As an Arab and a Muslim, there was nothing much I can benefit from what Obama has to say. I’m so tired of these tedious speeches and words and praises and promises that no one, including the target audience, ever lives up to. Despite not watching this speech due to lack of interest, I sat down on Twitter and was frankly disgusted at the hype, the way people were mindlessly cheering his words on, as if they don’t understand the sources of our issues to begin with. Suddenly Obama was here to “fix things,” while reducing our problems to the size of a footnote.

I support Obama, at least in comparison to his war-mongering colleagues. But we don’t need his leadership, or anyone else’s for that matter. Feeling hopeful and optimitic should start with believing in yourself, not in some other leader whom we cannot rely on. Obama’s administration certainly helps by not bombing us to oblivion, but it ends there. His team won’t mobilize millions of people into sincere action for the benefit of their societies. That’s up to us, and the inspiration is not going to come from a foreign leader who is unaware of the true magnitude of what any of us are going through. It’s going to come from your neighbour, your classmate, your favorite blogger, your local activist. It’s going to come from involving ethnic and religious minorities in shaping our own future. It’s going to take a whole nation to truly inspire serious and positive outcomes, but in the end, the change you take pride in will be of your own making, and that’s what matters.

If each person makes a consistent commitment to actual, homegrown change within our countries, you would be building an indestructible society that NO leader can destroy. Foreign or local. That’s what we want, a society we can rely on, a community we can turn to for support as opposed to further oppression, a mentality that encourages growth. Outside influence is destructive in this regard, they are completely powerless, but some tend to think otherwise, which I feel is arrogant. No foreign government can “fund” our progress.

I’m all for hope and optimism, but political naivité makes me ill. One thing is for certain: We’re on our own. The Obama team are not going to solve the crimes and injustices that we witness every day of our lives. Obama is a fine president so far, and should be thanked and encouraged for speaking widely against the abuses of the “war on terror” and referring to us in a tone that doesn’t reek of bigotry and racism. But in a few years his administration will be replaced. And then what?

Everything is entirely up to us. You can applaud to these kinds of speeches all you want, but realize that none of it is a reality or is representitive of who we are and how we think. We decide that.

Obama will give these speeches over and over again in the coming years.

Are we going to obsess over each?

While he talks, injustices will double and triple. And the sources of these crimes aren’t just from our governments. We have severe societal issues throughout the Middle East that leaders themselves have little control over. These include anything from women’s rights to free speech to minority issues.

And these continue not only because of our truly incompetent and self-serving leaders but also because frankly, not enough of us are taking action, and keep waiting for that “savior.” That one leader who can change everything. Well guess what, that person is you.

You should be extremely hopeful that change will definitely occur. But you should also be just as hopeful that you’re good enough to create it yourself: and it’s NOT going to start with a political revolution, or simply overthrowing a government with another. It first starts with changing the perceptions of those around you in favor of all human rights and the society that you wish to live in.

You don’t need anyone else. You certainly don’t need the support of some foreign government that doesn’t understand you and your needs. You just need to be hopeful about what YOU as a person can achieve and give back to your country. And if you can’t do that, you can’t expect anyone else to. This is our responsibility.

President Barrack Obama has announced his support to an agreement between the USA and the UAE whereby nuclear energy technology would be shared amongst the two nations. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan has also released a statement.

Both letters can be read Here.

What reprecussions do you think this will have to the GCC nuclear program? And will this help with managing use of nuclear energy in the Middle-East?

Dreamers and Believers, Changing Reality

If happiness is contagious, then I hope this article is a carrier. I was honored to attend a Jewish-Palestinian dialog event in San Francisco where four panel members, two Palestinians, and two Israelis talked about their experience with the peace process. And there is not much that makes me happier than meeting people dedicated to promoting peace and unity.

The event was organized by the Jewish-Palestinian Living Room Dialogue Groups of San Mateo and San Francisco, and the Shinnyo-en Foundation. Before the event started, I noticed a quote on one of the exhibits next to the stage: “Most of life is not visible to us.” It is true, isn’t it? We only see the tip of the iceberg, only a fraction of what others carry within to the extent that they open up and share it with us. So it was a great privilege that the four panelists Mohammed Issa Abufayyad, Ilana Meallem, Huda Abu Arquob, and Elad Vazana shared their stories with us.

Elad Vazana was the first speaker, and his story reminded me of Paulo Coelho’s Alchemist, a book about following your dream. It was a dream that led Elad to his transformation and peace work. But before that, there was the first part of the journey. He says he was raised in fear of Arabs, didn’t know any for a very long time, and was just afraid they would stab him in the back had they gotten a chance. He joined the IDF when he was 18, serving as a tank commander. It seemed that this memory was still haunting him.

Later, when working in a high tech company in Tel Aviv, he thought that it was the government’s problem to resolve the conflict. But then came the dream, and it took him to Granada, Spain, a place where Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived together peacefully for centuries. Thinking that if something like this is possible in Spain, it should be possible in Israel, Elad returned home in 2002, and started contacting schools about possibilities of working with youth and engaging them in the peace process.

Elad expressed his great belief in the power of youth - “they can change the world,” he said.  He organizes camps, attended by youth before joining their mandatory military service. The youth create amazing friendships, and this experience transforms their attitudes. When the audience got a chance to ask questions later, one of them asked somewhat skeptically “Are you realistic or are you dreamers?” Elad’s response was another question: “How do you change reality?” “You have to dream to change reality,” he added.

Huda Abu Arquob and Elad Vazana

The next speaker was Huda Abu Arquob, a Palestinian Sufi, a director from Abraham’s Vision, an organization that strives to educate youth about the peace process and conflict resolution. She started with these powerful words: “I don’t want to be a victim. I prefer to think of myself as a survivor.” Huda witnessed much violence and oppression when growing up in Hebron.

As the eldest of twelve siblings, she felt special responsibility for them. Huda described how, when she was a teenager, she was very protective of her siblings, and when she learnt about the massacres in Sabra and Shatila, became worried that something similar could happen to them. She kept running over how she would react in her mind, trying to decide whether it was better to die first, so she does not have to see her younger siblings die, or go last, so that she can be there as a support for them. Huda described how deeply she was affected by these tragic events; how she kept thinking about the last moments of the people who died there. “No teenager should ever have to go through this,” she said.

Huda describes herself a teacher informed and guided by her Sufi beliefs. She earned her BA degree while raising her eleven siblings, and later became a Fulbright scholar in the United States. As to her own transformation, she described an important experience with an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint. The soldier was talking to her in Hebrew in an aggressive way, and got very surprised when Huda asked him to speak in English. “So you have schools that teach you English? Have you been to America?” he asked. It turned out that both Huda and the soldier visited Boston, and that was the moment of connection. The soldier started telling her how he is here against his own will, and does not really believe in this division between the people.

That moment helped Huda realize that she is powerful, that she can affect change just by being herself, by helping others discover their shared humanity. “Listen to everybody,” she said. “If we cannot listen to other human beings, we cannot hear the voice of the Supreme.” And what was Huda’s answer to the question about dreaming and reality? “I don’t like labels.” Hats down to that.

Mohammed Issa Abufayyad and Ilana Meallem

The theme of spirituality permeated the evening. Ilana Meallem, a young Jewish Israeli woman who grew up in the UK draws on her deep belief in Judaism in her work. Ilana’s parents immigrated to UK from Egypt, where they witnessed various forms of discrimination. Like Elad, Ilana was raised in fear of Arabs. Her family’s new life in UK did not bring them safety however. Ilana’s brother was stabbed on a bus in front of her eyes, and her father was beaten up on his way to a synagogue. Since her teenage years Ilana dreamt of living in a safe place where she would be accepted. As soon as she could, Ilana left for Israel, and volunteered for the Israeli Air force, and then, for two years she was involved in reconnaissance efforts.

Only after leaving the army, and meeting Arab people, Ilana came to a realization that it is possible to make friendships. She went to live with the Bedouin Arab community for several months, and being accepted by this community proved a highly transformative experience. She now works for the Arava Institute for Environmental studies, and travels across the Middle East, meeting with people to promote peace. Often, she is the first Jew that they meet.

“I lived in a narrative based on fear, and didn’t think what was behind those walls and checkpoints….Israel today is sick Israel. We live in fear,” she said.

When a person from the audience asked how the Jewish panelists reconcile support for their land and support for Palestine, and if they do not then get accused of being traitors, Ilana reiterated how her work is grounded in Judaism, its focus on social justice, and its stress on the importance of unity. There is a belief in Judaism that unity is the secret of this world, and that people must work for it.

Ilana’s answer to the dream and reality question struck a deep chord in me: “I’ve got no idea what the governments are up to, what schemes they want us to buy into. I know that my humble self cannot change or even understand all the politics that goes on behind closed doors, but I can change myself, and by that change affect others. And I absolutely believe that change can happen very fast. You have to dream and believe in that dream.”

One really could not tell that the four panelists belonged to different religions. All of them upheld the essential common beliefs of peace, unity, and hope. Mohammed Issa Abufayyad, the last speaker, is a devout Muslim who grew up in Gaza. Like Huda, he witnessed much violence throughout his life. The first intifada happened when he was in the elementary school; the second when he was in the high school. He lost eight of his cousins, five of them in the course of the last year. His uncle, a father of eight children, was killed at a checkpoint, for no reason.

During the second intifada, Mohammed started working with a Muslim Youth organization and volunteering as a medical rescue worker and this is when he decided to become a doctor. He got a scholarship to study, first in Cairo, and later in the United States. Currently Mohammed is studying physiology as a part of pre-med studies in San Francisco.

Mohammed spoke with great ardor and his wisdom flowed straight from the heart. “Why am I here? I had a chance to get out and meet the ‘others.’ I am here because I believe in peace. It is a part of my belief and culture as a Muslim.”   He pointed out that the reason Israel and Palestine are called the Holy Land is because it holy for Jews, Christians, and Muslims. The Holy Land is not holy without Jews; it is not holy without Muslims, and it is not holy without Christians. He said that choosing violence as a response is easy, but we need to overcome this, we cannot just keep blaming each other.

Mohammed’s answer to the dreamer versus realist question was that “We are believers” he said. To the remark that possibly much of the conflict is caused by ignorance (by not knowing the ‘other side’), he responded that ignorance is not the problem because ignorance is easy to dispel. The problem is an illusion of knowledge. That is much more difficult to overcome.

There were more questions raised in the audience, one being about the two state solution, and whether there is hope for peaceful Palestine given the amount of violence stemming from radical Islam today. Mohammed responded that he believes it is inevitable that two states will be created, but quite likely that in ten years they will become one following the example of Europea. After all, it is not so long ago that Europe was divided by cold war.

Huda added that she would not be interested in Palestine if it were to be declared a Muslim state. Palestine is for Christians and Jews as well. She also highlighted the absurdity of the conflict by saying that the argument isn’t just restricted to Israel and Palestine. That somehow the governments create conflicts and choose enemies to project people’s fears onto. First, during the Cold War, Russia was the enemy, but when the Cold War ended, the attention shifted to Islam, and next, maybe it will be the aliens.

Huda and Ilana

It is important to learn about the injustices committed in this world, but it is at least equally as important to learn about the peace effort. And what can we do? Huda pointed out that the United States is a privileged place. We should use this privilege to do something, to influence the change, and ask our government to stop taking sides, and help create a better power balance in Israel. All the panelists pointed out how we all need hope and the belief that change is possible. We need to keep the fire of hope going, and this gives them support. And, as Elad said, “I found a place of hope when I started doing something.”

More pictures from the event are available on flickr.

“”Rejecting the god of their fathers, the neo-pagans who dominate the media serve as lackeys at the terrorists’ bloody altar,” - Ralph Peters.

Retired US Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters wrote an interesting article for the Journal of International Security Affairs, which is part of the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs. Peters argues that journalists aren’t impartial and often ‘take a side, and that side is rarely ours.”

Ralph Peters (islam-projekte.com)

Peters therefore thinks that in the future journalists could (or should) become military targets. “Although it seems unthinkable now, future wars may require censorship, news blackouts and, ultimately, military attacks on the partisan media. Perceiving themselves as superior beings, journalists have positioned themselves as protected-species combatants. But freedom of the press stops when its abuse kills our soldiers and strengthens our enemies.”

Ralph Peters say that in warfare only one thing matters: Win - even if this means using the same tactics as the enemy. “If you cannot win clean, win dirty. But win.” As an example he gave the American bombing of Hiroshima in WWII. Peters is convinced that Israel lost the war against Hezbollah and Hamas, because journalists were in favour of these none-state actors. This while Palestinian activists often complain about the pro-Israeli side of the western media in the Netherlands.

Peters earlier caused a lot of fear in Turkey in 2006 (Sevres paranoia), when he promoted his map ‘blood borders’ to redraw the map of the Middle-East, with off course a Kurdish state carved out of the Turkish borders.The map was also shown during a NATO-meeting in Rome, which resulted in a walkout of Turkish officers. Later the Pentagon apologized for the map.

No one can deny how influential the Israeli Lobby in the US is. AIPAC that started in the 1950’s have evolved and shaped US politics in the Middle East for the past 50 years. The lobby is very influential in Washington DC in particular and has further influence on American media and the movie industry. To name a few, FOX News and News Corp that owns more than 50% of Radio stations in North America which successfully sends negative messages and miss conceptions about Arabs and Muslims to the American people.

AIPAC and the war Lobbies united in push for $200 MILLION campaign for a war against Iran. And just before the last election a notorious ad in the Boston Globe, cheering on the Israeli bombing of Lebanon, was engineered by the Jewish Community Relations Council, an arm of AIPAC. Every major political figure in the state of Massachusetts signed the ad, including “liberal” governor, Deval Patrick.

AIPAC also promoted the U.S. support for Israel’s War against Lebanon and Gaza, and pushed for the “Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006″ in the congress which restricted humanitarian aid to Gaza.

And recently, the UK’s Guradian published this article about AIPAC attempts to stop shift in White House Middle East policy Article Here A clear sign that President Obama and his new administration play a major threat for AIPAC. But Obama, and before him Bill Clinton and GW Bush and many more endorsed AIPAC as a strategic partner.

AIPAC is not just an issue for Jewish Americans or the Jewish wing of the peace movement like Jewish Voice for Peace; it is a major force, although not the only one, driving the U.S. to wars in the Middle East. AIPAC is no less a force for war than is the Republican National Committee. In fact it is worse, because it sinks its teeth into the foreign policy establishment of both parties, perhaps the Democrats more so than the Republicans. If the peace movement is to be worth its salt, then it must take action against AIPAC.

But why does it matter for Jewish and non Jewish Americans to support the little state of Israel that is as small as Long Island. The US provides annual financial Aid to Israel on an average of 5 Billion dollars of US tax payer’s money, while the US Economy, Education system, Health care and more than 50 million uninsured Americans are suffering the most. Today a study has found that 17% of US children under the age of 5 may face hunger.

At a glance, it may seems that Israel is protecting US interests in the region, but I find it more compelling that the power of AIPAC lays on making sure Israel survives as a country. And since Israel was formed on Zionism methodologies that were considered a few years ago by the UN as a terrorist movement, Israel was created on the ruins of a whole nation and its people who lived in Peace on their own land. AIPAC methodology is that Israel must survive.

Some see AIPAC as a powerful rich force in US politics but I see it differently. I see AIPAC as a movement that is unease with the continuation existence of an odd state in the Middle East. I see AIPAC as a threat to the Peace process, the Palestinians, the Jews and most importantly a threat to US interests.

Some references:
The Israel Lobby? by Noam Chomsky
The Israel Lobby by Stephen Walt
Who’s the dog? Who’s the tail? by Uri Avnery

wrmea.com
globalexchange.org
alawda.rso.wisc.edu
wikipedia.org

*****

From a general point of view, it seems that Iran’s Deterrence Power is based on 4 basic principles:

1- Avoiding trusting international entities

Considering International Entities and Agencies as ‘means of International Imperialism to Conquer World’ dates back to the very beginning of Islamic Revolution. Iraqi Experience, however, has made Iranian military strategists even more determined not to trust such agencies. According to these strategists, Saddam’s regime for more than a decade cooperated with International Agencies responsible for monitoring production and maintaining its arsenal and these agencies neutralized Saddam’s military capabilities to a great extent. Finally, when they succeeded in completely inactivating Saddam’s arsenal, Bush administration waged a war on Iraq in the name of Weapon of Mass Destruction which never existed at all.

2- Deterrence out of Iranian borders

According to IRI strategists, another important lesson of Iraqi Experience is about encountering Stronger Enemy. They believe that Saddam’s strategy based on encountering occupiers inside Iraqi borders was bound to fail. To avoid similar failure, IRI strategists have maintained that in the case of an American attack on Iran, war zone will be determined by Iran. It means that in the case of war, the aggression will not be limited to Iran, but would include Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Palestine, Gulf countries, as well as other places. That is because, IRI strategists claim, America has offered Iranians some kind of Potential Hostages in the region. In addition to Iran’s own military capabilities, there are some possible allies who would help Iran fight against US in other parts of the region. Even some non-Shiite groups might be eager to help Iran. And this point can help decipher why some statement made by Iranian Officials about Holocaust, Wiping Israel off the Map, etc. Such statements were welcomed by millions of Muslims who hate Israel and are frustrated by other Muslim rulers who ‘are not man of their words.’

3- Getting Ready to Take Maximum Risks in Worst Cases

Iran normally prefers no military invasion. However, IRI strategists believe that Iran should be ready to pay ‘every’ price to make the enemy suffer maximum loss. For example, Iranians are supposedly ready to embrace martyrdom, i.e. to fight to their last drop of blood. In modern wars in which modern capabilities can make patriotism fruitless, such statements may be underestimated. However, Embracing Martyrdom translates into ‘Taking Every Possible Risk’ and that is what, IRI strategists believe, US can’t afford at all.

4- Maximum Preparedness inside Iran

Maximum Preparedness not only includes arranging for Asymmetric War and Passive Defense but also requires eliminating Fifth Column. IRI strategists believe that Iraq’s failure in First Gulf War did not lead to overthrowing Saddam’s regime for a simple reason: there was no alternative to Bathi Government. Hence, as long as there is no alternative to IRI, even a military failure can not lead to regime change. That is why removing every possible alternative would be on IRI agenda in the case of American-led war.

Yes , I as your read in the title I am shouting 6 years has passed since the US troops inter under the name of collation forces in to Baghdad , this time 6 years ago we were attach to the radios after the Americans destroyed the electricity stations in Baghdad ,we were listening to the news about how the Iraqi army was fighting the American marines in Baghdad airport ,I still remember the Iraqi government Spoks man Said Al-safah shouting in a press conference that we had we had forced the American to withdraw , but things happen so fast ,and few days ago their was no Iraqi government ,or army or police and the Americans where all over Baghdad ,and if you look from the window you will see at the dusk the sun going to sleep making the sky with a pink color while a long tours of smoke are rising from burning Iraqi governmental buildings ,banks door were open ,please just enter and take all the Iraqi fortunes ,thefts rooming Iraqi streets burning stealing while American solders watch from a distance

6 years , Wahoo ,how many Iraq people died ? I do not know ,reports say just 600-800 thousands , and what I saw ,well 1-2 millions , but I men how knows ? Iraq ,well they say we had new Iraq ,even they think security has improved ,and according to BBC latest poll we as Iraqi people are worried on future only ,we are living good just worried what job or economic chances we had , I mean this is the BBC ,they know every thing ,so this should be right ,does not it ?

Well I will talk about my self ,my worries ,my future ,my loses , I know that financially I had no improvements ,in Saddam days I could not offered to buy new cloths or marry or have a car ,know well I got paid 10 times but still not able to find money to life like normal humans in the world ,cause all my income is divided between rent,buying gas for my home electricity generator,buy fuel from black market for cooking and heating ,buying clean water ,food ,paying expensive bill for very slow Internet ,paying the highest minute prices for mobile company that is always had no network ( once I stood in front of the company building and still no network their logo is we are with you wherever you …well they sure do not )
What else , I have complain to the transportation ministry in 2006 to come and connect my house phone line ( in Iraq phone lines are buried under the ground ) which was cut when the ministry of water came to fix the water pipes ,today in 2009 the phone people had not came yet or we had water.

I have tried to find good job ,real good job ,that will make you live the American dream ,Opss sorry means the Iraqi dream , but nothing , you had only government or privet sector to work with ,and privet sector doesn’t have any work ,so they close their business and look for governmental jobs , and governmental jobs are like prison ,you had to be their in 8 morning and leave at 4 in the afternoon ,and if you lie ,steal ,good in making conspiracies , forging buying receipts ,you had a good governmental future ,they may send you for training out side Iraq ,but in case you are a good boy ,well you may have to lay law and keep your mouth shut

What else ,we had like a million party in Iraq ,no but I mean even the man how seal groceries can open a party , which is good ,but I mean non of them in the past 6 years had tell us what is their economical or health or education or labor or pensions plans ? but they all say they are for unity ,reconciliation ,non-sectarian polices ,security ,human rights , freedom ,democracy ,reconstruction, and of course anti-corruption ? so my question if they all had the same goals ,same strategy ,same logos ,why so many ? can not they unit together ? and why when they reach positions in the parliament or the city councils they spend all the time blaming each others on all the bad things in Iraq ? why they only are able to agree on their pensions plans and their salaries laws but spend months arguing Iraqi people pensions ,salaries and social security ( which I do not think we had ), and my final big question ,why in God name we had all those people fighting against corruption ,but amnesty international had us in the tope of most corrupted countries in the world for ,how many years ,3 or 4 ?

Well , I do not know ,since 2003 I lost 4 friends , all of them where 24-25 years old when they die .killed yes all of them killed ,I lost my auntie also she was 45 and she die fro cancer ,they had no fast technology to detect cancer in Iraq ,especially breast or ovarian cancer , so the Iraqi health system took her in very long painful trip between hospital to hospital searching for good doctors ( all had escaped Iraq) or searching for medicine ,she had to travel from Kirkuk to mousl to have her radiation shoots cause we had no center in the area ,imagine you had to travel 5 hours to get chemotherapy and return to your house in the same day with all the radiation beaming from you because they had no beds in the hospital , this is in 2008 ,in 1997 when Iraq was under siege of food or medicine ,Iraqi hospitals cure lung carcinoma ( cancer of the lung) , but this is life

Any way more stuff , I have been invited to many Iraqi conferences ,meet sweet Iraqi people interested in building the country , doing good job really , they are called Iraqi civil society ,of course not all of them nice people ,some are really sectarian ,others are working as cover to the government ,others are not very transparent or honest ,but in the middle of all this there is serious people doing marvelous work ,they were the ones who filled the empty space of government in humanitarian aid during 2003 till today , but few days ago I read the Iraqi government is writing this new law to them ,which will make the government like give them the ok to receive founds from organizations ,and allots of new regulations that make it really hard for them to work ,they will be like a governmental civil society just without pension plan like the nice people in the parliament

But it is not all black ,last week Baghdad university celebrate the graduation of the 2009 class ,people who enter collage after 2003 ,today graduate, they have to find jobs to eat ,but Iraq had only oil as source of income ,and since the world economic crises we hear Iraqi officials telling us ( DO NOT PANIC WE WILL PAY YOUR SALARIES THIS YEAR ) and I was like ,ok ,was it spouse some way you will not pay ? and why should I panic ? is there is something wrong ? yes ,it seems our financial people had some problems in making a budget for Iraq and our leaders had some arm twisting to each others in the parliament to let it pass this easy , so when you read in the news paper an interview with Iraqi Minster of interior and he explain how we had defeated the insurgents and al-qada ,you will not enjoy happiness long as he explain that he had to let 26ooo security man go cause he had money !!! well my question hear ,what the 26000 man will do ? this is a small army for GOD name ,they will find job at KFC chain or something ? Opss again forget ,we had no KFC or BIG Mac or all the commercial brands of any thing in Iraq ,cause the international world is still not sure of Iraq security ,so return to the 26000 man ,they will go home or make a small army or a militia or what ?
6 years ,had past ,I heard Iraqi government is planning to close the Iraqi displaced people file ,GREAT, did they go home ? not really only 40% or something ,and the rest 60% ?well they had to understand that the tents ,tin houses they are living in today are their houses , good for the 2 million Iraqi just displaced inside Iraq ,but I know there is about 4 millions enjoying the hospitality of the rest of the world outside Iraq ,well some are returning just because they did not get asylum ,but all the people I know had not ,in fact you hear more Iraqi people are trying to escape Iraq ,
I know that from my graduation class of 2001 we had 4 deaths ,15 been kidnapped and disappeared after paying heavy ransoms ,and 22 escaped Iraq , 16 left Baghdad to Kurdistan ,33 left to najaf and karbla , the rest I do not know but I had only seen 5 of my class in Baghdad in the last 3 years and I go to all the events in our graduates union or in the university ,and non of the people who had left Baghdad plan to return in the next 10 years ,

So ,did the Iraqi liberation operation brought us peace ? no , did it freedom ? yes ,but can I speak this freely if I was like facing audience in a conference or in street or in my religious place ? we are free to express on the Internet , but even this is becoming dangerous ,as Iraq taken number 1 in journalist killed and bloggers disappeared in the world

Did they brought us democracy ? well yes but semi-democracy ,because the people who won in the election had to face the aliens of the powerfully losers in the last election ,and also democracy give us all the right to nominate our self in election ,but if I entered with 10000 dollars budget for a campaign and some Minster or governor or Mayer enter using police forces to distribute his posters with an open budget of millions of dollars ,who will win ( and in fact I had only 100 droller I was counting for your donations for the rest 9900 dollars for my campaign ) , I mean I saw one candidate distributing laptops to people to elect him ,good if john McCain distributed laptops he will be now sitting in the white house!!

6 years , in which we saw our country destroyed ,torn apart ,destroyed and we are divided into groups minorities and whatever God knows else !! we had only the power to pray for better tomorrow ,the patient to wait for someone to have the courtesy of standing for our rights to live like humans ,and the Internet for free expression

6 years had passed on the American entering Baghdad , the were expecting flours and greetings we were expecting human rights and better life ,they got bolts and bombs and we got this long space of time waiting for this nightmare to end which we call our Iraqi life

Why I was there:

I was on a speaking tour organized and sponsored by the Highest Common Denominator (HCD), whose co-founder saw my presentation in Oman in 2007 and really respects our work here and what we’ve built from scratch. She also values our independence and has organized this trip with her colleagues as a way to generate more awareness and support about the issues we extensively cover with our projects as well as our sincere commitment for change in the Middle East as people who rely on ourselves for our future and not on foreign intervention or foreign NGOs.

I was initially invited to be a panelist for the Clinton Global Initiative University to be a part of a panel called “Leveraging Technology to Alleviate Poverty.” The co-panelists were the founders of CellBazaar and Frontline SMS. So it was a real honor being a part of that panel represeting MideastYouth.com and FreeKareem.org

But HCD felt it was important for me to take advantage of my trip to the USA and be a part of things beyond this panel, hence why I was gone for 3 weeks and not just the 2 days I was scheduled to be there for.

Where I was:

I had speaking engagements in educational institutions throughout the country, making appearances in all of the following schools and universities:

While in CA I also had useful meetings with:
YouTube
Flip
The co-founder of what is the revolutionary (in my opinion) DotSpots
Some employees from Facebook
And a few students working on their tech startups in San Francisco.

I was supposed to also speak at Northwest High School in Justin, Texas, but the school district withdrew the request for participation. Apparently one parent thought I was anti-American, dangerous, and inappropriate, and felt it was more appropriate to censor me and refuse my communication to the students who were actually excited to have me there, according to one of the teachers. Some students have contacted me expressing their concern, that one parent can make a decision like that affecting the entire student body and preventing them from such events. I agree, and I hope some students will take action.

When we requested further information on my ban from the school, apparently the parent has visited the site and the content did not appeal to him, as some members, including myself, were criticizing U.S foreign policy (like millions of Americans do on a daily basis, including the current U.S President) and specifically my concern over AIPAC’s impact on American politics. I have no idea why something like this makes me anti-American and prevents me from entering a high school, would I make an attempt to even visit them if I was hateful and dangerous?

My talks to the high school students were not political, I should add, they were purely educational and dealt exclusively with digital media and culture in general and had nothing to do with my personal opinions. The majority of students really liked it and I felt really excited to be there.

In any case that was not representative of Texas. That was one bad experience out of 5 really great ones in high schools throughout the state. The students were appreciative and eager to help and learn more, that’s all that matters to me.

In summary, there’s been a lot of traveling back and fourth, and it wasn’t easy getting around the USA with my Bahraini passport. We were meeting with absolutely anyone we can think of and I think every stop we made was worth it despite how exhausting it was. At some point I’ve been giving as much as 2 or 3 talks per day, for more than an hour each, while jetlagged and a bit car sick. But I’ve learned and gained so much experience and feel I’m prepared to do anything now.

I wasn’t surprised by the amount of Arabs and Iranians in New York and California in particular but the amount was higher than I expected. I’m glad I had the opportunity to meet some of them.

I want to thank everyone involved in making this possible, and all the great students I had the opportunity to meet. I want to also thank Bita for hosting me at her family’s home in Texas, where I experienced the first Baha’i prayer when her family prayed for my safety was as well as the 7 Baha’i leaders currently on trial in Iran. As a Muslim this meant a lot to me. I had no idea I’d end up with Iranian Baha’is in Texas of all places but it’s a memory I’ll cherish and I’m inspired to work harder for Baha’i human rights.

I want to thank YouTube and Flip for expressing their support and willingness to help us, and for being willing to hear about our needs when it comes to circumventing censorship.

I feel empowered and inspired with all the encouragement and I know I met some lasting contacts. Now I’m back home in Bahrain and ready to work hard on our upcoming projects.

PS. Our minority map was very timely and allowed me to easily express how diverse we are, and how different (culturally, politically, socially and otherwise) each country within the region is, and how we ourselves experience culture shocks too when we cross the borders to different places.

“To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society’s ills on the West, know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

A clear message to the region that change is coming and this time it is not destruction but building bridges of trust based on mutual interests. The next day, Obama called the presidents of the Palestinian Authority, Israel, Egypt & Jordan. He appointed George Mitchell to be the US convey to the Middle East.

On the eve of Mitchell’s first mission, Obama appeared on Al Arabiya, the Saudi owned News channel, and spoke frankly about his plans in the Middle East, his ties to Islam and the Muslim world, and clearly stated that America is not an enemy for Muslims.

Though Arabs & Muslims do not hate Americans; but they have feelings of resentment for America’s double standards role when it comes to the Palestinian – Israeli conflict.

But my deep concern is the leadership in the Middle East, are they going to let Obama down? Do we have serious leadership who would take his initiative a step forward?

So far, the Arab World has two democracies, Lebanon and the Palestinian Authority. Both are constantly attacked by Israel, and suffer Political divide. The rest are illegitimate non elected dictatorships and ailing monarchies that have been in power for too long. The last war on Gaza has weakened the positions of these governments where those leaders have failed to listen to the growing angry voices and dissatisfaction of the public opinion and intellectuals. Egypt has lost its Political weight in the region, because of its negativity during the Gaza war. Syria is still testing its waters with the new US administration. Lebanon is too busy with the coming elections and the role of Hezbollah in the country. Iraq is anticipating the withdrawal plan, and the rich Gulf States are hoping to improve their relation with the US.

As for the Palestinian Authority, the situation is complex. We have Fatah who have a very bad reputation regarding their corruption and the misuse of Public money to their own interests. Many leading figures in the region have expressed their concern about Fatah and wither they will ever deliver the Aid that will be sent for Gaza.

As for Hamas, they became more popular after the war that hasn’t affected their military power. Hamas have lost their political wisdom to become partners with any Palestinian party in the future. They lack Political leadership, vision and agenda.

Israel & America should reconsider negotiating Fatah & Hamas together or they will have to look for new leadership which currently does not exist. There are many parties involved in this conflict and each party plays the Palestinian card all to their interests & agenda.

The Palestinian issue is more complex than to be solved by one Presidential term in the White House and Peace will require a lot of sacrifices from all sides. Until then, the whole Arab world is watching Obama closely and with admiration.

Bita Haidarian, an award-winning Iranian American filmmaker fresh out of film school, sets off on a journey around the world to answer the big questions – who am I, where do I come from, and where can a girl find a good laser hair removalist?

Born in America to Baha’i refugee parents from Iran, Bita tells the tragic-comic story of her family coming to America, her childhood in Texas, trying to fit in, and competitive cheerleading – all part of the quest of a girl who knows more about MTV than Al Jazeera.

Read more about the film on the Facebook fan page.

In this podcast, we discuss:

Amongst other things!

Here’s a promo of Finding Bibi:

SELECTED SCENES_PROMO

Thanks Bita for your amazing work and we wish you great luck in completing the rest of this film. You have our support all the way!

What had previously been considered a more developed district has been overtaken by the Taliban over the last 18 months. Approximately 184 schools were destroyed by the Taliban, 120 of which had been girls’ schools. Women who had come to know progressive reform were now threatened with death for shopping alone.

Swat used to be called the “Switzerland of the East” but is now referred to by the people as “the land of the terrorists.” The economy has collapsed, and parents don’t feel safe sending their children to school. The Taliban have targeted politicians, police, and reporters with a hit list, and 47 local politicians, leaders and activists have been ordered to appear before the Taliban court, or else. Dozens have already been killed. The local police have been systematically wiped out, their numbers shrinking from 1700 police officers down to 300.

There is widespread belief in Swat that the Pakistani military has struck a deal with the militants, and is therefore not going out of its way to defeat them. However, military officers point to the difficulty of fighting militants who position themselves among civilians. Some question the military’s commitment in the face of the ferocity of the Taliban’s fight. Yusufzai, the Peshawar editor of The News International says that “…these militants are willing to die while the soldiers are trying to save their lives.” Political activists accuse the military of supporting camps in tribal areas where militants receive training. The Awami National Party’s Gohar says that in her opinion, “If we want peace and prosperity in Pakistan, we cannot go around killing people in other countries, or sending in extremists and militants from our soil.”

Why is any of this important to the rest of us? We don’t live in Swat Valley, do we?

In the wake of 9/11, U.S. foreign policy has focused on regime change in Afghanistan and Iraq. All sorts of justifications have been offered for these policies, some of which have been proven to be false. But in the meantime, these two brutal wars continue to rage on, with no clear outcome in sight. And the conflict between Israel and Palestinians continues unabated as well. The recent military campaign in Gaza is just another case in a long string of military volleys back and forth.

America and Israel have faced an onslaught of international criticism as a result of their military activities, and the suffering such activity brings upon innocent civilians. And it is fitting that a world which calls itself civilized, should be repulsed by violence, and should be able to speak out against the brutality of military action, and in favor of justice for the innocent. After all, what does it mean to be civilized if it is not justice we seek? All this is true. And it is true as well that both America and Israel, who do share a strong connection based on common values, similar circumstances, and mutual interest, have gone overboard at times, with regard to excessive violence, and have wavered with regard to strategy, and with regard to their ultimate goals. In a very real sense, I doubt whether either Israel or the U.S. has a clear picture of what their ultimate goals really are.

But in the midst of all this uncertainty, one thing is pretty certain; the ideological extremists do indeed know what they want, and are emboldened by ideological conviction to get it. It is easy to get so wrapped up in criticizing the U.S. and Israel, that we lose sight of that. And yet, much as we hesitate to admit it, confronting the extremists is absolutely necessary, if we don’t want our countries to delve into the hell that is Swat Valley.

Context is important. For example, stealing is wrong. That’s true. But a mother stealing bread to feed her starving children is less wrong. Isn’t it? Killing civilians is wrong. That’s true. But killing civilians unintentionally in defense of one’s freedom is less wrong. Isn’t it? There are certain questions which have to be answered, and certain decisions which have to be made, even if they bring into question the very moral fiber of our being. Is there a threat to Western civilization posed by ideological extremists? Is this a threat we choose to confront? Do we use the means to confront this threat, even if it means that innocent people will be killed in the process?

These are hard questions, and the answers will be even harder for many of us to stomach. It goes against the grain of who we are. Many of us are idealistic, caring people, and it is exceedingly difficult for us to accept the profound nature of the evil we face, and the injustice that will be necessary to defeat it. And yet, the evil still stands lurking in the shadows. It will not go away quietly into that good night. It will remain and grow until we find the courage and the wisdom to confront it head on, with the same tenacity that emboldens the extremism we face.

I, for one, happen to believe that there is a great deal we could do, short of violence, to weaken the hold of extremist thinking. I believe in speaking to the man on the street with common sense and with a sense of personal dignity. I believe in investing in him; in giving him a place at the table, a stake in his future, by creating good paying jobs: jobs which grow the economy, jobs which protect the environment, and jobs which help to neutralize an ideology of hate. I believe in inspiring him with a Vision of Hope. I believe in sustaining the hope with public diplomacy.

All that is fine and good, but it will not be enough in and of itself. We will have no choice but to fight. Unfortunately, this is the sad state of affairs in which we find ourselves. We will have to fight because the enemy will not be moved otherwise. And therefore, since we have to fight, and fight hard, we owe it to ourselves to position the fight within a Vision of Hope; to raise the fight on the ground to a higher moral plain by giving the fight a moral clarity of purpose. People will fight harder once they know what they’re fighting for. We are not fighting a “war against terror.” We are fighting a war to realize a Vision of Hope. There’s a big difference.

It is precisely because we have to fight, that we also have to invest. Our willingness to invest in the man on the street will give us, and people who choose to partner with us, including moderate Muslims, a good measure of credibility, and will embolden us to sustain the fight until the fight is won. The alternative is Swat Valley, an alternative that most of us cannot even afford to consider.

For more information, please visit our website www.sellingavisionofhope.org

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Can you please help spread the word about this? Last Sunday CBS 60 Minutes aired an awesome story to millions of viewers exposing Israeli apartheid and mistreatment against Palestinians. This a rare narrative to find on American television.

CBS is now under attack by anti-Arab/anti-Muslim groups for showing the truth. We must praise CBS, the reporter and producer for their courage and encourage them to remain steadfast.

Please do the right thing, WATCH THE VIDEO AND SEND A THANK YOU EMAIL TO CBS 60 MINUTES NOW.

It will take less than 30 seconds and 1-click.

Thank you.

I just came across the below video (via TalkIslam) titled “Marriages of Convenience” - basically a union in which gay and lesbian couples agree to marry each other in order to keep up appearances and ensure that they’d have the freedom to be with their desired partner. And “appearances” do carry a lot of weight in our communities.

The quality is a little sketchy, but the topic in itself is rather interesting.

Barack Hussein Obama’s reception, as represented in Iranian news media, is quite varied. In this analyses we cover domestic news media (heavily controlled by the Islamic Republic regime), as well as news media which is produced outside of Iran (presumably free of IR prejudice and influence).

If we were to step back to right before the election of Barack Hussein Obama, we would find domestic Iranian news sources’ overwhelming support and preference for him. Not only the so-called “enlightened” journalists in Iran showed overwhelming support for this candidate, but the conservative clergy also included his praise in their weekly Friday sermons. Barack Hussein is an Arabic name, and as such the Regime found vast common ground with this candidate over the other ‘Anglo-saxon—a woman, at that!’ Even before the chain of events that followed the 9/11 Attacks and the American response, heavily influenced by the GOP, the IR regime has long been a supporter of the Democratic Party. This party tends to have soft, if not condoning, policy towards the IR. The choice between these two candidates in the 2009 election was obvious. In fact the only point missing from IR’s Obama critique was his relevance to the country he will be president of—the USA. His only priority, as the IR claimed, was Muslims and the Muslim world. In summation, the irony of IR support as presented in the press for Obama, was that it often crossed political and ideological lines: the “enlightened” journalists favored him, as did the conservative clergy.

One of the most widely-read newspapers in Iran, Hamshahree (“fellow citizen”), overtly supported the streamline support of an Obama presidency until the 5th of November, 2008. Once Obama actually managed to win the elections, it took very little time for the newspaper, as well as IR streamline rhetoric, to criticize Obama as they have any other president of the “Great Satan” [a euphemism for the United State of America]. In one particular article, we read of Iran’s secretary of state, Manouchehr Mottaki, guiding and/or warning Obama of the “new Middle East.” “Reiterating a statement made in the Islamic Conference, Mottaki said, ‘The American government is in need of new Middle-East specialists.’” Accepting what is deemed as Obama’s apology for the past administration, Mottaki implied that diplomatic relations may be eased. However, upon further questioning on the topic of a new US policy in the higher IR circles, Mottaki took the same stance as the regime’s past quarter century, of doubt and caution. “We prefer to wait and see what actually happens in US foreign policy.” Again, the effects of an Obama presidency on the American people themselves seems lost in the many articles written on this topic.

Iranians is a bi-weekly publication, in Persian, for Iranians residing in the United States of America. It is one of the highly regarded news sources for Iranian immigrants—especially those who cannot understand English. Coverage of the Obama election in Iranians was heavily biased in his support. Rarely, if ever, would one find criticism of Obama in the past few months. Most articles mainly focus towards the consequences awaiting Iranian-Americans as the result of an Obama presidency. Generally biased towards “leftist tendencies,” the editorials in Iranians do sometimes voice a general distrust of politicians from either end of the spectrum. This may be easily recognized as a result of the questionable political activities many Iranian politicians were involved in during the course of the Islamic Revolutoin of 1979. (The revolting public, on more than one occasion, put its faith into a figure who betrayed their political allegiances: some would cite Khomeini as an example as well.) The editorials in Iranians also heavily address policy issues regarding the Iranian immigrant community. These topics include visa policies, or even the level of surveillance Iranians residing in the USA may or may not be under, given the political status quo.

One cannot make a generalization regarding Persian news-sources’ views on the Obama election and presidency. However, it is safe to ascertain a majority biased towards the success of the Democratic party, and Obama. Some may find this a natural sentiment to have by a people who think that the GOP only regards them as members of the “axis of evil”–wether this belief be a misconception or otherwise.

The American Association for Palestinian Equal Rights Foundation (AAPER Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to inform the American public about the human and national rights of the Palestinian people and the role of the United States in the Middle East.

AAPER Foundation was formed in 2003 by an attorney who, while studying human rights law just a few blocks from Capitol Hill during the second Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation, became concerned by congressional resolutions that failed to hold Israel’s government either responsible or accountable for violations of Palestinian human rights.

As an Israeli I support this initiative, and if you value Palestinian human rights and peace then you should too.

This wasn’t an easy path, the struggle began when West Africans were enslaved, kidnapped and shipped to America on boats. They were abused, killed, assassinated and massacred. It began with Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and it wasn’t until Abraham Lincoln who freed the slaves in 1865. But a hundred years later, African Americans were still discriminated. A hundred years later, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his historical speech “I have a Dream”. The struggle didn’t end here; African Americans were subject to massacres by white supremacists in the late 1880’s. They met secretly in 1905 in Niagara Falls to end the racial discrimination. For 11 years, the Civil Rights Movement from 1957 until 1968 was the turning point for African Americans. And in 1964, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act. People like Malcolm X, Rosa Park, Martin Luther King Jr. and the men who sacrificed their lives in the American Civil War, World War I & II, Korea and Vietnam can never be forgotten.

Martin Luther King Jr. said:

“We cannot walk alone.
And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.
We cannot turn back.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last! “

I was glued today to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama. This man has a magical affect on people of all generations. He is very charismatic, calm, smart, and sends positive vibes every time I watch him. He is a self made intellectual, confident and pleasant character leader. He is the hope for millions of Americans and people across the globe that has had it with the state of war and misery in America. Bush left Obama with a legacy of a struggled and weakened Economy, insecurity for millions of Americans and home owners, a devastated war in Iraq & Afghanistan and a reputation of a nation that is badly damaged. The world views the American government as the aggressive bully dominating the world and its oil resources, and putting down economies in Europe and Asia. The world is a mess.

Oh Obama, you have a lot to fix.

But why is my generation in the Middle East hopeful about Obama?

Though some might think that people in the Middle East support Obama because of his skin color or because he was born a Muslim but this is not the case. On the contrary, people here respect Obama because of his values, the values of the founding fathers of America. People respect him because of his character.

Our generation is hopeful that the democracy, freedom of speech, expression and the right for a decent life will prevail in the Middle East. Our people respect the American people but differ with the American government. We have seen years and years of double standards towards our issues that were blindly neglected by the previous Presidents of the US. We are fed up with the US government that keeps supporting our illegitimate regimes on the basis of protecting US interests in the Gulf and the region. The Palestinian question is the most important and vital issue for Arab Muslims and Christians and we are fed with the double standards the US government have with the Israelis, while ignoring our rights for Peace and self determination.

We want a President that will push to implement the Peace Process between the Israelis and Palestinians. We want a President who will build bridges and understanding between the Muslim world and America, and on the basis of mutual benefits and respect. The world has been deeply hurt and separated by the 9/11 tragedy, and it is about time we come together to understand our differences. We want an Obama who will find Bin Laden, talk to Iran & Hamas, end the occupation in Iraq & Afghanistan, and close Guantanamo Bay. We want an Obama who will improve the economy that is making our economies suffer as well.

The path will not be easy, and Obama will find tough opponents in The Capital & DC. He will face heat from AIPAC & corporate America. But rest assures that many people are behind Obama, including my people in the Middle East. So let’s all work together to make this happen, because a journey of a thousand miles requires a single step. The change is coming!

And, maybe pay off some family debts, turn his small New Jersey falafel shop into a fancy restaurant, raise his two motherless children as good Muslims and Americans, insure his sister married in a proper and arranged Muslim marriage to his first cousin, and possibly, if there is time, even find a wife himself.

But Mustafa’s American Dreams, like the American Dreams of many Arabs living in America after Sept. 11, 2001, don’t come easy, and his story, really the story of the Arab American experience today, makes for a compelling drama and one of the best movies about Arab American life I have seen.

Maybe that’s why “American East,” a film made by two professional Arab American actors and producers, was never released into the American movie theaters. Not one major theater would pick the film up and play it to an American audience so lacking in any knowledge about Arab Americans in the post-Sept. 11th world.

The story of the movie itself, written and produced by Hesham Issawi and Sayed Badreya, who plays the film’s main actor, Mustafa, is a part of this American tragedy, which might have been better titled “Shattered American Dreams.”

Yet despite the bias, the bigotry, the absence of major mainstream media coverage and support, and the rejection of the film by a Hollywood industry that is built on hatred of Arab Americans, Issawi and Badreya have produced one hell of a great film that in a dramatic and award winning way tells the inside story of how Arab Americans have been abused and mistreated in this country through the eyes of one man and the people around him.

Though “American East” will not be released in theaters, it was released in DVD format January 20.

Running through the film is Mustafa’s (Badreya) first dream, to open a fancy restaurant in Los Angeles with his friend Sam (Tony Shalhoub), who is Jewish and Egyptian. They both encounter resistance from skeptical locals and families and friends that expose common misunderstandings about Arabs and Islamic cultures as they explore building a business together.

But it gets far more complicated than that.

Mustafa must soon decide if he will take the easy road and succumb to societal pressures or rise above the prejudices and live the American Dream.

There have been several post-9/11 films like “Babel,” “Kingdom of Heaven,” “Syriana,” but all of them have been about the bigger political context, offering a tepid glimpse into the reality of today’s world. “American East” digs much deeper and there are no sacred cows on any side.

This film, though, is powerful. Poignant. And brings everything together in a way the mainstream American audience could better understand the problems that exist around us and that complicate not help the “war on terrorism.”

Mustafa’s life is one of a string of tragedy and problems all related to Sept. 11 and American public fears. He’s done absolutely nothing wrong, but everything he does now looks suspicious. He’s arrested by the FBI and they question him about his friendships and money he donates to help his family back home.

His business, Habibi’s Café, is about to close and is damaged. His business investments are about to fall through. The Arab-Israeli conflict rages in debate among his friends. His family life is collapsing and he worries about whether his children will be able to survive in this society.

Yet, despite all the tragedy that falls upon Mustafa and his family, he manages to say what every Arab American says at the height of their own tragic experiences in this country, “I still believe in this country.”

The film has been compared to Spike Lee’s popular movie “Do the Right Thing.” Like Lee’s film, “American East” tells the story of discrimination and challenge facing African Americans in this country from an African American viewpoint, but also reflecting the reality of Black-White relations.

“American East” exposes the prejudice that exists on all sides, including in the Arab American community. It has a decent reflection of the diversity of the Arab American community itself, although the main focus is about issues facing Muslims and Christian Arabs, who are the majority in the Arab American community, are really a side show in the film. It’s an oversight we experience everyday in Arab American life and that needs to be changed, someday. But until then, this amalgam of Arab American storylines comes together to give the audience a powerful ending.

“American East” touches on many aspects of Arab American life, from the challenges that even face Arab American actors in Hollywood who can either play terrorists in films or not play anyone at all. It explores the reality of a family that lives in the West and embraces Western culture but that still believes it is okay to marry off young single women to older men they have never met and only meet weeks before a marriage ceremony is held.

The film also explores how young Arab American children face the challenges of being singled out because of their race and religion? “Dad, why am I a Muslim? Why is my name Muhammad? Why don’t we celebrate Christmas?” all questions many Arab Muslim children eventually ask their parents.

It’s the same experience that Jewish American children go through, though, and that is one aspect of the film that is very powerful. It shows that the Arab American experience in America today although unique, is also a reflection of the very same experiences that every ethnic and racial immigrant group has faced in settling in this country.

Except for Arab Americans, though, who have been in America from the beginning, their Twilight Zone has been endlessly drawn out and not resolved because of the neverending Arab-Israeli conflict and the suffering of the Palestinian Arab people.

The film is also somewhat experimental, including a cartoon montage depicting a brief history of Islam that Issawi credits to the style of Michael Moore’s 2002 Documentary tary, “Bowling for Columbine.”

And the film also has its critics in the Arab and Muslim community, too, extremists who want all or nothing, and usually end up with nothing every time. A great track record of failure which they proudly hail as success.

The aspect of the film that has upset many Arabs and Muslims is the relationship Issawi crafts between Mustafa and Sam, the Jewish Egyptian businessman who is his longtime friend and now a partner in a business venture that becomes strained by the government questioning, arrests and harassment.

In an interview in the Los Angeles Times, one of the few in the mainstream media, by the way, Issawi touched on the problems he faced.

“Escaping stereotypes and the seething history and politics of the Middle East, especially regarding relations between Jews and Arabs, can get artists into trouble. Issawi’s portrayal of the friendship between Mustafa and Sam, who convinces his Jewish family to partner with Mustafa in a restaurant, angered critics at the Egyptian film festival. Egypt made peace with Israel in 1979, but it is a political pact, not a cultural or artistic one. Films, music and books dealing with “normalization” are often vilified.

“ ‘It was hell,’ Issawi said of the news conference following the screening of ‘American East.’ ‘I was getting attacked by everybody. “How dare you try to make normalization with Israel.” And this was coming from journalists and critics. It was unbelievable. There was hypocrisy to it. I mean, don’t we Egyptians have a peace treaty with Israel?’’ ”

How dare you indeed, Mr. Issawi, make a great movie that tells the truth to everyone, even if everyone doesn’t want to hear the truth at all. That’s the essence of a great film and “American East” is in fact one of the great films that you must see to enjoy, to learn and to understand.

(Ray Hanania is an award winning writer and radio talkshow host in Chicago. He can be reached at www.RadioChicagoland.com or rayhanania@comcast.net.)

I mean I get it, kinda, this is a post Bush America and its quite possible that the zombie of Mussolini could rise from the grave, become elected President of the U.S. and be venerated as the second coming of Christ…I get that.

However lets be a little realistic Obama is a charismatic brotha’ who more than anything else IS a politician, a dirty, dishonest, despicable politician and I know most of you dont want to hear that right now but I think it’s best you set realistic expectations.

This is just a short list of things I’ve randomly overheard in Chicago regarding Obama.

Pre-Election

A Black lady at the counter at 7-11. You voting?
Me Uhh Yea.
Black lady, pointing at her Obama pin You better vote for that black man right there!

A bum on the street dancing and singing. Ooooooooooo baaaaaaaa maaaaaaaa! Oh yes Oooooooo baaaaaaaa maaaaaaaa, yo can I have a dollar?

A black lady talking to another black lady on the train See what I’m sayin girl, white people are scared of Obama but he’s gonna make everything right!

Post Election

Black girl day after the election at Foot Locker How do you feel about our new President? ( with a huge smile on her face )
Me Uhhh, glad Bush is almost gone.
Black girl How do you feel that your new President is Black?
Me Excuse me? How am I supposed to feel? How do you feel that he’s half white?
Black girl (no answer, just an angry stare)
Me ….do you have these in a size 13?

Mexican girls at a pizza place when a news clip of Obama come on the TV Yo, yo, Salena…look its OBAMA!!!!

A customer service representitive talking to me on the phone from the Philippines How are you today sir did you watch the inauguration today?
Me Seriously? No I was sleeping, did you?
Customer service Rep. Oh yes of course, they put it on in the office for us.
Me Awesome, so can you fix my computer or what?

A trendy liberal yuppie walking out of the elevator talking to her friend Oh my God, did you see the inauguration…did you see OBAMA!?!?!? I’m gonna downloaded it so I can watch it whenever I want!

Seriously, what is wrong with all these people, have they lost their damn minds!? Is Obama sneaking into their bedroom at night and giving them sweet lovin’? If you have a political crush on Obama I’m sorry to pee in your pool, you might not be as cynical as I am but you’ll get it eventually.

Dear Mr. Barack Hussein Obama,

We, members of the “Afghanistan’s Students Movement” congratulate you for your success in the Presidential elections of the United States of America, which we consider a sign for a better future. Your presence in the political arena of the world will rearrange many political equations and will create a different system that we hope can bring about the opportunity for global peace. We are optimistic that you, not only as an aware political organizer, but also as a charismatic and wise leader, will be the initiator of another generation of powerful leaders committed to human values that the world has been waiting for.

Let us admit this honestly: We have all lost hope. The flame of hope that had been lightened in our hearts after year 2001 in Afghanistan has been transformed to a blind knot of doubt and darkness due to the misleading policies and political disability in Afghanistan. The hope and will to live has decreased in last six years while terrorism and drug production has increased. The highest rates of mother and infant mortality are in Afghanistan, (MMR 6500 in Badakhshan). For every four kids, one dies before reaching age five. (Afghanistan Human Development report 2007 p.27).

Poverty, social disorder, kidnapping, violence against women and children and many of other problems have struck the heart of society in Afghanistan. We think that your attention and focus in Afghanistan should shift from the Taliban’s terrorism to Afghanistan’s society. Our society is in such a painful and deteriorating situation that it has inevitably become a cradle for terrorism and fundamentalism. We should not forget that Afghanistan has been a victim of the West’s struggle against communism, a struggle that continued for two decades with the resistance of people of Afghanistan and saved the countries in region and world, a resistance that left nothing for Afghanistan’s people but a malfunctioning social system, more than two million dead, five million emigrants, three illiterate generations, fundamentalism and wide poppy fields.

We have no doubt that the neglect by the international community and USA after the departure of Soviet forces, and the fall of the Communist state led to civil war and then emergence of Taliban in Afghanistan. This neglect provided an opportunity for development of the most dangerous and darkest fundamentalist regime on the globe in Afghanistan in less then seven years.

The attention of the international community and especially the United States should shift to Afghanistan’s society. A society that is sick and on the brink of death can only be saved by a well thought out and efficient method and a collaborative international effort. Fundraising and providing loans alone can not prevent a crisis; there is a need for coordinating the country’s political direction. We believe that if the future leader of the USA continues the mistakes of George W. Bush, and fights the world with the ideological simplification of good and evil, we will soon witness the fall of Afghanistan’s government which is a symbol of global governance and influence, and the sad result will be that an unforgivable and irreversible catastrophe will shadow the region
and the world.

You must know that although branches of terrorism are in Afghanistan, its roots are in the depths of oil reserves in Saudi Arabia and the nuclear weapons in Pakistan. The free tribal regions in Pakistan can be a safe shelter for development of fundamentalist power equipped with nuclear armament in near future. The future US administration should also know that the Taliban had reasonable opportunities in the last seven years that, intentionally or not, were provided for them by the West and the Government of Afghanistan. The Taliban that the USA will be fighting in 2009 are not the Taliban of 2001. The empowered Taliban now have modern armaments, know the tactics of organized war, and have a budget, financial power, and more support in the region. The Taliban are now more organized and have attracted many local militia groups. Experience shows that negotiation and power-sharing with the Taliban will not change the situation, but will help the injured snake of Taliban fundamentalism become a seven headed dragon.

We believe that the contradiction between the structure and essence of government has led to political failure in Afghanistan. The structure of Afghanistan’s government contradicts its nature. The government has a modern and democratic structure, but a tribal and traditional essence. This hypocritical incompatibility has caused increasing political and economic corruption and has led to destruction of society. The tribal structure of government has led to rechanneling the American reconstruction aid to the Taliban’s terrorism. This structure has allowed for the presence of heads of political parties, members of Taliban, Hekmatyar’s Hizb-e-Islami (Islamic Party), and ex-communists in parliament, government and smaller branches of power. In fact, these people are the main decision makers in the political process of country.

Most of the members of the parliament do not have the least legal literacy and have come to power through a process that has a legitimate cover (elections), but is in nature undemocratic. Decision makers in provincial councils, parliament and cabinet are representatives of ethnic and linguistic divisions and interests of leaders of various factions. The procedure for election and functions of Senate (Upper House) are similar to that of an ethnic Jirga. The members of provincial councils, Parliament and cabinet have come to power depending on support of ethnic and linguistic fractions and are not committed to formation of a stable, sustainable and encompassing national value system.

The concept and position of political parties is ambiguous and vague in Afghanistan’s power structure, and the leaders of parties in the government use the opportunities and public resources for strengthening their parties. The leaders of parties like the Afghan Millat Party, the Republican Party, the Wahdat (Unity) Party, and a few other parties have seats in important government branches from the ministries to the presidential office and this has created a conflict of interests and inefficiency within the power structure. Decision making and effective action at a national level requires cooperation between different government organs, but with the current state of power imbalance, coordination and cooperation is almost impossible. Each party tries to please its own supporters and its loyal sub-groups and this has led to increasing corruption and has created obstacles for reconstruction. Without an efficient and implementable reconstruction program, poverty and the reach of fundamentalism will expand and increase.

In addition, the modern state with a free market economy, which was a direct suggestion of President George W. Bush for Afghanistan, has led to poverty and increasing class disparity. The current economic model in Afghanistan has created a breeding ground for economic mafia. All the governmental (public) sectors and national mines and resources of Afghanistan have been handed over to private companies that are managed by a network of corrupt politicians and politically influential business owners. We believe that the information that is given to you from the official sources of Afghanistan’s government and even their partners in power (The National United Front) is usually incorrect and misleading and is packaged to create a vague and unreal optimism. In fact, the international community has not been able to create the most primary form of stable and influential government in Afghanistan despite a huge expenditure of aid. Each election carries the risk of a coup.

Complicating matters, a misleading image of the situation in order to justify the Western “war against terrorism” and the expenditure of billions of dollars. The military budget of the USA in Afghanistan and Iraq, derived from the taxes of American citizens, and which was supposed to bring security, health and prosperity for Afghanistan’s women and children has instead provided the Taliban with modern armaments that kill dozens of innocent people everyday. We are certain that Afghanistan’s problems will not be solved only with militarism and sending more troops. With the current state of affairs, this plan is far more certain to worsen the situation.

Our suggestions:

1 - Change in political structure: Ratification of the presidential system in constitutional Loya Jirga in 2003 prevented formation of a strong central government with the natural participation of all ethnic groups. By suggesting another convention of Loya Jirga, you can create an atmosphere of trust and ensure the presence of all ethnic groups in the Afghan government and a shift from a presidential system to a parliamentarian system. That will allow all Afghanistan’s citizens to feel equal belonging and responsibility to the political system of the country for the first time. This will also create the opportunity for abolition of ethnic quota that only benefits the former Jihad leaders. It will allow people from all different ethnicities to participate freely and equally.

2 - The parliamentarian government and federal system has proved efficient in Iraq. Participation of all ethnic groups and parties in the federal system has ensured the rights of minority groups and their participation in formation of a stable system. You should also suggest the federal system for Afghanistan. Five zones of Afghanistan can be five independent states which will help formation of strong local economies, and the non-concentrated political system can be more coordinated and efficient. In Afghanistan, formation of a concentrated powerful government system is very difficult due to its geography and limited resource. The almost homogenous
ethnic, linguistic and religious population of each state (zone) can prevent conflicts.

3 - Strengthening civil society: We believe the situation could be improved dramatically by decreasing the military budget and investing more in the social sector. There is no doubt that this shift will have a more positive influence, be an easier strategy, and will result in quick and long lasting outcomes for ensuring peace and stable society in Afghanistan. Afghanistan needs social change and this is only possible by strengthening civil organizations, not by increasing the military force.

4 - Stabilizing the issues related to political geography of Afghanistan. The 2700 Kilometer southern border of Afghanistan with the free tribal regions of Pakistan has helped terrorism to have a continuous movement in the region.

5 - Be firm with the Taliban. The US and international community’s soft policies against Taliban has led to strengthening fundamentalism in the region, and especially in Pakistan, and will continue to do so. The possibility of terrorists’ access to nuclear armament does not seem far away anymore.

6 - The bureaucratic system in the country is still run in the communist style and is inflated. It needs to be reduced, and there needs to be a move towards more regulation and transparency.

7 - The economic system should shift from the uncontrolled free market economy. Formation of monitoring governmental bodies can prevent waste of national resources. A mixed economy system is the best option and economic model for a country that does not have anything. In the current situation, the government and ministries have given over their responsibility to private sector that has weakened public services’ ability to serve the poor.

8 - Any big aid package to Afghanistan’s government should be conditioned on lack of corruption. Corruption is one of the biggest reasons for discontent among Afghanistan’s population. Request transparency and just and equal distribution of aid. The unjust distribution of international aid has led to estrangement of different groups of Afghanistan’s population from government and the international community. This critical issue, if not remedied, could, in the long term, further encourage people of these regions to support armed opposition of government.

Mr. President, we have hope that you will not let humanity be disregarded in Afghanistan.

In Solidarity and Cooperation,
Afghanistan’s Students’ Movement - The overseas office

13.02.2009
Shaharzad Akbar
BA student (senior year)
Anthropology and Development
Smith College in Northampton, Massachusett
Email: shaharzadakbar[at]yahoo.com

Sayed Asef Hossaini
MA Student
Erfurt School of Public Policy
Germany
Email: s_asefhosaini[at]yahoo.com

The reason why people are rightfully speaking out in large numbers is because of this: Israel can get away with absolutely any crime it wishes, while advertising itself as the “moral” superpower. I welcome anyone to prove otherwise with examples on where, how, and when anyone put a stop to Israeli aggression. When has an Israeli leader been charged with war crimes, or widely condemned within the U.S government? Is it within American interests to support Israel unconditionally despite knowledge of corruption?

Anywhere from Serbia to Rwanda and Sudan, corrupt leaders are charged with war crimes and have been dealt with accordingly. Not a single sane leader in the world tolerates them or sympathized with their cause. Their horrible crimes shall never be forgotten but at least there is a sense of justice. Unfortunately we cannot say the same for victims of Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria.

How come no Israeli official has been trialed? Millions of people worldwide are condemning their actions, many are Jewish themselves. But Israel is not even in the slightest bit worried, especially when it continues to behave as if it’s just an extension of America. It’s clear that we live in a world where if you have America’s blessing, you may proceed to do whatever it is you please, no matter how immoral it is.

Either way, the question remains, are America and Israel above international law? No one has been charged for any crimes even in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, not to mention Gitmo.

If this war was between Iran and Palestine, rest assured world leaders will react differently. Foreign militaries will certainly try to intervene. Iranian leaders will be held accountable and the world will use it as an example of “terrorism” even if their claim was also “self defense against Sunni fighters who threaten the existence and national security of Iranians.” No one would care about this justification so why is it being sympathized with coming from Israel?

Now I realize the region is full of issues that we need to take care of, many are ones that rarely receive attention and are unfortunately ignored, despite it being equal in importance. However this one irks absolutely everyone in the region because for as long as Israel can get away with such abuse, injustice, and outrageous criminal behavior, it poses a major security threat to the rest of us as well, whether people wish to believe it or not. The conflict doesn’t merely involve Palestine but the Arab world at large. It proves that no one can do anything at all even if the region itself was to be nuked (after Israel relocates to Bermuda or something.) There will never be justice served, because we don’t even know who or where to request it from.

This is a slap on the face for all who claim Muslims and Arabs are not vocal.

Part I:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Part II:

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When it started using its senses and inner conscience, the age of cannibalism went out. In candling the path of humanity and endowing it with the sense of purity, equality and sympathy, religion also played a vital role. But in present-day-world where media and science rules, it is the use of religion (not religion itself) that is dragging the humanity back to the dark ages. That is all done for the great game of achieving economic ends.

For the economic ends and capitalist designs the dominant societies have started the use of value-laden language and the language of labeling. In this game the US has clinched the title of championship because its media is the ruling media.

It is a double-edged weapon, used on one hand for demonisng the downtrodden society as savage, uncivilised and terrorist, and on the other for raising the sense of jingoism–or in bitter words fascism among the members of the dominant society. This us-versus-them approach has spilled the blood of millions of millions people and divided the great humanity among the Blacks and Whites, the Occidentals and Orientals, the Christian and Jews, The Muslims and Hindus, the Jains and Buddhists and so on. In this division the religion played influential role in yore but in present it is the use of technology and economy that has brought fissures among the human communities.

With the means of communication no doubt the world entered into the age of globalisation. As the dominant nations are the owners of means of communication, so they used it skillfully in propaganda against anti-capitalist elements or the nations that are usually hapless. The use of propaganda in demonising the enemies has been a lethal and fatal weapon in every age. But the French Army under Napoleon used it for the first time used it very cunningly when it adopted the slogan, ” We–the French are fighting for the freedom of entire world.” King George (VIII) of England to this French military propaganda responded in such words, “some foreign forces are the enemies of our internal peace”. It was the first ever planned and deliberate attempt to mould public opinion for military adventurism.

During world war-2, Hitler of Germany also used propaganda against his enemies and called his nation as the first blood of the world. It was the difference of blood that compelled the Germans on the holocaust of the Jews.

German great propagandist and Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Paul Joseph Goebbels in Nazi Germany under Hitle, stressed the government should pay heed on propaganda so that it can win exertion on public opinion.

After world war-2, a great stress was given on propaganda in the US and Lord Harris was appointed the first Director of the US Institute for Propaganda Analysis. Since then the US has dominated the global political pulpit through the force of its propaganda. Though it is not a new phenomenon. For it has been used in almost all the human civilisations. But all the civilisations could not be embanked against the decline through the help of propaganda but contrary it led to the fall of those civilisations. And fell as steeply as a rolling rock crushing the followers of its own civilisation. Now the US has adopted the same path. It has initiated a great game of exploitation against the Muslims. It has so skillfully manipulated most of the people through the force of tools of communications that not only the westerners and the Americans but most of the Muslims believe that beard, toopi–a typical cap, waistcoat and traditional dress is the emblem of savagery, utter ignorance and denotes terrorism. The US must study the stories of the Roman Empire, the British Empire and so on. Where is their elegance and why did they hug the shores of decline and debacle.

When Roman Empire was in its heydays the Romans had at least 37 major military bases and other several hundreds erected around its dominions. It was all done in the same way as the present-day-world the US is doing. But now it is just a past history and a token for reckoning. When the British Empire reached its zenith it had more or less the same no of military bases across the world. The Muslims also witnessed its rise among the nations of the world and saw the downfall of its Caliphate. In India also it embraced the worse defeat at the hands of the British. And the same British Raj was destined with the drub through its former colony–the Egypt under the president Nasser Kamal. According to William Blum, who is a well-known author and critical writer says in one of his piece “the Suez fiasco not only destroyed Eden’s prime ministership, it also marked the end of British imperial ambitions”. All these civilisations considered themselves better than the others and widened the gulf between the human minds with the names of cast, tribe and nations approach. Don’t go so far back but just have a glance in the history of the USSR and its repressive policies.

The Soviet Union also bubbled and went out just in a span of 76-year. It invaded Hungary in 1956, Czechoslovakia in 1968 and Afghanistan in 1989. At length its intervention in Afghanistan culminated at its fractures. And now the US has repeated the same blunder of attacking Afghanistan. And soon it will embrace the same fate as the then USSR had.

Though Russia the posterior of the then USSR once again is striving hard now to regain its past elegance but it is 2009 and the US has gored it to the extent that it will be hard enough to the role of the its predecessor.

The Nazi German and Napoleon France all rose to height but fall steeply and headlong. In all these vicissitudes the deviant and downtrodden societies have been exploited, blamed, tortured and considered inhuman through the hands of its’ own human species.

As the expansionist designs led to the fall of the former USSR now the US has started walking the same route.

The Pentagon has no less than 761 military bases and sites across this planet. But all this is a labyrinth of “us versus them” approach to keep its general masses in ignorance of its military adventurism and its capitalist imperial designs or global-policemanism. According to the Pentagon, it has even toady more than 123 bases only in Japan, at least 87 in South Korea and no less than 38 on the tiny island of Okinawa. The US defeat in Vietnam War in 1975 led to the loss of its huge military bases in South Vietnam. The war ended on the loss of three million Vietnamese and the US military adventurism in Iraq and Afghanistan is still going on which has mowed down more than one million only in Iraq. It has stationed its military forces on the rich-oil-land of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Kosovo but under the garb of a Messiah and that too at the cost of their own expenses. The US has even today at least military bases in 130 different countries, which is a crystal clear proof of its quest for global hegemony. The war on terror is but a sub part of the Washington’s policy for global hegemony.

In this whole game of terror the US has excessively and successfully used the language of allegation. Especially the use of such language reached its high water mark after the incident of 9/11. Is it logical to call a handful of al-Qaeda, a major threat to the very existence and security of the US? The same US that is so arrogant on its military strength that has been thumping its chest for having the propensity to send its troops across the globe but to hear the words like, “they are out to crush us” of its mouth are more than ludicrous. That is the deadly lie of 21-century responsible for the loss and bloodshed of millions of Muslims around the globe.

The US has not waged war on terror but war for terror. The US under the rule of Mr. G.W Bush defaced America to the extent wherefrom it is difficult for her to make its way back. The persecutions it carried out on the detainees of the Gitmo are an inhuman smudge and a stigma on the forehead its so-called democratic face. The world including the US masses waited for the time to come and see the departure of this devilish man from the White House. It is the same house where the destiny of the small nations is written. After Iraq and Afghanistan now the destiny of FATA is underway.

The same FATA where you will see only the pale, wrinkled and poverty stricken faces of thousands of tribals. Where a single man has to feed 20-30 members of a family. Where there is no factory to work in. Does such a territory and its inhabitants are a major threat for the security and existence of the US–the world’s only superpower and rogue state? Surely no.

Anyways, Joe went to Ashkalan (Previously known as Askalan before 1948) and visited the destroyed homes from Hamas rockets. He also received an award for his effort from Israel. Ofcousre in this war, civilians have been targeted on both sides which Im totaly against. But the number of killed and recently burned to death (by White Phosphorus Bombs) in Gaza have reached 900. So Israel has caused death and damage more than whai it claims Hamas did to its cities ih the South.

Now I call this idiot Joe (who probably is not a certified plumer by the way!) to go with the IDF soldiers and visit Gaza, or to make it simple for him, watch Al Jazeera English Channel live feed on the internet and see what this war has done so far.

Here is the link to the story

Interview by: Kourosh Ziabari, Ahmadreza Tavassoli

Cinema Verite International Documentary Film Festival which was held in Iran on the third week of October 2008 was undoubtedly an occasional and magnificent opportunity for documentary filmmakers from 75 countries worldwide to congregate for a landmark event and share their precious artistic experiences with together along with being acquainted with the obscured and folded culture of Iran i.e. one of the most disputatious and controversial countries of the world these days.

The festival which was inaugurated by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance of Islamic Republic of Iran has hosted a stack of artists, journalists, filmmakers and analysts from US; which is not in an official friendly and impartial stance toward Iran these days, though is considered as a close cultural and scientific ally of Iran on behalf of its independent and non-governmental organizations and communities.

Shannon Kelley who is the Director of Programming of the Morelia International Film Festival in Morelia (Mexico) was among the guests who attended the festival from US and attracted lots of reporters, audiences and festival curators, as well.

Kelley is an independent movie consultant and has worked for the Sundance Film Festival as Associate Short Film Programmer since 1997; furthermore presently he is serving there as the Festival Senior Consultant to the Documentary Program.

Following is the text of our exclusive interview with Shannon Kelley in which we discussed a variety of art-related topics and explored his perceptions of being in Iran to attend the 2008 Cinema Verite Film Festival for the very first time.

Explaining the legends of interview, K&A refers to Kourosh and Ahmadreza as the interviewers and SH refers to Shannon as our honorable guest who patiently answered everything of our concern and interest.

K&A: You are promoting yourself as an “independent” movie consultant; however nowadays, being independent is made difficult and the political lobbies do not tolerate your being non-aligned to them, even if you are not political at all. In the other words, the state-affiliated powers are trying their best to abuse all of the artistic, cultural, religious, social means to fulfill their desires and plans. What to do if somebody wants to resist against them and not to be stymied by them, too?

SH: There are different ways to understand ‘independence.’ None of us enters the world entirely free, and it’s because of this that the stories we tell can be potentially interesting. My use of ‘independence’ in this case refers to film artists who work without the financial or logistical support, nor any commitment, from a distributor, and thus, without any guarantee of their film ever being widely seen. Such artists assume tremendous risk and act on personal commitment, as opposed to artists whose risk is ameliorated by someone else, and who may - if they choose- depend on the commitments of the sponsor or the job, without having to generate a commitment of their own.

I’m not sure every state entity is out to get artists or co-opt their work. In some cases they have so much contempt for the arts they ignore them entirely. This can create an interesting space, or vacuum, in which to speak. One has to be resourceful and artful to do so, but then, that’s a recipe for good filmmaking anyway.

K&A: So it seems that you don’t provide technical and special consultations, but help the directors to develop strategies and programs for a successful production and output. Would you please explain the details of such strategies? Are they somehow related to the content of movies, or “how-to”s for attracting more audience?

SH: This can be very simple. Deciding which festivals are priorities, and which distributors may be especially important to a project, and when the approach to a particular festival, company or person should take place, in what order, and at what pace.

Should you show your rough cut? Should you give away your premiere to this or that festival? Such decisions have real consequences that impact the life of a film. Should you adapt your filmmaking to these parameters? There may be compromises you don’t mind making; you simply should be conscious of every compromise. Also, you may choose to concentrate on one project as opposed to another, based on the availability of resources or apparent prospects.

One should always make a movie one believes in, but it is well also to look out for yourself and your career. Taking care of yourself is a good way to take care of your film. If you cannot survive, your film probably cannot be realized.

K&A: Having all you said in mind, which is the paramount, in your view; the public approach and prosperity of a movie or the loyalty of producer and director to principles and essentials? Do you call a movie with the less tickets sold and more professional virtues as successful? Can we estimate the values of a movie by considering its attractiveness on the booth?

SH: These are entirely relative values, because it depends whom you ask. “Popular” movies have their place; something is happening between members of a public at a movie that they “like.” but I concentrate on supporting the vision of artists who have something new and risky to offer. Such a person, and such a project, simply offers the promise of a previously unknown breakthrough in conversation or even consciousness. It’s just the most interesting area of film culture, to my way of thinking. And it can, occasionally, lead to “box office success,” so one need not necessarily choose between the distinctions you mention.

K&A: But we see that most of the modern generation filmmakers, under the flag of giant media companies, assume it is necessary to add violence and immorality to movies for gaining the public fortune and obtaining more spectators, purchasing more tickets and reaching more profits.

What is your estimation about that? Should we bargain the human values in lieu of the financial benefits? Is it acceptable that we offer atrocity, aggression and unhealthy relations in our movies to absorb the more viewers?

SH: I deplore mindless, meaningless, gratuitous violence, as I deplore mindless, gratuitous righteous indignation. I would hope that a film which frames violence or other controversial matter would do so in a way that is curious and reflective, as I always hope that audiences willingly bring their own curiosity and reflection to each work of art.

Too many movies employ violence for convenience; it’s easier than writing! As for immorality there are so many kinds! My answer is the same. It all depends upon what is being suggested or explored in the depiction. If it is mindless, I feel that my time is being wasted, and that I’m being talked down to. I tend not to categorize what is technically permissible to show. I just want to know that it is being shown thoughtfully and with sensitivity and originality.

K&A: Ok. Let’s switch to Cinema Verite festival in Iran. You were in Iran to attend the second edition of Cinema Verite festival. What do you think about the quality of screened films and the professional dexterity of attending filmmakers? Which film most attracted you?

SH: I appreciated the extraordinary range of interests and stylistic approaches, especially in a film culture I only know through the works of a few producers. It would be impossible to select a favorite, given so much variety! I recognized a strong vein of artistic passion running throughout the work. This made me want to see more!

K&A: explain a bit about your default perceptions before traveling to the misunderstood country, Iran. How was your imagination about Iran and its people? How much you think the media propaganda was effective to shape these perceptions?

SH: I expected that some conversations might be impossible, or that I might be viewed with hostility. I attribute this to the excesses of the international press; but in the contrary, I found a community of like-minded, hospitable, curious people, including complete strangers who approached me with great energy and kindness. I spent a woefully short amount of time in Iran, but my point of view on what is possible between us has dramatically shifted, for the better!

As with any country, one can only know very little before experiencing a place firsthand. Iran seems to me beautiful, complicated and fascinating, like my own home. It seems to me our governments have had serious differences, and I’m hopeful of a betterment of international relationships, of course.

K&A: The main goal of documentary filmmaking, of course, is to unveil the concealed facts, expose the hidden face of society to a wide range of addressees and unfolding the stories that are not being offered to the public. Are you willing to produce (or participate in the production process) of a documentary film about the people and culture of Iran? What will you do if you want to produce a film about Iran? Which references and resources do you refer to in order to gather information about the country and its people’s lifestyle? Which facts and truths about Iran are being withheld from the public opinions, you think?

SH: I’m not a producer, but Iran seems an endlessly fruitful subject. Any depiction should simply be dimensional, open, curious, exploratory, and intellectually “independent” of outside intervention, as much as possible. I’m nervous to speculate about what truths are being withheld. But certainly some visions are rarer than the others, and I support a multiplicity of visions, so that these can be sorted, compared, and weighed by a discerning public.

K&A: What are the most crucial challenges, in your view, to the cinema of 21st century? Is the global cinema moving toward an absolute satisfactory future?

SH: Corporate control of media production and distribution, I am afraid, is having a slow suffocating effect on media culture. This is a very big topic, I don’t know if a small fix will be sufficient, or if a big fix is possible. This is why the “independent” artist is such a heroic type to me. Occasionally, someone intelligent, brave and committed is able to realize and offer a vision I’ve never seen before; through enormous work, risk and sacrifice. How can anyone who cares about the cinema be but grateful for this?

K&A: We are living in a turbulent and chaotic world. Violence and aggression is reaching to its utmost. The industrialized countries are seeking the ways to invade and dominate the developing, impoverished nations. Every day, we hear something new about a US attack on another country. Do you believe there is any duty or assignment for the artistic community to prevent the world’s path toward insurgence and insecurity?

SH: Films that can save the world are few, if there has ever been a film. But why should films be expected to do everything? What they can do, which is not sufficient to save the world, but I do think is totally necessary, is to offer new possibilities for consciousness itself; ways of seeing, thinking and feeling that modern life tries to shut down. This is a big enough responsibility to become a filmmaker’s life work