July 7
2009
July 6
2009
Calling For Immediate Strict Actions Towards Islamophobia & Anti-Muslim Violence
June 16
2009
<div style=”direction:rtl;text-align:right”>العرب والمسلمون: أُسّ البلا</div>
January 17
2009
Fox News Most Important Interview Ever (Arabic Translation)
Probably many of you heard about FOX’s Neil Cavuto interview with Rabbi Yisroel Weiss from Jews United Against Zionism back in 2006, since it was considered the “most important interview on Earth”, and that’s due to the reply of the Rabbi to a question by Cavuto on the existence of Israel, in which the Rabbi stated: “Mideast violence would stop if Israel ceased to exist”.
Of course, as many anti-Zionist statements and interviews, FOX News pulled the video which shows as a blank page on their site, but here’s the video below, and it’s also accessible on Youtube. You can read the interview in English here as well.
Anyway, I just got an Arabic translation of this very interview emailed to me by Dr. Wafaa Fayed. Here is the translation in Arabic:
أجرى نيل كافوتو مقابلة لعلها أهم مقابلة تجرى هذه الأيام لأنها سفهت بشكل واضح وبعبارات صريحة تلك الكذبة الشيطانية التي خدعت ذوي النوايا الحسنة حول العالم وأقنعتهم بدعم هذا الشيء الشرير والبغيض الذي يسمي نفسه ‘الدولة اليهودية ‘.
الراباى يسروئيل فايس (أو وايس) من جماعة اليهود المتحدون ضد الصهيونية يقول لكافوتو وللعالم أن إسرائيل أفسدت كل شيء على الناس جميعا اليهود منهم وغير اليهود .
الراباى فايس: هذه وجهة نظر متفق عليها عبر المائة سنة الماضية أي منذ أن قامت الحركة الصهيونية بخلق مفهوم أو فكرة تحويل اليهودية من ديانة روحية إلى شيء مادي ذو هدف قومي للحصول على قطعة أرض وجميع المراجع قالت أن هذا الأمر يتناقض مع ما تدعو إليه الديانة اليهودية وهو أمر محرم قطعا في التوراة لأننا منفيون بأمر من الله .
كافوتو: ما المانع إذن في أن تكون لكم دولة؟ وما المانع في أن يكون لكم بلد تنتمون إليه؟ وما المانع في أن تكون لكم حكومة؟
الراباى فايس: يجب أن لا تكون لنا دولة . يجب أن نعيش بين جميع الأمم كما ظل يفعل اليهود منذ أكثر من ألفي عام كمواطنين مخلصين يعبدون الله ويتصفون بالرحمة الربانية . وعلى العكس مما يعتقد الناس هذه الحرب حرب ليست دينية فقد كنا نعيش بين المجتمعات المسلمة والعربية دون أن تكون هنالك حاجة إلى رقابة منظمات الأمم المتحدة لحقوق الإنسان .
كافوتو: دعني أسألك هذا السؤال أيها الراباى…. هل كانت حياة اليهود أفضل قبل قيام دولة إسرائيل اليهودية .
الراباى فايس: نعم كانت أفضل بنسبة 100%…. ففي فلسطين لدينا شهادة الجالية اليهودية التي كانت تعيش هناك وغيرها من الجاليات في أماكن أخرى بأنهم كانوا يعيشون في توافق وأنهم ناشدوا الأمم المتحدة بذلك حسب الوثائق التي بحوزتنا حيث أن كبير حاخامات اليهود في القدس قال : نحن لا نريد دولة يهودية. وعند اتخاذ قرار قيام إسرائيل تم تجاهل سكان ذلك البلد من المسلمين والمسيحيين واليهود.
كافوتو: على أية حال لم يكن لديكم بلد تنتمون إليه ولكنكم كنتم غرباء لدرجة أن تعرضتم للاضطهاد والقتل عبر الألفية الماضية وخصوصا ما حدث قبل خمسين أو ستين عاما؟
الراباى فايس: هنالك قتل بسبب معاداة السامية وهنالك موضوع آخر عندما تثير العداء بخلق معاداة السامية من خلال الصهيونية .
أي بعبارة أخرى أن الأمر لم يأت هكذا دون سبب …. حيث أنك تطرق نوافذ جيرانك وتدعوهم إلى معاداة السامية .
كافوتو: أنت يهودي أرثوذكسي حسب علمي …. ما هو رأي اليهود التقليديون في ذلك الموقف؟
الراباى فايس: الرأي الغالب لدى اليهود هو : صحيح أنه لا يجب أن تكون لدينا دولة … ولكنها قامت ….. غير أن الدعاية الصهيونية بأن العرب يريدون رمي أي يهودي في المحيط وبأن هنالك حقد دفين لليهود مكنهم من إقناع الكثيرين من اليهود وهو ما جعل هؤلاء يخافون من العودة إلى تلك الأرض .
كافوتو: حسنا … لا يمكنك أن تلومهم فهذا صحيح …. أقصد أن لديك مثلا رئيس إيران الذي يقول أن المحرقة لم تقع أصلا ولو كان الأمر بيده لدمر إسرائيل وقضى على جميع اليهود .
الراباى فايس:هذا كذب واضح …. فهو لديه جالية يهودية في إيران ولم يقتلهم عندما سنحت له الفرصة
كافوتو: إذن أنت لا تأخذ كلامه على أنه يريد قتل اليهود؟
الراباى فايس: بل هو يريد تفكيك الكيان السياسي …. وفي الحقيقة نحن مجموعة من رجال الدين اليهودى ذهبنا لزيارة إيران العام الماضي …
واستقبلنا القادة الإيرانيون والتقينا بنائب الرئيس حيث أن الرئيس كان في زيارة إلى فنزويلا في ذلك الوقت والتقينا كذلك بالزعماء الروحيين وكلهم بينوا وبكل صراحة بأنهم ليسوا في نزاع مع اليهود .
كافوتو: إذن أيها الحاخام أنت تعتقد أنه طالما أن إسرائيل موجودة فلن تأتي بخير .
December 6
2008
Gift Ideas For Eid Al- Adha
So, Eid Al- Adha is in a couple of days, Eid Mubarak to you all.
Actually, every time an Islamic occasion approaches, and no matter in which part of the world I really am, I hear the same whining and complaining from Muslims about how dull, lame, and boring our occasions are… and of course I need not mention the really negative comments comparing the Muslim celebrating techniques to those of people of other faiths and religions.
Now I do agree that the holiday season in most non-Muslim countries are simply beautiful, and I frankly like the decorations of streets, stores, malls and homes during Christmas for example, and I enjoy the whole spirit of Christmas, why not, there’s nothing wrong with that. What I’m honestly sick and tired of though is the spirit of many Muslims during their religious occasions.
I never thought that Muslim occasions were dull, and I never found any technique of celebrating any of these occasions boring; I never thought of any decorating style as ugly or vulgar! Instead I thought that as long as the person is reflecting a pure sense of joy and sharing, then I believe that the gesture of showing off their own taste of decorating -no matter how good or bad others think it was- deserves our appreciation at least, if we could not express our admiration.
If you think Muslim celebrations are boring and their decorating styles are outdated or vulgar or whatever, then why don’t you DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! Instead of exposing the bad tastes of people, why don’t you share some better ideas and give them nice tips they can use? why don’t you teach people you know how to be better decorators, or advise people who are responsible for decorating malls how to do it the right way! If you’re a blogger, post lists of do’s and dont’s, share pics of good decoration examples, expose the good side for people to follow, the negative approach only helps people give up the whole thing.
I’ve posted a few things my family does to decorate sweet trays in Eid Al-Adha, this year I decided to share you some really nice and cute gift ideas relating to this occasion.
My picks for:
- Jewellery lovers
- Travellers (e.g. Hajj & Omra)
- Art lovers
- Gadget lovers
- Children
Check this out, and this as well, all are really amazing, couldn’t choose my favorite, but I find these extremely cute: (Desi Dolls)
- The romantic ones of you:
Nothing says it better than flowers!
November 27
2008
The Charter For Compassion
While the religions and faiths of mankind are different in so many ways, they all share the core principle of compassion, and they all agree to “The Golden Rule“: Do not do to others what you would not have done to you.
And from this belief came the idea of forming The Charter For Compassion, a collaborative project by people from all around the world, in an attempt to inspire the world to think differently about religion, recognize each other’s humanity, and to help build a peaceful and harmonious global community based on tolerance.
This project, was actually a wish made by Karen Armstrong when she won the TED Prize, a prize designed to leverage the TED Community’s exceptional array of talent and resources. It is awarded annually to three exceptional individuals who each receive $100,000 and the granting of “One Wish to Change the World.” And Karen’s wish was creating this Charter For Compassion.
The charter will be completed in 2009. The project’s site is open for people from all nations, all religions, all faiths, all backgrounds, to tell their own stories and share their own experiences of compassion. These contributions will then be reviewed by a Council of Sages, made up of religious thinkers and leaders, who will use them to create the final version of the Charter. The document will not only speak to the core ideas of compassion but will also address the actions all segments of society can take to bring these ideas into the world more fully. The Charter will then be signed by religious leaders of all faiths at a large launch event, followed by a series of other events to publicize and promote the Charter around the world.
The contributions are rather impressive and the stories are really touching. Visit the site to learn more about the charter and to take a look at the contributions, rate them, and even share your opinion, stories and comments with others on the site.
P.s. Thanks to my friend Mary for the tip.
May 15
2008
Commemorating Nakba, Part 1: “celebrating” the deletion of Palestine
Today marks a day that has turned life upside down to everyone who was peacefully living in a land called Palestine. Haven’t heard of it? I don’t blame you, “Palestine? What Palestine? Palestine is a word made up by a bunch of violent barbarians who “think” this land is theirs”, they’d tell you. They worked really hard till they managed to wipe it off maps, and crossed it out of history. They actually did a great job that even Palestinians themselves started doubting whether there has been a Palestine one day… and whether there will be a Palestine one day!
But there’s a Palestine my friend. Yes, once upon a time, there was a Palestine, a peaceful beautiful land, with all its fresh fruits and vegetables, with all its breathtaking scenery, and its untouched nature. Its air as fresh as could be, and everything about this land was Holy. You feel how sacred its soil is once you set foot in it… Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, hugged its mountains, blessed its sees, and kissed its skies. Simple people were living there in peace, giving it care and love which was rewarded with generosity of its nature that kept all the people safe inside a bubble of peace, serenity and calmness.
Now you can still see the land I’m talking about, with a “few” changes that is. It’s no longer called Palestine, it’s Israel -ok, not all of it, there are bits and pieces scattered here and there, dots of land that are referred to as “Palestinian territories”-; the waters are no longer pure, the air is polluted with hatred, and the calmness is replaced with the noises of war. Oh and the people, the so-called Palestinians, turns out they weren’t simple peaceful people after all, as you’ve been hearing they were the cause of war, they created violence , implanted pollution and brought insecurity not only to this Holy Land, but to the whole region disturbing the neighboring countries and even affecting the whole world. Who thought some olive branches, a bunch of knives, a few horses and some donkeys would defeat tanks, planes, pistols and missiles!
Yes turns out this word Palestine, is a cursed word… hush, don’t utter it, you might get hurt, and if -God forbid- you happen to mention this sickening word, you’ll have to apologize immediately and make it clear that you never meant to say it, or else you’d be considered to have this rare disease Palestinians have, didn’t I tell you? well, those Palestinians are infected species, so don’t talk to them, don’t shake hands with them, don’t even come close to them, for if you do, or if you started believing their “made-up” story about this whole Palestine being theirs, you’ll have to be medically treated right away, so you’d get a nice clean brainwash that will guarantee you’d never get infected by the Palestine-Virus ever again…
60 years since the day Palestinians were forced to make one of two bad decisions: either flee with nothing but the clothes they had on, or get killed and watch their families, friends and whole race get butchered in cold blood. They had to choose the lesser of 2 evils, for some it was dying in dignity on their land that they refuse to leave; and for others it was running away to the unknown destiny, losing each other on the way, and not knowing where they’re heading, or how they’re going to manage their lives after wards. And for those who left, although they did keep themselves alive, but they did not imagine that they’ll never be able to see their homes ever again. They didn’t see it coming, they didn’t realize that the whole world is nothing but a watching crowd that will do nothing but send sympathizing words, or even condemning ones, this world, that decided to treat those refugees as unwelcome guests in many parts of it, or decided to consider them some kind of fungus that should be removed before it spreads. Refugees never thought their journey will last forever.
60 years of suffering, 60 years of descrimination, 60 years of opression, 60 years of war, 60 years of humiliation… seems like the tunnel Palestinians entered 60 years ago is way longer than what they’ve predicted, for there is no light, not even a spot of light they can see yet, they’ll have to just keep walking and walking and walking.
April 29
2008
It’s All No Good, If It’s Not Meant To Be
Fate; 4 letters combined to form one of the most powerful means of an irresistible interference in our lives, determining events we go through in the most amazing way.
Coincidence; this delightful surprise that brings people together in the most unexpected way, in the most unexpected place, at the most unexpected time.
Technology; this amazing human-created tool that enables you to find people you never thought of finding in the first place just with a click.
These three elements are, in my humble opinion, highly connected and extremely separate at the same time. Fate brings coincidence, coincidence was the birth of science, science led to technology. Technology creates coincidence by making the world a smaller place, and coincidence is part of fate.
Every day people go through a series of planned and unplanned events, all the cause of fate, coincidence and technology. And here lies the irony of life…
We make new friends, and we lose old ones. We fall in love with people we never knew existed, and hate those who never stopped loving us. We remember those who are not worth remembering, and forget all about those who deserve to be engraved in our hearts and memories forever. We get closer to those we don’t like, and get away from those we love. We run after those who ignore us, and let go of those who will always be there for us. We help those who are perfectly capable of handling themselves, and ignore the need of those who strive our help. We gather around those who hurt us, and walk away from those who heal our wounds.
Yes, fate, coincidence and technology throw many events our way, affecting our reactions and directing our choices. They can be the source of our happiness, just as much as they could be the source of our misery. They can conspire to cause this world to be as small or as big as they want, whenever they want. For there are times when neither fate, nor coincidence, nor technology would serve you. And when you surrender to the fact that they’ve all failed to assist you get what you want, they decide to surprise you yet again… could be something good or bad, doesn’t matter, point is it’s all up to them.
You could spend years searching for an old friend, believing that this small world must send him your way, or at least give you clues that would lead to him. But years go by and no trace of that old friend of yours. Yet during your search you stumble across someone you never thought of looking for and you find him instead. More years will go by, and there’s a chance you might still find that old friend, or meet someone who knows him, but there will always be the possibility of never finding him, or even worse; finding him, when it’s too late, when he’s been gone long time ago.
Fate, coincidence and technology, these 3 magical elements, which affect us strongly, and on which we have almost no control, will either support us or fail us depending on the power controlling them: God’s will. And so, it all revolves around one and only principle: whether it’s meant to be, or not.
One should do his/her part in anything in this life, but leave the rest for God. If it’s meant to be you’ll get what you want, but if you do all you can, and spend your whole life in pursuit of a certain dream, and then you stopped at a point where there’s nothing left for you to do, then you have to realize that it was never meant to be… and if it’s not meant to be, there’s nothing in this world that will make it be, and even if you go against the forces to get what you want, you’ll lose it, sooner or later.
April 2
2008
Queen Rania A Vlogger
So Queen Rania of Jordan decided to become a Vlogger addressing the problem of stereotypes, in an attempt to reach out to the west and break down these stereotypes.
I believe it’s not unusual for the Queen to come up with such smart and creative initiatives of a huge impact. I personally think that stereotyping is one of the biggest problems and there’s no better way to solve the problem than getting the feedback directly from the ones who either create them or who fall for them. And technology never fails in such missions. It helps reach as much people as possible in a glimpse.
Now what I find interesting is that the replies to the video, are coming from people of different cultural, religious and educational backgrounds. So the opinions will vary and the interaction will hopefully be fruitful. 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. And addressing the west is, in my humble opinion, courageous, smart and promising. Civilization works inside out, it’s never a one-way thing. It’s never enough to address problems within a country, since the ones coming from outside do affect it and its people as well.
Another annoying thing I’ve noticed in the replies submitted, is that many of the repliers are trying to steer the whole debate towards Islam and the fact that it doesn’t respect or welcome an opinion that contradicts its teachings, leaving no room for debate; which is so untrue, and there’s a difference between a free debate that respects all opinions as long as they are within the circle of respect and understanding, and an offensive debate that has no goal but to attack and show disrespect and intolerance towards the debaters. Islam always encourages debates as long as they aim at understanding, respecting and tolerating each other.
I just wish that the video will open the door for a positive interaction. No matter how much one talks, if the other person is not willing to listen, there will be no point of arguing in the first place. Therefore I really hope that only interested individuals who are willing to argue politely and who are willing to give a chance to be replied to and discussed with, will participate in the debate. If you’re just looking for trouble and fights, please save the Queen your cyber violence.
February 21
2008
Dubai On Monopoly?
UPDATE: NOMINATE AMMAN & TUNIS!
Only the most nominated cities would make it on the list of the “World Edition”. I already nominated the already listed 3 Arab cities thinking that any new nomination I would make would have no shot at making it on the list since there are only 8 days left for the voting to begin. But Khaled took a brave step and nominated Tunis, so I got all excited and nominated Tunis and Amman as well. It would be great if you guys showed some support 
I know it’s just a game but the board would look really cooler with our beloved cities on it!
I’ve always enjoyed Monopoly, I really like the game and how it manages to gather members of the whole family around its colorful board for hours and hours!
And now the popular board game is introducing the “World Edition”, inviting online users to vote for cities that should appear on the board.
Many cities are nominated with a possibility to nominate new ones that are not already listed. Among the Arabic cities are Dubai, Cairo and Jerusalem… only these 3 cities? what a shame
Residents of Dubai are being invited to vote for Dubai to appear on the new global edition of Monopoly.
I believe Dubai certainly deserves being listed, and people should vote for it.
But well, being the curious person I am, I had to check out what’s written in the description of each Arab city. And as usual it is admitted that Muslims reside Jerusalem besides Jews and Christians, BUT when it comes to religious significance of the city, it seems to be always limited to Jews, and Christians, completely ignoring Muslims.
The Monopoly site pointed out the existence of Muslim residents but went on listing the Jewish and Christian holy sites, completely ignoring Al-Aqsa Mosque, which is one of the holiest Muslim sites on the planet.
Call me whatever you want, but I believe that it’s because of such ignorance of Muslims’ historical and religious significance that many people around the globe don’t answer to our calls when Al-Aqsa Mosque is in danger of being totally and completely destroyed!
As I always say, Jerusalem is a holy city and includes the holiest sites for all three religions, but why should Muslims be completely left out?