"Reform" congress signs

With all the glory and reform we were told and promised by the ever smiling Buthayna Sha3ban on the crucial congress that was an extraordinady jump in this great young new more openminded direction:
The last little forum were you can say something else than bel roh bel.. has been closed for good!
Now all people can sleep better at night. Sweet dreams.

It's just some very few brave intellectuals who say some things to each other in a small place. It's not guns, not an army coup, not wide demonstrations or even a vigil by the same poor 200 who are always beaten, not a newspapper who can tell people about corruption and their stolen rights, it's no threat what so ever, it's not changing any thing.

They have been so brave to insist..Will we do what the comittee is asking, or will we just keep the usual silence, fear, lack of organization , and acceptance of this?


سورية تقفل المنتدي السياسي الوحيد في اراضيها
2005/06/29
دمشق ـ اف ب: اعلنت المنظمة العربية لحقوق الانسان في سورية امس الاربعاء ان السلطة السورية طلبت اقفال منتدي الاتاسي وهو الملتقي الوحيد السياسي في سوريةوقالت المنظمة في بيانها ان هناك استدعاءات امنية للاستاذة سهير الاتاسي رئيسة مجلس ادارة المنتدي والاستاذ جهاد مسوتي عضو مجلس الادارة بهدف ابلاغهما اقفال منتدي الاتاسي للحوار الوطني نهائيا .واضافت ان مجلس الادارة من طرفه رفض تبلغ هذا القرار باعتباره غير صادر عن جهة رسمية وطلب ان تبلغ الادارة بشكل رسمي ومكتوب قرار الاقفال، كما اعتبر مجلس الادارة ان المنتدي مستمر وسيعقد ندوته المقبلة يوم السبت المقبل في الموعد نفسه سابقا .واهابت المنظمة بالاخوة المواطنين التوجه لحضور الندوة المقررة يوم السبت المقبل ليبقي المنتدي رمزا للحرية ومنارة للفكر والثقافة .

GREAT music!

Some time ago I read an article about an Iraqi musician, Naseer Shamma, who played a music piece dedicated to Iraqi children who had suffered incredibly after the first Iraq -Us (and allies) war, and all what followed. Apparently it was very moving, and some American official lady there approached afterwards to say how touched she was and sorry for what ever her government might have contributed to this. I noted his name thinking I should check this music out..See what is it all about.
And now by a chance I found his website. His music is very typical eastern Arab countries, very classical..But still very creative and new..And very very beautiful!!! I don't know about you, but I absolutely loved it. This will be one of my absolute favorites.

It made me think about Iraq and how truly sorry I am for what is happening with this beautiful country. The music about Baghdad made me love Baghdad and think about it's calm night, the green lights coming from mosques, mild evening wind, the light smell of jazzmen/other flowers- just as I love Damascus .

In the end..No matter how much blood will be lost, Iraq will survive..Lebanon will survive..And hopefully, Iraq's treasures, people like Naseer shamma and other intellectuals..Will finally..finaly..Go back to the country that needs them.
The best thing for last : some of his music here (pick قطع موسيقية)..And if you like it as well, do like me..Go buy some, now!!
Found also an interesting interview on that site ..It ends like this:

حمد منصور:- أنا بشكرك شكرا جزيلا نصير باسم المشاهدين جميعا باسم قناة الجزيرة على ما تفضلت به ونأمل أيضا أن يفهم الناس ويدرك أن هناك مبدعون في العالم العربي في كافة المجالات بما فيها مجال الموسيقى كمجال إبداع أساسي ولكن للأسف ربما وسائل الإعلام لا تسلط الضوء ولا تعطى الفرصة كما تعطى للأشياء الأخرى لكن نحن سنستمر في الإضاءات هذه ويوم ثمانية و
I just have to عشرين هsay : indeed! How come I only hear and see "musicians" like Haifa and Nancy everywhere( TV, magazines) , and not hear about guys like him..

More media suffocation

سحبت وزارة الإعلام السورية ترخيص جريدة المبكي الخاصة، بعد انتقادها محافظ حمص إياد غزال واتهامه بالفساد


The rest here.
Yes: this.. after that congress!

Pride and culture

Our situation today, is generally sad. Most young people, specially educated, only dream of getting a visa out. I hear people often complain about how retarded everything is here, how there is a lot of ignorance..We complain about the failing economy, the bad level of education, well..Many many things. Ironically, many people who live here are in a way sometimes racists against them selves..Smiles and respect when hearing "agnabi", but not when we hearing "Arab"..

So, to make peace with our selves, and to know how defend our selves, we should follow and remember news like this. الكاتبة الجزائرية آسيا جبار في قمة الهرم الثقافي الفرنسي

2005/06/16

" تتبوأ كاتبة فرنسية من أصل جزائري هذه المكانة الرفيعة وتأخذ مكانها في حلقة ضيقة تضم نخبة من أربعين اسما أدبيا وعلميا وفنيا لامعا يشرفون علي هذه المؤسسة الثقافية الفريدة عالمي"انتخاب آسيا جبار في الأكاديمية الفرنسية يأتي بعد شهور علي ترشيحها لجائزة نوبل في تشرين الاول (أكتوبر) الماضي التي كادت أن تفوز بها قبل أن يستقر رأي أعضاء اللجنة السويدية علي منحها للكاتبة النمساوية إلفريد يلينيك. غير أن سجل آسيا جبار حافل بالجوائز الأدبية مثل جائزة السلام الألمانية المرموقة التي منحتها لها دائرة الناشرين والمكتبيين بألمانيا عام 2002 وقبلها جائزة نوسترادت الدولية للآداب عام 1996." "آسيا جبار واسمها الحقيقي فاطمة الزهراء ايملاين كاتبة وشاعرة ومسرحية سينمائية مقيمة في باريس منذ عام 1953 وهي أشهر كاتبة جزائرية فرنكفونية حاليا. و"الجدير بالذكر أن انتخاب أعضاء جدد في الأكاديمية يعتبر أرفع بادرة تكريمية قد يحصل عليها الكتاب أو الفنانون أو العلماء في فرنسا".

When it comes to being proud of a civilization, it's culture is very important. So, intellectuals like her are important too. It's not true thinking that this place today is a retarded primitive black hole, even though there is a lot to complain about. We still have a lot of great people with brilliant ideas. But we should listen to, and take more care of, them. To change for the better.
The sad thing is that we don't. And intellectuals often immigrate and leave us. Maybe not so many know how hard it is for intellectuals in countries where intelligent independent thinking is disliked . Of course there are other common reasons too, that have to do with economy, society, level of life..Etc. We really should cherish culture more if we want to change!!
I was listening to a program on the radio recently called : Paris capital of Arab culture (!)
There was the typical Syrian intellectual story : "I was bothered by the lack of freedom and right of expression, and of being ignored, so I moved to Beirut where I could enjoy more freedom.
Then I wanted even more [ of every thing] so I moved to Paris. "
(Well, anyway..Very very few who have the possibility to leave to a place like that choose to stay!)
I thought about this common fate, it's the same about Adonis (who also was nominated for Nobel prize, and had been expelled from Arab writers union.. Just look at the way he is treated here, and there!..), Muhammas Almaghout, and many many others..Her: Asia Algabar, for example.
Anyway, even if they are abroad, we still can be proud of them, and perhaps we should think more seriously about what they have to say, I think they have a key to a more developed, civilized and proud place. We should think about supporting enlightening ideas they can offer, instead of "supporting" extremism, fears of wars, demonstrations of bel roh bel..And a present where we don't know what to be proud of.

Cartoons and government

Cartoons and(social-political) jokes are simple ways to express our feelings, sorrow and handle them by laughing ..They are a true voice of the people. They are just a mirror of what we feel and what is happening, they are not big demonstrations or deadly arms or even harmless petitions signed to the president by intellectuals, they are no danger at all..Yet the STUPID government don't want to allow people to even talk or joke or breath or see cartoons!معرض سورية الدولي للكاريكاتير: مشاركة 336 رساما من 49 دولة.. والسياسة ممنوعة !
And since I am there already..Some more news we won't hear so easily : تعيين مملوك مديرا للاستخبارات وقالت اللجنة السورية لحقوق الانسان أن تعيين مملوك يعتبر مؤشرا علي استمرار النظام في استخدام العصا الغليظة ضد المواطنين.
وقالت المنظمة المعارضة في بيان اصدرته أمس من مقرها في لندن ان اللواء مملوك ضالع في تعذيب المعتقلين السياسيين واستخدام الوسائل المحرمة عالميا اثناء التحقيق .
واضافت ان مملوك متهم بقتل عشرات المواطنين السوريين اثناء التعذيب ، وطالبت بمثوله امام المحاكمة للتحقيق معه في التهم المنسوبة اليه .
واعربت المنظمة عن خشيتها مما اعتبرته تصاعد وتيرة الاعتقال والتعذيب في سورية علي خلفية تعيين اللواء مملوك في هذا المنصب .
When will I learn from these news and just shut up?..
And the last little interesting piece: .كوريون يتظاهرون في بلدهم دعما لها: كفاية.. تتعولم! I wish this could have happened (and spread) in Egypts neighboring countries before Korea! But, yes yes...I know the drill.. But our turn will come, I beleive! :)

Same old dusty today

I never expected big changes, Today is still the same old dusty yesterday...
We really desperately need a FREE media that can criticize what needs to be criticized and carefully watch , investigate and let independent intellectuals analyze..A media like that- not only on the net( but it does not even really exist on the net), which the majority can't afford -but a media in a form that reach all people. Like a TV station or newspapers.
If we had that..We wouldn't see as many brainwashed people hoping that some corrupt powerful people, will just simply turn in to mother Theresa ( from something quit different..The least to say!!!)and let go of all their power and possibilities to gain miliards and milliards of dollars until the end of time, just to lead the promised, empty "reform"..I have heard so much talk about reform, and who thankful we should be for it...Why grateful for something -that is not a "present" to be grateful for, by the way- that is not happening..

Back to corruption and reform and a need for a strong independent media, if we had the latter news like this would have been headlines, all should be talking about it, and referred to by opposition whenever they discuss things on the foreign channels. And compared to the whole budget of the state..And that comparison would shock many. And this is just one example, be sure it is still nothing!..
But actually...Is it really surprising? The amounts, still are..But the fact itself, no.
Thinking again about the false exaggerated hopes some brainwashed people hold..Why is the government talking about trying hard to make expatriats invest in Syria with the money they earned abroad (having small chances to do that here)..When the powerful people them selves keep their milliards in foreign Banks? At least keep the "earned!!" money, in national Syrian Banks!!..At least that might help the poor economy a bit!!
But no...The young generation should know better what future to expect. Unemployment, economy getting worse and more children diving in garbage looking for rotten food.

Yet again, I know some might say there are really good people in the government who really want to change and reform..Well..I say in that case, that anyway...Let's help them than! Lets not be so unfair to leave them alone with the too heavy responsibility- making it mission impossible, I truly believe we should take part of some of the burden, cause otherwise it is really unfair and mean to them!..So let's break the wall of fear and dare to help them, and our selves.
A miracle sometimes can start step by step, quite simply..It might be a long road, but every little step is great. Just look at our neighbor Egypt-by the way don't get confused, the carton is talking about government in Egypt, not Kefaya..which is still breathing and shouting :) - ( شعار كفاية يجب ان يكون شعار الحركة الديمقراطية العربية الجديدة) for example..

Why not adoption?

Recently I saw a documentary about Iraq, people were interviewed before and after the war.Plus an article I read recently..Ah..There is a lot to say!Children are amazing..They can say so simple, yet so intelligent things.And they can always give you big smiles, even in a country torn out of all the destruction and bombs and violence..Not even all that can kill their energy, they still go out, on the dusty dangerous roads, play fotball and laugh loudly. Whenever there is a camera they jump up and down, smile, play and do anything to get some attention and get caught on the camera..This war resulted, among other things, in many Iraqi orphans. Who have no one at all to take care of them..Since I was a kid I wondered what will happen in the future, how will we get by..Since we humans are increasing in numbers all the time..Someday it just won't be enough place for all of us.. And then I thought it might help if we would adopt already existing children instead of bringing our own.In Iraq now for example, I think it might save a lot of children..Who need families and stability.Me, I wouldn't mind adopting a child in the future, a child who I can save and offer a better life..That's better than leaving him or her to a miserable life and bring another life to our poor world..?I hear about people adopting sometimes, but it's always people far away from here..Here instead I hear about couples ready to pay and visit different doctors and do anything, if they have trouble having children..And if there is nothing to do, still they never think about adoption. Why?Is it somehow considered "wrong" to raise a child who is not yours?Is the society afraid of maltreatment of adopted children?Or is it so important to pass on our family name and genes, that it is considered the whole, and only, point of having children?Or maybe it's the "tribal" issue, MY own family, MY own genes, before all..And it's too good to be mixed with something else, cause anything else is for sure not as good..Maybe it's easier to adopt a younger child than an older, cause it would feel more like your own if it grows up with you..I can understand people might want to have their own children if they can, I too would like to see a part of me and my family go on, in a child of my own some day ...But I think it's strange how I never ever hear about any adoptions at all, specially since there are small newborn babies -not only older children-who are orphans or abandoned, and so small as they are..If someone adopted them they would grow up and be raised from the start, as if they were really from the same family.
العنف فرق بين ايمان حسين واخواتها الاربع في بغداد
2005/05/29
بغداد ـ من كريم صاحب: تذكر ايمان حسين (14 عاما) في دار للايتام في بغداد بعيدة عن اخواتها الاربع، بألم وحزن يوم مقتل امها.ويشاطرها هذا الحزن عدد متزايد من الاطفال الذين فقدوا والديهم في اعمال العنف اليومية في العراق او تخلت عنهم اسرهم لانها لم تعد قادرة علي تلبية احتياجاتهم.استيقظــت ايمان في احــد ايام ايلول (سبتمبر) الماضي علي صوت عيارات نارية.وتقول وهي تضم شقيقتها الصغري هند التي تبلغ من العمر سنتين هرعت من سريري ورأيت من وراء الستار اربعة رجال مسلحين وملثمين يطلقون النار علي امي .وتضيف لم ادرك ما حدث الا في اليوم التالي عندما اخرج الجيران نعشي والدي لدفنهما في بلد شمال بغداد.وتكفل اقرباء ايمان وهند واخواتهما الثلاث مروة (12 عاما) وسورة (ستة اعوام) وعليا (تسعة اعوام)، بهن في احد احياء شمال بغداد اولا ثم قاموا بتوزيعهن علي دارين للايتام.ووضعت ايمان وهند في دار الصالحية والاخوات الثلاث الاخريات في دار العلوية.وتقول ايمان امنيتي الوحيدة هي ان اعيش مع اخواتي تحت سقف واحد. غدا ساذهب لالتقي بهن في دار الايتام الاخري .ولا تقبل دار الصالحية سوي الاطفال الذين لم يتجاوزوا من العمر ستة اعوام. لكن مديرة المركز نجاة شاكر محمد قالت انه سمح لايمان بالبقاء مع شقيقتها التي باتت تعتبرها امها.واضافت مديرة الدار ان ايمان لطيفة جدا ومهذبة واقوم بتدريبها لتعمل هنا .وتابعت منذ انتهاء الحرب ارتفع عدد الاطفال في دار الايتام الي حد كبير بسبب الوضع الامني ، معبرة عن اسفها لنقص النشاطات الاساسية لتحقيق توزان الوضع النفسي للاطفال.وتابعت باسف ان الاطفال يبقون داخل المبني طوال النهار .وفي دار العلوية لا تنام مروة وسورة وعليا في غرفة واحدة لكنهن يجتمعن خلال تناول وجبات الطعام والاستراحات.وقالت حميدة حسن مديرة دار العلوية التي تضم ستين طفلا بعد الغزو (الامريكي للعراق في 2003) ارتفع عدد الايتام. هناك عدد كبير من الاطفال ضحايا طلاق والديهم بسبب البطالة .وتابعت ان اطفالا، مثل نور خيري (ثمانية اعوام) يتركون في شوارع بغداد الخطيرة التي تشهد عمليات تفجير سيارات مفخخة وخطف واغتيالات.وقالت حميدة حسن ان الشرطة عثرت علي نور هائمة علي وجهها في الشوارع. اضافت ان هذه الطفلة تبقي طوال الوقت وحدها ، موضحة ان الشرطة تعثر اكثر فاكثر علي اطفال في الشوارع وتأتي بهم الي الدار .واكدت المساعدة الاجتماعية في دار الايتام سناء جاسم ان الاطفال محرومون من حنان الام (...) وهم في معظم الاوقات حزينون وخصوصا في الاعياد لان لا احد يأتي ليجلب لهم الهدايا .وتابعت ان اخوات ايمان ما زلن صغيرات في السن ولا يدركن فعلا حجم الكارثة التي اصبن بها، خلافا لايمان . (اف

Reflection

Do others, our neighbors, talk about what is happening here? What do they think and say?
You can see a little example-but of course there are people who think differently as well-a simple cartoon here.

Party congress soon, hopes and some morning news. Yeah...Sandmonkey is right..

Not in Switzerland

My promise to myself to keep away from talking politics and getting headache is broken again. Cause again there are more tragic news I read..So I will share some of my almost daily new round while drinking my coffee..
The Lebanese journalist Samir Alkasir was murdered. He was different from many other Lebanese, he was not one of those who said we don't mean to interfere or talk about the internal of Syria, we just want Lebanon to be free. He went further..Calling for democracy both in Lebanon and Syria, and criticizing the mukhabarat in both countries. In his last article he talked about even all small tiny daily details still controlled in Syrians' lives , in the same time as a lot are talking about upcoming reforms and improved situation.
Not only Lebanese lost a brave voice calling for democracy, but Syrians as well, lost a journalist who was also Syrian not only Lebanese..(He father was Syrian).
You can read here some of his recent articles.

Well, no matter what and who you beleive, the truth is hard to get without brave living journalists.
And news are also talking about Khaznawi, to alquds his son said: ما نجل الراحل، محمد مراد الخزنوي، فقال بيانات وزارة الداخلية ليرموها في البحر.. المجرمون الذين قتلوا والدنا نعرفهم تماما وسنصدر بيانا بذلك ، من دون ان ان يعطي تفاصيل.
وتابع محمد مراد الخزنوي وهو احد انجال الشيخ الكردي الستة عشر، لو كنت في سويسرا لاخبرتكم عن الحقيقة ولكننا الآن في سورية
Whatever happend, and apart from politics and all that, my heart is with their families and loved ones. Horrible to loose some one this way.

Black day

Sorry...
I would have really liked to not talk about politics again..It's a bit "dry"..I know.
Actually I had decided not to write about politics for a while now, enough is enough I thought..But than something way too tragic and horrible happened.

Most of us still remember the tragic events in Qamishli last year where about 30 persons were killed, after Kurdish demonstrations and clashes with security forces.
Kurds are still loud, still holding vigils and even wide demonstrations.
Certainly we would need people calling for peace- not violence, understanding and forgiveness -not hatred, acceptance and tolerance so Arabs and Kurds live together in peace-and not threaten the unity of the country.
Certainly we need, very much..A religious leader who repeats that Islam and democracy are compatible and calls for moderate Islam, a peaceful, tolerant and open minded Islam..And not a blind ignorant interpretation of it. And certainly the Kurds are a sensitive issue, but using violence..Just brings more violence in the end, even if it would be years later.

But I heard news about many Kurds getting citizenship..
Good I thought, the government did show at last some goodwill..Unfortunately though not until after the tragic events ..
Well, as usual..Disappointed. A man who was just that needed leader, was "disappeared".
And after that there was this demonstration.
Think for a minute now, a group suffering more from security forces than others in this scared place, a group that already been attacked with guns..And had casualties, they..Still had enough courage and anger to have a demonstration of 10 000 participants. Think about this number! Compare it to a 100 or maximum 200, or let's even say 300..That's the number of other Syrians who dares to hold a vigil whenever that happens..A couple of times a year.

Yes, he was a Kurd...And he wanted Kurds to get equal rights as other Syrians...And he believed in demanding and pressuring the government for that. . Aged 46, called for dialog between different religions, popular and respected, by non-Kurdish too, and called for reformes.
I thought he would be either released after some months, or after years... But , no, I never imagined this. How stupid and arrogant is it to kill someone who had big influence on Kurds, and used to call for peace..The hope of tolerance and keeping Qamishli in Syria, and stable, lies with men like him.But instead of talking and debating like civilized, as he called for..His family received his mutilated body with marks of torture.
His family said he had been repeatedly harassed by Syrian security agents before he was found dead. Maybe it was an "accident" though, by his aggressors? Maybe he was supposed to suffer, not die.
Kurds are not as silent as the rest of us Syrians, and "guilty murders" were found : it's just a "civil" crime apparenly..Some few men, coming from and living in a different city than each other!! That, after some public media spred news that maybe it was his relatives killing him over a dispute about money! Acting like an orchestra with a bad maestro!!
Tens of thousands are reported to participated in the funeral, and there were immidiate demonstrations..Regime calls for "calming down and not to open the door of revenge."
Syria need indeed to be united and strong..We already lost beautiful and important Eskandaron to Turkey, and important Golan to Israel..Do we need to loose Qamishli to Kurdistan and have an even smaller map?..Who ever did this, hurt Syria a lot, and is a dangerous ignorant idiot holding a gun...
And I wish intellectuals and others work on gathering many signs from people, to tell, how unjust we think what happened and how we wash our hands from what some animal did..It's very important to say that, loudly.

Most Syrians, unfortunately, don't visit Qamishli often, it's too far, and not a lot of things to do there.. It's the "far west". I was thinking I will change that for my part ..I want to see the most important river in my country and a historically important city, plus maybe meeting nice people from there, and see how they live.. It's important that people from different areas and gropes visit each other and see we are just the same..Just normal people living our lives with hopes and fears..Not enemies. Not different.
I wonder how safe it is to do that now?
Guess we will live and see what happens..