You May Call Me V

"This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V."

Movie scene from "V for Vendetta"

Hint: Try reading it out loud

Bhibbak ya Lebnan!

I just read this article in The New York Times. It made me soooooo happy to see that Beirut is finally getting a break, even if it is for a very short and limited time. I love Lebanon and I pray that the people of this beautiful country as well as all the people of this great region, Palestinians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Egyptians, Yemenis, everybody find peace and happiness.

We all want a place to call home. And we all want this place to be home.

The Arab divide started with the Palestinian Diaspora and today we have a plethora of diasporas....wal habbel 3al jarrar. Funny how the brain drain is accelerating in the Arab world, while in Israel they are working on incentives for brain gain.

One's drain is another's gain!

Home on Holiday, the Lebanese Say, What Turmoil?

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Lebanon may seem an unlikely holiday spot: the government has collapsed, car bombs go off periodically and foreign envoys warn of an impending civil war.
And yet, so many people have been streaming into this tiny, embattled country in recent days that the flights are all overbooked, and some well-heeled travelers are driving 18 hours from the Persian Gulf. Beirut’s restaurants, bars and malls are all packed with revelers.

Why? The answer is that the Lebanese diaspora reverses itself on holidays, as the migrants who sustain the war-shattered Lebanese economy all year return from jobs across the globe to spend time with their families. Nothing will deter them — not bad weather, not interminable flights and certainly not the Grinch-like mood of Lebanon’s endlessly feuding politicians.
“My plane was full of Lebanese flying home, and when it landed we all shouted ‘Beirut’ and clapped,” said George Elias, 23, who works for an investment firm in Japan.
He and a dozen friends — mostly Lebanese who work abroad — were in the midst of a pub crawl in Gemayze, a fashionably bohemian district. All of them wore identical white T-shirts with “Free Hug” printed across the front, and they were hugging everyone they saw, in a puckish campaign of mass affection.

“Politics is causing problems in Lebanon, so we want people to think about something else,” Mr. Elias said.

When a Lebanese Army soldier appeared on the street, the group besieged him with free hugs. He obliged with a smile, his machine gun jostling at his waist with each hug.

Across town in western Beirut, the malls were packed with glamorously dressed shoppers, and even outdoor cafes were full, despite the 50-degree chill.

“Look at all these people — there’s a political crisis, but do they care?” said Ali Hasbini, a burly 30-year-old sitting at a cafe table with three other young Lebanese overseas workers in the Verdun district. “Of course not.”

More

Recommneded Light Reading by: Rooney, Dowd, Rand, Jobs, Plato, and Voltaire

The recent holiday break allowed me to get lots of rest and to do some end of year winter cleaning, especially of all the papers lying around.

As I was doing the usual toss in the garbage routine, I noticed that some articles never ever make it to the bin. I also noticed that these were articles that I always like to read whenever I bump into them. I am sure that there are other articles lying around, but these are the ones that I happened to find this time. These articles can be classified into various compartments:

Compartment 1: Denial -- Older is sexier…and I have Andy Rooney to prove it
Compartment 2: Beauty -- Feminism is at the root of all evil.
Compartment 3: Love -- You’ve been dumped after one season and for no reason and you’ll be scarred for a lifetime
Compartment 4: Big Talk -- How to impress an architect even if you know nothing about architecture. (You could try this with non-architects – at your own risk).
Compartment 5: Ambition – odds versus luck

My favorites are:

Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" - I am told that this is where the term "thinking outside of the box" originated from.

And

Voltaire's "Histoire d'un bon Bramin" (In French) - Voltaire's attempt to resolve the debate on what is better being knowledgeable and unhappy or being ignorant and happy. 

Goodnight for now from me and Fulla.

Aliyah and the Brain Gain in Israel

The appointment of Stanley Fischer in 2005 as Governor of the Bank of Israel (Israel’s Central Bank) was both mind boggling and fascinating at the same time.

Who is Stanley Fischer? He is an economist who prior to holding the Governor post was the Vice Chairman of Citigroup and prior to that he was the First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, and prior to that he was the Head of the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and prior to that he was the Chief Economist at the World Bank, and the list goes on. Mr. Fischer is also a Zionist. His appointment as governor was a last minute deal between two of Israel’s staunchest Zionists Benjamin Netanyahu and Ariel Sharon.

Fischer’s immigration to Israel should not be taken lightly. There are questions to be asked and lessons to be learnt from someone we might feel apprehensive about but still find impressive.

Fischer is an Oleh (Hebrew for immigrant) making the Aliyah (Hebrew for ascent - Jewish Immigration to the Land of Israel). His move to Israel cannot be seen in any other light except ideological. Why would such an accomplished economist take such a demotion and accept this position after having made it big in all the major leagues (academic, multilateral/public, private)? His resume speaks volumes; I actually had difficulty keeping track of his record.

What sort of culture breeds the Stanley Fischers of the world? More important, what sort of ideology and beliefs pull the Fischers of the world from the circles of the rich and powerful into the smalltimeville of the Bank of Israel? How could someone so accomplished like Fischer be a Zionist? Fischer’s work is all based on inquiry and deduction, how did he fail to deduce the injustice based on which his Zionist belief is built? I know I sound naïve; I sometimes have a tendency to simplify matters that are supposed to be “complex”. I would love to know what is so complex about understanding the Zionist movement that had no place in particular to settle the Jews in: it started with Argentina, then Uganda (offered by the British and accepted by Herzl and then later rejected by the World Zionist Organization Congress), then Cyprus, then Mozambique, then Congo, then Egyptian Al-Arish, until it landed in Palestine (Thanks to a fortunate coincidence of interest with the British who colonized Palestine starting in 1917 following the secret Sykes-Picot agreement of 1916) . Therefore, the mumbo jumbo that we hear about the religious and historical claims are nothing but justifications for an illegal and inhumane usurpation of Palestinian land and uprooting of innocent Palestinian civilians.

My question remains, how does all of this go passed someone like Fischer? In this regard, he is truly a paradox. On the one hand one cannot but have the utmost respect for him and and for what he has accomplished. On the other hand, a discerning observer can’t but question the intellectual integrity of any follower of a dogmatic and belligerent movement such as Zionism. This is especially true given the impact that Zionism has had on the life of Fischer.

3eedo ya 3eed!

There is something unusual about this eid. Amman seems awfully quiet. I was driving down to the Jordan valley this evening. I was rushing like mad thinking that I am going to be stuck in traffic. The roads were extremely quiet. There was little traffic on the road, and there was somehow a hint of sadness. I thought I would be glad to be cruising through the roads without the hassle of getting stuck in what is becoming Amman's usual suffocating jams. Funnily I found myself disappointed that this eid was nowhere to be found on the streets.

Why this calm? Is it my imagination? Has eid become the latest casualty (Dahiyyeh) of a life where there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel? Have the the skyrocketing costs of living in Jordan claimed the joy that comes with festive occasions? Have the people become the very sacrificial lambs of this eid?

Whatever the mood is out there....and for whatever it is worth...Happy Eid Al-Adha everybody!

Wiser and Bolder

What is wisdom? What makes us wise? Is it age? Is it experience? Or is it both? Or is it none of the above?

I recently read in an article that certain qualities associated with wisdom that recur in academic literature are:

1. Clear-eyed view of human nature and the human predicament.
2. Emotional resiliency and the ability to cope in the face of adversity.
3. Openness to other possibilities.
4. Forgiveness.
5. Humility.
6. Knack for learning from lifetime experiences.

The article also mentions that for the wise action is important, and so is judicious inaction. Emotion is central to wisdom, yet detachment is essential

This got me thinking about our culture and the distorted notions of dignity, honor, respect, etc. Are these stifling artificial blocks that we have imposed on ourselves that are keeping us miles away from even getting close to becoming wise?

Simon Clayton, a researcher on wisdom identified in her dissertation three general aspects of human activity that were central to wisdom:

1. Cognitive: The acquisition of knowledge.
2. Reflective: The analysis of that knowledge (information).
3. Affective: The filtering of information through emotions.

I find this a powerful insight in my attempt to understand beliefs and practices that I might find dysfunctional, counterproductive, and even uncivilized. A brief application of the above three aspects of wisdom into our current state of affairs and we soon find that we are far far away from being wise. The sad news is that it seems we have even missed the first stop, which happens to be the very acquisition of knowledge and the very caliber of the knowledge we are busy acquiring.

The more I think of wisdom, the more I am convinced that it is closely related to civility. It is what brings us closer to our humanity. It is what gives us the balance and the compassion to really start making a meaningful difference in life.

As long as we cling to centuries old notions of false values that we all know are intended to protect an outdated status quo for fear of change, I am afraid we will only be harboring a culture that nurtures spineless cowards whose souls are outdated and outmaneuvered.

Fulla Girl in a Mulla World!

Until yesterday afternoon Fulla was a fluffy beautiful white cat that I get to host every time my mother leaves town. Exit Fulla the cat and enter Fulla the veiled Barbie!!!! I heard of this Barbie in passing by a friend of mine. It was mentioned as an ingenious idea in the proper formation of young Moslem girls.

After doing little research, I discovered how out of touch I have been. Fulla the sexy, oops I mean the wholesome chic, had been introduced in Moslem markets for few years now. I was not aware of it, maybe because I stopped playing with Barbie long time ago and now I am busy competing with her in the battle of the sizes.

Why was I so annoyed by this piece of insignificant news? Why? Why? Why? Is it because it reeks of manipulation of a questionable trend that is on the rise? Or is it because it is reinforcing a sexist image of women while being targeted at a group that might deny the whole notion of women’s sexuality? Or is it because it confirms the ignorance of a large important segment of our society today called “young parents”? Or is it because this Fulla will never dream of having her Ken (or Saeed)?

What in the name of sanity is the message that the makers of Fulla are trying to convey? This concoction of sexism mixed with religious righteousness is a sick attempt to boost sales of a symbol that has invaded western culture and is now polluting our young kids’ minds. Aren’t parents aware that teaching their kids to follow Islam should come through the proper teachings of this great religion? Don’t they realize that using weak vehicles such superficial lessons, fear tactics, myths, Barbie dolls are nothing but a testimony of their failure to properly understand and instill the values of Islam?

I have nothing against the veil. In fact one of my favorite articles happens to be about a woman’s defense of it. What I abhor is the cheap shot aimed at the minds of young Arab girls by introducing such a stupid and manipulative idea. Besides, does this mean now that Barbie is yet another mode of pitting at a very young age one group against the other? Growing up we never thought of ourselves as Moslems and Christians. We never cared. Christians did their thing and we did ours. The tolerance we were brought up with is the very tolerance that is at stake with such dangerous notions as this Fulla doll.

I am just as appalled by "Fulla" the pseudo-Barbie as much as I was when I watched an Arabized version of an Oreo Cookie commercial (in Arabic Gulf accent). I appreciated and found cute the debate on what is the best way to eat an Oreo cookie when it was directed at the proper audience at the place where it originated: USA. However, when we start seeing the Barbiazation and the Oreozation of our day-to-day culture, I think it is time we stop and think for a second, where the hell have we gone wrong?

More important though is where the hell are we going?