"Love Boy", Dana International

Love Boy is the new massive hit by Dana International. The song is very cheesy, very catchy, very queer and will be included in her new album הכל זה לטובה ("Everything is going to be fine"), which is going to be released in Israel on August 17.

Miss Arab World 2007

Wafa' Yaaqoub Ganahi, a 23-year-old from Bahrain, was chosen as Miss Arab World 2007 after nearly six hours of contest in Cairo. Miss Egypt Shaimma Mansour, 25, was the first runner-up and Miss Lebanon Rula Bahij, 23, became the second runner-up.
Yaaqoub received her crown from Miss Arab World 2006, Iraq's Claudia Hanna.

Partners for peace

Former British PM Tony Blair says he's "optimistic" about the peace process in the Middle East and has invited all parts to reconciliation. Now he's speaking like a real good Catholic boy, isn't he?

In case a failure of his efforts resulted in delusional depression, I suggest he could call this Middle East Mental Health hotline:

Where are you?

Next stop: this blog, 2008. (Just kidding. Do you see how Western- and Asian-oriented is this iA Web Trendmap 2007 map of the world's "trendy" sites?)

Tribute to Mahmoud Darwish

One day I shall become what I want.
One day I shall become a bird,
and wrest my being from my non-being.
The longer my wings will burn,
the closer I am to the truth, risen from the ashes.
I am the dialogue of dreamers; I've shunned my body and self
to finish my first journey towards meaning,
which burnt me, and disappeared.
[...]
O my name: where are we now?
Tell me: What is now? What is tomorrow?
What's time, what's place, what's old, what's new?
One day we shall become what we want.

La Celle Saint-Cloud

No, it's not one of those fantastic Burgundy wines.
La Celle Saint-Cloud is a town in the outskirts of Paris (near Versailles, actually) where the last round of talks between the main Lebanese political leaders took place -- and failed, as it was easy to predict. The new French FM Bernard Kouchner was expecting a breakthrough in a deadlock that has been going on for months. Maybe he thought that the kids would obey whenever umm al-hanoun calls to order.
Other than a pledge of an "honor code" in the use of media (whatever that means) and the rejection of "violence as a political tool" (in Lebanon? Oh really?), the meeting in France was a flop. The March 14 parliamentary majority offered a vague "national consensus" only after the election of a new president, while the March 8 opposition insisted that the formation of a national unity cabinet must precede any settlement of the presidential election issue.
In the meanwhile, no candidates have officially been designated or endorsed by the two different camps. Général Michel Aoun stood for president, but he hardly is a consensual figure that can be accepted by the current majority and it's far from sure that Hezbollah will base its political strategy solely upon Aoun's aspirations.
March 14 can't form the quorum (2/3 of parliamentary seats) to convene the parliament and to elect a new president if opposition MPs boycott the sessions. Some majority exponents have declared that the majority will proceed with the election of a successor to incumbent Émile Lahoud even in case of a lack of quorum. Opposition representatives have replied that the March 8 factions (and possibly FPM) could then form a shadow cabinet. Since Lebanon is not Westminster, this is not one of the most encouraging perspectives.

Reporting from Beirut

Haifa ... Beirut

Lisa Goldman, an Israeli journalist and the author of a very interesting blog named On the Face, managed to sneak into Lebanon with a third-country passport and to report from Beirut and Bint Jbeil for Israel's Channel 10.
Part of the footage was re-aired on Saturday afternoon by Al-Jazeera, which claimed that Goldman managed to report live from Beirut, while Goldman vehemently denies that.

Goldman's report elicited interest in Israel (where apparently quite a few people were surprised to learn that Beirut is not a slum inhabited by cavemen) and sparked enormous reactions in Lebanon. Furious attacks against "security breaches" and "collaborationist rings" (as if Mossad didn't already have its informers) were balanced by some supportive comments. You can have a sample of the discussion on this Orange Room thread.

My assessment is mixed. On one hand, it's only positive that a report is showing the human side of the story to "the other side" and describing what Lebanon really is, although I am somewhat critical of Goldman's description of the situation in the South. On the other hand, I am worried that those people who came in contact with Goldman (such as hotel staff, taxi drivers, etc.) risk being accused of "conspiracy". Furthermore, I hope this "cool" journalistic feat will not unintentionally result in a curtailing of media freedom in Lebanon.

Snap quiz

Israeli Defence Forces bombing Southern Beirut?
Lebanese Army targetting Nahr al-Bared refugee camp?
Fatah al-Islam sending Katyusha rockets over Northern Lebanon?
Choose one.

One year later

ﺃﷲ ﻋﻁﻴﻙ ﺍﻠﻌﺎﻔﻴﺔ ﻭ ﺍﻠﺴﻠﻡ

And may you always smile and carry flowers in your hands.

Declare your independence

(Lyrics: Björk)

Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you
Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you

[Justice]

Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you
Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you

Start your own currency
Make your own stamp
Protect your language


Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you
Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you


Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you
Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you

Damn colonists
Ignore their patronizing
Tear off their blindfold
Open their eyes


With a flag and a trumpet
Go to the top
Of your highest mountain

And raise your flag [higher higher]
Raise your flag [higher higher]
Raise your flag [higher higher]
Raise your flag [higher higher]
Raise your flag [higher higher]
Raise your flag [higher higher]

Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you
Declare independence
Don't let them do that to you

Raise the flag.

La petizione per mettere un libro all'indice

Senza entrare nel merito delle accuse specifiche rivolte nell'ultimo libro di Magdi Allam a singoli colleghi noti a chiunque si interessi di questioni relative al Medio Oriente e all'Islam non solo come ricercatori seri e qualificati, ma persino come persone coinvolte in svariate forme di impegno civile, intendiamo protestare fermamente davanti alla sfrontatezza di chi afferma che le università italiane "pullulano" di docenti "collusi con un'ideologia di morte profondamente ostile ai valori e ai principi della civiltà occidentale e all'essenza stessa della nostra umanità". Ci pare davvero eccessivo che quanti, in sede di dibattito scientifico e civico, esprimono posizioni differenti da una pretesa unica “verità interpretativa” divengano automaticamente estranei a universali valori di civiltà o, addirittura, alieni dalla comune umanità. Una tale impostazione non solo è lontanissima dallo spirito e dai valori di una democrazia costituzionale – e molto più in linea con ideologie totalitarie - ma si pone anche a siderale distanza dal senso critico che sta alla base della ricerca storica e scientifica e dalla stessa, difficile ma essenziale, missione dell'informazione giornalistica in una società plurale. Tutto ciò rischia di contribuire, purtroppo, al preoccupante imbarbarimento dell'informazione in un paese come il nostro che già si trova a pagare un prezzo troppo alto alle varie forme di partigianeria che lo travagliano. Già abbiamo visto sentenze discutibili coinvolgere colleghi noti per la loro serietà ed equilibrio nell'affrontare il tema dell'Islam, con addirittura condanne penali che prevedono la pena detentiva. Il giornalismo rischia di cadere in una logica da tifo calcistico piuttosto che analitica e razionale, soprattutto quando si toccano temi delicati e sensibili come quelli religiosi e, in particolare, relativi all'Islam ed alle questioni legate all'area medio-orientale. La libertà di ricerca ne paga il prezzo, schiacciata tra opposti estremismi interpretativi, e non solo. Ci auguriamo che tali tendenze trovino presto voci più equilibrate e meno partigiane a contrastarle, e che queste trovino a loro volta ascolto nel mondo dell'informazione, in quello politico, in quello culturale e in quello religioso.