Archive for the ‘Issues’ Category
Good Evening.
Yesterday, I was heading home. I had attended a memorial gathering for the night of broken glass, the night the 9th of November 1938, where a series of brutal attacks against Jews in Germany and Austria. We remember this, so that we remember never to allow Nazism and right-wing fascism to return, especially important when there are Nazis in both the Swedish and the Hungarian parliaments. That’s not what I’m blogging about, however.
On the buss ride home, I was listening to the radio. They told the story of a 16 year old girl in 1979, who on a Monday took a gun to school, and killed two adults, and injured several people. She showed no remorse, and when asked why she did it, she said “I don’t like Mondays; this livens up the day.”
The Boomtown Rats, an awesome old rock group, made this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2I84-A9duY&feature=related
Funny world isn’t it, when such a tragedy inspires such a great song?
Vegard
Hello, my dearies.
I thought I would share with you the tale of the low attention span man.
In his childhood, he could never stick with an activity, because he got tired of football. So he started with taekwondo. He got tired of that, so he started wrestling. He got tired of that, so he started gaming. He switched games and/or characters constantly.
Then he got into politics. He attended lots of stuff, and eventually got himself some positions in boards. He also started a bachelor in political science. But he lost focus after one year, and moved away, leaving his political terms half-finished, for someone else to take over.
In his new city, he started an integrated master-program of English, music and pedagogics, which would leave him as a respectable teacher-man. He also got himself lots of new political positions here.
Right now, our hero is considering moving to Oslo. He has a grand scheme in which he will take lots of awesome subjects, like a bachelors degree in middle eastern studies with Arabic and an obligatory term in an Arabic speaking country, and come out the other end as an awesome teacher with a funny hat.
Oh, low attention span man. Will you ever finish an education?
I read one of the most amazing, heartbreaking and enlightening novels I have ever read this summer. The book is titled Mornings in Jenin, and is said to be “[…] a heart-wrenching, powerfully written novel that could do for Palestine what The Kite Runner did for Afghanistan”. And I believe this to be absolutely true!
The story of the novel revolves around a palestinian family, through different generations, and through the history of the occupation, the wars, and about life in the refugee-camps. The family history starts in Ein Hod, Palestine in 1941, and it continues untill present time.
The author, Susan Abulhawa, is a palestinian refugee, currently living in the States. And I think that that is a part of what makes the book so great and moving: It feels so personal, so real, and allready during the first chapter I was moved to tears by her writing.
Another great thing about this novel is how it is historically and culturally correct. Abulhawa has used UN-documents, articles and stories from the media and even research on Israeli soldiers to get this novel as true-to-life as possible. And yet, even though some of the stories are real, the characters are fictional.
The book was originally published by a smaller publisher as The Scar of David, but after they went out of business Bloomsbury Press bought it, and published it, under the new name, Mornings in Jenin. And I am happy that they did! (And also; If anyone could get me the first edition of The Scar of David I would promise my undying gratitude to this person. And maybe even some kinky stuff if it was in a really good shape!)
Abulhawa has been criticized by many for the book, including a rabbi from a synagogue in New York (surprise, surprise!) claiming it was full of “made-up stuff”, and this criticism led to a scheduled speaking from the author at a bookstore to be demoted to a book-signing.
I do, however, believe this to be one of the most accurate and moving stories about the palestinian people’s history, culture, situation and, most importantly to me, long fight for freedom. And I think that everyone should read this book, no matter background, religion, ethnicity or nationality. If not for learning about the conflicts and wars of the Middle-East, then at least for a great and moving story, written in a wonderfully poetic, yet still realistic and personal way.
I would like to include a very moving, to me, entry from the guestbook at www.morningsinjenin.com, written by an american jew by the name of Susan:
“I must first comment that Mornings in Jenin is a beautifully-written story. You are a talented writer. More than talented-incredibly gifted.
I am an American Jew who is deeply disturbed by your book. I grew up believing unflinchingly in the existence of Israel, and am now besieged by feelings of horror and sadness at the treatment of the Palestinians by the Israelis as portrayed in your story. Is it all true? I am moved to find out all I can about the formation of Israel and what has happened before and since. I am saddened by the incredible complexity of this issue – the history of Jews vs. Arabs – and am left wondering what I can do to help. […]”
This entry shows how incredibly moving and heartfelt the book is, and also why it is so important for people to read it.
The palestinian-israeli conflict was one of the main reasons I became politically active, and is still one of the most important political causes, to me. Reading this book hasn’t changed my political opinions, only made them stronger, and I also feel a better understanding of the situation. Also, the use of actual arab-terms and the way the book teaches you of the culture and history of the palestinian people just made it even better, to me.
So do you get my point? Read the book!
I believe palestinians to have the most optimistic and beautiful ways of greating each other good-bye:
I will see you in Palestine,
Frida
Last eve, as I was watching an awesome American television show known as “Sister Wives,” I saw an advertisement for what undoubtedly promises to be the worst show ever: “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.”
You know what this means, don’t you? Palin is going to use this blasted television show to worm her evil little way into the hearts and minds of the American television-viewing public! And then, ohhhh and then, she will use her celebrity to climb up the political ladder once more and eventually become the President of this hopeless nation and we shall be doomed! Nuclear warfare will inevitably ensue and there goes the human race. That’s just what happens when you’re a gun-toting, wolf-shooting maverick like Satan Palin.
What I say to you, my few and totally liberal readers who this won’t even apply to, is this: RESIST! Resist that charm that always comes with a “reality” tv show, resist Sarah and all her Alaska-ness, and most importantly- resist the purely devilish temptation to vote for her on any and all ballots!
Good night, and good luck.
[poll id=”19″]
Heyo dear reader!
I am speedposting. In 50-ish minutes I have an exam, and I am way early at the exam locale. So I blog.
What’s going on? Well, 9 years ago, Bush got his big boy underwear on and decided to invade Afghanistan (without consent from the UN, mind you). To find some dirty terrorist or sumtan’. 9 years later, we are left with this:
The situation in Afghanistan have never been worse. The new, “friendly” government has passed a law allowing men to rape their wifes if they don’t get sex regularly. Also, women can’t leave their homes without consent from their husbands. Wtf?
Also, the Taliban (whom the international forces are trying to kill off), are growing steadily. Estimates by an american General had them at about 36 000 in early 2010, as to about 11 000 in 2008. Wow!
Also, more civilians die every year. According to the UN, 2100 died in 2008, 2400 died in 2009, and over 1200 died the first half of 2010. Some say this is heading towards the bloodiest year of the war.
Comeon guise, this war isn’t working. Like the star of some dirty off-broadway porn, we need to pull out!
So how am I celebrating this day? Well, my exam, which as of writing this is about 45 minutes away (see how time moves forward when blogging?), is for a course called “An introduction to the USA”. Oh, sweet irony.
Peace out, succas