Vagamond

12 respuestas a “Ghazi Baki, Beirut”

1. 

   Amir

   julio 17, 2006 at 8:40 pm

   Chema, write your comments again please, I inadvertantly deleted it… Thanks.
   Did Mo ever call you?
   Hopefully soon,
   Amir

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2. 

   chema

   julio 17, 2006 at 11:45 pm

   Mo did not call -nor write. I did not see him on the news so we can guess he did not got caught by a bull (hopefully).
   I already tried to re-write those posts and -unless any one of you tell me otherwise- I will keep translating and posting (and contextualizing or almost) Ghazi’s reports.
   Keep well n say hi to everyone (by the way, when are you guys coming!?)

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3. 

   Amir

   julio 18, 2006 at 1:59 am

   Cool, do your thing.
   Randa wants to read what you have written, but can’t…
   We have quite a lot of very heated discussions. She is trying to tell me that Hezbollah is Lebanon is different from the one in Iran. I beg to differ. She is mad at Israel. I was talking to Josh who’s just come back from Israel and now am sure about my number one criticism of Israel, and that is that it is either an ultra-nationalistic country, or a religious one, and in either one, I find it hard to support them. However, I dislike Hezbollah still a bit more. I think for Randa it’s the other way around.
   About us coming, we are really are looking for Christmas. We want to meet, and it seems like Spain is sort of a half-way…

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4. 

   chema

   julio 18, 2006 at 4:30 am

   Half way seems way enough anyway. Alright. Cool. We’ll talk.
   I’ve been trying to participate in those expected discussions of you and Randa but haven’t found time to write in my English corner. Here I have only tried to give some historical background -well, you know, translations don’t work both ways.
   Anyway, on the Israel-Hezbollah issue I am a bit more on Randa’s side -but of course, I have been in Israel while I don’t know that much of the bearded guys.
   As I see it, while Hizbullah’s actions are as despicable as stupid, Israel still holds the responsibility in this issue -you know my argument- and their actions, as far as it goes, are no less despicable and at the same time they are touched by a scent of stupidity, though of a different kind.
   Instead of setting it over, once and for all now that they had a clear chance, once Palestine has finally ‘surrendered’ to accept the two-countries solution, Israel and US do not accept the result of their democratic elections (what, the PLO is now «less terrorist» than Hamas?) which leads to this, well, this seeming last act of the 9-11 play: to provoke Iran into war.
   I will continue this… but tomorrow. It’s way too late (even for me).
   Well, a last remark on Israel. You know, I really liked Israel and many of its people. I did not sense ultranationalism to be everywhere -in fact I found many easy going convinced democrats (especially leftists though), as well as Kibbutz-neighbors and even (soft) Palestine supporters who would defend their own right to exist while being open to almost any reasonable solution. The religious side, which is strong and heartfelt, was more a feast than a provocation (save for the ultra-orthodox, with which I did not have the chance to talk to anyway).
   But anyway, I’m talking of 93; there was a general feeling of satisfaction back then. I even walked by the Western Wall with my kaffiyeh and was invited by both, Arabs and Jews, to drink, eat and talk.
   Would like to hear of Josh’ experience now.
   Later!

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5. 

   berta

   julio 18, 2006 at 12:54 pm

   Chema, keep giving us the historical background!!!!

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6. 

   Amir

   julio 18, 2006 at 2:19 pm

   Just a few days after I arrived in Lebanon, around two months ago, there was a car bombing in the city of Sidon, where two illegal Palestinians were blown up. The Hezbollah immediately decided that they’ve done enough investigations and speeded the trial towards someone confessing they work for Israel and then the Hezbollah started shooting these inacurate willy nilly rocket into Israel killing several. The next day Israeli jets came over and hit some position of Hezbollah in the south, killing more or less the same number. On Lebanese TV, only one guy, who is quite hated by those who think «Hezbollah» is the «resistance,» was arguing that how come when prime minister Hariri was blown up, the investigation still has not proven fruitful and no body launched a rocket to anywhere, and yet in this case, justice seems to be working so fast.
   My impression of Hezbollah in Lebanon was the same as the one in Iran. They keep the people poor and backward so that they will forever remain their supporters. It is a strange relationship where they celebrate downtroddenness and are against every sort of comfort, well being, happiness, openness… God forbid tourism….
   This time also, something is going on in Ghaza, and these motherfuckers start agitating Israel. Well, if Hezbollah is in fact a part of the Lebanese government, then it is Lebanon that is attacking Israel and they should expect war, or get out of the warzone…
   The trouble is that people are scared of Hezbollah but instead of expressing that, they express support for the Hezbollah… I know this pattern from Iran also…
   Some Tuesday morning stream of consciousness…

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7. 

   chema

   julio 19, 2006 at 12:57 am

   Most of these modern so called Resistance movements fake what we occidentals consider a judiciary system in order to attack whoever is the reason of their hate. In this they act like a mob, like those cowboys at the end of the nineteenth century hanging people here and there for whatever trace of evidence. It makes no use talking of justice to them or of a judiciary system.
   The worse part of this is what you call the celebration of downtroddenness for it shows the endemic mistrust towards culture and civilization by those suffering the oppression of cult and civilized countries. And here comes the responsibility matter of the so called civilized world, for it is only through their (our) actions that they, the downtroddenned, might come to see a benefit in defending the civilized world.
   There is no use, really, in listening to what Hizbullah or the Iranian Ayatollahs come up with; there is nothing new they can say, but that they are an oppression and suffer their own oppressive ways. The only thing the «civilized» can do is showing everybody that civilized actions differ from barbaric terror; that civilization is not an oppressive machine; that the «civilized» are eager to defend what they call human rights everywhere, no matter what pitiful-self-interests are involved. And Israel is not doing any of these right now.
   Your old plans of moving the American machine into action, no matter how interesting in the short term that might be, will not change at all the big picture in which the downtroddenned are always left alone without consideration of who they are or where their suffering comes from. It is about time that the people, even before the governments, start an active defense of human rights and international law in defense of a peaceful coexistence, condemning -and preventing where possible- the use of arbitrary violence no matter where does it come from, be it Hizbullah or the US, Israel or Iran. And as much as an international judiciary is needed, the enforcement of it is also necessary, but an enforcement in the name of law and not in the name of pitiful lies, self-interest or good intentions. And of course not in the name of hate.
   Well, this is obviously the hard part, like with the Civil Disobedience plan of your Prince; to look not at the short term consequences of our actions but to confide that they will succeed in the long run. Quite hard, I know. But worth it.

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8. 

   chema

   julio 19, 2006 at 1:06 am

   Qué hay Berta!
   Ya me dirás por donde quieres que siga el historical background. La verdad es que hay mucho por contar y explicar. De hecho estaba pensando en escribir sobre Afganistán, sobre el olvidado León de Panshir, asesinado el mismo día de las torres gemelas, sobre Iraq y la CIA y la irrupción americana en la zona; sobre los ayatolás iraníes… pero me temo que sería excesivo y probablemente menos relevante que hablar de Siria o de Jordania, o por supuesto de Israel y el Líbano.
   En fin, que no me vendría mal algo de feedback.
   Besotes!
   (ah, me prestó leerte en Offsides!)

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9. 

   berta

   julio 21, 2006 at 9:28 am

   Aquí en BCN no tengo internet así que me resulta difícil leer todo lo que escribís desde el curro, jodíos, vaya inglés!!!
   Me llevo impresas cosas para el tren, que en 4 horas tengo tiempo pa tó…
   De entrada a mí me gustaría que siguieras con siria, líbano, jordania, israel…ayer echaron un reportaje en la tele que por lo visto habían echado hace un año, año y medio…líbano francés, confesionalismo, 18 sectas entre cristianos y musulmanes, 1975, 1982, parlamento al 50%, …., bueno, no sé…
   venga.Berth

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10. 

    chema

    julio 22, 2006 at 7:30 pm

    Fale… cibido, aunque me lo voy a tomar con calma de todas formas (esta semana ha sido jodía). Pero don’t worry que ya preparo material pa que te entretengas en el tren 😉
    Besote!

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11. 

    berta

    julio 26, 2006 at 9:47 am

    OK!
    Ey una cosa, conoces algún diccionario de árabe de internetetetete? he buscado algo pero no encuentro nada bueno…

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12. 

    chema

    julio 27, 2006 at 5:52 pm

    El problema de los diccionarios árabes que conozco es que, o sabes leer árabe, o lo tienes chungo.
    Diccionarios como el que puedes encontrar aquí (http://www.lingvosoft.com/English-Arabic-Dictionary/) son muy buenos (inglés-árabe, eso si), pero no conozco ninguno que utilice nuestro abecedario para escribir las palabras árabes.
    Lo siento! (buscaré por si acaso -y por si te sirve de consuelo)
    Besote!

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