A look at the history of the Nakba on the recognized anniversary

This is what I hope will be the first of numerous posts about the Nakba, the “Catastrophe” in Arabic, which is generally used to describe the forced removal of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland in 1948. The anniversary, if that is the proper word is generally recognized on May 15, the day after the foundation of the state of Israel, according the Gregorian calendar, being of course, May 14, 1948. But as this very well written history points out, it didn’t begin in 1948, but some 200 years earlier. This is a very sad tale of long term oppression, of brutal imperialist  governments without a care about the people in their rule, but outside their borders. I would ask EVERYONE to read this, to ask questions, to find out what REALLY happened in 1948,, why those who were forced out of their homes and country are STILL not allowed to return. I promise it will anger you, I truly hope it will open your eyes.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/specialseries/2013/05/20135612348774619.html

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In Pictures: ‘We are all Palestinians’ – In Pictures – Al Jazeera English

With the thought of the awful attack on the Jerusalem synagogue, it is worth a reminder of our shared humanity. We are all Palestinian, we are all Israeli, we are all Iraqi and American, and Russian, and Rom, and Hopi.

I can definitely understand the sense of frustration coming from the muslims in east Jerusalem as the see their history  being evaporated as Israelis rename streets, overtake homes and even disallow prayer in Al Asqa Mosque, the third holiest site in the Muslim faith, this going against a long-established agreement between the ruling Israeli government and Muslims living in Jerusalem. All of this, of course, on top of everything else they have had to endure. However, there is never a justification for violence. I will always believe a peaceful settlement can be found but not until both sides are ready. I can say with all certainty that Netanyahu is far from ready. Sadly until the rest of the world, the US and Great Britain especially, stop their blind support for Israel things aren’t going to change much. But about the photos…..

These beautiful photos celebrate Palestinian music, sculpture, art and the human spirit. That part of us that no one can truly conquer. Not war, not racism, not apartheid, not poverty, not illiteracy, but rather our souls, our essence. In that sense at least, we are indeed all Palestinians. As I’ve said many times before and will repeat many times, No one is truly free until we are all free, no one is equal while another is oppressed.  I urge all of you to take in the photos, the text and the spirit.

 

 

In Pictures: ‘We are all Palestinians’ – In Pictures – Al Jazeera English.

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The growing disappointment throughout Europe in Obama is evident, numbers don’t lie

I found this article this morning while surfing the dreaded but unavoidable Facebook and it struck a chord with me. I remember the nights  directly after Obama won his first term as President. I was in Stockholm and everywhere there was a sense of enormous relief. Not only did it mean the imminent departure of Bush and Cheney, but we all wanted to believe it would bring about changes the likes of which we hadn’t seen for some time. The types of changes that we had been longing for, the types of changes that people were fighting and dying for. A government,  with a considerable amount of power, might turn back  to diplomacy as the first course of action. A government that might actually keep its promises, closing gitmo, ending the illegal and immoral wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A government that finally would repair perhaps the biggest wrong in the 20th century, and force Israel to return to its 1967 borders, one that would force Israel to rethink the nakba and allow the Palestinian refugees to return to their homes. A government that would free its political prisoners both those inside their own prisons and those illegally kept in prisons throughout europe. etc etc etc

 

Did we expect too much?   How much IS too much? What do we have the right to expect from our governments and from those who proclaim to be the world leaders?

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts after reading this article..

 

http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/10/obama-europe-s-biggestdisappointment.html

 

 

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The world still failing to act despite Rwanda genocide shame | Amnesty International

The world still failing to act despite Rwanda genocide shame | Amnesty International.

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Why boycott Israel? – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

Why boycott Israel? – Opinion – Al Jazeera English.

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Caught in the crossfire: Should musicians boycott Israel? – Opinion – Al Jazeera English

Interesting question, but one that, in my opinion, has a simple answer: YES!!

To me, there is absolutely no difference between playing a gig in Israel and playing one in South Africa in the days of apartheid or nazi germany..

 

Caught in the crossfire: Should musicians boycott Israel? – Opinion – Al Jazeera English.

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In Pictures: Guantanamo, a decade later – In Pictures – Al Jazeera English

In Pictures: Guantanamo, a decade later – In Pictures – Al Jazeera English.

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11 days?

I am in a bit of a quandary, staring into the abyss known as the dreaded WB, writers block, but very much stunned by the fact that its been eleven days since i did anything on here, That seems so unfair, and at the same time, what has kept me away, dear reader, LIFE is actually swimming along rather well, albeit busy. In the meantime, what is laughingly known as my mind has all the while been stirring like the proverbial pot aboil quite well on its own and i can somehow feel that it’s going to erupt with the usual verbosity in no time. I had thought of writing my 100th post as something special, and had even asked my twitter friends for suggestions as to topic, (I did get one response out of about 300 followers), I had then realized that a couple of days ago was “Human Trafficking Awareness Day”. That is a topic I feel strongly about, and while I didn’t get time to write anything intelligent about it, i promised myself I will soon.

So then the bloody question is, what do i want to say? Fuck i wish I knew! Any suggestions? LOL

There are so many things that I can write about, of course, the path of elections in Egypt, the apparent majority win in parliament by the Muslim Brotherhood while not totally unexpected has me a little concerned, I had and still do have high hopes for peace in the Middle East, both between the Arab Nations themselves and with Israel, but I don’t believe it has a chance without democracy, and if the Muslim Brotherhood doesn’t deliver the type of freedom that the people of Egypt fought and died for then it will set the cause of peace back a great deal. I believe that the governments of Tunisia and Egypt need to be the sterling examples of what the revolution has been all about. They need to stand for the dreams of freedom which the people of Bahrain, Yemen and Syria are still fighting for while being held in the grips of butchers.

My own government has yet again shown its enormous capability to embarrass its self and us who have eyes opened. The video of American soldiers urinating on dead Afghans is dreadful!! When o when will my homeland ever wake up? Plus to top it off, they are sending more troops and “advisors” into Israel, and it would seem allowing Israel to not only determine governmental policy towards Iran but quite possibly to be pushed into a war with them. I am, in no way shape nor form a fan of the Iranian government.  I have to admit that I do fear what a government like theirs could do with nuclear weapons, but to allow one country to push a superpower into a war is just wrong, and of course it will echo to every Arab nation as well. Americas seemingly blind support of the government of Israel, one which I frankly consider to be quite fascist, is perhaps the biggest roadblock to peace in the middle east, and the behaviour of its troops, urinating on corpses is simply proving everyone who hates the  US correct to do so.

Ok,, end of rant,

I’ll try to think of something positive to write about soon!

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Russia’s Siberian tigers ‘face extinction’ – Europe – Al Jazeera English

It’s so incredibly sad to think that there are so few left of these magnificent animals, my personal favorite animal.

Russia’s Siberian tigers ‘face extinction’ – Europe – Al Jazeera English.

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Indonesia’s orangutans struggle to survive – Asia-Pacific – Al Jazeera English

Good article about what we’re doing to our environment when we use products containing the dreaded palm oil. 

Indonesia’s orangutans struggle to survive – Asia-Pacific – Al Jazeera English.

For more on palm oil please check out the following site…

http://www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com/index.php

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