Mrs. White's Baghdad Blog: March 2007

Monday, March 19, 2007

"Peace?"

http://politicalhumor.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ/Ya&sdn=politicalhumor&cdn=entertainment&tm=17&gps=122_9_1020_565&f=10&su=p445.92.150.ip_&tt=14&bt=0&bts=0&zu=http%3A//cagle.slate.msn.com//news/Yassin/main.asp

^Second Cartoon Down

This picture, while to some it may look like just a cartoon, actually says a lot about the relationship between the Arab world and different cultures. Many say that the Arab's refuse to be peaceful and cooperate with other nations, but is that because if they did their culture would become squashed and turned into a westernisized society like they fear? Everyone else seems to want that because the Arab world would be more compatable with other nations, but that's depriving them of their true identity. That's just simply taking away thousands of years of culture. Also, the Arab's might view other nations talk of "peace" as just squashing and getting rid of the Middle East all together.

-BC

"Peace"?

Iraq: what's so hard about negotiating?

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2007/03/19/iraq_sunni_insurgency_kills_6_more_us_troops/

In this news article, it talks about how the Iraqi Sunni killed more Americans and how they don't plan to stop. "The issue that we're all trying to figure out is how best do you get the Iraqis to reconcile their differences -- because, after all, this is not going to be solved by the military. It has to involve political reconciliation in Iraq, among Iraqis," Gates said on the CBS show "Face the Nation." This quotation is a prime example of how fighting with the Middle East isn't as simple as people think it is. American's are fighting against people who think nothing of themselves in order to kill thousands of people. How can you possibly fight against that? It's to the point where even leaving your house to go to the supermarket is dangerous. America's trying to get the Iraquis to "reconcile their differences", because America realizes that this isn't going to be solved by force or military; it would never end. It's more of an Iraqi problem with themselves, than an America vs. Iraq problem. The U.S is trying to get Iraq to negotiate, because as dangerous and useless as it is to stay in Iraq, it would be even more dangerous to pull out. If that happened, you would leave a country with no political direction, and would put America in the number one spot for Iraq's next ist attack. They attacked us before, they'd definitly attack us once we've got them angry. Frankly, in my opinion, this is a no win situation unless Iraq negotiates, and people are going to continue to die until they do.
-BC

Dangerous or Self Defending?

To many Americans, the Middle East is viewed as a dangerous section of the world; always in turmoil. When reading Baghdad without A Map, I was shocked to find out that in Yemen, all the men carried two daggers on them daily. Coming from American culture, to me that was just asking for on the streets. I had overlooked that fact that mayve the people in Yemen are just trying to protect themselves. In a small surburban area in America, one wouldn't have to carry a dagger on them in order to feel safe. In fact, if you did, it wouldn't be acceptable. However, in the Middle East, what I failed to notice was that their culture is nothing like ours. American's don't need to carry weapons daily, but maybe Yemen's do in order to protect themselves. In any part of the world, country, state, and even city where there is lots of turmoil and , many people do carry weapons on them in order to feel safe. It may be unnatural or problamatic from an American's point of view, but what people don't understand is that the Middle East is a very different place from America, and that you can't really compare the two lifestyles at all. TO the Americans, the Middle East is just a section in the world looking for trouble, but in reality, it's just trying to defend itself from it.
-BC

Why can't we both be RIght?

There are many reasons why the Middle East and America don’t get along. One of the main reasons is that neither nation nor culture understands the other. They both assume that their culture and way of life is right, therefore the other culture must be wrong. This ignorance builds up to the point in which since the two cultures know nothing about the other, the mystery is filled with fear, which sadly leads to hatred. The American’s view the Middle Eastern culture as demeaning to women and downright crazy. The Middle Eastern’s, on the other hand, think it’s crazy that the Americans give women as much freedom as they do. Both cultures think that they’re way of living is the only way that’s right, and don’t understand that both Middle Eastern and American cultures can both be right. It doesn’t necessarily have to be one over the other.
-BC

Fear of the "Wrong"

The huge misconception that people in America and also from around the world believes is that the Middle East “hates” Americans. Whether or not they “hate” Americans, it’s not just simply for the act of hating. The conflict is much deeper than that. It’s the fear of Westernization that drives the Middle Eastern culture and people to think that Americans are their enemy. The Middle East has prized itself on keeping it’s culture free from Western influence, and any country that threatens that becomes the Middle East’s enemy. The Middle East is scared of America. They see it as a nation trying to change the way they’ve lived fro hundreds of years. Americans are also frightened by the Middle Eastern way of life as well because it’s so different from their society. It isn’t hate that drives the two ways of life apart but ignorance and the fear of the unknown.
-BC

Woman's Rights vs. Woman's Rights?

In Baghdad Without A Map, the separation and differences between Middle Eastern and American cultures become quite clear. In the Middle East, it’s socially acceptable to carry daggers on you in public. Women however are forced to wear veils or a type of clothing covering everything but their eyes. This culture shows a harsh but true favorism of the male sex, while in America the dominant sex is becoming more and more unclear with time. Just back a century ago, American women weren’t allowed to vote and stayed at home with the kids and house. A few decades later however, women had the right to vote and were slowly but surely on the path to success in the workplace and in the world. They started working and taking men’s jobs. Nowadays a man is almost as likely to stay home with children than a woman. This huge transformation over the years has been a prime example of how the Middle Eastern and American cultures differ. On another note, there isn’t much to be said about the changes that Middle Eastern females have undergone because there hasn’t been many. The Middle Eastern culture has somewhat stayed the same over the years. While American culture is constantly changing, Middle Eastern values and customs have remained solid in their attempt to stop change and Westernization from reaching the Middle East.
-BC

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Saddam; Baghdad: in the land without weather

I can understand now how Saddam stayed in power and stayed powerful through propaganda. His face, his name was everywhere. If you were driving down the road you would see billboards with his face on it. If you flew out of the airport you flew out of Saddam international airport. He was always there to keep an eye on his country. It might not have actually been him, but when people saw his picture or name they thought of him. He stayed powerful because he was on every body's mind constantly. He created the people to fear him, therefore to show respect to him. He made it so he surrounded the people's life almost as if he was drowning them with him. By having all the people in the country thinking of Saddam, they are also thinking about what he can do to them. By thinking about his rules and how he governs, the people lived in fear which gave Saddam power.

GT

Khartoum: this is the way the world ends

People can be so ignorant. The welsh man's comment at the hotel to Tony Horwitz is that of straight Ignorance. His comment on the beggars and how Mr. Horwitz should carry a blowtorch to keep them away is insulting. It is insulting because that is how the society there is and has been. Because the Welsh man feels so superior he can make those comments, that is wrong. Yes the the society there is struggling and the people need help. Making those comments upon the people are just wrong and ignorant. Those people are just trying to survive by any means necessary. They are trying to support their family on what little they have. These beggars are a representation of the society in that country. They show how the life is there and how they do in fact need help.

MAKING A BAD NAME FOR THEMSELVES.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.masada2000.org/wtc.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.masada2000.org/realwar.html&h=204&w=250&sz=13&hl=en&start=1&tbnid=GT6F1fkmKnhMtM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dwar%2Bon%2Bterrorism%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

It is known that not all people in the middle east are terrorists or are against our country. But the people that are waging terrorism around the world are giving the middle east and the Islamic religion a bad name. It is understandable why people, when thinking or seeing a person of middle eastern decent are afraid or are showing racism towards them. I only make this statement because of what people are spoon feed through the media. Through the media and through Hollywood who are depicted as the bad guys? Before it was the Russians now it is that of middle eastern decent. Through what people see on the news and in the papers middle eastern people are the ones on the front page causing the most trouble. Also what religion do these people belong, they belong to that of the Islamic religion. Therefore people see that and refer to it as a bad or evil religion. When in fact the populous of this religion are not committing these acts. It is the few that are giving the majority a bad name.

response to stereotypical middle east

Rb and jg bring up a very good point they describe the weakness in our society. Our constant ridicule of other countries reflects poorly upon us and our country. They gives us a mentality that we are better than everyone else. Although our country is quite powerful and runs fairly well. We do have a lot of "kinks in the chain'. Our country is not perfect like we all like to believe. The United States is a good country but for it to achieve greatness we should not ridicule people that are not as fortunate. "To much is given, much is expected" we as Americans and as the United States have to follow this creed. The United States has given us, as the people, many opportunities for success. We should not put down other countries and their people that do not have this fortune that we do.

response to stereotypical middle east

U.S Governemnet = saddam ?

The fact that the U.S Government is being compared to Saddam Hussein is ridiculous. The negative attention that the United States draws is unfair. If we do not do anything we are criticised, but if we do something we are criticised. There is no win - win situation. Because of the United state's power their are expectation and these expectations are different from all the different people. When one group's expectations are meet the other groups are broken. Americans and the United states are just going to have to get used to the fact that they are not going to be doing the right thing in every ones eyes. There always is going to be negativity towards what we do, because these decisions effect everyone in a different way.

Gt in response jg and rb

Friday, March 2, 2007

Baghdad, Yemen, and Libya

Tony Horwitz has done a very good job of describing his visits to various parts of the Middle East. My personal favorites were Baghdad, Yemen, and Libya. Each of these countries has very different ways of life. Some countries are as strict as death for speaking against their ruler and some have very little respect for foreigners. Tony had some trouble in Yemen. He was being taken advantage of by people who knew he wasnt from around. Tony was thrown out of Libya and told he was not allowed in Yemen because he was jewish. Baghdad was very much controlled by Saddam Hussein, in fact there were thousands of pictures of Saddam in the airport when Tony arrived. All of these trips Tony has been on has given me a knew perspective on life in the middle east. I've learned that some things arent as bad as they are protrayed in the media and some are far worse. Hatrid follows us everywhere and I believe that hatrid can never be destroyed but only diminished for short periods of time.

RJB

Libya

Libya was one of the more confusing areas of the middle east that Tony traveled too. Tony had been chasing a story on an aspirin factory that was said to have been making poison gas to use against Israel. Also at this time America had recently taken down two libyan planes heading across the medditeranean sea. Everyone in Libya right off the bat was not very fond of Tony. They had not been very good about accomidating him and the trip to the aspirin plant was no walk in the park. Tony and many other reporters had been taken on a very long trip before actually seeing the plant. When they got to see the plant the Libyans let the reporters get into the plant for a short period of time and then soon had them kicked out of the country. "We'd been lied to, sent on a two day wild goose chase, kicked out of the country and now fleeced." Tony Horwitz did not have a pleasant time in Libya.

RJB

Baghdad

I was quite surprised to read about some of the topics in the Baghdad chapter of the book. The amount of security in Baghdad especially in the airports was rediculous. Cologne bottles assumed as deadly gases, cameras with guns in the lenses, and batteries acting as bomb detenators. These are some of the every day items not allowed in Iraqi airports or on the planes. There were spies throughout Baghdad that would make sure no one said anything against Saddam, phone lines were tapped, and houses were bugged. "My phone is tapped, my office is bugged, and for all I know my grandmother may be wired for sound. But sometimes a man must speak his mind. Saddam Hussein, he is the worst dictator ever in the history of man." This is an Iraqi man talking to Tony about his feelings towards Saddam Everyone was on constant watch. Saddam had a law that stated anyone who speaks against Saddam in any way will be executed. Also the amount of pictures of Saddam throughout Iraq was mind blowing. Tony talked about a joke. There are 32 million people in Iraq, 16 million citizens, and 16 million pictures of Saddam. There were mutltiple, life-sized pictures of Saddam in public restrooms. Everything I thought I knew about Iraq is either true or true but much worse than I had previously thought.

RJB

Baghdad

Yemen

The chapter on Yemen in Baghdad without a map was very interesting to me. I tried to think as if an American were to notice that an outsider was in America and try to do things they wouldnt normally do to an American like charge too much, take advantage of them, give them false information etc. When reading this chapter it became apparent that the people in Yemen were either disrespectful or taking advantage of Tony. The following quote is fron Tony asking a taxi driver in Yemen for a ride to the city. "The man named a price roughly equal to the per capita income I'd seen listed in the tourist literature. I laughed and offered one tenth as much. He rested his hand on the hilt of his dagger and gazed off into the mountains." These cab drivers carry daggers that in this case they were using to scare Tony into paying th amount that they had asked for. After Tony talked to the first of three drivers they all said the same price. Tony knew this price was too high but knew that they were not willing to bargain. He was also told that there are no Jews allowed in Yemen. This was very interesting to me. I did not understand that some countries even now dont allow someone inside of their country if they practice a certain religion. Tony also felt as though he was being overpriced for a dress that a man on the streets was selling him. The man even offered him the tobbacco Qat to make Tony forget he had paid too much for the dress. It was almost like everyone knew that they could get something out of Tony which caught me off guard. I believe that if an outsider were to be in America that they would not be disrespected like this.

RJB

Resonse to Stereotypical Middle East

JGetz brings up an interesting point in this blog. He is saying that even though we as a country are very good about freedom and justice compared to other countries we still make jokes about very serious issues in our world today. Little cartoons about how the middle east was run with saddam and racial slurs it all adds up. I believe the little things count the most and all these little jokes about race and ongoing conflicts which we see as ok should be considered like some of the serious hate throughout the world. Although what we may be doing is less malicious and does not cause nearly as may deaths as some other incidents it is the same idea. Instead of killing people because of their race we make fun of their race. I believe that all of these various acts although may be considered in the spirit of fun are no better than those who aim to hurt and destroy.

RJB

Respnse to America and Iraq we fear the government

This post that Jonny posted interested me, but did not convince me that what Jonny was saying was true. I don't think that our government can be compared to that of Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Some in our country may fear imprisonment and they have a right to, however the only reason for these imprisonments is to ensure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. I believe our laws differ greatly from that of Saddams. Saddam had unwritten laws such as each family must have one picture of Saddam in their house, and no one was allowed to speak out against Saddam. In the U.S. we are not required to have a picture of any political figures and we are allowed to voice our opinion even if it is directly against our ruler so to say. In Iraq if one were to speak against Saddam chances are they would be executed or beaten. That law is not for justice that law is for power and Saddam's pursuit for ultimate power through fear. Our country is founded on the principles of freedom not the principles of power.

RJB

Resonse to War Without a Cause

In response to war without a cause I myself also do not believe in having our troops in Iraq, however I also would not go as far as to say we are there for nothing. Obviously the main reason was for the weapons of mass destruction. I believe the other big reason is to try and bring a more just government to a nation in need of more liberties for it's people. With the fall of Saddam Hussein I believe that we should be trying to establish a much different government than the previous government. I believe that we can help establish more freedom to the citizens than they ever thought possible. Along with these two reasons I also believe that the US is trying to put an end to terrorism. We have found certain terrorist training camps throughout the middle east which are training people to commit such acts as 9/11 throughout the world. I believe that we should be focusing on other things throughout the world but the middle east is in my opinion in need of some stability. I believe that we should be helping countries that are experiencing genocide versus staying in Iraq but I cannot say that we are in Iraq for no reason.

RB

Sites for hate

http://www.middle-east-info.org/league/iran/iran.htm

The link above is a website about many different punishments, traditions, and propaganda that is considered to be wrong in the United States. While looking for some sort of link I came across this website which basically takes anything it can find that protrays Iran in a bad way and puts it on this site. I know that much of what is on hear is against everything that I am about however I also know that there is more to Iran than what is protrayed on this website. Like I said in my previous blog I may not agree with certain aspects of Iran's culture but I do respect their right to govern and create laws for themselves. I believe that the creater of this website was simply trying to portray Iran in a bad way. In my searches I found on the internet that there are more site against the Middle Eastern countries than there are sites about the countries or for them. This to me is a form of propaganda. I believe that those who create these sites are simply trying to make we citizens believe that the middle eastern countries are bad or not to be trusted. I hope in the near future that we can all be able talk about each other positively on and off the internet.

RJB

Response to reality

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0505-06.htm

Originally I was going to respond to this post by looking for an American act of hatrid towards homosexuality. I was going to say if a middle eastern person found this they could have the same feelings towards us that we have towards them about how to punish homosexuality. I searched for homosexual killed and the second hit was a link to an Iraqi boy killed by Iraqi police for being openly gay. He was brutally murdered at the age of 14 by law enforcement. Although the link I am posting for this repsonse is different than what I expected I still have some of the same ideas I originally had on the subject. There may be certain people who look for stories of murdering and hatrid in the middle east and post them on the internet for the sole purpose that citizens like us will see them and think less of the Middle Eastern people. There may be people like this in the Middle East, who look for stories about America that would make other people who live in the Middle East think less of Americans. I can't say for sure that there are these types of people in America or the Middle East but it is an answer to why there is so much on the internet against middle eastern beliefs and punishments for certain crimes. Although I absolutely disagree with the penalty of death or violence for expressing ones sexuality, I also respect Iraq and any other countries right to govern themselves and create their own laws.

RB

In their shoes

http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/ksc/lowres/kscn1024l.jpg

This cartoon depicts two Iraqi men looking at a poster that is inviting the public to a burning of the german flag. The joke is that the Danish, American, and British names have all been crossed off as if they had already happened. Before reading Baghdad without a map I knew little to none about what actually was going on in Iraq. All I knew was that we were searching for weapons of mass destruction. I also naively thought that all Iraqis were full of hate and I viewed them as bad people. Tony Horwitz has given insight onto the fact that not all Iraqis or middle easterns for that matter are full of hate towards us. Some Iraqis probably believe that we are all crazy and full of hate for having sent troops into their country. Horwitz does a good job of looking at America from the middle eastern perspective and letting the readers know that the Iraqis have little knowledge about us like we do of them, and that they are not all full of hate and bad. This cartoon is one of ignorance and lack of knowledge.

RJB

Saddam in Iraq

After reading about how Mr. Horowitz traveled to Iraq and saw all of the forms of propaganda that Saddam used to get people to support him, i started thinking about how Saddam was kind of like Hitler. Hitler used propaganda along with promises that he never followed through on to get the German people to support him. This is pretty much the same thing that Saddam is doing. Saddam is using his picture that he has put up all over Iraq as a way for the Iraqi people to think of him as a person for the people. Another way that I took the pictures of Saddam, was that maybe he is putting these pictures up so remind people that he is the supreme ruler and that they can't do anything to stop him. These pictures could instill in the minds of the Iraqi people that Saddam is always watching them even if he isn't there in person. Saddam always had spies that worked for him out in the public so he knew if someone was planing to assinate him. Saddam would then have these people that were plotting against him killed before they could do anything to hurt him. Relating this back to Hitler, Saddam almost seemed to use the tactics of Hitler to succeed in all of his evil plans.
-RML

Instability in America

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRiy4yfh-IM

This video that I found shows the instability in the United States over the war in Iraq. The person that is singing is speaking about how the American people don't support teh war. The video clips in the backround show the instability in Iraq and the unsafe situation that the US troops have to deal with everyday. This video is a form of propaganda that the US people will listen to. People are unhappy with the situation and this video displays that perfectly.
-RML

Response to "Is overweight the new 'Good looking'"

After reading is overweight the new goodlooking by rb in Mrs. Golds blog, i started to think about why the women in America are stressed to be so skinny. Are women in America simply pressured to be skinny because that is what all the models look like or do women in America think that men want a woman who is skinny. I remember reading something in life skills in 8th grade that stated taht men are automatically drawn to women that are buxom and can carry a child. Do women in the Middle East not worry about their weight or are teh traditional thoughts of men about women still around? Do men in teh middle East see someone who is skinny as someone who is unfit to carry a child? All these questions arise but are almost impossible to answer.
-RML

Iran Iraq and America

http://www.zmag.org/zmag/articles/ShalomIranIraq.html
The links above is a website that describes the history of the Iranian Iraqi war. In Horowitz’s travels through Baghdad he is taken to the Iraq-Iran front. Here he is shown a gruesome scene of dead Iranian bodies. The conflict between Iraq and Iran killed millions of people and pitted to neighboring countries against each other. The hatred spewing from both nations at the other was immense. It is interesting that this war and all of the hatred that came from it could be stopped, or at least paused so that they can work together to fight a common enemy. Iraqi soldiers are now being supplied with guns, ammunition, and whatever else in order to fight America. These two nations have had nothing hatred for each other for years of war, but apparently the only thing both nations hate more that each other is us. In the text when Horowitz has a conversation with an Iraqi soldier the soldier says, “I do not like to see so much blood. But when the bodies are Iranian, I do not mind so much.” This comment really shows the hatred citizens of Iraqi felt about Iranians. They felt like Iranians deserved to die. I’m sure Iranians felt the same way about Iraqis as well. But when the conflict between these nations ended Iran was happy to supply the Iraqi army because the one thing almost everyone in Middle East hates is America.
D.P.S.

Response to the Bigger the Better?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e6FIVaZPeI – “Moulin Huge”
DPD’s post about the standard of beauty in Cairo is certainly interesting. It may seem like that the men of Cairo are more interested in chubby women, but from my point of view, due to the smaller world nowadays and more accessible media and images, the standard of beauty is quite universal. As the world becomes more modernized, people start to think less uniquely. The link above is a clip from a performance of four big lady dancers. Even though the performance is excellent and certainly entertaining, anyone would agree that the four ladies do not fit perfectly into the ideal category of sex appeal of the majority’s view; the crowd, however, still cheers for them and go wild. This performance can be compared as the equivalent to the belly dancing in Cairo. They Egyptian men of course enjoy watching the belly dancing show, because as MLD points out, it is possibly one of their only “sources of sexual enticements.” But this does not necessarily mean that they are sexually attracted to women who are very big, because it is well described that they are in fact more drunk as the show continues. Evident from the behavior of acquaintances that I have met from the Middle East, their views are not very different from ours. In conclusion, first, the text does not give enough information to argue logically that big women are conceived as the superior model of beauty in Cairo. Secondly, the view towards beauty of women around the world is almost universal because we live in such a tight world. Of course, life would be easier if the humankind did not get trapped inside the judgment by appearance, but unfortunately we are, and it brings many problems.
SL

Response to Brainwashing in Libya.

The Libyan man’s behavior in Tony Horwitz’s journey to Libya reflects the manipulation of information in the Middle East. Propagandas has a tremendous effect on him that he does not even believe that the rulers of his country are not even capable of lying. I agree with DPS’s perception of this outcome as comical, but in truth, it is a serious problem that one always has to be aware of at all times. The subtle propagandas are omnipresent in this free country. The media plays a significant role in delivering the messages of these propagandas; for example, on the Army commercials, making the decision to join and serve in the Army is portrayed as a very heroic and worthy experience, when actually a significant number of soldiers suffer and even die without expecting it. Propagandas like this is actually quite necessary in my point of view, not to deceive people but to encourage people to be part of the patriotic support for the country. The kind of propaganda, on the other hand, that should not be imposed onto the viewers is the propagandas against certain groups of people. An example of a ‘bad’ propaganda is the news on everyday television, which is probably the most effective method for giving ideas to viewers. The news always talks about brutal suicidal bombing attacks in Iraq and surrounding areas. Even though Iraq has been an official enemy of the United States, one should recognize the fact that not all Iraqi men are mindless savages. But the latter does not happen often. This is the key in turning the people against the Middle East. The war would gain even more support, and the cycle of violence would never end, because of propaganda in our own loved nation.
SL

Response to ‘Guilt from Safety.’

I agree with BD. Safety and security also bring obligation and responsibility. In a broader sense, the stronger should help the weaker. If this ideology is applied to the world affairs, we could live in a more peaceful world. We, the United States, have a responsibility to help the others. I understand that the conservative thinkers may argue that it is the best for America if we concentrated on our own problems. There are, however, people in desperate need of help. Wars are killing many innocent people each day, and starvation is still a big problem in certain parts of the world. Knowing what happens in less privileged parts of the world, one cannot just pursue the selfish, NIMBY idea of restricted foreign policy. Tony Horwitz does a good job in describing his discomfort and guilt as a privileged observer of sufferings in the Middle East. Luckily, the United States gets on to the sympathy and attempts to help calm the turbulence in the Middle East, claiming to be determined to seek the ‘weapons of mass destruction,’ which the military forces were actually unable to find. Now there are suspicions that America is getting itself involved in the business for other political and/or economic reasons. Thus, if the United States is really trying to help bring peace, why couldn’t they prove their sympathy and helpfulness by helping the youngsters in Darfur who are in danger, or stop the genocide of Tutsis in Rwanda? It is depressing to see that the real world cannot hide the cynical truth of hypocritical human nature.
SL

Oil in the Middle East

Oil in the Middle East

Oil is a word I frequently hear associated with the Middle East. Reading Baghdad without a Map, I constantly wondered what exactly does oil have to do with the Middle East and why are we, Americans, so concerned about it? I soon realized the answer to the first question is simply that they have a lot of it. Throughout the book Horwitz makes references to oil in context of the wealth of a city because of how much oil they have or even in terms of everyday life in the Middle East. For example the small nation, Emirates, was once the richest nation in the world because of their oil and it shows through their luxurious lifestyles. Over the years oil has become such a big part of life in the Middle East.
“Before Mohammed brought Islam to the Arabian peninsula, the Bedouin worshiped stars and used them as guides in the night. These days, nomads navigated by a constellation of oil.” (pg. 2)
This is not to say that the people living in the Middle East have lost their views on life or religion, simply that oil plays a role in their everyday life. I love this quotation because I think it describes the relationship between the people in the Middle East and oil. The second question, why is it that Americans are so concerned about the oil, is harder to answer. We, as Americans, are concerned about the oil because of our own interests. Simply put we want it, and they have it. Often times as much as I hate to admit it I hear the United States being referred to as a selfish country, and I think that the oil in the Middle East is a great example. I do not know a lot about the war, but what I do know is that a big reason why we are in Iraq now is because of our interests with their oil. I am sure that this is not the only reason because I know it is a “war on terror” and there are many underlying reasons, but it is obvious that part of it is because of the oil. We need the oil, and therefore we need them to sell it to us. This propaganda I found with Uncle Sam pointing to the reader saying “I Want Your Oil” is a great representation of how America feels about the Middle East.
http://yellowcakewalk.net/images/Uncle-Sam-Oil.jpg

-MLD

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Reality

While I was looking for an article or anything to post, out of curiosity I just typed Middle East into Google Photos. Mixed in with basic maps of the Middle East and pictures of the cities, there was a picture of a man and women with severe scares and bruises from punishment they had endured. I found it ironic that mixed in with normal things such as maps, which would be associated with the Middle East, this picture appeared. The picture is of a man and a woman who were beaten for being openly homosexual. "Iranian law punishes all penetrative sexual acts between adult men with the death penalty. Non-penetrative sexual acts between men are punished with lashes until the fourth offense, when they are punished with death. Sexual acts between women, which are defined differently, are punished with lashes until the fourth offense, when they are also punished with death." Growing up in the United States, there are many people who are openly homosexual. Opinions differ whether this is appropriate but in reality homosexuals are more or less accepted in our society. It is such a culture shock to think that for being openly gay in another country you can be killed. Is justice even practiced in the Middle East? It is so hard to believe that in the same world, two countries can be so different. Why is it that you two men can show affection in public in America but if they went to Iraq they would be shot? I cannot understand how those in the Middle East believe they have a right to tell others what is right from wrong. Reality is strange.

War Without a Cause?

While searching the internet I came across this article about how the US plans to control Baghdad. As of now, the city has been very unstable due to attacks from extremist parties. "Until last week the intensity of bloodshed was almost routine." Iraqi and American troops are spread throughout the city in an attempt of stabilization. "It is difficult to see how America can keep up its commitments here at this level for very long." This quote taken from the article is a perfect description of my feelings towards this war. As I was reading the article, there seems to be no purpose to control Baghdad, there is no plan. A war that has been going on for such an extended period of time must have a purpose but the irony in this is that the war we are fighting in Iraq, many would argue, is pointless. Clearly our efforts throughout the past years have done nothing for Iraq or our nation but kill many of innocent people. It is difficult to hear on the news of more causality everyday when essentially we are fighting for nothing. I do not understand how the United States as a nation believes that we will be able to control Iraq by inflicting our style of government over them and expecting gratitude back from their part. Being a fifteen year old girl and knowing little about the world compared to others, this is a completely unreasonable belief. We are giving ourselves a false sense of reality and causing two nations unnecessary troubles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6370109.stm

Response to A Desolate Land

I found PC's post interesting because of the genocide that is occurring in Sudan as we speak. I have learned about the genocide in history and found this chapter in "Baghdad Without A Map" informative on the status of the country. I agree with the idea that Sudan is not a successful country due to its unfortunate landscape but I do not know if you can blame an entire country's failure on agricultural. Going in more depth, the government in Sudan or lack of, is what is holding the Sudanese back. "Now after three decades of independence, Khartoum was a sprawling junkyard of British imperialism." (pg.176) Without a proper functioning government how is a country suppose to run? Luckily, the United States is a perfect match for democracy. We have capitalized on our opportunities and made our country the success it is today, however with other countries throughout the world things do not go as smoothly. Sudan has been unstable for decades, the lack of technological growth or any growth is because an appropriate government or leader has yet to be found. It is frustrating when people that live in countries such as Sudan are classified as lazy. How can someone be called lazy when they have nothing to work for? Determination is hard to find when there is nothing to be determined for. The people of Sudan have been given up on. I believe that frustration is the main source of violence in these situations.

Response to Devil and Saint In One

I completely agree with MLD's post about the death of Khomeini. The questions she raised in her post certainly do not have a definite answer because of the many different opinions that people possess for example the hatred towards Khomeini from the man on the plane and the love for Khomeini from those sobbing at his funeral. I know there are not definite answers but I tried to think of some that may be logical. Firstly, it is human nature to have love/hate relationships. There are always those people with certain intense personalities who are loved by many as well as hated by many. This is clearly true because all people whether they live in a sheltered bubble or have traveled the world are entitled to an opinion. The people of Iraq probably know little about America but many still hate America, same goes for the people in America on Iraq. In the Middle East however, I feel as though more people than not are completely devoted to their dictators. Like the quotation stated, "The devil you know is better than a Satan you have not met." This may be possible because many people of the Middle East have little to look forward to in during their lifetime. They are not given the opportunities some other people in the world are and I feel that believing in something so strongly fills that emptiness in their life. This may be a reason for their radical religious customs and their devotion for their dictators because when that is all you have it is easier to be completely devoted as opposed to being bitter.

Response to post about Car Bombings

Response to post about Car Bombings
I agree with ED, car bombings are not a good way to fight a war because they do not attack people of importance, they kill innocent civilians, it is simply a cowards way to fight a war. But, I believe that when people plan car bombings, they are not strategically killing, they’re simply making an impact and showing people that they mean business. I am not disagreeing with ED’s point, this is a stupid and unfair way to fight a war, but I believe, car bombs are sent to “cut us deep” and really hurt our nation. Sure, it is terrible when a troop dies in Iraq, but he volunteered to go fight, he knew his risks, people walking through a shopping center or at work in the World Trade Centers did not sign up to fight. Therefore when these innocent people are killed it is not only more shocking it can also be more painful for the families who didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. The article posted is very interesting I personally believe there is more to it then given. Terrorists may be smart and able to hi-jack plains and get past security, but they are not strategically killing people who hold power, the kill to kill.
-DPD

Too Much Love for Saddam?

“We will challenge them if they cross the boarder, oh Saddam.
The victory is for you, oh Saddam.
With our blood and with our soul
We sacrifice ourselves for you, oh Saddam.”
The song, which was sang by Iraqis in the chapter Baghdad: In the Land Without Water, shows how extremely brainwashed Saddam had his followers. Saddam not only lead a dictatorship, is reminded me of a cult. His people would do anything for him, even if it meant the end of their life. I do not understand how one man can convince thousands that he is worth their own lives. Saddam, although terribly evil, had a great gift. He knew how to understand people and knew what they wanted to hear. Saddam would twist his wishes around so it seemed that it was the people who actually wanted what he wanted. He had a great power over his people, he was the only thing they knew and they wished to keep it that way. His face covered the nation as he promoted violence and terrorism. Many times people are wrong to blame their leader for the fall of their nation, but in this case, Saddam is to blame for a great deal of the issues Iraq now faces. As expected, there were some people who did not like Saddam, but these people would never let that be known. If you said or did, or owned anything that was anti-Saddam, instant execution. Saddam scared his people into believing his every word. A leader like Saddam usually has a pretty long run, but like most evil dictators his actions caught up with him. I remember so vividly hearing that Saddam had been captured and I remember more recently watching him be put to death. Even with all the knowledge of what he had done, seeing him killed sent shivers down my spine and scared me so much. It scared me even more that he faced his death with no expression, he showed no sorrow and no fright. I didn’t understand why his death scared me, he deserved it, he had killed so many of his own people, then why did executing him still seem so awful to me? I am still unable to explain my feelings of that moment, I doubt I ever will. I believe it is solely because I know killing people is wrong, but in this case I believe he deserved it, all the people who he had killed, and their families deserved it.
-DPD

Death

Although death is inevitable and one must learn when their born that "forever" does not exist, the idea of constant killings are not inevitable deaths. America is at war but what effect beside economically does the war have on the citizens of the United States, little unless someone you love is at war. Either way, reports of the war are limited, detailed information is never given and there is no danger imposed on us. "How do you explain fear to someone who probably traded gunfire as a toddler?" (pg. 221) Excellent question. What makes the Middle East so violent? For me, it is a question that I cannot even being to answer. In the Middle East where religion is the central aspect of life how can one believe that killing is God related? Something is not right when it comes to the comfort level the people of the Middle East have with violence. No, I have no experienced any such violence so I cannot say my opinion is strongly based on experience but how can it be right for a toddler to be comfortable around machine guns? For some reason as I argue this point I believe I am right. Death is natural but when it happens there should be meaning behind it. The people of the Middle East cannot be completely insensitive to death, I just if there is a limit. According to all the violence in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, etc. death is no longer meaningful. The numbers of casualties make death merely a word.

Response to Disguise

Response to Disguise
I agree with RB, it is probably much easier to explore the Persian Gulf if you are in a disguise, but she does not state the real reasons why this is true. People are not permitted into the Persian Gulf because it is so dangerous and they people do not want what is going on to be publicized. Horwitz snuck onto a boat thinking he was getting top secret footage, when really all he got was a nerve racking boat trip from beneath the deck through mine filled waters. Not allowing people into the Persian Gulf is mostly in order to protect them. It is not safe for reporters, what would happen if one of them was killed? They would become heroes in their homelands and the people of Dubai would be blamed. Granted RB is right when saying reporters are permitted almost everywhere in the US, this is not true in many other places. Reporters also are often not allowed to publish some of what they’ve seen. For instance later in the novel, Chapter 8 The Iraq-Iran Front: Bodies, we see how desperate reporters are to get a shot of corpses laying limb amidst the battle grounds. They are permitted to do so, but how often do we actually see this pictures? There was an American reported savaging for pictures of the bodies, “This is all very scenic,” the American said, “but where are the goddamn bodies?” After reading this I thought very hard and I cannot remember a time where dead bodies were actually shown to the public.
-DPD

Response to Hypocritical or Not?

When reading BD’s Hypocritical or Not? I could not help but disagree with his final statements about the United States and its possession of nuclear weapons. Yes, this may at first glance resemble what is known as hypocrisy, we can hold weapons but we deny other country’s the right too. However, the United States has a stable government, we have two main political parties who have nothing against each other except for clashing political views. We are not a nation like North Korea who broadcast our possession and development of such weapons. We are a nation responsible enough to have possession of these advanced weapons; we are not like the Russia who is constantly having their nuclear missiles stolen. Guess where they end up? The Middle East. It is not just that fact that these nations may use these weapons against our country, but also themselves. Yemen has a guerilla militia, which has more members then the Yemen Nation Army itself. What would happen if a nation so violently unstable got control of the nuclear weapons its country was developing? Who knows what the consequences to this would be. BD the United States is a responsible country that understands the dangers and the circumstances of using a nuclear weapon. The issue is not completely about the government creating these weapons, it is the fact that these parts of the world developing weapons are so unstable that it is impossible to tell who could get hold of the nuclear devices. We are not hypocrites; we understand what could happen if the guerilla militia’s of the Middle East and other countries get hold of such destructive weapons.

PC

Response to DPS

D.P.S. had some great points in comparing the government of Libya to the brain washing of the Hitler Youth in Germany. Hitler used his persuasive speaking skills to convert many of the children of his country into believing that it was the Jews fault that their country was suffering. You are a product of the environment you grow up in. If as a young child you are constantly being told that the Jews are bad, greedy people whose fault it is that you are poor you will eventually join this state of mind. This affect could be called “brainwashing” because the children are too young at the time to truly make a decision for themselves. D.P.S. is correct in saying that this is exactly how it works in Libya. The government only feeds the people what they want them to know, and consequently the people believe everything they are told by the government. They are products of their government and they are only programmed to repeat what they have heard to the rest of the nation. They go about their everyday lives blind to what is actually happening in their country. Maybe one day they will open their eyes and realize that they are stuck behind a smoke screen of censorship and propaganda.

PC

Sadam, Superman of Iraq?

When Tony Horwitz travels to Baghdad it is evident from the minute he arrives that Saddam Hussein did everything he could to place his name and face on everything in this city. When Mr. Horwitz arrives at the airport in Baghdad he immediately notices that Saddam is starting at him from every wall inside. An Iraqi Official describes the man they call “Big Brother” as “Superman”. This seems quite ironic to me because Superman was a character who triumphed over evil, not enforced evil itself. Saddam was seen on the walls in the airport, on the billboards bordering the highway, and even staring up on the face of a wristwatch. Superman certainly would not want this much publicity. Saddam may believe that he is the man to turn to in Iraq, the leader who will turn his country around. However, why would a man who seems so confident in his ability to lead do such a thing as censor everything from the T.V. to the weather in his country? Mr. Horwitz’s typewriter was frowned upon due to the possibility that he may produce and hand out anti-government, anti Saddam paraphernalia. It is easy to see that Saddam knows that he is doing nothing but harm to his country, he does not care about anything or anyone besides his wealth and his position of leader of a country in great need of a turnaround.
-PC

Devil and Saint in One

Devil and Saint in One

Chapter fifteen, Tehran: The Imam Is in the People’s Hands, is about the death of Imam Khomeini and his funeral. This chapter was absolutely shocking because of the completely different views and opinions on Imam Khomeini. In the beginning of the chapter Horwitz interacts with an Iranian businessman on his way back from Germany. This man was clearly not a supporter of Imam, in fact he outright told Horwitz that he hated Imam.
“But I fear for the future. It is like your saying: ‘The devil you know is better than a Satan you have not met.’ ” (pg. 236)
I found this quotation extremely interesting for two reasons. The first is the reference to Imam being the Devil. It made me think what could this man have done to be compared to the Devil? The second reason I found this interesting is because of the idea of the future and what is it going to bring. This man fears the future because he fears the next ruler is going to be worse than Imam was. Both of these ideas are contradictory to the views of what seems to be all the rest of Tehran’s. The funeral of Imam was a mourning session of seas of Iranians. The people chanted, “Allhu Albar!”, “There is no god but God! Mohammed is the Messenger of God!” The people in the crowd are so passionate and devoted to this man it is unbelievable. I honestly cannot imagine being so attached to one person and the fact that these people are sobbing, calling Imam their God, walking ten miles to his burial site, swarming and grabbing at his body is completely shocking. Their view on Imam and the man from the airports view on Imam are completely different. I can’t help but ask myself, why? I am sure that the man in the airport is not the only person who hated Imam, but it is obvious that many people adored and loved him as well. How is it that two groups of people from the same country can feel so completely different towards this one man? What is it about him that makes some people love him and other hate him, and more importantly who is right? I do not think there is a real answer to any of these questions because it all depends on who you are asking.

MLD

A Desolate Land

Sudan is a country in Northern Africa, which was, and remains one of the poorest nations that Mr. Horowitz visited. I was struck by their struggle to meet the bare necessities of daily life. I realized that their poverty is not a result of the Islamic extremists. The problem is that Sudan is a country that lies in one of the most desolate areas on the planet, which holds their country back in the form of agriculture and their economy in general. It is also a country embedded in an area where civil war is constant burden on their lives. Sudan is a country that has made little technological advancements in the past few hundred years. Therefore the policies of Islamic extremists have not had the same reactionary effect in Sudan as countries in the Middle East. Although the extremists have not been pulling Sudan back for their political benefit, they have been keeping them from improving on the very little progress they have made.
-PC

A Desolate Land

Muglad, Sudan

Throughout Horowitz’s travels through Sudan many different aspects of the native’s culture intrigued me. One thing that really amazed me about Sudan was the town of Muglad. The thing that surprised me about this town was the amazing and unlikely mix of cultures that was somehow able to coexist amongst one another. The two peoples I am referring to are the African Dinkas and the Arabic Muslims that inhabit Muglad. I was intrigued by their ability to compromise their cultures to accept the other people’s customs. Also I was simply confused as to why or how this strange union formed. Why did these two very different races of people, who do not even share a common language decide to live together. One reason why I would never think these groups of people could not get along is because of Muslim beliefs on women. Muslims do not even let their women show their faces in public, but Dinka women usually would not even wear any clothing. It was interesting to me that the Dinka women would wear any form of clothing as a concession to the Muslims. Also a form of mutual respect, the Muslim women would wear nose rings, neck rings, and tribal scarifications across their cheeks. Women’s robes also ended at the knee and elbow, which would have been considered indecent in any other part of the Muslim world. I thought the competition and even envy of the Muslim men was amusing. Because Dinkas are such a taller race of people the Muslim men would were “absurdly tall turbans.” It seemed to be a pathetic attempt to make themselves seem more powerful, or equally powerful to the gigantic Dinkas. The town of Muglad has a fascinating mixture of cultures.
D.P.S.

Israel vs Palestine

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

In this article written by CNN, the conflict is clear that Israel and Palestine are two nations, which have been violently clashing for almost one hundred years. Recently the Prime Ministers of both countries have met to discuss peace treaties and ways to end the bloodshed in these countries. Israel was made a state on May 14, 1948 after the terror brought upon the Jewish people during WWII. Bodies of water, peninsula’s, and the violent country of Lebanon surround this region. The fate of Jerusalem is the main conflict in this conflict. The Palestinians have felt since the formation of Israel, that this land rightfully belongs to them. The have fought recently over the Gaza Strip and peace negotiations involving Palestinian prisoners have been in the works. Nothing however seems to be even initializing a start to the end of madness in the region. Israel comes off as more powerful militarily, but if they were to pile the assault onto Palestine there is fear that they may be attacked from all sides. At the moment there seems to be no way out of a conflict which has plagued to countries for a millennium.

PC

Bodies

Bodies
In chapter eight, The Iraq-Iran Front: Bodies, Horwitz describes a battle scene after combat and his description is both overwhelming and shocking. During Horwitz stay in Iraq he tried numerous times to meet with high ranking officials, or government leaders in order to receive information or details about virtually anything that was happening in Iraq. Horwitz had very little success because the Iraqi government kept practically everything secret accept for the “great victories” they had or “great success” they made. Finally, one night Horwitz was awakened by a man he had met with earlier that week informing him to come to the airport in order to go to the Southern Front to see a battle scene. I was extremely surprised that they invited him to go see the aftermath of a battle because I thought if anything they would want to keep the war details and facts secret. But, I quickly realized that the only reason they were showing reporters this scene was because it made the Iraqi people look strong and victorious. The Iraqis had removed all of their soldiers’ bodies, and simply left all the Iranian bodies. The government kept the number of Iraqi soldiers’ dead a secret because it made Iraq appear weak but flaunted the deaths of their enemies in order to make Iraq look superior. The actual war scene was disturbing, horrible, and overall sad. Horwitz said it was impossible to move ten feet without coming upon an Iranian body. The description of the conditions of the bodies was horrible. Horwitz statement that many of the men dead were of his age, killed in a “pointless war” was very interesting to read because it is half true. I am not so sure if it is a “pointless war,” but he is right that it is sad the majority of the dead soldiers are his age. When I read about the dead Iranian teenager I wanted to cry because he died at such a young age. A teenager close to my own age died. The scene of the cage filled with Iranian prisoners was equally if not more upsetting. I could not believe that one young Iranian man grabbed Horwitz’s leg to write down his name and birth date in order for Horwitz to inform his brother that he had seen him. I cannot even imagine how that man must have felt knowing he was not going to be released, or how his family must have felt if and when they found out where he was. It finally hit me when I read this scene that this war actually happened, that these were and are real people.

MLD

Because They Hate

Because They Hate, by Brigitte Gabriel
This interview is of Brigitte Gabriel, author of Because They Hate. Her book is about the Middle East and how corrupt it truly is, she was born in Lebanon and now an American citizen. She has experienced the unstableness of the Middle East. When she was 10 her home was bombed she was wounded and spent months in the hospital, after recovering she spent many of her childhood years living in a bomb shelter. Brigitte Gabriel believes the problem in the Middle East is the Radical Islamic, as their population grew the Christians attempted to hold there ground but soon failed. Islamic fought Israel and took over. Hezbollah is a Lebanese militia group that cause many of the conflict. They do not want peace with anyone, including America and Westernization. Hezbollah is a hate filled terrorist group who have been elected by there own people, who are now the majority. In over about 20 years, Hezbollah members have married several times and had several children in hope to elect themselves. This works and they took power. When asked what the US should be doing, Brigitte responded saying that she believes the most important thing is to put pressure on Syria, because they are the ones supplying Hezbollah with missals and other weapons. Many believe that although elected, Hezbollah are not defending Lebanon, of they want bloodshed, they get it, if they want peace, well they don’t and that is causing the problem. I believe to make any advancements, Syria must stop supplying Hezbollah and the people in the surrounding countries must also pressure Hezbollah, if people let hem walk all over them, they will. Some people would argue that the US has no right to step in, but clearly no one else is doing it, and they have threatened America with suicide bombs. If we believe we can help in anyway we are entitled to do so.
-DPD

Oh Saddam

Living in a country with a "physco" dictator does not sound appealing but living in a country where when the dictator goes on a diet so do the rest of the men in that country sounds even less appealing. In history classes students learn about differnet forms of government and the history behind each, what makes a good dictator succesful? Well, what about Hitler? Hitler was able to control a country with intimidation and brainwash the people of Germany into believing that a innocent race of people did not belong on the face of this earth. "Article 225 of Iraq's penal code stated rahter baldy that anyone who critized the president, his party or the government, "for the purpose of raising public opinion against authority," would be put to death." (pg.108) Much like Hitler, Saddam has brainwashed Iraq into believing that he is essentially, God. Millions of pictures that appear all over the country are a great example of the power Saddam holds within his country and how based on intimidation he is able to have support from within his country. The people of Iraq cannot communicate with the outside world nor would they try because of the fear Saddam has inflicted. What makes a dictator? How can one person believe that he or she has the right to rule his own people so violently? Answers such as this are not found in books but more specificly anywhere in the world. Human tendencies are bazzar. Ironically, the people of Iraq are forced to deal with the extensive laws and mass killings Saddam puts upon them but do not complain. Look at the United States with all the freedom in the world and more people than not have something negative to say about our government or our type of "dictator," George Bush. Now however, George Bush, whether he is an adequate president or not, shines in light of Saddam.

Indiviuality for Women

Before reading "Baghdad Without A Map", I was unaware of many Middle Eastern customs that I have now read about but I was aware of the unjust lifes that women lived in the Middle Eastern world. In the Middle East, women must always be hidden. Marriage is not a choice, freedom of speech is unthinkable, abstinence is unnegociable, all in all their entire life is restricted. "Which form in this sea of black hoods was my wife?" (pg. 135) I do not see what role women actually play in Middle Eastern society. If a women is completey hidden from the world what good can she do? American women have every freedom that men are entitled too. We are more than priveleged and most importantly we are different people. I feel as though this different custom of the Middle East changes a women into "the women." There is no room for indiviuality. In America we identify ourselves through our personality, the certain indiviualism that we possess. What good is life without that? How can a women possibly be happy when she is shielded from living her entire life? No I am not from the Middle East and do not fully understand this background but I cannot come to an agreement for the deprived lives the women of the Middle East live.

Response to Anti-Drug America

Response to Anti-Drug America
As JEH say, yes it is cool that the people of Yemen take the time to chew qat and relax with friends and it would be great if Americans could do the same to relive some stress. But, before you make such a statement you have to look at the difference economically between our countries. Few successful American’s kick back and smoke a joint, it doesn’t happen, sure it could relive some stress but it could also cause our economy to fall if taken advantage of. The people of Yemen spend over half of the income on a crop, qat, that has no nutritious value. They are doing so while they remain the poorest country in the Middle East. Yemen’s spend the entire afternoon sitting around chewing qat while they could be out working trying to get a better life for themselves and their family. Many citizens tend to blame their ruler in times like Yemen is facing, but it is usually partly the peoples fault. They are blaming their poorly formed government for their laziness. The people are sitting back chewing qat as their nation suffers and that is not right. They are not holding onto every penny they have like JEH says, they spend over half of their income on qat. Who knows what else this money could be put towards or where the nation would be if people were not so obsessed with qat.
-DPD

Response to Instability in the Middle East

RML is completely right when he said that it is not right to teach children violence at such a young age, but I do not believe that the taxi driver was wrong to refuse the barging. I also don’t believe that it is wrong for him to carry a dagger. He works in a country where almost everyone owns some sort of weapon. I disagree with RML, and I ask him if he would walk through the streets in the Middle East without being scared, or wondering what could happen. The Middle East is extremely unstable and very dangerous. Here in America, we hold the right to bear arms, this means we are allowed to own guns or any other legal form of protection as long as it is licensed through the state. Granted, these weapons are rarely seen or used, we still hold that right. I believe that if our country was in the state that the countries of the Middle East are in, these privately owned weapons would become much more common. Also, have you ever tried to barging with a taxi driver? It is often a shot in the dark. Either they accept it as a joke with a laugh or they look at you like you’re crazy. I agree that it is frightening to see a dagger out in the open as you enter a public vehicle but I’m sure a large number of taxi drivers in our country, especially in busy crime filled cities, carry some sort of self protection. Even in America where we are not at war with each other, people can not be trusted. I won’t even go into Boston alone without pepper spray I’m not sure what I would do if I lived in an unstable country in the Middle East.
-DPD

Modernize?

Modernize?
Why does a country refuse after many attempts to modernize? In the Middle East many countries refuse to forego ancient views and beliefs. It is puzzling because these restrictive beliefs create useless, worthless countries. They are not ahead in anything. What used to be the center of life and advancements has no become a place of the past. Their government is a major set back, they refuse to switch to a democratic government, possibly out of fear. They still do not allow women to be educated, so half the population remains uneducated. These views are similar to those of the middle ages because people can not marry nor can they move out of their classes. Society used to be placed in different classes that your family was put into, and one could not move out of that class no matter how hard they worked they were stuck there. Consider the case of Yousri, a proud Egyptian man who desperately wants to emigrate so he can have a better life. “Even the occasional woman who caught Yousri’s eye was quickly dismissed as beyond his reach, usually because they looked wealthier than he was, an imposing barrier in class-ridden Cairo. ‘No middle-class woman will marry the son of a Nubian boab,’ he said.”(99) The Nubian’s in ancient times were slaves. The name has stuck for a very long time. Nubians just cannot get rid of their name and their past which holds them back in a de-modernized society. Their society depends on a class which is sad because right now the Middle East is in the lowest class among countries.
-C.W.

Complicated Past

Complicated Past: Arab-Israeli Conflict
The conflict in the Middle East became an international issue after the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1917. In many ways the same conflicts are happening today. They are still fighting and have made little progress. The Arabian-Israeli conflict itself has resulted in five major wars and several minor conflicts. Many of these wars and conflicts are fueled by al-Qaeda.
As the video attempts to sum up the History in a few short minutes he talks about the Jew’s searching for a homeland. Although the cartoon is funny and pretty biased, much of the information is accurate. At the turn of the Century, the Jew’s were left with no homeland. They attempt to move in on Palestine’s land, which of course upsets the Palestine’s. Britain steps in an attempt to help the situation before it turns into a war. The Jew’s then try to share land with Arabians, which aids the conflict between the two. Israel is then split between the Jew’s and Palestine’s. The Jewish people re unhappy and decide to fight for their so called home land. With the help of the UN, they take on the Palestine’s who were aided by the Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, and Saudi Arabian armies. The Jew’s and UN secure the land and seize much of the land originally given to Palestine. The rest of designated Palestinian land is taken by Jordan and Egypt.
Everything that is happening in the Middle East is so difficult for an outsider to follow because they is so much history, there are so many grudges that have been held for hundreds of years. I hope to continue to learn more and more about the situation in the Middle East.
-DPD

Link

http://www.globalissues.org/Geopolitics/MiddleEast.asp
It is shocking to me that before 9/11 I did not know anything about the middle east. All of my history class’s covered everything around it. For some reason it seemed like there was a empty part of the map though. Then one day changed all of this. After September 11th 2001 the middle east became a popular topic of discussion. This country that was once almost non-existent in my eyes is now a different type of feared country. No one is afraid of the middle east head on, but it is the coming up from the rear and attacking that makes people nervous. This thought causes me to believe that we are one of the main reasons for them attacking. Along with a lot of other countries we ignored them; in our views they were insignificant. This was the biggest mistake that the U.S. along with the rest of the world could make. This will hopefully help us and other countries to ignore nobody and fear everybody. Any country can quickly put together a devastating attack. This is the second time in America’s history that we have ignored the fact of violence. The first was Pearl Harbor, American’s never thought that the Japanese would attack us. If we gain nothing else from these examples, we must not let our nation be surprised and vulnerable again.

Effects of Refusal to Modernize

Effects of Refusal to Modernize

The Middle East’s refusal to modernize is the cause of virtually every conflict between the Middle East and the West. There are three major examples which potray this. The first example of this is 9/11 the symbolic destruction of modernization, and power. The second is the way they treat women. In the Middle East women are seen as inferior still. They are not allowed to have rights or be educated. The Middle East views wealth, materialism, and easy way of living as evil. Yet many countries like accoutrements of wealth. They see our way of government as a threat to them. In their views democracy suggests more powerful. This could be caused by jealousy. The Middle East was once viewed as intellectual and economically healthy. The Middle East in my eyes comes across as teenagers, refusing to be like everyone else, refusing to admit they were wrong, and refusing to give up the hope of power.
-C.W.

First Impressions

First Impressions

My first impressions of Baghdad Without a Map, based on the first couple of passages, make me not want to read this book. The first impressions is the hardest to change because it creates bias. The first impression will always provide me with a biased opinion towards the book so that every time something important happens it is like “well I question this story’s reliability because he is always getting high. How can he remember this?” To start off the book Horwitz spends two full chapters talking about Qat. He even gets high and enjoys the unusual feelings of the drug. But, the primary reason I don’t want to read the book is because of the reinforcement of my own biased views prior to the reading. My biased views were that the Middle East was not good for anything except the excess amount of guns in the country. When Horwitz asks a native “what arms are out there?” the response was typical my views.
“At a guess, he estimated two rifles and two daggers per adult male. ‘Slightly less for teenagers.’ And that was just small arms. ‘You’ve got your submachine guns, your hand grenades, your mortars- maybe even your flamethrowers,’ he said. Some tribal sheiks stocked big-ticket items as well: bazookas, tanks, surface-to-air missiles.”(30)
This response is typical in my mind because so many Arabs, given 9/11, are portrayed as terrorists. First impressions have clearly biased me when reading this book. I think that as interesting as it is to read about the people with whom we are “at war” from a semi-different view.
-C.W.

Beirut

BEIRUT
A man who was blasted out of two apartments once said, “‘Home is home’, he said, ‘even if it is nothing but sticks and stones.’”(226) These people in the book have their houses destroyed, and yet they look on the brighter side. Living in a country not so fortunate as the U.S. people are not as privileged. People in Beirut live in conditions very different from our own, mostly because of the violence. Bombs destroyed houses and buildings, leaving people homeless, and sometimes dead. Living in America, we do not have the danger or fear of being killed in the middle of the night by a stray bomb. Our two countries are different because we do not live in constant fear of our lives, whereas people in Arab countries live worrying for their lives. We do not realize the danger of living in a country in the Middle-East where violence is abundant. Living in small-town America, violence is not a typical way of life for us. We are not exposed to bombings and gunfire like the Middle-eastern countries. It is interesting how our countries are so different, in terms of violence. Living in a country where we do not typically encounter violence, we have no idea what it is like living in a country where fighting is abundant.
-C.W.

Movie watched in Class

Movie from in class
The movie that the class watched was extremely informative, and well done. The belief of the source of hatred towards the rest of the world is said to have started nearly ninety years ago. It started in WWI when The Middle East chose their sides and lost. As a consequence they lost their land and control over the government. My question to the Middle East is what did they expect? That is what happens in the aftermath of the war; losing countries are punished. The Middle East did get unfortunate when Ahtaturk was thrown out of power and the countries returned to the past. The countries were not united at all till a common enemy was formed, the U.S. The movie also says that every time they lose them they feel humiliated. Why do the Middle Eastern countries choose to keep attacking? With their track record they cannot win. In my eyes the Middle Eastern government makes bad decisions. Instead of attacking countries, why doesn’t the Middle East figure out their problems internally? This is what the problem is all about, their government making stupid decisions, not the U.S. problem for being idolized and creating jealousy.
-C.W.

Response to “America and Iraq: We Fear the Government”

Response to “America and Iraq: We Fear the Government”
I agree as an American that the U.S. is a better country; however, this is not true for everywhere, especially the Middle East. I believe that in almost every aspect of life we are different from Iraq. Saddam was a dictator; Bush is a powerful yet controlled person in power. I disagree with your belief, however, that the American people don’t follow the rules because we like the democratic government. I agree with HF that our government is corrupt, not always fair, or right, but people respect our government not out of fear which JG suggests. I agree with HF that our government is one of the best in the world. I also completely agree that you can’t compare the governments because of the difference in democracy, free rights, and education. Having said that, I believe that it is the Middle Eastern views can lead many people to believe that our government is better. I couldn’t agree more with HF’s point about opportunities in America. “Americans have been given opportunities that Iraqis have never experienced.” We are in a way spoiled. We, as Americans, see their entire country as inferior while the people have had no choices to make. Thank God that we have powers, and rights in this country, but does that make us better?
-C.W.

Reaction to The Bigger the Better?

I agree with DPD’s statement that here in the United States women are pushed to fit a certain image which includes being “rail thin”, where as in the Middle East I feel there is less pressure for women to be thin. In chapter six, Cairo Nights: Dancing Sheik to Sheik, the women who are dancing are described as very large women. The interaction between Horwitz and Sammy as DPD pointed out is very interesting. But, is it truly that the men in the Middle East like bigger women or is it that the men who attended the show liked the women simply for the fact that they are women who do not cover themselves with veils? While reading this chapter I thought it was not so much the size of the women that mattered to the men, only that they were women. In a society where the women are forced to cover their bodies, the belly dancers are essentially the only source of sexual enticement for the men. It is a drastic change from only seeing women’s eyes to seeing women half naked gyrating their bodies. Horwitz states that the men’s cheering grew louder as the show continued and the women grew larger. But, Horwitz also points out that as the show went on the men became more and more drunk. So, was it there state of mind that made them cheer louder or the increasing size of the women? Although men in Cairo “like women they can get their hands around,” I think in the case with the belly dancers it is the fact that the men are able to see a women unveiled and moving in sexual ways that allures them rather than the actual size of the women. It does not matter if the women are big or small only that they are women.

MLD

Reaction to The Bigger the Better?

Response to "Fatalism"

SL brings up some interesting points in his discussion of Islam. I completely respect anyone who takes religion seriously and I don’t have any problem with strict religion, but it does raise a question in my eyes. People originally started to worship Gods in order to add meaning to their lives. People also had hoped that if they could dedicate time in their lives to worship, their souls would continue to live after death. In hindsight, religion is supposed to make people feel better. Religion however can also cause people to grow weary and even become frustrated with rituals that don’t seem to make sense. A question for Muslims (which applies to me as well being Catholic), is if their god (in this case, Allah) is so great and loving, then why must people constantly perform grueling and even violent tasks at their own expense for Allah’s benefit? This can apply to all religions, but it seems that Muslim extremists use prayer as a way to justify violence. I have a problem with people killing innocent others claiming that it is their mission from God. These may sound like the beliefs that were preached by Martin Luther before the protestant reformation, but they seem to make sense and raise good questions. If religion gets to the point where prayers are being recited not out of sincere faith, but simply as meaningless rituals, then what is the point of praying? On the other hand, if prayer reduces guilt, then in a way it succeeds in making people feel better. It depends on how religion is looked at. If one is looking simply for something to make himself feel better, than praying to reduce guilt and to make him feel more accomplished is great. If one is looking beyond that though, for a sincere relationship with God, then he might need to make sure that his prayers are based off of faith, not off of ritual.
BD

Guilt from Safety

One of the last chapters in Horwitz’s novel describes in vivid, frightening detail, the author’s voyage to and from the war stricken country of Lebanon. Horwitz boards a ferry which is transporting passengers to and from the capital city of Beirut, a dismantled and completely out-of-control war-zone. Horwitz had planned to merely take the main ferry close to the shores of Beirut and then after the other passengers had boarded a smaller craft which would take them ashore, he would stay on the ferry and go back to where he came from. Horwitz describes however the familiar “uncomfortable journalistic moment” where he leaves a person who he has recently become friends with to face peril, while he (Horwitz) is privileged enough to stay out of harm’s reach. On his ferry trip to Lebanon, Horwitz meets a man named Marwan. After spending 14 hours on a boat together they become “buddies,” and Horwitz feels guilty that he has simply “milked” Marwan for quotes and is now leaving him on the threshold of grave danger. A combination of curiosity and guilt causes Horwitz to board the second boat with Marwan and complete his voyage into Beirut. Horwitz spends the majority of this second leg of his voyage face down on the boat’s deck hearing mortar shells penetrate the water around him. His companions think that he is crazy for risking his life just to get a better “story.” Getting a better story however had not been Horwitz’s motive for putting his life at the mercy of Syrian gunmen.
After having read Horwitz’s opinion about what is essentially guilt from safety, I couldn’t help but try to relate this feeling to my own life. Instead of feeling shame for living in a secure society so far from war, I should do things, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, to help those in need. Feeling guilty isn’t going to help anyone, unless one’s guilt drives his pursuit to help others. Also, instead of being ashamed of the security and the opportunities that our country provides for us, I need to be sure to not take them for granted.
BD

Reaction to Habits

I agree with the ideas that SL presented in his post on different customs of different religions throughout the world. Horwitz accepting the different culture and trying to fit in is a great example of what many do not do in our society. We are afraid of the unknown. I feel as though many Americans are almost ignorant to differnet cultures and that is the main source of conflict we face with other countries. Coming from a country like America where there are so many different races living in unison it is interesting to think about how we reject certain aspects of different cultures. Especially with the Middle East, we have permanently indented in our minds that Muslims are terroists. We immediatly assume this because many Muslims are willing to die for their religion and yes, we have a reason to believe that Middle Eastern customs may be radical because of the inevitable terroism that exists but it is right to immediatly judge every Muslim in the Middle East. The United States is not only at fault for constat stereotypes, the Middle East is also openly opposed to certain customs that our country possess.
"Is it true that men and women in America live together without marriage?'
'Yes, that's true.'
'How is it then that they are still virgins when they marry? Please explain.'
'They aren't."
(pg.64)
For example, the rights of women is only one aspect of our society and Middle Eastern society that greatly differs. Today, it is not reasonable to believe that different cultures of the world will always agree, but I feel we do not try to even understand, whether we agree or disagree. Our country has over come slavery and race is no longer a restriction so why is it that we cannot stop rejecting the culture of the Middle East? We are fighting a war to try and protect our country from future terroism, but forcing Western customs on a society that is completely different from ours is arrogant. Just as we reject the customs of the Middle East, the Middle East is going to rejct our different customs. This war could be avoided if society stopped rejecting the unknown.

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