Debza: Groupe Musical

Here is a link to a song by the Algerian band, Debza. The band was formed in the Kabyle in the early 1980s. It is leftist and anti-establishment. One of their songs is dedicated to Palestine and the Palestinians.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZQr57XY8S4&feature=related

Brave Souls

I just got back from a public talk by Jeff Halper, the head of the Israeli Committee against House Demolitions. People like him make you feel so small and insignificant! What a brave thing to oppose your state, expose its racial policies, call things by their real names (I am referring to Apartheid here), and transform your anger into positive action. I wish I could have the privilege of rebuilding the houses of the Palestinians the way he does! The talk was certainly informative and inspiring to many in the audience. The room where he gave his talk can accommodate 400 people. It was packed and there was an overflow. He was a guest in my class in the afternoon as well. If there is anything that one cannot escape observing during this savage attack on Gaza is that Israel, so far, has lost so much. The most important loss, beside not being able so far to make it up for its big-time loss in Lebanon, is the international sympathy for the Palestinians its attack on Gaza has generated or renewed. Between my CTV interview, participation in a demonstration, class discussion and this talk, I can safely conclude that Israel has lost the PR stuff with the general public opinion. It is a different story with governments and many media outlets... but that is the point: it is a very different story with them.

Muhammad Qutb

I am writing a paper on Muhammad Qutb's views on slavery in Islam. And is he a dull and boring writer! I read his stuff in my late teens but am revisiting it now. What were we thinking when we thought he was worth reading? Make no mistake about it. He was influential and his writings are still popular among many Muslims. You will like his writings if you decide to be a very superficial person, hiding behind a wall of illusions and fantasies about the past and the present. His style and approach are different from those of his brother, Sayyid Qutb. But the latter was not as superficial and shallow (but definitely more extreme in his views than the former).

A Clownish Position

I was not sure what my first posting would be about but here it is:
Canada votes against the UN Human Rights Council's resolution condemning Israel of "massive violations" of the human rights of Palestinians. And Canada is the ONLY country that voted against it. Ok.. I understand that the Harper government believes that the Palestinians do not have human rights in the first place, but did this government have to look so idiotic and clownish? Here is one thing to remember: the Palestinians do not care about what the Canadian government thinks, let alone what the whole world thinks, because they know very well no government can stop or has ever stopped the Israelis from violating human rights. The Canadian government's position was just an embarassment and a further damage to the reputation of Canada.