If that doesn't scare the hell out of you...

The BEST clip I have watched this fall, both from Palin bombing it to Cafferty laying it on thick.

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Banksy at the wall.

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This just in from the Jordanian blogsphere - Books@Cafe has been shut down for serving alcohol during Ramadan.

A few of my posts have been about or written from Books@, a popular cafe on Rainbow Street in Amman.

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LHC, pt. 2

The Economist reports on the grand opening of the LHC.

Has the Large Hadron Collider destroyed the world yet?

Playing God, the Mayan Calendar, and Doomsday

...and then we start getting into conspiracy theories that will keep you up all night. Thanks Dick Gordon, Jr.

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What's the difference between Palin and Muslim Fundamentalists...

...according to Juan Cole? Lipstick.

And more on Palin's religious convictions.

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Come with me if you want to live

SARAH CONNOR RETURNS WITH A VENGEANCE!

Complete with religious themes and all!

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Islamofascism Awareness Week returns for a third season!

"Stop the Jihad on Campus," October 13 - 17! So little time to prepare!

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From Gulf News: Jordan sees rush of young Americans (via Angry Arab)

















This a picture of Liza at Books@Cafe on Rainbow Street in Amman. I spent the Fourth of July here and with Liza, her roommates, and several of their friends at their apartment. I was at Books@ the night this picture was taken, sitting at the table right next to the one in the foreground. I recognize the two girls pictured, in particular because the subtly politco one wearing the chic purple kuffieyeh also sports a "NUKE ISRAEL" shirt.

I will confirm that there are bucketfulls of American students studying Arabic in Jordan, including 60+ from BYU in Amman this summer (three of whom I lived with).

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From the Huffington Post:

Speaking before the Pentecostal church, Palin painted the current war in Iraq as a messianic affair in which the United States could act out the will of the Lord.

"Pray for our military men and women who are striving to do what is right. Also, for this country, that our leaders, our national leaders, are sending [U.S. soldiers] out on a task that is from God," she exhorted the congregants. "That's what we have to make sure that we're praying for, that there is a plan and that that plan is God's plan."

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Mark LeVine on the one-state two-states debate:

With Palestinians wielding binationalism as a threat and Israelis imagining it as a curse, it's not surprising that the idea still has relatively few supporters. But what if a binational state was reimagined as a positive development, one that allows for the greatest possible realization of both Jewish and Palestinian aspirations? Indeed, the idea had this connotation for progressive Zionists such as the Brit Shalom movement during the pre-1948 period, and an increasing number of Israeli academics and activists are giving the idea a second look today.

Even Theodor Herzl, in Zionism's ur-text, Altneuland (Old-New Land), describes the future Jewish state as one where Jews and Palestinians have equal rights and responsibilities in the civic and economic life of the country.

Of course, Herzl also imagined “spiriting” Palestinians “across the border” to ensure the creation of a Jewish state. And it is precisely such paradoxical sentiments towards Palestinians—wanting to live with them as good neighbors and wanting to get rid of them in order to ensure unfettered possession of the land—that has defined the serpentine trajectory of Zionism during the last century.

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A blog you should read

With the help of a post from a friend, I stumbled across Zach Lind's blog. You may have heard of Zach from his drumming with a rather popular American rock outfit (though their last album was a bit of a disappointment). Zach keeps up with the Emergent scene, particularly as it intersects with the politics scene, and is not too shabby on the skins either. So you should read his blog.

And I promise, really do, to get to that "Can Muslims and Christians be Friends?" post. There might even be a video (gasp!) blog to accompany it...we'll see how crazy I'm feeling when the muse hits.

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From The Black Iris, reviewing the movie Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?:

Soon enough (thankfully), Spurlock sets off on his journey where he heads to Egypt first. Talking to a relative of Ayman Zawahiri, Spurlock’s interaction with Egyptians only validates the underlying point that the overwhelming majority of Arabs and Muslims have when it comes to America and Osama Bin Laden, points that can be summed up as follows: one. we love Americans but we hate American foreign policy in the region. Two. We hate Osama Bin Laden because he tarnishes Islam and kills innocents. Three. The US oppresses us (by supporting our direct oppressors).

Practically every conversation Spurlock had with average people in the Arab world consisted of those answers to all his questions. In Egypt, he presents a reality unknown to most Americans: a country with little to no civil liberties; a reality supported financially and politically by the US government. This is put in a historical context, tracing America’s legacy of doing the exact same thing all over the world (and this region) for over half a century.

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Jafra

My last night in Jordan, I met a group of three twenty-something Palestinian yutes at the Jafra Cafe. We did the small talk routine, and then I started asking the Arab-Israeli conflict questions. Standard fare, until the ringleader tossed one at me:

If you had to chose between Fatah and Hamas, which would you pick?

As the ignorant outsider who has no experience with on-the-street opinion on these matters, I said Fatah, out of some bleeding-heart pacifist motivation (but knowing full well violence runs deep, at some point in history or another, on both sides). I was met with three strong affirmations of support for Hamas, though sans hostility; obviously I asked why. Reason being, Hamas is willing to stand up against Israel and abides by the Islamic principle of jihad. Normally when the j-word comes up, the quick explanation is that it's NOT JUST holy war, but is simply the word for struggle and means, as much as anything, personal combat against the lusts and passions of the flesh ("battling temptation" I suppose). Not this evening though; this was your Fox News, Zarqahwi in Tora Bora-fledged Jeeeeee-hawd. And linked to explicitly religious claims, theological/theoretical and not territorial. It wasn't "Islam tells us that Palestine belongs to Muslims so go and kill the infidel," but "Islam tells us to wage war in the cause of justice so go and fight the invader," or something similar. They added that, had Fatah won the 2006 legislative elections (read this), they would at least obey the elected leaders. But Hamas won in a genuine, democratic election where "the outcome should be considered to reflect the will of the people" ("Final Report on the Palestinian Legislative Council Elections," National Democratic Institute / The Carter Center). Which, in America's support for worlwide democracy, garnered the elected, Hamas-controlled government some sense of legitimacy, or at least right to represent the Palestinian people, no?

From the moment of its election victory, Hamas acted pragmatically and with the intent to integrate itself into the existing political structure. It had observed for over a year a unilateral ceasefire with Israel and had halted the suicide attacks on Israeli civilians that had made it notorious. In a leaked confidential memo written in May and published by The Guardian this week senior UN envoy Alvaro de Soto confirmed that it was under pressure from the United States that Abbas refused Hamas' initial invitation to form a "national unity government." De Soto details that Abbas advisers actively aided and abetted the Israeli-US-European Union aid cutoff and siege of the Palestinians under occupation, which led to massively increased poverty for millions of people. These advisors engaged with the United States in a "plot" to "bring about the untimely demise of the [Palestinian Authority] government led by Hamas," de Soto wrote (ei, June 2007)

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Later that evening, I met up with the Palestinian Women's Club. Tutu (who lived in Gaza for five years) again referred to the Strip as "hell on earth" and "a prison." The PWC also gave me hand-woven tissue holder and a rose-red plaque of the Al-Aqsa mosque. Most excellent.

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LHC

In a break from postings on the Middle East, direct your attention to these photos of the Large Hadron Collider, being built by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and soon to be the world's largest and most high-energy particle accelerator.







From an online article by John Ellis (CERN, Geneva) in Nature:

Particle physics stands on the brink of a new era. Research using the LHC will make the first exploration of physics in the TeV energy range. There are good reasons to hope that the LHC will find new physics beyond the standard model, but no guarantees. The most one can say for now is that the LHC has the potential to revolutionize particle physics, and that in a few years' time we should know what course this revolution will take. Will there be a Higgs boson, or not? Will space reveal new properties at small distances, such as extra dimensions or supersymmetry? Will experiments at the LHC cast light on some fundamental cosmological questions, such as the origin of matter or the nature of dark matter? Whatever the answers to these questions might be or whatever surprises the LHC might spring, it will surely set the agenda for the next steps in particle physics.

The New York Times has a special topic page in their Science section devoted to the LHC here. The LHC is exiting for two reasons: massive advances in our knowledge of particle physics; and ushering in the era of the self-autonomous robot apocalypse. Or we'll open a black hole in the Milky Way, rip the seams of the space-time continuum, and initiate the self-consumption of the known universe.

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From the Washington Post:

Others say "Noor" is dangerous precisely because of the similarities between Muhannad's clan and Saudis.

"When young people, who have all become fascinated with this show, watch Muslims like themselves engaging in premarital relations and having children out of wedlock, that is more dangerous than if they see Westerners doing those same things," said Safiya Ibrahim, an administrative assistant at a cafe where kids paint and read. Ibrahim said Saudi teenagers could come to believe that dating before marriage, which is frowned upon here, is okay because the characters in "Noor" do.

The fascination with the show and the lush scenery has propelled more than 100,000 Saudis to travel to Turkey this year, according to Turkish diplomats, up from about 40,000 last year. The fictional home of Muhannad's family has been rented by tour operators and turned into a temporary museum for visitors. Saudi magazines have featured several spreads of the luxury villa on the Bosporus in Istanbul where the show was shot and interviewed Saudi tourists there.

The show's finale, after 140 episodes, will be broadcast at the end of August, right before the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan.

"They're a tightknit family," said Roua Madani, a fan of the show who works in event management. "The couples express the romantic love we're missing in our culture. Even though it's exaggerated, it's good for men to see this kind of love, even if it's just on television."

...

"They're a tightknit family," said Roua Madani, a fan of the show who works in event management. "The couples express the romantic love we're missing in our culture. Even though it's exaggerated, it's good for men to see this kind of love, even if it's just on television."

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Last nite in Jordan...

I'm blogging with t-minus 12 hours 'til I leave for the States. Thanks for keeping up with my travels, and insha' Allah I'll be seeing you very shortly. Expect a few more stories from Jordan in the next couple of days.

Ma' salaama ya al-Urdun, marhaba ya Amriika!

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More on Noor

I should mention that I almost caused a scene in a Palestinian refugee camp today for looking like Muhanid. One guy made the connection, and then about 30 people just started yelling out my (not) name. Scary stuff. Here are some recent stories on the series from the past week.

From Rueters:

A Turkish soap opera that flopped when first broadcast in its native Turkey three years ago has taken the Arab world by storm, provoking a flood of Gulf Arab tourists to Turkey that even includes royalty.

"Noor" became an immediate hit when Saudi-owned MBC (*my emphasis) satellite television began airing it earlier this year, partly because of its unconventional usage of colloquial Arabic dubbing -- and because its blond-haired, blue-eyed leading man had women swooning.

...

Many Saudi women explained their devotion to the show as a form of escapism from stifling, love-less marriages.

"Our men are rugged and unyielding," quipped a 26-year-old house-frau who preferred to remain unnamed. "I wake up and see a cold and detached man lying next to me, I look out the window and see dust. It is all so dull. On Noor, I see beautiful faces, the beautiful feelings they share and beautiful scenery."

From KABOBfest:

WILL: I think this is a plot to destroy the Arab family... Mohannad's attentiveness to his wife is likely to be evoked in many spousal tifts.

FAYYAD: I've been here two days and it's already driving me nuts. It's cheesy, empty, and has less content than the bold and the beautiful, not to mention of similar storyline. And the place here shuts down when it's on, even my dad, the most skeptic and suspecious person of imported foriegn culture watches it.

Will's predictions already materialized, several divorces in Jenin are blamed on it already.

DIANA: Oh come on. You mean that you don't find Muhannad the dreamiest spouse on earth? You don't find Nur the kindest person ever created? Oh Fayyad - the west has changed you. I am nearly on Ramadan countdown at; this point - Nur will be over only to be replaced by something just as stupid.

MOHAMMAD: God I hate this stupid show. And I hate how easily impressionable our
people are. Its beyond the point of pathetic...Fayyad isn't exaggerating. People are getting divorced over this load of shit.

DIANA: I have witnessed the Nur addiction firsthand: my niqab-wearing cousin and her pre-teen hijab wearing kids watch it 3 times a day. They have even subscribed to a new channel that shows uncut versions of Nur all day. Her freaky Sheikh husband is also addicted but claims to watch it for 'educational' purposes. The cuz has told me hair raising stories about her neighbour (who was beaten by her hubbie for mentioning how charming Muhannad is). I am sure this was just his excuse but Nur is now being blamed. Alas.

On one hand, the more men beat their wives, or neglect them, the more attractive escapist fantasies will be. This goes for all cultures. On the other, life is never so simple as a TV show.

However, is fandom for this show expressing aspirations we cannot ignore -- the screams of Arab women for more?

From AP:

“Noor” delivers an idealized portrayal of modern married life as equal partnership, clashing with the norms of traditional Middle Eastern societies where elders often have the final word on whom a woman should marry.

Some Muslim clergy in the West Bank and Saudi Arabia have taken notice, saying the show is un-Islamic and urging the faithful to change channels. But the show may be planting seeds of change nonetheless.

“I told my husband, learn from him (Mohannad) how he treats her, how he loves her, how he cares about her,” said Heba Hamdan, 24, a homemaker visiting the West Bank from Amman, Jordan. Married straight out of college, she said the show inspired her to go out and look for a job.

“Noor” seems particularly effective in changing attitudes because it offers new content in a familiar setting: Turkey is a Muslim country, inviting stronger viewer identification than Western TV imports. The characters in “Noor” observe the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and Mohannad and Noor were married in a match arranged by his grandfather.

But it also upholds secular liberties: Protagonists have a drink with dinner and sex outside marriage. Mohannad, while faithful to Noor, had a child with a former girlfriend, and a cousin underwent an abortion.

The nightly soap opera “shows that there are Muslims who live differently,” said Islah Jad, a professor of women’s studies at the West Bank’s Bir Zeit University.

The show’s Turkish producer, Kemal Uzun, added: “We are a little more open, not as conservative as some of these countries, and I think this might have some appeal for the audience.”

Even though some of the racier scenes are sanitized for Arab consumption, clerics have been sermonizing against “Noor.”

“This series collides with our Islamic religion, values and traditions,” said Hamed Bitawi, a lawmaker of the Islamic militant Hamas and clergyman in the West Bank city of Nablus.

But the purists seem powerless to halt the “Noor” craze.

In Saudi Arabia, the only country with ratings, 3 million to 4 million people watch daily, out of a population of almost 28 million, according to MBC, the Saudi-owned satellite channel that airs the show dubbed into Arabic for Middle East audiences.

In the West Bank and Gaza, streets are deserted during show time, and socializing is timed around it. In Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and in Hebron, the West Bank’s most conservative city, maternity wards report a rise in babies named Noor and Mohannad. A West Bank poster vendor has ditched Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein for Noor and Mohannad.

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Perspectives

Our assistant academic director, Zein, is a native Jordanian who studied at the Arava Institute in Israel. She was also raised in a Christian household and went to a private Christian high school though she herself is not practicing (familiar?). Her thoughts on Jordanian attitudes (particularly those of city-folk): Jordanian Christians have an easier time accepting Israel's right to exist, mainly because more Jordanian Palestinian Muslims had or have friends and family affected by the nakba or occupation than do Jordanian Palestinian Christians. I told her of the stock "support Israel bar none" line assumed in Tulsa's Christian circles growing up, attitudes with which Zein had no familiarity with in her secondary education. Religion is an excuse deployed by those seeking political sway, she said, adding that the multiplicity of perspectives between and within the contending monotheisms in Palestine testifies to the bunk of using faith as the dominant or rightful paradigm in approaching the conflict.

In the southern Badia we talked with Sheikh Khalid (pictured below) and several of his brothers about peace with Israel and differentiating between Israelis and Jews. The sheikh began with the "people of the book" defense (Jews and Christians, as forerunners to the Prophet's revelations, are respected and protected peoples in Muslim-controlled lands), and therefore it is also the duty of Muslims to respect these communities (here I got the expected "OSB and his terrorist cronies ain't no Muslim"). The differentiation, from their perspectives, is between Jewish/Israeli (since Israel is self-defined as a Jewish democracy) and Zionist, an ideology that they cannot accept (though it went undefined), though not for religious reasons. Peace is an important principle in Islam, with the sheikh citing a verse in the Qur'an that commands Muslims to only fight if attacked and to never be the transgressor. For them, however, true peace won't be realized until the land is returned to the Palestinian people. What was not clear was whether they were referring to the West Bank and Gaza or the whole of Israel. Seeing as how they recognized Israel and its right to exist, I'm almost positive (but again, this is memory + educated guesstimate) that it's the former. Potential research topic in the future: attitudes towards peace with Israel among Jordan's Bedu.

Unbeknownst to me, but knowst to others, the Tulsa Islamic Society hosted a discussion/debate around a focus question, "Can Christians and Muslims Be Friends?" back in January. You should watch this video of the debate between Dr. Jamal Badawi and Pastor Reza Safa. I remember when some suburban Christian Tulsa magazine (believe it was Community Spirit) devoted an entire issue to this question, the main article being Safa's resounding 'No.' I plan to weigh in heavily on this issue once I get back to the States (< one week), but I'll go ahead and offer a quick response.

Yes they can, because I have made Muslim friends. More to come, insha' Allah.

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The greenhorn's alternate identities

The Jordanians I have met all die laughing when I tell them (and they agree) that I look like the male lead, Muhanid, from the Turkish soap Noor. And apparently it's causing quite a ruckus in Palestine and Saudi Arabia. My friend Rasha told me of several stories in Jordan where a couple has gotten a divorce from idolizing the romanticized lifestyle of the main characters.

The Bedu in Mudawara said I look like Prince Ghazi, and I just might agree with them.

Prince Ghazi on the left, obviously the best dressed in the crowd

Looks like I'm breakin' hearts in the Middle East now, too.

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