Benazir Bhutto Returns...

..and so does mayhem. More than 100 human beings with families, jobs and lives, killed in Karachi. The spread of extremism is just increasing day by day, the longer the war on terror goes on and the longer one ignores the socio-economic reasons for the spread of extremism, the bloodier Pakistan will get.

I avoid writing about politics in general because I am no politician, no conoisseur of the political life and thought. I have a general naivity or dismay for politicians...not the desired ingredients of a commentator on politics.

Having said that, I don't have to be a plumber to know a clogged drain.

I always liked Bhutto. The few years I spent in Pakistan as a young girl while she ruled as PM, I saw her as a positive figure, a Muslim woman (the first Muslim female leader in the Muslim world) amongst men, charismatic and elegant.

But the truth of the matter was, Pakistan under her and subsequently Nawaz Sharif was a big disaster with corruption allegations left right and centre. In NWFP where I lived time stopped. And the rich got richer, and corruption flourished. Looking back on it now I am reminded that she, as a woman, never did a single thing to change the faulty Hudood ordinance for rape victims (the one where supposedly a woman has to produce four witnesses to prove a rape case). She had two terms as PM to do something about it and never did.

In an interview she says:

“I am a female political leader fighting to bring modernity, communication, education and technology to Pakistan.”

Musharraf however, being the dictator he is, did something about it and the law was modified earlier this year (with the help of Dr. Hassan Hanafi of Cairo University whom I met with earlier this year). Whether he did it to score browny points or not, I will never know.

Democracy, yes. It is important, it is vital and it should be the goal. I hope to see it in place in Pakistan again. But Pakistan has had it for decades and each leader that came hid behind it and sucked Pakistan even more dry than before, and as Bhutto steps out of her plane with a decade old corruption charges against her, waving her heavily bejeweled hands, sparkling with gold (after her 8 years in Dubai), a feeling of worry hits me.

Have the cleaners come back to Pakistan?

A cracked olive branch

I had dinner with a friend of mine the other day. She had been to see her relatives in Betlehem over the summer and served a bowl of green olives from her Grandmother's 30 year old plantation. As she served me some she told me that this is the same plantation that doesn't exist anymore after it was bombed by the Israeli Military last summer.

We ate those olives like they were the last olives on earth. "I'm really sorry," was all I could bring myself to say. I didn't know what else to say to her, and she herself said nothing more on the matter.

She doesn't hate Jews or Israelis, and we often talk about the situation "down there" and more than often is she critical of "her own" people, in particular the new trend of being a "hamsawiyyeh" (follower of hamas) or not being one.

But I cannot help but react to the stories I hear from her and many other friends who visit or try to visit their family in Palestine. The harassment at the airport in Tel Aviv, not even being sure if they will be let in or not. The resentment that is created cannot be good for the future of the land?

I want to understand.

Muslims, the new Communists of America

"Deprived of my own freedom, and from my cell in a U.S. prison, I foresee the day when true fraternity and a bond of humanity will overcome the ugliness of exclusiveness, injustice, and occupation. When Palestinians and Israelis live side by side, celebrate their common traditions and heritage and rejoice with the peoples of the world in the spirit of universal peace and understanding."

-Sami Al Arian

He has spent 1533 days in prison and counting, even though the Jury acquitted him of the most serious charges of terrorism filed against him in America. Why?

Sweet Racism

The new face of racism has arrived and it's colour is Prussian Blue. The American twin sisters Lynx and Lamb Gaede (yes those are actual names), are part of the up and coming band Prussian Blue whose idol is none other than Adolf Hitler.

The name comes from the colour that the gas used during the Holocaust would leave; prussian blue. Holocaust Deniers claim the gas chambers had no blue colour in them. The band needless to say, has the backing of every racist and anti-semite in the States not to mention their manager who is none other than April Gaede, their neo-Nazi supporting mother.

The Gaede family has a blog up with pictures from their ranch. Here is one particularly disturbing picture of how they brand their animals with the nazi symbol. She writes:

"By wearing a Hakenkreuz or "hooked cross" the cattle avoid the cruel and abusive Kosher slaughter houses."

The music sounds like any other american teen pop band, if you don't know the story behind. Here's their song When I'm with you.

Somehow these blonde twin sisters and their family, are a more disturbing phenomena than Bin Laden himself.

Stateless within a State

"In the UAE stateless citizens are denied rights such as documentation, medical, education, banking abilities, traveling and even marriage."
-Excerpt from the Stateless UAE Nationals, the UAE Government & the United Nations Petition

Lend your voice to those who cannot be heard. Sign the petition.

Deadly Beauty

What do you all see? Green, lush beauty?

Think again. It is all covered in mines by the Serbs during the war in Bosnia.
This is the only road to the top of this beautiful mountain outside Sarajevo and it is not covered in mines. Anything beyond this road is mine infested. On my trip to Bosnia last summer I spent a week on this mountain gazing at untouchable beauty.

And yesterday Bosnian and British mine disposal experts got their feet blown off in Lebanon, by Israeli mines from the recent conflict.

In 1997, an agreement was signed by 151 States not to use or store landmines. However 40 countries, among them Israel, America and China, did not sign it.

"U.N. experts say up to 1 million cluster bombs dropped by Israeli aircraft during the July-August war against Hezbollah remain unexploded in south Lebanon, where they continue to threaten civilians. At least 24 people have died in cluster bomb explosions since the war ended."

-International Herald Tribune
-Svt (Swedish Television)

Jewish Settler Extremism

"A 19-year old Swedish human rights worker had her cheekbone broken by a Jewish extremist in Hebron today. Earlier the same day at least five Palestinians, including a 3-year-old child, were injured by the settler-supporting extremists, who rampaged through Tel Rumeida hurling stones and bottles at local residents. Palestinian schoolchildren on their way home were also attacked. The Israeli army, which was intensively deployed in the area, did not intervene to stop the attacks."
-International Solidarity Movement
-Article in the Jerusalem Post.

There is no mention of this terrible act of terrorism by Israeli extremists with the silent approval of the Israeli army, anywhere in Swedish media. If they can smash the face of a blonde Swedish teenage girl with a country like Sweden that supposedly will "back her up", one wonders what they would do to a Palestinian with none of the above?

PHR Israel

Damned Dime

Patients mysteriously self set on fire even after the fire has been put out. Patients with internal burns that wont heal.

It's all about Dime. A new "sucess story" in the world of weaponry. Doctors in Gaza and Lebanon have all reported these strange new finds in patients that have been coming in after attacks by Israeli Military. Sweden recently was made privy of such reports alongside reports from Danish medical staff also talking of a similar strange types of wounds from the same area.

A weapon that has been developed in US airforce labs with toxic heavy metal powder called Dime, is believed to have been used in attacks on civilians in both Lebanon and Gaza according to recent reports that are being further looked into by Human Rights Watch. The Israeli human rights organisation, PHR, Physicians for Human Rights, have been waiting for a meeting with the Israeli Defence Ministry for two months, demanding an explanation to the mysterious wounds on victims of attacks in Gaza after having visited fellow medical staff in Gaza and taking their testimony.

During the war in Vietnam, similar wounds were found in civilians struck by US smoke- and light granades, which both contain white phosphor, a substance not approved for use against human beings.

Even there the wounds were of the type that would not stop burning even after attempts to stop the burning wounds. Doctors at that time had to cut out the area of the burns in order to allow the patient a chance to heal and survive. the idea then, like now, was to inflict wounds of a type that simply would not heal, and thus would leave the affected person untreatable.

More than 30 years later it is happening again.

Similar story can also be read in The Guardian.

Poll Result: Israeli Military Reaction

Not much more needs to be added to the poll results. They speak volumes in many ways. The world is not black and white and one is reminded of that more and more every day.

Do vote in my next poll: Do you believe a cure for AIDS will be invented in the future?

Keep a Child Alive

Got a dollar and 49 cents to spare?

Why not Keep a Child Alive?

In the new single prepared for the International AIDS Day on December 1st this year, Don't Give up (Africa),* by Alicia Keys and U2's lead singer Bono, all proceedings from the sales of the single will be donated to KCA, benefitting children with AIDS in Africa.

The single will be released on iTunes for both US and non-US residents on December 6th, 2006.

Meanwhile watch the video here.

*currently only available for purchase for US residents.

Jolie's Jordan Journal

What are the chances of us ever visiting Ruweished camp in Jordan? Slim to none?

What is Ruweished camp? Who lives there, and why are they there?

One can say many things about celebrities doing charity work, and some may even go so far as saying they do it for their own publicity. But the fact of the matter is, many people who care about for example, what Angelina Jolie does, will perhaps come across the following link; Angelina Jolie's Jordan Journal. And perhaps one more soul on the planet has been made aware of yet another pebble in the sea of hurt. And who knows, that soul might be inspired to do something about it.

Jolie talks Ramadan, Refugees and Recognition.

Iranian Kidney Bargain Sale

Sohaila, a well educated woman, 27 years of age tells us her story about what leads her to sell her kidney. It’s a story about a system where women are prey by constitution. Raped in early age she flees into a marriage with a psychologically disturbed man. To get a divorce she has to borrow money and buy herself free, a freedom which is imaginary even though she gets a good position in a computer company and is able to pay the interest of the loan, faith caches up on her. Her abusive stepfather is now about to sell the elder of her half sisters, who already tried to commit suicide, to a crippled considerably older man. Sohaila decides to take care of her two half sisters. Meanwhile the half of the loan which was private has to be paid of immediately. Sohaila face a situation where social authorities waves her away in spite of her impossible situation with hints that she always could sell her body. Sohaila refuses to do so but she still has to sell a part of it – her kidney.

-Excerpt from the Swedish made documentary by Nima Sarvestani shot in Iran, "Iranian Kidney Bargain Sale"

Hysteria Film AB

October 8th, October quake

One year passed since the terrible quake,

but my life and my world it did not shake.

Now many people's lives are at stake,

they're calling for us "awake, awake!"

E-mailing Musharraf

Did you know President Parvez Musharraf had his own website?

The reason I found out is that there is a "Women's Protection Bill" in Pakistan that has been proposed and is now on the table of the President himself, where he can either take action and approve it or not.

A campaign on the net has been initiated by blogger Eteraz and brought to my attention by fellow blogger Baraka. You can read more about the Bill there.

For those (Pakistani, half Pakistani, or non Pakistani) interested in lobbying for this Bill to be taken seriously by the President concerning issues of forced marriages, rape and abuse, the following can be done.

Go to Musharraf's website, and send a comment with the following text:

We believe that you should support the passage of the Women’s Protection Act in the form proposed by the Select Committee of Parliament. The passage of that bill would be a significant step forwards in the protection of women’s rights in Pakistan and an achievement for which you would always be remembered.

Musharraf is to appear on The Daily Show with John Stewart on Sept 26th.

Ps. one can actually download desktop pictures of Musharraf on his website... *Laugh*

September "El (now we can get) Even"

Where is the war but in your own hearts?
And who are those targets that you fill with darts?

One man's errors do not represent a Nation's,
And spreading hate for revenge is no justification.

A man's dark side is no darker than the darkest in you,
Misplaced hate will only bring out his hate anew.

Set an example for generations to come,
Hate breeds hate, even more in some.

We are only liable for the things that we do,
Just like I'm not liable for the wrong in you.

Explain to the child that has no knowledge of hate,
That because of one man she will meet with her fate.

An eye for an eye, and a life for a life?
Where's the logic in vengeance for strife?

The world has a way of giving back your contribution,
Once and for all stop the emotional pollution.

A silent world

"You say nothing at all,

yet everything's already been said.

On a day like this I fall,

though I didn't make my bed."

Malaria kills more than one million people every year in Africa. 70% of them are children under 5. The picture is of a baby infected by malaria, sleeping. It is a simple disease to cure. But it needs funds to be able to do so.

A conversation between...?

- Why are you doing this?
> I have a right to defend myself.
- But I never did anything to you.
>Perhaps not directly...
- But I never attacked you?
>You supported people who did.
- How do you know that?
> You live where they live.
- Does that give you the right to kill me?
> No, I am defending myself.
- But you are attacking me and my family?
> Well you need to leave then.
- So you mean if I don't leave my home that we have had our whole lives before "they" came here, I'll die?
> Yes, everyone has a choice to stand up for right or wrong.
- Who decides what's right or wrong?
> Laws, justice.
- I feel you are wrong. I feel destroying my home is wrong. I feel punishing me for something I have not done is wrong.
>Well you should have thought about that before.
- Before what?
>Before you supported people who are trying to kill my people.
- But who said I was supporting them?
> Well you should make your government take care of the problem.
- But I am only 7 years old...

George Galloway, telling it like it is

Think what you will of Hezbollah or Israel, but for once, in media, with sheer honesty and straightforwardness, without political games, a person is given\taking the opportunity to speak a few honest cents about media broadcasting of the long ongoing conflict in the Middle East and although I don't support killing of civilians of any kind, no matter what, there is a constant silence when it comes to Israel, as a state (I remind you, a state!), massmurdering civilians, all in the name of justice.

George Galloway, thank you for speaking your mind, and for saying to Anna, the Sky News reporter " It is clear that Israeli blood is worth more...".

It is one of the biggest truths of the past century and it looks like it will be for a long time.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/video/videoplayer/0,,31200-galloway_060806,00.html

Then and Now

In 1984, Sarajevo hosted the Winter Olympics, what was to be the biggest ever, at the time. It was successfully carried out and a lot of sarajevo had been primped up for the event, the first and only Holiday Inn was built, and still stands today.

Less than a decade later, Sarajevo (and Bosnia Herzegovina as a whole) was under seige for four years, attacked by snipers, bombs and Serbian militia.

The picture that has moved me the most, and the scene that has moved me the most during my stay in Bosnia is the following one: