When Dogs Get Better Treatment...

An unusual guest of tonight's State of the Union Address was a dog, Rex, a 5-year-old German shepherd, fit in with the other Iraq war veterans.

Shortly before the SOTU, peace activist Cindy Sheehan, was arrested by Capitol police and questioned in a separate House room for about an hour. Sheehan had been invited to be a guest at the speech by Rep. Lynn Woolsey, a Democrat from her home state of California. Reporters say that Sheehan was arrested and asked to leave the room because she refused to cover up a T-shirt bearing an anti-war slogan before President Bush’s State of the Union address. Freedom of the Speech oh yeah!.

Update:

"Capitol Police dropped a charge of unlawful conduct against antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan Wednesday and offered apologies to her as well as a congressman’s wife after they were ejected from President Bush’s State of the Union address for wearing T-shirts with war messages.

Police removed Sheehan and Beverly Young, the wife of Rep. C.W. “Bill” Young, R-Fla., from the visitors gallery Tuesday night. Sheehan was taken away in handcuffs before Bush’s arrival at the Capitol and charged with a misdemeanor, while Young was not arrested.

Capitol Police did not explain why Sheehan was arrested and Young was not. However the unlawful conduct charge against Sheehan was being dropped, according to Deputy House Sergeant of Arms Kerri Hanley. And in a private meeting Wednesday, Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer apologized and planned to issue a statement, Rep. Thomas told reporters.

“They were operating under the misguided impression that the T-shirt was not allowed,” Hanley said Wednesday. “The fact that she (Sheehan) was wearing a T-shirt is not enough reason to be asked to leave the gallery, or be removed from the gallery, or be arrested.”"

(Via bareknucklepolitics)

PS: Mmmm was it because of freedom of speech or because the other case was about the wife of a Republican lawmaker?

Civil Liberty Group To Sue AT&T For Collaborating With NSA

An online civil liberty group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation has filed a class-action lawsuit against AT&T Tuesday, accusing the telecom giant of violating the law and the privacy of its customers by collaborating with the National Security Agency (NSA) in its massive and illegal program to wiretap and data-mine Americans' communications.. Is Cingular Wireless concerned as well by this class-action lawsuit??

GI's, Cauchemars d'Irak

Ceci est un documentaire intéressant diffusé sur la Chaine TV Swisse TSR lors du programme Temps Présent. Il raconte l'histoire de ces soldats américains qui avaient déserté l'armée après avoir participé à la guerre en Irak. Arrivant aux Etats Unis ils plongent dans des soufrances et des troubles psychologiques et mentales et un sentiment de traumatisme de culpabilité et d'amertume poussant certains jusqu'à demander l'asile au Canada tandis que d'autres choisissent de se suicider...

Congressional Staffers Alter Members' Bios On Wikipedia

WASHINGTON — Virginia Congressman Eric Cantor "smells of cow dung." Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is "ineffective." And U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan never promised to surrender his seat in 2000.

Those assertions were inserted into the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia by congressional House staffers, who executed at least 1,000 changes in the past six months to entries on an array of topics — from biographical changes to facial dimples.

Samuel Alito Confirmed

The US Senate confirmed today the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito as the new US Supreme Court Justice.The vote was 58 Yeas against 42 Nays.

Danish Newspaper Apologizes For Cartoon Offense

Jan. 31 (Bloomberg)-- The Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad linking Islam with terrorism has apologized for offending Muslims around the world.

``We apologize for the fact that the cartoons undeniably have offended many Muslims,'' Carsten Juste, editor-in-chief of Jyllands-Posten, wrote late yesterday in a letter on the paper's Web site that he said was also sent to Jordan's Petra newswire. He said Jyllands-Posten wasn't sorry for running the cartoons.

Check the afore-mentioned letter of apology as published by the Danish newspaper.

Happy New Year To All Muslims

Today, is the 1st day of Muharram 1427 which coincides with the celebration of the New Hegira Year according to Islamic calendar. For further information on this event check my previous post, which I wrote a year ago.

Tunisie:Conférence Internationale Sur Les Civilisations et Les Cultures Humaines

En présence des plusieurs délégations venues de part le Monde, la ville de Tunis abrite à partir d'aujourd'hui les travaux d'une Conférence Internationale sous le thème :"Les Civilisations et les Cultures Humaines : du Dialogue à l’Alliance". Le Président de la République tunisienne Zine El Abidine Ben Ali présidera l'ouverture de cette conférence et prononcera une allocution à cette occasion.Marquée notamment par la présence du Secrétaire Général de la Ligue Arabe, le Directeur Général de l’ISESCO, le Secrétaire Général de l'OCI et l'ancien Premier Ministre Malaisien Mahatir Mohammed, cette conférence intervient à un moment où la colère dans le monde arabo-musulman a monté de plus d'un cran après la parution dans un quotidien danois le "Jyllands-Posten" de caricatures du prophète Mohammed(صلى الله عليه وسلم).Cet incident a provoqué des protestations et des appels au boycottage des produits danois à travers le monde arabo-musulman.

Ainis l'Arabie saoudite a rappelé son ambassadeur au Danemark pour protester contre les caricatures. A Djeddah, le secrétaire général de l'Organisation de la conférence islamique a reproché au gouvernement danois de ne pas régler ce problème de "façon sérieuse". Le ministère koweïtien des Affaires étrangères a convoqué l'ambassadeur du Danemark dans la région. Des centaines de Koweïtiens ont manifesté devant le consulat danois. Et les supermarchés publics koweïtiens ont décidé de boycotter les produits danois. La Libye s'est jointe au concert de protestations dimanche en annonçant qu'elle fermait sa représentation diplomatique à Copenhague. Damas aussi a fustigé les caricatures.

Même l'ancien Président américain Bill Clinton a du critiqué ces caricatures tout en se demandant si le Monde cherchait en fait à remplacer l'anti-sémitisme par l'anti-islam.

Dans ce climat de tension, nous espérons que cette conférence internationale aboutira à des résultats constructifs et contribuera à renforcer davantage le dialogue entre les civilisations, les religions et les cultures.

Update: My friend over The Moor Next Door has a different point of view regarding the cartoon story.

Sheehan May Run For Senate Seat

Cindy Sheehan, the peace activist who set up camp near President Bush's Texas ranch last summer, said she is considering running against Senator Dianne Feinstein(Democrat-California) to protest what she called the California lawmaker's support for the war in Iraq. Let's wait and see!

(Via Drudge)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Today Chinese people celebrate their New Year also known as the Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival which is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. This time the Chinese New Year is that of the Dog which means a year of prosperity and success.

Maghreb Blog Review XIV

Check the recent Maghreb blog Review column here.

Wishful Thinking

It's been already four years that I moved from Tunisia to live in the USA, a country I never thought that one day I will be able to visit but here I am.In the beginning I had some difficulties to adjust myself to the system but little by little I get used to it. It was quite amazing that I never had that cultural shock that some may encounter during their stay in the USA or other foreign country. I guess that was mainly due to the fact that I knew the USA, its history, its culture, its people, its social diversity mainly through my academic studies that focused on the USA.During those four years I travelled back and forth to Tunisia and it's true I felt that cultural shock in my country but I admitted that after all we cannot compare Tunisia to the USA. Each country has its own specificities, singularities and potentials something that helped me not to draw useless and stupid comparaisons. Each time I meet with fellow tunisian people who happen to live in the USA for many years, I usually hear the same kind of complaints that things in Tunisia are not the same as in the USA, that the life here is better that we need the like of such a person or institution in our country etc Well I agree in some part with those who complain although when you ask them when was the last time you went back to Tunisia they will reply oh may be 5 years or 6 years ago, I remember one day a fellow tunisian told me that he left Tunisia 25 years ago and since that time he never returned back but he is still complaining. Complaining abou what? Let's be realistic and objective how can one draw comparaisons between two countries while cutting off all contacts with the country of origin? Even worse, others who travel to the USA or other foreign countries and stay for a temporary period due to work or studies complain also even if they know that one day they will leave. It is true that we know better our countries of origins when we are abroad but I feel sick in the guts when simply because you stayed a couple of months or a year in one country you start complaining and engage in wishful thinking that lead to nowhere.I think I have to stop here. Have a nice weekend!

Venezuela Accuses US Embassy Staff Of Espionage

After the recent diplomatic incident between Russia and Great Britian over the spy rock story, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has accused the US Embassy Staff in Caracas of espionage...

State Of The Union 2006: A Preview

Watch this hilarious preview of the State of the Union 2006. ( Via You Tube)

Report: Porn Activity May Be Detected At DHS

The Homeland Security Department’s internal computer network generated 65 million security alerts during a three-month period and 6.5 million of those may be linked to employees accessing pornographic words or materials, according to a report today from DHS inspector general Richard Skinner.

(Via Sploid)

US Army Jails Iraqi Women As A Blackmail

9all ya wedhen ash bik ma3edish tikbir 9atlou koul youm nisma3 ghriba!( literal translation : Asked why it stopped growing, the ear replies, each day I hear an odd story)

(AP, Jan. 27, 2006 2:02 PM)- The U.S. Army in Iraq has at least twice seized and jailed the wives of suspected insurgents in hopes of "leveraging" their husbands into surrender, U.S. military documents show.

In one case, a secretive task force locked up the young mother of a nursing baby, a U.S. intelligence officer reported. In the case of a second detainee, one American colonel suggested to another that they catch her husband by tacking a note to the family's door telling him "to come get his wife."

L'Eternel Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Today, the world celebrates the 250 anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Hamas Wins Palestinian Elections

RAMALLAH, West Bank - Hamas won a huge majority in parliamentary elections as Palestinian voters rejected the longtime rule of the Fatah Party, throwing the future of Mideast peacemaking into question, officials from both major parties said Thursday...

It is now clear that the palestinian political scene will witness a seismic change mainly with regard to the peace process in the region. After all I guess this is the first truly competitive elections in Palestine where the people freely voted to elect,well, a radical group,Hamas, despite western threats to suspend ties with the palestinian authorities and block financial aid to its institutions. Like the Iraqi elections that resulted in the victory of somehow radical Shiites contrary to the hopes of the West,the same can be applied to elections in Palestine where it is hard for the West to accept such an outcome although some would concede that the results of palestinian elections are but the true exercice of real democracy by the people, a most cherished for objective that the West is pushing for in the Middle East.I think it is still early to engage in predictions and speculations let's wait and see.

Much Ado About A Sweater

You may have guessed it.It is nothing but Bolivia's new President's now famous sweater that has become a fashion item and even the theme of a mexican song!(Via Sploid)

Palestinians Cast Ballots For Their First Parliamentary Elections

Today, thousands of Palestinians turned out to vote for their first parliamentary elections in a decade.

KFC Opens In Syria

The arabic text on the image should read like this: دجاج فرييد بكنتاكي

At a time when American-Syrian relations are witnessing a political crisis fuled by several incidents that rocked the Middle East, it seems that in the world of business, politics can be put aside. After Pepsi and Coca Cola, KFC is the first US fast food outlet to open in Damascus...( Via Middle East Online)

Le Blog De Bondy

J'ai tombé par hazard sur ce blog que je trouve marrant.Le principal auteur est comme son profil l'indique s'appelle Michel Beuret, Journaliste, 36 ans, il a d'abord collaboré pour deux quotidiens suisses (Le Nouveau Quotidien puis Le Temps). Il est membre de L'Hebdo depuis 1999 où il travaille à la rubrique étrangère. Ses centres d'intérêts sont le monde musulman (Maghreb, Proche-Orient; Turquie, Iran, Irak, Afghanistan), les pays d'Afrique de l'ouest et l'Histoire. Il s'intéresse aussi de longue date aux questions migratoires, de développement et d'intégration.

Un post qui a attiré mon attention est celui sur le langage neuf-trois( 93) parlé dans la ville de Bondy.C'est un langage argotique parlé par les jeunes de cette ville et qui s'inspire beaucoup du métissage des cultures des jeunes maghrébins et surtout du langage Romani.

Washington's Crescent Conflict

I came across this neat article via The National Journal. Although dated November, 2005, I found it quite interesting. Written by Paul Starobin,this article tells the story of Muslims in America while focusing on the Muslim community in Washington, DC. The author states that it has probably never mattered more that this "world city" and the Muslims in its midst have a good, mutual understanding. But an on-edge Washington, it seems, is experiencing its own clash of civilizations.

British Diplomats Accused Of Spy Rock

Today, Russian authorities accused British diplomats, in Moscow, of using a hollowed-out rock as a computerised dead drop in a spying ring. ( Via The London Times)

Muslims & Jews: Time For Dialogue?

Here is an an article by Professor Akbar Ahmed, the Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at American University in Washington, DC, whom I personally know, and Judea Pearl, President of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. The two scholars call for

an urgent and powerful international dialogue between Muslims and Jews to air basic grievances and search for common ground and shared goals.

Inspired by their dialogue program, "The Daniel Pearl Dialogue for Muslim-Jewish Understanding featuring Akbar Ahmed and Judea Pearl.", Akbar and Pearl identify a set of position statements that Jews and Muslims want to convey to, or hear from, each other.

Quote of The Day

"Il est plus facile de désagréger un atome, qu’un préjugé."

~Albert Einstein

A Collective Wedding Ceremony In ElJem

Via Babnet : According to Babnet website, the town of ElJem, (ancient Thysdrus) will organize on June 10, 2006, a collective wedding ceremony for 80 couples. The wedding ceremony will take place at the City's majestic Roman Amphitheatre. I think that this initiative is really praise-worthy since the wedding ceremony costs, costumes, jewelry, accessories etc will be provided by The "Association Tunisienne de Réincarnation Familiale".

"Animals of Lebanon in Antiquity from A to Z"

This is the title of the latest book by Nina Jidejian on Lebanon's ancient history and archaeological heritage. "Animals of Lebanon in Antiquity from A to Z", is ostensibly a bilingual, alpha-betical compendium of the birds, beasts, and long extinct creatures that used to troll around Lebanon.In her book Jidejian, excells in animating ancient history and injecting it with contemporary relevance. ( Via The Daily Star)

Gonzales Vs. Google

Alberto Gonzales, the US Attorney General, asked a judge this week to order Google, the search engine company, to comply with a subpoena seeking information about its databases and users. The government wants a list of all requests entered into Google's search engine during an unspecified single week _ a breakdown that could conceivably span tens of millions of queries. In addition, it seeks 1 million randomly selected Web addresses from various Google databases. Google has rebuffed the Bush Administration to snoop on internet users where as AOL, Microsoft MSN and other search engines have already complied with the Administration's request. Don Jim over Dappled Things has a neat link to some tips that may help protect one's privacy while surfing internet.

Lyrics Of The Day

Fix You

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

When high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

~Song By Coldplay

Mahgreblog Listed in "Le Guide des Blogs"

Recently Mahgreblog, which regroups a number of talented and ambitious bloggers from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia , has been listed by Lonely Planet in their new Blog Guide. Congratulations Maghrebloggers!

Islam & Sexuality

This article in the Guardian was triggered, I guess, by another piece (in arabic), I read over Al-Arabiya website a week ago, where an egyptian cleric issued a controversial fatwa declaring a marriage contract illegal if the married couple engage in sexual intercourse while being totally naked!. This fatwa has stirred a tense debate and was recently rejected by several moslem clerics as nonsensical . Coming back to the Guardian's piece, I think that although the author explored several islamic websites looking for clues to the issue of sexuality in Islam, his findings, in my opinion, looked exclusively, upon those fatwas and edicts issued by extremist and radical clerics. I was hoping if he could have provided some balance to his findings by looking into more moderate and open-minded standpoints regarding sexuality in Islam.

Iran: Acceptance Or Force? Either Way Is Dreadful

Via The Australian- Some observers agree that the time of diplomatic acrobatics with Iran's nuclear program is over. In this oped,Michael Costello, argues that the world will either have to accept an Iran with nuclear weapons or it will have to use force to destroy its capability...

After Irak, Will Iran Be Next?

I came across this quite long but worth reading article over Arts & Letters Daily. Puplished in the Atlantic Online in December 2004, the article goes into detail with how the US simulates the conduct of a war by starting to play "war games". Before the invasion of Irak, several "war games" were conducted. The same thing has been applied to Iran where soldiers, spies, and diplomats conduct a classic Pentagon war game—with sobering results...

Maghreb Blog Review XIII

Maghreb Blog Review. Check it here. ( No Comment!)

The Art of Painting: A Glance At Tunisia

Maurice Bismouth, Man At Prayer; Pierre Boucherle, Interior of Synagogue; Jellal Ben Abdallah, Woman with Doves

The origins of Tunisian painting go back to the middle of the 19th century with the travelling painters who came from different places to discover the Orient... Orientalist painting fathered a long and noble line of artists like Emile Pinchard, Albert Aublet, Henri. G. Josot, Armand Vergeaud, David Junes, Yvonne Thivet, Emile Boivin, Vincent Manago, Alexis Dlahogue and many others.

Between the 1st and 2nd World Wars, the Tunisian Fair, whose first edition was held in 1894, grew very fast in size thanks to those travelling artits who came to Tunisia out of pleasure, duty or exile. Some of them even settled in Tunisia like Alexandre Roubtzoff or the Baron of Erlanger.

In 1920, the precursors of Tunisian painting start changing from the rigorous style of the time. They show a bigger freedom in their creations through typical sceneries of every day life like Moses Levy, Yahia Turki, Hedi Turki, Hedi Khayachi, Pierre Boucherle, Jules Lellouche, Edgard Naccache, Maurice Bismouth, Ammar Farhat, Azzouz Berraies, Aly Ben Salem, Hatem El Mekki... This evolution is characterized by the attempts of Tunisian artists to impose an ideology in opposition to the colonial one. The works of art then reflected an idealized image of reality that remained until after the independence ( 1956).

The Tunis School, who exhibited its works for the first time in 1949, gave a new impulse with its founder Pierre Boucherle.The members of this group of artists then claimed the expression of an authentic Tunisian art based upon popular and traditional inspirations. The Tunis School is also enriched with the experience of its predecessors.

A wind of modernity then stirs the Tunisian artistic scene and integrates talented artists like Jalel Ben Abdallah, Ali Bellagha, Abdelaziz Gorgi, Brahim Dhahak, Zoubeir Turki, Fethi Ben Zakour, and many others.

In the 1950s, a leap into abstraction marks a mutuation in the style of the time with the precursors Hedi Turki, Edgard Naccache, Nevo Levy, and new talents like Mahmoud Sehili, Nejib Belkhodja and Guider Triki.

Modern art in Tunisia then reveals a generation of pure artists who only want to represent what they feel deep inside. Abstraction is therefore adapted by several artists including Rafik El Kamel, and Abderrazak Sahli. Since then, the artists work at capturing the atmosphere of the country, its culture, its history.

Authenticity was the keynote of the 1970s-1980s. In painting Tunisian reality opposes universality of art to the creation of a national art... the precursors of Tunisian modern art were followed by by new talents like Lamine Sassi, Habib, Bouabana, Ridha Bettaieb, Khaled Ben Slimane, Faouzi Chtioui, Mohamed Ben Meftah amd many others.

A vast mosaic of styles and aesthetic choices originated from the dynamics of art in Tunisia. Young talents of contemporary art like Asma M'naouar, Asma Masmoudi, Halim Karabibene, Emna Zghal, Amel Bennis, Hela Ammar and Amar Ben Belgacem, seem to have perfectly integrated the way of communicating a delicate experience.

(From Tunisia News Magazine)

Kahwa Arbi

Kahwa Arbi bitenwa ( bilwich kif me y9oulou fi masr) we bisorra zeda:P

King Day

Today, americans celebrate the 77th anniversary of the birth of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929. Rev. King epitomizes one of the perfect examples of those who dedicated their lives and souls for the struggle for liberty and Civil Rights. Rev. King, a Nobel Peace Prize Awardee, was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968.

" (Man) is distinguished from animals by his freedom to do evil or to do good."

~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Emir Of Kuwait Passes Away...

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheik Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, died today. He was aged 78.His ailing heir was made Emir.Le Roi est mort, Vive le Roi!

Lyrics Of The Day

An die Freude

Freude schöner Götterfunken,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten Feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum!
Deine Zauber binden wieder,
Was die Mode streng geteilt.
Alle Menschen werden Brüder,
Wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.
Seid umschlungen, Millionen!
Diesen Kuß der ganzen Welt!
Brüder, überm Sternenzelt
Muß ein lieber Vater wohnen,

~Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805)

Washington, DC

The "Brewmaster's Castle", Washington, DC, was built in the 1890s by the Heurich family, operators of the Christian Heurich Brewing Co(founded in 1872, and closed in 1956).



A 1915 Republic 3/4 ton beer delivery truck that was owned by Christian Heurich Brewing Co. is on loan from Gary Heurich to help market the Heurich House Foundation's Washington, DC brewing history exhibit that starts October 27th, 2005.


Grace Reformed Church, Sunday School and Parish House,1405 15th St., NW.


20th Street, NW.

Delilek Mlek: Enfin Un (e) Gagnant (e) Décroche 300 Milles Dinars

Selon Babnet, il semble que finalement un participant a décroché la somme des 300 000d à partager avec le participant par SMS, pour garder le suspense, Dlilek Mlak ne révèle pas le sexe du gagnant ni la date de diffusion de l’émission.

Paraskavedekatriaphobia

Ever heard about this weired word? well it is specialised form of triskaidekaphobia which is a fear of the number 13. More on Friday 13 can be found here.

Dust In The Wind

Now, don't hang on
Nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky
It slips away
And all your money won't another minute buy
Dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind
All we are is dust in the wind

~ Kansas

May They Rest In Peace

Today, more than 345 Muslim pilgrims were trampled to death and some 300 wounded outside the Saudi holy city of Mecca. The incident is so tragic and heart-breaking that words are not capable of telling exactly what I felt. May God the Almighty receive the deceased in his Eternal Heaven and grant them His Clemency and Forgiveness and for the families of the deceased I convey my most sincere condolences and the expression of my heartfelt sympathy.

The Mysterious Mr. Ye

The following has nothing to do with the Mysterious piano man,this is another strange story of a chinese man who cannot be photographed...( Via Sploid)

Quote of the Day

"Be like a postage stamp. Stick to one thing until you get there."

~ Josh Billings

TBN Drops "The Watchman On The Wall"

TBN, a California-based religious network recently dropped Hal Lindsey for giving in his show a negative image of Arabs and Muslims.I never heard of Lindsey before, though I am familiar with TBN, but tonight I watched Fox News' Hannity and Colmes show and Lindsey was their guest. I was amazed at the guy's interpretation of the facts. The man claims that he read the Quran and the Hadith,ok fine, and that he did find that the Quran contains 109 verses calling for war and Jihad adding that those who read the Quran with devotion become "radicals" whereas those who never read it are called "moderates". Now come on is this guy serious that he did really read the Quran and the Hadith? How could one come to such conclusions just by taking single verses out of their historical, social, cultural and even political context? and if Lindsey did in fact read the Quran how come he mistakenly stated that the verses which he tagged as calling for war and Jihad were written by the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) when he was in Medina??.Wasn't Mr. Lindsey aware of the fact that the Prophet Mohamed (PBUH) never wrote the Quran but it was the revelation and the word of God sent to him by his angel Jibreel (Gabriel) and that the Prophet transmitted these revelations to his disciples who later wrote them into one book???.

Eid Ul-Adha Or Feast Of Sacrifice

Tomorrow, January 10, 2006 (10 Dhul Hijja) Muslims worldwide will celebrate Eid Ul-Adha which coincides with the accomplishment of one of the pillars of Islam: the pilgrimage to Mecca (Al-Hajj). Eid Ul-Adha is celebrated by Muslims as a commemoration of Prophet Ibrahim's(Abraham)(PBUH) willingness to sacrifice his son Ismaïl for God.

On this occasion,we wish Muslims all over the world Eid Mubarek.

Rushed Democracy Leads To Chaos

A neat article via Arts & Letters Daily, where the authors claim that

forced-pace democratization in countries that lack the political institutions needed to manage political competition...often gives rise to nationalism and violence at home and abroad.

They add that

pushing countries too soon into competitive electoral politics not only risks stoking war, sectarianism and terrorism, but it also makes the future consolidation of democracy more difficult.

Quote of the Day

"Fair peace becomes men; ferocious anger belongs to beasts."

~Ovid

Tunisian Doors : The Best Of All Mediterranean Crafts

Doors of old Tunisian homes, heavy studded, bring together the best of Mediterranean craft in terms of design, decoration and colors. Yellow, green, blue or red, the wood frames and parts fit too well within the tiled or marble frames reflecting the encounter between Oriental and Roman and Carthaginian civilizations and cultures, the doors reflect the genius of architecture and the achievements of art. These doors in the heart of the Medina or in the living houses of Sidi Bou Said and the suburbs, often than not, open onto unique interior courtyards with tiled walls, fountain and well.

(Via Tunisia News magazine)

D.C. Council Passes Smoke Ban

Despite a veto threat by Mayor Anthony A. Williams, the DC Council approved yesterday a broad ban on smoking in District bars and restaurants. The District ban which is modeled on similar restrictions in New York City, would first apply to all restaurant dining rooms then extend to bars, nightclubs and taverns in January 2007. Outdoor areas, hotel rooms, retail tobacco outlets and cigar and hookah bars would be exempted from this law. The legislation would also provide an economic-hardship waiver for businesses that could demonstrate a "significant negative impact". ( Via The Express, A Washington Post Daily publication)

I have To Learn From Failure

Today I received the bad news that I failed a test so important to my future career. It was hard for me to accept the fact that some succeed while others who are more qualified and more capable simply fail. Anyhow, in order to succeed we need to learn from our failures for "failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor".

"Failure is only postponed success as long as courage 'coaches' ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory."

~Herbert Kaufman

Maghreb Blog Review XII

Maghreb Blog Review for the month of January 2006. Things are changing little by little guys! ( Via Magharebia)

Quote Of The Day

"Success without honor is an unseasoned dish; it will satisfy your hunger, but it won't taste good. "

~Joe Paterno

An Exhibit of Tunisian Mosaics in New York City

The following are some pictures I took last weekend when I visited an art exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, NY : Tree of Paradise: Jewish Mosaics from the Roman Empire.


Me at the Brooklyn Museum


Brooklyn Museum


Amphitheatre of ElJem


People of Tunisia


Lion


Fish Facing Right


Roman Soldier


Gazelle


Date Palm Tree (Tree of Paradise)


Duck in a Vine Facing Right and Left, Basket of Bread, Basket of Fruits


Jewish Symbols ( Menorah)


Portrait of a Young Man

US Military Shuts Down "Milblogs"

Milblogs are military weblogs by american soldiers overseas.US military commanders mainly in Irak and Afghanistan and under the pretext of security concerns, are shutting down those milblogs whose owners dare to go a bit far. Read the article here ( Via NewsDay)

American Media's Misrepresentation of The Facts

I came across this neat op-ed published last week in the Los Angeles Times and written by Robert Fisk, a Middle East correspondent for the London Independent and the author of "The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East". I found the article quite interesting and worth reading since the author expreses his feelings about the current state of American journalism in the Middle East and how the American press is intimidated by lobbyists into misrepresenting the facts just by playing with semantics.

The Roman Coliseum of ElJem in The 1900s

I came across these unique and beautiful postcards of the Roman Coliseum of ElJem (ancient Thysdrus) via this neat website: cartes postales tunisiennes des années 1900

Thank You!

Just to thank you all guys : Adib, K-pax, Oumelkheir, Manal, Houssein as well as members of maghreblog and the tunisian blogosphere for your kind and sincere wishes on the occasion of the New Year 2006.Let's hope for a year full of peace, love and friendship.

Happy New Year 2006

Just came back from a quite exhausting but really wonderful trip to New York city. I couldn't miss this opportunity without wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year 2006.