What Exactly is Terrorism?

Juan Cole has a good quiz on his website: Rudolph: Can You Pass the Terrorism Quiz? It's a good test for people to take. The answers are given, along with commentary. And many of the answers may surprise people. Here's an excerpt.

11. True or False: Over 20% of the respondents of a 2005 Gallup poll of ten predominantly Muslim countries felt the 9/11 attacks were fully justified.

-False. Only 7% felt the 9/11 attacks were fully justified; moreover this 7% was no more or less religious than the other 93%. (Kenneth M. Pollack; A Path Out of the Desert: A Grand Strategy for America in the Middle East; Random House; New York: 2008; p. 209)

-Even “The Hizbollah leadership distanced itself from September 11 and went public in its criticism of Al Qaeda.” (Fawaz A. Gerges; Journey of the Jihadist: Inside Muslim Militancy; Harcourt; New York: 2006; p. 189)

Yum, Blackberries Update I

Well, Bahrain has no plans to ban the Blackberry. They are a little concerned about the security issues, but don't think banning the device is the way to go.

Top Stories August 9, 2010

Arab News (Saudi Arabia): Make Makkah the most beautiful city: Prince Khaled - Prince Khaled al-Faisal is the governor of Mecca and wants to make it beautiful and modern.

Haaretz (Israel): Israeli held in Libyan prison freed in secret deal - A man who belongs to a preservation society for Jewish history in Libya was arrested for taking photos of former Jewish buildings. They thought he was a spy, and he's been in prison since March.

Hurriyet (Turkey): Old rivals, new partners: Turkey, Russia's journey from Cold War to hot sun - More and more Russians are tourists in Turkey, but the Turks still worry about the trade deficit they have because of Russia's natural gas.

Tehran Times (Iran): Four advanced submarines join Iranian fleet - These subs were made in Iran, and bring their submarine total up to about 19.

Japanese Tanker Attacked

It's almost official - the tanker was hit by a dinghy filled with explosives, according to the UAE. Some American analysts aren't convinced yet. An Al-Qa'eda group - the Abdullah Azzam Brigades - has claimed responsibility. This is bad news. This is the first time a tanker has been attacked in the Persian/Arabian Gulf. Apparently it happened when the tanker entered the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is the little area between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (next to the Indian Ocean). One side is Iran, the other side is UAE/Oman.

Why is this so bad? Because Iran was not involved in the attack. And the US State Dept considers Oman the safest country in the Middle East. So is this a UAE-based group? Or part of a Saudi group, which is nearby? Al-Qa'eda has a big presence in Yemen now, and attacks there are not unexpected. Apparently the Abdullah Azzam Brigades has claimed responsibility for other attacks over the last few years too. So are they the new kid on the terrorist block?

Yum, Blackberries

Okay, what is going on in the Gulf States? First the UAE decides to ban the Blackberry, then Saudi Arabia jumps on the bandwagon and preempts them. So service stops in Saudi Arabia, only to start up again. Indonesia (a Muslim country) is also annoyed at RIM, the maker of Blackberry.

So what's the big deal? Blackberry communication is encrypted. Which means that the Saudi government cannot monitor what you and your friends are doing on your Blackberries. One article I read mentioned a Saudi blogger, who said he received a lot more comments from people using Blackberries, because they weren't afraid the government would arrest them. So there are freedom of speech issues here, except that Saudi Arabia doesn't have freedom of speech.

Another big deal is that the Blackberry is Western. And by that I mean the company that makes it (RIM) is Canadian, and the servers are in Canada, the US, and maybe Europe. And the Middle Eastern countries cannot believe that the US government isn't getting its hands on Blackberry information. So Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, and India, all want the ability to read what people are saying on their Blackberries. In Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf States, the Internet is throttled and the government has complete access to what people are doing. They now want that same access on the Blackberry. Supposedly, RIM is now trying to work with Saudi Arabia on the situation. And see this article for a bit more information on how the Blackberry works.

Mosque Madness Update III - Links

As if you haven't heard enough already, here are more links about the mosque:

Crooks and Liars: Mayor Bloomberg Addresses Planned Islamic Center in New York - video and transcript.

PrawfsBlawg: The Mosque at Ground Zero: Religious Freedom, saved by the usual lawlessness of land-use regulation - about the laws and land surrounding the mosque issue.

BallonJuice: When they came for Ishmael, Abe grabbed a rope... - on the bigotry in the Anti-Defamation League.

The Week (Yahoo! News): 'Ground Zero mosque:' Who's for it - and against? - the main people on both sides and some quotes. (Also some good links at the end of this article.)

Mosque Madness Update II

I finally found a picture of where the mosque is located (on Wikipedia of course). It is a little closer to Ground Zero than I had thought, but that still does not change my argument that a mosque and cultural center have a right to be built there. (Mosque is at 45 Park Place, near the top of the picture.)

Picture from Wikipedia.

Mosque Madness Update I

Yes, the Mosque Madness is still going on in New York City. Luckily, it looks like the mosque will be built. Here's my original post on the subject. Things have gotten hotter with Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich, and even Rudy Guiliani weighing in against the mosque. For me, this just shows how deeply anti-Muslim sentiment runs in this country. But if you asked, it wouldn't surprise me if old Newt and Rudy claimed they weren't anti-Muslim. They're just anti-organized-Muslim. Muslims may be okay in the abstract, but "we don't want their kind around here." Does that sound familiar to anyone?

Slate has a really good breakdown of the situation here (I highly recommend this article). And an explanation of some of the legal hurdles too. And a panel in NYC just ruled that the building to be demolished for the mosque isn't historical, so it can go ahead.

Why is this such a big deal? I could understand it if the mosque was actually being built on top of Ground Zero, but it's not. It's several blocks away. Let me try a reverse scenario. A fundamentalist Christian blows up an abortion clinic, killing doctors, nurses, and patients. A Christian group wants to build a church down the block, but I decide to oppose it because the bomber was a Christian. I would be laughed out of town for trying that.

Back in Town

I have returned, so I'll be posting soon. I wanted a little vacation before the Fall semester started, but my "getting away from it all" turned out to be truer than I thought. Although being without the Internet for a week is somewhat freeing. Everyone should try it at some point.

Vacation

I was hoping to keep updating while on vacation, but I'm having internet problems. If they get resolved, I'll continue posting, otherwise I'll be back next week.

Flotilla Investigation Update

The UN has decided to investigate the flotilla incident. And apparently an official in the Israeli foreign ministry thinks that the UN Rights Council is biased against Israel. I can understand a country not wanting to have an outside commission come in and investigate. But in a case involving several countries, it makes sense to have an outside view, instead of just the view of one country (Israel).

And Israel will probably announce soon that it will not cooperate with the investigation.

Torture is Torture

A right-wing Israeli was arrested for attacking Palestinians. And he is considered a terrorist. Kudos to the Israelis for putting this man in prison. Unfortunately, he appears to have been tortured while in custody.

I firmly believe in the rule of law, as well as civil disobedience against bad laws. But the law applies to everyone, whether they are rich or poor, and even if they are a terrorist. Once exceptions are made, it becomes easier and easier to make more exceptions. If becomes okay to torture a terrorist, who decides who is a terrorist? And who is next?

Religion in Saudi Arabia

I hate to discuss news like this because it makes Islam look weird. There is a man in Saudi Arabia who has a small circus. He eats fire, has strongmen, someone puts bricks on his chest and they are broken with a sledge hammer. It's basic sideshow stuff. But the mutawain (religious police) in Saudi Arabia are extremely strict and think that it may be magic or witchcraft, so they stop the performances. If they're not careful, the performers could even be jailed or beaten.

As I said, I hate to discuss this, because some people don't understand that this is not the norm in Islam. Saudi Arabia has a strict form of Islam, known as Wahhabism, outside of the Kingdom. And the religious police are very strict, and often carry sticks/canes. Think of it as some of the very strict Christian sects in the US. There are some people who really think that rock-n-roll is evil, and that women who wear tight clothes and make-up look like whores. Unfortunately, these type of people have control in Saudi Arabia. That in itself is a long story, going back to the founding of the Kingdom by Abdul Aziz Ibn Saud, who used this strict form of Islam to legitimize and consolidate his rule.

PLO in America

The PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization) has a diplomatic presence in Washington, DC. And they've recently been upgraded to "Delegation General," which is similar to its status in some other countries. It will also be able to fly its own flag (when it stops sharing a building with other tenants).

Flotilla Still On

Two Lebanese ships will be trying to sail to Gaza soon. Israel is trying to stop them politically, with the UN, saying the flotilla will escalate tensions in the area. I will keep you posted.

Who is a rapist?

A reader sent this article to me from FireDogLake (h/t Lenin's Tomb too). An Israeli man had sex with an Israeli woman, but now he's being prosecuted as a rapist. Why? Because he is an Arab. Apparently, if an Arab Israeli man has sex with a Jewish Israeli woman, and does not tell her that he is an Arab, it's considered rape.

Now, FDL and Lenin's Tomb are couching this in terms of oppression, but that is not the entire story. The judge was following precedents. In the past, men who lied about themselves could be convicted of fraud. In 2007 or 2008, a Jewish man was convicted of rape, because he pretended to be a housing official who could help women get better housing. Instead of fraud, he was convicted of rape by deception. And that is what is happening to the Arab man in question. And that is why some jurists are concerned that these are both dangerous precedents. In the United States, no one would think twice if a man trying to pick up a woman lied about being married or his job. But that is now a jailable offense in Israel. See the Guardian article too.

Edit Policy

I was reading an article on Slate, about how some blogs are not clear about their editing. For instance, they may post an article, and then the next day make changes without telling anyone. This made me decide to clear up my own editing policy, which is now posted on the right side of the blog. Occasionally, I will post something, and then almost immediately see another link I should have added. In that case, I go ahead and edit my post, without telling you, the reader. But after that first grace period (maybe 5-10 minutes or so), if I make a change to my post, I will put the word edit in there so that you know something has changed.

I do make an exception in one case: labels. Occasionally I forget to put in a label, or I misspell a label, and I may not notice for several days/weeks/months. In fact, I am trying to standardize some old labels (I have GB, UK, Great Britain, etc). So don't be surprised to see some label changes.

Spanish Burkas

Wow - the Spaniards beat me to it. I was going to post about the possible Burka Ban in Spain, but then their parliament went ahead and rejected it. Yay! It does bother me that more and more European countries seem to be considering banning burkas and niqabs.

I have discovered something about myself during all of these Burka Ban controversies: it does not bother me as much, if the banning country is Muslim. For instance, Syria is banning veils at university. That doesn't bother me too much, because even though they are technically a secular country, their background is Muslim. It's similar to the US: our background is Christian, but we have a separation of church and state. So it's okay in my book if the government decides to stop prayers in public schools. It's when the government decides to ban something from another religion that I have a problem. I would have the same problem if Syria decided to ban crucifixes, or something like that.

Mosque Madness

Two mosques are causing some Americans a lot of concern. The big issue is the one in New York City, which even has Sarah Palin weighing in. Apparently it's two blocks from Ground Zero, and some people think it's a slap in the face to the victims of 9-11. These people keep referring to it as the "Ground Zero Mosque." Although if it's two NYC blocks away, it's hardly near Ground Zero. Click here for an excellent article by John L. Esposito for CNN.

The other mosque is in Temecula, California. It will be across from a Baptist Church, which seems to really upset their preacher. Apparently all mosques are home to sleeper cells that breed Islamic terrorists. I didn't know that. But I have heard that all churches are home to conservative evangelicals who breed Christian racists.

Women's News July 19, 2010

The Iranian Girl's Soccer Team is having uniform issues. They're supposed to compete in the 2010 Youth Olympics in August. Their old uniforms were banned by FIFA in 2007 for being too restrictive. So these new uniforms were supposed to work in their place. Apparently the current problem isn't FIFA. The "top female official of Iran's physical education department was apparently offended by the uniforms" and doesn't want the team to wear them. No word yet on whether a compromise will be reached.

Life in Gaza just got more restrictive for women. Hamas has decided that women should not smoke water pipes (hookahs) in public. They're even sending agents out around town to make sure women obey. Women are upset because of the restriction, which one woman said doesn't make sense anyway, because you only smoke in restaurants, not in big public areas. The article has some interesting tidbits on other actions Hamas has tried to take, some of them unsuccessfully.

Syria has banned female students and teachers at universities from wearing the niqab (face covering). Syria is a secular country, like Turkey, and is worried because more women are wearing the niqab. The article goes into the social and political aspects of wearing the niqab and why the ruling party is concerned about it.

Civet Coffee

Too much news today . . . where to begin? So, Civet Coffee. Never heard of it? Civets eat coffee beans, then poop them out, and then people pick up the beans and make them into coffee. Really expensive coffee. This mainly happens in Indonesia, and the clerics there are looking into the subject and should be issuing a ruling on whether or not Muslims can drink it. They're worried it might be dirty, which I completely understand. The lead cleric said that it was basically an issue of whether or not they cleaned the beans before they made the coffee.

Top Stories July 19, 2010

Azzaman (Iraq): Iraq's Kirkuk seeks U.S. investment - Kirkuk is an oil-rich province claimed by the Kurds (and disputed by Arabs and Turkmen). Officials say they are happy to have US companies come in and invest.

Haaretz (Israel): Shas Chair: Absence of conversion law poses danger to Jewish people - this is a bit messy, so I'm going to quote the article:

Under current practice, Israel recognizes only conversions performed by Orthodox rabbis inside Israel, but people converted by non-Orthodox rabbis outside the country are automatically eligible for Israeli citizenship like other Jews. The proposed legislation would give Israel's chief rabbinate the legal power to decide whether any conversion is legitimate.

The group most likely to suffer would be immigrants who converted to Judaism abroad and could now be denied Israeli citizenship.

The whole thing is a mess, with both sides worried about their constituents and immigrants being able to convert.

Kuwait Times: MP: Iraq can do without Kuwait - All is not well between Iraq and Kuwait. Iraq wants the borders redrawn and claims that Kuwait has been looking for oil in Iraqi territory (this may have been a cause of the 1991 Gulf War too). And Iraq says it will do fine if Kuwait decides to sever political ties. Kuwait wants an apology for all of the above.

Turkish Daily News: Turkish protesters search for unrestricted Internet, blocked by judiciary - The Turkish people are really ticked off. The government banned YouTube and other websites, and the courts have upheld it. YouTube was banned because of videos that insulted Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey.

Suicide bombings in Iran: Update I

Just a quick link to Juan Cole who has more info on people blaming it on the US and a lot of links.

Evil is Expanding

I really detest the Dutchman Geert Wilders. He's the politician who produced that horrible anti-Islamic movie Fitna a few years ago. [See my original post and updates one and two.] Well, now old Geert has decided that it isn't enough to stop Islam in the Netherlands. He needs to go worldwide. So he's starting an "international alliance" to stop Islam. Here are some of the specifics:

• He wants to ban immigration from Islamic countries

• He wants to ban Islamic Shariah law

So he is starting the Geert Wilders International Freedom Alliance, and making speeches in 5 countries to get it started: US, Canada, GB, France, and Germany.

Okay, where do I even begin? First of all, Geert Wilder is the leader of the Freedom Party in the Netherlands, and they did very well in the recent election there. Apparently he believes in women's rights and gay rights. But he hates Islam.

Let's take those two points up top:

1) Immigration - What exactly is an Islamic country? Is that a country where the official religion is Islam, such as Saudi Arabia? Or is that a secular country where the people are mainly Muslim, such as Turkey? Or does he just want to ban any Muslims from immigrating, even if they come from a non-Muslim country, such as Thailand?

2) Shariah - If you live in the United States, then you fall under US law, not Shariah law. In some Muslim countries the law is Shariah. And that is their right. So is Geert trying to abolish Shariah in someone else's country? I may not agree with the laws in Iran or Saudi Arabia, but they should only be changed if the people living there want it changed. What right does an outsider have to go into someone else's country and tell them how to live? Does Geert have any problems with Pentecostals? Perhaps he would like to come to America and tell the women to put on a pair of pants and some lipstick?

I am really concerned about this. There are a lot of Americans who are ignorant of Islam and what it stands for. And there are some who are already anti-Islamic and just looking for more justification in their actions. I remember what it was like right after 9-11. So many people were looking for somebody to punish. A Sikh man was killed because someone thought he was an Arab (because most Americans think all Muslims are Arabs, even though Indonesia is the largest Muslim country). I cannot stand the thought of the US becoming even more divided and of normal, innocent American Muslims living in fear.

Suicide bombings in Iran

And they are blaming it on the US. No, really. According to Haaretz, a senior official (Republican Guard) told the Iranian news agency that it was Israel and the United States that were behind it. According to the Islamic Republic News Agency, a senior official (governor general) said it was "foreign intelligence services and big powers." IRNA also has an article in which an Indian Shia scholar says it was the US and Israel.

The bombers themselves said it was because the government executed their leader last month. The Republican Guard says it tortured their leader who admitted receiving aid from the US and others. Okay, technically the Republican Guard says "confessions" were "extracted" from the guy, and that the US wanted his group to carry out bombings in Iran.

Is there any truth to this? Traditionally, the US has supported opposition groups in countries that it doesn't like (i.e. Iran). But I wouldn't go so far as to say the the US wanted bombing attacks carried out. That kills innocent civilians, which really upsets the rest of the civilians, and gives you bad press. That said, it still wouldn't surprise me if some people in the US government did want bombing attacks carried out. And considering how most Americans feel about Ahmadinejad, why on earth would they listen if he blamed America for the attacks?

More Flotilla News

Here's Juan Cole's post on the Libyan ship that changed course to Gaza, and a post about how Turkey is still upset about the original flotilla attack.

A French judge, currently working on the financial side of counter-terrorism says that he found out the IHH was a terrorist organization in 1996 (IHH is the Turkish group that sponsored the flotilla that was attacked). The same judge says he has investigated and Hamas has no ties to al-Qa'eda.

So far, there really hasn't been much going on with the flotillas. I haven't been able to decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, nobody has been hurt. But on the other hand, this entire thing could die down and everybody may forget about Gaza (again).

No Burkas in France

Well, the National Assembly has voted, and you can no longer cover your face in France (see my original post here). It still has to pass a final approval, where it could be found unconstitutional. I'm hoping it will be. This is billed as something that will prevent people from covering their faces, unless they're ill, or wearing a motorcycle helmet, or fencing mask, etc. And the statistics cited say that less than 2,000 women actually wear a niqab or burka. So why are they being persecuted?

One of the people quoted in the article is concerned that this might confine women to their home. And that is a valid concern. Before the Iranian Revolution in 1979, the Shah passed some laws forbidding wearing a burka - and many older woman were housebound for years because they could not leave their homes without one - and not because of their husbands! Because it was part of their religion and their tradition and going outside without a burka would be like your mother going outside in a tiny bikini for all her errands. She probably wouldn't feel comfortable doing it.

Flotilla, finally...

Well, it's been coming for weeks . . . The Flotilla. Libya sent an aid ship to Gaza, but then it decided to go ahead and dock in Egypt. That was probably a good idea. It's one thing for Turkey to try and break the blockade, but Libya? Here's the Haaretz article. I'm not sure what the status is on the other ships going to Gaza, but I'll keep looking.

More on Fadlallah

Another interesting article on Fadlallah, and what might happen now that he has died. Will the Iranians get more power in southern Lebanon?

Top Stories July 12, 2010

Arab News (Saudi Arabia): Riotous celebrations as Spain wins first World Cup - does this really need a summary?

Azzaman (Iraq): Temperatures soar to 51 centrigrade in Baghdad as electricity supplies worsen - apparently some of the electricity pylons are being attacked and destroyed. When it gets that hot, it's impossible to get anything done.

Haaretz (Israel): High court open to widening scope of Gaza flotilla probe - according to the article, currently the investigatory panel has a "limited mandate" and cannot subpoena witnesses, etc. But the High Court may try to widen the panel's power. The Court has been hearing a petition from an Isreali peace organization, and the panel's leader also wants more investigatory power.

Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey): Israel-Syria talks moving ahead without Turkey - Syria is nervous because of the UN sanctions against Iran, so it is talking with Israel. And since Turkey is not talking to Israel, they are no longer acting as the go-between for Israel and Syria.

Women's News July 12, 2010

Lots of Women's News, much of it not good.

A woman in Iran was sentenced to stoning, for adultery. The judges have temporarily decided not to carry it out. If you're wondering how stoning works, a woman is buried, with just her head above ground, and then stones are thrown at her head until she is dead. Lovely, huh?

Apparently young girls are being married off in one of the border provinces of Turkey, sometimes for money. Often these young girls are too young to consent, and this is a way to get rid of young female children.

The French National Assembly will be voting this week on an anti-burka bill. Technically, it's a bill that forbids covering your face in public places, because a bill that prevents Muslim women from covering themselves would sound racist. This bill is mostly aimed at Muslims and it really ticks me off. I do not agree with a woman being forced to wear a face covering, but there are women who do it on their own. I have met many Muslim women in America who wear a hijab (scarf over their hair), as a sign of their religion. When I visited the Gulf, I saw women wearing the niqab, a mask that covers the face. I asked about that, because most women were not wearing it. I was told that some women wore it for traditional reasons and that some women wore it because it kept the sun off of their face. So as much as I may agree with not forcing a woman to wear something, what if it is her choice? Where does it end? Perhaps the National Assembly would like to ban women not cutting their hair, and only wearing skirts, like the Pentecostals in America.

Finally, good news!!! A group of Palestinian girls formed a car racing team called the Speed Sisters and entered the Speed Test race. They are looking for sponsors if you would like to help.

Fadlallah Fallout

In true US fashion, a 20-year CNN veteran was fired for saying something nice about Fadlallah. Check out the Slate article on the subject.

Also h/t to Slate for this article by Foreign Policy: The Sheikh Who Got Away.

I told myself I wouldn't comment on this anymore, because it really ticks me off. The corollary to "if you criticize Israel you're an anti-Semite" is "if you compliment the wrong person you're a traitor." The Middle East is not a black and white subject. About the only thing that's black and white is Al-Qa'eda. They are bad. But as I've explained before, if the Shi'ites in Lebanon are being screwed over, and Hizbollah helps them (hospitals, security, etc.), then how can you expect the Shi'ites to join the US in condemning Hizbollah? If the Palestinians in Gaza are so ticked off at corruption in the Fatah Party that they elect Hamas because they're not corrupt, then how can the US condemn those democratic elections?

The Foreign Policy article I linked to above says:

The United States always preferred blunt instruments and simple epithets -- crude tools indeed for a complex man.

That's our problem with the entire Middle East.

News Roundup

Juan Cole has good posts on Fadlallah and the Turkey-Israel situation.

Obama & Netanyahu met and declared that the US and Israel are still friends.

An opinion piece in Haaretz offers insight on how Netanyahu should deal with Hamas.

No Top Stories

Woops - I was distracted by having a 3-day weekend for the Fourth of July, so I forgot the Top Stories.

RIP: Fadlallah

Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah passed away today. He was a major figure in Shi'ite religion, and lived in Lebanon. He was considered fairly modern and moderate. Fadlallah and Hizbollah helped establish hospitals and orphanages in Lebanon. Fadlallah condemned the 9-11 attacks, and even helped women's rights by explaining that Islam did not say a woman's primary job was in the home - that is defined by her marriage contract.

In the Middle East, everything is not either black or white. Oftentimes, this is hard to explain to Americans. If you mention Hizbollah or Hamas, most people will refer to them as terrorists. That's only partly true. Yes, Hizbollah and Hamas have launched horrible terror attacks and killed innocent civilians. They also have political branches, which run for office, and charity branches. It's very difficult for a Palestinian widow to condemn Hamas, when Hamas is the organization that brings her food for her children every week. Or clothes for her children every few months.

If anyone has a problem with "terror" organizations running for office, I have one word for you: Ireland. Add to that, the Fatah Party started as a terrorist organization and Yasser Arafat was a major terrorist before he became a Palestinian leader. At some point, you have to recognize that Hamas and Hizbollah are not going away and start to deal with them. It worked with Fatah.

Fatah, Hamas, Hizbollah

Interesting news. Abbas has said that perhaps a deal could be worked out, so that Israel could control some Jewish sites and settlements in Jerusalem, and the Palestinians would get some land back to connect to Gaza. (Actually, Israel already controls most of them and would remain in control.)

And Hamas and Hizbollah are so impressed by fallout from the Gaza Flotilla that they may start using more incidents of civil disobedience to disgrace Israel. Personally, I think this is a great idea. I don't condone violence, but I can understand why someone would be driven to it, from a theoretical standpoint. But violence by Palestinians has mainly served Israel. If the Palestinians can get a large civil disobedience campaign going, and if the US media will actually cover it, then perhaps more Americans will realize what is going on over there.

It may be hard to believe, for people in the rest of the world, but a lot of Americans don't know what's happening outside of the United States. Especially in the Middle East. They ask questions like "Why are those Arabs so mad at Israel?" Or "Why do Muslims hate Jews so much?" It's very difficult to explain the situation to people who think Israel has been around for thousands of years, and that Islam is a heathen religion.

Flotilla Apology?

Nope - not going to happen, according to the Israeli PM. Although he was quoted as saying:

"We are sorry over the loss of life," Netanyahu said. "This is clear."

Does that count as an apology?

Israelis & Palestinians Protest Together

In this week's Top Stories, I mentioned the Jerusalem Master Plan, which would demolish Palestinian homes to make way for a new neighborhood. According to one of the Israeli protesters:

"...in Sheikh Jarrah there is no mistaking the good guys from the bad guys. No matter how you look at it or describe it − there is no way the settlers living there can be considered the good guys and the Palestinians the bad guys."

The Haaretz article itself explains some of the legalities behind the situation:

"Israeli law permits people to claim Jewish property abandoned almost a century ago, but does not permit Arab families to claim ownership over property they abandoned during Israel’s War of Independence. Thus, refugee families of 1948 are liable to become refugees again, in 2010 − and this asymmetry is nourishing the struggle in East Jerusalem. "

The article is very long, but really good; I highly recommend it. It has mini-interviews with many of the Jewish protesters helping the Palestinians, who see the settlers as being racist and even non-Jewish in their actions. It really gives one hope for the future to see that there are young Israeli Jews who see what is actually going on, instead of just the propaganda coming from their government.

Flotilla Apology?

According to the Turkish Daily News, Israel may be willing to apologize and compensate the people on board the Mavi Marmara. Turkey has demanded an apology, compensation, an international inquiry, and the end of the blockade. There is diplomacy happening behind the scenes, but right now both Israel and Turkey claim the other side requested the meeting.

According to Haaretz, the "secret talks" are causing trouble for the Turkish official involved, and both Israelis and Turks are watching the situation.

The Turkish PM has gone even further saying Israel should apologize and compensate the people of Gaza, and the Israeli government has not accepted a two-state solution.

More Flotillas on the way! Update III

Supposedly more flotillas are getting ready. Hamas says they are expecting 8 ships, after the World Cup is over.

According to the Daily Star (Lebanon) Iranian lawmakers will be on the Lebanese ships that should be sailing to Gaza soon. Perhaps that is a prelude to the Iranian ships that are on also on their way.


Edit: According to BBC News, the Iranian ships are not on the way, because they will not be allowed to use the Suez Canal.

Bombing Iran? Again

I don't know how I missed this (h/t CrooksAndLiars). According to Haaretz (from June 19th), the newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi reported that US Navy warships and an Israeli ship went through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, en route to Iran. Does this mean that the Israelis are ready to attack Iran? Apparently most of the G-8 believe so. They also think something needs to be done about the blockade at Gaza.

State Solutions

Some interesting comments on how to resolve the Israel-Palestine issue:

If the state of Palestine is created, allow Jewish settlers there to become Palestinian citizens. And reimburse Palestinians whose land was stolen.

Or, how about a Five-State Solution? Instead of just Israel and Palestine, you would also have a land for Hamas, Fatah, and the Haredi Jews. Who knows, maybe that would actually work.

Top Stories June 28, 2010

Al-Ahram (Egypt): Beleaguered still - discussion about the situation in Gaza and how the crossing into Egypt fits into it.

Haaretz (Israel): Jerusalem master plan: Expansion of Jewish enclaves across the city - according to the article, this new master plan doesn't account for the future needs of the Arabs living in the city, so it will probably be seen as provocative.

Turkish Daily News: Turkey's Kurdish leader hopeful for peace - Turkey has been having a lot of terrorism problems with the Kurdistan Workers' Party. This article is an interview with the head of the Peace and Democracy Party.

Jordan Times: Gov't counting on media to boost voter turnout - Rifai - Prime Minister Rifai said that the media needs to encourage people to vote.

Tehran Times (Iran): Annual Judiciary gathering held in Tehran - "On June 28, 1981, the terrorist group Mojahedin Khalq Organization (MKO) planted a bomb in the Islamic Republic Party’s main office, killing Judiciary Chief Ayatollah Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti and 72 high-ranking Iranian officials, including a number of MPs." So the judiciary holds their meeting on the anniversary of the deaths.

Women's News June 25, 2010

As in Yemen, there is an effort underway to educate women in Turkey as well. This isn't big city women, this is women who live very sheltered lives, in an Islamic area. But they (and their menfolk) are learning that a lot of the things they have believed are not Islamic, and in some cases unhealthy or simply barbaric.

In Saudi Arabia, women's rights are very behind the times too. But do they need rescuing, or are they doing fine on their own? Read the article to find out one woman's opinion.

News Woes

I get most of my Israel information from Haaretz, but the website appears to be down (at the very least, I can't access it). I'm trying to check out the Jerusalem Post and other sites instead.

Israeli arms to South Africa

This was in my Top Stories section for May 24, 2010:

Haaretz (Israel): Report: Israel offered to sell nuclear weapons to apartheid South Africa - well, I certainly was not expecting this headline on the front page. This article quotes an article from The Guardian (UK) about a new book from an American researcher who found documents on nuclear talks between Israel and South Africa in the 1970s. Apparently a nuclear deal didn't quite go through, but Israel did sell tritium to SA and there may have been a joint nuclear test in late 1979.

There have been a few updates. According to the Daily Beast, Shimon Peres has denied a lot of the scandal, and called it slander. And Haaretz has a refutation of that by the author of the book, Sasha Polakow-Suransky.

WTF: Israel subservient to US?

I read this title to an opinion piece in Haaretz and burst out laughing: Is Israel too subservient to the U.S.? The real title is Is Israel becoming a banana republic? (but I prefer the one on Haaretz's main page).

According to the author, Israel is basically kowtowing to the US, by letting the US nix a military deal with China, stop some settler construction, and want international watchers in the flotilla investigation. Let's forget how many times Israel has completely blown off its promises by starting new settlements and generally doing whatever the hell it wants without regard to international law. By all means, let's let Israel be independent. Tell the US Congress to stop financing it.

Flotilla Starting

Juan Cole has a great post about all things flotilla-related. The first "flotilla" should be 2 ships by a Lebanese women's aid society. We'll see what happens to them.

Top Stories June 21, 2010

ArabNews.com (Saudi Arabia): Unacceptable siege - One of the top stories is an editorial about Gaza.

The Daily Star (Lebanon): Sfeir becomes first patriarch to visit Bekaa in 72 years - Sfeir is the Maronite Patriarch. The last visit was before Lebanon became a country. According to the article, Bekaa has the largest Greek Catholic community in the Middle East.

Haaretz (Israel): 22 Palestinian homes to be razed in East Jerusalem - so the Israelis can build a tourist center. This is another disaster in the making. Supposedly the displaced families could build new homes in the area, but no one is sure how that would be financed. The Prime Minister even asked the Mayor of Jerusalem to slow down a bit, because this might upset the US. Here's a quote about the neighborhood:

The contested site is a section of a larger neighborhood called Silwan, which is home to some 50,000 Palestinians and 70 Jewish families.

Turkish Daily News: Turkish military determined to fight terror, top general says - there have been attacks recently by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Middle East Mess

Well, things continue to get interestinger and interestinger. Lots of news from Turkey:

• The EU wants more than just the blockade lifted.
  

• Istanbul has decided to become the sister-city of Gaza.
  

• A coalition of groups is still planning a new flotilla.

• It's becoming harder to defend human rights in Israel. (This reminds me of life under George W. Bush. "You don't like torture - you're un-American, you traitor.")
  

• The President of Syria things Israel is raising the risk of another Middle East war. (Remember, you heard it here first.)
  

Blockade? Update I

Remember Israel said it will loosen the Gaza blockade? Well, apparently they only said that in English. The Hebrew version of the document makes no mention of easing the blockade. Is this a mistake or intentional? (I'd bet on intentional.) (H/t to Juan Cole who has more on the story.)

In good news though, Obama has gone further than other US presidents in regards to Israel. In the new National Security Strategy (as quoted by Haaretz) there should be 2 states and one of them is "a Jewish state of Israel, with true security, acceptance, and rights for all Israelis." So a state of Israeli for all Israelis, not just for Jews.

Torture, What Torture?

Apparently not only does the US not torture people, we don't even hear cases about torture. Does anyone remember that Canadian guy, who was kidnapped in the US, turned over to Syria, and tortured for 10 months? And then it turned out that he was completely innocent? His court case was rejected by the Supreme Court. And Obama's White House wanted it that way, because otherwise it might somehow impact national security.

This is completely ridiculous. It's an obvious screw-up that led to a man being tortured for almost a year, for absolutely no reason. The Canadians have already 'fessed up and made reparations to the guy. Now, they're investigating the US, because the US won't even hear the court case. Slate has a great article about the implications of the case (my first link, above).

I think the best definition of when torture should be allowable comes from an analyst on ABC News. I think he's a retired general, and I think this was just after the Abu Ghraib scandal started. He said (paraphrased): If a nuclear bomb is going to explode in Grand Central Station (NYC) in 5 minutes, and you've got the man with the codes to deactivate it, then it's okay to torture him.

Racism in Britain?

By now, everyone should know that England has a lot of CCTV cameras, especially in London. Birmingham also has cameras, but they're running into problems. They put up extra cameras, often covertly, in areas with larger Muslim populations. The police say it's in areas with more crime.

This is something that is still under discussion in America: when is something good police work and when is it racial profiling? There are a lot of good Muslims out there and they are really tired of being treated as criminals. But there are a few bad eggs here and there that ruin it for everyone. I don't know if this is the area where some of the British bombers have come from, but if it is, I could see why the police would want to watch it. But that doesn't change the fact that a lot of innocent Muslims would also be scrutinized. Where do you draw the line? And if you start taking away civil liberties for one group, then how can you save them for other groups? Should we all have cameras watching our every move - then the police would always catch the correct criminal!

Blockade?

Israel says it will loosen up the Gaza blockade.

Juan Cole has a huge roundup of what's going on between Turkey and Israel.

Racism is Everywhere Update I

Haaretz has an editorial on the issue, but they say it's Mizrahim that are not allowed to use the school. Since Spain was at one time ruled by Muslims from North Africa, it may be a moot point.

According to police reports, 100,000 demonstrators showed up. And in this article Sephardim are referred to as Middle Eastern. So I guess you could say it a matter of light-skinned people not wanting to study with brown-skinned people. This article has a nice selection of photos too.

edit: The BBC is also covering this. They have a quote from a settler saying it's not racism, it's because the Sephardi aren't religious enough. They're not modest enough and they have TVs.

More Flotillas on the way! Update II

Remember the ship being sent by a German Jewish organization? Apparently they've had so many volunteers they are having to get a second ship.

The original Turkish flotilla was organized by a group called The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Aid (IHH). They're working on another flotilla for July. And Israel has added the IHH to their terrorist watch list.

I've previously posted about the Israeli-Arab Knesset member who may lose her privileges. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which overseas parliaments, is looking into it now. They're concerned about death threats she

Racism is Everywhere

Some non-Jews are considered anti-Semitic, or racist, for not supporting Israel. Well, some Jews are racist too. There's a segregated girls school in a West Bank Jewish settlement, and the courts just ruled that they have to de-segregate. They are segregating the Ashkenazi and the Sephardi girls.

Ashkenazim = Jews from northern European

Sephardim = Jews from Spain/Portugal

Mizrahim = Jews from Middle East, North Africa, Caucasus

For some reason, these ultra-Orthodox settlers do not want their girls to learn in the same classroom as Sephardi girls. They are planning protests and Israel is putting 10,000 police officers out there to prepare for the protests. Here's a selection from the article:

MK Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism), who met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman, told the Knesset: "We, the ultra-Orthodox community, will not respect rulings, not of lower courts and not of the High Court, that contradict the Torah."

Gafni went on to say that there is an opportunity to prevent the parents from being jailed. "These pictures [of the parents being jailed] will be published worldwide and there will be no escape from thinking about what happened in other countries at other times when ultra-Orthodox Jews with side locks and beards went to jail."

Well, if the Torah says that Ashkenazi and Sephardi should be separated, then I will step out on a limb and claim that the Torah is racist.

Turkey to stop treating children like terrorists?

A new bill is in the Turkish Parliament right now. It's being referred to as the "stone-throwing children" bill. Turkey has pro-Kurdish groups, some of which use terrorism. But sometimes children out there throw stones at the authorities. If this bill passes, they would stop arresting the children and treating them as terrorists. They might still be arrested, but they would go to a juvenile court instead of an adult court as terrorists.

That's a good start! Now Israel needs to learn from that. They have a history of shooting Palestinian stone-throwers.

More Flotillas on the way! Update I

Yes, even more are on the way. Juan Cole reported over the weekend that Turkey was sending another aid ship, possibly with the Turkish PM on board, and that a former Israeli military official was calling for the Israeli navy to sink the ship.

Bahrain is also sending aid, although it's using the land route through Egypt.

Top Stories June 14, 2010

Algeria Daily: Group C preview: England need Rooney to perform - well, it's definitely World Cup time if the top story in Algeria is about England. Of course, Algeria will be playing them this week, so I guess that does make sense.

Haaretz (Israel): PMO officially announces internal Gaza flotilla raid probe panel - the good news is that there will be 2 foreign observers on the panel (Iranian and Canadian).

Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey): European Union wakes up to Turkey's new role - Turkey is all over the place. In a lot of places, Turkey is considered part of Europe. Even they consider themselves part of Europe, hence their determination to join the EU. Now people are worried that Turkey is drifting to the East (i.e. Arabs, Iran, Russia, etc.)

Tehran Times (Iran): Iran, Pakistan put finishing touch on gas export deal - Iran and Pakistan are building a gas pipeline that will connect the two countries. India may or may not join in, depending upon how it feels about Pakistan.

What is an Israeli?

Is an Israeli a Jew? Or a citizen of the state of Israel? According to Netanyahu, Israel is a Jewish state. And he appears a bit perturbed that when Obama talks about a Jewish state he also mentions the rights of Israeli citizens. Because at the current time there are people living in Israel who are not Jewish - they are Muslim and Christian.

Haartez quotes Netanyahu as saying: "When we are talking about a solution of two states for two peoples, one of these peoples is the Jewish people. It is not some Israeli people, it is the Jewish people." Does that mean all non-Jews must leave? Because that smacks of ethnic-cleansing. Or will you simply be a second-class citizen if you're not Jewish?

Mavi Marmara Footage!

CulturesOfResistance.org has uploaded 1 hour of footage, taken by a US-Brazilian journalist. Here it is on YouTube. Or you can download it here.

Schumer Redux

I realize I'm not always the best analyst or writer, but I am still a young blogger. And I am always in awe when I read posts like this, from Juan Cole. He really gives it to Schumer.

Bombing Iran?

Haaretz is saying that according to the Times (London) Saudi Arabia will give Israel airspace so that Israel can bomb Iran. Isn't bombing someone an Act of War? Apparently not, because in 1981 Israel bombed Iraq - specifically their nuclear research facility. Most of the world did not like that, but it was basically deemed a defensive action by President Reagan. And of course, Israel could not have flown over there without help from US satellites showing the way. I won't go into the start of the Iran-Iraq war and how Israel was selling arms to Iran as part of the Iran-Contra fiasco (PBS coverage, Wikipedia).

Israel and the US?

Check out this article from The Jewish Week. It's called "Fresh Debate Emerging on U.S.-Israel Strategic Alliance." Even some conservative experts are starting to see Israel as a liability to US foreign policy. Even some Israelis feel that way.

It's the Economy, Stupid

Senator Chuck Schumer thinks it is okay "to strangle them [Gazans] economically until they see that’s not the way to go." He does make some allowances for humanitarian aid, but still... What the hell is wrong with people? The people in Gaza democratically elect Hamas, then everything hits the fan when the US and Israel don't like the outcome of the election. So Gaza ends up blockaded, and starving, for daring to oust the corrupt ruling party that was in charge?

The current blockade is not working. Instead of spending the last three years talking to Hamas, and trying to work with them, and moderate them, Israel has only succeeded in making them stronger and in turning the world against itself.

This was a completely wasted opportunity. If Israel had not stopped turning over tax money to the government of Gaza, once Hamas took over, they would have had the upper hand in saying "See, we're dealing fairly with you. Why won't you acknowledge our existence?"

Edit: In other news, President Obama has promised $400 million to the Palestinian Territories; hopefully that includes Gaza.

Where's the Flotilla?

Supposedly there is another flotilla on its way (several, in fact) but I can't find any mention of them at this time. I'll keep you posted as I find information.

Palestinians

Alright, this is really annoying me. I was reading an article in Haaretz about the rabbi who asked Helen Thomas about Israel, whereupon she said that the Israelis should go home. First of all, the rabbi has been receiving a lot of hate mail, and death threats, neither of which I condone. But he mentioned something that I've been reading about more often lately:

According to Nesenoff, he no longer sees a difference between anti-Semitic and anti-Israel behavior, saying that Israel was "a legitimate state and if there's any criticism it must be specific. But people keep returning to the question: Why are the Jews living there? They took over that country.' It is a re-writing of history while ignoring the centuries-long Jewish presence in Israel. Those are statements against Jews, with anti-Israel sentiment being only a part of it."

It is NOT a re-writing of history. Yes, there were Jews living in "Israel" for centuries. But only a handful, compared to the number of Muslims and Christians. Mass immigration of Jews to Israel did not start until the early part of the twentieth century. And it is NOT anti-Semitic to say that! It's simply the truth.

For anyone looking for more information, I would suggest that they read Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict by Charles Smith. I believe it is in the 7th edition now. Dr. Smith is considered one of the experts on the situation (by Middle East Studies professionals), and his book is considered fair and unbiased. By unbiased, I mean factual - of course, nowadays, factual may mean anti-Semitic.

Gaza & Flotilla updates

Haaretz is saying that the US has agreed to the composition of the Israeli committee that will investigate the flotilla attack.

An Italian journalist who was on the flotilla says that his rechargeable credit card was used, after the Israelis confiscated it.

Israel, Egypt, the Palestinian Authority, and mediators are discussing ways to change or end the blockade of Gaza.

New Design

Yes, I'm trying out a new design. We'll see how it goes. I'm not sure if the double columns on the right will allow enough space for the posts.

New Video on Flotilla Attack

Edit: Juan Cole has updated that this video is cut from a longer video. See the article here.

Found this at Juan Cole's site. As he says, it is unconfirmed, but appears to show the Israelis executing an activist.

More Flotillas on the way!

Well, things are getting interesting again:

Juan Cole links to an article about a German Jewish group that is sending its own aid flotilla to Gaza. I wonder how they'll be treated.

According to Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey), Iran is sending 3 Red Crescent ships to Gaza as well. The Red Crescent is the Islamic version of the Red Cross, so that's fine. But the first 2 ships are orchestrating their moves with Turkey, and should arrive by the end of this week. This scares me. Iran and Israel have no love for each other, and are always verbally sniping. I simply cannot see Israel allowing 2 Iranian ships through their blockade. And I can't see these Iranian ships peaceably allowing Israel on board to search for contraband. This looks like a big disaster just waiting to happen. I know that in the past, an Iranian Red Crescent ship was turned away without repercussions. But the ante has been upped by the deaths of at least 9 peace activists on the Mavi Marmara. Iran isn't just randomly deciding that now is a good time to send some aid ships. They are sending a message, to Israel and to the world.

This could be the straw that starts a war between Iran and Israel. And throw Turkey into the mix too. Turkey has a huge military, and could probably march down to Israel. Iran has a large military and missiles. Israel has nukes. Syria is always hanging around the edges, too. Egypt depends upon US and Israeli good will, but a matter of honor could push it into the mix. Could this be the start of another war: Arab-Israeli War 2010? Is that what it will take before anything changes?

Helen Thomas II

Not everyone has abandoned her. Here's a great article by Paul Woodward.

I read a comment somewhere that "maybe now she'll blog." I hope that comes true.

Activist's Journal

Found a link on Hawgblawg about Henning Mankell sharing his journal of the Gaza flotilla with The Guardian.

Anti-Muslim Sentiment in America

This really ticks me off. According to Think Progress, there have been several anti-Muslims acts in Jacksonville, Florida recently. Including a phony anthrax mailing. Let me get this straight. You think that all Muslims are scary terrorists. So you respond by using terrorism? Because that makes everything better?

Flotilla Investigation

Apparently the US is now saying it should be an international investigation. So far Israel rejects this notion, because obviously any international probe would be against Israel (that's what the newspaper says). Am I the only person who finds that statement odd? "We can't have an international investigation because everyone hates us and will find against us, no matter what really happened."

So far, the investigation committee will be made up of Israeli jurists. Netanyahu (the PM of Israel) says that any investigation should use the facts already in evidence from the IDF internal investigation, and the military personnel involved in the attack should not be interviewed.

So let me get this straight. The IDF has already done their investigation, which we all know about. And the PM wants the new investigators to get all of their data from the IDF investigation. That does not sound like an investigation to me. That sounds more like a cover up. "Don't worry about investigating or talking to the people involved. We have all the data already. Just read it over and come to a conclusion."

Whatever happened to the truth? If Israel is innocent and its soldiers were attacked, why doesn't it release the entire unedited video footage of the event? Why did it confiscate all cameras and memory cards? If Israel has nothing to hide, then why is it hiding!

The Roots of Israel

Alright, this is really ticking me off. I was reading more about Helen Thomas, when I came across this gem in Haaretz:

Glick added that he felt "Thomas seems to have been schooled by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in a belief that Jews appeared in Israel after the Holocaust," while ignoring "historical facts that Jews have called the Land of Israel home for more than 3,000 years, long before any other group made a home in the land."

This is a fallacy. Yes, originally there were Jews in a land called Israel. But most of them were kicked out by the Romans (I think it was the Romans, it's been a while since I looked at this). For hundreds of years, that area of the world was populated by Jews, Christians, and, yes, Muslims! For hundreds of years, it was part of the Ottoman Empire and was predominantly Muslim. It was not until the late 1800s and early 1900s that people started calling for a homeland for the Jews, in a state called Israel. And Israel did not come to exist until 1948, after the Holocaust.

The fact that there were some Jews (probably Arab Jews too) living in Palestine during this time period does not mean that it was always a Jewish state, or that you can come in, build an army, and start removing Muslims from their homes. They live there too.

Flotilla update II

I'm losing track of all my updates, but I felt this was worth mentioning:

A blog post by Elise Hendricks that goes through almost the entire incident and aftermath, pointing out the fallacies and lies: The Tacitus Principle: How Israel and its Apologists Defend the Indefensible.

Helen Thomas

Helen Thomas has done so much in her lifetime, and I find it sad that she has to retire. Instead of blogging about her, though, I'm simply going to link to a post on Crooks and Liars. They do a very good job of dissecting the situation. If you're so inclined, check out anti-Semitic remarks by Pat Buchanan. And ask yourself "who is allowed to criticize Israel, and who isn't?"

The Washington Post has a photo gallery of Thomas.

Flotilla News Roundup

Haaretz has a number of good articles on the situation. (Thank God for a free press in Israel.)

The IDF admits that it did doctor some of the audio footage. The IDF was talking on an open channel to the flotilla, and someone, somewhere, did say "go back to Auschwitz." But it's impossible to know who said it. The original IDF footage was compressed and implied that the Mavi Marmara said it. The part about 9/11 comes after almost a minute of silence.

Max Blumenthal has a good report of the audio incident. Including information that the new footage is also doctored. At one point you hear a woman say "We have permission from the Gaza Port Authority..." but this woman, Huwaida Arraf, claims she did not say that at this time. She has been on several Free Gaza trips, and this footage appears to be from one of those.

Some of the activists taken in the original flotilla last Monday appear to missing. Possibly 4-6 activists are missing and their situation is unknown. Also, the list of casualties is growing as more wounded activists finally reach home.

According to Haaretz, Syria wants to help Gaza, and the Turkish PM may sail to Gaza. And somewhere I read that Iran is sending ships to Gaza.

The Knesset House Committee voted to revoke the privileges of an Arab Knesset Member who was part of the recent Gaza flotilla. Another Arab Member received a death threat after comparing the Israeli commandos' actions to the Nazis.

The current head of the Arab League will make his first visit to Gaza.

The IDF is claiming that the flotilla had Hamas and al-Qa'eda agents on board, even though one of them is a well known peace activist.

Good article by a former Israeli politician on how Israel needs to change.

Israel fired warning shots before boarding the Mavi Marmara according to the Jerusalem Post and New York Times.

Top Stories June 7, 2010

Al-Ahram (Egypt): Marmara, and beyond - being a weekly magazine, they're a little behind, but the attack on the flotilla is their top news.

Haaretz (Israel): Israel still balking at external Gaza flotilla probe, despite growing world pressure - Israel has no problem with an investigation, as long as it is conducted by Israel. The rest of the world, however, would like someone a bit more impartial to investigate the situation.

Hurriyet Daily News (Turkey): Pressing for freedom: Two centuries of ceaseless struggle in Turkey - a banner at the top of the page links to new photos of the Marmara attack, but the top story is about censorship and the press.

In other news, an American art student (with Israeli citizenship) lost an eye during a protest following the Marmara attack. According to witnesses, the IDF fired tear gas containers at the protesters. According to the IDF, they did no such thing; the tear gas container rebounded off of a wall. The US has actually demanded an investigation, but it appears the IDF has already done that.

Read an interview with Uri Avnery, an Israeli peace activist, about the real reason for the Gaza blockade.

Women's News

Several interesting and sad tales of women in the Middle East:

An Australian woman who converted to Islam and moved to Yemen is being held in prison in Yemen. The article doesn't state what she is accused of, if anything, but she is in legal limbo right now.

The French hijab wars continue. A woman was stopped at a random alcohol roadblock. When police saw that she wore a niqab (face mask) they fined her for "driving with a reduced field of vision." According to the article, she was not the first, either.

Saudi Arabia will actually start asking for the age of new brides, when paper work is filled out. Hopefully this will help stop old men from marrying children.

Hurricanes in Oman again

Cyclone Phet hit Oman, on its way to Pakistan. Two people died, and of course, oil production was halted for a while. I'm not sure if that halt in oil production will have any big effects in the rest of the world.

MV Rachel Corrie & Gaza

The ship was stopped by the Israelis and taken to the port of Ashdod. The Israelis said that no one was injured, because this was a ship of peace activists not "a ship of hate organised by violent Turkish terror extremists."

Witness Gaza has footage of the Israelis boarding the ship, as well as interviews with activists, including an old interview with Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003.

This is a lot more anti-climactic than the Turkish flotilla, which may be a good thing. No else died, possibly because this time the entire world was watching the situation. According to Haaretz, left-wing Israeli protesters even showed up to protest the attacks against the flotillas.

Now that the world is watching, though, it would be nice if the world (especially the US) would look at what is going on in Gaza and do something about it. You cannot have peace when 1.5 million people are in what amounts to a prison camp. And if the Palestinians want peace, Hamas will have to come to terms with the existence of an Israeli state. Both sides need to taste the bitter pill of reality and try living together instead of killing each other. And the more powerful side (Israel) needs to take the first step.

Attack footage

Most of the video footage you see was filmed by the Israelis, who confiscated all of the film on board the ships. Here are a few alternatives though.

Here's the Al-Jazeera footage, just before their correspondent had to stop filming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFEBbDkyrqQ

A longer video from Russia Today:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSFwyWyVo74

Ten minute radio broadcast from Ireland, including an interview with first mate Shane Dillon who was on Challenger 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akMu5oZvf0o

I read in the Sydney Morning Herald that the Mavi Marmara was streaming video live, but I haven't been able to find it. The camerawoman on board another ship managed to hide some of her memory cards but I can't find where her photos are showing. Interviews with the activists show a bloody situation. Apparently several camera-people hid their cards; now if we can only see the photos. More first-hand accounts.

The Guardian has autopsy reports showing that the 9 men killed had 30 bullets in them.

Flotilla updates

According to Craig Murray, the MV Rachel Corrie will stop and get checked out, and add some more high profile passengers, before it finishes its trip to Gaza.

He also says that the Mavi Marmara was NOT flagged as Turkish. It was flagged as Comoros Islands about a week before the flotilla started. This brings up all sorts of questions as to why it was re-flagged. For one thing, it's no longer a NATO-flagged shipped. And who re-flagged it? The Turks or the Israelis? Check out Craig Murray's speculation.

Women's News

BBC News has an article called "Inside the radio station helping Egyptian divorcees." Apparently there are more divorces now in Egypt, since the law was changed to allow a woman to ask for a divorce without the husband agreeing. There's still a stigma attached to divorced women, but radio shows, magazines, and clubs are helping these women make the decision and learn to live with it.

Apparently there is a group called the "International Women’s Commission for a Just and Sustainable Israeli-Palestinian Peace." They are calling for an end to the Gaza blockade, and a 2-state solution.

Flotilla still approaching

The MV Rachel Corrie is still on its wait to Gaza. It should arrive Saturday morning.

Three more activists were returned to Turkey. Apparently they were more seriously injured, so it took longer for them to be able to return. And two others are still in Israel in serious condition, unable to return at this time.

US Representative Barney Franks (Jewish) initially had some harsh words about the attack on the aid ships, but then backed down. The first article also says that "A Maine filmmaker hired to document the blockade-running flotilla, Scott Hamann, 29, of South Portland, also was being detained."

On Wednesday, Glenn Greenwald was on MSNBC, trying to explain that the flotilla was not controlled by Hamas, and disputing the "Netanyahu aides." Worth a look.

Israel attacks aid ships? Update IV

One of the ships in the flotilla was the MV Rachel Corrie (named after the American college student killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003) was apparently not attacked, because it had engine trouble and had fallen behind. Said engine trouble may have been caused by Israel. If I have read everything correctly, the MV Rachel Corrie is currently still on its way to Gaza, and the leader of Ireland has already warned Israel against hurting any of its passengers. The ship belongs to the Irish branch of the Free Gaza Movement, and one of the passengers is Nobel peace laureate Máiread Maguire.


edit: I am adding the tag "flotilla" to the previous posts.

What the hell is going on?

Alright, things may be getting scary. A friend sent me a link saying that Turkey will be sending another aid flotilla to Gaza, but this time the Turkish Navy will escort it! Following the links brought me to this article, out of India, which appears to be where the story originated. And Ian Walsh has some succinct comments on what might happen if Israel and Turkey went to war.

Turkey and Israel have military and economic ties. Some of the military ties are still there, but Turkey has called off some joint military drills and stopped energy projects.

United Nations: "UN Human Rights Council [yesterday] voted to dispatch an independent, international probe into violations of international law resulting from Israel’s actions."

My favorite post of the day is from Juan Cole. Here it is in it's entirety:

Hey, Tea Party. A foreign navy boarded an unarmed ship flying the flag of a NATO member in international waters and shot dead an American citizen with four bullets to the head and one in the chest on Memorial Day. It did this while the head of the belligerent state was on his way to a state visit to Washington, DC, to be awarded a further $200 million in aid on top of the $3 billion of American taxpayer money the US gives away to him every year.

If you are not upset by this, your tea is weak, man. Weak."

Non-Violent Protests

This article is from April, but it's about non-violent protests in the Palestinian areas. There appears to be a growing number of people there who are trying out non-violent protests. This is still in the beginning stages, but it is a start. It's harder to claim justification for shooting protesters, when they aren't throwing rocks at you.

Israel attacks aid ships? Update III

This is not going to go away, like other incidents have in the past. Turkey is not letting the situation die down. They are very upset - it's still front page news there. Turkey is demanding that the blockade be lifted, and that an impartial group look into the attack. The UN also wants the blockade lifted, and even the Obama administration may be changing its mind.

Eight of the nine killed were Turkish, and prayers were held for them today. The group that organized the flotilla says that 3 activists are still missing.

It's still front page news in Israel too, and some of the Haaretz columnists are really hammering Israel.

If you're looking for alternative voices in Israel, be sure to check out this blog in Haaretz: A Special Place in Hell.

Israel attacks aid ships? Update II

Slate has some very interesting articles on the incident:

Is Israel's blockade of Gaza against the law? - maybe. The law is not completely clear. But seizing a ship in International Waters is illegal.

That's No Way To Enforce a Blockade - this article asks a lot of relevant questions, like, how did a group of Israeli commandos get their asses kicked by civilians; and why did they stop the ships in International Waters. Definitely worth a read.

For a slightly different take on the situation, check out What's to investigate? We know what happened to the Gaza flotilla.

On a lighter note: Yazidi pics

Check out these photos of a Yazidi temple in Iraq. Beautiful!

Israel attacks aid ships? Update I

Well, Turkey is really pissed off. The attacked ship was Turkish, and there were many Turks on board. Here's some more information:

BBC News has a rundown on the Gaza blockade.

BBC News also has info on why Israel maintains the blockade.

This Yahoo! article has the Israeli footage of the attack.

The Turks want an international investigation, and they have demanded the release of their people, and Israel has said it is deporting everyone involved.

This whole thing is a giant mess, but at least it is highlighting the problem. Israel has blockaded Gaza for about three years now, as the humanitarian problems there have worsened. It's not clear if the blockade is even legal, aside from the fact that the attack took place outside of the blockade limit [Note: does that mean international waters?]. Perhaps this whole situation will come to a head and the US will look at what is actually happening, instead of just listening to what Israel says is happening.

Jesus vs. Muhammad

Remember all those cartoons about Muhammad? And most Westerners were screaming "freedom of speech" and thought they should be showed? Well, Comedy Central is now working on a program about Jesus. This has caused a number of religious leaders to form the Coalition Against Religious Bigotry (CARB). They're accusing Comedy Central of a double standard, since Comedy Central censored South Park's Muhammad episodes. [Note: I have to agree that is a double standard.] I'm just wondering how the rest of the Western World will view this situation. Will the Jesus show air? Or will people be outraged because it's a Christian parody and not a Muslim one?