67 years ago, in Japan, “THE LITTLE BOY” didn’t mean innocence; it meant damage, pain and suffering. It wasn’t blue and wasn’t white, it was black and grey with spots of red all over the place. And most importantly it wasn’t a toy, it was the bomb that vanished Hiroshima!

It took only 60 seconds to kill 30% of the total population of Hiroshima, 90% of their doctors and 70% of their buildings were instantly turned into ash. Experts predicted it would take a city wiped off the map decades to ever be the same.

Three to four years after the A-bomb, Hiroshima rose from the ashes!

After all, naming a bomb that killed thousands of children “the little boy” wasn’t that cruel. It gave the Japanese the hope of a new start that a “little boy” can have while riding his bicycle for the first time. Each fall showed him the mistakes, which he should never repeat again. And instead of crying, he smiles and tries again and again until the day comes when he can let the winds wipe away all his painful memories as he ride his bicycle as fast as a bicycle can be ridden.

The people in Hiroshima couldn’t fight death, burns or diseases from the radiation, but they certainly could fight fear, despair and negativity. They knew that with hope and faith, everything is possible. They believed in the power of the human willingness, determination and his ability to recover. When people told them “the glass is half full”, they disagreed and refused to settle for anything less than a “full glass”!

As an Iraqi, my left and right brain sides are always in dispute.

My left side thinks we can never be Hiroshima, Iraq can never be the same, the damage can never be undone, the hurt and pain that each Iraqi carries over their shoulders can never be lifted and that we will have to live with the shame of not recovering forever. My left side thinks peace and happiness have left Iraq long ago, and he insists that they will never come back again. He reminds me every day of our mistakes as Iraqis, as a government and as humans.

And whenever someone asks me “where are you from?” he nags me to deny being an Iraqi, he screams loudly the names of the children who were killed by the Iraqis themselves, he sings the wedding songs of the newly weds who were killed on their wedding nights, and sometimes, he makes me listen to the Iraqi mothers telling their stories which always start with tragedy and end with uncertainty. And when I remind him of Hiroshima, with a voice full of rage and anger, trying to hold on to my last piece of hope, quietly he says “but we are Iraqis, we can never do the same!”

Then…just then, my right side wakes up, with his loud silence, reminding me of the days of Hulagu, when he raped, destroyed and shuttered Baghdad. The days when instead of giving up, Baghdad ran and took the hands of her history, medicine, astronomy and mathematics and hidden them inside of her, under her streets and between her walls, turning her rivers into a blue water which she later generously let us drink.

She was smart enough to know that with sword and hatred, you might be able to kill people, damage houses, or even make a city vanish! But she was sure that they could never erase our history, wipe away our culture. That the smell of smoke cannot replace the delicious smell of our tea, and no matter how bitter our pain is, we can never forget how sweet our date once tasted.

I still believe in Baghdad, in Hiroshima!
I refuse to settle for half-solutions, half governments, and that Iraqis will always live with half happiness, half satisfaction and that sometimes they only get to live half a life!
I still want to believe that I will not settle for half a country, I won’t get to choose between south and north, Sunni or Shia, I will never follow half a religion!
And no matter what my left-brain side says, I try to hold on, as hard as I can, to the belief that my right side will always be RIGHT.

I have set up an e-petition urging the British Government to recognize the Genocide inflicted upon the Kurdish population by the former regime of Saddam Hussein.

If we get 100,000 signatures than they will debate this cause in the British Parliament, thus please sign and pass on your petition.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/25526

I would like to thank you all for the support and for being a friend to Kurdistan.

Laween Atroshi

As a British – Born Kurdish Health professional whereby having graduated in the cutting edge field of Biomedical Informatics I wanted to prove locally, nationally and internationally that this is not an accurate reflection of the Kurdish people.

Indeed, after visiting Kurdistan for the first time in July 2011 & October 2011 it was quite hard not to notice the wealth of talent, determination and skills that stem from the Kurdish professionals.

After visiting different universities and hospitals it was clear professionals and the youth were very dynamic and keen to grow. Moreover, the influx of girls being encouraged to study and work was overwhelming and an area that carries my support. As with any system, there will be flaws but a reform is happening and I always think of the saying ‘Rome was not built in a day’.

My message to my fellow Kurds has always been to study and utilize the knowledge gained effectively and contribute it back to Kurdistan. For Kurdish Anfal recognition I started an e-petition on the British Government website urging them to recognize and remember the Kurdish Anfal. Indeed,www.ekurd.net the weapon of defense for our forefathers was riffles but now it’s the pen and it should be used to protect Kurdistan and show the world the talent this forgotten nation holds.

However, actions speak louder then words so I nominated the Slemani Autism Centre a project initiated by a non-political NGO called Kurdistan Save The Children working collaboratively with the Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs for the most prestigious award of public service from the United Nations. This is the first time in history that Iraq has been nominated for such an award and my rationale for doing so was because it promotes and integrates disability into society. it acts as a platform to encourage community partnership & serves as an educational tool in reforming the stigmatization of disabilities.

We may not win the award but at least we are striving hard to try and compete intellectually at that platform and will be recognized for attempting.

Kurdistan may not be independent at the moment but by working collaboratively as one voice we can claim independence at other channels, nationally and internationally which will gradually lead to Kurdistan’s independence by having people informed on our capabilities and peaceful rich culture.

Thus, as Kurds we must never give up, never be pessimistic and always support each other and aim high, with the hope we may become recognized for our good qualities and talented workforce.

Laween Atroshi
UK Health Informatician & Ambassador For Peace (UPF)
All views & opinions are of my own and do not reflect my employers or any organization whom I have a direct or indirect affiliation with.

Tweet me @laweenatroshi and let me know your opinions, I could be wrong but this is how I feel from my experience. My views do not reflect any individual or institution. www.laweenatroshi.com

What is your answer for the Middle East?

I would use Arab and Western capital and know how to build a Green Industrial Zone in Rafah, Gaza; where Gaza, Egypt and Israel converge, and where 300,000 Jews, Christians and Muslims would show up to work on a daily basis.

Why Rafah in particular? Isn’t that a tough neighborhood, to say the least?

Rafah is the “wild west” of the Middle East. But because it’s such a tough place, is why you want to build it there. Like Frank Sinatra sang about New York City, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere…”

Why a Green Industrial Zone? Why not a plain old, run-of-the-mill industrial zone?

Because we’re not just building an industrial zone. We’re building a new model for the Middle East, a model for positive change in that troubled region. We want to inspire a sense of hope, and deliver on that promise with jobs: jobs which grow our economies, jobs which protect the environment, and jobs which help weaken the hold of extremist thinking. By focusing the project on the environment, and by working to improve the human condition, on issues such as clean water, food production, healthcare and green energy, we are more likely to garner worldwide attention and additional investment dollars. As such, we could replicate the project throughout the Middle East, in a bid to revitalize the entire region with jobs. What begins as a single solitary project could well blossom into a movement for change.

How about Hamas? Wouldn’t they just blow up the place?

Even Hamas needs to create jobs. It’s one thing to get elected. It’s quite another to govern. As Hamas, or the Muslim Brotherhood, undertake to govern, and as they take note of what is happening on the Arab street even as we speak, they may come to the realization that job creation is in their interest as they attempt to consolidate political power. Therefore, while they may not agree to peace, they may agree to protect our Green Industrial Zone, as a way of inspiring the man on the street, and delivering on that promise with jobs.

What makes you think that wealthy Arabs and Westerners would likely invest in such a venture?

For the first time, in a long time, Arab, Israeli and Western leaders are facing some very common existential threats, namely, the prospect of a nuclear Iran, and the fury of the man on the street. These common existential threats, what we call a mosaic of mutual self-interest, could be leveraged into a strategic/economic alliance between the Arab states, Israel, the U.S., and Europe, with two purposes in mind: to provide security in the region, and to use Arab and Western capital and knowhow to revitalize the region with jobs. Millions of Western jobs could also be created in the process as we open up a new market for our goods and services.

Where would you get the green technology to run a Green Industrial Zone?

As it happens, counties like Israel offer quite a bit in this regard. My friend in the Technion, for example, just invested a way of engineering fruits and vegetables that are draught resistant and that use 70% less water. Imagine the possibilities for feeding people in places like the Middle East and Africa. And Israel would likely cooperate because she would much prefer to see positive change occurring in the Middle East, so that an already tough neighborhood does not become even more so.

Where would you find the workers with the necessary skills to handle green jobs?

We would build a vocational school, as part of our Green Industrial Zone, to train young workers, and to equip them with the necessary skills. We would also invest in female entrepreneurs and promote women’s rights.

Why women in particular?

Empower Muslim women in ways that they deem appropriate, and you will have changed the face of the Middle East. Who are women? They are the givers of life and the caretakers of life, and as such are uniquely qualified to reconstitute their societies consistent with a Vision of Hope.

Do you really believe that a new model of this sort is even possible?

Maybe, maybe not. However, some of the key players in the Middle East are quickly running out of good options. They may choose to join in, not because they necessarily love one another, or because they want peace, or because they want a better world for their children. No, none of that crap. They may join in because they’re running out of options, as the old model that has been put in place is falling apart. The writing is on the wall for all the business and political leaders in the Middle East. We see the energy in the hearts and minds of young people. We either find a way to marshal that energy and point it in a positive direction, or it will all explode in our collective faces.

How long will it all take?

A new Middle East may take generations to pull off. However, the plans for the industrial zone in Rafah already exist. A wealthy industrialist in Israel, Stef Wertheimer, already drew them up, and was ready to break ground, when the second Intifada broke out in the year 2000, and the plans were scrapped. We could use those plans, put some serious capital behind them, and launch the project immediately by with Caterpillar tractors showing up to clear the land. Even this first step would inspire a sense of hope, and would buy us time to effectuate positive chance gradually, as opposed to dealing with revolutionary change on our doorsteps.

A Green Industrial Zone in a wild and crazy place like Rafah will resonate with hope, and will deliver on that promise with jobs. It will be the model which answers the three greatest questions of our time: How do we grow our economies? How do we protect the environment? And how do we weaken the hold of extremist thinking? As such, it will capture the world’s imagination and be replicated in a bid to revitalize the entire region with jobs and personal freedoms. It will restore the rich legacy of Arab pride and dignity. It will bring stability where chaos now reigns. And it will point to a place where, for a change, everybody wins.

Even though I enjoy my own company, your comments would be greatly welcomed. You are also welcome to visit us at www.sellingavisionofhope.org for more information.

The Artellewa Arab Collaboration Project will bring together six artists and writers from countries of the Arab uprisings in Cairo to collaboratively develop a creative project over a ten-week residency, from March 15 – May 31, 2012. Artellewa aims to create a space for reflection during this time of transition; a space for rejuvenation of ideas and progressive thought; a space for dialogue and exchange between artists who have experienced different modes of uprising and resistance. The project aims to strengthen a network that can envision a new Arab World in which cooperation and collaboration across national borders is normalized.

Artellewa Art Space believes in artists and writers as essential agents for change. Artists, when best performing their role as citizens, pose imperative questions about societies and their environments. It is our belief that these questions about change in the Arab World will most successfully be developed within the region itself. As in other sectors of political, social, and economic development, the most effective development is self-determined and sovereign. Thus, Artellewa Art Space has developed the Artellewa Arab Collaboration Project as an open platform for six Arab artists to realize a project of their own design, in collaboration with each other.

About the project

Artellewa Art Space will provide the team with the space, tools, and network to develop a collaborative art project with a popular impact. A group of six Arab artists will utilize the live/work studios and exhibition space at Artellewa Art Space for collaborative work. The project is executed in a ten-week period, during which each artist will record her or his personal reflections on the process on a shared blog. The group will participate in a series of public events sharing their process and project. Finally, the artists will produce an exhibition and publication.

Artellewa chooses to leave the concept of the project open-ended, to encourage an unrestricted collaborative experience between the artists. As the Arab World is facing the future of its states and societies without a clear roadmap, the team of artists will approach their project with a clean slate. The only parameters that Artellewa sets are that the process be well-documented and the final project has contemporary socio-political relevance. The team is provided with materials, the means to produce a publication, and space to install an exhibition at Artellewa . With guidance from a project manager and a mentor, it is up to the artists to decide how to configure these elements within the project.

Four artists will be selected from different Arab countries, as well as two Egyptian artists. Artellewa covers the cost of airfare to Cairo and residency for artists residing outside of Egypt, and a modest stipend during the project for all artists.

This project is made possible with support from the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture and the British Council in Cairo.

Participants: Who are the participants we seek?

Qualifications:

1. Artellewa seeks applications from artists and writers from countries of the Arab uprisings for a ten-week residency in Cairo, from March 15 – May 31, 2012. Artists must be available to reside in Cairo for the entire ten-week period.
2. Artellewa seeks individuals artists who are active in their local culture scene. and who have made meaningful contributions to social and political change in their home countries through artistic practice. Artists may demonstrate significant activity as active participants in local institutions and/or as activists using creative strategies.
3. Artists should demonstrate the ability to communicate and collaborate with other artists or local populations through community projects, artistic collaborations, or membership in artist collectives. The strength of each applicant’s portfolio will also be an important factor.
4. Artists and writers may be working in any medium to qualify.

How to apply

Please send the following materials in one email to artellewa@gmail.com with the subject heading “Arab Collaboration Project”:

1. A letter introducing yourself, indicating how you are active in your local culture scene, and what skills and knowledge you can bring to a collaborative project with socio-political relevance. Please detail any previous experience in artist collectives, collaborations, or community projects.

2. Your CV

3. Portfolio in one of the following formats. Artist’s website; 10-15 images (jpeg) accompanied by an image list; A PDF of a maximum of 15 pages; Maximum of 20 MB of video or sound files accompanied by name and description.

Deadline

February 5, 2012

* Artellewa Space for Contemporary Art is located in Ard El Lewa, an informal residential neighborhood in the northwest of Giza, Egypt. Situated between the two great squatter settlements of Cairo, Boulak El-Dakrour and Imbaba, Ard El Lewa is a labyrinth of crowded dirt roads housing grey concrete buildings.

Hamdy Reda website.

We’re happy to say that since last week it’s been available as an iPhone application as well, which you can download here. Screenshots below:

The unexplained video went viral, and the US Marine Corps is supposedly launching a thorough investigation into the origins and perpetrators of the video, and released a statement saying “While we have not yet verified the origin or authenticity of this video, the actions portrayed are not consistent with our core values and are not indicative of the character of the Marines in our Corps.”

All this is fine and well from a media standpoint, but is the desecration of both the living and dead bodies of “enemy combatants” really not a core value of the United States Marines? The whole incident is reminiscent of the United State’s 2004 “publicity fiasco” when photos of US army soldiers abusing prisoners in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison, where detainees were stripped naked, forced into degrading positions, scared by dogs, and a long list of other abuses, all caught on camera by the perpetrators themselves.

10 years ago today, the United States cleared the way for 20 detainees to arrive at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility. Since then, 775 detainees have crossed Guantanamo’s gates, and as of January 2012, a year after President Obama promised he would have GITMO closed, 171 detainees remain behind bars there, denied their fundamental rights and subject to psychological and physical torture. 89 detainees are even cleared for release, but because of bureaucratic debate about where they should be “sent”, they remain in Guantanamo’s grasp.

But US has not limited its illegal detention and torture of detainees to Guantanamo. The US controlled Bagram prison in Afghanistan has been under suspicion since the homicide of two civilian Afghan prisoners. For the last 10 years, there have been regular reports of torture and abuse coming out of Bagram prison. Even now, as Afghan president Hamid Karzai and the US battle for control of the prison, a new investigating commission has revealed not so new continued abuses. Crowdvoice has documented articles and videos related to the past and present torture allegations, linked below.

Thrilled and captivated by the protests that have swept across the Middle East and North Africa, the United States no longer dominates media coverage about the region. And indeed good riddance. However, on this somber anniversary, with yet another piece of evidence of the dehumanizing tactics of the US military, this point must not be forgotten. The effect of US policies continues to wreak havoc on other countries and on their citizens. The human rights abuses of the US military are not exceptions to a set of “core values”; they are a systemic method of marginalizing the bodies and voices of people in the way of US policies, a marginalization that we must fight against. The suffering of Afghanistan and Iraq must not be forgotten; in fact, it must be a key part of our region’s rebirth. When strong proud voices of change from the Middle East are louder than the voices of ignorance and violence both within and outside of the Middle East, then our revolutions will be solidly on their way to success.

While we hear about the achievements of Turkey’s AKP government especially in the Middle East after the Arab Spring, AKP’s government internally is facing a real challenge after the further detonation recently in ties with the minority Kurds that are making around 20% of Turkey’s population.

It’s widely believed that since AK Party came to power in 2003, a silent revolution has undertaken.  That revolution has swept all aspects in Turkey’s post-Kemalism era. Similarly, AKP has tried to solve Kurdish question through a process that called Democratization, by giving individuals more freedom. As the government has opened a 24 hours TV channel, TRT6, that airs programs in Kurdish. However, Kurds are accusing AKP for misleading the decades-standing Kurdish question. Kurds in the violence-ridden southeastern Turkey say AKP tries to erase Kurdish culture through TRT6, by airing twisted stories in Kurdish to convince the ordinary Kurds. Moreover, Layla Zana one of the prominent Kurdish leaders said the Kurdish question can’t be solved through giving more individual freedoms, but by giving Kurds their rights as a nation. Recently, the already detonated ties between government and Kurds worsen further after Turkish army jets killed 35 civilian, smuggler Kurds.

Kurds say that shows how AKP government is still continuing the same policy of previous governments regarding Kurds in another style, while challenged all others blemishes. The worsening in ties between Kurds and Turkish government may lead to an uprising in the Kurdish cities in the wake of Arab Spring, as the anger of Kurds already turned to daily demonstrations in both Istanbul and southeastern region. PKK, which through his political wing, BDP, got 80% of the votes in latest election in southeastern region called on the Kurds to upraise against the Turkish government, as promised to ascendant attacks against Turkish army. Diyarbakır, the capital of southeastern Turkey, displays its politics. Graffiti throughout the city cheers PKK. Lately, more popular demonstrations has taken place in Diyarbakır, but aggressively quashed by the police. Meanwhile, Pro Kurdish Peace and Freedom Party or BDP lawmakers asked for the referendum in the predominately Kurdish southeast as a test for democracy in Turkey. Worthwhile, Kurds putted autonomy as a minimum demand regarding a solution for Kurdish question before. In respond, AKP strongly refused such demand, and claimed it threats Turkish unity. Turkish president Abdullah Gul many times described Turkey’s diversity as a source for richer Turkey, but never reflected in the real life. One of the local leaders of BDP in Diyarbakır told me Turkish prime minister delegitimizing the Al-Asad’s regime in Syria for Killing civilians and suppressing peaceful demonstrations, but same thing is happening here; last week at least 35 civilians Kurds killed and the peaceful demonstrations similarly suppressed. The local residences in the area believe that situation will continue until the Kurdish problem gets solved.

The predominately Kurdish cities in southeastern Turkey are vividly ignored compared to the Turkish cities, as the Turkish state has tried to erase Kurds as a nation since the foundation of the republic in 1923. It would be rational to give all provinces inTurkey more power, even if the state doesn’t want to name it autonomy. It firstly takes off the more burdens that are facing the government with the government engaged further in the regional politics. Also it won’t differ Kurds from the rest of the country which government afraid to claim separation and get independence one day.  Moreover, Kurds still doesn’t have the right to study in their native language, as a first step, if government makes Kurdish an optional material in the predominately Kurdish cities, it can gradually solve the language problem as well. That brings peace to the southeastern area and then PKK, as promised, may lay down its weapon which Turkish army annually spending 10 billion dollars in fighting it; it also stops the imprisonment of thousands of Kurdish activists that have arrested in the name of terror recently, that’s in one hand. At the other hand, government needs to take those steps to make the economy’s flourishing continue. Last year, Turkish government unleashed a goal to make Turkey one of the 10 biggest economies in the world, engaging southeastern region is very important to reach this goal because this region makes one third of Turkish land and 20% of Turkish population.  The area is rich with agriculture, as there’s huge cheaper labor force, and with the historical places, it can be turned to a tourism hub. That will also accelerate government’s efforts to make Turkey one of the 10 first economies globally.

Turkey is witnessing a radical political standoff between government and Kurds anyways, as the whole region is chaging which that may weaken Turkey’s external ambitions. At the end either AKP government should give Kurds their rights as a nation firstly through the new promised civilian constitution that suppose to be ready by the second part of this year, or inspired by the Arab Spring Kurds will revolute loudly against AKP’s silent revolution, and take their rights by their own.

- Completely revamped web application
- Better navigation
- Ability to easily view, share, add and explore bands
- New player
- Ability to create your own personal collection of favorite tracks
- Ability to receive suggestions for other bands based on your favorite tracks
- An iPhone application that syncs with your collection
… And more!

We think the site speaks for itself – so please head over there and check it out! http://mideastunes.com

Our mission is to bridge barriers of faith and geography to unite young people committed to fostering constructive discourse in the Middle East through music. The core of the project manifested from our desire to promote bands and musicians that would otherwise never be given a second glance in the international scene. We feel that is because most people would never think to look to regions like the Middle East and North Africa for highly thought provoking music. The need to change this is our driving force. We believe music can change the world and that the musicians of the Middle East and North Africa will lead the way.

Founded in 2010, the site has expanded to serve as a primary resource for discovering up and coming Middle Eastern talents. We’re proud of our quick progress and awaiting to unveil amazing new parternships ahead!

In the meantime, enjoy the tunes and discover the very best of the underground music scene brimming from our region: http://mideastunes.com