New Year Reflections for 2012
Every year I write an email attempting to be reflective of a year passed, speculating on a year coming. This year I want to be less logical, slightly cynical and seemingly rambling. Why? Because I’m tired of writing meaningful logical prose. I most likely will get the silent treatment – you know, the one crazy people get when they launch into a rambling monologue on a bus 
So here we go:
First, questions I have for since I was a child…
Why do we have cars, imagine a world with no streets, instead rail tracks that reach to your doorsteps in the same way driveways do. Then each of us can have a mini train… best of all they are safer, better for the environment, and with no streets we would have greener cities with little plazas… just a childhood dream
Chairs are the worst invention… the old Bedouin way of sitting on the ground is healthier in so many ways including being closer to the earths energy… don’t we all hate the seats in a plan and wish if we could left our feet, or is it just me? Boggles the mind why chairs were invented to start with and how they became so popular
Who invented ties… shirts and men’s clothes in general!
About last year, am I the only one that got really angry from the way Gaddafi got treated after his capture? Was he a bad man (if such a term really exists)? And if so is he any worst that say Obama? What about the Repels? Does the fact that they fought for justice make them just? Or are no better than Gaddafi? Same shit different flavor… excuse my choice of words here…
I loved that the Arab spring happened, I was even waiting for it to happen for the last 20 years since my university activism days in Jordan. Few years ago I wrote a PHD proposal predicting an Arab revolution using social media, now I’m no Nostradamus but the writing has been on the wall bright and clear for many years and it was just a matter of time for the silent volcano to spew some ashes. Maybe this is a poor choice of words considering how it all started but no matter, this story is now being written in the book of ‘the history of a new middle east’. I think this is only the beginning and I fear that we have two scenarios each worst than the other, one, the revolution is hijacked by moderate Islamist parties that are geared towards political control/survival and so will happily partner with the USA in order to keep the power and use the pretext of Islam to suppress the Arab world back into the dark ages – imagine Saudi Arabia all over the middle east! The other scenario is a prolonged sectarian war that risks of a total chaos, the final result will be highly unpredictable, 10% chance that the youth revolutionaries will gain control and partner with a new South America creating a powerful socialist block, 10% a Taliban/Iran like regime will emerge and control a bigger new middle east. 80% the conflict will spell to the rest of the world and with a possible collapse of the EU some sort of a global conflict will arise that will take many years to resolve itself, by then there will be a winner and a new world order, my money is on USA surprising everyone and regaining control after lots of deaths and a huge catastrophe in china. I hope I’m proven wrong.
Questions?
Why are we not worried about a future Palestinian state, under HAMAS or even worst FATAH? Would it not be wiser (under the current conditions) to let go of statehood hope and fight for nationhood?
Why are we not in a state of high alert knowing that scientist are adamant that time has already ran out in terms of reversing global warming? We must be so calm and collective to react this way! (again collective is a poor choice of words)
Why do I feel like this social media thingy is making humans lonelier than ever before?
Why do I walk on a beautiful night and find no one is walking in the streets. Everybody is at home behind a window with closed curtains…
Why is it that my new neighbor would only wave a polite hello but be not the least interested to know who is living next door?
Why do people frown at you if you smile to strangers?
About this year, I feel like I want to walk the streets slapping people to awake into the new world we live in. it feels like humanity is lost in a virtual world that is slightly sleek, slightly buggy. Unless humanity make big cultural changes we are heading for a cultural disaster worst than global warming. Technology is way ahead of the current world attitude and it seems that we are a little bit lost, you only need to have a chat with a teen about the future and their perception of humanity and even more worries their self image.
Now that I depressed you, to the positives:
On a personal level I’m excited about 2012, I think change is good even if it was drastic changes and even if that was unpredictable, 2012 can only be better than 2011! Maybe the world will get a big slap on the face and we will all start valuing our humanity, socializing, smiling in the streets and communicating in real life not just online. Maybe just a little maybe… maybe we can go back to basics… at least understand how to communicate/speak with our eyes, hand and emotions.
Double The Fun
I’m an Australian citizen, a proud Palestinian, a sceptic when it comes to multiculturalism in its current forms — and at the same time I’m strongly against assimilation. I’m stating my position from the start so as not to be misunderstood. Why? Because I know I’m risking upsetting both sides of the multicultural debate with what I have to write.
I speak English, go to the pub, eat pies, love a good barbecue and play a team sport on Saturdays.
When asked my nationality when abroad I say I’m Australian. But there is more to this than meets the eye. It’s true I speak English fluently but I still have a slight accent. And that often prompts a second question, “where are you from originally?” I often respond by saying I’m Palestinian. In fact, when in Australia I often cut the story short and say that I’m Palestinian as my first answer. That’s not because I’m anticipating the second question but because I’m resenting the first when I’m in Australia and clearly a local!
Did I mention that at the pub I drink whiskey not beer, that my barbecue is kufta and kebab, and that the only sport I play is soccer? I tried to be into rugby but alas it’s not for me.
Full article on the New Matilda.
Bab Al-Hara and the Arab Nationalists
Bab Al-Hara is a popular Syrian TV drama watched by more than a hundred million Arabs. The show is set at the time of French colonisation and has a clear Arab nationalist agenda, weaving the Syrian independence war with the Palestinian struggle against the British occupation. The shabab (young fighters) of the hara (neighbourhood) are constantly shown helping their Palestinian brothers with money, weapons — and even their lives. Likewise, the Palestinian fighters join the locals in defending their neighbourhood against the French.
It was while watching Bab Al-Hara last August in the Muslim month of Ramadan that I came to a realisation: Arab nationalism was being reborn again, resurrected from a grave dug deep by the death of Jamal Abdul Nasser and the devastating losses in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
What makes Bab Al-Hara an interesting case study is not only its Arab pride message but that is has mass appeal across the whole of the Arab world. The show reaches all sections of society, from the rich elite paying $50 for a coffee and hookah in a trendy café, to the poor paying $1 for the same order in a public café, from the university educated to the street vendors, from the young to the old: when Bab Al-Hara is on, everyone watches…. [read full article at the New Matilda]
The Perfect Storm
This is an extract from an article I wrote today in the New Matilda:
“Two decades ago, 23 years to be precise, there was an increase in the price of bread and oil in Jordan. I was then living in a poor neighbourhood in Amman and I remember waking up to spontaneous demonstrations in the streets outside my house. There were thousands of young protestors throwing stones, burning tyres, the Jordanian riot police were out in full force and within 48 hours they had brutally quelled the demonstrations. This barely made a footnote on the western news media outlets. Back then there was no Al Jazeera…”
For the full article go to http://newmatilda.com/2011/03/04/perfect-storm
2011, Joha’s Rusty Nail
Six years ago I read an article by Uri Avnery, the founder of the Gush Shalom peace movement, titled Joha’s Nail. Here is an extract from the article:
“One day Joha, the hero of popular Arab humor, sold his home. The price he demanded was ridiculously low and he had only one condition: “on one of the walls there is a nail that I am much attached to. I don’t want to sell it.” The buyer readily agreed. Who cares about a nail? After some days, Joha came to the house and hung his coat on the nail. After that he brought his bed and started to sleep there. “The nail is so dear to me, that I can’t bear sleeping away from it,” he explained. Another time he brought his family to visit the nail and had a party there. In the end, the new owner couldn’t bear it anymore and bought the nail for a price many times higher than he had paid for the home itself. Maybe the leaders of Israel do not know the story, but their behavior certainly resembles it…” – The full link can be accessed here.
Six years on, not much has changed, we still don’t have peace and the settlement are still being built, in fact the year 2010 was somewhat bizarre in how brazen the Israeli are becoming with a total disregard to world opinion. To me this is a sign of either absolute arrogance/confidence in their ability to withstand external pressure or a sign of internal problems in the fabric of the Israeli political system that pushes slowly to the extreme right, in other words it will eventually lead to a closed system that self destruct from the inside.
To draw an analogy let me go back to Uri’s Joha’s Nail story with the image of Joha’s nail and the hanging coat, I can’t help it not to worry about that nail, yes I do worry because this is no mythical story, this is real life and in real life nails go rusty and risk snapping. On the face of it that might sound like a good thing for that nail (Israel) to go on rusting then eventually snap after all this will mean that the West will have no excuse to come middle in our business, implant puppet leaders, invade countries, and run our resources to the ground (or more like off the ground and into their oil reserve facilities), I’m afraid, yes afraid that this nail is so close to snapping and if this happens then we are risking a chain reaction that might lead to a house on fire – or in another world a Middle East that is in state of chaos, a better solution would be to slowly take the coat of the nail before it snaps, I hope 2011 can bring peace in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict because if not we haven’t got much long before this rusty nail snaps.
Top 10 things to do for Palestine
Could it be that a Palestinian’s day is only 23 hours and 20 minutes long!
This is what Barak said addressing the Knesset about the delays Palestinians suffer from Israeli roadblocks in the West Bank, and I quote here from Haaretz “If a Palestinian day in not 24 hours long, but 23 hours and 20 minutes long because of the [wait at the] roadblocks, that’s the price of Israeli citizens’ safety.”
When I first read the article I found myself making light of it, I even started thinking of funny scenarios resulting from being given a shorter day: we’ll need customized watches that run a bit slower (or is it faster); this puts a new spin to the term Arab Time; maybe we should introduce a new concept Palo Time; sorry I’m on Palo Time, my days are shorter, things to do, people to see, gotta go.
This was a while ago, since then I’ve come across worst statements from the highest level of government in Israel with total disregard to the humanity of an entire people. For such statements to be made public can only mean that Israel is either too oblivious to world opinion, have lost the plot, or its leaders have calculated the risk and are banking on a total lack of motivation form the world (meaning the USA) to rein in their increasingly erratic friend and so the “oh, well, what can we do about it” attitude prevails. I have to say (in America’s defense) that this attitude prevails even among many of our Arab friends, even worst many Palestinians living abroad are increasingly abandoning the cause. Some might say what can we do?
I put it to you all Palestinians abroad and friends of Palestine, if Palestinians in the occupied territories are loosing 40 minutes of each day, can we perhaps pledge 40 minutes a month – or even 40 minutes a year for Palestine? You ask what can i do in 40 minutes? Here is my top 10 suggestions (please feel free to add yours in the comment section below):
10. Cook a Palestinian meal with friends instead of eating out, saving around $1,000 a year, enough to fund the eduction of a Palestinian university student – click here for an USA donation option or write a link/suggestion below.
5. Read a book about Palestine, learn the history – Edward Said’s After the Last Frontiers is my favorite what’s yours?
9. Buy fair-trade organic Palestinian produce, might be hard to get but worth the extra effort and you’ll be helping Palestinian farmers – click here for your nearest reseller.
8. Join a solidarity organization – click here for a comprehensive list.
7. Write an opinion letters to news papers – almost all online news papers accept emails and/or have a comments option, that’s one easy way to start.
6. Get on Social Media to promote a good causes – maybe forward this story for a start?
4. Walk/Cycle to work, saving the environment, your health and at least $2,000 a year to donate to your favorite Palestinian cause.
3. Spend 40 minutes a month on a long walk, make it a special time to reflect and think about what matters most for you – by helping ones self you can help others.
2. Coffee with a friend, don’t just set in front of the TV feeling sorry about the world, go out meet your friends, make new friends, get them involved.
1. “Free Palestine ”, write it on as many walls as you can.
This is my top 10 list, what’s yours?
The Myth of Palestinian-Israeli Peace Process
Myth #1: The two-state solution will work:
Truth is that it will never work, it might happen, but will it work and on the long run? The answer is a not so simple no. Why?
- Because of geography: creating two states will result in a very weak Israel, arming more and more and working hard on keeping its Palestinian neighbours even weaker, a lose-lose situation, and on the other side of the fence will be a joke of a disjointed Palestinian state with Palestinians disgruntle, waiting to become stronger to recapture lost land – basically the status quo and even worst
- Because of Jerusalem: and because of the ever expanding settlement blocks built on Palestinian hills encircling the city and the surrounding villages , Israeli’s will never give up any parts of Jerusalem willingly and the Palestinians are in no position to fight to take it back by force – and so we have a deadlock.
- Because of demography: simple fact Arab Israeli’s are not 100% integrated and will never be if Israel was a Jewish state, they are now 20% but rapidly growing. Two states will put Israel in a big dilemma, can they exiles 20% of the population to the other side or do they become a multinational country – back to the one state argument.
Myth #2: There will come a Palestinian leader that can sacrifice the right of return for the sake of peace:
Some diluted intellectuals are saying that most Palestinian refugees never want to go back and so the right of return is irrelevant, the argument they put, “You Palestinian have Tran- Jordan and other Arab countries to live in”.
This is simply not true.
- Arab nationalism is long dead, each Arabic country is feverishly trying to preserve its demographic make-up and keep Palestinians out. It’s painful to say, but it is the truth. Heck some Arabic countries don’t even want to say they are Arabs.
- I’m a second generation Palestinian and I’m more interested in living in Palestine more so than my parents who had to flee across the river in 1948. Note that I’m living in Australia and comfortably and still feel a yearning to live in Palestine. Now imagine someone living in a refugee camp in Lebanon, not allowed to live normally, no passport, no work permit, and no prospect of becoming part of the Lebanese society. To 60% of the Palestinian refugees right of return is their only hope of a normal life. 40% are integrated to where they live now, some will leave all behind and go back, and most will want at least the right to do so. Compensation is only a secondary issue for us Palestinians, so is a sorry day – these things are still too far in the future.
Myth #3: Palestinians (and Arabs) want to toss the Jews in the sea:
Maybe they did once and who can blame them, someone comes steals your land by force you surely want them to go back from where they come from. But the fact now is that Palestinian people want to live side by side with Jewish people. In fact most Palestinian see Jewish people as smart and good to have as your next door neighbour. It will take some-time to mend the hurt of 60 years of occupation but truth is no one really want the Jews out, they just want equal right, and the right to live peacefully. As for Arabs as soon as the Palestinian issue is resolved they will jump at the chance of economic cooperation.
Myth #4: Israel wants peace:
Israel does not want peace. What they want is a peace process – preferably going on indefinitely. Israel is building more settlements on Palestinian land and has been doing so for the last 25 years of the peace process. Israel is strong and is making gains with the status quo, so as long as they are not being pushed by the US, peace will always be a process rather than a goal.
Myth #5: Palestinians want peace:
Palestinian don’t want peace because simply they are in no state of power to negotiate that. What most Palestinians want is freedom, freedom at any cost. If it was peace so be it but when a human being is threatened, their livelihood taken from them, with no hope insight, peace is the last thing on their mind. Try to cage a free bird and then talk to it about peace. Let me make some exceptions: Abu Mazen wants peace, why? To save his ass. Hamas wants peace, why? So they can share power. But the common man on the street, peace is a distant dream. Going through a check point is a more of an immediate concern than peace.
Myth #6: Israelis & Palestinians can never live together
History tells us otherwise. Many conflicts come and go, people fight each other and usually it takes one generation to forget 50-80 years. Look at the world war two. Palestinians and Israelis have much to gain if they lived together in a dual national state with equal right, and lots to lose if they choose the two-state solution.
I think the only solution is a one state where all Palestinian & Jews live happily, a state that will protect and welcome any Jew from around the world, and the right of return for all Palestinian refugees and their offspring. There is a lot to work out in terms of compensation for land loss, ensuring a dual nationality country, flag, name,.. ETC but I put it to you that a one state is the only long term solution, and one that requires hard work from both sides, but one that promises huge rewards to both Israelis and Palestinians if we have the courage to think long term.
Turning 40
So I’m turning 40 today.
What’s the big deal, I say to myself, nothing much has changed between today and yesterday, yep all is good. Then myself shoots back “hang on a minute, that’s an easy way out, lots has changed between your 21st birthday and now”. I think back to my 21st, young, dreamy, idealist, wanting to change the world, a bit on the shy side, now 19 years forward, a white beard, two kids, a wife, and a house with a mortgage.
Myself, almost gloating now, interjects “see, you can never stop the times, see how much have you changed.” So I’m writing this email to repute this statement, nothing really has changed since I was 21, I’m still shy and still an idealist with dreams to change the world, only difference now is that I have more means to do it, and less time to spare.
Che comes to my mind, you ask me why? Well he died just few months before he reached his 40th birthday, like him or not, he has done so much in his 39 years of on this earth that it makes me think that Gen X (here generalising but mainly referring to myself) is so lazy in compare to our parents, I know I’m making a big leap here but I get this sense that my generation the Gen Xers having been laying dormant with a lot of dreams and lots of good intentions – only every year we are leaving it for the next year. Basically we’re playing it safe. Our parents had more guts when they thought of something they went and did it, while we just put it in our to-do list.
Che Guevara studied medicine then went on a long trip around South America, helped Castro start a revolution and establish a new Cuba, did he stop there, no. He was offered top ministerial posts and instead he leaves it all behind and starts another revolution. Now a day, we Gen X (even Gen Y) wear the T-shirt but would never dream of being Che.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not advocating starting a revolution (although part of me would love that), what I’m saying is look at Che’s attitude of just going for it, following your heart and your ideals. Why are we not doing that – me include? If I want to take anything from turning 40 is that yes you can never stop the clock but aging should not make us feel helpless, I think Gen X’s time is now, not tomorrow not in another 40 years. Now is the time to dust that to-do list and pick up the hardest most difficult task and do it now today not any other time if not now then we’ll be remembered as a muted generation, I for one refuse to be muted.
Why Palestinians should care about global warming?
I was talking to some Palestinian friends, we were five smoking Argyle, drinking minted tea, and talking politics as you do when you have not much else to do. A friend was voicing her disgust to what happened in Copenhagen. “Why don’t we – Palestinians – protest this arrogance of the west, ?”
One of my friends interjected “we’re under occupation remember!” another said “Why should we Palestinians care, we have bigger problems to worry about”, another joked “anyway the only emission we have is the ones that come from our donkeys.”
After a heated debate the overwhelming conclusion was that as Palestinians, under occupation, with no planes to fly or big factories to emit; we should worry more about our food and bread, and of course our struggle for freedom before we even think about anything global – Food before freedom and freedom before global salvation.
I say the “overwhelming” and not “unanimous” because my friend disagreed, in here I’m voicing her opinion but as I’m writing this I’m begining to agree with her.
We are humans firstly and then Palestinians. There could be no bigger cause than the cause of preserving earth, after all we as Palestinian understand the value of earth only too well. Every day we fight with our blood for one nostalgic idea, to live free on our mountains with our olive groves, we fight for the land our ancestors cared for, for the land they planted with their own hands, tended to it every day, breathed earth from sunrise to sunset. We today, fight for that memory. Imagine if one day the bulldozer become the least of our worries, if global warming kills our hope bigger and stronger than any Israeli monster bulldozer. Then what can we do?
You say: all is well, we are farmer, we have a connection with the land, we should care about the environment – and humanity – but we are helpless to even convince Obama to cut weapon’s exports to Israel how can we even think about emission reductions?
The answer is simple, let us invite the world to use Palestine as a pioneering place for green energy, after all Israel is cutting our fuel imports, stealing our water and trying to strangle the very small industry we have. Let us tell the world that in spite of the injustices that are piled on we refuse to forget our obligation to the world. Let 2010 be the year we Palestinian declare a goal to become green with zero emissions – bar that from our donkeys.
In a land far away
In a land far away - not here
I lived freely without any fear
In a land far away - not now
I lived peacefully, don’t ask me how
On a day not far in the past - but not yesterday
Someone took the land away
One day while reading, or was I writing? I can’t recall
An image came to mind that encompasses all
An olive tree and a country with a white flag
Or was it a river and a boy with a sheppard’s bag?
Keep the land, keep the river
Keep the olive tree, keep it for forever
Just know I planted its little shoots
You have the leafs and I have the roots
Keep the village – steal my identity
But you’ll never take away my dignity