Yafa

What is Yafa?

A 13 year old [Qawmieh Sourieh] girl that her father swore to name her Yafa,

A Song, fairouz singing...

أذكر يوما كنت بيافا
خبرنا خبر عن يافا

وشراعي في مينا يافا
با أيام الصيد بيافا

نادانا البحر ويومه سحر فهيأناه المجدافا
نلمح في الخاطر أطيافا عدنا بالشوق إلى يافا
ُ
فجرا أقلعنا, زنداً وشراع
في المقلة ضعنا, والشاطئ ضاع

هل كان الصيد وفيرا؟
وغنمنا منه كثيرا
قل من صبح لمساء
نلهو بغيوم الماء

لكن في الليل... في الليل
جاءتنا الريح... في الليل
يا عاصفة هوجاء... وصلت ماء بسماء
عاصفة البحر الليلة... فطعان ذئاب بحرية

أنزلنا الصاري... أمسكنا المجذاف
نقصو ونداري... والموت بنا طاف
قاومنا الموج الغاضب... روضنا البحر الصاخب
وتشد وتعنف أيدينا... ويشد يشد القارب

ويومها قالوا...
إننا ضائعون
إننا هالكون
في الأبد البارد

لكننا عدنا
عدنا مع الصباح
جئنا من الرياح
كما يجيء المارد

ودخلناها مينا يافا
با طيب العود إلى يافا
وملأنا الضفة أصدافا
يا أحلى الأيام بيافا

كنا والريح تهب تصيح نقول: سنرجع يا يافا
اليوم الريح تهب تصيح ونحن سنرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا
وسنرجع نرجع يا يافا

That's what's left of Yafa.

The rest is Tel Aviv now.

I play that song, and tears start running, I donno anything about Yafa, except that girl that has an amazing belief in the Mandarins of Yafa in her eyes. You can still hear the salesmen in the bazars of Latakia calling after their Yafawi Mandarins.

And a fairouz voice telling me that, we will be back someday,

But then I wake up, and ask her again, Back? Where?

Other sides of the conflict

Arab-Israeli conflict, is a Human conflict, way more than a military conflict.

Any attempt to look at a solution must consider this.

And the whole situation in Lebanon is a clear sign.
This is not a war against Hizbulla, This is a systematic destruction of Lebanon.
Hizbulla is not defending Lebanon, Hizbulla is only attacking Israeli cities.

Amin Maalouf in his "On Identity" says that,
A war, is the best environment for extremism. The people will only listen to the sound of war, and the more extreme the shout is, the more the people will listen, and will abide... unfortunatly, it's very true.

Those who will not put an effort to study the other side's motives, culture, hopes and dreams, will never have a chance to win, win peace.

Thats one side of this conflict, Israeli Cinematographers show solidarity with Lebanon.

Another side, a lot of people seem to be forgetting. Dictatorships, dont want peace. as much as Israel doesnt want peace.

And the Syrian regime is making the best out of this crisis.

Former PM and Damascus spring figure, Riyad Seif, beaten up after an investigation session in the State Security Aparatus [Amn al-Dawleh].

FUCK U

FUCK UR GODS

FUCK UR LAND

FUCK UR CAUSE

FUCK UR CIVILIZATION

FUCK UR TECHNOLOGY

FUCK UR PATRIOTISM

FUCK UR HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS

FUCK UR HOPES AND FUCK UR DREAMS

FUCK UR WINNINGS AND FUCK UR MARTYRS

FUCK UR PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR A MIDDLE EAST

FUCK UR PEACE

U KNOW WHAT, FUCK UR LOVE

Ghassan the genuis

Read Ghassan Tweiny's last editorial, here.

It's beautiful.

Again, he proves a genuis, and above this whole world of shit.

RELEASE THE FUCKING PRISONERS

according to the Associated Press, Israel says its willing to ceasefire [or in other words stop destorying Lebanon] if the 2 soldeirs are released.

NOW its time to shine. RELEASE THEM AND STOP THIS MISERY BA2A.

Syrian Bloggers: Today, we are all Lebanese...

Today, we are all Lebanese.

Lebanon has been sentenced to death. On Wednesday 12 July, she was put in prison, and now she's being tortured.

Israel's war is with Lebanon's civilians, not Hizbollah. Nearly every person killed has been a civilian. Power stations, bridges and petrol stations have been targeted. Israel has warned residents to get out of certain villages, but bombed roads to make it difficult - and refugee convoys have been picked out for deadly air raids.

And getting out of the country is impossible now too. The airport has been destroyed, the sea ports are blockaded, and the border posts and highways have been razed to the ground.

Lebanon is held hostage to the angry Israeli war machine. And now more than ever, Syrians bloggers, just like every Syrian stand by her.

Another generation of Lebanese will know nothing but war. We can't let this happen, Again.

This post has been supported by the group of Syrian bloggers at Syria Planet. Please feel free to re-post this statement, and tell one of us, so we can all add your name to this list.

Sasa, The Syria News Wire
Yazan Badran, My Stupid Corner
Ammar, My Many MY's
Ayman Haykal, The Damascene Blog
Omar Salaymeh, Earth to Omar
Annie (in French), Blog.Syrie.Be
Aleppous, Aleppous
Stellar, Rollercoaster Journey
Abu Fares, Abu Fares Says
Ahmad, ضـ ـيـ ـا ع
Ihsan, Bits & Bites of Syria
Oz, Between Syria and France
Shady Zayat, مبعثرة
Soraya, Syrian to the Bone
Omar Faleh, Deconstructed Life
Ayhm Jzzan, ayhm2006
Sharks, Getting Started
Fares, Free Michel Kilo Now
Yaser, roneceve
Amr Faham, My Life, Adventures, and Memories

updated

Israel is using phophoric bombs.

On another note, for info on how to be more active, check this link..
http://lebanonheartblogs.blogspot.com/2006/07/do-something.html

For brilliant inside coverage, check LP's.
http://lebop.blogspot.com/

I am angry, but words like these inspire u to put anger aside and deal with the bigger problem...

أنا كمان ما بعرف مين الأسوأ. بس بالوقت الحالي، بدّي إنسى هالشي، وبدّي إعتبر إنو الاحتمال الأوّل هو الأسوأ. بدّي كون لبنانيّة.

for more passionate coverage, check eve's blog.

This is a turning point in the history of this conflict, and again it's on the expense of Lebanon, everybody fights its battles on Lebanon. I applaud all lebanese, I give them my full respect for again taking this on their shoulders.

I keep thinking, that in the sense of international politics, it's very similar to when Kessinger asked Sadat to "stir" things up in the '73 so that peace talks can start.
I remember maybe it was Muzaffar al-Nawwab who said back then..

وراح ضحية المسرحية 100 ألف شهيد

It's not analysis, its just feelings, that come with the nausea and sickness of seeing israeli bombers destroy lebanon yet again.

Lebanon, the smallest country in the middle east, yet the one who played THE biggest role in the Israeli conflict, the country on which its 10.000km saw three wars until now. and 2 invasions.

The hearts and minds of all syrians flow there.
For the coverage of Syrian Bloggers, check, Syria Planet, Ammar's Blog.

A note for the commenters,
No comment will be deleted, but if ur expecting a reply, make ur comment worthy of one.

This is it...

This is it...

It's not Hizbulla anymore, its not Lebanon,
Its a full scale Middle East War.

This will go down in History as the 2006 War.

I'm checking the news on every second, waiting for when these bastards will start hitting syria, and how we can response, if we do can.

I cant imagine Damascus being bombed, its not an image I can take, its not a feeling that I can bear.


The commenters were right, it wasnt the time to point the finger, now it's time to fight back. that's it, it's war.

This is shit.

Lebanon is being utterly destroyed.

Israel is enjoying their toys in Lebanon.

EVERYONE, The US, France, EVEN Lebanon, thinks that Israeli bombers should go to Damascus instead of Beirut.

At some point, Hizbulla will run out of rockets. And all that's left, is a lebanon in ruins. and a Middle East that has no chance to be a part of this world.

Blood-suckers.

لبيروت

What's worse,

Those who ENJOY slaughtering people.


Or,

Those who sacrifice whole countries, their own countries, for their own narrow mindedness and authoritarian craziness.

لبيروت... مجد من رماد لبيروت
من دم لولد حمل فوق يدها
أطفأت مدينتي قندبلها
أغلقت بابها
أصبجت في المسا وحدها
وحدها والليل

Thank You

Thank You

Thank You

Thank You

Lost In Translation

I watch it again and again, and again...

And while most of the time, spent trying to understand japanese words in the background.

A question keeps breathing, humming, eating me alive, questions, questions, minds, people, unknows, and variables, salt, names, names, and names... fears, regrets, every step of the way, looking back, looking down on ur feet, looking back to see if someone looking over ur shoulder, looking ahead? I donno, no croners, hope, hope, until it hurts, may, may, may, may, may, may, may, may, the absolute need to get drunk, the enormous self restraint that keeps u in ur room on a friday night, and the complete passive dazzeled look.

I guess, you grow up, you learn, you take chances... and you just hope your timing is correct.


I was walkin out of the dorm today, on my way to class, and a japanese girl passed me by, the back of her t-shirt read..

Love is eternal,
Life is immortal,
And the world, oh the world.

Oh, Tokyo!

Alcoholic :)

Remember this Starsailor classic, I never found it online when it first came out a couple years back.

Yesterday, I was downloading a compilation, and out of the blue, Starsailor - Alcoholic.

Don't you know you've got your Daddy's eyes
Daddy was an alcoholic
But your mother kept it all inside
Threw it all away

I was looking for another you
And I found another one
I was looking for another you
When I looked round you were gone

Stay by my side
And the pipe dream is yours now
Stay by my side
And the cynics won't get in our way

Don't you know you've got your Daddy's eyes
Daddy was an alcoholic
But your mother kept it all inside
Threw it all away
I was looking for another chance
To see your blue eyed problem

It's one of these songs that FORCE you to sing along, to do the James Walsh impression...

I was litterly happy-jumping. :)

A Soldier Kidnapped

A few thoughts on the inflaming middle east.

-Israel/Palestine IS a battlefield, it IS a war zone, and YES, It is legal to act upon that towards military personnel.
-The major objection is not the actual action of kidnappig the soldeir, rather, what will that benefit the cause of the palestinian people?have the kidnappers ever asked themselves that?
-When Israel is fighting through its army, I think it's only fair to respond against this army.
-Things get out of hand, when these people mix things up and start blowing up malls, and nightclubs.
-All of the above does not in any way, imply that I support any of these actions, any kind of killing, torture, injustice towards any HUMAN BEING is immoral, and unjustified. that was just me using the "war" logic.

So, basically, the major corner stones in Hizbulla's success in Southern Lebanon was the overly successful operations to kidnap Israeli soldeirs from the occupied strip and have prisoner exchanges, that was the main reason why Barak decided to pull back.

Gilad Shalit, is now a prisoner of war, and he is entitled to all the rights of a prisoner of war, and most importantly keeping him alive, away from torture and humiliation.

Although a lot of what Hamas has done through the years is ligitimtly called "Terrorism", this is one of the few things that dont fit in that category... although they fit into another category, "Moronic".

Arabs For Israel?

Before diving into this really dangerous area, few facts I'd like to clarify.

- Any form of hate, racism and discrimination against anyone on the basis of religion or ethnicity is totally rejected.
- Modern history proves that states can no longer be built around religion.
- Israel IS now a fact, Arab world should understand that, so they can deal with it the best way they can.
- They who call for the "Destruction of Israel" are as racist as the ones who refuse "The Right of Return" for the hundreds of thousands of homeless palestinians.
- Any form of violence, killing, torture against civilians [Israelis or Palestinians] is absolutly rejected.

Now, what triggered this was a new website called, Arabs For Israel,

Now, although I might be one of the most enthusiasts for the inter-cultural aproach to this whole conflict, what this site is offering can only make me sick.

In the Who Are We, section they say..

Every major World religion has a center of gravity. Islam has Mecca, and Judaism certainly deserves its presence in Israel and Jerusalem.

I said, Israel is a fact now, but that DOES NOT in any way change the fact that the creating of the State of Israel, is a very ill conduct of international politics and a disgusting preview of extreme power. Another example that especially bitter for us Syrians, is the annexation of Iskandaron, or what is now called Hatai. Although it's a turkish land now, and thats a fact we are dealing with. that doesnt change anything that it was an illegal conduct or disgusting WWII politics.
No, they dont have the right to gather people from all over the world just because 3000 years ago their prophet lived there.

We stand firmly against suicide/homicide terrorism as a form of Jihad.

ofcourse, everybody is, but where's the "We stand firmly against discrimination, massacres, occupation..... etc. against palestinians."???

Palestinians have several options but are deprived from exercising them because of their leadership, the Arab League and surrounding Arab and Moslem countries who do not want to see Palestinians live in harmony with Israel.

And Israel is playing a great role in letting palestinians chose their own options right?

If Palestinians want democracy they can start practicing it now.

They did [regardless of the result, democracy is not the push of a button, its a culture that needs to grow, and it always has to start somewhere], and how did Israel, the World react?

Arabs must end the boycott of Israel.

Excuse me? Am I supposed to buy Apples from my own Golan Heights that says "Made In Israel"... how the hell do u have the decensy to call for the end of boycott, while the EU still boycotts any product of the occupied territories [Gaza, West Bank, Golan Heights].



I would love to be a part of a project that calls for a bi-national modern state, a project that advocates love instead of war, that dovactes peace, that advocates justice for all the parties involved.
But, this is disgraceful.

What is more disgusting is the people who actually try to compare with a great initiative like Friends of Syria.

Accidents

we are accidents
waiting waiting to happen.

we are accidents
waiting waiting to happen.

Radiohead - There. There.

I believe Radiohead.


btw,
Maad, Thank You.