“We need history for life and action, not as a convenient way to avoid life and action, or to excuse a selfish life and cowardly or base deeds.”
-- Nietzsche, The Use and Abuse of History.
A couple of mornings ago, when I read the news and saw a clip from Aljazeera about the fall of the wall in Rafah, I asked myself, what other choice does one have but to explode the wall in order to be able to buy bread and fuel for survival? What else can one do when the “international community” chooses to stay silent about one of the most hideous crimes in history? What else can one do when the hypocritical harbingers of democracy turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to the violences of the inhumane State of Israel?
What else can one do when the messengers of “change” who raise millions of dollars for their presidential campaign (No, not just McCain, but the much loved Obama) write letters to the UN Security Council, urging it not to pass any resolution to lift the wall without understanding “Israel’s right to respond”? I guess a democratic election does not count unless it is approved by “us” who spend millions on our election campaigns and penalize others with hunger and death for not choosing a “democratic” government!
But it is not just the US politicians who are complicit with the State of Israel’s violence against the Palestinians. Sadly, those of us who read and contribute to Iranian.com and are often so opinionated on every matter and feel so compelled to write about everything that happens in the world, have been complicit with this violence by being silent about the recent Palestinian situation.
To escape this deadly silence, I decided to write about the events around me which have to do with Palestine, stating and not stating Palestine anywhere, and being in a “Palestine state of mind.” Some times the fall of walls by those under siege is what it takes to break out of the writers’ block suffered by those of us sitting in our comfortable homes far from the reality of war, agonizing silently.
A couple of weeks ago, I saw ReOrient, a festival of short plays about the Middle East in San Francisco. I was disappointed not only by the low turn out of Iranians in this event, but to see that there is barely any report or critique of it on Iranian.com. I may be mistaken, but I have a feeling that this lack may have to do with the fact that the plays are not about Iran.
Am I wrong to think that most of the Iranian immigrants only support event that have to do with the commemoration of a “homeland” left behind? That most Iranian-Americans do not give a damn about coalition building with other immigrant communities, especially with Arabs? That while our claims of “universal human rights” abound, we choose to stay silent when it comes to Palestine, as if Palestine is not “our” issue?
ReOrient is not just about Iran. In fact, two of the five plays are about Palestine, one being a monologue performed as a standup comedy. There is a line which highly resonates and is repeated in this monologue, written by Yussef El Guindi, directed by Arlene Hood, and brilliantly performed by the very talented Sara Razavi. She (the Palestinian) says, “Among the drama of nations, if nations were types of dramas, Palestine would be a monologue… A lone voice… you hear it in the distance; you hear its wails; you wish it well… you wish it would stop… you wish it would go away … when you know it won’t shut up or go away, you begin to tune it out… you tune out this monologue.”
Unfortunately, I think many of us have tuned Palestine out and frankly the Arab-hating sentiments that have filled our national imaginations do not let us see the pain and hear the voices of Palestinians who are being killed violently by the Israeli tanks or die softly behind the Israeli walls. We refuse to notice as we go on with our comfortable lives, pretending that Palestine does not exist.
Another ReOrient play, based on Simin Behbahani’s poem, “I Sell Souls” is not necessarily about Palestine, but certainly speaks to the silence surrounding it. Before writing a few words about this play, allow me to issue a preemptive disclaimer for those who may leave loving comments: I swear to you, I am not an Arab, an Arab-parast or any derivative thereof. Nor am I an IRI spy or a ReOrient agent! If anything, I am not sure if Golden Thread would approve of my appropriation of their plays here, as I may be jeopardizing their “centralist” position and pissing off the few rich Iranians who may some day support Iranian theater for the sake of its prestige. So, don’t blame ReOrient or the Golden Thread for my pro-Palestinian position. Believe me, if it were up to me, I would call it “DeOrient” to do away with the “Orient” all together and I would question the geopolitical discourses that -- as Edward Said argues -- have imagined the Orient to construct a civilized European self. But that is another discussion.
Despite my placement of the drill on the poppy seed (matteh roo khashkhaash gozaashtan) about the name of this festival, I strongly believe that ReOrient is a must-see, especially when there aren’t many plays about the Middle East that challenge stereotypical images of this vast geographical designation.
It is true that the funding for artistic, journalistic, academic, and non-academic knowledge production about the “Middle East” and Islam has seen a surge since September 11. But it is also true that many of these productions repeat the stereotypical representations of the “Middle East” and are complicit with the discourses that reproduce it as un-free, violent, and in need of liberation.
ReOrient challenges these stereotypes and provides a much more nuanced image of the “Middle East” than many plays which seem to find their way to the stage at this historical moment (hence, the need to support it as I doubt that it would be fundable by mainstream funding sources).
While one or two plays in the festival are unnecessarily long, the ones that are written, directed, and performed well certainly make it worth seeing. (In case you are wondering: other plays in the ReOrient deal with the 2006 bombing of Lebanon, the post 9/11 surveillance in the United States, and the Arab/Jew dichotomy in Israel.)
Back to “I Sell Souls”… Torange Yeghiazarian’s abstract play which is based on Simin Behbahani’s poem, “I Sell Souls” is not only aesthetically beautiful (the music, poetry, performance and images are at times breath-taking), but it leaves the audience thinking and wondering about the relationship between one’s body, one’s soul, and the luxuries of life. What is the price that one pays to indulge oneself in worldly pleasures while shutting one’s eyes and lips in order to refuse to see and speak of injustices and violences in this world? How does one console oneself when one sells one’s soul?
A question that comes to mind after seeing this unique play is the gendering of the characters (body, soul, and soul dealer) and its relationship to selling out. Why is the feminine body (Lynne Soffer) less resistant to the temptation to indulge in pleasures offered by a man in a suite who signifies material pleasures and luxury (Garth Petal) than the masculine soul (Julian Lopez-Morillas)?
What would it mean if the roles were reversed? Is there a dichotomy between the body and the soul and if so what artistic choices result in the gendering of the characters? What is the connection between the soul and soil in the background image, and at what moment does the dance of the light and water shift to the earthly walk on the soil? This play surely leaves the audience with plenty to think about.
In a scene, as the body rests upon the soul and the soul-buyer rests with satisfaction on the body which seemingly shelters her soul, we hear: Silence… Silence… Silence… This silence feels eerily familiar when it comes to Palestine these days. One wonders if the silence towards the siege in Palestine has something to do with the selling of souls.
Or perhaps one can wonder, as the Monologist tells us, if the stateless Palestine has become a state of mind that everyone has experienced at some point: when one talks and no one listens. That is when one could say, “I feel like I am in a Palestine state of mind.” But this state of mind could also connote something more positive: when under siege, one breaks all barriers and continues to survive against all odds. And hopefully, that is when one could say, “I feel like I am Palestine.”
To end on an uplifting note, here is a video from DAM, a Palestinian rap group.
Person | About | Day |
---|---|---|
نسرین ستوده: زندانی روز | Dec 04 | |
Saeed Malekpour: Prisoner of the day | Lawyer says death sentence suspended | Dec 03 |
Majid Tavakoli: Prisoner of the day | Iterview with mother | Dec 02 |
احسان نراقی: جامعه شناس و نویسنده ۱۳۰۵-۱۳۹۱ | Dec 02 | |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Prisoner of the day | 46 days on hunger strike | Dec 01 |
Nasrin Sotoudeh: Graffiti | In Barcelona | Nov 30 |
گوهر عشقی: مادر ستار بهشتی | Nov 30 | |
Abdollah Momeni: Prisoner of the day | Activist denied leave and family visits for 1.5 years | Nov 30 |
محمد کلالی: یکی از حمله کنندگان به سفارت ایران در برلین | Nov 29 | |
Habibollah Golparipour: Prisoner of the day | Kurdish Activist on Death Row | Nov 28 |
Concerned=Goldust
by Marg Bar IRI (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:41 PM PSTHey Goldust,
I missed your kososher! How the hell are you? Now you are posting under a different name? But you still have not learn't your lesson you mullah supporter. You need serious therapy.
Concerned, Aren't you
by Lanati (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:38 PM PSTAlso concerned about all the money the IRI is giving away to Hamas and Hizbollah? Isn't this also and "Iranian American" Issue?
Why don;t you correct yourself and include IRI's dirty hand in all of this? They are much more powerfull than AIPAC in the region with all the problems they are creating.
I have a feeling you are trying to divert our attention from the real problem in the middle east. The IRI.
Concerned- Assuming you are right..........
by AnonymousIROONIbystander (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:32 PM PSTIsn't the IRI part of the problem? Aren't they supporting the most extreme elements in the palestinians who do not want a solution? The president of the US, for the first time, has called for a Palestinian state side by side with Israel. The majority of Israelis, under Olmert, believe in the 2 state solution. Is it AIPAC that is lobbying against peace with the Palestinians in Washington? Wasn't it under AIPAC that Israel pulled out of Gaza, agreed to allow the PLO back to the occupied Palestinian land in west bank and armed the Palestinian security services?
IRI is using the Palestinians, and is against peace, to force its own agenda on the region. Will you at least admit to IRI's complicity in the problem instead of just blaming Israel?
Correction: $1000,000,000,000 has been spent on Iraq war so far
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:23 PM PSTCorrection: $1000,000,000,000 has been spent on Iraq war so far and $1,000,000,000,000 more is needed to finish it.
Why Palestinian issue is our (Iranian American) issue
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 10:19 PM PSTWar with Iraq was started partly by the Israeli Lobby. The result has been:
1. More than 3800 American soldiers died. Close to 70,000 American service men and women are wounded and maimed. Hunderd of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children lost their lives.
2. More than $1,000,000,000 has been spend on this senseless war, this money could have been used to save our health care system, our roads, our bridges, our schools, our housing crisis, etc. At leat another $1,000,000,000 is needed to end this war.
3. The same Israeli Lobby is trying to start a war between USA and Iran.
4. More than a billion Moslem in the world have turned against us (meaning Americans)because of our biased policy towards Palestinians.
5. Terrorists are using the Palestinian Cause to attack us and hurt us because of our unconditional support of Israel.
6. Our rights as Americans of Middle Eastern origin are ignored. Racial profiling is going on.
The fact is an aggressor has occupied somebody else's home, street, town and country and we as Americans are paying for it with our lives, money, prestige and future.
This is the reason why the Palestinian issue must be resolved (not some obsecure emotional reason).
It has nothing to do with being anti semite.
We are saying lets resolve this problem. Let the Palestinians join the rest of the Israelis and live in the same country with the same rights or let them have their own country. Lets solve this problem for once and all. United States is the lone super power of the world and must not pay for the wrong doings of Israel.
OPEN INVITATION TO KILL JEWS
by Open invitiation (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 09:57 PM PSTOPEN INVITATION TO KILL JEWS AND AMERICANS BY THE EDITOR OF STATE-RUN KAYHAN NEWSPAPWE
"America and its European and Zionist supporters must know that their support for Israel's crimes will cost them very dearly. Once they discern that this support will cost them the property and lives of their citizens, they will doubtless reconsider their support for the savage Zionists... And didn't the Imam [Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini] instruct that if every Muslim pours out one bucket of water, there will be a flood that will sweep away Israel, and destroy it?
"Every time a movement rises up against the Zionist occupier and acts to liberate its homeland, America and its allies accuse it of terrorism, and every state that supports these movements is punished. Why wouldn’t the Muslims act the same way, and attack all the supporters of the Zionists everywhere in the world?
"There is a legal view valid in both the Shi'ite and the Sunni school that it is permissible to attack anyone whom the enemy uses as a shield in the war against the enemies of Islam. Therefore, if some heads of Islamic states prevent the Muslim peoples from attacking the Zionists - thus constituting a shield that prevents support to the persecuted people of that region - it permissible to topple these defenders of the enemy."
//kayhannews.ir/861106/2.htm#other204(Original article in Kayhan in Persian)
//www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD18280... (Translation in English)
Concerned Stop changing the argument you bazandeh!
by Bavafah (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 09:42 PM PSTConcerned, give up the none sense. It is abvious that you have some issues with jews and zionists. What is the matter? D
Visit the ravanshenash and get some anger management/hasood management therapy.
Iraniam God Bless You
by AnonymousIROONIbystander (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 09:31 PM PSTYou are so right! I also remember th first leader to visit Iran after the revolution was non other than that scum Arafat. He was the first celebrating the fall of Iran to Arabs. When he decided to do peace with Israel, he pissed off the mullahs and now theu support the idiot Hamas at the Iranians expense. Savage Arabs and Islamists. 90% of our fellow Iranians are dying to make ends meat and these savages worry about Palestinians. We have to ration oil for heavens sake and we are the 4th largest producers of oil in the world. Khak bar saremoon!
Just as ...
by Jesus (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 09:29 PM PSTJust as "Westoxification" was detrimental, and deplorable, so it "Palestoxification" for Iranians.
The toxifications are oriented differently, but detrimental to Iranian interest, and Iranian people regardless.
This issue of Palestine also illustrates a huge flaw in the Iranian character. We are arrogant to assume that we can fight all injustices in the world every where, yet we arguably have created one of the most unjust societies in the world in the form of IR, and play the role of a victim perhaps better than anybody else in the world.
With all the problems we have in Iran, how dare we provide solutions to others? Furthermore, as many have pointed out, how stupid are we as a nation that we are supporting a group of thugs who had no hesitation in supporting Saddam's murderous and chemical weapon machine against us?
It is mind boggling, but than again, a nation of degenerates with no identity of its own can not be expected to perform any better!
AAHAAY Iraniha Remember Abadan's Cinema Rex. forget Palestine
by Iraniam (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 09:23 PM PSTMy first and utmost concern is Iran and Iranians.Since the second invasion of Arabs(29 yrs ago),Iranians have been prisoners in their own country.These bastards want to destroy our culture,our customs,our national heritage and whatever is related to our glorious past. Fortunately they have failed miserably. People of Iran know that they lie,they kill and destroy in the name of God and have no shame. Remeber Cinema Rex? That's how they started. Then they made Palestinian issue more important than our national and domestic interests.These are facts.Israel and Palestinians should solve their problems themselves.We have many problems ourselves to deal with and the first one is getting rid of these murderers.
AB Dar Laneh Moorchegan
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 08:51 PM PSTYou can get the book about the destructive role of Israeli Lobby at Amazon: //www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/103-5321351-6...
PALESTINE DOES NOT EXIST
by IranAzad (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 08:13 PM PSTAnd Palestinians (along with the Arab world)are to blame for the majority of their problems not the Israelis. Palestinians have had what we call in persian Khodmokhtari for the past 15 years with help from the entire world and even the zionists who armed their security forces. What did they do? Few stole the money, screwed their own people, blamed the Israelis and introduced suicide bombing to the mass media. Also, as many have said here, many worse tragedies than the palestinians is the world today. This is Islamic propeganda.
I care for a lot more
by Babakoohi (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 07:54 PM PSTThe Palastinian issue is a sad issue just like the Tibetans, Kashmirees, Chechens (which are Iranians), Kurds, Serbs, the whole of Africans .....so why is it so romantic to beat your chest just for the Palastinians (who incidentaly hate Iranians)?
Choob is indeed gohee
by Anonymous2008 (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 07:47 PM PSTOne thing the Iranian people should realize is that the Palastinans are interlopers. They do not belong in that region to begin with. Stop being a bleeding heart and let us not fall into this big DISTRACTION that the regime in Iran is using to fool idiots like Choob. As the saying goes let us keep our eyes focused on our own issues.
Concern we Know who you are
by Anonymous 1974B (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 07:47 PM PSTYou post under different names such as IranIrooni, Farook2000 among others with the same nonsense about Israeli lobby bulshit. Its garbage from ultra lefty college professors whoes argumets are adopted by bache eslamyeh khar like you. We understand the level of power this lobby has. Thanks for the education but we don't need it. As someone said below, Palestinans supported the number 1 murderer of Iranians in this century. His name was Saddam Hussain. As I recall, the Mullahs (that you love to defend so much) where kissing the Zionist asses and purchasing missiles from them during the Iran Iraq war. Your dear Imam Khomeini was dealing with the Zionists and AIPAC to fight Saddam. Moreover, these zionists saved your sorry Islamist asses when you could not bomb Iraq's nuclear reactor in 83. If it was not for the Zionists, Iran (Abadan and all the oil fields) would be under nuclear rubble.
The hell with the Palestinians. Javid free Iran and Iranians!!!!
Poison
by Zion on Mon Jan 28, 2008 07:24 PM PSTThis article is a vert good example of the kind of poisonous propaganda the alliance if Islamists and leftists have been injecting into the society around the world, and i Iran in a much higher dose and with more viscous force than most places. It has the tone of a supposedly objective analysis of the situation, perhaps bit romantic for the human cause that it is supposedly written for, yet in reality it has nothing but venomous hatred towards Israel and anything Israeli. Naturally it is also replete with outright lies. The most obvious is that Israel is killing palestinians today by having them trapped behind the wall and denying them basic facilities, I guess out of her dark vengeful heart! Of course that is simply wrong. A shameless lie. It so happens that it is Hamas who has turned electricity off, why? Why not? When all this army exist in the world to blame everything on Israel. Why not, when it has such propaganda advantage for them?
//www.spectator.co.uk/melaniephillips/465946/...
More so, why not hold candle lit parliament sessions in bright daylight when world media are ready to buy what ever that is supposed to convey for Hamas benefit:
//www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1201070...
And of course NOTHING is mentioned about the fact that Israel was a target if rocket attacks by Hamas for day after day, school children living under fear of death every second in Israeli border towns for months, while the world conveniently ignored all this, you see, the supposedly Zionist owned media that brainwashes masses in favor of Israel, those who in every situation turned out to be not much more than islamist palestinian propaganda tools (and fools) (remember the Fauxtogrophy scandal of Lebanon war?) , anyways, the world so no tragedy on Israelis being rocketed for weeks. No, only when Palestinians are killed (by their own hands) , are starved to the the evil of their "leaders" and the poisonous culture of death that has been bred among them, or by the EGYPTIAN guards (hey, when was the last time you heard of the Egypt's apartheid wall against Palestinians?), that is suddenly world level tragedy and of course it is Israel's fault. It is always Israel's fault, always the greedy Jew'shand in it.
One thing was different this time around though. Something to rejoice. The majority of Iranians, in their lives and in their blogs and sites simply refused to be fooled and poisoned like this anymore. They refused to be fed hatred and lies, incited to shed tears for ideological beasts of the left and of Islamism, while they themselves are the biggest forgotten victims of the worst kind in the world for the past 29+ years. The Iranians are waking up and seeing clearly how they were manipulated for years to hate something they were always lied to and deliberately kept in the dark, for the profit of certain ideological forces around the globe. Iranians are proving themselves matured. That is really a reason to rejoice, and to hope for a free future of Iranians. No wonder the old style propagandists of hatred and lies are whining so badly these days.
Congratulations!
Israeli Lobby at work: Name calling, Threats, Misinformation....
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 07:21 PM PSTIsraeli Lobby at work: Name calling, Threats, Misinformation, etc, etc, etc.
But the truth speaks for itself.
Read the following article
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Israel_Lobby_and_...
Aghelan Dannand.
AnonymousMe/Concern
by Fredy (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 06:56 PM PSTMore garbage from the mouth of Hizbolahis. You fail to mention all the money the Palestinians have gotten every year since Oslo (From the US and EU). You fail to mention all the money Egypt and Jordan get as well. Again- just pick on the Jews. This sounds more like classic Hassod Anti-semitisim than honest analysis. "Palestinian concentration camps in lebanon" are you serious? Do you expect to be taken seriously with such stupid remarks?
Concern?
by Anonymous21 (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 05:35 PM PSTWhat are you trying to say?
just some lingo and jargons put together as rights, children, father, homeland? The fact is that what happens to the Palestinians has got nothing to do with Iranian. We didn't do that to them, why should we care?
You care about all human beings? Tell me where East Timor is? Tell me what you know about Sudan? What is happening to people in Somalia? All of a sudden it is the Palestinians that are the Chosen People?
Enough of this hypocracy.
One cannot ignore ...
by AnonymousMe (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 05:16 PM PSTOne cannot ignore the atrocities committed by Israeli’s in comparison to few rockets and bombs thrown at them. They have wiped out whole villages and used the tactics which Nazi's used on them towards poor Palestinians.
Arab leadership is corrupt. It has been for ages, lots of talk no action.
No one has mentioned the amount of US tax dollars every year sent to Israel, it used to be $5,000 for every Jew. It is interesting how Jews are treated in Israel differently depending they come from, for example for using hospital services.
Where did Israel get $10,000 to pay eight Iranian Jews to immigrate to Israel recently? Did this money come from companies listed on the stock exchange? The most dishonest business people in the world are Jews especially from Russia.
Neo cons have done a good job of protecting the tax dollar going there and bad mouthing everyone else including us.
Missing the point again!
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 04:53 PM PSTPalestinians do live in concentration camps in Lebanon.
You are still missing the point.
Palestinans have been driven out of their homeland by Jew from Europe and elsewhere.
They are Palestinians not Syrians, Iraninans, Iraqis, etc.
They have rights too.
They are mothers, fathers, children,etc.
They are being killed, starved, neglected, bombed, etc.
Nobody can talk about this injustice here in this country and be heard on a large scale.
Who cares what Arab countries and Iran are doing about it.
we as Middle Eastern who live in US are supposed to close our eyes and shut up or esle.
It's always easier to join the oppressors.
But listen oppression will not last forever.
It's the listen of history.
Read it carefully.
The entire ME is so full of
by 111 (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 04:21 PM PSTThe entire ME is so full of hatred, negative energy and animosity on all sides that it will explode from within and without and no bombs are necessary. All parties are on a self-destructive path, including the Israelis.
I read very Carefully
by AnonymousIrooni (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 03:49 PM PSTDear Concerned,
I read very carefully. I really feel the Palestinian pain. I understand that there are about 3 Million refugees living in refugee camps and another million in West bank and Gaza. To call this "concentration camp" is an insult to the Palestinians (not to Jews). This is bad rethoric. You know fully well that they don't leave in concentration camps. We all know what concentration camps look like. Before the second Intifadah, they hand control over their territory. What you see today is the result of a bad tactic called Suicide Bombings (adopted from their Shia brothers in Iran who thought the Hizbolah the way).
If you know history, you know that Israels establishment, and the Arab rejection of it, created 800,000 Palestinian refugees who number about 3 million now living in Syria, Jordan....... But Israels establishment also created 700,000 jewish refugees from Arab lands. Why did the jews take care of their refugees and the Arabs have not done so? Why did the Arabs (PLO, Egypt.......) reject Israel's right to exist until the late 1970's and 1980's?
The same Palestinians who are crying to have the west bank and Gaza now, had control in 1967(under Jordan & Egypt) pre 1967. Post 1967, Israel offered it back for peace. Do you know what the Arab response was? Do you know the Khartoom conference? go google it. The Arab response was: 1) No peace with Israel, 2) No negotiations with Israel and 3) No recognition of Israel. While the Arabs were crying foul for 30+ years, the Jews were building a modern state. I am not saying that the Israelis are not at fault. Israel is very much at fault here. However, the Arab hand is just as dirty as the Israeli hand in this.
Furthermore, our Iranian brothers and Sisters (who number 70 million now) (bardarha va Khaharha yeh mah) have lived under IRI occupation for 30 years now. I think that is much more tragic than the Palestinian plight. Agheh as man miporsi.
This bulshit about the palestinians is a diversion by Islamists and the radical left. The Arab/Islamic/Iranian world has much bigger issues than the poor Palestinians. Dobareh, Agheh az man miporsi azizam.
Why not extend Israel?
by Mehdi on Mon Jan 28, 2008 03:11 PM PSTI think palestinians should just ask Israel to extend its borders to cover all of what is now considered Palestine. Face it, that way, pretty much all of their problems will go away. They will be living in one of the best countries, if not THE best country in Middle East. In a couple of generations, the notion of "Jewish State" will go away anyway. Israel is more a western style democracy than a "Jewish State" - if there is such a thing. The notion of "Jewish State" is more for show anyway. From what I hear, Muslims have a much better life in Israel than anywhere else in the Middle East. Again, from what I heard, you could be a Sheite or Sunni or whatever and live in harmony with each other protected by law - something that doesn't happen in the "Arab" world. So why bother? Let the bastards take care of all your needs. Let them build hospitals, schools and malls. Why not enjoy the beautiful Israeli girls (and boys for you ladies)? I don't see why they don't just do that? Why be stuck up about the name of a place? Who cares what the place is called. In a couple of decades or so borders will be meaningless anyway. What do you think?
Palestine Is Still The Issue
by Raha Darband (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 03:05 PM PSTby John Pilger
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5qWm6bOJzE
thanks CDg.
keep up the good work.
Read Carefully First
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 02:45 PM PSTForget about Wall Street, Arab countries etc.
Palestinian issue effects our daily existence and has to be resolved properly.
What do you suggest?
Where are they suppose to live?
They live mostly in concentration camps with no rights.
Concerned?
by AnonymousIrooni (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 02:21 PM PSTDude,
The only truth is that the Palestinians do not have a State of their own after 60 years because the Arabs are a failure. The Arabs (and the IRI) are a failure with or without the Israeli Lobby. How many IRI or Arab companies are listed on the Nasdaq? How many Israeli companies are listed on the Nasdaq? Truth hurts doesn't it?
We Iranians are an absolute failure and the IRI policies has not helped the Palestinians (who supported the Ahmagh Saddam) at all. Truth really hurts!
Yeh- strong Israeli Lobby- That is absolute Kososher as we say in Farsi.
Strong voice of Israeli Lobby is being heard here
by Concerned (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 02:00 PM PSTTruth hurts doesn't it?
For people who don't want to see it.
Let Palestinians have a life.
Let's stop this
by Stop the anti-semitism (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 01:45 PM PSTLet's stop this anti-semitism before we are all put in internment camps..As immigrants we can't afford to be anti-America or anti-Israel .
Go to IRan and join your brethern in Basij or Hezb or sign up for martyrdom if you like but do it in Iran.
Cheraghi ke be khaneh rava ast be masjed haram ast.
Palestine is Absolute Bullshit
by AnonymousIrooni (not verified) on Mon Jan 28, 2008 01:41 PM PSTDear Choob,
1) Palestine has been an excuse for the Arabs for 60 years now. All their failures, all their shortcomings is because of Palestine. 300 Million Arabs can not solve the issue/ resolve the issue with the 6 million
jews in Israel. Wow, this must be a zionist/jewish conspiracy.
2) You have made Palestine a much bigger issue than it actually is. Compared to thoes killed in the Iran/Iraq war, all the nonsense in Africa, All the killings in Chechneya, Yougoslavia (the serbs and Croates), Afganistan/Taliban (these are just a few), the Palestinian Israeli issue has produced the least amount of deaths. The number of Palestinian killed in the last 60 years is not even 30,000. Count the numbers (muslims) killed in all the other tragedys I just put up for you. It amounts to millions. Notwithstanding this fact, Palestine somehow overshadows every major tragedy for Muslims- even though they butcher each other without second thoughts. Look how we treat our own fellow Muslims in Iran. Much worse than what Israel has done. Why? Why is this so?
3) Israel fully disengaged itself from Gaza yet you still have rockets coming in. The Gazans deserve everything they are getting. Look, the Arabs (governments) don't even give a shit. Because they hate Hamas since Hamas is in the pockets of Hizbollahis in Iran.
Palestine has become the excuse. Please stop using it as an excuse. Maybe then, they will give up on the idea of destroying Israel (like your idiot President Antarinejad) and we could finally have peace in that part of the world.