most influential institutions, which were "producing policy papers, hosting forums and organizing private briefings for senior United States government officials that typically align with the foreign governments’ agendas."  The Times investigation detailed several incidents in which donations from foreign governments had seemed to directly influence think tank behavior:

• Saleem Ali, a former visiting scholar at the Brookings center in Qatar, said he had been told not to write critically of the Qatari government. 
• Emails between the Center for Global Development and the Norwegian government seemed to indicate a quid pro quo in which Norway would "donate" to CGD, which in turn would help persuade US government officials to increase funding for global forest protection efforts by $250 million. 
• The Japanese government gave to CSIS, which now sponsors Japanese officials as "visiting scholars" who are granted access to US government officials by way of CSIS events and preexisting relationships. 
• The United Arab Emirates, also a CSIS donor, got its ambassador to the US invited to participate on a public panel alongside then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey, whom the ambassador grilled about US commitments to the UAE."

American and Saudi war crimes in Yemen: they will live on the resume of human rights poseur, Samantha Power

"But when US intelligence agencies checked the list against their own information, they found that many of the targets had little or no military value, according to a report at the time by the Wall Street Journal's Maria Abi-Habib and Adam Entous. Many were civilian structures in or near population centers.  The US warned Saudi Arabia off the targets, and Saudi officials said they complied. But when the air war began, Saudi bombs fell heavily on "hospitals, schools, a refugee camp, and neighborhoods," according to the Journal.  The US initially held back from the war. But soon, in an apparent effort to purchase Saudi acquiescence to the nuclear deal with Iran, the US substantially increased support for the Saudi-led campaign, providing midair refueling, weapons and supplies, targeting information, and 45 dedicated intelligence analysts."

In this picture, Obama is seen telling Saudi King that he is a free rider and a dictator

Explosive report about US role in assisting Al-Qa`idah in Syria: 50% of US arms in Syria land with Nusrah Front

There is so much here about how US wittingly or unwittingly has been helping Al-Qa`idah in Syria.  Furthermore, it seems that Jamal Ma`ruf (who at one point was hailed as the last hope of US foreign policy in Syria and who was hailed as a moderate and secular rebel leader by David Ignatius and Liz Sly among many others in the Western press) had pledged allegiance secretly to Abu Muhammad Julani.  

Europe's alliance with the sponsors of terrorism

"Not one of the EU nations has, to date, taken on Saudi Arabia, the promulgator of hardline Islam and zealous intolerance. Saudi Arabia went into Belgium in the late sixties and spread Wahhabism among the newly arrived Muslim migrants. To date, $70bn has been spent on this global brainwashing and destabilisation programme. This Tuesday evening on ITV, a secretly filmed documentary investigates the nefarious kingdom. Will this exposure alter Europe’s special relationship with the most evil of empires? No." "The European crusaders who attacked Iraq and Libya and play hidden war games in Syria have never accepted responsibility for the churn, chaos, rage and violence that they left in their wake. Western sanctions and bombs wiped out more people in Iraq than Saddam ever did." (thanks Amir)

Patrick Cockburn on Western responsibility for ISIS

" Al-Qaeda is expanding in Yemen, where Western leaders have given a free pass to Saudi Arabia to launch a bombing campaign that has wrecked the country." "By taking up the cause of the Syrian and Libyan opposition and destroying the Syrian and Libyan states, France and Britain opened the door to Isis and should share in the blame for the rise of Isis and terrorism in Europe."

This is what I call safe human rights advocacy: like those who fly in private jets but insist on recycling

"Clooney mentioned countries such as Sudan, Iran and North Korea in her 12-minute speech, however she made no specific references to rights abuses in Gulf Arab countries or the humanitarian toll of the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, which the UAE is taking part in."

Obama in Cuba: by Emad Hajjaj

Elliott Abrams: advising Ted Cruz

Elliott Abrams is now considered a Middle East expert.  Back when I came to the US in the 1980s, he posed as a Latin American expert in the Reagan administration.  Of course, he had studied neither the Middle East nor Latin America.  In the US, zealotry makes up for lack of expertise.

AIPAC speaker: on non-violence: one of two Arab speakers at AIPAC

Is it not hilarious that AIPAC would feature this (unknown) Palestinian speaker who runs a non-violence shop but AIPAC would never feature an Israeli advocate of non-violence. But this is Zionism: violence is endorsed for one side one the conflict only.  "Mr. Ali Abu Awwad:

Founder, Taghyeer (Change) Palestinian National Nonviolence Movement

Co-Director of Roots/Judr/Shorashim: A Local Israel Israeli-Palestinian Initiative for Understanding, Nonviolence and Transformation".

This Saudi Shi`ite cleric will be arrested: he defends Hizbullah (see the last ten minutes)

This is a punishable crime in Saudi kingdom of horrors.

Amal Clooney offers advice to Gulf tyrants on how to best repress their people and manage the PR problem of Oppression

""Governments must be prepared to be transparent and get their message out first."

Clooney mentioned countries such as Sudan, Iran and North Korea in her 12-minute speech."  How brave of her to mention human rights violations in Iran and North Korea and Sudan while in the Gulf. How courageous of her.

Joe Biden rails against wall builders forgetting that he was speaking to a pro-Israeli audience

"“As the Jewish people know better than any other people, any action that marginalizes one religious or ethnic group imperils us all,” Biden said to loud applause from the crowd of more than 18,000. “It is incumbent on all of us to stand up against those who traffic in pernicious stereotypes, who seek to scare and divide us for political gain, because the future belongs to the bridge builders, not the wall builders.”" (thanks Mick)

Trudeau and his theatrics

I am getting quite sick of the empty theatrics of Trudeau.  On matter of policy, he does not represent what people are projecting onto him.  The repeat of the Obama syndrome.  What is that Texas saying?Diddle me once?

HRW and Raqqa

HRW has joined the Gulf regime chorus (not the first time). It is suddenly concerned over the plight of civilians in Raqqa.  Has it ever expressed concern over the plight of civilians in Raqqa when US bombs fall on it? I don't recall.  Of course, both Russian and US bombs kill civilians but according to HRW US bombs in Syria don't kill civilians. 

Saudi religious elite calls for US ruin

A Saudi student told me a few days ago that in mosques across the kingdom, regime clerics used to include in their prayers this call: "God, may you bring ruin to US. God, may you bring ruin to Israel".  But around six years ago an order came to end those calls.

PS In Arabic the call was: اللهم اهلك أمريكا. اللهم اهلك إسرائيل

On refuting Bourdieu

"Je pense qu’on est fondé à parler de science, même si notre science est débutante, balbutiante, il y a malgré tout une séparation de nature entre l’effort scientifique que fait l’historien, l’ethnologue, le sociologue ou l’économiste, et ce que fait par exemple le philosophe. Nous travaillons à être vérifiables ou falsifiables [...] Jusqu’à présent j’étais l’objet d’attaques, mais jamais de réfutations au sens rigoureux du terme, je dirais que une des raisons de ma tristesse, c’est que dans le champ intellectuel français, j’ai beaucoup d’ennemis mais je n’ai pas d’adversaires, c’est-à dire des gens qui feraient le travail nécessaire pour opposer une réfutation. On me répond à Paris IV : "Mais ça c’est totalitaire puisque que vous êtes irréfutable". Pas du tout... simplement, pour me réfuter, il faut se lever de bonne heure : il faut travailler. C’est un peu arrogant, mais…" (I was never the object of serious refutations... in the french intellectual field, I have a lot of ennemies, but no adversaries, meaning people who would do the proper work to oppose me a refutation. In Paris 4 (A university with a conservative philosophy department), they say to me: "But this is totalitarian, since you cannot be refuted". Not at all... basically, to refute me, you have to wake up early, you have to work. It's arrogant to say this, but...) (thanks Raed)

Rejection of Israel?

Zionists say: but the rejection of a Jewish state is anti-Semitic because why one would single out in rejection this Jewish state? To that one says: 1) Oh, no. I also reject Christian and Islamic and Buddhist states as well. 2) but also one can maintain that one is not necessarily opposed to a Jewish state per se but is opposed to the particular Jewish state which was constructed atop an existing Palestinian homeland.  Maxine Robinson once explained his position this way, he said: I would not be opposed to a Jewish state on the moon, for example.

Zionists can't have it both way

If Zionists in the US want us to believe that anti-Semitism includes criticisms or even rejection of the very existence of the Jewish state in Palestine, then they should also accept the parallel notion that any criticisms or even rejection of the Saudi or Iranian regimes among to anti-Islam bigotry.  Is that your position, o Zionists?

Urban planning in Egypt

I will be furious if the rent in the second building is not very very cheap.

Huffington Post Qatari regime

The Arabic Huffington Post is one of the most misogynistic Arab news site these days (and the competition is stiff given the sponsorship of media and websites by the polygamous oil and gas princes).  Here they talk about "female bickering" at weddings.

Syrian "revolution" festival in DC

Look who the speaker is for an event by the Syrian "revolution" supporters in DC: "Jamal Khashoggi, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Arab News Channel".  I revolution sponsored by the Saudi regime. Where is Karl Marx to see this?

Russia and the bombing of ISIS

Last week, Saudi and Qatari regime media condemned Russia for not bombing Raqqa and accused it because of that of under-the-table non-aggression deal with ISIS.  Yesterday, all Saudi and Qatari regime media were condemning Russia for bombing Raqqa and killing women and children.  I kid you not.  If only I can understand what Qatari and Saudi regime media want exactly.

How Roger Cohen makes his case for equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism

So Roger Cohen of the Times begins by providing anecdotal evidence from one student (he thinks that just because the student is at Oxford that we should be more impressed: "Last month, a co-chairman of the Oxford University Labour Club, Alex Chalmers, quit in protest at what he described as rampant anti-Semitism among members."
But that is not it: the evidence provides the evidence, if there is such a thing in logic. Or the anecdotal evidence presents an anecdotal evidence of his own: "Chalmers referred to members of the executive committee “throwing around the term ‘Zio’”".  I have been in the US since 1983, and have been around many pro-palestinian events and at leftist gatherings and I have never ever heard such a term used, ever.  But then again: my evidence is anecdotal. But he (or his one source) adds another evidence of anti-Semitism: "high-level expressions of “solidarity with Hamas”".  Wait: so solidarity with Hamas is evidence of anti-Semitism? I am no fan of Hamas but how is solidarity with Hamas or with Mahmoud Abbas evidence of anti-Semitism? Please explain.  Unless he considers solidity with the Israeli government evidence of anti-Islam and anti-Arabnss.  But wait: Roger Cohen is not done with his persuasive piece in which he marshals one evidence after another. Here, he stumbles on another example of anti-Semitism among the left: "A recent Oberlin alumna, Isabel Storch Sherrell, wrote in a Facebook post of the students she’d heard dismissing the Holocaust as mere “white on white crime.”"   He is not kidding.  So a Facebook post based on "students she'd heard"?  That is your evidence?  Can you imagine Roger Cohen making his case in a court of law, even a kangaroo court of law?   And I don't doubt that there are anti-Semitic sentiments in the US and there are kooky deniers of the Holocaust, but why is that related to the Palestinian cause? Is the Palestinian cause responsible for notorious Western anti-Semites like Henry Ford and others? He then blames Jeremey Corbyn for the rise in anti-Semitism among the left but then adds: "Corbyn is no anti-Semite".  If Corbyn is not anti-Semitic, why did you mention him then?  He then cites another student from Oxford University: "one Oxford student, James Elliott, put it. Elliott was narrowly defeated last month in a bid to become youth representative on Labour’s national executive committee."  I don't understand this part here. Does he mean that the defeat of an Zionist in any election proves anti-Semitism? So does that mean that humans should vote for Zionists in every and all election to prove that they are not anti-Semitic?  But forget about all this, he finally makes his case why anti-Zionism is anti-Semitism: "What is striking about the anti-Zionism derangement syndrome that spills over into anti-Semitism is its ahistorical nature. It denies the long Jewish presence in, and bond with, the Holy Land. It disregards the fundamental link between murderous European anti-Semitism and the decision of surviving Jews to embrace Zionism in the conviction that only a Jewish homeland could keep them safe."   OK, here is my response as an anti-Zionist: 1) no, anti-Zionists don't deny the historical bond between Jews and the holy land.  I would never also deny the long Jewish presence in Palestine.  But I don't think that the Jews who belonged to Palestine in 1917 and who  constituted less than 10% of the population and who owned less than 3% of the land of Palestine deserved a homeland atop the existing Arab Palestine, or that the aspirations of the 10% should disregard the aspirations of the 91% of the population (the "existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine", as they were outrageously referred to in the Balfour Declaration of 1917).  2) I also don't deny that there is a link between the murder of Jews in Europe and the foundation of Israel, but don't think that it was just to penalize the Palestinian national community for a crime that they didn't commit.  It is not anti-Semitic to believe that the establishment of a Jewish state should not take place at the expense of the Palestinian Arab nation. That is not anti-Semitic, no matter what a student at Oxford told Roger Cohen.  He then adds: "It dismisses the legal basis for the modern Jewish state in United Nations Resolution 181 of 1947. This was not “colonialism” but the post-Holocaust will of the world: Arab armies went to war against it and lost."  It is not anti-Semitic either to dismiss UN resolutions and no one has dismissed UN resolutions more than the occupation of the state of Israel.  And the UN Resolution (non-binding coming from UNGA) does not give the Jewish state what it has today: it was allotted (unfairly) 55% of Palestine when the Jewish population was only a third of the population of Palestine.  And Arab Armies had ever reason to go to war to defend the Palestinians from a Zionist assault: they went to war in order to prevent the massacre of Palestinians and their uprooting and the illegal occupation of Palestine. I only wish that Arab armies went with more force to prevent the larger force of Zionist forces (at the height of the conflict, the ratio of soldiers was 3-1 in favor of Zionist armies.  No matter what propaganda tactics Zionist hoodlums use, they won't shut down anti-Zionist voices in the US and around the world.  The notion that support for Palestinian restoration of rights and liberation of Palestine is anti-Semitic is as absurd as the notion that calling for the overthrow of the Iranian regime or the Saudi regime is anti-Muslim.  Anti-Zionism should never waver and should never quiver and should never compromise but it should also never ever allow anti-Semites to creep into the movement. Anti-Zionism should be clear in rejecting any association with anti-Semitism. 

PS If Roger Cohen accepts (he won't, like most Zionists), I would challenge him to a debate anywhere on anti-Zionism and the left.  

Saudi (and consequently US) war crimes in Yemen

"The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen may be responsible for "international crimes", a category that includes war crimes and crimes against humanity, the top U.N. human rights official said on Friday.   Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, condemned an air strike in Yemen this week and added that the coalition was "responsible for twice as many civilian casualties as all other forces put together".  More than 6,000 people have been killed since the coalition campaign began a year ago to fight Iranian-allied Houthis and forces loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and to restore the president they ousted, Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. Tuesday's strike near Mustaba in northwest Yemen hit an outdoor market and killed more than 100, a provincial health director and a U.N. official in Sanaa said, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the war."

Finally. David Ignatius found real moderate Syrian rebels who really can defeat the regime and defeat ISIS--but he is serious this time

The man who previously declared that Riyad Al-As`ad of FSA is the best hope for the West since Churchill, and who later said that in fact General Engineer Doctor Musician Potato Slicer, Salim Idriss will be leading Syria to a bright future, and who later declared that Harak Hazm will be liberating all of Syria from the regime and from ISIS has finally stumbled--in Geneva of all places--on two people who command the most moderate and secular forces in Syria: "The two spoke through a translator, in a conversation that was arranged by the Higher Negotiation Committee, the umbrella group for the Syrian opposition. Both commanders are members of opposition groups that have been armed and trained by the United States, Jordan and other partners. They carry modern, U.S.-made anti-tank missiles and other weapons that have given them more heft on the battlefield than some other opposition groups."

These are the forces created and funded and equipped by US and Israel

"South Sudan pro-govt forces offered women to rape in lieu of wages – UN report"

Date: 2000-12-31 22:00 Subject: NEW IRAN AND SYRIA 2.DOC (From Wikileaks)

"What Israeli military leaders really worry about -- but cannot talk about -- is losing their nuclear monopoly." "Israel's leadership understands well why defeating Assad is now in its interests." "Bringing down Assad would not only be a massive boon to Israel's security, it would also ease Israel's understandable fear of losing its nuclear monopoly."  Of course, the Syrian regime never lifted a finger to liberate the Golan and defended the Israeli occupation border zealously.

Conspiracy in Syria? What conspiracy? From Hillary's emails

"we are partnering with Al-Jazeera who will take primary ownership over the tool we have built, track the data, verify it, and broadcast it back into Syria. I've attached a few visuals that show what the tool will look like."

US-backed despot imprisons human rights activist

"Prominent human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja was imprisoned this week for ripping up a photo of the king of Bahrain, a close ally of the U.S." "Her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, himself a renowned human rights activist and a co-founder of the Bahrain Center for Human Rights, was sentenced to life in prison for helping lead peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011, which were crushed when Saudi Arabia and the UAE sent in more than 1,500 soldiers, with U.S. support."

Israeli theft of Palestinian water

"The letter from Gaza to Flint — signed by various activists, including the prominent doctor Mona el-Farra — notes that Israel controls Palestinian water. The Israeli occupation steals from the coastal aquifer that is Gaza’s main source of water, prevents Palestinians from building sewage treatment facilities and forces them to buy water at prices they cannot afford." "Palestinians live under an apartheid system. And the impacts of apartheid are especially pronounced when it comes to water. While Israeli settlers in the arid West Bank can enjoy the sight of well-irrigated floral displays and dips in swimming pools all year round, Palestinians have access to considerably less drinking water than the levels recommended by the World Health Organization." (thanks Amir)

On the forgotten Golan Heights and Israeli theft of the water of the lake

This is a movie by a resident of the occupied Golan.

The design of my new office

لقد إتخذتُ قراراً لا رجعة فيه: لقد قرّرتُ أن أصمّم مكتباً لي تماما على طراز مكتب أردوغان لما فيه من البساطة والعفويّة.

I have reached a final decision: I plan to design my office exactly like the office of Turkish president. I particularly like its modesty and non-pretension.

It is all over for the Syrian regime. Its days--you guessed it--are numbered, again

And who but Nicholas Branford can tell for sure knowing his special access to Abu Roni of Hizbullah?  "While the Russian intervention has granted Assad some breathing space, his grip on the country remains fragile."

The sexiest man who wrote this comment is a professor of political science at Kuwait University

"عبدالله الشايجي
@docshayji
كابتن طائرة ‫#‏فلاي_دبي‬ المنكوبة التي تحطمت فجراليوم في جنوب ‫#‏روسيا‬ وقتُل فيها 62 شخصا-امرأة!
واستبعاد عمل إرهابي.
هل تثق بكابتن طائرة امرأة؟

It says: "The Captain of the disastrous FlyDubai plane which crashed this morning in southern Russia and where 62 people were killed was a woman.  Terrorism is ruled out.  Do you trust a woman to command a plane?"

Obama Doctrine and the "non vital" US interests in the Middle Eeast

My weekly article in Al-Akhbar: "Obama Doctrine: The Gulf and the 'non-vital' [US] interests".

The latest Nusrah Front video includes a clip from an interview with Chomsky

Nusrah Front video includes (minute 5:30) a clip from an interview with Chomsky.  The video will expire any minute now, it says.  Of course, they are using what Chomsky said in part for their own purposes and out of the original context. 

US-based lobby helps tyrants whitewash their war crimes

"One of the world’s largest advertising agencies has been accused of helping Saudi Arabia “whitewash” its record on human rights following the kingdom’s largest mass execution for more than 30 years." "In its letter to Publicis CEO Maurice Levy, Reprieve accused Qorvis of helping the Saudis “whitewash serious human rights abuses” by distributing Mr Al-Jubeir’s article, warning that the firm was “dangerously close to helping the Saudi Government defend the execution of non-violent political opponents”." (thanks Amir)

Strict orders for Saudi regime propagandists

They all are instructions: go after Obama doctrine--from all point of view.  The thirst? What dare you attack Saudi regime.

When Arabs and Muslims are harassed in the US

"Adam and Jameel Siam said they have suffered anti-Muslim harassment for at least two years at Williamsville East High School, but they said administrators have done nothing to address their complaints, reported WIVB-TV. They’re hounded on social media and harassed in the hallways at school, and vandals broke windows and doors at the family’s home over the weekend by throwing rocks and eggs. 

The boys have filed at least two reports with Amherst police, the TV station reported — once after a fight in December and then again after their home was vandalized. Their mother said she has repeatedly asked school officials to help stop the bullying, but she said her complaints have been ignored. Now the boys face an expulsion hearing after fighting with their tormenters."

Washington Post journalism about Russian withdrawal from Syria

The Washington Post had an article the other day that Hizbullah is freaking out and "shocked" about Russian withdrawal from Syria, and it cited an unnamed Hizbullah official.  In this article, Hasan `Illayq of Al-Akhbar (who has close access to Hizbullah leadership) writes that Hizbullah and Syria were informed in advance of Russian decision. Who do you believe?  In my case, Hasan any day of the week.

Saudi regime media bring Bush's advisers to defend Saudi regime

Saudi regime media are now rolling out Bush's adverse to defend the Saudi regime.

Saudi media unleash their weapon on Obama: misogyny and anti-communism

This Saudi columnist found it: the problem with Obama is a woman in his staff. You see, according to this guy in this Saudi paper, her sins are numerous: she is a woman, who was born in Iran, and grew up in a communist family--kid you not.

Funny: a writer for Saudi news outlet, Al-Arabiyya on funding of Lebanese press

"There are publications, such as An-Nahar, that are supported by Gulf countries even though they operate from Lebanon. Their financial backbone is Saudi Arabia owing to which they have been the leading print newspaper in Lebanon. With the Gulf countries withdrawing its financial support, such publications do not know how to manage their financial affairs.

“Lebanese newspapers, especially An-Nahar, are like any other newspaper in the country. If it is connected to an economic reality that is comfortable and blessed and sound, then it [the newspaper] is going to take advantage of this blessed reality and use it to make it stronger and more stable,” Ayyash said." (thanks Basim)

Diaa Hadid reporting on the Palestinians

She does not report about the speaker and scores of members of this council who have been arrested or shot at by Israeli occupation forces.  She rightly talks about the dubious legality of Hamas but forgot that Mahmoud Abbas was last elected a decade ago. 

Iran behind Sep. 11

All Saudi media are now festive: that a NYC court found Iran guilty of Sep. 11 and liable.  The same judge who ruled against Iran had ruled in favor of Saudi Arabia regarding its involvement in Sep. 11.  So let me get this straight: based on the series of accusations since Sep. 11: it was Saddam and Al-Qa`idah and Iranian regime and Palestinians who all were behind Sep. 11? Wasn't there an American conservative kook who also threw Russia to the mix? 

Stealth Editing at the New York Times

This is not new; it goes on all the time and reveals the propganda mission of the paper.  New York Times promotion of Hillary in non-editorial articles has been consistent. 

Frank Gaffney is also advising Ted Cruz on foreign policy

In addition to being a major Islamophobe (and an OCD anti-communist prior), did he not believe that Iraqi WMDs were transported to Lebanon from Iraq on the back of camels? 

Who advises Ted Cruz on foreign policy? None other than Michael Ledeen

Has there been a man who is most discredited in foreign policy than this guy?  He basically argued that there is evidence that the PLO was a communist tool; that Bulgarian communists were behind the assassination of Pope John II; that Zarawi worked for Iranian regime; that NATO European allies were behind the movement of radical Islam; that yellow cake (not sponge cake) was proven in the case of Iraq; that Billy Carter was a PLO spy; and he vouched for the credibility of Ghorbanifar in the Iran-Contra scandal.  This man was even mocked by his colleague at the National Review for his kooky conspiracy theories. Will mainstream media pick on this trail of Mr. Ledeen?  I recommend that you go back to 1984 when the Reagan government appointed him in charge of captured documents from the deposed Grenada invasion.  He basically said in a press conference that Grenadan communists were running a world-wide conspiracy against the US.  

Bernard Lewis at 100

People who believe in God and his "divirce wisdom" need to explain to us how Ghassan Kanafani would die (at the hands of Israeli terrorists) before reaching age 40 when Bernard Lewis lives to see his 100th year.  

Liz Sly reports on Twitter that Hizbullah is freaking out about Russian withdrawal

"

Liz Sly (@LizSly)

3/15/16, 11:09 AM Hezbollah freaking out about the Russian withdrawal from Syria: "There is fear Hezbollah will be paying the price" washingtonpost.com/world/russia-b…

Look what Liz Sly (by far the most propagandistic correspondent covering Syria from Beirut) said on Twitter.  You read the Washington Post and there is no reference whatsoever that Hizbullah is freaking out except a quote from an unnamed Hizbullah leader (must be Abu Roni who talks freely about Hizbullah scrects to Nicholas Blanford) who said that they were not informed of the decisions. 

CNN reports on Syrian "liberated areas"

Given how low CNN has sunk over the years, one would have hoped that they would not even pretend that they are interested in covering the globe.  Why don't they just stick to covering Trump and Kardashian sisters.  Here, their correspondents reports from Syrian "liberated" areas: what she found is that the Syrian rebels (mostly Nusrah although she gleefully reports to me on Twitter that she found no ISIS) are democrats and freedom prevails in their areas and that Russian bombs kill civilians but that US and Syrian rebel bombs never kill civilians, or that civilians who live in government-controlled areas are dispensable. 

Saudi Minister of Information and Propaganda on Yemen

"“We hoped at the beginning it would be a quick thing".

For the history books: Samantha Power advocated US support for Saudi war crimes in Yemen

"Samantha Power, the United States ambassador to the United Nations, said American military support might mean fewer civilian casualties."

Ahrar Ash-Sham and Nusrah Front in Ghutah

After releasing an official statement with letterhead and nice calligraphy containing railings against Shi`ites and Alawites and communists--kid you not--Ahrar Asham later said that its joint statement with Nusrah Front was not true.  OK.  

Bigotry against Muslims in US: It is not only Trump

On Ibn Rushd and Rationalism

In her book, Political Thought in Islam, Nelly Lahoud makes the point that Ibn Rushd is often perceived through a popularized version influenced by the simplistic movie, Al-Masir, by Yusuf Shahin.  Ibn Rushd was not what people think of him. This is as simple as the Orientalist equation of Mu`tazilah with Rationalists as opposed to the Irrationalist theologians.  I thought about that as I read this passage in this article: " In theology, too, Muslim thinkers like Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroës, developed sophisticated arguments that would inspire Christian thinkers like Thomas Aquinas — thanks to the Muslim engagement with Greek philosophy.". So if Thomas Aquinas was influenced by Ibn Rushd it makes the latter acceptable? 

Here we go: American Zionists come to the rescue of House of Saud

"The President has minimized, or totally overlooked, a host of Saudi efforts that have bolstered Washington’s political, military, and economic objectives in the Middle East and beyond. These include: supporting American anti-Soviet policies during the Cold War; providing financial support for economically strapped American allies, such as Jordan and Morocco; coordinating with American efforts to rid Afghanistan of the Soviets; participating militarily in Operation Desert Storm, which liberated Kuwait from Saddam Hussein’s tender mercies in 1991; hosting American troops throughout the 1990s; taking the lead in offering Israel peace, in the form of the Arab Peace Initiative (to which, unfortunately, Israel gave scant consideration); and funding the opposition to both Bashar al-Assad and the Islamic State. The list of ways in which the Saudis have supported American interests is actually longer and is simply too exhaustive for Obama to dismiss the them, and, for that matter, their Gulf partners, as “free riders.” Even worse, his disdain for Riyadh in particular is simply solidifying the distrust of America’s other Arab allies, who have yet to get over Washington’s callous indifference to the fate of long time ally Hosni Mubarak. It is noteworthy that Prince Turki mentioned Mubarak in his letter, but President Obama does not mention his former Egyptian counterpart in any of the quotes that appear in Jeffrey Goldberg’s Atlantic article.

The King of Jordan and his land grab and vacations

This is a big story in repressive Jordan.  Courageous Jordanian dissident, Layth Shubaylat, speaks about the real estate grabs by the King and corruption within the family.  He also speaks about the extended vacations the King takes for most of the year.  Yet, Bernie Sanders regards him as the model Arab/Muslim.  

King of Jordan and PlayStation

The King of Jordan cut short his vacation (which usually lasts for most of the year) and returned to LA to await the release of PlayStation VR.  He said that the headset will replace his crown in official ceremonies.  

at least 78 per cent of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians ends up in Israel’s coffers

"His astonishing conclusion – one that may surprise Israel’s settlers – is that at least 78 per cent of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians ends up in Israel’s coffers. The sums involved are huge."

a mass murderer who did a Nazi salute in court, isn't being called a terrorist. Why?

"The answer and reason is simply because of the fact that a white terrorist receives privileged consideration in the media. In contrast, the “terrorist” moniker is one that is exclusively reserved for those who don’t come from within, those who are looked upon as society’s dangerous “others”. Nowadays, that “other” is almost always a Muslim."

"Saudi Arabia is “the cause of the deaths of thousands of Yemeni civilians,”--and the US, the official sponsor of this war

"Saudi Arabia is “the cause of the deaths of thousands of Yemeni civilians,” he emphasized. “They already destroyed most of the hospitals, most of the schools, most of the infrastructure; they’ve bombed everything.” Meanwhile, the U.S., U.K. and France and profiting from selling the Saudi regime the weapons it uses to kill them, Mohammed noted. He also insisted Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi “is a puppet for Saudi Arabia; it’s so obvious. Which means he’s also a puppet for the United States.” "

Moroccan autocrat orders demonstrations against Ban Ki-moon and the latter is outraged that anyone would dare protest against him

"Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is deeply disappointed and angry at the huge demonstration in Morocco against him over his remarks about the contested territory of Western Sahara — and astonished at the government's reaction, the United Nations said. The U.N. chief told Morocco's Foreign Minister Salaheddine Mezouar during a meeting here that "such attacks are disrespectful to him and to the United Nations," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Monday."

The new president of AUB has been in office for a few weeks but according to this silly article, he has unleashed renaissance

"As Lebanon’s national crisis has reached a breaking point over the failure to dispose of garbage since July 2015, political activism among AUB faculty has quickened. So far, perhaps as part of his commitment to the Arab nahda, or renaissance, Khuri has let it flourish."

US-backed coalition is bombing & starving Yemenis to death

"The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman noted that this Feb. 27 bombing was the bloodiest airstrike since another 41 Yemenis were massacred in the US-backed coalition bombing of market in the northern city of Saada five months earlier. In March 2015, the coalition bombed a refugee camp in the north, killing 40 Yemenis and wounding 200 more." "The U.S.-backed bombing and Saudi blockade of Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, has led to mass starvation. Approximately 14.4 million Yemenis — more than half of the population of the country — were food insecure, the Food and Agriculture Organization said in January, and hunger is growing."

Here is a brief look back at the U.S. troops' notorious rapes in Okinawa in the past two decades:

" In November 2012, Japanese prosecutors indicted two U.S. sailors on charges of alleged raping and injuring a Japanese woman in Okinawa the previous month.

The two U.S. sailors were seaman Christopher Browning and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker, both 23 and from Fort Worth Naval Air Base in Texas. They are accused of having raped a Japanese woman in her 20s and injured her neck.

-- In February 2008, a U.S. staff sergeant at Camp Courtney base was arrested after being accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in Okinawa.

Tyrone Hadnott, 38, was arrested on Feb. 11 on suspicion of raping the girl at previous night inside a car parked on a street in the town of Chatan. Hadnott admitted touching the girl's body and kissing her by force, but denied the charge of raping throughout detention.

He was later released as the girl dropped accusation, but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation, charging Hadnott with crimes including rape, making a false official statement and kidnapping.

In December 2002, the police department of Okinawa issued an arrest warrant against U.S. Marine Corps Major Michael Brown, who was accused of attempted rape and damaging private articles, but the U.S. side refused to hand him over to the police.

-- On Sept. 4, 1995, three U.S. servicemen, namely Marines Rodrico Harp, Kendrick Ledet and Navy Seaman Marcus Gill, who were all African American serving at Camp Hansen in Okinawa, were convicted of the abduction and rape of a 12-year-old elementary schoolgirl.

Gill pleaded guilty to the rape, while the other two pleaded guilty to conspiracy. The three, who served prison terms in Japanese prisons, were released in 2003 and then given dishonorable discharges from the U.S. military."

French Catholic hierarchy protected a priest who admitted sexually abusing at least 40 boys

"In a ground-breaking case, a court in France has launched a criminal investigation into allegations that the French Catholic hierarchy protected a priest who admitted sexually abusing at least 40 boys." "Preynat, who told authorities he committed the crimes, was finally kicked out of the priesthood by Barbarin in 2015, at least 25 years after the assaults began. After the parents of Preynat's victims first came forward in 1991, a former archbishop in charge at the time removed the priest from parish work where he had access to boys — temporarily. After Preynat "repented" for his crimes he was allowed to work again with children." (thanks Amir)

Qatari regime media report that Emir pardoned the poet

But the Qatari regime media didn't bother to report that the poet was arrested and convicted in the first place.

What the internet is doing to Middle East (Muslim and Christian) clerics: rise of the secular and atheist generation

What the internet and social media have done to the status of Middle East clerics is quite revolutionary.  For the first time in generations, they are losing their artificially constructed status of authority and reverence.  The Middle East regime elevated those kooky clerics to a high status because they served the regime and produced edicts convenient to their interests.  Not anymore.  Young Arabs (especially those engaged in secular and atheist agitation) are going after those clerics on social media exposing pedophilia in the church in Lebanon and mocking the rulings and opinions of various (Sunni and Shi`ite) clerics.  The misogyny and sexism of clerics are being exposed and attacked.  Just last week, a Shi`ite cleric produced a ruling about how women should talk and walk in the market.  This brought so much insults and attacks on the cleric that he had to close down his Facebook page and rail against communists and atheists in his farewell message.  He even reminded readers that clerics used to have respect.  I commented  on the matter and said that the cleric should be saluted with a...shoe.  Another Shi`ite cleric (a more prominent one who used to give lessons on Al-Manar TV of Hizbullah) came to his defense and decided to focus on me, reading his viewers that I am an atheist (he said that he verified that from Wikipedia) and claimed that I called for beating up clerics and even killing them (I merely called for bringing down the clerics from their status and depriving them of social respect and reverence).  He also said that I hurled obscenities at the cleric in question, which I didn't.  He did mention that clerics are under attack.  Well, I responded to his attack on me here.

PS I am told that the page is now showing. Try this one from my public Facebook page.