July 29
2005
July 27
2005
Nightstand Meme
MMM & Shaden tagged me with this.
This is what I have on my nightstand:
A half burnt honey & vanilla candle on a wooden stand, a water bottle, a cup, my mobile phone, a table lamp, a small white heart-shaped box filled with dried flowers, a bunch of books (on my to-read list), a stuffed heart shaped pillow with 2 stuffed mice on it, magazines and a newspaper.
I’m tagging: Mira, Sinan, Fares, and Hind.
July 26
2005
Palestinian-Israeli Unity Project
Ten teenagers, five Jewish and five Arab, chosen from schools in Haifa, will embark on a 15 day wildlife expedition together in August through the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina.
Afterwards they will share insights on what they discovered about life, compassion and each other while traveling, working and playing together during their wilderness expedition.
This is the new Palestinian-Israeli Unity Project, which is a partnership between Outward Bound and Breaking the Ice, that strives to create positive relationships between the two conflicting peoples through a common, rigorous outdoor experience.
The Palestinian-Israeli Unity Project is designed to build understanding and unity among cultures in conflict.
In last year’s Breaking The Ice program, four Palestinians and four Israelis embarked on a 30-day expedition from Chile to Antarctica. The Unity Project aims to set up a similar experience for the Israeli teenagers, including a visit to Atlanta on Aug 25.
Organizers hope the participants will return home with a new crosscultural acceptance and emphasis on peace that they can spread to Haifa and the Middle East overall.
They will continue to meet twice a month to work on service projects, outdoor activities with other students, and discuss peaceful resolutions to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
[Related: Outward Bound, Breaking the Ice]
July 26
2005
Caravan Update
This is a quick update concerning Caravan for Palestine.
Israeli soldiers forcefully deported 120 supporters of the Caravan from the Allenby Bridge and forced them to return back to Jordan. Soldiers beat, dragged, and pushed many of the Caravaners and confiscated one of their cameras as they were forcing them onto the busses. Israel brought extra security forces onto the scene to carry out the forced evacuation.
Israeli soldiers have also stamped their passports with a mark that will prohibit them from entering Israel or the Palestinian Territories for the rest of their lives.
Here are all news updates concerning the Caravan and the Caravaners.
The caravan is a peaceful movement that aims at upholding human rights of Palestinians and supporting their struggle for freedom, as well as drawing international attention to the human rights violations and atrocities being perpetrated by the Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
What’s the point in treating the caravaners this awful way? Why prohibit them from enetring neither Israel nor Occupies Palestinian Territories?
The seek no harm, they want no violence, they just want to make a difference in the most peaceful and cooperative way, WHY DO THIS TO THEM?!
July 23
2005
STOP Terrorism!
In the middle of the this terrible time we’re living, where terrorism has become a common practice and kind of a miserable trend, one can’t but feel threatened and insecure, no matter where, no matter when and no matter who.
A lot has been said about the horrible London Explosions, a lot is being said about Sharm Al Sheikh bombings, a lot will be said about every terrorist act that may take place in future… Many fingers will point at certain people, many others will blame certain circumstances, and many would believe certain religions are behind this big mess.
As a human being, there’s one thing I know for sure; terrorism makes us all suffer.
Our countries suffer from terrorism just like the west, our civilians suffer from terrorism just like theirs, and many of our lives are destroyed just like theirs…
Therefore, if we want to do something meaningful, essential, logical and basic, it’s stopping terrorism… Let’s all learn to tolerate and love each other regardless of religion, origin or identity.
Let’s stop terrorism, but let’s avoid terrorism as a method of fighting it back…
At least express yourself and say NO TO TERRORISM!
Send a picture with a message to terrorists, tell the criminals of any race, religion and nation: NO TO TERRORISM!
July 22
2005
Old Tag ;)
Ok, so while I was in Amman, I got tagged by Eve & MMM, and now here are my belated answers 😉
What is the one word you would use to describe your appearance?
Don’t know 🙂 I guess people who know me could be of help here 😛
Favorite body part?
Face.
Least favorite body part?
My sensitive teeth, were they not that sensitive, I’d really love them 🙂
Most often complimented on?
Sweetness & helpfulness.
Most often criticized for?
Stubbornness, restlessness, and worrying about others a lot.
Your romantic relationship?
I’d sum it up in: my marriage.
Your relationship with your parents?
Excellent, thank God for that, but I always feel I could be more of help to both of them in many ways.
Your feelings about parenting?
A big responsibility, a sweet bless, and a painful joy 😉
Your hobbies?
swimming & tennis, helping others, playing music according to my own melody-predicting ears, cooking (specially baking),watching movies, reading biographies/documentaries & health/ science related books, and last but not least creating my own weird dances…
Your favorite personality type for a friend?
Trustful, kind-hearted, modest, honest, loyal and funny.
Favorite personality type for a spouse or lover?
Everything my MMM is 🙂
Favorite type of movie?
Comedy.
Favorite cuisine?
Almost all are my favourite, and I’d just avoid: raw meat, pig meat, and alcohol 😀
Favorite treat?
A day in a spa 🙂
Favorite gift?
The one that comes from the heart…
Favorite pet?
It used to be birds, now it became birds AND cats 🙂
Subject of blogging post that got the most hits?
The beheading of Nicholas Berg.. got me 8000 visitors in one day! I just hate to remember this horrible incident…
I’ll tag:
Mo, Shaden, Omar, and Yamen.
July 20
2005
Your Way To “Successâ€
More and more bloggers, journalists, and reporters are being detained and investigated for one crime they’ve committed: speaking their minds.
Unfortunately although many countries are proud of the level of freedom of speech and democracy they’ve reached, people are still not allowed to speak their minds, and are therefore thrown in prison -or God knows what- when they do… specially in the Arab world.
Actually I’ve always wondered: why do they teach children to be brave, ask for their rights no matter what, do the right thing, stick to their principals…etc, when they all know very well that if those children practise the theories they’ve learned when they grow up, they will live a very miserable life and face a sad torn future that lacks safety and security!
I believe that until a miracle happens and this world changes, we should stop fooling young people, as pathetic and sad as this may sound, but I believe the only thing to be taught in homes, schools, universities and institutions of the Arab world is the famous Albert Einstein formula of success: “If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z. X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shutâ€.
July 18
2005
Finally Time To Blog…
I’ve been away from blogging mainly because I have no time.The only time is in my work break, but thanks to my work, almost all “entertaining†services -including blogs- are blocked, so I can’t blog nor visit most of the blogs I love, not to mention that even those I can visit, I can’t always leave a comment there, because commenting is blocked as well!
After work I always have loads of things to do, and I’m always out of time! Anyway, I just thought I’d thank all those who left me comments and sent me emails asking where I was and checking if I was ok.
In the past couple of weeks I:
1. Got stung by an evil bee, the first time in my life, hope it’s the last, coz it really hurts like HELL!
2. Tried to convince my boss that a person doesn’t have to freeze to death in order to feel the bless of an A.C.
3. Bored my husband with the amazing book I’m reading (will post about it when I’m finished, read 250 pages, and still 200 left 😛 )
4. Tried to explain to a client that Jordan is not a Gulf country!!
5. Listened to a bunch of French jokes by my husband’s cousins who were born and still live in France, good news is I understood most 🙂
6. Worked a bit on the decoration, organizing and cleaning of the house.
7. Had –actually I still have- a terrible backache. Don’t know how I got it!
8. Had unbelievable sleeping disorders…
9. Realized how corrupted the world has become on all levels, and I’m about to believe that fixing this planet is a hopeless case.
10. Failed to save my plant which died last week 🙁
Anyway, I promise not to be away that long again 😉
July 4
2005
Caravan for Palestine
“Caravan For Palestine†is a project planned and organized in France: a caravan for international rights will leave Strasburg today, it will cross Europe and the Middle East till it reaches Jerusalem. The purpose of this caravan is to demand the respect and application of international right.
The caravan is constituted by more than 100 vehicles will leave Strasbourg (seat of the European Parliament) on July 4, 2005 and will reach Jerusalem on July 19.
75 persons (about 20 vehicles) are already registered for the journey, whose route passes through great cities like: Geneva, Bologna, Ancona, Patras, Athens, Thessalonica, Istanbul, Ankara, Damas and Amman…
Planned schedule
Day 1 : Strasbourg – Geneva (July 5)
Day 2 : Geneva – Milano (6)
Day 3 : Milano – Trieste (7)
Day 4 : Trieste – Lubliana – Zagreb (8)
Day 5 : Zagreb – Belgrad (9)
Day 6 : Belgrad – Sofia (10)
Day 7 : Sofia – Istanbul (11)
Day 8 : Istanbul (12)
Day 9 : Istanbul – Ankara (13)
Day 10 : Ankara – Cappadocia (14)
Day 11 : Cappadocia – Alep (15)
Day 12 : Alep – Damas (16)
Day 13 : Damas – Amman (17)
Day 14 : Amman (18)
Day 15 : Amman – Allenby bridge – Jerusalem (19)
Total = 3742 km
Then one week in Palestine
For more information you can visit the official website, which is available in French, English, German and other languages.
This is a very impressive project which shows that there are people who really care and who still believe in making a positive change in the world the peaceful way!
Way to go!
June 28
2005
In The War Against Palestinians
I’ve just come across a great article by Preston Taran.
Here are some lines to share:
Manipulating Language in the War Against Palestinians
“Of course the fallback position of the Israeli government is that (“if you are not with us, you are an anti-Semiteâ€). So far this has been a winning combination for the supporters of Israel.
Extending this logic, all those who condemn France should be labeled as anti-Catholic. To criticize Pakistan would automatically make the accuser anti-Muslim, if we adopt the Israeli-American method of thinking.
When Israel attacked Lebanon in 1978 and 1982, this was praised as “daring,†as all other Israeli military expeditions have been. If Palestinian or Arab military units move militarily, such as Egypt did in 1973, it is a “sneak attack.†When a Palestinian group fights for its survival through a military action, much of the West calls the action “Iranian or Syrian-backed†or sponsored.
Israeli actions are conveniently portrayed as “heroic.â€No mention of “American-backed†incursions. When Israelis commandeer aircraft or ships on the high seas in international waters, it is just a “diversion.†When any nation other than Israel or the United States partakes in similar actions, the word “terrorism†or the new American word “thugs†is trotted out.
A humorous aspect of the selective use of the English language revolves around the notion of incarceration.
If an American is unjustly arrested abroad he is said to be “imprisoned.†America has no prisoners in Guantanamo Bay or in other places around the world; we just have “detainees.â€
Same with the Israelis.
Israel had a “security zone†in Lebanon and continues to have “security zones,†throughout their “occupied†territories. Who would dare call them occupation zones?â€
You can read the article in full Here.