Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Arab spring or a social Hari-Kiri in Syria? #syria #lebanon #arab #kuwait #bahrain #ksa #islam #peace #undp #un#unhcr

Arab spring or a social Hari-Kiri in Syria?



Jameel W. Karaki

A lot factors led to the current instabilities in the Arab word such as, Social injustice, high rate of unemployment, lack of freedoms, ignorance and external interventions by international key players who played a vital role in stabilizing some of the regimes collapsed recently in Libya, Egypt ,Yemen, and Syria is no exception.

Yes, a lot of dictatorial regimes collapsed in the Arab World, and others might be following the same path, where some citizens in the Arab world started to get aware of their basic human rights and they are no longer followers, but participators in the state governance. When most revolutions happened, revolutionist fought injustice, oppression, and torturing practiced by their regimes tools and means. However, once a regime is collapsed, rebels act like mad bulls and become a symbol of oppression against those who oppose their policies and political behavior.

Now, we are witnessing horrifying scenes when agitated armed rebels gave vent to their feelings and sentiments. In the most part of the Syrian land, rebels are taking control where a lot of private properties are being occupied by them, killing based on the sect become a normal act of Jihad, imposing Jizya on Christians in Homos and not to mention the emerging of terrorists who came from every part of the world under the name of Jihad to fight against the infidel and impure regime. As a result, Hizbullah fighters were drugged there to protect Shitte Areas which are under attack by these terrorist forces according to the party statement or to protect the regime according to the Syrian rebels.

On other hand, the regime which governed Syria with an iron fest for four decades, occupied Lebanon under an international green land, practiced oppression, suppression, and national slogan were the placebo which drugged the brains of Syrians for many years. This regime now is hallucinating about its ability to govern Syria through media outlets and hopes that the international community would restore the current regime role in the political equation.

In the light of the sterile debate between the regime and opposition, hundreds of innocent people lost their lives, personal and private properties ravaged, healthy economies disrupted, Syrian girls refuges sold into forced marriages according to the telegraph, and lot of businessmen lost their funds, ultimately bringing a much-awaited end to the horrendous rule of the dictatorial regime and to the fake opposition which seems only care about public speaking speeches.

It is absurd to hear voices that call to maintain the current regime or discourage making some anti-regime accountable before the Syrian nation based on some rotten theories, which suggest that usurping corrupt leaders will only result in reducing a country to ashes, as if t people aren’t already burning in the fires of hell that are ignited by those leaders.
 
Nevertheless, the current opposition is not the ideal alternative for Syria which is lost in the international and regional orbits without giving or suggesting a solid solution for vision to the Syrian cause or a clear re-building plan.



I believe that Syria is in a dire need of something very similar to the Marshal Plan which was a large scale economic program that was implemented in the United States between 1947 and 1951. The Plan was created to help in rebuilding and creating a stronger and broad-based economic foundation for countries across Europe.

On one hand, the coming regime should consider the diversified Syrian social fabric of the Syrian. On the other hand, if the coming regime restore social unity, Syria will certainly be fragmented states within the next few years.



The main focus should be on how to seize fire among the conflict parties, eliminating any foreign forces from the Syrian lands, organize a safe transformation for power, and hold elections under the supervision of neutral countries, aiming to build a modern state that makes every leader accountable for his actions.
 
 Moreover assistance in the form of overwhelming support coming from the US, Petro Dollars countries, the European Union, or even from creatures from outer space will surely be welcomed wholeheartedly without unless they are conditional. Finally, Jihad should be inside the occupied Palestine and not Syria, the Muslim is not the Christian’s enemy, the Sunni is not the Shitte’ enemy, the real enemy is the Zionism, and yet we are the enemies of ourselves.
 
 
 #syria #lebanon #arab #kuwait #bahrain #ksa #islam #peace #undp #un#unhcr

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

أمة السنة والشيعة....

لا أدري لماذا عندما يسلم عابد لبقرة أو ملحد أو لأي شيئ، يمطرنا البعض بالتكبير والتهليل وكأن أمة محمد رجعت لأمجادها، ولكن هؤلاء الذي يجادلون بغير علم ومنطق وحتى إطلاع على الدين، يمطرون من يؤمنون بالله وبمحمد وبالقرآن (مثلهم) والذين يتبعون مدرسة فقهية مختلفة ( الجعفرية) والتي هي أصل المذاهب الأربعة،
 
 يصفونهم بالمجوسية والكفر. نعم هناك فرق بين سنة وشيعة حيث السنة لفظ أطلق على علماء الحديث وأيضاً كل فعل وتقرير أو قول صدر عن خير البشر محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وصحبه وسلم)، أما الشيعة فهي بللغة أتباع فلان. فرقة تستنبط السنة النبوية الشريفة من الصحابة ومن أهل البيت وفرقة تسنتبط السنة الشريفة من أهل البيت والصحابة. يقولون عنك مجوسي ، وهل من يتبع الأمام البخاري أو سنن ابن ماجه أصبح مجوسيا؟ وهل يوجد فرق بين عربي وأعجمي إلا بالعمل الصالح والتقوى؟
 
طيب رافضي؟ نعم كلنا روافض للظلم وللبغاء والهمجية التي نهى عن الأسلام؟ أنا رافضي وأنت ناصبي؟ لا تقلق فأنا ناصبي أيضاً فأنا أكره كل من كره محمد وآل بيته وصحبه وأكثر من ذلك أكره هؤلاء الحمير الذين يحملون أسفار ويجادلون من غير علم ويتعمقون بجهلم بإسم الدين! الخلاف فقهي لا عقائدي وخلافي مع نفسي أنني أتحدث الآن إلى نفسي التي ارتضت ان تخاطب بعضاً من أصحاب الجهل المركب والحقد الدفين!
 
#الشيعة #السنة # إسلام #فكر #حوار #نقاش #مصر
 #LEBANON #SYRIA#JO #IRAQ |#EGYPT 

Monday, February 4, 2013


Q&A with the Kuwait Progressive Movement

Jameel W. Karaki
 
Last updated: February 4, 2013
To shed light on socialism in Kuwait, Your Middle East interviewed Dhari Al-Rajeeb, head of a leftist force attempting to establish a “modern democracy.” 

http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/features/qa-with-the-kuwait-progressive-movement_12772

 #kuwait #progressive #usa #movement

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

#Jasmine Call #syria #lebanon #kuwait #jo #ksa #iraq #aid #un





The Women's Cultural and Social Society, is organizing ”Jasmine Call” – two fund-raising events, under the patronage of the Minister of  Information Sheikh Salman 

AlHumood AlSabah, with the aim of providing relief aid to some four million displaced people in Syria. This will contribute to rescuing them from hunger and cold and to 

provide them with such basic needs as food, milk-powder medical and health care supplies, and clothing needs.

The first event:


A concert, performed by the global composer and pianist Malek Jandali, and an art exhibition displaying the fine works of artist Kevork  Mourad. (CVs attached).


26th Jan.2013 (Saturday) at 7.30 p.m., at the theatre of The Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Mishref.

The second event:


A concert, performed by the renowned musician and oud player Naseer Shamma and an art exhibition displaying the fine works of artist Kevork  Mourad. (CVs attached).
27th Jan.2013 (Saturday) at 7.30 p.m., at the theatre of The Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST), Mishref.
.

We do hope to have your support for this humanitarian undertaking through your participation as a sponsor for which you can choose any of the following categories:

1-                Platinum Sponsor:  KD 10,000.
The sponsor will receive the following benefits:
-      The company's name, as a platinum sponsor, will appear large sized in the press release that will be published in the local dailies.
-      The company's logo will appear in large size on all advertisements, leaflets and brochures of the event.
-      The company will have one full page to advertise itself in the booklet of the event.
-      Four complimentary tickets for both events.
-      The sponsor can install a poster and a roll-up of the company at the entrance of the reception hall.  

2-    Golden Sponsor: KD 5,000
The sponsor will receive the following benefits:
-      The company's name, as a golden sponsor, will appear medium-sized in the press release that will be published in the local dailies.
-      The company's logo will appear in medium size on all advertisements, leaflets and brochures of the event.
-      The company will have half a page to advertise itself in the booklet of the event.
-      Three complimentary tickets for both events.
-      The sponsor can install a roll-up of the company at the entrance of the reception hall. 

3-    Silver Sponsor: KD 3,000
The sponsor will receive the following benefits:
-      The company's name, as a golden sponsor, will figure out small-sized in the press release that will be published in the local dailies.
-      The company's logo will appear in small size on all advertisements, leaflets and brochures of the event.
-      The company's logo will appear in the booklet of the event.
-      Two complimentary tickets for both events.

We will be looking forward to having your favorable response and please accept our highest consideration and best regards.

Secretary General
Lulua Saleh  Al-Mulla.


Enclosures:
-CVs of Malek Jandali, Kevork Mourad, Nasseer Shamma
-Profile of the Women's Cultural and Social Society.










Musician Malek Jandali:

-         Internationally renowned pianist and composer.

-    First Syrian and only Arab musician to arrange music based on the oldest music notation in the world which was discovered in the Bronze Age city of Ugarit, Syria dating back to the 4th. Century B.C. He added to it rhythm and harmony and played it on the piano with globally renowned orchestras. His famous album "Echos from Ugarit" was an outcome of his attempst to mix Arabic modes in an academic way with the classical western harmony.

-         He learned music at the age of 4, and played his first concert at 8. He joined the Arab Conservatory of Music then the Higher Institute of Music in Damscus, where he was tutored by world renowned pianists. He performed in top theatres in the Middle East, Europe, USA, and Syria.

-  Currently works in the State of Georgia, USA, and is studying for a Ph.D. Degree in music.

-         Winner of many music global awards.




Musician Naseer Shamma:

-      One of the most famous Arab musicians who efficiently stands out in solo musical composition.

-      First Arab eight-string Oud player, following the manuscript of the 9th. Century music theorist Al-Farabi. His innovations included the new method of playing the Oud with one hand which allowed handicapped people to play this instrument.

-      He composed the music of many Arab theatrical plays, movies and documentaries.

-      He worked on the attempt to portray formative art through music, and studied the effect of music on formative artists.

-      Founded Beit Al-Oud Al-Arabi in Cairo in 1999, and is currently a professor of Oud in the Cairo Opera House.  He founded "Uyun" group for Arabic music in Cairo, "Sudasi Al-Anamel Al-Thahabiya" band, "Al-Bayareq" musical Band, and "Orchestra Al-Sharq".




Artist Kevork Mourad:

-      Formative Artist who studied in Syria and continued his higher studies in The Institute of Fine Arts in Yerevan, Armenia.

-      Held numerous galleries in Arab countries and USA.

-      Mastered the technique of spontaneous painting at an early stage of his professional life, in which he shares the stage with musicians.

-      Any painting by Kevork is related to the musical colorful rhythm heard through the eyes.

-      One of few artists who worked on merging the formative visual language with the rhythms of musical tunes.

-      Kevork depends in his paintings on the rhythms of musical tunes according to two major trends: spontaneous and rational; The first emphasizes the psychological effect of the color, movement, and the special formative rhythm; while the rational appears through abidance by temporal rhythm, which gives the audience a glimpse on the scale of awareness of the encaustic between rationalization and emotion.


Society in Brief

The Women’s Cultural & Social Society (WCSS),  the first women’s society to be established in Kuwait, was founded on February 3, 1963 by the first batch of female Kuwaiti university graduates.
The main objectives of the Society are:
1-          Developing the educational status of women in all fields.
2-          Ensuring that women take part in the various activities of the community.
3-Increasing women's awareness of their responsibilities and rights, in additional to all the issues of concern to the community.
4-   Encouraging women to take part in the various activities of the community.
 A seven-member board of directors, elected every two years by the general assembly, manages the Society.
The Board of Directors carries out its tasks according to an established statute, whereby Board members chair the operating committees, and the other WCSS members share the voluntary responsibility of practicing cultural, social, health, media and sports activities through various committees.

#syira #music #kuwait #art #wcss

Thursday, November 29, 2012

#ICRC hands over management of International Tracing Service

Germany: ICRC hands over management of International Tracing Service
Geneva (ICRC) –The ICRC is to hand over management of the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen to the German Federal Archives after over half a century. The ITS was founded in 1943 to provide answers to millions of families who had lost touch with relatives during the Second World War.


Speaking at the ITS on 29 November, ICRC president Peter Maurer explained that "The ICRC is handing over management of the ITS, but we’re not leaving it." He stressed that the ICRC would remain in regular contact with the ITS, through its Central Tracing Agency in Geneva, tracing agencies in ICRC delegations, and the tracing services of national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world. The ICRC will continue to provide its technical expertise, helping the ITS serve the victims of Nazi persecution and their families.

“The ITS strives to be of service to people,” Maurer added. “Yes, it possesses archives, but those archives reflect human beings and the unthinkable suffering of so many millions during the Second World War and beyond.”

Indeed, the archives cover civilians detained in Nazi concentration or labour camps and people who had to flee their homes because of the Second World War. They house over 50 million card files relating to more than 17.5 million civilians persecuted by the Nazis.

Ever since its creation, the ITS has been governed by the 11-nation International Commission for the International Tracing Service (ICITS) under the 1955 Bonn Agreement and its 2006 Protocols. The following countries are members of the Commission: Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since 1955, the ICRC has managed the ITS on behalf of the ICITS, as a neutral and independent supervisory body.

As the mission of the ITS has now extended beyond purely humanitarian work to englobe research, management of the Service will be handed over on 1 January 2013 to the German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv) and the International Commission has appointed a new director, history professor Rebecca Boehling, who will continue and develop the work of the past five decades.

#germeny #icrc

Monday, November 26, 2012

Syria: Urgent call on warring parties to respect civilians




Geneva/Damascus (ICRC) – The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) remains alarmed by the manner in which the parties to the conflict in Syria are conducting hostilities. “Little regard is being paid to the plight of the population by the fighting parties,” said ICRC director of operations Pierre Krähenbühl.

“Close to twenty months of unabated fighting have resulted in massive destruction, the displacement of entire families, thousands of casualties and refugees, and ever-increasing numbers of civilians struggling to obtain basic necessities like food, water and medical care,” Krähenbühl continued. The humanitarian situation in Syria is getting worse by the day and the needs of ordinary people continue to increase.

“As armed confrontations escalate, taking a heavy toll on civilians, we strongly urge all sides involved in the fighting to take immediate action to fully comply with international humanitarian law, otherwise known as the law of armed conflict,” he continued. These rules and principles apply to all parties to the armed conflict in Syria, and impose restrictions on the means and methods of warfare that they may use. The ICRC has repeatedly reminded them that they must at all times distinguish between civilians and persons directly participating in the fighting.

Affected families are facing grief and desperation as the insecurity and general uncertainty regarding their future increase. Livelihoods have been disrupted, health standards have fallen, basic food items are harder to obtain and many children have stopped going to school. Numerous public spaces have been transformed into basic makeshift shelters. Over the past months, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children have fled their homes as a result of the conflict. Many have had to cross national borders to seek security, and have found refuge in neighbouring countries.

The ICRC reiterates that under international humanitarian law attacks may be directed only against military objectives and not against civilians, or against civilian objects such as homes, schools, medical facilities and vehicles, community shelters or places of worship. International humanitarian law also stipulates protection for the civilian population and those not (or no longer) participating in hostilities, such as the sick, the wounded and those who have been detained, who must be treated with dignity at all times.

“At a time when humanitarian needs are ever more acute, the ICRC again calls on all those bearing weapons to respect the staff of humanitarian organizations,” added Mr Krähenbühl. The harsh reality is that six Syrian Arab Red Crescent volunteers have been killed while on duty since the onset of the violence. “The aim of the Red Crescent and the Red Cross is to bring life-saving assistance to those in need, in a completely impartial and neutral manner,” Krähenbühl emphasized. Medical personnel have been working under extreme conditions and have not been spared in the fighting. Everybody must respect and facilitate the work of health personnel at all times, and all sides must respect the red cross and red crescent emblems.

#syria #human #lebanon #kuwait #ksa #jo #wakeup #syria #ICRC

Sunday, November 25, 2012

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence


 

 

KUWAIT CITY, 25 November (UNDP Kuwait) - UNDP Kuwait, together with national supporters, commemorated the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence by raising awareness on the subject.

The event is an international campaign originating from the first Women's Global Leadership Institute

coordinated by the Center for Women's Global Leadership in 1991.

The institute originally chose to conduct the campaign between the dates of November 25

(International Day Against Violence against Women) and December 10 (International Human Rights Day)

in order to reinforce the fact that violence against women is a human rights issue.

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the ensuing 16 Days of

Activism against Gender Violence are commemorated every year around the world to raise awareness

and trigger action on this pervasive human rights violation.

In Kuwait, Promoting Women’s Rights and Legal Empowerment Project (WRACATI), a UNDP

regional initiative, in collaboration with Women Cultural and Social Society and in partnership with the

Supreme Council of Development and Planning, commemorated the day and the following 16 Days of

Activism by disseminating information on what is violence and how it can be eliminated by effective

action. A comprehensive strategy to tackle violence against women is an essential benchmark in

assessing Kuwait’s progress towards reaching the Millennium Development Goals.

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries

to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166

countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As

they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.

#UNDP #UN #KUWAIT #GENDER