An Arab Woman Blues - Reflections in a sealed bottle...

I keep misplacing and losing things... Keys, sunglasses, agendas, purses and my poor little brains. I even had a few vials of WMD's. Nice strong chemical stuff. Wait, I think they are in my fridge. Let me go and check... Nope, they are not there...I scratch my poor little head and wonder where the hell did I misplace them. In my little pocket maybe? Or in my drawer with my underwear ? I get consolation that am not the only who is absent minded. The U.N. forgets things too. Take for instance this piece of news. " August 30, 2007 12:01 PM - Brian Ross/ABC United Nations weapons inspectors discovered six to eight vials of a dangerous chemical warfare agent, phosgene, as they were cleaning out offices at a U.N. building in New York, federal authorities tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com. The federal authorities said the office, in a U.N. building near headquarters, was being evacuated and the White House had been notified at 10 a.m. The vials were discovered at the headquarters of t...

I had promised myself, I will stop writing for a few days at least. We all deserve a break, including me. But how can I? Iraqis are not given a break. No respite whatsoever. So, it seems this is a luxury I cannot afford myself. By Friday, all the British troops will have pulled out of Basrah . The Brits have effectively handed over the whole of Southern Iraq to shiite militias. Need I remind you that these militias are Iran's proxies in Iraq or do you get it by now?. So : 1) the whole of Southern Iraq is loyal to Iran. Include Najaf, Kerbala etc... (see my previous posts. I can't keep on repeating myself) The fact that there are shiite factions fighting one another is irrelevant to the rest of the story. It's a power fight for control not a political ideological fight. 2) the Iraqi government in Baghdad is another of Iran's proxies in Iraq. Its parties, its militias, its armed forces i.e police and military guards. Today Ahmadinajad stated the following : "Iran is ...

Some american "lady" wrote to me, saying that she is "distressed" and getting quite "depressed" reading my blog. And she asked me if I could write about more "positive" things instead. Because, she assured me, she liked my writings... Dear "american lady" (does that exist, a lady in the U.S?) My writings and my reality depress you? Oh! Am so sorry... Maybe you can tell your fucked brave boys to get the fuck out of my country for starters. Then you can start paying full compensation from your tax money, preferably on an compulsory basis. After all you have paid for the "war, surge" effort. Then you are to personally look after at least 3 Iraqi families that your government and your sleeping, obese, ignorant, stupid, people have contributed to make destitute. Wait, am not done "lady". You are also to personally come to Baghdad, and help us bury our dead ones, those we find on the streets daily, and not only that... You...

Compared to this occupation, even colonialism looks like a nice ride. At least, colonialism still managed to build a road or two, a couple of schools and maybe a health dispensary. But tell me, what has this occupation done apart from destroy ? Do you understand the word DESTRUCTION ? Do you know what it means? Ok, let me refresh your memories since you do not know what destruction is. Remember when you had two towers crumbling to the ground, in a mass of rubbles, with fire shooting all over the place ? Yes, that is destruction. Ok, let me refresh some more since you happen to have a few amnesic lapses. Do you remember your 3'000 dead and their families still seeking therapy 6 years down the line? Yes, that is destruction. Do you remember how that tiny spot looked so desolate, empty, ravaged, afterwards ? Yes, that is destruction. Do you remember the people crying, shocked, lost ? Yes, that is destruction. But that was no occupation. Occupation is multiplying that one episode of de...

Today, I was reminded of my cousin Ahlam. I really don't like Ahlam all that much. She irritates me. She is conceited, narcissistic to the core, vain and a snob. Ok, she is good looking, but so what? And mind you she is not stupid, well at least I thought so, until we had this conversation not long ago. Here was Ahlam sitting, one leg over another, sipping her tea, with perfectly manicured nails, and a head that just came out from under a hundred rollers and intensive blow dry. You can trust Ahlam, that even if there is a nuclear bomb outside her window, she will not seek shelter before she dabs lipstick on. So here we are, and Ahlam flicks her cigarette and says : - ... They liberated us, enough now. They can leave. - Excuse me? Why would they leave ? - They did their job, did they not. So now they can leave. - Ahlam, are you trying to tell me that over a quarter million Americans in Iraq, just crossed the seas, so they can liberate you and leave, just like that ? - Yes of course....

One of my dreams is to visit Cuba. Havanah, Trinidad and Santiago, in particular. I love Cuba and like the Cubans. And I like Fidel Castro. I don't care what you think of him. You probably have demonized him as much as you have demonized Saddam Hussein. But then, come to think of it, no Leader has been wilfully demonized as much as Saddam Hussein. And we all know what the end result was/is. The end result is today's Iraq. I love Cuba for many reasons. One of them is Salsa and then, there is Cuban music, and Cuban cigars. But these are not the only reasons...Am not that frivolous! I had learned a few Salsa steps, which I have unfortunately no way of practicing. Saturday night would have been a perfect opportunity to studiously put what I have learned into full swing. And what better way to dance salsa but to the wonderful, exhilarating voices of Ibrahim Ferrer, Omara Portundo and Compay Segundo. Do you know why the word Salsa was coined to certain Cuban melodies ? Salsa music is...

Why do Americans say "thang" instead of "thing" ? Thang or thing, it's all the same... An objectification. A turn him/her into a thing. I bet you anything if my blog was about "oriental" sex, I would make it to the highest traffic... Ha! I am not judging. Far from it. After all, sex is more pleasant than death... It tintillates, entices, excites, raptures...But Iraq does not. I understand. Iraq is hardly a turn on. As a matter of fact, you can bet it will make you limp or frigid... Provided that you are neither already. I have noticed something quite peculiar being around in the cyber world. There is this all pervading voyeurism forever lurking... I mean, even one's pain is an object of careful scrutiny. But not only one's pain. This voyeurism of others, goes to the most insane extents... Did you know I get emails asking me the size of my bra? Or for the foot fetish, the size of my shoe!? Not that I have anything against breasts or feet, but yo...