Global Voices » Naseem Tarawnah

Jordanian Bloggers React To Bush's Shoegate

Naseem Tarawnah — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:46:11 +0000

While a week has yet to pass since US President Bush faced a shoe flying in his direction from an Iraqi journalist during a press conference, the Jordanian blogosphere is already aflutter with varying reactions. Here’s a look at how Jordanian bloggers have been reacting thus far:

In response to a self-posed question of “why do we throw shoes?”, blogger Hareega says:

Because we cannot protest injustice without being afraid of suffering some consequences. Because one of the worst leaders in history flew to the country he had destroyed as if that land was his own, expecting people to greet him as the liberator who brought them the same beautiful democracy that elected him as president twice despite his single-digit IQ.

SimSim, whose students couldn’t stop talking about the incident despite their final exams, notes:

maybe we don't have weapons of destruction to throw them with but God this shoes is way much better ….. good for u bush despite all the grief u caused at least there is something funny for the people to remember u with…

These sentiments seem to generally be shared by most Jordanian bloggers, with some, like Yazan, labeling the journalist as a “legend”. Like many, Haitham Sabbah was also overcome with laughter upon seeing the footage prompting him to join in on the fun:

…even my kids enjoyed the show when they saw what happened to Bush and each of them wished that he could send the same “gift” to Bush. They asked me how can they send their shoes and I told them that we can send it over air. Since then they were not sure which pair of shoes each of them will send, so I suggested to take a picture of all the shows. So here we go: “A goodbye kiss, you dog!” from me and all my family.

Photo Courtesy of Haitham Sabbah

While footage of the incident can widely be found throughout the Jordanian blogosphere, the Web’s quick production of various multimedia content making light of Bush’s unfortunate encounter, can also be seen scattered around the local blogosphere. Nadine offers a great collections of caricatures, videos and articles. Samer, of Jazarah also offers a few cartoons and online games.

Meanwhile, blogger Issam disagrees with general sentiment of the public, stating:

Personally, I have never been a fan of President Bush. I actually criticized his administration continuously on this blog; however I think that the incident is childish and regretable to say the least. I wish the “Journalist” used his words as an adult instead of his hands especially as a “Journalist” which chidren do. Unfortunately, I also believe that the incident will continue to reinforce the “angry Arab” image around the globe.

Despite many online positive reactions to the show-throwing incident, Jad is wondering whether the journalist will be released unharmed, and if that will be a testament of whether America has in fact brought democracy to Iraq. In response to Jad's post, fellow blogger Secratea leaves a comment noting her concern that the incident may reinforce negative stereotypes regarding Arabs and tarnish their image.

But one thing I am sure of: who cares about our image in the West concerning this particular incident when we all know that Bush has caused ultimate barbarous destruction in Iraq, while never caring about his image nor the image of his great country to us, the Arab and Muslim world…?

Meanwhile, The Observer is busy grappling with the concept of honor, unable to make sense of why some Americans felt offended by the shoe-throwing incident in the same manner that Arabs were offended by Saddam Hussein’s execution, emphasizing the fact that neither leader represents a country for people to feel any offense. He notes:

People around the world restored their hope in the American people when Obama got elected. We believe in the American people and America as a nation. I will repeat Queen Rania's words here: Our fight is not between East and West, Muslims and Christians, it is between extremists and moderates at both sides. George Bush have managed to help extremists gain ground all over the world. It is time to put the world back on track.

When J’s husband received an SMS on his phone asking for people to celebrate December 14th as “Kundara Day” (Arabic for “shoe”), her thoughts caused her to wonder beyond the humor of the incident and in to more serious reflections:

I could hear the howls of laughter tinged with satisfaction reverberate around the Arab world as we eventually caught up with the news …. Iraqi journalist throws shoes at President Bush … such a simple, symbolic act, but oh so loaded, and the Arab street got the message loud and clear, did the leaders though, I wonder?

In a post titled “shoegate”, 7iber, the Jordanian citizen media site, has posted an interesting video montage (Arabic) where various Jordanians on the streets of the capital, Amman, were asked what they thought about the whole incident:

Elsewhere, as Jordanian parliament observed a moment of silence out of respect for the Iraqi shoe-tosser, Naseem wonders if, when it comes to being concerned about things being thrown around, parliament's focus should be directed a little closer to home.

Jordanian Bloggers Mourn Palestinian Poet Mahmoud Darwish

Naseem Tarawnah — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 21:33:30 +0000

The Jordanian blogosphere has been mourning the great Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, who passed away from complications due to open-heart surgery at the age of 67 this week. For Jordanians, Darwish was more than just a master of words. He is perceived as an ambassador and champion of the Palestinian cause; articulating the sentiment on the street in the most poetic renderings.

Blogger Ammar Sajdi described Darwish as “A poet who leaves an eternal legacy of legendary master pieces that simply pierced through ears, the minds and the hearts of the masses”

Amjad described the unfortunate event as a “A true sad day for the whole nation”, while Mais wonders “who will continue to document the bleeding Palestinian wound?” (Arabic)

Tololy posts “State of Siege”, a classic Darwish poem, declaring: “How do you mourn a poet?
You don’t. You mourn the world without him.”

Most Jordanian bloggers have chosen to mourn Darwish by posting various pieces of his poetry in both Arabic and English, for all to read, eulogizing the famous poet with his very own words.

Asoom is forced to recall her college Arabic professor who opened her eyes to the works poetry of Mahmoud Darwish, while Iman recalls attending what would become his final poetry reading in Ramallah’s Cultural Palace back in June.

Photo of Mahmoud Darwish from Wikimedia Commons

Also on Global Voices Online:
Arabeyes: Mourning for Mahmoud Darwish

Jordan: The Queen's Video, New Media Battles & Spring

Naseem Tarawnah — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 11:59:45 +0000

As spring begins to take its course throughout the Kingdom, Jordanian bloggers have had a lot to talk about these past two weeks. HM Queen Rania has become a vlogger, after launching her own YouTube channel with a video that seeks to battle stereotypes that have plagued the Arab world. Global Voices covered the early reactions by Jordanian bloggers, but the Queen's initiative has since picked up steam on the local blogosphere, as the video yields over 2,000 comments and nearly 1 million views in just over a week.

Eman hopes the initiative will be fruitful but is annoyed by a few things:

“What I find upsetting on the other hand is the fact that some of the replies are being offensive, attacking the idea and urging the Queen to address Jordanians rather than the west! to the ones who think this way I say: you seem to have no idea about the activities of the Queen and have no clue about what she’s already accomplished and what she’s still doing in this regard.”

Ahmad Humeid wonders if it can really make a difference:

“Queen Rania cannot be expected to single handedly change geopolitics with a YouTube clip. But at least she is doing something to create a bridge of understanding. And she’s using the right media to do it.”

When it comes to battling stereotypes, Qwaider thinks the Queen may be the best person for the job, while Nasim is amazed at how the video caused a big buzz on the Jordanian blogosphere, even before news of it reached local newspapers and radio stations. Elsewhere, the Queen, who was recently awarded an honorary PhD from the University of Jordan, also took the time to launch a new national education project entitled Madrasati (my school) prompting Naseem Tarawnah to discuss educational reform in Jordan, while Khalaf gives his own unique perspective on the topic.

Initiatives such as the Queen's may only serve to highlight what online free speech is all about, especially for Jordanian bloggers. However, not all is well with free speech in Jordan. Lina gives her take on the recent jailing of several journalists; one of whom ran into trouble for an article he published online. Wael Atill looks at a recent case of identity fraud that has targeted popular Jordanian talk radio host, Mohammad Al Wakeel, that even warranted the launching of an investigation by the Minister of Interior! Meanwhile, amidst rumors of a possible new law for Jordanian online news sites, as well as the implementation of a big brother system in Internet cafes, Hareega wonders if cyber-activism in the Arab world is even worth it any more. Meanwhile, Tololy criticizes an article on the “Arab” blogosphere, which focuses only on Egyptian blogs.

“Spring in Amman”. Photo courtesy of Roba Assi

Spring may be the best time for extra-curricular activities; Deemco joins the Action Committee on a trip to a home for the elderly, while Melissa Manning and Wendy Merdian end their three-part series on 7iber dot com, as they conclude their journey of the long forgotten biblical sites of Jordan. Back in the city, Tololy stumbles unexpectedly upon camels grazing in Amman.

Photo Courtesy of Tololy.

The Observer weaves an interesting fictional tale about a Jordanian spinster that might look to be a play in the making! As Ola points to a new blog for Jordanian filmmakers, Amin Matalqa, director of the Jordanian film Captain Abu Raed, posts a brilliant photo essay of sorts, tracing a visit to the Irbid Refugee Camp nearly one year ago; a journey that ended with his discovery of Udey Qiddissi, who would go on to play the role of Tareq in the film.

Photo courtesy of Amin Matalqa

Speaking of films, Qwaider gives his opinion of the barely controversial Dutch film “Fitna” as blogger Nizar gives his:

“This shows basically nothing about Islam it’s self because all you see is only extreme misinterpretation of a Holy book, and this can be done in all religious books and actually it can be done even clearer in most religions.”

Elsewhere, Jordanian bloggers have been tracking a new advertising war between two telecom giants in the country, Zain and Umniah, whose cell phone deals have caused a consumer frenzy. Samer thinks the campaign is just silly , while theone thinks newspapers are probably pleased with the new war.

Photo courtesy of Adoosh

Politically Speaking:

On the political side of the blogosphere, Jordanian bloggers are discussing familiar topics. First up has been the issue of the much touted Amman-Zarqa railway, whose plans have been recently scrapped. Ahmad wonders if we can learn anything from the Dubai experience.

Naseem Tarawnah looks at the new traffic law that Parliament recently rejected, while wondering if the King's National Housing Initiative is really all that sustainable. Meanwhile, Emad Salameh reviews the government's decision to lift duty taxes on renewable and energy-conserving devices such as solar panels, but believes the government should be imposing more protectionist policies for local industries.

The search for water in Jordan has been moving at a sluggish pace, and with fears of water shortages and prices increases during the upcoming summer season, the movement has not improved. Batir Wardam looks at the fundamental right to water, and how the average Jordanian fits into the picture.

Khalaf revisits the ancient issue of oil exploration in Jordan, a topic that found a place in the final weeks of the recent Parliamentary session, while Jameed thinks the creation of a new $200 million cancer care and research facility is a great idea.

Pitch Black Gaza: Jordanian Bloggers React!

Naseem Tarawnah — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 13:26:44 +0000

As the Israeli onslaught in Gaza continues this week, the death toll continues to climb. With many of the dead being civilians and the European Union labeling the Israeli offensive as ‘collective punishment', the situation has not sat well with Jordanian bloggers. Here's what they had to say in the past few days:

On his blog, Haitham Sabbah encourages readers to support Gazan families through donations and has this to say about the situation:

“If Israel and its allies think that the siege and its war crimes will stop Palestinian from fighting for their freedom and return of their land, they are stupid. Palestinian will continue their resistance until the last drop of their blood, in light or darkness. Israel, you are dreaming. You will only gain more hate and give more reasons for more violent resistance.”

Image By: Carlos Latuff

The Heart Of Darkness:

Roba Assi and Secratea choose more symbolic forms of solidarity, while Naseem Tarawnah struggles to find the right words for Gaza.

Khalid, who studies in Amman, analyzes ‘the darkness', while Razan Khatib resurrects his prose from 2002 that is sadly, still applicable today. Like Jad, Isam lights a candle and lets the images tell the story. Asoom, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr. Day in the US, scribbles words of reality between darker photos, while ‘Lost Within' was taken aback by a particularly powerful photograph

Elsewhere, doctors in Gaza have stopped doing surgeries because of the electricity shortage, and Hareega wonders just how long the generators will last, saying:

“Another crime committed by Israel, the country that attacks ambulances, bombs schools and destroys houses on its inhabitants without a warning. Israel was founded by offending the right of others, killing the innocent, and with blood on its hands. It would be naive to believe that it would behave differently in order to defend itself.”

Reaction-less :

‘J' of Jordan Journals is appalled by the reaction of the UN while Dana reacts to the Israeli belief that Hamas is deliberately intensifying the crisis. SimSim is baffled by the world's silence, wondering if Palestinians are still considered to be human.

But what about the (expected) lack of reaction from Arab leaders? Tallouza puts the looming humanitarian crisis into perspective, while Moi of My Occupied Territory aims her frustration over the situation at the lack of reaction, especially from Arab leaders:

“I just fail to understand how Arab and Muslim leaders are watching this misery take place across the border. I fail to see why Jordanians, Egyptians, Syrians, Saudis, and Qataris don’t take to the streets and demand that their governments do something about this shameful situation. I’m disgusted, utterly disgusted by those cowardly Arab dictators who welcomed the scum of the earth to their palaces last week and failed to mention to him the misery of our Palestinian brethren.”

Ali takes a similar stance by saying:

“Are we that deaf not to hear the cry of help from innocent kids and women in Gaza? I don’t blame Israel or US for supporting Israel’s actions, at the end all parties have their own agenda and beliefs. I put the blame on the Arab States who are silently watching the news coming out from Gaza.”

Jordanians gathered for a candlelight vigil in front of the UN building in Amman on January, 20th.

Calling Out:

Gazans are calling out, but Eman doesn't seem to think anyone is listening:

“The disastrous situation the Palestinians, particularly the Gazans, are living is so out of control and calls for immediate international intervention. But who’s listening?”

No Angel expresses emotions of helplessness:

“If I send donations, they are blocked
If raise my voice, it is unheard
If light a candle, it is blown away
If I write a letter to my representative, it comes back unread
If I voice my opinion about it on the internet, I am told they brought it upon themselves”

Kinzi recalls a girl from Gaza, whom she believes to have been one of the most influential people in her life. In the context of recent tragedies, she says:

“Israel has not learned the lesson of the Holocaust. No one wants to forget what happened under Hitler, but it seems the same vilification of a whole people has been repeated by former victims of the same. Blood is blood, whether Jewish or Arab. It is life, and it is flowing out in death again.”

The events have left Qwaider and Khalidah rather speechless. While Iman decides to unleash her wrath on another entity:

“…right now I want to give myself the right to blame some for the latest humanitarian crisis, the latest misery, the latest catastrophe on the Cancer of Palestine - Hamas! They are the source of the misery Gaza and Gazans have been Plagued with… It’s time to put the firecrackers away and think logically of the best way to get your people out of the misery you (of course with the help of your very people, as they are the incompetent citizens who voted you in to begin with) put them through since you ‘liberated Gaza.’”

Jordan Remembers Amman Bombings

Naseem Tarawnah — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 22:46:33 +0000

It's been two years since over 60 people were taken from their families. The Amman bombings of November 9th 2005, is a memory etched in the minds of all Jordanians. In a country that is perceived to be calm, safe and stable, the bombings were a disturbing reminder that no nation is immune to the evils of terrorism. Two years ago, Global Voices kept the world up to date in the minutes and hours following the bombings, even when media giants like CNN couldn't. Yesterday, Jordanian bloggers remembered, finding it difficult at times to find the right words.

Eman, who lives in Tunisia said: “Today is one of those days in which you find yourself speechless. Being away, remembering all those we watched get awfully killed from a distance, I can’t even imagine how others, who are in Amman, and even worse, those, who lost loved ones, are feeling right this moment!”

The blast that haunts most Jordanians today, was the one that targeted a wedding at the Radisson SAS. Over 30 people were killed including the fathers of both the bride and groom. Um Zaid attended a wedding, and it was a sudden reminder of how times have changed:

“So two years later, it is normal to enter a hotel in ‘Amman by going through the same security that you face at an American airport. It is normal to have your bag searched to go to the mall. To walk through a metal detector to get your groceries. I see more soldiers and police on the streets than I did 5 years ago…Two years ago, the smoke in the ballroom came from bulky bombs strapped around people’s bodies. Tonight, the smoke in the ballroom was from dry ice timed to release as a chubby smiling groom twirled his blushing bride in front of a nonchalant crowd.”

Photo Credit: Hareega

Yazan remembers being at a Spanish musical concert at the Le Meredian hotel at the time of the bombings:

“After the break [intermission] finished, we went back inside the hall, and the event started again. After a while, we noticed this high rank military officer entering and approaching princess Sumaya, who was a guest at the event, they went outside for a while, and she entered again with a frown face. After that, a number of people started getting phone calls and storming out of the room…I went to my apartment with my friends. We gathered mesmerized on the television screen watching what is happening. It was strange, as we never thought that something like this could happen in Amman.”

Kinzi was in Austria at the time, far from her family and home when the dreadful news broke. News was hard to come by and Jordanian bloggers tried to fill the void:

“Unable to sleep, I spent the next three hours on-line with Jordan Planet, in tears as I switched back and forth from Natasha, Lina, Roba, Nas trying to get more info. They had the news, not CNN. Soon other bloggers posted that they were ok. No one I knew was lost, at that point. But many other families were devastated, and that grieved my heart. Amman’s innocence was robbed.”

Lastly, Hend Fayez offers a poem of remembrance:

“When walls start raining blood
And grooms bury their dead,
Pretty brides blush no more
Their gowns are stained by flesh,
Too white for a black day.”

Jordan: Nine Crimes & Other September Stories

Naseem Tarawnah — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 19:38:37 +0000

It's September. The weather is still wonderfully warm, while the cool air moves swiftly between trees that are preparing to shed their leaves. Ramadan is just around the corner and there's a lot to talk about on the Jordanian blogosphere.

However, it's only right to start with the biggest story; the one that has dominated our humble blogosphere lately.

“9 Miserable Days” was the title of Jordanian blogger Who Sane's post, where he told an unfortunate personal story involving the mysterious disappearance of his father, leading his family to expect the worse. With his cell phone turned off, it took nearly nine days to find him. Who-Sane's father had spent a total of nine days at the (public) Prince Hamzah Hospital where he was subjected to the massive unprofessionalism that left him sick, bed-ridden, unfed, unbathed and cut off from the world. The hospital is still new yet it took several visits and inquiries during the comprehensive search to discover that no one on the staff had really bothered to check if Who-Sane's father was actually a patient there before denying his existence.

Thankfully his father was transferred to another hospital where he is currently recovering but in the process, Who-Sane's story inspired the biggest mobilization of the Jordanian blogosphere to date.

Over 50 Jordanian bloggers discussed the issue on their own blogs, trackbacking to the original post and building enough momentum to reach the local media via Jordanian blogger and journalist Batir Wardam. Soon after, the newly-appointed Minister of Health gave direct orders to form an investigation team.

The story and its outcome is a milestone for the Jordanian blogosphere, marking the first time that the local media and blogs have entwined to produce actual tangible results. From this author, comes a special thanks to all those Jordanian bloggers who helped make that a reality.

In other news…

It's seems to be a growing phenomenon in Amman and while some might argue that it's always been around, one thing's for sure, it has definitely become more public than ever before. From prostitution and neighborhood sexual escapades (that are sometimes a little too public) to the changing art of flirting, the phenomenon has come to personify the sexual revolution Amman has been experiencing lately.

In broad daylight, a Range Rover stops, a hot chick dressed amazingly, with quality hairdo, excellent quality makeup and fancy handbag steps down. Walks few feet to another parked car gets in, and the car speeds off. Twenty five minutes later, the scene repeats. [Qwaider]

Khaled wonders how pirated copies of movies, software and games have become normalized in Jordan. Meanwhile, Issa takes a look at the Battle For Haditha, a movie shot in his hometown of Jerash that sheds light on the infamous tragic massacre that took place in Iraq.

The grass may not be so green here but Naseem discusses what it means to be part of an inevitably evolving Jordan while the Arab Environment Blog celebrates its first year.

Shaden talks about the visual depression of Jordanian fashion trends that lack color, while Roba has a bone to pick with the visual spammers of Amman, that include some of the biggest names in the country's private sector.

Photo Courtesy of Roba Assi

Meanwhile, Lina reviews Sultana, a controversial (and previously banned) novel by Ghalib Halassah. “Reading it was quite an interesting experience for me,” says Lina, “it depicts an aspect of village life that defies the norm, and then it takes you into Amman in the late 40’s and early 50’s, at a time of its political and social formation.”

On 7iber Dot Com, Jordan's online citizen-media project, Naseem Tarawnah discusses the hacking of jailed ex-MP Ahmad Oweidi's website while Wendy Merdian writes about Ramadan from an outsider's view.

“Picture of the Day” - Photo Courtesy of Hadeel

It may be a bit morbid but Moey cooks up a post on something that everyone has thought about at least once: blogger mortality. What if a blog you regularly visit stops being updated and little do you know it's because the blogger died? Moey offers us this poem:

A Bloggers Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep, All my passwords at my feet.
If I should die before I wake, Blog for me, for heaven’s sake.

Politically Speaking:

In the political realms of the Jordanian blogosphere Batir Wardam links to an article outlining Jordan's nuclear aspirations for 2015. Nuclear energy has been the talk of the town lately, as promises of an energy independent Jordan are said to be met by 2030. Khalaf and Jad look at the government's move to cut back its subsidies on livestock feed that led to mass protests and contributed to a runaway budget Ahmad Humeid is in search of new political forces. “In a country where some Facebook groups have more members than most political parties, isn’t it time for new types of political forces to emerge?” Ahmad asks.

Naseem Tarawnah wonders if The Jordan Times made a propagandistic mistake by the use of the words “Free and Fair” in describing a US House resolution commending Jordan for its municipal elections. Ahmad Ghashmary writes of a Jordanian MP from the Islamic Brotherhood, who was attacked and had part of his beard shaved off.

Qwaider isn't too happy about the Greater Amman Municipality's campaign of removing olive trees all over the city that are planted in the middle of sidewalks. Meanwhile, Shifaa wonders if Shaker Youssef Al-Absi, the fugitive leader of the Fatah al-Islam militants who was recently killed in Lebanon, should be buried in Jordan in accordance with his family's wishes.

Jordanian Blogosphere | Celebrating Petra The World Wonder

Naseem Tarawnah — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 14:45:34 +0000

It's been an interesting few days on the Jordanian blogosphere. It seems nearly every blogger has been talking about Petra, the rose-red city that recently became one of the new Seven World Wonders. Most seem to be celebrating with a lot of poetic and unbridled enthusiasm (even from afar), but some are wondering, some are lamenting and some are thinking of the alternatives. Meanwhile, other bloggers are thinking ahead of what the win will mean for Petra's economic future.

Petra Celebrations. Video Courtesy of Naseem Tarawnah

Elsewhere on the Jordanian blogosphere:

Rambling Hal has a bone to pick with the archaic (and outlawed) tradition of shooting guns during traditions.

“Ok, so we're not a developed country. But you are KIDDING me if you think we can claim to be a developing country, and we're still allowing this retarded stupidity to run rampant,” says Hal.

On 7iber Dot Com, Jordan's online citizen journalism project, Pheras Hilal sits with artist Omar Bilbeisi to talk about Arabic Calligraphy. Also on 7iber: be sure to check out Lina Ejeilat's review of Algerian singer Souad Massi's concert in Jerash as well as Ramsey Tesdell's three-part series on education in Jordan, entitled “Failing the Future”.

Souad Massi at Jerash. Photo Courtesy of Lina Ejeilat

Wael Attili was surprised to discover that some Jordanian banks are now operating on a Friday (the weekend in Jordan), and snapped a few undercover pictures with his camera phone just to prove it! Meanwhile, Tambi thinks there's something fishy going on with Jordanian web design companies.

After living in Jordan for only three years, Moey has found new-old ways to turn that infamous Jordanian frown upside down. It seems Lina also has a long list of things worth doing in Amman this summer (that are pretty good cheat notes).

Jasim takes a look at traditional marriages and ponders their effectiveness, while Hala wonders if mixing work with hijab is a recipe for failure. Ola thinks books may be expensive in Jordan, but everything is relative, as Z3tr feels Jordanians should volunteer more in their communities.

The Arab Observer wonders if the Amman Municipality's campaign on street beggars is a right one, while Roba, who never flew a kite in her life, decided to get on board with the popular Jordanian childhood pastime. Based on the photographic evidence, well, let's just say her attempt wasn't too successful…

Photo Courtesy of Roba Assi

In other news: Khalaf has a few insights on the release of four Jordanian prisoners once held in Israeli prisoners, while Yugi looks at how the news was reported by Israeli press. Meanwhile, Jordanian bloggers have a lot to say about Dr. Mohammed Asha, the alleged “terrorist” involved in attempted bombings in the UK a few weeks back.

While Naseem wonders if Jordanian democracy is all but dead on the Internet, Ahmad Humeid and Batir Wardam have a few reflections on an event hosted by the German embassy on Youth and New Media, with the question of whether bloggers are journalists at the heart of the debate.

Jordanian Blogosphere: An Iris Also Blooms

Naseem Tarawnah — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:38:57 +0000

The seasons are moving forward, the weather is moving forward, and the clocks have all sprung forward for spring. But controversy is in the air these past few weeks on the Jordanian blogosphere…

The Arab Observer has a bone to pick with people who harass women on the street, while Hala looks at the double standards of so called ‘honor crimes' in Jordan. Meanwhile, Tamara tuned into a local religious radio station only to shocked to hear a sheik legitimizing female circumcision, calling it mandatory in Islam!

“Using an official radio station to legitimize female genital mutilation is outrageous. When the sheikh said that it is mandatory in Islam, he showed his own ignorance of the religion.”

Elsewhere, the yet to be launched Jordanian channel ATV will host a show called “Ween el Modeir”, an Arabized version of “Boss Swap”. The first company on the pilot episode will be Menhaj, where blogger Amjad Mahfouz works as the Multimedia Director! Meanwhile Frances Goodman is on the search for Jordan's national flower, the Black Iris, across the kingdom.

(The Black Iris. Photo Courtesy: Frances Goodman)

Religiously speaking: Easter can sometimes be passed off as another commercialized holiday, some Jordanian bloggers prove celebrating Easter in Jordan can be a spiritual experience.

“I don't want a Jewish doctor to see me”

The request from Hareega's sick patient in Arizona was a bit shocking to him, forcing him to conclude: “If I refuse to be discriminated against I should not accept it to others and prevent it if possible. Racism is racism is racism.” Naseem has his own struggles with the “J” word.

Kilany got a wake up call from a man in Jordan's northern city, Ajloun, that reminded him of the many people living in poverty outside our capital, Amman. “There must be something to be done… Jordan is not only Amman, it is certainly not only West Amman… we sometimes forget that”. Meanwhile, blogger Rain Dancer met a man from another northern city, Jerash, who complained that the municipality had sprayed for bugs amongst the famous Roman ruins and in the process prevented wildflowers from growing.

(Spring in Jordan. Photo Courtesy of Lina Ejailat)

In the political arena: the new political parties law has been met with a lot of resentment by the opposition. Jordanian bloggers give their take on the reaction to the law and what it will mean for the upcoming elections.

While Naseem finds the government's anti-child labor campaigns a bit hypocritical, Khalaf points to another instance of hypocrisy with the government's inability to handle corruption in Jordan despite their anti-corruption calls:

“Now, the failure of the grand scheme to eradicate corruption gives pause. Does not corruption exist in Jordan? Are the wrong cases focused on, in order to hide real corruption? How useful are General Accounting Bureau reports? It seems that upon follow up, many of their allegations do not add up to real corruption.”

In light of the King's decision to scrap two public holidays earlier this year, Qwaider asks: “What is so wrong with employees getting some time off?” Meanwhile, Mohanned is confused over the mixed signals the government has been sending regarding energy policies.

Haitham Sabbah has plenty to talk about when it comes to Palestine and history this month as April is the graveyard of the Jenin and Deir Yassin massacres, while Iman has a word or two to say about an anti-occupation ad that was initially refused for being “inflammatory”.

Arabian Business magazine released its annual Power 100: a list of the world's most influential Arabs. While Lina searches for reasons to explain the presence of only two Jordanians on the list, Batir thinks the list has missed some key Arab personalities.

In other news: Lina has just recently read Abdul Rahman Munif's book “Story of a City” that tells the story of Amman in the 1940's; pushing her to look at Jordan's capital in a different way. Read her interesting review.

(At the Bazaars in Amman, circa 1958. Photo Courtesy of Natasha Tynes)

A Moroccan film festival has chosen filmmaker Rifqi Assaf's “The Last Patch” to be a part of the programme, while Samer has launched a new events section on his blog to keep track of the cultural happenings around town.

Ahmad Humeid has an interesting post on the strange branding practices in Jordan that range from the cultural to the religious. And lastly, a few weeks ago the French Cultural Center launched Le Carnaval in Jabal Lwebdeh and Salam has an interesting review of the event complete with a variety of pictures.

Jordanian Blogs: A Snow Day & Other Mid-March Tales

Naseem Tarawnah — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 12:10:02 +0000

The biggest story to take the Jordanian blogosphere by storm seems to be the strange weather lately. A snow storm swept the country for 24 hours and many bloggers had many things to say about it. Most got their cameras out to take a shot of the crazy weather and every frame had a very different story to tell; as unique as snowflakes.

[Photo Credit: Nas of The Black Iris]

International Women's Day was on March 8th and a few Jordanian bloggers shared their opinions on the occasion, especially with regards to the status of women in Jordan. Her Majesty Queen Rania generated a little buzz when she posted a question on Yahoo! Answers asking “what are you doing to empower women in your country?”. And while on the topic, Khalidah shares her first published article on what it means to be a 30 something single woman in Jordanian society.

Batir Wardam has an interesting piece on AIDS vulnerability in Jordan while also looking at our growing thirst for advertisements.

BBC Radio held a debate in Amman recently asking how the Internet has changed our world. Amongst the panelists were bloggers Naseem Tarawnah and Roba Al-Assi who shared their experiences about the role of blogging in Jordan and the Middle East.

On the political front…

The Corporate Governance and Responsibility Forum was held at the Dead Sea recently and blogger Eyas was able to attend and offer us some of his reflections.

Arrabi looks at the problem of education in Jordan while Khalaf has taken an interest in recent discussions in the media on scientific research.

“…a bigger issue is that nobody in a position to make decisions actually reads research results anyway. This is a well known problem, and the sad fact is that getting officials interested enough in genuinely innovative research projects and results is almost impossible” says Khalaf.

Sure Jordan has become very pricey these days but Oula feels we're consuming too much, while Mohanned thinks it's all due to the influx of refugees.

“Il 7abeh bi Leira!” (One Dinar Each!)
[Photo Credit: Roba Al-Assi]

Haitham Sabbah is proud that Palestinians have come together to form the first unity government, but remains skeptical of Israel's dedication to the peace process. From a house demolition in the West Bank to a naked and drunk Israeli ambassador in South America and the IOF's use of minors as human shields, Haitham gives us a run down of all the happenings west of the river.

Elsewhere…

Jordan's canyons are indeed beautiful but often times obscure. Rakan Mehyar goes trekking in one such canyon: Zarqat Ma'in, and comes back with an adventurous story. Meanwhile, Local band Sign Of Thyme played at Jafra cafe recently and Mazen Al-Ali has an excellent review of their performance.

Lina's found a new place in Amman to go for a morning run and tells us a little about the documentary workshop she's been attending while Ahmad Humeid looks at the growing design scene in Jordan.

The Jordanian Blogosphere: February Clippings

Naseem Tarawnah — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 13:03:18 +0000

The Jordanian blogosphere is abuzz with two controversies this month. The first revolves around the proposal to build a tourist complex near the Dibbin Forest that will result in the cutting down of many trees. While a small online campaign has started up in recent days, other bloggers see the issue in a completely different light.

The other issue involves a recent decision to remove two bloggers from the central Jordanian aggregator - Jordan Blogs. It seems Several bloggers have thrown their two cents in. The central theme seems to be about whether there should be limitations on freedom of speech.

“Freedom of speech is not limitless, there are boundaries and the moderators of JB understand those boundaries and act upon them, accusing JB of oppressing freedom of speech is just ridiculous, think about it for a minute, what’s their motive?”, says Bakkouz.

Elsewhere on the Jordanian blogosphere…

Since Jordan Planet was shut down and Jordan Blogs was launched, bloggers got together for their first official “Jordan Blogs” meeting. Read the reviews from Khalidah and Kinzi (in Arabish)

Are Jordanian women worse drivers than men? Naseem and (Her Eminence) Lubna exchange male and female point of views respectively on the topic. They also tackle another social matter as well: the life line of Jordanian girls.

Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan but you'd be naive to think there isn't a right way to both cook it as well as eat it. Dino posts a short video (Arabic) on how to do both.

Dima and Lama Hattab, Jordanian twins and national sporting enthusiasts, are currently training to climb Mount Everest. Bloggers Natasha and Tamara have more on the exciting news. Meanwhile, Ammar plays with some prose to produce a post on what it means to be Jordanian.

In an entertaining post, Roba tells us how she overcame being intimidated as a new driver and learned the art of “zorabah”, while Moey has drawn up a list of top 10 blogging mistakes to avoid that are worth a read. Tololy goes down theology lane as she wonders whether our belief in God is genetically inevitable, which inspires a debate on what came first: God or the need for God?

A blast from the past! Natasha shows us how today's popular Zahran Street looked like over half a century ago.

In the political realms Firas is not too happy with the fact that a Christian has been given a leadership position in the Islamic Action Front party. Issam has similar feelings regarding the news. Firas also gives a review of Russian President Putin's February visit to Jordan.

Meanwhile Khalaf isn't the biggest fan of the Minister of Municipalities right now and for pretty obvious reasons. Naseem points out the legislative contradictions in the draft of the ‘press and publications law', which was later shelved by the Lower House; Khalaf tells us why.

With elections expected to take place some time this year, Naseem wonders if the voting age should be lowered from 18 to 16. You can also check out this video (Arabic) by a sketch comedy show on the women's quota in elections.

Meanwhile, Batir takes a look at the political landscape in Jordan and what role the word “reform” has been playing.

In Amman, city hall is trying to alleviate high-pressure traffic areas with a new policy allowing drivers to pay for parking spaces via SMS. However Ash of JoLadies has her doubts that this will solve the problem. Meanwhile, one of the biggest complaints in Amman has been the presence of trees in the middle of sidewalks, as Lina tells us:

“Anyone who has attempted to take up the healthy habit of walking and making the most of Amman’s generally lovely weather knows that if it isn’t a near-suicidal mission, it can best be described as a measure of one’s elasticity and ability to zigzag and dodge branches sticking out right, left and center.”

Lina looks at the latest plan to remove trees from sidewalks in order to create a more pedestrian friendly Amman.

The Screams of Gaza Echo in a Silent World

Naseem Tarawnah — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 11:09:28 +0000

Four Months. 247 Palestinians dead. 155 of them, “official” civilians. 57 children. 996 wounded. 337 of them are children. Naseem Tarawnah wonders if the world can hear Gaza scream at all anymore.

Eman vents out similar frustrations especially with the lack of Arab reaction, while Al Falasteenyia is calling on Arabs to protest:

“…we have to mobilize, all of us who are hurting- palestinians, arabs, muslims, every single human being that wants to see this end- for those of you who are sad endlessly glued to the news, get up off the couch and organize a vigil, a protest, anything, anywhere.”

What has happened on the small strip of land is indeed, as Haitham Sabbah put it, a tsunami.

And in the middle of the night a massacre unfolded in Beit Hanoun; an entire family killed in their sleep…

Desert Peace feels the latest images of the Beit Hanoun massacre are eerily similar to Krystalnacht; is history repeating itself?

There only a few voices from the blogosphere emanating from Gaza but Mona El-Farra's diary posts keep us updated on the situation in Gaza, including shocking images of the children injured in Beit Hanoun.

Adam Khalil in Gaza has similarly disturbing images of the victims and the names of the eleven members from the Al-'Athamneh family that disappeared in a single night.

Naj says: “After the massive attacks on Beit Hanoun…i m scared, but really want, to go see what remained from this miserable town.”

With so many innocent civilians dead there have been calls for investigations. Laila El-Haddad is sick of hearing the regrets, apologies and empty promises to investigate:

“Instead of apologizing, STOP YOUR WAR against us. So much energy and enthusiasm devoted to death and destruction and debilitation and asphyxiation and occupation-so little devoted to ending it all.”

Laila offers her readers a Mahmoud Darwish poem, whose work so often articulates the voice and emotions of all Palestinians. Um Khalil also uses poetry in this photo essay that accurately depicts the Beit Hanoun massacre. Shakespeare's Macbeth seems fitting for this tragedy:

“Macbeth does murder sleep, the innocent sleep,
Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care,
The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath,
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast” (act ii; scene ii)

Meanwhile, in the Balata refugee camp where approximately 350 martyrs have died since the second intifada began, Katie Miranada tries to finish a mural to commemorate their sacrifice. But the project was dependent on the Israeli Occupational Forces and their terrorizing sweeps through the camp. Art was put on hold as Ibrahim, an unarmed 16 year old trying to protect his wounded brother, was shot by an Israeli sniper.

“As I was finishing the mural, I photographed some young kids as they put up the new martyr posters of Ibrahim. I recognized him in the photo as one of the kids who was watching me paint the day before. He asked me if I’d seen someone, I said no I hadn’t, and then he left. Now he’s dead.”

Photo: Courtesy of Katie Miranda

Although age seems to be irrelevant for Israel when it comes to the Occupied Territories as Aiysha (which in Arabic means ‘life'), a 2 year old born in an Israeli prison, has just been released in to her father's custody as her mother stays behind under ‘administrative detention', which technically means there are no charges and no trial; just more nothingness to ponder.

In other realms, Ibrahim Oweis, while Flickering ‘Palestine' came upon AnomalousNYC and his little project of graphics and posters using manipulated and altered photos of Palestine. It is a collection worth checking out. Ibrahim will be starting his own project in the near future.

This Week In Palestine: Black & Blue

Naseem Tarawnah — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 12:37:05 +0000

One week after the Israeli army brutally attacked a weekly non-violent legal demonstration against the wall in the village of Bil’in, August 18th saw yet another black and blue protest. ISM reports that this time the army showed a greater sense of preparation as they added water cannons to their arsenal of rubber bullets and sound grenades. The cannons fired blue colored water on the demonstrators resulting in burns and skin irritation, stirring questions of whether the water had been mixed with chemicals.

Photo courtesy of ISM Palestine

While the devastation of Lebanon continues to dominate the headlines many Palestinian bloggers such as Salah Al-Dein are saying “What about Gaza and the rest of the Occupied Territories?” Haitham Sabbah also looks at disengagement and the increase in conflict one year later. In Gaza, Sharifo says that nothing has changed: “…all the infrastructure of Gaza, one of the world's most densely-populated areas with 1.4 million residents, has been destroyed…”

Mohammad from Rafah Today is another resident blogger who has witnessed first hand the crisis taking place:

The mobile phone rings and my friend Abed is screaming into the phone: “Mohammed, explosion here in Gaza city, many injured many killed. There are no ambulances and many have been injured and killed.” It was the house of Iyad Al Masri, a Palestinian man living in the Eastern part of Gaza City. The explosion killed one person and many were injured.

Photo courtesy of Mohammed @ Rafah Today

Who knew that a lacking consistent supply of electricity amidst the sweltering heat could be such a persistent problem in Gaza? Naj, a Gazan, describes just some of the difficulties in living there lately. The absence of electricity also kept Mona El-Ferra from publishing a rather interesting post about the Jabalia Library Project she established in 1992 in Gaza’s Jabalia refugee camp. One of the fruits of that project was Adham Khalil who has since gone on to become a bit of an activist and blogger himself, articulating in a recent post what the expectation of inevitable martyrdom in a state of occupation feels like.

Meanwhile, ISM reports on Gazans protesting the recent abduction of Fox News journalists although all armed groups have denied any involvement.

Naseem Tarawnah of The Black Iris reports on a group of Hollywood A-list celebrities that have taken out an ad condemning Hizballah and Hamas, blaming both groups for everything that has transpired lately in Lebanon and Gaza. Umkhalil believes it is an attempt to whitewash any Israeli responsibility for the devastation and has some helpful suggestions to enlighten these celebrities about the core of the conflict.

As the whole world knows by now, Palestinian resistance fighters captured one Israeli soldier on June 25th followed by Hizballah’s capturing of two Israeli soldiers on July 12th. This however is only half the story as Haitham Sabbah offers us the other half in much ignored greater context.

Haitham also has an interesting post based on reports by Israeli human rights organizations who outline the Israeli policy of “Silent Transfer”: separating Palestinian families by denying entry rights into Israel making it impossible to reach the West Bank and/or Gaza.

Meanwhile Israel has been busy rounding up Members of the Palestinian Parliament and Naseem wonders if it will get to a point where Palestinians will be forced to hold another election with its whole government in Israeli jails. Desert Peace says: “It's time for Israel to accept the fact that Hamas was elected to represent the Palestinian people. Until that is done, there will be no change whatsoever in the situation we have here… none.”

Umkhalil posts a collection of letters sent to the Independent on the fate of Palestinian refugees being denied a right of return. Desert Peace attempts to look at the arguments against the right of return for Palestinians by a state that has a law of return for it’s own people.

Osaid Rasheed, a nurse in Hebron, is not a stranger to death and the moments of reality that ensue. However this time a friend’s son is one of the victims, causing Osaid to reevaluate the heavy gravity of such moments. “Is it that we are touched only when death comes to those who mean a lot to us?” he asks.

Though not all wounds in Hebron come in the form of bullets. Missy of ISM reports of two ten-year old Palestinian boys who were detained by the Israeli army after settler boys threw rocks at them. Human Rights Workers attempted to intervene only to be told by one of the soldiers: “Don’t worry. We’ll keep them for about an hour. We’re going to punish them.”

Ohoud worries about the future of Palestinian culture in the unsteady hands of the modern generation. “Who will write about Palestine’s history so beautifully, about the vines and oranges of Haifa?about Tabareyya and Old Jerusalem?”, she asks. Meanwhile Iman has an interesting post on “Hebrew Watermelons”: remnants from the making of Israel at the cost of “foreigners”.

This Week In Palestinian Blogs: Summer Rain

Naseem Tarawnah — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 14:50:45 +0000

August 11th saw another weekly non-violent protest in Bil’in take a wrong turn as the Israeli army attacked protesters with rubber bullets and sound grenades as they marched toward the Separation Wall. International Solitary Movement reported fourteen people injured including an Israeli activist. Bethlehem Bloggers has a first hand account from activist Jenny Digi. A video of the event created by ISM Israeli activists showed the unit commander yelling: “This is Lebanon! I will not allow a demonstration during wartime!”, as he orders his unit to fire on retreating demonstrators.

“They lost it in Lebanon, now they are going to retaliate and take revenge on Palestinian and their Supporters!” said Haitham Sabbah.

Meanwhile the siege of Gaza continues and overcome with homesickness Laila El-Haddad phones home as Dr. Mona El-Farra writes a letter to explain the situation from the point of view of a mother, physician and citizen of Gaza. Iman has some interesting information on Israel’s operation Summer Rain, launched in an attempt to recover an Israeli soldier, which has seen Gaza’s death toll rise to 193 with 790 injured. Of the dead 58 were under the age of 18 while 25 were women. Meanwhile the Palestinian film “Dreams in a Grey Spot” achieved the status of bestseller at Capalbio International Film Festival. Costing just $60 to produce by a group of young filmmakers under the age of 20, the film centers on a young man from a refugee camp who talks about his dreams as a poet and artist.

Blogger and artist Amal Kawash uses her artwork to remind us what the view is often like from the inside in this piece entitled “Windows So Clean”.

Fadi at KabobFest has an intriguing CBC video on Israeli media censorship when it comes to the most humane army in the world. Katie also has an interesting story to tell of a Human Rights Worker that tried to intervene on behalf of four Palestinian men rounded up randomly by Israeli soldiers from off the street.

Mi'kmaq of Window into Palestine reports that the Fateh political party is calling on Israel to stop arresting women and girls for the purpose of pressuring their relatives who are political prisoners:

“…a mother of six, was interrogated and intimidated for five continuous hours, according to local reports. She was then dumped off in a deserted area in rural Nablus. She was handcuffed and humiliated at the hands of Israeli intelligence officers, as the young woman reported to journalists and Palestinian security sources. Her husband is a political prisoner.”

With electricity, water and petrol becoming a scarce commodity in Gaza, Haitham Sabbah has an interesting video of newscaster Jon Snow confronting Zvi Ravner, Deputy Israeli Ambassador to London, on the issue of Israel’s collective punishment on the people of Gaza. Meanwhile the grave situation in Gaza has inspired some brilliant poetry from Hayam at Poetry4Palestine. While Ola of Cinnamon Zone has a few rules to keep in mind to better understand the Middle East conflict reported in the media.

In the midst of recent chaos, blogger Al-Falasteenyia retells her four-day journey to Palestine including a visit to the old family house and a collection of great photos. Meanwhile Umkhalil calls the attention of bloggers for the implementation of right of return.

Naseem Tarawnah from The Black Iris discusses the media’s latest apocalyptic reporting on the Middle East, specifically a story on the rise of American Evangelical Christian blatant support of Israel’s killings, most recently demonstrated by the likes of Pat Roberston and John Hagee. Journalist and blogger Daoud Kuttab has a thing or two to say about this support as a Palestinian Christian:

“Christian Zionists who use religious rhetoric to justify political and military actions are no better than Jewish or Islamic fundamentalists who make similar outlandish claims. Peace in the Middle East should be about the liberty, independence and freedoms of all the people of the region, and not about whose promised land the Holy Land is.”

Osaid Rasheed has discovered a new use of blogging in Palestine: PELTA (Palestinian English Language Teachers Association). Although still in its humble beginnings, its aim is to create a common place to bring together all English Language teachers in Palestine. Osaid wonders: “Can this blog gather the Palestinian English teachers in a time where checkpoints made it almost impossible for everyone to reach even his own school??!”

This Week In Palestinian Blogs: World On Fire

Naseem Tarawnah — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 05:49:36 +0000

While the flames of war engulf Lebanon, Gaza is still under attack. Many of the victims have been Palestinian children, some barely a year old; and as their families prepare to burry them Haitham Sabbah asks the fundemental question: “How shall we forget? How shall we forgive?”

As sound of artillery shells resonated from the nearby Al-Magazi refugee camp, Mona El-Farra overhears one of the girls at the children’s center in the Nusseirat camp say: “Nobody can stop me from dreaming, nobody should take my dreams away.”

Mona has been touring the camps and hospital emergency rooms in Gaza the last few days with many stories to tell; stories of sadness , of freedom and of resilient children of Gaza whose dreams continue to dance.

Laila El-Haddad still finds it difficult to blog from the U.S. especially when the news from back home has been mixed. While her in-laws have fled to Syria her father’s cousin in Gaza tells her that with no electricity in the area people can eat only what they cook the same day as lack of refrigeration and sweltering summer heat add to the already accumulating frustration. Meanwhile Fida, Laila’s activist friend from Gaza, writes her an email along with some photos of the Rafah crossing: “I came back and thought I can do some thing , but the Israelis destroyed more and killed more , and now in Rafah a lot live in the schools after they lost there houses.”

Fayyad of KabobFest is not surprised at Zawahiri’s latest video as he attempts to jump on the recent wave of support for Palestine and Lebanon where traditionally resistance movements there have viewed Al-Queda with contempt.

While pictures of Israeli citizens signing missiles before they are launched into Lebanon and Gaza have become popularized on many Palestinian blogs, Fayyad wonders if this is considered “Jewish terrorism” since “When a Muslim commits a crime, the whole of his religion goes on trial.”

In Hebron, Katie from Postcards From Palestine describes a week full of harassment that starts with a Palestinian family trying to celebrate a birthday party despite the aggravation of neighbouring Israeli settlers and intervening Israeli army soldiers wondering “whether or not this birthday party was legal” and ends with her frustration over the beating and jailing of her friend.

Collective punishment and scare tactics: Naj from Gaza translates leaflets dropped by Israeli planes from occupied skies. Naj also documents the amount of damage that can be done by just some of the Israeli incursions in three days.

Elsewhere, just west of Nablus, the Israeli Army closed off a checkpoint and opened it briefly to allow only Israeli settlers in, leaving dozens of frustrated Palestinians to stage a non-violent protest by lying down on the ground to close the road with their bodies. The Israeli army responded with excessive beatings and sound grenades.

Last March Haitham Sabbah published two interesting posts about Samia, just another Palestinian refugee trying to cross the border to see her homeland. Recently another Palestinian blogger, Reem, had the good fortune of meeting her to talk about what it means to be banned from entering one’s homeland.

Lastly, Hayam Noir writes an open letter to Kofi Annan, Dr. Marcy Newman writes one to Israel.

This Week In Palestinian Blogs: The Vocabulary of War

Naseem Tarawnah — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 08:37:28 +0000

The word ‘peace' has never seemed further from the recent realities that have gripped the region. Instead, the word ‘conflict' seems to dominate the undertones of every blogger who’s been keeping track of the developments in Palestine; and even ‘conflict' feels like a euphemism these days.

Fayyad at Kabobfest looks at “today’s word…root cause”, a term promoted by world leaders such as George W. Bush, but always seeming to stop short of a comprehensive search of the actual ‘root causes'.

Speaking of being less than comprehensive, the media has been showing two sides of the war according to Christian Sunni of Palestinian Pundit, while Fadi at Kabobfest fills us in on the words you won't hear on CNN.

Um Kahlil has some more talking points for the media, while Shaden is changing the channel.

An alarming message left by the webmaster of Rafah Today on July 14th reads “Mohammad was struck with shrapnel as he was taking those photographs. Thank God he was wearing a bullet proof vest.” Hopefully Mohammad is safe and sound although his latest photos are quite telling of the situation in Gaza.

Photo courtesy of Mohammed of Rafah Today

“Cowards” and “Puppets” is how Ola describes the reaction of some Arab governments. While the Arab League has admitted to being “Impotent”, Shaden has a better word for it (in all three regional languages).

And slowly the words begin to form questions…

Questions such as: ‘Why is Israel always right?', asks Haitham Sabbah. And Does Gaza = Iraq? ‘War' and ‘Hatred': which one breeds which, wonders Lulu. ‘The Right to Defend Itself' has been another popular talking point for world leaders this week. Naseem Tarawnah of The Black Iris wonders what it means to defend one's self, while Ola offers a promising (re)definition.

“Safe”, does it have an address? A question Laila El-Haddad poses when she reassures her son Yousuf that the loud thunder outside their residence in the U.S. is not the gunfire and shelling he’s accustomed to hearing outside their home in Gaza.

And while the borders of Gaza has been closed off by Israel since June, supplies are running short and people are stranded; thousands are left waiting to go home. Often in such conflicts casualties become numbers and we tend to think in abstractions but in a post alternatively titled “Love, Borders and Desperation” one of those waiting is Laila’s friend Yasmin: a bride trying to go home just to get married.

It must be a troubling time for the mothers of Gaza, as the Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that of the 82 reported deaths during the first 12 days of July, 22 are children. Mona and her daughter Sondos in Gaza cannot get a full night’s sleep without being awakened to explosions and sonic booms; blogging during those few hours when the electricity returns before disappearing into the darkness that has descended upon Gaza lately. She also visits the Attar family north of Gaza to hand out presents to 50 children. Their home was partly destroyed and then occupied as a base for Israeli snipers during a 3 day operation in the area.

The attention of so many has been turned to Gaza and more recently Lebanon. But turmoil lives on in the West bank as well. In the village of Bil’in, Iman tells us of a bride and groom who decided to hold a patriotic wedding ceremony by joining a peaceful protest against the Israeli wall. They were both part of the 26 demonstrators injured by batons, rubber bullets and tear gas of Israeli soldiers. The village was eventually invaded.

Elsewhere, in Jericho an ISRAA kindergarten that hosts 150 children was raided by the Israeli army who took off with four computers and a scanner. Some local youths tried to stop the soldiers by hurling stones at their jeeps but the response they received came in the form of rubber bullets and live ammunition, injuring five.

Katie describes her trip to Jerusalem in the midst of the chaos in Gaza. Wanting to visit the Al-Aqsa mosque she finds it inaccessible. Instead she goes home with quite a story after being trampled on by an Israeli policeman on horseback for asking the wrong question. West Jerusalem however is another story: “The surreality of the contrast between Arab East Jerusalem and Jewish West Jerusalem was even more astonishing than it usually is.”

Photo courtesy of Katie Miranda of Postcards From Palestine