March 21 2004

Mother’s Day In The Middle East

To the mother who’s full of love, care and sacrifice. To the mother who’s spent and is still spending her life looking after her family and taking care of each and every detail of her house. To the mother who’s always giving and never asking for anything in return but the well-being and happiness of her family members. To such a wonderful mother I say I miss you, and it’s to this mother and all other mothers who share her such unique feelings that I wish good health, happiness and long living.
Let’s all remember that this day is just a symbol, for our appreciation should be shown every day, and our love should be expressed every morning and every night. A mother’s presence should be celebrated all the time. Let’s be the ones to put a smile on our mom’s tired face, and let’s make every day a Happy Mother’s Day for her…

March 16 2004

Jordan Leads The Child Safety Program In The Arab World

Children, the blossom of life, the base of society, the past us, and the future generation. It’s them who give this life a taste and it’s to them we owe our happiness. They are the most important as they are the ones to build on what we already built, add to what we’re adding, and maybe destroy what we’ve spent centuries building. Yes, the children absorb what we offer. If we offer them good treatment, care, love and stability, they’ll grow to be constructive, responsible and mature members of society. If we did them wrong and took away their rights from them, then we’ll end up having pathetic fearful persons, or violent criminals. Therefore and from this belief in the importance of children, her Majesty Queen Rania launched the Jordan River Children Program in 1997. A program that cares for the well being of children and supports families in their task of nurturing children.
And recently, in the end of February 2004, Jordan hosted the first Arab Conference of the International Society for Child Protection. As a result Jordan started out its Child Safety Program, in an attempt to preserve the rights of children and solve all their problems. The main concern of the program is to protect the children from physical and sexual abuse that might be practiced on them through their parents, or relatives or outsiders. It also reveals all ways, symptoms and reasons for the abuse, as well as offer help to the families, different levels of legal punishment to the parent and shelter to the child. Above all this the program covers the medical treatments of children who are subject to abuse and insures the psychological treatment for both the child and the parent.
The Child Safety Program works along with the ministries of Social Development, Health and Education, and the Family Protection Unit of the Public Security Directorate, providing all kinds of relevant and needed services.
The program operates through two existing centers that are maximizing their available resources and facilities to meet their goals and serve the community: The Dar Al-Aman (Child Safety Center), which is the first in Jordan and the Arab world. The duty of this center is to temporarily shelter and to offer psychological, medical, social and educational care for children victims of physical and sexual abuse and neglect. And the Jabal Al-Naser Prevention Center to increase awareness of healthy child-rearing practices that gradually decrease the incidence of child abuse and neglect.
The Child safety program discusses the reasons behind the passive role of other family members who find out about the child abuse but choose to remain silent, which are mostly: the fear of scandal, or the fear of losing the financial support of the parent or the fear of the power of the parent.
If you turn on the Jordan TV Channel you’ll notice the media campaign which aims at spreading awareness and providing instructions to children and parents, showing them the way to lead healthy life, and directing them to where they could find help and shelter. I find this really impressive and helpful. Parents or any other strangers will reconsider their behavior and children will be stronger and more aware of their rights and where to go and who to turn to in case of being a victim of abuse.

Way to go Jordan, keep up the good work 🙂
For more information about the Child Safety Program in Arabic you can check ZavenOnline
whose program (Sireh Wenfatahet) on Future TV talked about this issue yesterday.
And for more information about the Jordan River Foundation and its other programs ClickHere
Hoping that all other Arab countries will follow the steps of Jordan to make sure our precious children are in safe hands.

February 25 2004

Morocco’s Worst In 40 Years!!

Yesterday and at around 2:30 a.m. a very strong earthquake struck Al-Hasima, a city in Morocco. The quake measured 6.5 on Richter scale, causing the death of more than 300 people.
If any of you has relatives out there, I hope they’re all fine.
It is really terrible, and I hope the death toll will stop rising.
More details are provided Here

February 24 2004

Super Star on Future T.V.

A stunning Lebanese show that offers you all the excitement and suspense you would ever wish to have.
This show gives the chance to all talented individuals from all Arabic nationalities to participate in a worldwide singing competition, and the one who wins becomes the SUPER STAR.
Besides the title and the publicity, this program assures so many advantages to the participants, from showing their talents, until getting the best deals in the region.
Actually I wasn’t that much aware of it earlier as we still didn’t have access to satellite channels, but when I visited my family in Jordan, I saw the streets filled with pictures of Diana Karazoan, this promising young lady who actually won and became a Super Star. Newspapers had whole pages filled with her pictures and news, every store, no matter how small or big, they all had her pictures on their doors. The whole Jordanian society was supporting this beautiful voice and this amazing singing talent.
And more than that, I was shocked when my family including my parents, who aren’t that fond of music and singers, I was shocked when I found them tuning to Future T.V. every time the program was playing, being so focused, so tensed and so exited while enjoying the challenge between all participants, and while listening to the comments of the professionals and most of all, when awaiting the results of who passed and who didn’t.
Even I, in my short stay, I was addicted to watching it and was all excited when I came back to Tunisia. I was like: we have to have this receiver installed as soon as possible.

It is a beautiful program, and it was great to know that the Jordanian Diana won. Of course even the ones who don’t win are very very good, and they too get a great chance of becoming stars and getting deals in future, but well, a super star gets much more attention I guess.

The next Super Star competition will start on Sunday the 29th, and the advertising campaign has already started long time ago. Both participants and audience can’t wait for that day. So make sure you don’t miss it, turn on your T.V and watch Future with its very exciting Super Star show, and be prepared for one of a kind experience. Oh, and don’t forget to support the participants.

For more information go ahead and enjoy Future TV and
SuperStar

February 16 2004

Up to 50% Sales!

For those of you who love shopping, it’s sales time now in Tunisia. It’s great to benefit from such occasions but what I really don’t understand is how many people who can hardly afford their apartment rents, and who need nothing new to buy, how they simply buy hundreds of things just because there are sales!!! I mean ok, they have the right to enjoy shopping, they could buy things they need or like, one or two pieces, but not go buy half of every shop even if they don’t need that stuff!!! I find it really weird.
And what makes me crazy is when they choose the most expensive store, which IN SALES will sell you the product double the price of other normal stores. And they tell you being so proud and happy that they bought things from that store.

We benefit from the sales seasons, and sometimes we buy things that we don’t need that much, things to decorate or to add some nice touches on our home, but we never pick expensive things that will burden our budget. If you wanna waste your money anyways, then waste them on good things, invest, or give the poor who need every penny to survive.

February 12 2004

Earthquake Hits The Middle East!

A medium to strong earthquake hit many Middle Eastern countries yesterday morning, causing injuries,damage and panic from Amman to Cairo.
The quake hit at 0814 GMT, and measured between 4.9 and 5.1 on the Richter scale, strongest was measured in Amman.
The tremor’s epicentre has been located around the Dead Sea.Employees in the Jordanian capital rushed out of offices and telephone lines were cut. Schoolchildren were given the day off. Whereas in Jerusalem, many buildings were evacuated as a precaution, and the radio reported two buildings suffered minor damage, including one in Tel Aviv.
The tremor was also felt in Damascus, southern Syria and Lebanon.

I heard the news from my little sister in Amman, and thank God, I made sure they’re all fine. I wish no further quakes will follow and that all will be safe.

For a detailed report check AlJazeera

February 10 2004

Nancy Ajram

A young Lebanese singer who got famous in a very short time. More than that she even got the “Best Arab Female Singer” for year 2003 in the time only 2 of her hits were the ones very well known. Yes, she broke the record. Although she launched some other albums with other good songs but we can say that the success she achieved in her song (Akhasmak Ah) made it her first hit. This song spread so fast and got the attention of almost all people. Nancy made herself quite a good number of fans with this song alone.
With her second Hit (Ya Salam) she got even more famous and collected more and more fans, and in no time her posters were filling the walls of so many Arab countries.
All you hear in stores and restaurants are her two songs, all you watch on Satellite channels are her two video clips popping every 15 minutes, and magazines are suddenly filled with gossip about her life, with her face on their covers.
Add to all this her free participation in the two biggest cultural festivals of the Arab world: Jerash Festival and Carthage Festival.
This young singer was loved by the audience at the very same time she was and still is being attacked by art experts and so negatively criticized by a lot of singing professionals.
I don’t blame them for one reason, which is the fact that the “Best Arab Female Singer” should be given to someone with a longer artistic history. Not that I’m under-estimating Nancy’s qualifications, but something as big as that should be given to someone who’s been giving a lot of art and creativity, not to someone whose success is still a new born one. To me timing isn’t as important as quality and taste. And two big hits shouldn’t be enough to judge whether a particular singer and their music is successful in all ways or not.
But still I’m against attacking Nancy as a person and doubting her ability as a singer just because they think there were others who deserved what she got.
It’s so ugly how they started spreading false rumors and showing some old pics of her trying to prove that her beauty is all made up by the hands of plastic surgeons.
Ok, she had so many surgeries to look the way she looks now, what’s the big deal, most of the women are having cosmetic surgeries these days, and although I’m 100% against those surgeries (unless in cases of burns and accidents), but still she wasn’t the first and she wont be the last.
Anyway, good luck to all Arab singers, hoping that both –males and females- will get one thing straight: Singing is all about feelings, meanings, art and harmony of voice and melodies; it was never the LOOKS or SEXINESS. So please offer the audience some really good singing, this is what will make you last and this is what will create your history, protect your present and guarantee your future as a star.

January 8 2004

40 Days Already!

And it’s still like yesterday when the famous Tunisian singer Thikra (Zekra) Mohamed was forced to leave her place in this world. Today is exactly day 40 ever since she was murdered in a very cruel and ugly way, and by whom her husband.The man she trusted, the man she shared the most preacious gift God has given us:Life, but now and as the murder took place we know that her husband never appreciated her trust and never respected her decision to share him her life, not only that but even worse, we know that he actually never saw life as precious as it really is, and to him taking away his life as well as others’ who trusted him is a piece of cake.
God! every time I remember what happened I feel I can’t keep on sitting and feel like screaming out of anger. But what can we do!
Now there is this tradition most of the Arab Muslims follow in case of death of someone which is gathering again on day 40 of the person’s death, where they all pray for the dead and where the Holy Quran is read till the end on this day.
And not only Thikra’s family and her relatives will gather today, and not only her friends or her fans, but also all those who knew her a little and were so touched with what happened to this young singer, this nice woman, and this decieved wife.
One of the things I was waiting to watch is this T.V. Program that will be aired today on channel Tunis7, where all the singing stars will share some memories about Thikra, talk about their relationship with her and express their sad feelings towards this tragedy that resulted in the loss of one of the most successful and talented singers in the Arab World.
On the other hand, the Tunisian T.V. haven’t stopped showing Thikra’s songs on T.V., either in concerts, or in Video Clips, ever since her death. Even the last one that was still not completed totally as she died while it was being prepared, the one called “Youm Leek Ou Youm Aleek” (Hope I got it right), the producer decided to add the final touches and showed it on T.V. as a gift of honor to the singer he respected a lot.
What a lot of non Arabs might not know is this sad thing about her name, a beautiful Arabic name “Thikra”, which means :”Memory”, and unfortunately her beautiful name transferred from just a nice meaning into reality, and Thikra has become only a memory for all those who once knew year and for all those who knew her after her terrible death.
Let us all pray for Thikra and all dear people who left us either in normal or horrible circumstances, let’s pray for their forgiveness, and May their souls rest in peace.
God Bless You And Protect You All, and may all of us share our lives with people who appreciate us for who we are, left us up when we’re down, take our hands when we need help, and most important of all, ones who will protect us, care for us, surround us with love and … love us for being alive!

November 29 2003

Simply Blown Away…

Yesterday I was shocked when I heard the news of the death of Thikra Mohamed (known as Zekra as well), a great Tunisian singer with a beautiful voice. I know that the fact someone is famous doesn’t prevent that someone from death, but I was shocked for many reasons, one of them was her age as she died really young, but then again death doesnt select people according to their age, death reaches all at different ages and from different social levels.
Another things that caused my shock was her dying in the best stage of her life as a singer. Just when she has arrived to the top of her singing career death got her!
But what shocked me most was the way she was took away from life, she was KILLED, and even worse she was killed be her HUSBAND, not only this, but also the fact that he killed HER and HER MANAGER as well as HIS MANAGER and last but not least he killed HIMSELF!
Don’t I have the right to be more than shocked.
Anyway all what was said about this after investigations was that the husband was drunk; had a fight with his wife while both his and her manager were there, shot them all, then shot himself!!
I’ve always hated such stories, I mean if he commited suicide and left others in peace it would be better, although I’m 100% against suicide, but still I can’t tolerate the idea of someone choosing to end the life of someone else, whether close or far, whether they have their reasons or just being crazy, whether in war or in peace, I simply hate killing. One’s life is created by God, and he is the only one who has the right to take it back when it’s the right time, but for someone, who’s created just like me and you, to come and simply decide to put an end to one’s life, this is something I can’t get!
And not only does killing destroy one’s life but also the lives of all those related to him/ her, their families and everthing.
I hope people stop being insane and think as responsible beings with preacious brains carrying peaceful ideas to improve and help others, not to kill!
For more details about the crime check
http://www.arabtop.net/stars151.htm

November 22 2003

Eid Al Fitr Is Almost Here :)

All Muslims of the world are preparing for the Eid. Eid that will end the holy month of Ramadan to get back to our normal eating habbits.
Families are going out shopping with their kids buying new clothes, toys, sweets and anything they need and can afford. Everyone is awiting the minute they’ll wake up on the calling for Eid prayers and hear the people pray all together with their voices thanking God for what he’s giving them, showing appreciation to his blessings and expressing their love to the weak, poor and lonely.
I remember every Eid how I get to hear Dad’s voice in the mosque calling for prayers and the voices of neighbors and friends all gathering to pray and exchange Eid greetings. After that they give all the people in need what they gathered the days before: meat, food, clothes that might be new or old, money and Eid sweets. Other than that they take a portion of what they gathered and send it to countries who are poorer and living bad condition because of war, a natural catastrophy or anything at all.
Then the elder members of the family men go visit the brothers, sisters, cousins daughters and sons and grandsons. So after the prayers dad would go in the early morning to relatives and our married sister and her family carrying sweets or flowers, then come back home where the whole home smells like fresh backed delicious Eid sweets (Ma’moul) which mom spent a whole week making with her own hands, stuffing some with walnuts, ones with pistache and flower extracts, others with dates, decorating each piece with tiny little things creating most beautiful shapes. YUMMY, I miss that. She’d spend long days working as she always makes so many because she know we loves them and one of us alone could finish 30 pieces in one day, yes yes , it’s that tasty and it’s that great. No one makes ones as good as she does. I really wish I could have my share this time 😛
After coming back home we’d all gather in the sitting room exchange greetings and kisses, sit together and instead of having breakfast that is prepared to be eaten, we get a couple of bites and then attack the sweets, that are too light and way too tasty. Then the phone starts ringing from all over the world, friends, relatives and all. Even our christian friends call and visit and share us the great Eid Al Fitr.
When it’s lunch time each family gathers, some choose to keep it only parents and kids, some invite more, some choose the first in a year and then choose the second for a change the year to follow. We eat home cooked meals, the whole house is decorated with candles, flowers and Eid cards. TV is most probably on suggesting great programs to watch and enjoy.
Then we all start visiting people with our parents, and that’s how it goes: first day is for the closest, second the less close and the third for the less less close 😛
It’s great, and i miss it, as here in Tunisia it has another way to be done, which is nice as well. It’s just that I miss my family and the way we celebrate in the Middle East. Oh and I miss Ma’moul, lool, had no time to make some, and even if i had, they wont turn out as great as mom’s.
Tunisian Sweets are so Yummy too 🙂 My husband and I have our own way of celebrating, we go both of us visiting relatives and friedns. Here in Tunisia men go visiting alone normally and women wait for the men to come and visit to recieve them, but because I have no one of my family to come and visit me as they don’t live here, and because we love sharing things together, my great understanding husband chose to take me with him visiting… something I really appreciate of him. And i enjoy it this way, he does too, I guess 🙂

Happy Eid Al Fitr To All Muslims of the world, may it bring on blessed days, more love, happiness and great health….