Fatalism

Some things may just be meant to happen. Do you believe in fate? If you do, the Middle East is a great place to pursue your religious beliefs. In Chapter 5 in Baghdad without a Map, “CAIRO DAYS: Ozymandias Slept Here,” Tony Horwitz, on his journey in Cairo, Egypt, describes the Islamic dedication to fatalism. He describes his taxi driver as a dedicated believer in Islamic ideology.

“The only insight I ever gained into this suicidal abandon came from a speeding Kurdish driver, after he’d recklessly run over a bird.
“Allah wanted it dead,” he said. The same fatalism applies to all passengers.”(p. 83)

If Allah wants something, it happens. Who is this Allah? According to Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, Allah is the ‘one and only’ God in Islam. All of his believers are to believe that everything happens as Allah says, even when it involves a life-and-death situation, such as the road kill described in the text. In a bigger picture, unfortunately, this idea of fatalism applies to some active, hostile terrorists among who were the fiends who forced the planes to be flown into the buildings on September 11th. If they were alive, when one interrogates the criminals about their motivation, it is very possible that they would say something like “Allah wanted us to save our country.” Although this assumption may look criticizing of the religion itself, I am not saying in any way that Islamic religion is to be seen as unreasonable inspiration for savages, as it is sometimes portrayed in this way on the media. The point is that the religion should never be abused to justify destruction and killing of many including themselves. Now it is really time to stop the forever-lasting violence between America and some of Middle East. If one side stimulates the other, the chaos will never stop because the other side would want revenge, which can vary from militarily oppressing them to flying planes into civilian-packed buildings.

SL

Brainwashing In Libya?

I came across an interesting topic while reading about Horowitz’s adventures in Libya. While making an attempt to gather information about the alleged poison gas factory in Rabta, Horowitzs enters a conversation with a Libyan guard named Abdullah. Abdullah does not know the meaning of “source”. Tony tries to explain to him that it is a person or document that you could rely on for the truth. It never has occurred to this man that JANA, Qaddafi, or any other government leader could be capable of lying. This man was five when Qaddafi seized power, and Qaddafi is a symbol of his country and greatness. In the text Horowitz corrects one of Abdullah’s recitals from The Green Book. When Abdullah hears this, he thinks for a moment and replies by saying, “This is possible, because you have killed all the rest.” He is so committed to his leader and their propaganda it is comical. Abdullah is almost like a robot that just spits propaganda and statements form government officials. Thought Abdullah has no proof Rabta isn’t producing gas or that America hasn’t killed all of the blacks and native Americans he is still blind fully confident that his government and leader is always right. This blinded willingness to follow a leader can be referenced to Nazi Germany. Children underwent a more serious means of brainwashing under Hitler. Not only did Hitler instill a love from Germany and himself in every German child, but he also taught them to hate Jews. Problems in math books would talk about “dirty Jews”, anti-Semitism was everywhere. Being raised in that type of environment it is almost impossible to escape becoming what the ruler wants you to, which is what I think happened to Abdullah. The link below is a link to information about the Hitler Youth. Hitler set up this organization after he came to power. He knew the future of Nazi German was with the children, and he used the Hitler Youth to gain control of them and brainwash them.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Youth
D.P.S.

Response to Hypocrytical or Not?

While reading BD’s comments about weapons in the Middle East I became very interested in what he was saying. Making a comparison between the United States weapons distribution among people and the Middle East’s amount of weaponry is difficult. I have limited knowledge on this situation, but from what I have read and learned it seems like Middle Eastern people have many more rifles than Americans. I would not say however that America has no weapons issues either though. I believe American have a large number of guns as well, but we are just more discreet about showing our weaponry. An American citizen who possessed a rifle would never walk around town with it slung over his shoulder, it doesn’t happen. But in the Middle East it is common to roam towns covered in knives and daggers, and draped with guns. A really interesting topic BD touched on was nuclear weaponry. I agree with him that the production of nuclear arms is in no way a good thing, and I also wonder why we have the exclusive right to create these weapons. I feel strongly that our nation is being hypocritical by manufacturing so many nuclear weapons while making sure no one else has any, but I also cannot blame them from acting this way. We cannot lead by example and destroy our weapons, because then we would not be able to ensure that other countries follow our lead. Also if we keep our weapons other countries will want them to protect themselves from us. I don’t know how this problem can be solved but I know nothing good can come from producing hundreds of nuclear weapons.
D.P.S.

Respect for Great History

In the chapter “Ozymandias Slept Here,” Tony Horwitz travels to the sites of the pyramids in Egypt and admires their magnificence. “I buried my head in a guidebook: 455 feet tall, for 4500 years the tallest edifice in the world.” (p.83) Pyramids are more than 4,500 years old. The technology of Egypt at that time was simply amazing. The Pyramids’ geometry resembles perfection in many aspects. Unfortunately, as Tony tells us in the chapter, the country of Egypt has the right to do whatever it wants to do with the Pyramids like preserving and taking care of it. Unfortunately, the rights also include destroying it. Many of the Arabic countries’ civilization flourished a long time ago. The remains of these amazing societies should be taken care of, which are not only in Egypt, but also all over the Middle East. On the news, one can occasionally hear the stories about the damages done to the great, valuable structures in the Middle East because of the wars and the overbearing firepower all around the remnants. One cannot easily imagine accidentally shooting down the Roman amphitheaters or the Buckingham Palace. Just like how we value our and European (where the majority of us come from) history and its remnants, it is necessary to respect the Arabic history. It is in fact painful to hear about warring enemies break down the beautiful ancient structures that represent the countries’ glorious history. If we all had more respect for their history and put more effort to learn about the value of it as we do ours, wouldn’t there be less violence and disrespect outside the boundaries of military combats?

SL

Habits

“A southpaw, I instinctively reached my left hand toward the-
“La! La!” twelve voices cried in unison. No! A man put his left hand on his backside, reminding me of its proper use.” (p.55)

In chapter 4 of Baghdad Without a Map, Tony Horwitz talks about his journey at the Persian Gulf. When he goes over to ask a group of Persian men to ask directions, the hospitable men offer him lunch. Tony, however, forgets one of the basic etiquettes of Arabic culture, which is to only use the right hand to eat food with, because the ‘unholy’ left hand is used to take care of one’s ‘backside.’ It is interesting to see how these generous people can be very protective of their distinct culture that can be seen almost habitual. Having come with a background of a very different culture myself, I understand how these Persians would like to teach Tony about their religious customs. I also think that Tony is reacting correctly in what may be seen as scolding. He does not become embarrassed or irritated; instead, he tries to fit in and admit his mistake with an open mind to embrace the different culture. When I talk about my cultural customs, I often want to teach other people what I do at home; for example, I teach some of my friends how to use the chopsticks correctly, which is perhaps complicated at first. But when the friends are willing to learn about my culture, I feel proud to be a representative of the people in where I come from. If this kind of pleasant relationship develops more broadly between maybe America and the Middle East, there would be less tearing apart, ignoring, and making fun of each other’s cultures.

SL

Drawing Mohammed

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4693292.stm

Last year, a popular Denmark newspaper company printed an issue containing cartoons that had been drawn, depicting the Islamic prophet Mohammed in series of different situations. These cartoons had both comical and political resemblances. The cartoons had been drawn after a Danish author made public his quest for an illustrator of his children’s book about Mohammed. This act, of showing the face of Mohammed is strictly forbidden in Muslim culture. The author had “complained” that he could find no illustrator, because everyone was afraid of breaking this Muslim rule. The cartoonists for the newspaper however showed little restraint. One of the main cartoons shows Mohammed in a police “line up” along with a few other men wearing turbans. Also in the cartoon is a witness saying “I don’t know which one he is.” The cartoonists used this image to send the message that drawings of the prophet should be considered “harmless gestures” since nobody should know what Mohammed looks like. The article in the link above hosts different opinions about these Danish cartoons. Some people, such as this Muslim critic claim that “Freedom of expression is not about doing whatever we want to do because we can do it.” Others claim that the cartoons are a sign of Western nations being more open and comfortable around the Islamic religion. Trying to put myself in the shoes of the Muslims who were angered by these cartoons would be pointless because (not being Muslim) I personally have no feelings of allegiance towards the rules of their religion. I do think it is fair to say however, that visual satires are made on a daily basis of different important figures around the globe, yet since the Islamic religion strictly prohibits showing the face of Mohammed, then why do it? Is it worth stirring up this much trouble?
BD

Hypocritical or Not?

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/hsc0488l.jpg
Its common for people, at least it is for me, to associate the Middle Eastern countries with severe violence. When I think of excessive weapons, I usually think of the Middle East. So far, Tony Horwitz’s novel has proven this generalization to be not extremely far from the truth. Most of Horwitz’s chapters have mentioned the sale of weapons, especially his chapter regarding the culture of Yemen. According to Horwitz, if the weapons are not being sold, then they are being carried or used. This cartoon represents these issues of violence. In this cartoon, a Palestinian and an Israeli are drawn and said to be carrying different types of explosives. The drawing is representative of the conflict between Palestine and Israeli, but upon seeing it, I couldn’t help going back to the issue of the Middle Eastern weapons issue. What I find interesting in this issue is the stand that the United States has on it. Obviously, the issue of smaller arms like rifles and machine guns in the Middle East is shocking to Americans, because no sane person would dare walk through a United States city openly holding a rifle. The production of larger weapons, such as nuclear bombs raises a different question for me. I have extremely limited knowledge on this subject, if any at all, but does it seem hypocritical that the United States can have whole nuclear arsenals yet our country doesn’t allow another country anything? I am completely against the production of nuclear weapons anywhere, but I always question this issue.
BD

Egyptian Air-Travel: A Strange Affair

Whenever the security of airports or of aircrafts is mentioned in the United States, people become uneasy and cringe with some sort of remembrance of 9/11. Air travel can be sensitive topic in the United States. This doesn’t at all mean that the conditions of the airports or the planes are unsanitary like those of the Arab world, but in the United States, factors in airports or in the skies which compromise security are not taken lightly. Airport organization is taken seriously, to say the least, as to minimize the risk of a terror attack. The terror attacks on 9/11 were carried out by men from the Arab world, and I found it very interesting to learn about the conditions of airports in the countries where terrorism is almost ominous. Horwitz depicts the airports in the Arab world as a whole, specifically in Egypt and Sudan, to be prime targets for terrorist attacks. His accounts of his experiences in the Egyptian airport were not only shocking, but were absolutely hilarious. He creates a sense of complete chaos and gives the reader the feeling that not even the airport officials have any idea what is going on. If there is one word to describe the airports, it’s ‘inconsistent.’ No traveler ever knows when their plane is taking off, what terminal it is taking off from, whether or not the aircraft will run out of fuel at 30,000 feet, or even whether or not the plane will make it off the runway. Along with the uninformed travelers, the flight crewmen themselves seem completely clueless. Horwitz tells of a flight out of Cairo where it didn’t become apparent to the pilot until part way through their journey that they had forgotten to fill the plane with fuel. They made an emergency landing somewhere in the dessert, where it became evident that a lack of fuel wasn’t the plane’s only problem. After hours of repairs, Horwitz asks a crewman what had been wrong with the plane. The crewman’s response; “they are not sure.” It’s safe to say that no American Airline would have let the passengers re-board a plane after an emergency landing in the middle of the dessert. When I read these chapters on Arabian air-travel, I was confused as to whether the airlines in the middle east are simply not concerned with the safety issues and just don’t mind taking chances, or if they are plainly not aware of how unstable their “system” is. One thing that I am sure of is that (according to my newfound knowledge), an Egyptian airplane would be my last choice for a mode of transportation.
BD

The Bigger The Better?

In Chapter 6, Cairo Nights: Dancing Sheik to Sheik, I found a very interesting difference between Middle Eastern culture and that of our nation. The view on women in Cairo is the exact opposite of the view on women in America. Here women are pushed by society to be as skinny as possible. Many people take drastic measures to loose just a few pounds. Eating disorders are everywhere, especially when it comes to celebrities. Our country is painted with pictures of rail thin models and women see them and think that it how they are suppose to look. As I thought about this more, I found it contradictory that our nation is in the top 10 most obese countries in the world. The only way I can explain this is that although 57% of American adults are overweight, the small percentage of influential individuals have affected the public so much this is the view we hold on women: the skinnier the better. I do not believe that it is men so much that are pushing for the rail thin women, I feel it is a lot of pressure and competition among women.
The view on women in Cairo is very much different. “She must be feminine, that is all,” Samy said. “Otherwise the men do not like her.” “And big,” I said. “Samy looked at me quizzically. “Big? These are not big girls.” This is a prime example of the cultural difference. The American is disgusted by the women dancing while the locals are screaming and loving it all.
“Dancer #2 looked like a fat women at a circus freak show. Fat bulged from beneath her shoulder straps and cantilevered over her low-slung skirt. Even without the midriff veil, her navel would have been obscured by rolls of
flesh. Belly dancing, it seemed, was not a slimming occupation.”
This is an Americans description of a women locals of Cairo paid to see dance. There is no explanation for the different likes and dislikes, it could be anything from what culture suggests or the influence of celebrities.
-DPD

Killers

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/109072
-an article

This article refers to a terrorist fraud in Kana, Lebanon. The supposed ‘genocide’ has killed 57 Lebanese citizens, including little children in majority in a brutal air attack in the city. This incident was seen as Israel’s overreaction to Lebanese bombardment of Israel. However, this attack never took place. According to the evidences that are mentioned in this article, it is obvious that the Isrealis did not plan this attack. It turned out to be a conspiracy to draw the sympathy of other nations for the Lebanese people. Although I am firmly against the violence involving Israel, Palestine, and this time Lebanon and do agree with many that the nation of Israel should be put under the responsibility for causing most of the chaos, this fraud tries to stimulate anti-Semitism among the public viewers. It is up to the individuals to take the side and support it. This incident is only an example of the history of anti-Semitism over many years in the Middle East. In Baghdad Tony Horwitz is not welcome because he is Jewish. The hatred that he brings with his identity as a Jew is resulted from this kind of information that provokes one’s emotions against a certain group of people. I think that this fraud is terrible in that it might have been able to worsen the world’s view against Israel, giving disadvantages to other irrelevant Jewish individuals around the world such as Horwitz.

SL

Women at War!?

I thought the culmination of the book in the last chapter was very interesting. As Horowitz was hitching a ride on a U.S. transport carrying Saudi troops home he noticed a servicewoman monitoring their takeoff. I thought this was a really interesting last minute comparison between Middle Eastern culture and our own. The way Horowitz described the situation was also very interesting. He said, “the other Saudi soldiers were rigid as well, eyeing the lithe, pony tailed service woman with an unabashed mix of lust and terror.” This scene must have been mind blowing for these soldier who have probably seen only one woman’s face before. I thought it was really interesting that he not only described their emotions as lustful, but also that they had a look of terror. I thought it was weird that country of people who have oppressed woman for all of their existence would be afraid of them. Not only did a veil not cover this woman, but also she was working, and was at war. These soldiers must have felt incredibly confused and apprehensive about the situation. A woman was taking them home, to a country where woman cannot even drive a car let alone a military transport. This confrontation in the plane makes me wonder what an Iraqi soldier might do if he were to see a woman in combat against him. My guess is the shear confusion and shock would get the soldier killed. It would be an interesting situation to see played out.
D.P.S.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6277982867673096hl=en457&q=iraq&
This video is pretty long but it perfectly portrays the instability in Iraq and the middle east. It is a movie about what type of effect the war and the instability of other nations is having on the young people of Iraq. This Video shows the awful truths that the people of Iraq face many dangers each and every day. The little kids are being taught to hate the Americans and the effects that the war is having on the people.

Instability in the Middle East

The First line of the novel states that "Some men follow their dreams, Some their instincts, some the beat of a private drummer." Throughout the novel the main character travels to many different place in search of his dream of becoming a writer. Not only does he travel to places that are much different form our United States but he travels to places that have customs that could be considered very contraversal to outsiders. In the chapter Yemen: Confessions of a Qat Eater the character tries to get a ride from some taxi drivers that are carrying daggers in their pockets. He thinks he can bargin with the cab drivers and get a ride for a cheaper price, but realizes quite quickly that the daggers arn't just for self-defense. Another event that the character finds very disturbing is when he sees the street vendor selling Wooden daggers for boys that are too young to carry real ones. This practice would be frowned apon in the US. Not aonly are kids carrying daggers, but violence is taught to them at a very young age which is very disturbing thought.
-RML

This article covers the headline story of a Sunni women suicide bomber who bombed a college campus in Baghdad. The blast occurred at Mustansiriyah University, which is located in the Iraqi city of Baghdad. The bombing killed forty-one students, many of who were busy rushing back after a semester break. The blast left students and their belongings strewn around the campus’s gates. The attack may have been an attempt to get back at the statements made by Shiite militia leader Muqtada al-Sadr who said that car bombs would continue to explode as long as the U.S. is involved.
Women suicide bombers are few and far between but not to rare due to the rise in bombings in the past few years. The bombing came only a few weeks after a twin car blast at the same campus killing seventy people. There was also another suicide bombing that killed eighteen in a mostly Shiite section of the city. The Shiites have been the target as of recent times due to the speeches made by their powerful militia leader.

http://www.comcast.net/news/index.jsp?cat=GENERAL&fn=/2007/02/25/596044.html

(Facts and article taken from Comcast News.)

PC

Weapons and Poverty: The Yemen Plague

After reading about Yemen with great intrigue, I was not completely surprised when one of Mr. Horwitz’s first observations was of how many weapons were seen in this country. However, I was surprised at the per capita amount of weapons seen there. Each man had an estimated two rifles and at least two daggers. This reflects directly on the safety and stability of this country. In a country where a person feels that his family is safe you will not see such a dramatic sum of weapons. When I read further I realized that it was not just that this country was unstable in terms of violence, but it is also one of the poorest nations in the Middle East. This was extremely evident when he goes to get a rental car and finds that you may find cars in better shape in junkyards in the U.S. It makes complete sense that a nation so poor would be plagued with violence and assassinations of their political figures. Where there is poverty there is a greater chance of anarchy and the people tend to blame their government for their problems. Weapons can also be a way for people too gain money and power from becoming a main supplier of the weapons themselves and ammunition. Poverty and weapons add up to a nation in great need of a leader who improves the economy and the life of the populous.

PC

Qat and It's Effects.

In Chapter 2, Yemens Confessions of a Qat-Eater in Baghdad Without a Map, qat is seen as a supplement and a reason for social gathering rather than a drug. In this chapter it seems to be no issue in the Yemen, therefore it seems to be harmless. I question its harmlessness because it is illegal in our nation. As I read more and briefly researched about at, I wondered if it could be compared to marijuana in our country. For many years there has been a controversy over the legalization of marijuana. The effects that follow smoking marijuana are a faster heartbeat and pulse rate, bloodshot eyes, and a dry mouth or throat. This are the immediately physical effects. There is scientifically proved evidence that proves that marijuana neither effects or improves hearing or eyesight. Studies show that this drug can impair or reduce short term memory, alert sense of time, and it also can prohibit an individual to do things that require concentration, swift reactions, and coordination. The effects of qat, on the other hand, include alertness and energy. Users have reported that after using at they have a clarity of thoughts and increased concentration which it quite the opposite of marijuana, so that comparison was no longer valid. Qat also can result in increased aggression. I then wondered why it is that qat is still illegal in the US? All of it’s effects seem to be positive. As I researched more I ran into something very puzzling. Recently the president of Yemen has stopped chewing qat in order to set an example for the rest of his nation. One of his reasons for quitting was religious. Religious radicals object to the use of qat, I found this so interesting because it seems that the population of Yemen, along with the rest of the Middle East, hold religion so highly but then they do something that their religious sees as “morally wrong.” Another reason was that many Yemen’s illnesses have been blamed on qat. Yemenis usually spend about 4-6 hours buying and chewing qat per day. The amount of time they spend around qat is ridiculous, they could be doing productive work in an attempt to help their struggling economy. Studies show that some Yemenis spend over half of their income on this drug. To meet the popular demand for qat one third of the nations agriculture is devoted to growing this non-nutritional plant. It seems to me that the obsession of this drug could be holding their economy back. This drug was once used as a luxury, not an every day occurrence that takes over many lives. It is said that most of Yemen shuts down after lunch time because everyone goes and chews qat in the afternoon so the effects will wear off before night time. “Qat very good for the head”, someone said in the second chapter. “Chew qat are you will stop caring about many things”, but stop caring about too much? I now realize why qat is illegal in our nation. Just because it doesn’t have any immediate negative or dangerous effects, such as marijuana, does not mean it doesn’t have any negative effects. The negative effects of qat come in the long run.
-DPD

Response to Funeral At Tehran

I thought that the funeral of Khomeini at Tehran was an increabibly interesting chapter. It was amazing to me Khomeini’s popularity in Iran. To assemble the most people in history has ever seen in one event simply by dying is quite a feat. More people came to this mans funeral than attended Hitler’s rallies or any other organization of people. Horowitz's conversation with the man that attended UCLA really confused me. I was surprised that a man with a western education would still remain so loyal to his country and his leader, Khomeini. I would think that most people who come to America for college would stay and live in America. It made me think that he must really love his country to give up all of the advantages and comforts America offers. In EJ's Funeral at Tehran blog I got the impression that she believed Khomeini being torn out of his coffin was customary and traditional for Iranian people. I highly doubt this occurrence was part of Middle Eastern tradition. The action of "mobbing" the helicopter, toppling the casket and tearing the Iman's shroud does not sound ceremonious to me. Also it was said in the text that; "one cameraman thought he'd spotted Khomeini's body tossed unceremoniously on the ground." These actions sound more like mob violence to me than a funeral tradition. When millions of people gather at one mans funeral there is bound to be some sort of mob violence. Also related to this is the way Khomeini was buried. They had to surround his aluminum coffin in a shipping crate to keep mourners from unearthing the corpse as they grabbed for handfuls of holy dirt. To everyone who attends Khomeini’s funeral he is seen as a god. Iranians will do anything to touch him, or the “holy dirt” that covers his final resting place.
D.P.S.

Crossing the line

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E1RvWHUUHE



Videos like the one above show disrespect to the people that they are making fun of and the soldiers that serve our country. Making a joke of what is a very real issue of our time is not what the people of our country need right now. At this point in time our country and its people need to finish their job in Iraq and the middle east and bring our soldiers home to their loved ones. These men and women are giving the ultimate sacrifice to us, they are giving their lives. The way that we can show respect back for this gift that they have given us is by not treating a issue like this as a joke. Lastly this gives a poor representation of what the majority of people in the middle east are like. It gives American viewers a false representation of the Arab nation. These skits give disrespect to both the soldiers and the people of the middle east.

Qat, a reflection of Yemen society?

When Tony Horwitz speaks of qat chewing, it represents a negative part of their main stream culture. At this point in time Yemen's society is unstable and what keeps it unstable can pertain to the amount qat chewing that takes place in the society. If the people are more willing to spend time sitting chewing qat rather working to improve their lifestyle. It is the society's own fault for it's poor disposition. The time they absorb to sit and chew qat and feel a high could be time that they use to help inspire their country, to help bring it together. Instead they sit and get high, it is almost like the people would rather get high then improve their life. Also the amount of money they spend on qat could be used to help feed their families and put them in a better living situation. It is understandable to have leisure time if there was nothing to do, but yet Yemen has so much to do. Qat can be what is taking away from getting it done. The fact that getting high is held to such a high standard makes me question the society, and what they actually want to achieve.

Oil Constellations

At the beginning of the Novel Tony Horwitz talks of his travel through the Empty Quarter. He talks of vast desert with nothing in sight except a few signs to guide him along the narrow road. He further referenced that a while ago, people used to navigate this desert by looking at the constellations. Now the constellations are not the stars buT Oil. Oil is what navigates this country, it is what supports them. When Tony Horwitz speaks of Oil as constellations, he is referring to the Arabic society. He is referencing to what is the guide of that society. Oil is the driving force in their economy. Oil is what keeps them going, it is one of the main reasons for hostility, corruption, and greed in that society. It is what makes them powerful because country's like the U.S thrive off of Oil. They can set any price they want and we have to pay it, because they are the main source. The inflation is what causes the friction between our country and that of the middle east. And the corruption and power struggle is what causes the friction among the middle east.

GT

Instability in Yemen

While Tony Horwitz is in Yemen he try's explain the reasoning behind the hostility of this country. His reason for hostility is that of instability. He says the government has not been able to take root in the society. But governments cannot take root when presidents are murdered based on difference of opinion. A government cannot take root if it's people do not want to act civilized and make attempt towards solving things democratically. The instability correlates to the hostility of the people. In a society that allows people to carry weapons to use at their discretion how can there be any stability. Because the society allows the people to practice self justice with these daggers, no roots of government will be able grow. These roots will be merely cut down by a fellow member of society because they believe differently.



GT

Funeral in Tehran

When Tony Horwitz visits Tehran, Iran, he is presented with an extraordinary and frightening experience. After learning that the leader of Iran, Khomeini, has died, billions of people storm the street in black clothing mourning his death. Horwitz receives the chance to visit his funeral, though when he does, he seems somewhat appalled by what he sees. A helicopter lowers Khomeini’s coffin onto the ground while a large number of people swarm it and pull Khomeini out of it and onto the ground. This does not seem typical of any funeral; however, traditions in different countries vary. After President Gerald Ford passed away, a funeral was held in Washington D.C. Interesting enough, everyone that attended was dressed in black, a common color worn at funerals. This seems to be the only commonality between Khomein’s funeral and Gerald Ford’s funeral. Also at President Ford’s funeral, many military and naval members stood solemnly, mourning the loss of the president. A main concept of American funerals involves respect for the dead. Everyone is quiet and nobody attacks the coffin, tossing the body out of it. Traditions of the Middle-East seem extremely different to the United States; however, we do not take into account that many Middle-Easterners must think our traditions are out of the ordinary. People clearly have different ways of mourning based on traditions they have been brought up with.

EJ

Is Sheltered Safer?

Living in the United States, most people cannot even imagine what it is like to live in the Middle-East. In chapter 14 of Tony Horwitz’s novel, he explains his trip to Beirut in great detail. While spending time on a boat, he meets a young man named Marwan. They listen to the radio which happens to be describing the events in Beirut that day. What surprised me the most about Horwitz’s conversation with this man is that Marwan seems to have a very casual attitude on the entire Middle-Eastern conflict, illustrated by his comment on page 223, “ ‘I might as well do some tanning now, because I won’t get any sun down in the bomb shelter.’” This is intriguing to me because people who live in this region of the world for most of their lives are so accustomed to the violence, that they soon chose to make jokes about it. Growing up in a small sheltered community, most of us never even think about a bomb shelter, or have to worry about people planning to bomb our cities. Sometimes we take for granted the safe, sheltered life we live, not thinking about how people in other countries have to wake up every day wondering if their town will be bombed or if gunfire will break out near a school and kill a bunch of people. The fact is, people living in the Middle-East are probably much more intelligent and prepared for life than we are. They know how to survive bombings, and how to look for anything suspicious, while here in our small-town private school, it never crosses our minds that we could at any time be threatened by bombs or gunfire. Maybe it is about time we started learning from other countries and educate our people on how to protect themselves from danger, if it ever presents itself.

EJ

Yousri

In chapter six, Cairo Nights, I learned the depressing story of Tony Horwitz friend, Yousri. Yousri’s story of growing up in Cairo as a Nubian is tragic to say the least. But, the most amazing part of this story is his pride. Horwitz says he is the proudest man he ever met, which is a bit ironic in the sense that in Yousri’s own eyes and his peers he did not have that much to be proud of. He was thirty years old living with his parents, or up until his parents passed away. In the United States, this is not only a rarity but an embarrassment. Yousri was also unmarried. He could not marry a middle class woman because he was the son of a Nubian booah, nor could he marry a woman of his own class until he had his own apartment with furnishings. This is surprising to me because in the United States although class distinctions are evident, it is not to the extent like in Cairo where a man could not marry a woman out of his own class. The only way for Yousri to be able to afford the house and furnishings would be to work in the Gulf like his brothers, but even then he would not be able to spend much time with his family. His brothers worked in the Gulf, and only spend one month out of the year with their families. I felt almost guilty when I read this knowing that I am able to see my parents virtually whenever I like. The fact that Yousri would have to chose to either live alone as a bachelor, or live alone as a married man is sad because neither of these are very appealing. It was touching to read how concerned Horwitz was for his friend, and of both he and his wife’s efforts to help him. They set him up with many women, and attempted many different ways to obtain a visa for him. But, nothing worked. The saddest thing was after Yousri paid for an illegal visa and was clearly scammed, he still believed it was going to arrive any day. Horwitz brings up an interesting point in this chapter, the only difference between himself and Yousri was the “lot’s they’d drawn at birth.” Although this statement is sad, it is true. In this book, Baghdad without a Map, it is the stories and lives like Yousri’s that truly make me thankful. I realize that the only difference between me and a woman in the Middle East is that we are from different places. Yet, this one difference offers me so many things she is denied. It is a depressing but true statement that actually makes me realize how lucky I am.


-MLD

Anti-Drug America

In the second chapter of "Baghdad without a Map", Yemen: Confessions of a Qat Eater, I gained a lot of insight into different traditions in the Yemen culture. Qat is part of their daily lives, a popular social activity that is a good explanation of the personalities the people of Yemen possess. They dress in colorful turbans opposed to other more serious Middle Eastern countries where that would seem unacceptable. I don’t believe that there is anything wrong with Qat; in fact I think it is almost a cool aspect of this country. “We want to be Yemen. We do not want to hurry up and be like the West.” Pg 20 Yemen seems to me, in a world where religion is strict and many are oppressed by violent dictators, relaxed. They clearly don’t have much but they are proud of whom they are and if something makes them happy let them be. I tried thinking of our society allowing drugs. What would the U.S be like if we could all invite our friends over and get high? I think of the people in the U.S as stressed. Although many of us are supposed to be taught at a young age that money does not buy happiness, our lifestyles do not reflect this. We are always competing and there are many trying to achieve that American dream and now that I go to a New England Boarding School I find myself fitting into that mind set. Because I go to this school, I must treasure the opportunities I’m given and make something of myself. I do know how lucky I am and I do value my education but at times when I cannot sleep because I have anxiety over hours of work still left to do I wish society could be different. In reality I think we could be nicer people if we could take a minute to breath. I’m not saying we can all sit around for weeks, chew qat and forget about everything we have but look at the people of Yemen who essentially have nothing. They still can take a moment and just let the day pass them by. Then there are people in the U.S, we have everything a person in Yemen could ever dream of, that work 7 days a week to hold on to every little penny they have. For me holding on so tightly to that perfect portrayal of American success is so much less satisfying, it could mean so much more if you actually had time to sit back and realize how fortunate some of us are.

JEH

Crisis in Sudan

Sudan, one of the countries Tony Horwitz visits, is a country plagued by violence. More recently the conflict in Sudan has escalated, almost to the level of genocide. Thousand of refugees live in camps while others have fled the country, looking for a safer place to live. This website is very informative as to why the genocide happened and what is being done to stop it, but I think the main issue is, why is the United Stated not getting involved? It is true that not many people are informed about the murders in Sudan, but can we really use that as an excuse?
During World War II when the United States found out that millions of Jews were being murdered, we allied with Britain and invaded the death camps. It is arguable that the United States is preoccupied with the war in Iraq and it should not have to save every country when it is on the verge of social, political, and economic collapse, but when innocent lives are being taken, shouldn’t we do something about it? The Rwandan genocide was also a large international issue that we did not get involved in. It does not make sense that we will not step in and stop the butchering of innocent African men, women, and children. Sudan is a country in crisis and yet nothing is being done by the U.S., one of the most able countries in the world, to stop it.
EJ
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm

Israelis vs. Palestinians

In the chapter the Jordan River, Horowitz talks about the Jordan River and how it is a strict boarder between Israel and Jordan. It was really interesting to read about the similarities Horowitz described between the Israelis and their Palestinian brothers. Horowitz made a great comparison by saying that the Palestinians were the “Jews” of the Arab world. Before reading this comment on Palestinians I had no idea as to their relationship with other Arabian peoples. I was really impressed and surprised at the number of similarities Horowitz was able to draw between these two nations. It is shocking that two nations that hate each other so much could be so similar. There religions seem to be the major difference that keeps them apart. I thought it was funny that he said, “The next thing you notice, once you’ve tallied all these similarities, is that Palestinians and Israelis are alike in ignoring the kinship completely. It is interesting to think what relations between these two nations would have been like if after the second world war Jerusalem had not been split up, and they were both not it competition for the same homeland. Both nations want to live in the holy city, but their hatred for each other and their religious differences prevent them from coexisting on the same land. I do not see how this situation between Israelis and Palestinians will end. I don’t think either side will give up until they are all dead, and I also don’t think they could share the land. It is unfortunate that both of these people have nowhere else to go and no country of their own.
D.P.S.

America and Iraq: We Fear the Government

America is the better country, but are we that much better or different from Iraq? Iraq was ruled by a ruthless dictator, Saddam Hussein, who only ruled for the benefit of his beliefs. Saddam Hussein governed by fear, the people listened and did as he said because most people fear death. They still treated women poorly, it was made so children had to learn the ways of terrorists, and nobody stood up against him because they knew they would be executed. When Saddam Hussein was killed hardly anything changed because al Qaeda has the strength in numbers to have new leadership quickly, and when that happens the rules stay the same. Does America honestly think that most people follow the rules because we like the way our democracy works? People obey the law out of fear, just like the people in Iraq did and still do. We fear the government, for they might imprison us, which depending on the circumstance might not be that much better than death. We fear the government, for they treat immigrants like women are treated in Iraq, and the people of the country are to lame because they have the jobs we are “too good” to take. We fear the government, for if we do not get a good education we will be looked down upon by all, and be turned down by what we thought were future employments. We fear the government, for they have the inside power to make us invisible, for they have the inside power to make us look like we haven’t existed. We fear the government, for they have the authority to do what they want, which could cause such recoil that it could hurt our beloved country. We fear the government because of what they have “set in stone.”

JG Sherree!

Stereotypical Middle East

This here is a video called "Rent A Rab" that I found at the website, http://youtube.com/watch?v=NZU-5gUkKO0.



Americans stereotype in their normal speech, whether it is joking around or being completely serious, it is inexcusable. A person can ask someone, “Hey, how was the basketball game yesterday?” And the response would be, “It was alright, but there was this black kid that could jump really high, he almost dunked.” These words prove that as we try to stop genocides like Rwanda, Darfur, and even the tussle between Israel and Palestine, we are no better at racially profiling than they are. Both Israel and Palestine fight each other because they both want more land? Or is it because their societies teach the upcoming generations to hate the opposing; Palestinians are taught to hate Israelis and vice versa. The constant racial slurs that come out of our mouths are made to be by our country that they are “okay” to say. Countless times have I heard the theory that we should have just “nuked” Iraq, but is it true that all Iraqis are terrorists? The way we say these things, we are just teaching the next generation to think like us. This is why it took slavery such a long time to end, because fathers and mothers continued telling their children that people of color are not equal. It is our generation that teaches the next, it is our troops in Iraq and our country that are going to teach those kids that violence and terrorism is not acceptable in this world.

JG Sherree!

Unity; Response to "Sudan: A Country on the Cusp of Genocide"

Many people in the United States of America do not agree with the ideology George Bush represents. He has started something he shouldn’t have gotten involved in, but he is too far in at this point to just “pull out,” this is a personal opinion. While republicans and democrats beliefs can differ greatly, it is a government that makes us one country. Sometimes being a “good” leader means that you have to be a “bad guy.” There is nothing that pulls a country together more than a hated leader, especially in times of crisis. To say the least, H.C.F., I disagree with your statement: “When the government is the ‘bad guy’ there is no one to stand up for what is right and decent.” Looking also at the history of many countries, it seems that when the government is repressing the common folk that is when the people pull together. So, if there were to be some sort of revolt by the people, my guess is it would happen as the limits on their lives are still held by the government. I have never been in a situation that I have not had some freedom and I doubt that I will live in a country like that. But, if I and all my family and friends did not have freedom I am positive that after years of living like that we would find a way to strike back. Revolution happens in times of crisis; it may create more problems, but there is a greater chance of achieving the specific goal they want to acquire. H.C.F., I believe that the rest of your thoughts on Sudan are very agreeable.

JG Sherree!

Saddam's Dictatorship compared to Previous Dictatorships

Saddam Hussein’s totalitarian dictatorship in Iraq is disturbingly similar to the dictatorships of Stalin and even Hitler. In all of these dictatorships the country is completely sealed off from the world. Hitler is probably the best example of this with his book burnings and brainwashing of the German people. Another similarity between Hussein dictatorship and Hitler’s is that whenever there is a powerful dictatorship there is an enemy that is exaggerated and made to be the foe of the entire nation. The battle between Iraq and Iran is a great example of this. Saddam uses hatred of Iranians to unite his people under his total rule. I also thought it was interesting to read about what extreme lengths Saddam went to keep information about the war away from his people, including how many Iraqi soldiers were killed. One aspect of Iraqi life that struck me from the reading was the censorship of the citizens, and how they could not speak out against Saddam. This reminded me of Hitler, and how there could be no criticism of him. I was reminded of Hitler’s rule again when I read about the songs for Saddam. They seemed to be the same type of brainwashing anthem Nazi Germany had with their “heil Hitler.” I was really surprised to read about the multitude of portraits of Saddam. Although dictatorships in the past have had always had portraits of their dictators posted throughout the entire country and ever aspect of life, Iraq is somewhat different from dictatorships like Stalin’s and Hitler’s. In their rules they were rulers and gods almost to the people of their countries, but in Iraq the entire population is strictly Islamic. I wonder if the people of Iraq notice Saddam’s attempts to become a god amongst their society. I do not think they would through away their religion and culture and become servants to Saddam as in Stalin’s rule in Russia. In Russia Stalin abolished religion, and became almost a god to the people of Russia. I also was not sure from the reading whether most of the population of Iraq was in favor of Saddam or was against him, and just unable to speak out. From the news in America about Saddams demise I would assume they did not like his rule, but I do not know if it is just a small sum of the population that disagreed with Saddam’s rule. I think because of Saddam’s encroachment on the Islamic religion and attempting to become a god like Stalin made him unfavorable to most Iraqis. It was interesting that while reading all of the disturbing similarities between Saddam’s dictatorship and previous ones; that I knew what happens to him and his government in the end.
D.P.S.

Right or Wrong

After reading the prologue to Nine Parts Desire by Geraldine Brooks, I realized just how poorly women are treated by Islam’s. A first example of the discrimination against women would be when; Geraldine Brooks was unable to get a room in a hotel without special permission because she was by herself. In a way women are forced into marriage, which can be just as harsh as the outside world. Women can be beaten by their husbands if they disobey him, are forced to share his attentions with three other wives, can be divorced whenever, and can lose custody of their children. I could not imagine many people who would enjoy these things happening to them.
When Geraldine interviews Sahar, I was amazed by some of her responses. Sahar believes that men and women are “different”. She agreed with the decision that banned all women from being judges in Islamic courts. She claims, “ Women are more emotional than men, because God has designed them to care for children. So, in court, a woman might show mercy where logic demands harshness.” What about the cases where logic demands mercy? Serah also claims that when she wears the Hijab she feels protected. She doesn’t have to fear going out in public in it. This is great for her, but what about the women who want to go out in public without it and without fear. Not all Muslim countries treat women 2nd rate, but everyone should have a choice like Sahar. “Islam did not have to mean oppression of women. So why were so many Muslim women oppressed?” This is a great question, and I have no answer for it. ed

Old Russia and the Middle East

When comparing Iraq and some other Middle Eastern Countries with the former USSR, the similarities are easy to pick up on. The Iraqi Government and Militia only show the public what it wants it wants its people to see. Terrorist organizations have their own channels, and speak about killing America and destroying Israel. The censorship is extremely evident in this part of the world. There is however a difference which may also be somewhat of a similarity. In old Russia religion was banned from the country due to the communists view on how religion brings out individualism. The Iraqi’s however, are religious extremists; the Middle East’s society is greatly based on religion and the laws of Islam. In both cases if you choose to go against what the government agrees with you will face the consequences. You hear about how the women are treated in the Middle East and it is evident that if they step out of the lines of Islam they will face great consequences just as the Russians who tried to practice religion were. These similarities may not be on purpose, but it is simple to find a few, if not many similarities between communist countries and those countries in the Middle East.
-PC

Derka Derka!

This video is an interesting scene from the movie Team America: World Police directed by Trey Parker.



In this scene, Gary, a new member of Team America, makes his first move as a protector of freedom of the Middle East. He must act his way through the security guards to find out where the ‘terrorists’ are. This film contains many political humors, of which the best shown is the tension between America and the Middle East. From my perspective, Trey Parker purposefully suited up the Team members in iridescent stars-and-stripes uniforms that do not match the sandy scenery of the Middle East to show that they are not welcome in the Arab community. The clumsiness in Gary’s makeup also serves the same purpose. Even though it may seem like the United States is motivated by a good cause (democracy and stability, they say) to be involved in the Middle Eastern conflicts or create them, most Arabic people do not appreciate or welcome the US involvement. Gary cannot communicate fluently with the Arabs and moves past the door with uncertainty, which may represent the real-life political situation, without trying to recognize the dangers that might lie ahead of America. Perhaps it is better to leave the Arabic nations to solve their own problems, or actually achieve a real goal of peace.

SL

(taken from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cl6eHnuXBQ4)

In The New Life, Brought to you by oil MLD remarks on how she believes that in the city of Abu Dubai there was a strange mixture of both western culture and traditional Islamic culture. I think that Islamic people are not against material wealth, like nice cars, clean white robes, or nice houses. The idea Muslims dislike about westernization is not that in the west we have money, the part of westernization Muslims dislike is that they have to change their culture to become modern and westernized. Islamic people don’t want to change their fashion, beliefs on women, or their traditional Islamic views. That is why they reject westernization, not because they do not want to have money. I don’t think Islamic people mind changing their economic standings to better their standard of living. Islamic people who profited from the oil industry are not westernizing, I think that they are simply continuing their traditional way of life, but in luxury. Instead of riding camels they drive Mercedes, but their true culture remains unchanged and non-westernized. Also I don’t think the cartoon really symbolizes a merging of new and old Islamic cultures. I believe it shows that Muslims are turning their back on religion (Mecca in the picture), and are focusing on oil. Instead of praying in the direction of Mecca, they are facing and praying toward the oil Riggs. The cartoon illustrates Muslims turning their back on religion and embracing the wealth of oil much more than it describes Muslims combining new and old cultures.
D.P.S.

Response to DPD, Womens rights in the Middle East

Although I agree with DPD’s assessment that women are lacking rights and are discriminated against in the Middle East. I also felt after reading the post that DPD believed women were on the verge of being liberated. I strongly disagree with this idea. The liberation of women goes against almost every part of life in most Middle Eastern countries. First of all the religion of Islam, of which most of the Middle East follows, advocates the control of women. Also the fashion of women in the Middle East seems to prevent them from raising their social status as well. It would be unheard of for a Muslim woman to not cover every part of her body; it has been part of Islamic religion and law for centuries and will not be abolished easily. Women in the Middle East will not be liberated on a large scale in our lifetime at least. This is because to change women’s place in society would literally go against their religion. Unless most of the Middle East changes its religion I don’t think women will be easily liberated. Muslims will not change their religion, and it is growing larger every day compared to other major religions. Also another major factor that will prevent women from moving up the social ladder is that most Middle Eastern people tend to reject westernization, and a key part of westernization is the liberation and suffrage of women. Most people in the Middle East want to hold on to their culture, and not conform to our modern way of life. One huge part of their culture is that women are discriminated against, and they will not give up such a huge part of their culture without a fight. The Middle East wants to move back in time, and not westernize. Also in the post you commented on women being a minority in the Middle East. Although the text does support that in Dubai men outnumber women by 3:1, I don’t think that is true throughout the Middle East. My guess is that the ratio of men to women is closer to 1:1 throughout the Middle East. All of these factors lead me to believe that women are going to be oppressed in most of the Middle East for a long time.
D.P.S.

The New Life, brought to you by Oil

While reading Baghdad without a Map, I couldn’t help but be shocked by the mixture of old traditions with modern ways of life. In chapter four, Persian Gulf: The Strait of Hoummos, Tony Horwitz described the city of Abu Dhabi as an incredible combination of new technology with traditional ways of life. In this city, the roads are filled with white Mercedes being driven by men in white robes. It seems unusual for these two images to go together, because when I think white Mercedes I think modern, however; the fact that the man is wearing a white robe seems to contradict this idea of modernization. The fact that Tony Horwitz saw a camel race advertised in the Emirates News also seems to contradict itself. The fact that there is a camel race seems to be a tradition of the past, but it is being advertised in modern ways. How are they able to do this? The answer is oil. It brings money and money brings technology and arguably “western ways” of life. During the oil boom, this tiny nation was the richest in the world. With their new found wealth the people discarded their camels and tents for villas and expensive cars. In a world where they claim to “prevent westernization” and constantly blame the USA for trying to westernize them, they have westernized their own country. The amazing thing is although they westernized themselves in some aspects of life, they kept many of the old traditions. Confused on how they were able to do this, I searched online and came across this cartoon. This cartoon, although very stereotypical, demonstrates this idea of combining the old with the new.

http://www.cartoonstock.com/lowres/vsh0486l.jpg

MLD

A Sea of Mourners

The account of Imam Khomeini’s funeral was both startling and scary. I immediately googled Khomeini’s funeral and was even more surprised to see that Horwitz had not been exaggerating. Around the funeral pyre there appears to be a giant ocean of black. The millions of Iranians appear to be a sea of black trees swaying to what I can imagine was a giant roar of weeping for their beloved ruler. It is impossible to imagine a ruler like Khomeini being exalted as he was after all of the freedoms he stripped from his people. His funeral is the ultimate testament to the power he had over his people. Khomeini’s death puts a spell on his people as Horwitz describes the mourners as, “wild-eyed and oblivious. They didn’t seem human at all.” (242) I can not help but wonder to what state of depravation the people of Iran were in to become as manic as they were at their beloved Imam’s funeral. Iranians are just as capable of logic as any other people are but yet millions of them wept for a man who is considered evil. The scariest overall theme to this book is how all of these people, Iranians, Libyans, etc are brainwashed by some of the most immoral men in history. I can only imagine what it would be like to live in a country where you only could hear one voice shouting one message everywhere you go. The fear and paranoia that must take hold is immeasurable and I can only pity the millions of people who are unable to hear, speak or act. The lack of basic human rights is appalling but it almost seems as if these people are happy with their lives. They consider it more important to keep their culture and traditions than to move forward into the modern world. It is honorable but regrettable and it is ultimately a price that is paid with millions of innocent lives by a few horrific rulers. One day, hopefully there will be a calm that sweeps over the sea of black trees and brings with it respect for their culture and also an incorruptible freedom.

H.C.F.

Sudan: A Country on the Cusp of Genocide

It is fascinating to read Horowitz’s chapters about Sudan before the Darfur genocide officially began. From his description it seems that a need for cleansing was already in the air. Sudan and especially, “Khartoum, is like something from Kafka.” (193) Being a fan of The Metamorphoses, I instantly imagine a whole city of Gregor Samsas. Thousands of people with nothing better to do than waiting to turn into giant bugs. When the, “government is on strike like everyone else,” (182) it is easy to understand how an ethnic purification can occur. When the government is the “bad guy” there is no one to stand up for what is right and decent. There is no social order and when thousands are in refugee camps doing nothing all that can come from it are starving, angry civilians. All that anger that amassed in those refugee camps is now spent killing Arabs. It is easy to understand why these people are so angry. They lack a decent supply of education, food, and decent work which has resulted in a country that is stuck. Sudan is a country that is caught in a web of economic failure and the inability to help better its situation. It is a country with nothing to do and no way to get out of the poverty and tension between the Arabs and the Sudanese. Sudan is in a vicious cycle of hate that is fed by its people’s starvation and lack of freedom. Horowitz paints a grim picture of a country that is currently in the depths of government sponsored genocide.

H.C.F.

Saddam's Ruthless Regime: Response to "Orwell's Dystopia"

It is completely agreeable that Iraq was governed by fear, as stated by BCD. Saddam Hussein was a ruthless dictator who forced people to follow him by using excessive military force and propaganda. Frightening people into loyalty to the Iraqi government gave Saddam excessive power over his people, particularly his ability to manipulate them into whatever he pleased. If Saddam believed in a certain religion, everyone in the country was expected to follow that religion, or else face terrible consequences. Typically, the American view on Iraq is that they are our enemy, more specifically, our enemy in the war we are fighting. We believe that we are liberating the Iraqi citizens from oppression by Saddam, and we also seem to think that the best solution to peace in Iraq is instituting a democracy in place of their government. It does not seem right to tell a country how they should rule their people. This goes back again to how the Iraqi people actually felt about their totalitarian government. It is possible that some people might have felt safer being told what to do. Right now, the government in Iraq is in complete disarray, most likely contributing to the violence in the country. Peace is likely what most of the population wants, but if it is to be accomplished, Iraq must decide with its people how they want their country to be governed.

EJ

Orwell's Dystopia

Orwell’s Dystopia

Hortwitz’s chapter about Baghdad is legitimately scary. Baghdad, as described by Horwitz is completely alienated from the rest of the world. Plagued by fascism and governed by fear, the city (the rest of Iraq as well) is seen by Horwitz as one big lie. Horwitz says that to him, Iraq was the most frightening country in all of the Middle East. The country’s fear is brought on neither by violence nor poverty like in Yemen, but by the prison like isolation that the Iraqi government has created. Saddam Hussein’s face is everywhere and he is “loved” by the people because he is feared by the people. Anything before Saddam is irrelevant, and anything going against Saddam might as well not exist. The Iraqi people are shut off from everything. Every story they hear, every broadcast that is reported, is broken down, twisted, and reshaped to show that Iraq is the greatest country in the world. What shocked me even more than the idea of this deceitful society was that Baghdad is not a run city made of mud huts. Baghdad has restaurants, fancy hotels, skyscrapers, and entertainment. In a way, this makes sense. The government intends for their citizens to view the country as a utopia. The government hopes to maintain complete loyalty and uniformity through its citizens by not letting its citizens know anything else. Horwitz alludes to George Orwell’s 1984, and clearly draws the similarity that in Iraq, someone is always watching. One cannot in any way act freely.
What I wanted to know while reading this chapter was what the Iraqi people wanted. That seems to be a universal question in current events today. How did the Iraqi people feel about their government when Saddam was in power? Unfortunately for the Iraqi people, they seem to be forced to hate something. Either they hate the West, and Western ideas like they were trained to do by the government under Saddam, or they hate the fascist regime which suppressed them for years. If one can draw any sanity to what is going on in Iraq presently, it could be to help those who want freedom from the backwards Iraqi society.
BCD

Before I started reading Baghdad Without A Map I didn't know much about the conditions for women in the Middle East. I was only briefly familiar with the stereotypical restrictions on clothing and religion which women faced. As I continued to read there were several comments made that I found concerning. They made women seem as a "thing" just as they were pre-women's suffrage in America. This view on women in America started to change as early as the nineteenth century. It baffles me that these views are still held by some. This unfair treatment of women stood out to me as early as the Prologue “Love at First Sight”. The women that came to the door seemed so hesitant and nervous, as if she thought she was doing something wrong. It seemed as if she was scared for an unknown reason. The description on the women’s clothing seemed so limiting. They all wore masks and shrouds that fell to their feet concealing every inch of them. It struck me so odd when the one women said “I love you” to a man she had never met after he has shown her some expected kindness.
After some research I learned that Middle Eastern countries have just made a very important step forward. Most countries have ratified or looked into the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Although this all seems an attempt to move forward, these positive steps are being diluted because several countries have put reservations and made many decelerations contrary to the Convention. These reservations are not allowing women to lead lives free of violence and discrimination. Countries are justifying these restrictions by claiming that they conflict with the national legislature and Islamic Law.
I believe that the conditions for women in the Middle East have not improved over time because, as stated in the text, “men outnumber women in Dubai by three to one”. Women are the minority throughout the Middle East. The laws, restrictions, and views on women are also so strict to begin with that it seems it would be difficult to stand up and disagree. Women are looked down upon so drastically it is said that Middle Eastern men cherish their animals more than their wives. Here is an example I found showing how unrealistic laws regarding women are. This is a piece stated by the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution.

"A man can marry a girl younger than nine years of age, even if the girl is still a baby being breastfed. A man, however is prohibited from having intercourse with a girl younger than nine, other sexual act such as forplay, rubbing, kissing and sodomy is allowed. A man having intercourse with a girl younger than nine years of age has not comitted a crime, but only an infraction, if the girl is not permanently damaged. If the girl, however, is permanently damaged, the man must provide for her all her life. But this girl will not count as one of the man's four permanent wives. He also is not permitted to marry the girl's sister." (http://www.middle-east-info.org/gateway/womenchildabuse/index.htm)

DPD

Maps of the Middle East

Check out this website about the Middle East: www.theglobaleducationproject.org/mideast

While I freely admit that I am ignorant about any number of topics,at this particular time, given our reading of Baghdad Without A Map, I find my ignorance of the Middle East painful and embarrassing. To begin with, it was not until I started this unit that I realized the Middle East, countries which I have bandied about in water cooler talk as if I were one of an educated, bleeding-heart liberal elite, was arbitrarily fashioned (to some degree) by the winning powers of Europe after World War I. Indeed the Allies themselves banded together and placed Israel in the middle of Palestine after World War II. Now, I realize that the creation of the Jewish State is far more complicated than simply sketching boundaries and encouraging immigration, but the bottom line is that a group of powerful men, none of whom lived in the area, decided (rightfully, I believe) that there needed to be a refuge for Jews and chose Jerusalem, for obvious reasons, as that site. However compassionate that act might have been meant to be, it also seems so very arrogant to me. What consideration was given to those who actually lived in the area? My point here is that boundaries matter. The boundaries can be physical, like the boundaries of a country or a town or a home site; they may be religious, they may be emotional, they may be personal. It is this seeming arrogance, this seeming disregard for boundaries that still haunts the Middle East today. The "West" continues to cross boundaries as it fights its war on terror in Afghanistan, as it helps to bring "peace" to Iraq, arguably and ironically a country that has been torn apart and devastated because the United States and its allies choose to cross boundaries. Are there lines that we as Americans, as part of a nation that is a "super power" (whatever that means), should not be crossing? We need to know our boundaries, and part of that knowledge begins by knowing more, learning the maps and outlines of the countries and cultures.

-EBW

"This does not happen in Libya."

Tony Horowitz portrays Libya as a mini Iraq, equipped with a dictator, propaganda and a hatred for America. I have never thought of Libya as a Middle Eastern country but after his description Libya appears to be as dangerous as Iraq. All of the People’s Committees, Congresses and Secretariats sound as if they are out of a George Orwell novel not a current Middle Eastern country. Libya is a modern day U.S.S.R. or communist China which is a very scary thought. It amazes me that a whole nation of people when poor and desperate enough can be brainwashed to believe anything their leader says. Imagine what a country like Libya could be if a half decent man was in control. Think of all the people who could then have a real education and contribute more to the world then war and terrorism. What is even more amazing is that Libya has enough power to control all who enter the country, allow them to see what is deemed appropriate and get away with it. It seems that almost all the people Horowitz met were proud of their country. I believe that this is because they do not know any better. Life in Libya is the Green Book. Horowitz’s last encounter as he left the country was particularly disturbing, “’Remember, this does not happen in Libya,’ he said one last time, then added with a half-smile, ‘And please, tell all journalists, come to Tripoli again.’” (170) The brutality that the pick-pocketer experienced was just one of many and the scary thought is that no one is there to stop such a heinous crime against a fellow human. In Libya there are no humans just bodies waiting for their next order.

H.C.F.

Road to Peace?

The Middle-Eastern conflict has been going on for a countless number of years, but is there any chance of peace in the near future? I looked at this website and I found lots of information ranging from how the conflict started to what is being done now to start peace negotiations. It was interesting to find out that the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and David Ben-Gurion, a Zionist who declared Israel a Jewish state in 1948, are two big reasons for the start of the conflict between Israel and Palestine. I remember learning in school a while back that Israel was basically cut from Palestine, the pre-existing country before Israel was formed. When the Jewish state was proclaimed, the Palestinians became angry because Israel contained the one city that they worshipped the most; Jerusalem. At the core of the conflict, Jerusalem is one of the holiest cities in the world. Muslims, Jews, and many other religions travel there to worship because the city is home to many holy places. The Jews and the Palestinians are arguing over it because Jerusalem is in Israel, and they believe that it should be in their country. It seems odd that the two countries cannot come to some sort of common ground with this issue regarding Jerusalem, but I suppose the main reason for this is the radicals, the main causes of violence. They hate the Jews and do not want to see peace happen between the two countries. Though there will always be people who disagree, it seems worthwhile for this issue to be resolved because it would save many innocent lives. This website does a really good job of explaining the core conflict in the Middle-East and what is being done to stop it.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2003/mideast/stories/overview/

EJ

Israelis and Palestinians: The Real Issue

In Tony Horwitz’s novel, much of the content is focused on how the Arab nations react to his American and Jewish background. However, there are a couple of chapters that focus on the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians, and the seriousness of the fighting. Being Jewish, I have been taught many reasons for the fighting relating to Israel and the Palestinians, though this book made me realize how bad it truly was. I was always taught that the fighting originated between the two countries because they both think that Jerusalem is the religious capitol of their religion, and they fight over who it belongs to. It seemed to me that on the news the Palestinians were just throwing rocks and yelling at the Israelis, but I was only in fifth grade and did not understand the seriousness the conflict had evolved into. The book focuses on a different time during the conflict, closer to the early 1990s. Tony Horwitz describes the conflict many times during his stay, particularly when he is in Jordan near the Jordan River. He describes his stay on a kibbutz, a Jewish farm, and I found it particularly intriguing how when he interviewed one of the men on the kibbutz that they said to get out of the country because the conflict is so bad. It is and has always been a terrible conflict between the two countries, but it seems that during that time it is particularly gruesome. Maybe eventually the conflict will be resolved and the two countries can live in peace.

EJ

A Hope For Common Ground

This is one of many cartoons depicting anti-Semitism that came up when I googled Israel conflict. It is startling to see how many images depict the same message of Palestinian anti-Semitism. The on going conflict between these two countries is heartbreaking and seems to be insolvable. As a Jew, I personally support the state of Israel completely despite some of Israel’s actions this summer concerning Lebanon. I also believe that Palestine has a right to exist as well and it does not look good for either country. The constant violence and suicide bombings are atrocious and they are a crime against God whether you believe in Adonai or Allah. There does not seem to be an answer as to how to make peace between the state of Israel and the rest of the Middle East. The hate that is in the Middle East towards the Jews is immeasurable and may be incurable. Hopefully after all of the blood and tears that have been spilt over this constant turmoil both the Israelites and the Palestinians will be able to see past their own desires and make peace for the sake of their people. I personally pray that soon they will be able to see that they are simply killing people. Not Jews or Muslims, just people, and together they may find some common ground to heal the wounds of the past and start again, together, as human beings who have the right to live.

www.mideasttruth.com/Conflict/horsey1013.gif
http://www.hasbara.us/cartoons.html

H.C.F.

Persepolis

A couple of years ago I read the graphic novel Persepolis which is the story of Marjane Satrapi’s childhood growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. Told in the same style of Maus, her memoir gives the reader insight into her life in Tehran from ages six to fourteen, years that saw the overthrow of the Shah’s Regime, the triumph of the Islamic Revolution, and the devastating effects of the war with Iraq. It is a hilarious story of a girl’s frightening childhood and her escape to a new life in the western world. Marjane is the daughter of Marxists and finds herself swept up in the revolution as a child only to find her family in danger as the revolution takes hold and the war leads Iran on to the path of ruin. While her neighbors are “going on vacation” Marjane spends most of her childhood worrying about God, her nose and whether or not her father is a true hero. Marjane’s story is an innocent witness to the extremes of living in the Middle East during the revolution. She tries to thrive in a world where she is made to cover up her entire body in a veil and eventually her parents smuggle her out of the country. Persepolis 2 is her story continued from her teenage years in Austria and how she manages to survive and fit in in Western culture. Persepolis 1 and 2 are a true account of survival in a turmoil country and the beauty of the individual that we watch Marjane Satrapi become.

http://www.randomhouse.com/pantheon/graphicnovels/persepspread5.html

H.C.F.

America and The Middle-East: Response to "Odd Culture"

In the post “Odd Culture”, the blogger brings up some interesting points. They refer to how in Yemen the men carry around daggers and how in America, this would not be looked upon in a good way. I agree completely with this statement because I think that it shows how contrasted these two regions of the world are. Because culture is so different in America compared to the Middle-East, carrying a weapon or dressing a certain way might be looked down upon here, whereas in the Middle-East, it is a typical way of life. I think Americans are scared of the Arab nations because we fear change in our society, though we do not realize that they too fear change. They are being brought up with a certain religion and a certain culture that is indeed very different from ours, however, Americans are also brought up a certain way and we do not realize that maybe the Arab nations believe that our way of life is wrong. This is probably why it is so difficult for our two nations to get along. We look at the Arab nations and are afraid that they are breeding more terrorists getting ready to attack our nation, and they probably look at our nation and believe that we are trying to take away their culture and westernize their society by instituting a democracy and sending our armies into their countries to keep control. It is important to realize that our two cultures are different, but maybe if we learned more about the Arab culture, we would be able to understand why they live the way they do.

EJ

Culture Shock

In the novel Baghdad Without a Map by Tony Horwitz, many different culture’s and customs are revealed during his travels through different countries in the Middle-East. Our lifestyle as Americans is unfortunately filled with stereotypes, which is probably a reason why it was so different for Tony when he went to Yemen, one of the countries on his list to visit. When the Middle-East is brought up as a topic of discussion, it is most typically referred to as a poor, dry region surrounded by deserts. People are sometimes quick to judge that everyone from the Middle-East, whether they are women or men, are people who hate America. Though in some cases this is true, Tony Horwitz discovers that he is welcome in Yemen, and he is invited into a man’s home where he shares stories and “qat” with a group of men. The men are very welcoming and ask about the differences between America and their country. Tony tells them that women are treated fairly and that men have only one wife. The exchange between these men proves that not all Middle-Eastern people hate Americans. The main reason people probably stereotype the Middle-Eastern culture is because it is quite different from ours, but also, it has to do with fear. Ever since September 11, whether it is in airports or train stations or anywhere, any person of the Arab race is given weird glances and gives Americans an uneasy feeling. Americans do not understand that the culture of people from the Middle-East is different, and that it is normal for them to walk around with a turban on. They are mostly a peaceful race, trying to keep their country from becoming completely westernized so that they can keep their culture alive. Tony Horwitz’s trip to Yemen clearly shows that two different cultures can live together without causing problems.

EJ

Odd Culture

Tony Horwitz, in Baghdad Without a Map, experiences different cultures of the Arabic Middle Eastern world. An important part of his struggling journey is fitting into the culture of the unfamiliar place. He raises questions about many differences between America and Yemen, one of which is the safety and hostility issue: “Mindful of my mission, I asked Abdul why everyone carried a dagger. “Yemen not safe,” he said.” One probably cannot imagine a group of people all carrying daggers in the streets of Newburyport in order to protect themselves from uncertain possibilities of danger. As Horwitz senses more and more examples of carrying weaponry around him, he comes to a realization that protecting oneself is a natural part of the Arab society, because of the chaos caused political and military situations in its countries. For the people of Yemen it is a part of everyday life. They view the ‘tools of violence’ as a means to protect themselves, not to threaten the others. For first-time visitors like Horwitz, the AK-47’s, daggers, and sea mines are a major source of threat and discomfort, while they are safer to have ready considering the bigger danger that can haunt the people any time. Reading this first part of Baghdad, I came to an understanding that the images of the Middle East I see on the media are not necessarily true, as sometimes they are portrayed as inhumane savages of antipathy who like to shoot anyone who are suspected of rebelling against their countries. Rather, they are obligated to protect themselves, not attack.

SL

Odd Culture

Tony Horwitz, in Baghdad Without a Map, experiences different cultures of the Arabic Middle Eastern world. An important part of his struggling journey is fitting into the culture of the unfamiliar place. He raises questions about many differences between America and Yemen, one of which is the safety and hostility issue: “Mindful of my mission, I asked Abdul why everyone carried a dagger. “Yemen not safe,” he said.” One probably cannot imagine a group of people all carrying daggers in the streets of Newburyport in order to protect themselves from uncertain possibilities of danger. As Horwitz senses more and more examples of carrying weaponry around him, he comes to a realization that protecting oneself is a natural part of the Arab society, because of the chaos caused political and military situations in its countries. For the people of Yemen it is a part of everyday life. They view the ‘tools of violence’ as a means to protect themselves, not to threaten the others. For first-time visitors like Horwitz, the AK-47’s, daggers, and sea mines are a major source of threat and discomfort, while they are safer to have ready considering the bigger danger that can haunt the people any time.

SL

Weapons in Yemen

Before, I read Baghdad without a Map I had very little knowledge of what exactly the Middle East was. In fact, it wasn’t until September 11 that I realized just how different everything about the Middle East was from the United States and how much tension came from these differences. After September 11, the only words I heard associated with the Middle East was terrorists, dangerous, war zone, and other war related words. Sadly chapter three, Yemen: For You I Make a Special Deal, reminded me of the way I viewed the Middle East in fifth grade. It is shocking to read about how easy it is to buy weapons. If I hadn’t known that Tony Horwitz had experienced this first hand I wouldn’t have believed it. It is shocking that in this one country the average adult male owns an estimated two rifles and two daggers. The idea that Tony Horwitz was able to buy hand grenades, machine guns, rifles, daggers, tanks, and many other weapons with nothing but money is a very scary thought. Growing up in the United States the only possible reason I can think of why a person would want to own a weapon is for safety purposes, and even then I feel like nothing good can come from it. But, the fact that the Yemen people wear their daggers as a sign of dignity and pride is baffling. In this chapter a man, Ali, explained to Horwitz that all tribesmen visiting Saada had to check their bullet clips at roadblocks outside of town, but were able to carry their empty riffles seems almost comical. The fact that the idea of weapons is so common among the people of Yemen scares me.
“A boy of about ten was tearing pages from a magazine and pinning them to the mud wall of the old city. Then he and a middle-aged man took turns pumping lead into the pages with a huge automatic pistol. It was a touching scene, in a Yemeni sot of way; father and son, on a bright Sunday morning, out for target practice in Saada.” (pg.40)
This is the Yemen equivalent of a father taking his son out to play catch in the United States. It’s a scary thought to think how this ten year old boy feels towards guns and shooting. The fact that it is a normal and “touching” scene for a father and son to be target practicing in general, let alone when the boy is only ten years old is disturbing. But, at the same time I feel like this one scene demonstrates a lot about the Middle East and helps me to understand why it is the way it is.

-MLD

A Contrast between Cultures

Before I began to read Baghdad Without A Map, I had limited ideas regarding the culture of Middle Eastern countries. What particularly interested me before beginning the novel were the cultural differences between Western nations such as the United States and Middle Eastern nations. What interests me the most about these first chapters, is the way Tony Horwitz focuses not so much on the governments of the countries he visits, but more on the every day life, religious, and social entities. It seems as though Horwitz is also interested in contrasting Western and Middle Eastern cultures. I find the chapters on Yemen to be particularly interesting. Horwitz unveils two things which seem to be a right of passage in Yemen; weapons, and qat. According to Horwitz, people in Yemen chew qat the same way people in America drink coffee. Where in America, people sit around a table and sip coffee, Yemenis sit around a table chewing a wad of qat. Horwitz emphasizes the fact that every man in Yemen (as long as he is not a Jew) carries a dagger around his waist and usually has at least two rifles. He says that men in Yemen carry daggers the same way Americans carry a wallet. Along with depicting the violence driven aspect of the country, Horwitz seems to justify it. Violence in Yemen is so evident because of the influx of weapons from surrounding countries. The sale of weapons is a major source of income. I don’t think that Horwitz in any way intends to depict Yemen’s culture in a bad light, nor do I think he tries to unfairly accuse it of being uncultivated. One of the reasons why I have enjoyed reading this novel so far is that Horwitz manages to include a great amount of detail and insight from his own perspective from his adventures, and his opinions regarding the Middle Eastern countries from the truth. In the chapter about Yemen, he isn’t afraid to depict how unstable and violent the country is. In the next chapter about the United Arab Emirates, he praises the nation’s civilized culture and flourishing economy. These opinions which can be seen through the writing are enjoyable and interesting to read because the Horwitz has alot of knowledge backing them. I trust that Horwtiz’s contrasts between American and Middle Eastern culture are fully realistic.
B.C.D

"Sick" humor

For me, so much of what Tony Horwitz writes is "laugh out loud" funny. I belly-laughed my way through Confederates in the Attic; I chuckled and guffawed around the world with Captain Cook in Blue Latitudes. Baghdad Without A Map has proved to be no exception. The very premise of the book--the travels of a Jewish American in Muslim Middle East--sets the stage for some interesting and humorous moments. And while there are numerous genuinely funny moments, like when Horwitz describes his Nile boat ride as "the calm, contemplative moment I'd hoped for on shore--except that the boat was sinking and the captain was groping my wife," or his experiments with Qat or the "politeness police" who arrest any belly dancer who dares to bare belly, much of my response to this text is not in laughing out loud or chuckling; rather, the humor for me comes from surprise, from disbelief, from horror even. Horwitz describes the poverty, the weaponry, the dysfunction of so much in the Middle East in such a way that I laugh and cringe at the same time. For me, that is the beauty of Tony Horwitz as author - he juxtaposes the mundane and the mayhem, the terrifying and the terrible, and makes us laugh. Quite frankly, the situation in the Middle East is not funny, and given the current American disaster in Iraq, I am not laughing, but I appreciate the wit and humor that Horwitz brings to the text. It is the hope for more humor, for another great one-liner, that helps me to keep reading.

-EBW

"Too much education and too little to do."

Despite tales of qat and overweight belly dancers, I found Yousri’s personal story to be the most profound topic touched upon by Tony Horwitz. His struggle to survive in his conditions was incredibly depressing and best showed described the average poor Middle Eastern man. What makes Yousri’s story so effective is that he is a man who is desperately trying to better his position in life but is being held back by the society he lives in. He has worked hard to get an education when so many do not bother to aspire to anything more than a doorman. Yousri is unable to get a decent job, get out of the slums, or meet a woman to spend the rest of his life with. He refuses to work in another country and it is his pride in himself that is both so valiant and honorable yet makes his story even more disheartening. I believe his story resonates with me so much because as an American it is very hard to hear of someone who tries so hard but is denied his basic rights due to his position in society. Everyone deserves the right to work hard and be rewarded for their effort and as seen in Yousri we see a man slowly losing his faith in all that is good in the world. It is very hard to see a man kept down by his own country and not be able to leave despite all of his efforts. Yousri will probably spend his life working a less than decent job, in the slums, possibly never meeting a woman to spend his life with but there is always the hope that is visa may come tomorrow.
-H.C.F.

The Beginnings of the Baghdad Blog

This idea of "blog" is unknown territory for me, but I thought that blogging might be a good way for our class to tackle our reading of Baghdad Without a Map. I know little about the Middle East; I imagine, somewhat presumptuously, that my students know even less. I do believe, however, that it is incumbent upon us to know more, to recognize in the words of Thomas Friedman that the "world is indeed flat," and that as Americans, we must educate ourselves to live in such a world. I also believe we need to use the resources around us to educate ourselves. As an English teacher, I turn to books for information. My students turn to the Internet. Why not marry the two? Thus is born this assignment.

-EBW