I Think Therefore I Am.

A Victory for the Non Smoking Lebanese Society

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:01:00 +0000

A Message from President Doorman:

Attention Members of the AUB Community:

Following a decision by the Board of Deans, effective the first day of Spring Semester on February 15, 2010, two locations on campus will no longer be designated smoking areas. These two locations are:

(1) the smoking area between West Hall and Jesup Hall, an area that is presently the source of significant amounts of second-hand smoke affecting offices and classrooms in both those buildings; and

(2) the area directly outside the Bechtel Engineering Building milk bar.

This decision is part of AUB’s long-term plan to make AUB a smoke-free campus for our students, faculty, staff, and visitors. We also wish to publicize the long-term dangers of direct smoking as well as the harmful effects of second-hand smoke on non-smokers. Currently, there are a number of other nearbydesignated smoking areas on campus and near AUBMC. For more information on these locations, please refer to the designated smoking area map:http://www.aub.edu.lb/communications/Documents/smoking_areas_Feb_2010.pdf.

Please note that our non-smoking policy will be strictly enforced.

Thank you for helping to make AUB a smoke-free campus and setting an example for non-smoking initiatives.

The Gossip-Pillow Parable

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:47:00 +0000

An old wise man was teaching a bunch of 10 year old kids some ethical principles until he reached the concept of Gossip. Right then he paused, and asked each one of the kids to go back home, grab a pillow and a knife, and head up to the roof of their buildings. There, they are supposed to stab the pillows and shred them apart, then return to the old man.
When all of them returned, he asked: "what happened?" they all replied," we stabbed the pillows", he inquired:"And?". One Kid said:"feathers! feathers everywhere!". the old man continued:" Well then, I shall ask one more thing. I want each of you to go back and collect every single feather you let out of your pillows". Helplessly, the puzzled kids went back, to collect as many feathers as they could, but it was too late, the wind had carried them off and what fell on the ground got mixed with rubbish and and litter in the streets and allies.
The pupils returned to their old master disappointed, and one of them stepped forward and stated:"Sir, it can't be done!".
With a reassuring smile the old man looked at the kid and asked the children to have a seat. He then explained:" It was hard to take back the feathers wasn't it?" they all silently shook there heads in agreement.He continued" Well my dears, this is what happens when you Gossip and Lie, the words spread around so randomly you can't trace them back. Although feathers are harmless, Words can cause tragedies"

NIKE HUMAN RACE 10 K 2009 – Beirut, Lebanon

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 19:32:00 +0000

An Athletic Experience..

Francophone Games

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:44:00 +0000

As of september 27th, the francophone games have been taking place in Lebanon, where athletic, cultural and ..... competitions are taking place, here are some pictures and videos from the opening ceremony:

Medawar Family Stats in Lebanon

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:03:00 +0000

The Medawar Family is one big happy Lebanese family with a significant heritage that is our responsibility to keep and hand down to the next generation!!
this family is one of the oldest Lebanese families. In fact, there's a whole neighborhood that goes by the name Medawar ! you might know that but am sure you have no idea about the Medawar Inn near Al Saifi area - Medawar neighborhood..
and as a family member, have you ever wondered about how many Medawars are there in Lebanon? or about their whereabouts? or whether there are more Medawar males or females ? if you want to know the answers read more right here.

Jobs in Lebanon

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 12:35:00 +0000

I did a lot of research on jobs in Lebanon and I found these sites to be most relevant and trustworthy. If you are looking for a Job in Lebanon or the middle east, be sure to check out theses websites !

http://www.jobinlebanon.com/english/

http://www.gulftalent.com/home/index.php

http://virtualjobfair.bayt.com/

http://www.monstergulf.com/

The Religous experience

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:32:00 +0000

Whether you are a Muslim, a Christian, a Buddhist, or a Jew. There must've been a period in your life that made you feel that you have attained a higher level of spirituality and faith in your creed, and if you haven't, I am sure you will have one soon.
For me, it was a nifty experience, a genuine one.
Ramadan is the name of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar that is appreciated by fasting, a sacred ritual that requires Muslims to abstain not just from food and water from sunrise to sunset, but to also from any sort of wrong doing or obscene language.

In this holy month, Muslims read the entire Qura'n as we were ordered to when the Qura'n was first revealed during the month of Ramadan, and the very first word was: "Read!". Moreover, we perform in Ramadan the Taraweeh Prayers right after the daily Night prayer.

A week ago, my friend and I decided to conduct Taraweeh Prayers in a very famous mosque in downtown Beirut, Lebanon. However, we were delayed and reached the Night prayer at its end. It's known that you can't perform Taraweeh Prayers unless you've done the Night prayers, so one of us had to take the role of an Imam to lead the prayer. So i volunteered and declared the starting of our prayer on a low voice so as not to interfere with main Imam's prayer. It is also known that you can join a group of people praying together even if they were halfway through the prayer and then you could make up what you missed right after the Imam has finished. So as my friend and I started the prayer, with me being the Imam, I felt that a number of mosque attenders had joined our group, and every time I finish thr first verse of the Qura'n and the others say AMEN, my whole body shivers from the greatness of the position am in. By the time I had finished the prayer, more than 30 people had been standing behind me participating in the prayer. I felt that I had reached a significantly higher level, and my Faith in this religion has grown tramendously. Hope this month is a blessing to all Muslims and non Muslims alike around the world !
As God says in a verse in the Qura'n: in this month, all the devils are chained and locked away so that my creatures can happily pray and indulge in the Greatness of the life I've given them. and so that they may be lead to the straight path of worship and Belief in the one and only God: Allah !

Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores: A UN Report

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:27:00 +0000

Resource:
http://www.unicbeirut.org

A report, entitled “Oil Slick on Lebanese Shores”, has been prepared by a United Nations inter-agency team, pursuant to General Assembly resolution 61/194, entitled “Oil slick on Lebanese shores”. In the fifth paragraph of the resolution, the Assembly requested the Secretary-General to submit a report on the implementation of the resolution at its sixty- second session under the item entitled “Sustainable development”. The report includes an assessment of the impact of the oil spill on human health, biodiversity, fisheries and tourism, and implications for livelihoods and the economy of Lebanon; progress made in approaching the Government of Israel in assuming responsibility for prompt and adequate compensation to the Government of Lebanon; and an overview of the financial and technical assistance in support of the efforts to clean up the polluted shores and sea of Lebanon with a view to preserving its ecosystem.
The impact mainly consists on the release of about 15,000 tons of fuel oil into the Mediterranean Sea, leading to the contamination of 150 km of coastline in Lebanon and the Syrian Arab Republic. The resolution refer to “the adverse implications of the destruction by the Israeli Air Force of the oil storage tanks in the direct vicinity of the Lebanese El-Jiyeh electric power plant for the achievement of sustainable development in Lebanon”, and the Assembly “considers that the oil slick has heavily polluted the shores of Lebanon and consequently has serious implications for human health, biodiversity, fisheries and tourism, all four of which in turn have serious implications for livelihoods and economy of Lebanon”.
Several United Nations and other international agencies have been involved in assessing the implications This coverage permits a sustainable development approach to documenting adverse impacts, under the triple headings of Social (public health and safety); Economic (clean-up and monitoring, lost economic opportunities); Environmental (ecological and physico-chemical impacts) (for example the Food and Agriculrure Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the World Conservation Union (IUCN), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Bank). Taken together with the reports by the Government of Lebanon and UNEP/Mediterranean Action Plan/Regional Marine PoLlution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), the reports provided a prompt and reasonably comprehensive account of immediate impacts and response.
In October 2006, UNEP conducted a post-conflict environmental assessment of Lebanon. It should be noted that the UNEP report focused on assessment of environmental conditions (water, sedimenc, biota) in the near-shore zone, rather than the littoral zone where oiling was heaviest and dean-up was ongoing at the time of the surveys (in October 2006). Summarized, the UNEP findings, released in January 2007,1 along with the recent United Nations inter-agency findings during the mission in October 2007, on the adverse impacts on the coastal and marine environment, consist on the oil spill resulting from the bombings of the El-Jiyeh power plant on 13 and 15 July 2006 which caused significant contamination of the Lebanese coastline and affected the El-Jiyeh seabed.
A proportion of the oil spilled covered the seabed over an area of a few hundred metres. The oil that did not sink either evaporated or was caught in the northbound current. Harbours, coves, caves and small natural bays were particularly affected, as the oil tended to get trapped there. The flora and fauna on rocks and sandy beaches that were directly exposed to the oil were also affected. Significant mortality, as result of toxicity smothering, most probably occurred among littoral invertebrates such as gastropods, polychaetes, crustaceans and algae. The full recovery of these habitats is likely to take some years. Focused monitoring on a routine and long-term basis at different sites may be used to assess the remaining impacts of the oil spill in terms of status, trends and recovery Oysters and fish were found to be similar to those in areas under anthropogenic influence for the eastern part of the Mediterranean. The analysis of marine waters sampled three months after the spilt detected traces of oil dispersed and dissolved in the water only in the affected areas. The bombing of the El-Jiyeh power plant, a civilian utility serving the general population, occurred close to the beginning of the conflict. Hostilities were therefore ongoing during the critical early days of the oil spill, and security conditions severely hampered access to the coastline, as well as any potential large-scale oil clean-up response operations. Remobilization by natural wave action of the oil coatirigs on rock and man-made surfaces and of oil mixed with sediments back into the water is still possible, and may lead to temporary Increases in oil concentrations in the shallow near- shore and littoral zones.

Currently Lebanon has no environmentally acceptable disposal facilities for these waste streams. Conditions of temporary storage at some dean-up sites aie not ideal and evidence of some commingling of other wastes was seen in October 2007 at some sites. The El-Jiyeh power station is well on its way to full reconstruction. Mobilization of international technical assistance and donor support to create an environmentally acceptable disposal solution is still needed.
In August 2006, UNDP mitiated a rapid environmental assessment and identified 46 environmental impacts, of which 9 are marine oil-spill related. The severe impact consists of the littoral pollution from oil spill (medium-term, or I to 10 years) and impact on marine biodiversity (long-term, or 10 to 50 yearn). The critical- significant concerns air pollunon from E1-Jiyeh flue (shortterm, or less than one year),4 marine sediment impact from sunken oil (medium-term, or 1 to 10 years) and soil pollution from deposited contaminants of fuel burning at El-Jiyeh (medi urn-term, or 1 to 10 years). Critical but non-significant is the impact on seawater quality from oil spill (short-term, or less than one year) and soil impact at El-Jiyeh site (medium-term, or 1 to 10 years). A marginal impact regards the effects on plants and the ecosystem from fuel burning in ElJiyeh (short-term, or less than one year). There also is a Negligible impact on coastal aquifers fmm oil spill (short-term, or less than one year).

The UNDP report also addressed the impact of the oil spill on cultural heritage, for instance, the basement stones of two medieval towers and some other ancient ruins were covered by a fuel layer. Due to the air and marine blockade enforced by the Israeli army as well as the lack of human, material and financial resources. Clean-up operations could not start until a few weeks after the ceasefire.
The World Conservation Union task force and assessment team arrived on 15 August 2006. Main findings resulted that The impact induded significant mortality and impairment of the ecosystem

There's still much to be done to recover, but having faith in Lebanon is essential to a successful recovery!

Have you ever wondered?

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:14:00 +0000

As a Muslim, everytime I read the Qur'an, I start to wonder why does God show the right path to some people, and hides it from others. Because in many verses in the Qur'an God says that "Believers must thank me for I've shown them the right path , and those whom I haven't will end up in hell". One of the conclusions I reached is that some people don't have the ability, physically and mentally, to abide by God's rules. but then again, doesn't God create us the way he wants to? Therefore, it's a puzzling thought that I always ponder about. I guess it's God's wisdom that will eventually prevail answer. As they say, God works in mysterious ways, am just glad that God has shown me the way.
In Conclusion, Don't ask Why, just be thankful !
Sobhan allah !

In the Memory of those who were martyred in Lebanon, summer of 2006.events of 15th of July.

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:29:00 +0000

Events of 15th of July 2006:

18:00 - Israeli Raid targets home of Mohamad Hsen fadlallah, a Hezbollah Leader, in Haret
Harek( Beirut's southern Suburbs)

-Israeli Raid targets home of Mohamad Yazbek, a Hezbollah Leader, in Baalback
-Israeli Raid targets Beirut's southern Suburbs

18:28 - Israeli Raid targets Beirut's Port

18:30 -3 missiles hit Tripoli's Port
-3 Israelis wounded in Tabarayya after being hit by Hizbollah missiles
- Israeli air force attacks Hamat airport
-Israeli Raid targets Beirut's southern Suburbs

19:00 -Israeli air force Raids the lebanese army's marine base near Beirut's port
-Extremely concentrated Israeli Raids target Beirut's southern Suburbs
-Israeli Raid targets Jonieh's Port
-Israeli Raid targets Ras Beirut's Lighthouse
-Israeli Raid targets 2 homes neighboring home of Mohamad Hsen fadlallah.
19:30 -Israeli air force Raids the Lebanese Army's Radar base in Batroun leaving many
casualties among members of the base.
-Israeli Raid targets Beirut's Port for the second time
-Israeli air force Raids the Lebanses Army's Marine Radar base in tripoli
- The outskirts of Al Khiyam town gets heavily bombarded
- The surroundings of Siada's Government palace gets heavily bombarded
- An Israeli Raid targets Saida's water tanks
-Israeli Raid targets Sour's Port
-Hizbollah missiles reach Tabarayya in Israeli Territory
-Israeli Helicopters Raid many Lebanese Army's bases in Saida
- 1 martyr and 3 wounded among the Lebanese Army members in Batroun
-Israeli towns, A'meea'd and Safad, are tageted by Katusha Missiles.
20:00 - Isaeli Battleships bombard Haret Hrek, Bi'r Al Abed, Ghobayri.
- Hizbolla Missile lands in Lower Jaleel in Israeli territory
- 2 Isaeli towns, Tabarayya and naharya, are intensly bombarded by Hizbollah
missiles
- Lebanese Prime Minister "Sanyora" Declares that if the Government is the last to know about the decision to go into war, then Lebanon won't we able to recover.
- Lebanese Prime Minister "Sanyora" calls for immediate seize fire

20:30 -Israeli Raid targets Beirut's southern Suburbs again

21:00 - Lebanese Army Declares 1 martyr and 11 wounded
- Israeli Raid targets a House in Bint Jbeil
- Palestinian Refugee camp "Al Bos" gets Bombarded By Israeli air force
- 4 Israeli Missiles target Beirut's southern Suburbs
- A number of wounded citizens are declares in Tabarayya
- 2 women and 1 man killed after Israeli air strikes over Markaba and Hawla
23:00 - Israeli air strikes on Route between Kana and Ramadiyya and the outskirts of Yater
-Israeli air force Raids Tripoli's port, Minye-Doniyye province and A'kkar Province

23:30 - Hizbolla Missile lands on Kiryat shmona and Karmichael in Israeli territory
- Israeli Officials order all businesses in northen territories to close their shops.
- 2 martyrs following an air strike on Hawla
- Israeli air force Raids Tripoli's port
- Hizbolla Missiles land on Northern Israeli territory

24:00 - Israeli air force Raids building number 17 in Bint Jbeil

Related Posts:

In the Memory of those who were martyred in Lebanon, summer of 2006.events of 12,13, and 14th of July.

In the Memory of those who were martyred in Lebanon, summer of 2006.

For ARABIC users: لماذا يحب غوغل مدونات وورد برس

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:12:00 +0000

لماذا يحب غوغل مدونات وورد برس

لمعرفة السبب ومعرفة كيفية الحصول على وورد الخاص بك، محبوبا من قبل غوغل، إتبع النصائح ، والصلات ، والحيل و ما إلى القيام به لكسب الإعجاب والاحترام من جوجل ومحركات البحث الاخرى المشمولة هنا.
نظرة سريعة على محتويات

1. ما هو ورد برس؟
2. وصلات مفيدة
3. المدونات وكبار المسئولين الاقتصاديين
4. وورد ، وجوجل ، والحصول على المال على الانترنت
5. كيفية تثبيت وورد الفيديو
6. اتبعني على تويتر

هل ما ورد؟
وورد هو أفضل المدونات البرمجيات المتاحة ، وانها خالية تماما!

وورد من السهل جدا لتثبيت هذا لم يكن لديك لتكون فني لتثبيته.

كل ما تحتاجه هو اسم نطاق واستضافة حساب مع وحة التحكم.

ثم قمت بتسجيل الدخول إلى حسابك وحة التحكم وانقر على وجه مبتسم الزرقاء التي تقول fantástico. بعد ان تنقر على Wordpres.

فقط بضعة نقرات أكثر ، ويكون لديك الخاصة جدا وورد بلوق. إذا كنت فعلا لديها مشكلة مع ذلك ، سيقوم المضيف ربما تفعل ذلك لأنك مجانا. انها حقا لا يأخذ أكثر بكثير من عدد قليل من النقرات.

جوجل يحب ورد! إذا كنت تريد الخير في محرك البحث ، فإنك بالتأكيد تريد وورد. جوجل يحب محتوى جديد ، وورد في كثير من الأحيان تعطي جوجل غذاءه المفضل وهو المحتوى الجديد.

لأفضل النتائج ،اكتب في بلوغ قدر الإمكان. لكن لا يجب أن تكون طويلة أو مماثلة لبعضها. كما أنها لا يجب أن تكون جميعها جدية. و يمكن أن يكون بلوغ من روح الدعابة. 200 كلمة تكون كافية.

إذا كنت ترغب في كسب المال على الانترنت ، ومرتبة بشكل جيد في مجموعات ، وورد هو الطريق للذهاب.

2- وصلات مفيدة

Niche Blog Articles: احصل بنفسك على مدونة تجارية
Get Your Own Review Blog: احصل بنفسك على مدونة للمراجعة
Niche Blogging System: نظام للتدوين التجاري
Learn About SEO: تعلم كل شيء عن محرك البحث الامثل (سيو) تجربة مجانية.
Create Your Own Info Product: اكتب بنفسك معلومات المنتج

المدونات و تحسين مرتبة الصفحة في جوجل(سيو)

وورد بلوغ هي واحدة من أنجح السبل لزيادة الترتيب الخاص بك على موقع جوجل. جوجل هو محرك البحث الأكثر شعبية في العالم ، والملايين من الناس يستخدمونه. إذا كنت تسعى لكسب المال ، كلما كنت رتبة أعلى على جوجل ، كلما كان ذلك أفضل بالنسبة لك. كلما كان ذلك أفضل ترتيب الصور لديك ، و من المفضل أن يحصل المزيد من الزوار على العضوية.

سيو = محرك البحث الأمثل وهو أمر هام لمرتبة جيدة على محركات البحث.

يمكنك بسهولة اتبع هذه الخطوات البسيطة لسيو وبلوق الخاص بك سوف رتبة أعلى من ذلك بكثير في محركات البحث مثل غوغل.

استخدام الكلمات الرئيسية الأولية في معظم الأحيان في بلوق ، ولكن ليس كثيرا بحيث انها تصبح مشبعة . على سبيل المثال إذا كان لديك بلوقغ هو حول "كيفية تدريب جرو الخاص بك" يجب استخدام هذه المصطلحات الكثير ، ولكن تذكر ، ليس كثيرا.

عنوان الموقع للبلوغ ينبغي أن يكون فيه الكلمة الرئيسية . إذا كان لديك بلوق عن الجراء ، وينبغي أن يكون لديك كلمة جرو أو الجراء في عنوان الموقع الرئيسي أو الفرعي. يمكنك أيضا استخدام الكلمات الرئيسية في المجالات الفرعية للحصول على أفضل النتائج.
يجب أيضا استخدام الكلمات الرئيسية في العناوين الخاصة بك و في الجملة الأولى.

ثم يمكنك استخدام الكلمات الرئيسية في الجسم الثانوي الخاص بك . في كثير من الأحيان استخدام المصطلحات الخاصة بك في ما بعد ، كان ذلك أفضل محركات البحث مثل غوغل سوف تلتقط الكلمات. ولكن اذا كنت ما بعد الكلمات الرئيسية الخاصة بك ، والكثير من سيبدو غير المرغوبة ، ومحركات البحث هي متطورة بما يكفي ليكون فكرة جيدة إذا كان شيء ما غير مرغوب فيها أو لا. الآن إذا كان لديك بلوغ عن الجراء ، التي لا تريد للكلاب في كل كلمة وجملة واحدة. يجب أن لا وظيفة والمصطلحات نفسها مرارا وتكرارا في نفس المنصب لأن غوغل قد حظر موقعك والتصنيف الخاص بك سوف تنخفض كثيرا.

فوتوبوكت photobucket

والمهم هو الخطوة الأخيرة لتحديث بلوغ كلما كان ذلك ممكنا. ليس من الضرورة تحديثه كل يوم واحد ، حتى وإن كان هذا من شأنه أن يساعد فقط. ولكن لا تجعل بلوغ ، وتجعل عدد قليل من مقالات ، ثم تنساها.

حتى أنه سيكون من الأفضل بالنسبة لك إذا كنت وضع جدول زمني. على سبيل المثال كل ايام الاثنين والاربعاء والجمعة جعل مقال على بلوغ الخاص بك.

يمكنك حتى أن نجلس يوما واحدا وتكتب 10 مقالات في آن واحد ، ثم تنشرعلى مدى 10 أيام مقالة كل يوم . هذا هو الوقت المدخر.

إذا لم يكن لديك مدونة بعد ، ثم تريد أن تبدأ. إذا كنت ترغب في كسب المال على الانترنت ، واحدة من أسرع وأسهل الطرق للوصول الى شبكة الإنترنت والتسويق هو عبارة عن بلوق وورد.

وورد يوفر أفضل المدونات وهي مجانية . هناك كل أنواع المكونات الإضافية بحيث يمكنك القيام به حقا الأشياء الرائعة مع بلوغ .

هناك كل انواع البلوغ المجانبة ، بما في ذلك مدون التي تملكها غوغل (بلوغر) ، ولكن ورد الأفضل.

هناك الكثير من منصات المدونات الأخرى ، ولكن ورد يتفوق عليهم جميعا.

مع وورد ، لديك السيطرة. يمكنك الكتابة عندما تريد.

يمكنك ترويج المنتجات التابعة لها ، وبيع المنتجات الخاصة بك ، يبيع خدماتك ، واستخدامه على كهواية ، واستخدامها لغوغل ادسينس ، أو استخدامه لإعلانات أخرى.

مع وورد انه من الاسهل بكثير من الاهتمام للحصول على مجموعات من موقع ثابت العادية لأنك تحديثه بانتظام مع بلوق وظائف. جوجل يحب ذلك. وحركة المرور أكثر تحصل على المزيد من المال يمكنك ان تجعل.

إذا كنتم جادين في صنع المال على الانترنت ،و ليس من الضرورة أن تكون عبقريا أو تقنيا، الناس يفعلون ذلك كل يوم

Oil Spills in Lebanon, the SPiLL CATASTROPHE

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0000

On 13 July at around 4:23 a.m. a storage tank in Jieh Power station (30 km South of Beirut) was directly bombed by Israel which caused a fire outbreak and led to the spillage of some fuel as well. The fire fighting team of the management of the power station and the Civil Defence was able to put out this fire. But, on July 15th, 2006 the Jieh Power Station storage tanks were bombed again. This led to a new outbreak of fire that could not be contained because of lack of sufficient resources due to the air, land and sea barricade enforced on Lebanon. The power plant was re -threatened because the largest tank still containing around 25,000 tonnes of fuel was under threat of explosion or spillage. The Ministry of Environment in Coordination with “Electricité Du Liban” and the Lebanese Army and the Civil Defense was able to protect the plant from the explosion of the largest tank on one hand and prevent additional spillage of heavy fuel oil into the Mediterranean Sea on the other hand.

These 2 attacks caused the oil spill crisis where approximately 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil spilled into the East coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Its effect was felt on more than 70 sites (along 150 km of the coast of Lebanon) whether they were public or private, rocky, sandy, or pebble beaches, including cultural, historical and touristic resorts and harbors and fishermen’s wharfs. This was due to South West winds and water currents, which carried the pollution Northwards along the coast of Lebanon even, reaching the coast of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The Ministry of Environment requested assistance from no less than 31 countries via their embassies in Lebanon as well as the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (RMPEC), as well as contacting around 71 national and international organizations and 80 national NGO’s.
To manage this crisis, the Ministry of Environment prioritized the work that needed to be done and divided it into two main phases:

PHASE I
From August 2006 until March 2007 covered 70 sites.
The priorities of mtervention for this phase were decided based on criteria set by the Ministry of Environment in order to make best use of the resources made available for Lebanon to alleviate the adverse effects of the oil spill and they were based on a complete shoreline survey and are as follows:

To capture and remove free floating mobile oil that can remobilize and pollute new sites.

‘‘ To follow the South to North sea water and wind currents. To prioritize where there is direct human contact with the oil.

To prioritize where the oil spill hampers economic activities such as fisheries, tourism etc.

To prioritize where there is a direct threat to environmentally sensitive ecosystems or culturally important sites.

PHASE II:

From April 2007 to date covers 30 sites that require higher level of cleanliness and involves the removal of remaining fuel oil off rocks and structures using High Pressure pumps.
After completion of Phase I work in March 2007 and to identify priority sites for Phase II work, a comprehensive survey of all polluted sites was carried out over the months of April and May 2007 and a map of these sites was produced and circulated to all potential partners.
An underwater survey was also carried out to check the status of the intertidal zone all along the coast from Jadra (just south of Jiyeh Power Plant) until Abdeh (Akkar - the Northern Border of Lebanon). The preliminary results were that there was presence of some submerged heavy fuel oil in only two sandy stretches under water which are:
in a semi-enclosed site in the South (site off Jieh), and off a sandy beach facing high rocks in the North (site off Byblos)
The priorities of intervention for this phase were decided based on the answers per site to the following questions:

Does the site have any economical, environmental, cultural or social importance?

Is there any visible fuel on the site?

Are there potential new threats from the fuel seen on site?

Can the site be used in its normal capacity?

If present, what is the level of pollution remaining on the site?

Is the site not easily accessible and has no environmental, social, economical or cultural importance and does not need work in Phase II?

The 30 sites identified where then plotted on the map as shown in the figure.
Other major issues that need to be considered are:

Oil Spill Waste Management
Oil Spill Costs
The latest developments.

-With regards to Oil Spill Waste Management:

Oil Spill Cleanup Operations generate Oil Spill waste, which is either liquid waste (collected fuel) or semi-solid and solid (polluted sand, pebbles, equipment and debris). The quantity of waste collected to date and safely stored in secure storage sites was estimated in March 2008 to be around 2000 meter cubes.
Based on the nature of the waste which is categorized as hazardous waste (as per the Basel Convention for the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste and Disposal), the Ministry of Environment, as explained in its booklet published in 2007 on the memorial of the passing of one year on the oil spill, is studying the following methods of disposal:

Treatment of the waste in one of the major world oil refineries as this waste is similar to what is generated by the refinery itself

Treatment of this waste in developed countries with the available technologies — in the framework of the Basel Convention for the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Waste

Use of this waste in electricity generating power plants of Lebanon, starting with Electricité Du Liban

Use of part of this waste in the maintenance/laying of roads and pavements

The Ministry of Environment is continuing to look into the most feasible and environmentally sound Oil Spill Waste Management solutions for Lebanon.

-Oil Spill Costs

The World Bank, in its report titled ‘Economic Assessment of Environmental Degradation Due to the July 2006 Hostilities” estimated that the cost of damage and cleanup relating to the Oil Spill Crisis on average to be around 203 million USD. To date, less than 10 % of required funds have been provided.

-Latest Developments

Finally, so that we shall not forget”, two major developments have occurred which needed to be highlighted.
The first was the issuance of resolutions 61/194 and 62/188 by the United Nations General Assembly that assign blame to Israel and express appreciation for the efforts of the Government of Lebanon in the initiation of dean-up and rehabilitation operations on the polluted shores.
The second was the production of an award winning documentary titled “The Oil Spill in Lebanon” which was funded by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IUCN and produced by Mr. Hady Zakkak) to imprint upon Lebanon’s and the world’s collective memories the size of the crisis and the preliminary interventions to mitigate its consequences.

Watch the video:
http://worldenvironment.tv/WORLD/MIDDLEEAST/LEBANON/tabid/77/Default.aspx

More information on the Oil Spill Crisis can be found on the Ministry of Environment Web- site on www.moe.gov.Ib

Isn't this man great or what?!!

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:55:00 +0000

of all great men that I've seen or heard of,I only hold a great admiration for three of them. First, My role model, My prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H), whom his wisdom and devotion have led humanity to the greatest salvation!
second, my father, who symbolizes the essence of hard work, unselfishness, and rock-solid belief in his religion and God.
and the third is, this might surprise you, Barak Obama. This man never ceases to amaze me!
if he is truly what he seems to be, an honest, understanding, reasonable person, unlike all other nation leaders, Arabs included, then this man is a true blessing for mankind.
i watched his speech in Cairo and he seemed to be very open minded and knowledgeable about the Arabs and middle east specifically !
and now i watched his video wishing a happy Ramadan for the muslims in the states and around the world.. I only hope that his statements are truly his! not some adviser in Uncle SAM's government!
Watch this!

Meet Lebanon!

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 17:03:00 +0000

LEBANON, a country famous for its countless touristic attractions, from Jeita Grotto(which is competing to be one of the new seven wonders of the world), to its numerous beach and ski resorts, hotels, ruins, and camping sites . In less than thirty minutes you can move from its golden beaches, where you spend the whole day swimming and partying with highest ranked DJs in the world, to its cool breeze mountains best suitable for camping and barbecue. then you can back to the restless spots in Beirut where wild nightlife is a daily routine like in jimmayze, monot, Down Town, and jounieh's countless pubs and bars.. this summer it is estimated that over 2million tourists visited, are , and will be visiting Lebanon to the end of the season, not to mention that the Lebanon will be hosting the 6th Fracophone games this year which is promised to be an unforgettable event. Plus, Lebanon's Festivels in Byblos, Baalbeck, and beiteddine, hosted superstar bands and performers like Deep Purple, Kean, and many others. Moreover, Lebanon's capital Beirut, has been named World Book Capital 2009 .

I love Beirut on a sunday

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 07:47:00 +0000

Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, is a coastal city in central Lebanon. Known for its richness in life, breathtaking architecture, and abundance of high quality education, knowledge, and job opportunities, the city's traffic jam is one of the worst that could happen ever. I've heard the expression: "Beirut is a parking lot" hundreds of times so far that I can't help but realize it everyday while commuting to and from my university, not just because of the volume of cars that wander the capital's streets, but also because of the way cars are parked AND double parked on AND next to sidewalks, and because of the way people drive which makes you feel like you are stuck in one huge parking lot where cars are trying to pass each other in very narrow spaces while some cars are blocking the way. In addition, the critical element that makes the streets of this city really crowded are taxi drivers, not because of their abundance, but because of the way they drive, pick up, and deliver passengers to their destination. When they spot a passenger a couple of meters away, three to four cabs jump him/her competing to get the customer, and when he/she finally bends down to the right side window of the cab to ASK the driver if he's going to a certain place, which is how cabs work in Lebanon! the cab driver has the right to refuse taking you to a certain place because it may be far and we don't have taxi meters in Lebanon, Just a known fee for 2000 Lebanese pounds worth one Euro or 1.4 dollars. So while the passenger asks the driver, the other three or four cabs keep waiting for that other one to decide,while blocking a two lane street and creating a devastating traffic jam. Other causes for traffic are Traffic lights and police officers, where on many intersections, the police officer governs which route is open while other routes wait until it pops in his mind to stop one route and allow another to pass. Sometimes, the officers gets busy writing a ticket for someone while cars in closed routes wait for over 15 minutes before the officer realizes that he had forgotten that route!! this creates intolerable traffic in narrow streets and roads. Last but not least, traffic in Beirut is majorly affected by construction sites and road maintenance where more than half of the city is busy with construction sites that tend to extend to the road because of trucks loading and unloading materials required for completing the building. On the other hand, road maintenance causes moretraffic especially in wide streets where four lanes of cars and funneled down to one lane because three quarters of the street is being dug up to fix a broken or clogged sewer line or to reconnect new telephone lines or any other infrastructure project. What's unfortunate about the subject is that the same road gets dug up more than four times each year because of lack of coordination between contractors and the municipality of Beirut when planning for maintenance if there was planning in the first place!!

Traffic on a highway!

Moreover, the traffic is divided on several time intervals in the day; morning traffic were over 2 million people crawl into the 19.2 Km sq city from the mountains, south, north and Bekaa valley, not to mention foreign workers, either for work or education. this traffic starts from 7 A.M to 10 A.M. then there's Noon Traffic where most students leave schools and universities, it extends from 1 to 3 p.m then comes the rush hour( or hourS :p) from 4 to 7 p.m where all employees and workers head back home. These periods are typical in most countries but in Lebanon we have a unique flavor! supplied by the different reasons I listed above. besides these three major time intervals, there are many areas where traffic lasts from 7 a.m to 9 p.m like Hamra, Verdun, Cola (yes we do have an area called Cola, because it was where an old Cola factory used to be) !
On saturdays, most traffic disappears after 4 p.m because schools and work hours are usually short. However, SUNDAY is the best day of the week, not just because there's no classes or that you can sleep late, but also because 80% of Beirut's population during week days leave Beirut during the weekend and head back monday morning or sunday night. so sunday in Beirut is the perfect day for a stroll in the city.
I guess Maroon five's "Sunday Morning" applies here:

Driving slow on Sunday morning
And I never want to leave

In the Memory of those who were martyred in Lebanon, summer of 2006.

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 10:33:00 +0000

For 33 days, Lebanon Witnessed a devastating, criminal war that took its toll on its infrastructure, and destroyed homes, bridges, streets, and villages. This War was waged by Israel on Lebanon from July 12th 2006 to august 15th 2006. Moreover, more than one million people became homeless, more than 1000 martyred, and more than 4000 injured, most of which are elderly, women, and children who hadn't engaged in the battles. Their only fault was being born in this country in the midst of Arms conflict and being Bombarded by the Israel war Machine on purpose to horrify and terrorize the Lebanese people and force them to surrender, humility, and submission to Israel's Domination!

In the memory of the end of this war, I will list in the following 33 posts the daily events that took place for 33 days so that the whole wold can witness the BRUTAL and BARBARIC actions of Israeli Soldiers and their Government.

The city of Beirut has been described as the Paris of the Middle East, but as these dramatic pictures show the capital of Lebanon now resembles a post-Blitz London.

A million people – almost a quarter of the population of Lebanon – have been forced to abandon their homes with up to 1,000 people killed.

Whole city squares have been obliterated across miles of the cityscape as hundreds of bombs are dropped during Israel’s almost unremitting bombardment.

Quotes on War, Victory, defeat, and Morlas.

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 20:50:00 +0000

-"all is fair in Love and War"

"In war, truth is the first casualty" -Aeschylus

"Incoming fire has the right of way." -Unknown

"Mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an end to mankind."
-John F. Kennedy

"War does not determine who is right - only who is left"
-Burtrand Russell

"A ship without Marines is like a garment without buttons."
-Admiral David D. Porter, USN

"The press is our chief ideological weapon."
-Nikita Khrushchev

"Whether you like it or not, history is on our side. We will bury you!"
-Nikita Khrushchev

"If the enemy is in range, so are you."
-Infantry Journal

"Cost of a single Tomahawk cruise Missile: $900,000"

"Cost of a single F-22 Raptor: $135 million"

"Cost of a single AC-130U Gunship: $190 million"

"Cost of a single F-117A Nighthawk: $122 Million"

"Cost of a single B-2 Bomber: $2.2 Billion"

"So long as there are men, there will be wars."
-Albert Einstein

"Aim towards the Enemy."
-Instruction printed on US Rocket Launcher

"I think the human race needs to think about killing. How much evil must we do
to do good?"
-Robert McNamara

"Any military commander who is honest will admit he makes mistakes in the
application of military power."
-Robert McNamara

"You can make a throne of bayonets, but you cant sit on it for long."
-Boris Yeltsin

"The deadliest weapon in the world is a Marine and his rifle!"
-General John J. Pershing

"Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty."
-Ronald Reagan

"Whoever stands by a just cause cannot possibly be called a terrorist."
-Yassar Arafat

"Nothing in life is so exhilarating as to be shot at without result."
-Winston Churchill

"War is delightful to those who have not yet experienced it."
-Erasmus

"Friendly fire - isn't."
-Unknown

"Diplomats are just as essential in starting a war as soldiers are for
finishing it."
-Will Rogers

"I think that technologies are morally neutral until we apply them. It's only
when we use them for good or evil that they become good or evil."
-William Gibson

"All that is necessary for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing."
-Edmund Burke

"Older men declare war. But it is the youth that must fight and die."
-Herbert Hoover

"The commander in the field is always right and the rear echelon is wrong,
unless proved otherwise."
-Colin Powell

"Freedom is not free, but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share."
-Ned Dolan

"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV
will be fought with sticks and stones."
-Albert Einstein

"The truth of the matter is that you always know the right thing to do. The
hard part is doing it."
-Norman Schwarzkopf

“If you know the enemy and know yourself you need not fear the results of a
hundred battles.”
-Sun Tzu

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character,
give him power."
-Abraham Lincoln

"If we can't persuade nations with comparable values of the merits of our
cause, we'd better reexamine our reasoning."
-Robert McNamara

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of
patriots and tyrants."
-Thomas Jefferson

"If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a
helicopter -- and therefore, unsafe."
-Unknown

"Five second fuses only last three seconds."
-Infantry Journal

"If your attack is going too well, you're walking into an ambush."
-Infantry Journal

"No battle plan survives contact with the enemy."
-Colin Powell

"When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend."
-U.S. Army Training Notice

"A man may die, nations may rise and fall, but an idea lives on."
-John F. Kennedy

"Cost of a single Javelin Missile: $80,000"

"A leader leads by example, not by force."
-Sun Tzu

"If you can't remember, the claymore is pointed toward you."
-Unknown

"There are only two kinds of people that understand Marines: Marines and the
enemy. Everyone else has a second-hand opinion."
-General William Thornson

"The more marines I have around, the better I like it."
-General Clark, U.S. Army

"Never forget that your weapon was made by the lowest bidder."
-Unknown

"Keep looking below surface appearances. Don't shrink from doing so just
because you might not like what you find."
-Colin Powell

"Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo."
-Infantry Journal

"The world will not accept dictatorship or domination."
-Mikhail Gorbachev

"Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before
destroying them."
-Voltaire

"Heroes may not be braver than anyone else. They're just brave five minutes
longer."
-Ronald Reagan

"In the end, it was luck. We were *this* close to nuclear war, and luck
prevented it."
-Robert McNamara

"Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a
difference in the world, but the Marines don't have that problem."
-Ronald Reagan

"It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed."
-U.S. Air Force Marshal

"We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to
visit violence on those who would harm us."
-George Orwell

"If at first you don't succeed, call an air strike."
-Unknown

"Tracers work both ways."
-U.S. Army Ordinance

"Teamwork is essential, it gives them other people to shoot at."
-Unknown

"The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war."
-Ralph Waldo Emmerson

"We're in a world in which the possiblity of terrorism, married up with
technology, could make us very, very sorry we didn't act."
-Condoleeza Rice

"All warfare is based on deception."
-Sun Tzu

"The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will
lead to the destruction of nations."
-Robert McNamara

"In war, you win or lose, live or die - and the difference is just an eyelash."
-General Douglas MacArthur

"You cant say civilization dont advance - for in every war, they kill you in a
new way."
-Will Rogers

"They'll be no learning period with nuclear weapons. Make one mistake and
you're going to destroy nations."
-Robert McNamara

"It doesn't take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of
those men who goes into battle."
-General Norman Schwarzkopf

"Any soldier worth his salt should be anti-war. And still, there are things
worth fighting for."
-General Norman Schwarzkopf

"It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it."
-General Douglas MacArthur

"Let your plans be as dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall
like a thunderbolt."
-Sun Tzu

"Anyone, who truly wants to go to war, has truly never been there before!"
-Larry Reeves

"Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered
automatic weapons."
-General Douglas MacArthur

"Whoever does not miss the Soviet Union has no heart. Whoever wants it back has no brain."
-Vladimir Putin

"My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, banished from the earth."
-George Washington

"Cluster bombing from B-52s are very, very, accurate. The bombs are guaranteed
to always hit the ground."
-USAF Ammo Troop

"If a man has done his best, what else is there?"
-General George S. Patton

"The bursting radius of a hand-grenade is always one foot greater than your
jumping range."
-Unknown

"The tyrant always talks as if he's preserving the best interests of his people
when he actually acts to undermine them."
-Ramman Kenoun

"Every tyrant who has lived has believed in freedom - for himself."
-Elbert Hubbard

"Wars teach us not to love our enemies, but to hate our allies."
-W. L. George

"A thing is not necessarily true because a man dies for it."
-Oscar Wilde

"In war, there are no unwounded soldiers."
-Jose Narosky

"For what can war, but endless war, still breed?"
-John Milton

"O peace! how many wars were waged in thy name."
-Alexander Pope

"War remains the decisive human failure."
-John Kenneth Galbraith

"The sinews of war are infinite money."
-Marcus Tullius Cicero

"War doesn't make boys men, it makes men dead."
-Ken Gillespie

"Politics is the womb in which war develops."
-Karl Von Clausewitz

"All warfare is based on deception."
-Sun Tzu

"One more vicotory and we are undone."
-Pyrrhus of Epirus

"Force is all-conquering, but its victories are short-lived."
-Abraham Lincoln

"In the eyes of empire builders men are not men but instruments."
-Napolean Bonaparte

"Never do an enemy a small injury."
-Niccoló Macchiavelli

"Wars are not paid for in wartime, the bill comes later."
-Benjamin Franklin

"We make war that we may live in peace."
-Aristotle

"The supreme excellence is to subdue the armies of your enemies without even having to fight them..."
-Sun Tzu

"Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions."
-Ulysses S. Grant

"Peace and friendship with all mankind is our wisest policy, and I wish we may be permitted to pursue it."
-Thomas Jefferson

"There is nothing so likely to produce peace as to be well prepared to meet the enemy."
-George Washington

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."
-Albert Einstein

"Wars are poor chisels for carving our peaceful tomorrows."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

"They have not wanted Peace at all; they have wanted to be spared war -- as though the absence of war was the same as peace.”
-Dorothy Thompson

"Either war is obsolete or men are."
-R. Buckminster Fuller

"There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

"In peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons."
-Croesus

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

"War is the business of barbarians."
-Napolean Bonaparte

"All nations want peace, but they want a peace that suits them."
-Admiral Sir John Fisher

"The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"During war, the laws are silent."
-Quintus Tullius Cicero

"It is the youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow... that are the aftermath of war."
-Herbert Hoover

"Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war."
-John Andrew Holmes

"War is eternity jammed into frantic minutes that will fill a lifetime with dreams and nightmares."
-John Cory

"War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute
damnation. It's peace that's wanted. Some better peace than the one you started with."
-Lois McMaster Bujold

“Peace hath higher tests of manhood than battle ever knew.”
-John Greenleaf Whittier

"I guess every generation is doomed to fight its war... suffer the loss of the
same old illusions, and learn the same old lessons on its own."
-Philip Caputo

"Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war."
-John Greenleaf Whittier

"War is a malignant disease, an idiocy, a prison, and the pain it causes is beyond telling or meaning; but war was our condition and our history, the place we had to live in."
-Martha Gelhorn

"Today the real test of power is not capacity to make war but the capacity to prevent it."
-Anne Elizabeth O'Hare McCormick

"The statesman who yields to war fever... is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.”
-Sir Winston Churchill

"The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions."
-Robert Lynd

"What a cruel thing is war... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world."
-General Robert E. Lee

"Never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter."
-Sir Winston Churchill

"There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave."
-John James Ingalls

"A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truely
vanquished."
-Johan Christoph Stiller

"I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more
revolting."
-Ernest Hemingway

"All wars are fought for money."
-Socrates

"I hope... that mankind will at length, as they call themselves responsible creatures, have the reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats..."
-Benjamin Franklin

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may know peace."
Thomas Paine

"Most quarrels are inevitable at the time; incredible afterwards."
- E. M. Forster

"Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle-flags were furled In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world, There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe And the kindly earth shall slumber, apt in universal law."
- Alfred Tennyson

"Either war is obsolete or men are."
-R. Buckminster Fuller

"There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs."
-Dwight D. Eisenhower

"In peace the sons bury their fathers, but in war the fathers bury their sons."
-Croesus

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
-Martin Luther King Jr.

"War is the business of barbarians."
-Napolean Bonaparte

"All nations want peace, but they want a peace that suits them."
-Admiral Sir John Fisher

"The real and lasting victories are those of peace, and not of war."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"During war, the laws are silent."
-Quintus Tullius Cicero

"It is the youth who must inherit the tribulation, the sorrow... that are the aftermath of war."
-Herbert Hoover

"Yes, we love peace, but we are not willing to take wounds for it, as we are for war."
-John Andrew Holmes

"War is eternity jammed into frantic minutes that will fill a lifetime with dreams and nightmares."
-John Cory

"War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute
damnation. It's peace that's wanted. Some better peace than the one you started with."
-Lois McMaster Bujold

“Peace hath higher tests of manhood than battle ever knew.”
-John Greenleaf Whittier

"I guess every generation is doomed to fight its war... suffer the loss of the
same old illusions, and learn the same old lessons on its own."
-Philip Caputo

"Peace hath her victories, no less renowned than war."
-John Greenleaf Whittier

"War is a malignant disease, an idiocy, a prison, and the pain it causes is beyond telling or meaning; but war was our condition and our history, the place we had to live in."
-Martha Gelhorn

"Today the real test of power is not capacity to make war but the capacity to prevent it."
-Anne Elizabeth O'Hare McCormick

"The statesman who yields to war fever... is no longer the master of policy but the slave of unforeseeable and uncontrollable events.”
-Sir Winston Churchill

"The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions."
-Robert Lynd

"What a cruel thing is war... to fill our hearts with hatred instead of love for our neighbors, and to devastate the fair face of this beautiful world."
-General Robert E. Lee

"Never believe any war will be smooth and easy, or that anyone who embarks on the strange voyage can measure the tides and hurricanes he will encounter."
-Sir Winston Churchill

"There is neither rank nor station nor prerogative in the republic of the grave."
-John James Ingalls

"A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled one is truely
vanquished."
-Johan Christoph Stiller

"I know war as few other men now living know it, and nothing to me is more
revolting."
-Ernest Hemingway

"All wars are fought for money."
-Socrates

"I hope... that mankind will at length, as they call themselves responsible creatures, have the reason and sense enough to settle their differences without cutting throats..."
-Benjamin Franklin

"If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may know peace."
Thomas Paine

"Most quarrels are inevitable at the time; incredible afterwards."
- E. M. Forster

"Till the war-drum throbbed no longer, and the battle-flags were furled In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world, There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law."
- Alfred Tennyson

Grads Season - Gift Predicament !

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 22:27:00 +0000

It's Graduation season and many of our friends and relatives are graduating. The whole occasion is amazing except for one aspect...GIFTS !!
Am not talking about money issues and being unable to afford gifts, but am addressing the concept of choosing the perfect gift !
Some people just head down to a supermarket and pick the first thing that might be reasonable enough like a vase, a picture frame, a set of candles or whatever. Others might consider making something handmade like a carved piece of wood, or a picture album of the years that you spent together, writing a song or a poem. Some people prefer to take the graduate on a road trip, camping, a party at home or in a pub, or do something extremely unique like skydiving or bunjee.

If you are short on ideas for a gift and it’s coming down to the wire, here's a list of some of the gifts that you might consider:

Big Ticket Items (Price is no object)

Vacation or travel tour
Car
Money
Keys to a new apartment.
Laptop computer
Cell phone
Furniture - Great gift for the college graduate who is moving out of mom and dad's house.
Small refrigerator - A very useful gift for the teen who will be living in a dorm room at college.
car accessories

Mid-Priced Items (Priced $51 - $250)

Briefcase
Clothing gift card
Watch
Microwave
Toaster oven - This appliance is useful for college dorm living, especially if the student is not allowed microwaves in his/her dorm room.
Set of luggage
A package from a resume writing service - Excellent gift for the teen who will be looking for a job or a college graduate.
Television
DVD player
IPod
Digital Camera
Recorder and cassettes for lectures
Bookshelf
Pure gold or silver coin with graduate year on it
Stereo
Printer
Tool box with basic tools
Engraved jewelry
Personalized graduation item
Money tree
Money clip complete with money
Wallet with some money
Gas Card - If your teen drives this is an awesome idea. With the gas prices going through the roof, a teenager needs all the extra money for gas he/she can get.

Economical Gifts (Priced under $50)

Book about future field of study or career
Self-help Book
Inspirational book
CD (music, DVD video, educational)
CD stand
Photo album filled with memories
Address book filled with friend's addresses and phone numbers
Custom Mugs, T-shits, caps with Custom prints on them like Class of 2009 - I made it - top of the class
A piece of luggage
Resume writing books
Set of sheets
Picture frames with pictures of high school years
Organizer or planner
Desk accessories
Umbrella
Iron
Coffee maker
Hot pot
Phone card

Embarrassing stories and moments n#1

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 20:48:00 +0000

this is the first of a series of embarrassing and awkward moments I've been through that I would like to share with you just for the purpose of humor, Enjoy...

So, in my first semester in Uni, i was taking some pills for acne, however, these pills have noticeable side effects such as dryness of the skin and especially the lips, so I was enrolled in a Health Education class and i had a presentation the same day i was sick with a high fever, but the good thing is that i had a partner, or not.. anyway, what happened is that while i was presenting i stated sweating, not because i was nervous, NO, I've done millions of presentations, and one of them is quite an embarrassing one ( Issue #2 in this series), but the problem was that my fever started to go away and one of the signs of that happening is sweating, plus i was standing right next to the window facing east on a shiny October morning, which could only mean that the sun heat was all over me, plus the windows are closed and the air conditioning is down for maintenance. so i was sweating like a pig, dripping sweat like i had ran the 42K marathon, not to mention that my dry lips started bleeding, so i looked like i had been in a fight with a cat just before I entered class !! now back to my so called "partner" who was obviously not prepared and started throwing all the talking on me while i was looking for tissues to sniff and dry my face up from all the sweat. You think it couldn't get worse, right? well guess who was attending my presentation ! My dear adviser whom I have to impress to get a chance for winning a scholarship between thousands of other applicants, the only impression i made was that i was a dirty little unorganized boy..
...So the after the presentation, I headed straight to the bathroom, washed up, went back to class, slipped in and out just to get my self and avoid any comments, because obviously any sort of clarification would sound silly to what just happened in there!! looking back at what went on, I remember the faces of my classmates, professor, and adviser.. I remember one of my friends who looked so disgusted that you could imagine her saying: Eww!!! you are totally Yukk !!, and another one had this " how pathetic is this guy?" look with one eyebrow up and a sarcastic smile, and I think i saw someone asleep, drooling all over his desk. last but not least, my adviser's mouth was so wide open that i could fit my fist in there without touching his teeth !!
eventually we got an 85 on the whole project because we handed in a kick ass report to compensate for that not-less-than-a-nightmare presentation!

A Universal Language

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:47:00 +0000

A Universal Language

It all started right about when life on earth did. The birth of music, its spreading, and wide range of diversity are not recent phenomena. The sweet lullaby of running water, the enchanting swish of a gentle breeze crowding the leaves together are heavenly melodies on earth. Roadrunner Records did not produce this music, nor did Warner Music Group or Universal Music Group. However, all we hear today, living in the loud and noisy city, is a manmade, instrumental music that is being marketed like any other product. Besides seeking wealth and fame, the exported western music is now taking hold of the entire globe to take part in the Cultural Imperialism scheme imposed by the developed western societies on the impoverished underdeveloped and developing ones. It may seem exaggerated, but it’s nothing less than the truth. Although many proudly claim that the Arabian culture and music have a huge fan base in the Arabian world and have maintained to survive the competition of other cultures, we have witnessed over the last few decades the rapid declination of Arabian culture and domination of the Western music and styles causing a major one way wave of adoption of new cultural values and trends that are defining the emerging music styles and changing the cultural aspects correlated with music and arts in many Arab societies. In other words, Arab music has become just another dead planet revolving in the solar system of the latest overwhelming sun, which is Western media.
The reason why music has been an exceptionally central aspect on which many cultures, including Arabs, revolve is because of its ability to stir emotions and manipulate the sentiment of the listeners (LeCorgne 948). For example, Arab poetry from “AL JAHILYYA” and “AL MUA’lakat AL Saba^a” to “Omar Bin Abi Rabeea” and “Nizar Kabbani” are famous for making music a great method of communication and representation of thoughts and feelings. Arabic music also is one of the first genres of music that appeared in what is now geographically the Arab world. Not only did it help spread the language’s colorful, diverse, and rich vocabulary and phrases, but it also made it a popular one with over 300 million native speakers today. Geoffrey Reynolds, the author of "American Idol, Arabic Idol" started his article by stating that “The music of the Arab League is rich and vastly different from most other world music” (Reynolds 1) which is true concerning the originality and creativity of traditional Arab music styles that predominantly depended on vocals. One example of this “relationship between music and literature…is one of the greatest mediaeval Arabic anthologies of poetry and prose, the Kitaˆb al-aghaˆnıˆ or Book of Songs” (Kilpatrick 197) by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, a compilation of songs by famous musicians and Arab poets from the “oldest epoch of Arabic literature down to the 9th cent[ury]”and it is considered one of the most credible historical source (Colombia Encyclopedia).

However, this fact has disappeared now. With songs such as “Ah wi Nos”, “ana Haifa” or “Bous il Wawa” for the Lebanese female singers “Nancy Ajram” and “Haifa Wehbe”, for example, having very shallow and trivial lyrics sung in a lustrous, revolting voice, the whole concept of meaningful lyrics and enchanting vocals are lost to the beats of electronic instruments, erotic dancing, and the sexual objectification of women’s bodies. These “Britney spears-wanna-be’s” have contributed to this revolution in popular Arabic music, which has been inspired from Western media. This revolution is of part a theory describing the “homogenizing effects of mass commercial culture upon local, traditional cultures worldwide”(Lomax) that some authors called a “cultural grey out” where cultural differences are no more distinguishable, and the lines that separate cultures are blurry and can’t be traced any longer until a monoculture is established. Thus, most cultures lose their identity, traditions, and uniqueness (Lomax). These effects are due to the industrialization of music. For it is well known today that music is a multi-billion dollar industry that fits all the standards of business, marketing and advertisement, commerce, and all the international deals that make the affluent wealthier, and the poor more impoverished. It also fits the supply and demand market where it is a common fact that there must me a manufacturer and a consumer in order for the product to be sold and spread nationally and internationally. In this case, the manufacturers are the major record companies that took advantage of the availability of exploitable markets in third world or as Westerners prefer to call it “colonial” world. For example, Thorn-Emi, a major British record label, spent a lot of resources on abusing the huge market in East Asia by mergers and fraud acquisitions of local record companies to fool the consumer and deceive him/her into buying the new products. Thus, these major recording industries are relocating to developing and third world countries where immature music markets are enormous, and are absorbing local industries through mergers and acquisition strategies, inevitably replacing the local music with dominant Western one. What’s more agonizing is that these companies’ successes are measured by the size of global audience that they have attracted through their crocked strategies.

There were times when Arab music was the undisputed source of multi genre music. Not more than 40 years ago, my parents used to go watch “Fairuz”, a very talented Arab female singer with dazzling vocals, perform on stage in the “Picadelli” theater in “Hamra, Beirut” the capital of Lebanon. Her music style, as well as many other phenomenal Arab artists is known as “tarab”, described by LeCorgne as an “emotionally evocative and affective dimension of Arabic music”(948) after reviewing a book called “Making Music in the Arab World: The Culture and Artistry of Tarab” by A. J. Racy, a performer, composer, and an ethnomusicologist. LeCorgne continued to portray it as a musical aesthetic with urban and secular styles that evoke an emotionally ecstatic state. But Racy had more to add to this incomplete view of the genre and said that “tarab” is “a complex that embraces an aesthetic experiential core, but also intertwines with a thick network of cultural values, economic relationships, and social hierarchies” ( LeCorgne 948). This can be explained by the numerous historical texts that “tarab” songs are taken from which range from classical poetry and colloquial strophic poems to Andalusian “muwashshahaˆt” taking topics such as love and the beloved, festive gatherings, wine and idyllic landscapes (Kilpatrick 198). Therefore, the Arabian melody is nothing less than a breathtaking high art that is appreciated for both its rich vocabulary and for the undisputed vocals with no counterparts whatsoever.

Even though Fairuz’s voice remained unmatched, the drums and guitars, along with the “DJ” set and funky Rock n’ Roll singers made their way to the youth of our nation and initiated the brainwashing process, "propagate[ing] social norms, ways of life, and behaviors in a way that renders the indigenous culture inferior and second-class”(Sadiki 4). Moreover, in the age of speed and technological advancement, the youth can’t find time anymore for hours of “Saltana”, which is an alternative term for creative ecstasy (Kilpatrick 197) generated during displays of “tarab” music. It is impossible to find a 20 year old driving a black Ford Mustang with cutting edge speed playing “Im Kalthum”, a famous Egyptian ‘tarab’ artist, on his Hi-Fi stereo. This kind of cultural transformation cannot afford to maintain one of its central aspects, which is music, to remain as it is. Moreover, the images delivered from west portraying cowboys, Rock n’Roll music and untamed girls wipes out the notion of virgin love that “tarab” songs used to glorify. The youth today listen to songs such as “Smack that” for Akon, “Get Low” for Lil' Jon, “My Neck, My Back” for Khia, or “Don’t Cha” for the Pussycat Dolls. All these songs reflect the sexual freedom present in the west and are now being presented as an uncensored viable option to the youth. Moreover, censorship is very hard to accomplish looking at the diverse ways this media can be spread, either through television and the internet, or live shows and music scenes that can thrive in places were recordings are hard to obtain due to some forms of censorship. In Iraq, for example, during Saddam Hussien’s rule and the American-British invasion in 2003, it has been extremely impossible to get hold of foreign music. However, only one group of guys were able to form a Heavy Metal band, called ACRASSICAUDA which is a name of a scorpion only found in Iraqi deserts, and went undiscovered for over a decade but had a handful of fans that attended their live performances which were held during daylight, contrary to normal heavy metal gigs, and in abandoned hotels and warehouses. A while ago, a movie about the band was screened. The movie is called Heavy Metal in Baghdad. It depicts the lives of the members the band and the hardships they have to go through every day in Iraq. For example, the band members stayed six months out of touch although their houses are separated by a few blocks. Moreover, due to shortages in money, they couldn’t always afford to fix their instruments and had to stop practicing and giving live performances until they found a way to replace damaged instruments. After observing all the exhausting life conditions these young men face every day, what would their outlet be? Certainly “tarab” or Iraqi local music are not the music styles they would enjoy composing and playing because it would not express their thoughts, which is the whole purpose behind making real music. Whereas classical and “tarab” songs are composed and played in peaceful environments by old nostalgic artists or young romantic lover boy! Thus, the band played hardcore, speed, heavy metal music styles covering bands such as Iron Maiden, Metallica, Opeth, Morbid Angel, Death, and many others, all of which express anger, hatred, oppression, suicide, and violence. They even created their own songs and tried to make an official record. Eventually, after the intensity of war has taken its toll on the band members, the band fell apart, and the members departed ways. This story is a perfect example of the link between marginalized consumers in our oppressed world and the compelling and attractive features they find in imported music, to an extent that it becomes their code, and way of life. The point is, in short, Arab music can no longer keep up with the changes happening in our Arab world, or with the demands of the youth who are looking for a way to express how they feel about what is going on in their daily life. However, Western media was able to fill that gap and quickly replaced Arab music which proved either through the old worn out styles or the new ripped-off styles from western media of which “Nancy Ajram” and “Haifa Wehbe” are examples of.

Although a huge portion of the Arabs, young and old, have resisted this wave globalization and engulfing of their cultural identity, and are still supporting the Arabian “tarab” and local, indigenous songs, we find that this portion is decreasing day by day, and the songs they used to enjoy are no longer being produced or preserved, as major and local production and recording industries are giving up on non-profitable singers who can’t sell their albums either because the market is flooded with imported Western media or because their songs no longer coincide with the requirements of the new millennium. Now, with the increasingly unrestrained circulation of the population and new ideas carried with them, there’s not much hope for the following generations to witness the cultural diversity and uniqueness we enjoy now and have taken for granted. Some people say music is the only universal language any human can understand, and it’s a fact. But the way mankind turns everything that is pure and honest to industrialized and fake product for commercial purposes only.

Sources:

Clayton, Martin, and Trevor Herbert. The Cultural Study Of Music. New York: Routledge, 2003.
Print.

Kilpatrick, Hilary, et al. "Book Reviews." Middle Eastern Literatures 8.2 (July 2005): 197-
218.Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [American University of Beirut]. 28 Apr. 2009 .
"Kitab al-Aghani." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 12 May. 2009 .

LeCorgne, Nicole, and David Gilbert. "Making Music in the Arab World: The Culture and Artistry of Tarab (Book)." Notes 60.4 (June 2004): 948-950. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [American University of Beirut]. 28 Apr. 2009 .

Lomax. Alan. "Smithsonian Center For Folklife and Cultural Heritage," Web.28 Apr 2009.
.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad. Directed by Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti..movie. 23 May 2008.

Reynolds, Geoffrey A. "American Idol, Arabic Idol." General Music Today 21.3 (Spring2008
2008): 5-12. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 28 Apr. 2009 .

Sadiki, Larbi. "Al-la Nidam: An Arab view of the new world (dis)order." Arab Studies Quarterly .3
(Summer95 1995): 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. [American University of Beirut]. 28 Apr. 2009.

Tobacco Farmers In Lebanon

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:31:00 +0000

Introduction

Tobacco is among the major agricultural crops produced. For this reason, studying tobacco farmers is of great interest. Sowing, cultivating, and collecting the crops are the basic steps in tobacco. Tobacco farmers plant the seeds in beds covered with cloth or glass to protect them from the weather. When the seeds grow into small plants, they are relocated to the field. Farmers cover the tobacco field with a net to protect the plants from sun and insects. When they harvest the plants, the farmers treat the tobacco leaves. They sew the leaves to boards or place them on racks in curing sheds. When the curing is finished, farmers strip the leaves from the slats or racks and spray them with water. Finally they tie the leaves in bundles and pack them in ready-to-market containers. Moreover, farms are becoming larger in size and fewer in number. Also, the number of acres (43,560 square feet) being farmed is decreasing because the land is being used for residential and industrial development. As a result, there will be a decrease in the number of new tobacco farmers through the year 2012.

Furthermore, in order to grow tobacco, farmers must be in good health and shape. Their work may require many hours when weather conditions are unstable and lead to a change in scheduled sowing or collecting times. Due to the changing market conditions and the risk of crop failure, farmers are subject to economic uncertainty and instability. However, since tobacco is a government-supported crop, tobacco farmers seem to face less economic uncertainty compared to other farmers. (National Farmers Organization, 2007).

In addition, governments and pesticide companies rarely supply growers with information regarding the harmful effects of pesticides. As a consequence, many farmers in developing countries are unaware of the danger of pesticides and the need to use appropriate protective equipment. Also, in some poor rural areas in developing countries, it is striking to observe that many farmers wear short pants and short-sleeved shirts while mixing and using pesticides. (Ellen Hickey, 3).

The objectives and aims of this study are to get important information about tobacco farmers in Lebanon, such as where tobacco is grown in Lebanon, the health and medical care of the farmers, the help that farmers get from the government, the harmful effects of pesticides used, the effects of war on tobacco farmers, as well as studying the relationship between smokers’ knowledge of where tobacco is grown in Lebanon and their consumption of Lebanese cigarettes.

Methodology:
This study consists of two parts. The first one involves getting accurate and valuable information about tobacco farmers in Lebanon, and the second part consists of a survey studying the relationship between individual’s knowledge of where tobacco is grown in Lebanon and their consumption of Lebanese cigarettes.

In order to get important and correct information about tobacco farmers, an interview was conducted with Rizallah Tomb, the 91 year old former Regie Head Manager. This individual spent 47 years, since 1935, working for that company, and is still indirectly involved in it. He has a vast area of knowledge on Lebanese affairs related to tobacco farming. Although widowed, and had lost a son in his prime, he remained faithful to his job and never took advantage of his position. Moreover, he cared for his employees so much that he ensured that those who served 20 years and more in the company could get full medical care. He sets such a good example for a righteous, well educated man who is certainly a person one could take reliable information from, even in such an advanced age. On Saturday, January 10th, 2009, Rizallah Tomb was interviewed in his house at 3.30 pm. The discussion consisted of open ended questions dealing with farmer’s health and medical care, their ability to grow tobacco, the effect of war on these individuals, and other specific questions. Due to the great amount of information he holds for this subject, and his amicable character, Rizallah Tomb was able to answer all the questions appropriately and fully.

Moreover, since the second part of the project consists of studying the relationship between individual’s knowledge of where tobacco is grown in Lebanon and their consumption of Lebanese cigarettes, a survey consisting of a hundred smokers between the ages of 16 and 60 (males and females) was conducted. The participants were asked three questions: “Do you know where tobacco is mostly produced?”, “Have you heard of the Cedars cigarettes?”, “Do you smoke it or have you tried it?”. The individuals to be questioned were selected from AUB’s smoking area, or, for those that we already know, were contacted through the phone. Their answers were recorded and a final percentage for each question was obtained.

Results

Rizallah Tomb’s Interview
When asked about the tobacco farmers and how they were treated by the company and the government, Rizallah Tomb was so certain to inform us that these workers received utmost care and their rights were fully respected. In addition to the free medical care that was provided to them due to the effort of Mr. Tomb, these employees were well-treated by the Lebanese government. When tobacco farmers wanted to start farming and producing crops, they had to get a license from the government. This license was also viewed to act like a contract that would indicate some rules for farming and set the price for tobacco crops, but in the same time, would oblige the government to purchase a fair amount of the farmers’ yield. In fact, the government did not only buy the share agreed on with the farmer, it also bought extra crops from each farmer, knowing that it would cost the government millions of dollars, in order to support the farmer and make sure that the crops do not get ruined or wasted. Moreover, some of the crops were sold to Philip Morris’s Marlboro Company after being processed, and the best quality picked out. As for the farming itself, Mr. Tomb told us that the job isn’t easy, especially tobacco crops. This is due to the fact that tobacco leaves have sticky and adhesive substance on their surface that would glue to the farmer’s clothes and hands and are hard to remove. Moreover, tobacco farming requires the farmer to wake up very early in the morning, before dawn, to harvest the crops before they dry up from the morning dew.

It was also mentioned that the agricultural and industrial aspect in Lebanon has witnessed a major decline since Mr. Tomb was first hired as the manager. In his time, there were more than 32,000 farmers in the field of tobacco. Now, more that 90% of them have either stopped or switched to alternate crops such as grapes in vineyards or peanuts. However, Mr. Tomb made it clear that this decrease is not because of lack of support, on the contrary, the Lebanese farmer as mentioned before is treated distinctly and supported financially (the government spends 50 million dollars yearly on tobacco farmers). Then, despite the help of the government, the number of farmers is decreasing due to several reasons. The major reason behind this decline is due to urbanization and the fact that the youth nowadays, especially the ones who achieve high school and college certificates, do not like to be involved in such hard and physical jobs such as farming. They prefer the office over the ranch. This case is analogous to dying art such as manual sewing or carpet making which we seldom find common between the youth today due to its difficulty or time consuming aspect. Moreover, many years before, tobacco farming was a family business, where all the family participated in the seeding, cultivation, and processing of the crops. The following helped the family in raising enough money to survive. Nowadays, only one member of the family works (usually the father) and therefore not enough money can be made to help raise a whole family. Due to this decrease in the numbers of farmers, only Cedars cigarettes are made while many others used to exist before. In Lebanon, tobacco is now mostly grown and produced in all of Jnoub (where most of the area’s income depends on it), but also in Saida, Jezzine, and a bit in the north.

Another way of support that was offered by the government and the company to the farmers was the supply of non-toxic pesticides and seeds for free or very low prices, and the farmers were given instructions on the methods and dosage that must be applied. These non-toxic pesticides were introduced in Lebanon in 1962 to treat fungus after a toxic form that was being used threatened to cause the ravaging of the entire Tobacco season in Lebanon, Syria, and Occupied Palestine. Due to swift action and careful planning, Mr. Tomb and his team were able to save 100% of the crops while in Syria nearly 1 % was saved compared to 4 % in Palestine. What helped in saving the crops also was the government’s assistance in providing new plant nurseries which helped in replacing the damaged crops and planting new ones indoors 4-6 weeks before the season for planting tobacco is over. This season usually extends between 15th of February to 15th of March approximately. It also depends on the weather and the area in which it is planted because Lebanon is known for its diverse types of soil and climate. Even in some areas such as valleys, tobacco cannot be grown, and some types of American tobacco which are characterized by large leaves such as “Virginia” cannot be grown in all types of Lebanese soil. This fact was proved after tests and experiments done on Lebanese soil. Moreover, some American tobacco cannot be used by Lebanese manufacturers of cigarettes because the flavoring chemicals used there cannot be absorbed by the Lebanese tobacco leaves.
According to Mr. Tomb, the Lebanese head of parliament Mr. Nabeeh Berry currently supports the southerners farming in order to ensure their votes to elect the parliament members of his political party. Finally, he added that tobacco farming in Lebanon was not damaged by the war as much as other industrial and touristic sectors in the Lebanese economy were.

The survey

A hundred smokers between the ages of 16 and 60 were asked the following

questions:
- Question 1: “Do you know where tobacco is mostly produced?”(Answer: Jnoub)
- Question 2: “Have you heard of the Cedars cigarettes?”
- Question 3: “Do you smoke them or have you tried them?”

The following results were obtained:

According to the following data, it is observed that the majority of Lebanese smokers (72 %) do not know where tobacco is mostly grown in Lebanon. Of all the smokers, 88 % have heard of the Cedars cigarettes and 56 % have only tried it once or twice (none smokes it regularly). It is also interesting that despite knowing about the cigarette, many (44 %) did not even try to taste it. Furthermore, when asked about the cigarette, practically all of the individuals who knew about it replied in the same way: “Yes, they are disgusting!”. For this reason, it can be implied that the reason why none of the participants is a regular Cedars smoker is mainly due to taste. Moreover, the addition of further advertisement can raise the Lebanese individual’s knowledge about the existence of the Cedars cigarettes to 100 %.

Discussion:

According to the information we got from the interview with Mr. Tomb, several important and striking information were found. The first one consisted of the amount and quality of help and support supplied to Lebanese farmers by the government. As stated previously, 50 million dollars is devoted to tobacco farmers per year in order to encourage them in further production rather than leaving the job. However, the amount of tobacco farmers is gradually and continuously decreasing. According to a RAFI-USA (Rural Advancement Foundation International –USA) report in 2002, the reasons for a decrease in tobacco farmers were identified as the following:

- 30 % of the farmers are getting out of tobacco due to retirement
- 29% claim that the job does not offer good money
- 9% have a bad health
- 5% said they are tired of farming
- 4% were pushed out
- 4% sold their land
- 3% had off-farm jobs
- 3% developed a new business
- 2% lacked labor
- 2% were not satisfied with government regulations
- 9% claimed other various reasons

These statistics and results seem to be applicable in Lebanon. Due to the very small number of young individuals going into tobacco farming, most farmers are old people. For this reason, the major reason of cutting out on tobacco farming seems to be old age and retirement. Also, even though the government appears to help tobacco farmers and offers them good medical care, the job does not seem to pay good enough money. On the 28th of January, 2003, tobacco farmers protested in Baalbak in front of the Tobacco Regie office of the city against low prices. The farmers stated that the highest price paid for tobacco did not exceed LL10,000 per kilogram, while the majority of prices ranged from LL5,000-LL,6000 per kilogram. Furthermore, farmers claimed to be awarded licenses on the basis that each farmer’s revenue should be within the limits of LL2.5 million in order to meet the living conditions of a whole family. The following does not seem to be happening. (The Daily Star, 2003). For this reason, it can also be implied that a large majority of tobacco farmers quit their jobs due to a lack of money.

Moreover, in relation to the survey, it is important to identify the reasons for which a large number of Lebanese smokers are unaware of where tobacco is grown, and do not smoke Cedars cigarettes. The main reason for smokers’ unawareness can be mainly due to their lack of interest since none of them is a regular Cedars smoker. Also, the reasons for not smoking Cedars are mainly due to taste, or simply the preference of smoking well-known international cigarettes. For this reason, the two main steps that the Lebanese government should take in order to increase smokers’ likelihood of the Cedars cigarettes is to change their taste by adding certain chemicals and to increase advertisement of these cigarettes.

However, due to the correlation of tobacco consumption with several health problems, such as lung cancer and cardiovascular diseases, the public health organizations intend to decrease the amount of cigarette consumptions. But, the following can have devastating consequences on tobacco farmers who depend on tobacco selling for their survival. Human resources have an important influence on how tobacco growers respond to a decrease in tobacco consumption. The age and education of farmers will be important factors in determining whether farmers will choose to remain in tobacco farming, retire, switch to farming other products, or change to off-farm employment. Also, financial status, availability of alternatives, and preferences will influence their decision. In order to decrease the amount of tobacco consumption by decreasing the number of tobacco farmers and producers, the following ecological framework should be observed:

By acquiring the methods and steps represented in this ecological framework, tobacco farmers would not have to face the severe consequences of the decreasing tobacco consumption, the population would be more aware of the effects of smoking on health and would therefore smoke less, and the public health organizations would have appropriately met their objective in improving the individuals’ public health due to the decreasing health problems caused by cigarette consumption.

Finally, the study limitations encountered in this project were mainly due to the far locations of tobacco farmers. Since tobacco farming occurs in places that require a two-hour drive from Beirut, farmers could not be interviewed personally and directly in order to obtain further personal information. Also, limited time did not allow us to question more than 100 individuals for the survey, which is a very small sample of the population. Moreover, there are no scholarly articles about Lebanese tobacco farmers or statistics in Lebanon, for this reason, much of the Internet research involved tobacco farming in the U.S., and the data observed were then used and applied to cases in Lebanon.

References

Capehart, Tom. "Trends in U.S. Tobacco Farming." Tobacco and the Economy

789 (2004): 3-25.

Damalas, Christos A., Eleni B. Georgiou, and Maria G. Theodorou.

"Pesticide use and safety practices among Greek tobacco farmers: A

survey." International Journal of Environmental Health Research 5th ser.

16 (2006): 339-48.

Hickey, Ellen, and Yenyen Chan. "PANNA: Tobacco, Farmers and Pesticides:

The Other Story, Pesticide Action Network North America." Pesticide

Action Network North America: Advancing Alternatives to Pesticides

Worldwide. May 1998. PANNA. 09 Jan. 2009

.

"Lebanon: Tobacco farmers express anger over low prices." Middle East

Business Information. 28 Jan. 2008. Zawya. 09 Jan. 2009

.

Summary Report: 2001 Tobacco Farmer Survey. 2002. The Rural Advancement

Foundation International-USA. 11 Jan. 2009

.

"Tobacco Farmer—Cotton and Peanut Job Description, Career as a Tobacco

Farmer—Cotton and Peanut, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of

the Work, Education and Training Requirements, Getting the Job." Job

Descriptions and Careers, Career and Job Opportunities, Career Search,

and Career Choices and Profiles. 2007. National Farmers Organization. 11

Jan. 2009 .

Cuban Embargo

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:26:00 +0000

Cuban Embargo

As of September 2006, several countries such as Iran, Sudan, Iraq, Syria, Cuba, and North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) were considered subject to U.S. embargo or restrictive trade sanctions(Embargoed. These sanctions had a direct negative effect on public health and the economy of these countries. Cuba, for example, suffered an economic crisis, a severe shortage in medicine and medical equipment causing “the worst epidemic of neurological disease this century” (Kirkpatrick 1489), and high rates of malnutrition and water-borne disease due to a harsh shortage of food supplies and imports.

Although it’s true that the “Dissolution of the Soviet Union and the COMECON (Community for Economic Cooperation) trade group in1989 greatly weakened the Cuban economy” (Garfield 15), but by passing the Cuban Democracy Act (CDA) of 1992, and the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, the United States government destroyed what was left of the weak Cuban economy which had limited or no resources to back it up. Although the United States government issued a report claiming that “the Cuban Government’s continued adherence to a discredited communist economic model” (Kirkpatrick 1489) caused the crisis, the harsh embargo worsened the situation and stopped more than 90% of Cuban imports. This is due to the fact that American companies, American Subsidiaries, and foreign companies merging with American ones, and companies in countries controlled and pressured by the united states were forced not to trade with the Cuban government and companies. Even humanitarian aids were submitted to strict on site inspection and follow up when distributed inside Cuba making it extremely difficult to deliver the shipments. Thus, United States embargo against Cuba is considered one of the most cruel and unnecessary trade sanctions ever imposed, not to mention one of the longest.

As an impact of the embargo, 50%of food imports were reduced from 1989 to 1993, and “protein and calorie availability from all sources declined by 25% and 18%, respectively, from 1989 to 1992”(Garfield 15). However, when unrestricted agricultural markets opened in late 1994, the situation improved where it is estimated that this . This private sector provided 10% caloric supplement to children, women, and the elderly who “have been targeted for protection from nutritional deficits through rationing, public health education, workplace- and school-based feeding programs, and the promotion of urban gardening” (Garfield 16). Thus, adult men faced a steep decline in caloric intake. Moreover, another impact of the trade embargo was the lack of equipment and resources to supply clean water for human intake which lead to high Mortality rates caused by many diseases such as diarrheal diseases, Guillain-Barre syndrome, enteric infections in areas that lost chlorination due to decline of chorine import from the US, and tuberculosis in areas with Poor nutrition and deteriorating housing and sanitary conditions (Garfield 17). Therefore, the impact of the embargo was significant on both the economy and the health status of Cuba with respect to nutrition and diseases caused by several factors relating to the embargo.

This shortage in shipment of medical supplies and equipment was obvious in the deterioration of the health system in Cuban hospitals and clinics where equipments need upkeep and modernization to keep up with emerging diseases and harder surgeries that require topnotch equipment and facilities. Thus, with the absence of the equipments, spare parts, and chemicals used in curing the prevalence of the diseases emerging as a result of the embargo, Cuba faced a challenging obstacle that crippled its health system. In fact despite all the deterioration in its health system, Cuba’s rank in health status is just below the United States which it very similar. This fact reflects the determination of Cuban government to create a preventive health care system that might surpass the United States health care system, despite the pressures on this country.

We can conclude that a minor relief in the embargo and lessening in the restrictions in it would boost the Cuban health system and create healthier conditions for the Cuban’s and ensure equality for all citizens with respect to health. In addition, all the impacts of the embargo from malnutrition to unclean water and deterioration in the economy are reversible by providing support to the Cuban government and relieving the sanctions of the embargo. Therefore, The United States of America have been unfair in this embargo on Cuba and it’s about time that the International Community should act to stop it’s violating actions.

Sources

http://www.sun.com/sales/its/countries/Embargoed.html. “Embargoed Countries”
Kirkpatrick, Anthony F. “Role of the USA in shortage of food and medicine in Cuba” THE LANCET. Vol 348 • November 30, 1996
Garfield, Richard, “The Impact of the Economic Crisis and the US Embargo on Health in Cuba” American Journal of Public Health January 1997, Vol. 87, No. I

Art; The Offspring of Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:12:00 +0000

Do you think that culture should serve a “higher” purpose (educational/ informational/ spiritual…) or can popular culture, with the single purpose of entertainment and fun also be considered art?

Amidst all the incongruities, hatred, and abhorrence we see and feel amongst human beings today, the human soul still looks for the beauty in life. In fact, everyone has his/her part inside him/her which craves to see that beauty. However, without it, people can’t function properly and will feel empty in certain areas in their lives and thus this will have a negative effect on their motivation to perform exercises in life which serve a beneficial purpose rather than a pleasurable one. In fact, in our lives, we strive to do our best at work, school, or university, but along the way we get sick and tired of doing our best, then we get sick and tired of being sick and tired. Therefore, there must be something that we can do which is not perfect and that doesn’t serve a high purpose; that is, something done just for the sake of fun. Although many claim that everything in life, including art, must have a grand educational or informational objective behind it, I believe, however, that art and all forms of self expression can be used just as a means of recreation and leisure.

It is widely claimed that art serves the purpose of education and spiritual healing. In fact, the purpose of art is determined with respect to every society’s perspective on art. For example, some cultures consider art to be a defining aspect of their history, and believe that the entertainment which this respective art brings outweighs any beneficial purpose others may seek in it, whereas other societies, which have been deeply altered by the effects of the industrial revolution and globalization of markets and have brought about the technological breakthroughs, are oriented in a way that everything serves only a beneficiary purpose and that life revolves around accumulating wealth and reputation. Such societies can never entirely view art as anything but a minor source for leisure accessed every once in a while, not to be marveled at or glorified as if to suggest that its value outweighs anything that brings them self serving rewards. This fact is confirmed by Tom Anderson who writes in the International Journal of Art & Design Education where he says that “what I am Advocating, in addition to understanding and appreciating art itself, is teaching art for the sake of success in life outside the school, and particularly for the sake of global community”(Anderson 59). He also stresses that the “primary purpose of art education for life is to help students understand something about themselves and others through art” (Anderson 59). This explains the educational and social importance of art in people’s lives. Moreover, some people vary in the degree of which they need art in their lives, some people view art as a necessity only to balance out their lives and express themselves when the routine of daily life makes them feel that something is missing, whereas others my depend on art much more and find it impossible to carry on without a much bigger involvement of art in their lives. These people become consumed by their desire for entertainment and pleasure, and ignore the necessities of concentrating on life’s beneficial business type, routine actions. These people, who find themselves in constant need of giving more time to the pleasure side of life rather than business, suffer from the negative aspects of art. In other words, people who seek pleasure and entertainment, whether through art or any other method, fail to reach their potential in life and waste many years concentrating on that which benefits them for the short term rather than what’s more
beneficial in the long term. In other words, too much of art for entertainment only is not so healthy and enriching on the long run.

However, considering the other perspective, the English word “art” “comes from the Latin “ars”, for technical skill in making things”(Allen 23). Thus, art, essentially, regardless of its purpose, can be considered to be any technical skill practiced by any person. Consequently, art can serve the sole purpose of entertainment regarding its nature of creation. For example, writing autobiographies or keeping a diary is a daily exercise some people do for personal reasons and entertainment. Pablo Picasso for instance, considers that his paintings are a form of a diary which he draws in the purpose of fulfilling a form of pleasure he needs. Therefore, he said that “Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.”(Picasso, Famous Painting Quotes) Moreover, art is the gateway through which we escape to a world that we consider perfect, away from the ill-fated, hopeless world we live in day by day. Whether it’s music, painting, writing, dancing, singing, sculpture, or other forms, art is the most effective way of self expression. Vincent van Gogh himself said that “The only time I feel alive is when I'm painting” (van Gogh, Famous Painting Quotes), and Twyla Tharp, the American dancer and choreographer, once said that “Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.”( Art Quotations by Twyla Tharp ). Furthermore, Nancy Linthicum, author of “Degenerate’ pop” admits, while citing Charles Paul Freund article “Look Who’s Rocking the Casbah: The Revolutionary Implications of Arab Music Videos”, that “it would be unwise to ignore the pop music industry’s influence on the youth and the potential this industry has to nurture the imagination of its audience and to create change in society” (Linthicum 196). This proves the fact that even pop music which is considered low and degenerate and serves only the purpose of pleasure and entertainment is essential for the culture of the society in it. Therefore, by providing entertainment only, this pop music is benefitting the culture more than the classic authentic music that would mean nothing to the youth and have no educational value for them whatsoever. Paul Freund in his article “Look Who’s Rocking the Casbah: The Revolutionary Implications of Arab Music Videos” also cites a communications professor ‘Joli Jensen’ saying that “it is the low, "expressive" forms of art that people use to engage with and understand the world around them, and not the high, "instrumental" cultural forms.”(Freund 224) In fact, this genre, which was essentially dedicated for aristocrats, along with other classical forms of art, is repulsive to the youth especially when taught in schools and universities where the student is forced to study or research such material. Eventually, the student would create a block between himself/herself and the educational values of the material, classifying it as material dedicate for studying and getting grades only. For example, I myself am taking a CVSP course which deals with the history of Medieval, Islamic, and Renaissance Civilizations, a subject I’m totally uninterested in and so are the majority of the students in my university. This class is a requirement that I must fulfill in order to graduate. This fact creates a repulsive force in me which will fend off every subject related to that topic automatically. In short, the educational purpose of art isn’t always the best and most beneficial purpose behind art itself; it is the art that brings about entertainment, which enriches the soul that we must put a priority on.Even if it is either for education or for leisure, it is agreed upon by all the sides that the purpose of art is to serve human beings. After all, humans are needless to create any useless material. Consequently, the controversy lays in the way which art can serve humans. For that reason, the argument presented the solution which is that art, as a technical term, can serve any purpose, including entertainment, solely and it is a means of freeing the soul from the boundaries of the actual routine life. Still, some people argue that some styles of entertainment are low and degenerate, but one can’t deny that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Sources:

Allen, James Sloan. "The Use and Abuse of Aestheticism." Arts Education Policy Review 104.5 (May 2003): 23.

Anderson, Tom. "Art Education for Life." International Journal of Art & Design Education 22.1 (Feb. 2003): 58.

Linthicum, Nancy. “Degenerate’ pop: Threat to Arab Music Renaissance or Mere Sign of the Times”.When Silence Speaks. First Ed. Frank, Zenger, Khoury. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited, 2008. 191-198.

Freund, Charles Paul. “Look Who’s Rocking the Casbah: The Revolutionary Implications of Arab Music Videos”.When Silence Speaks. First Ed. Frank, Zenger, Khoury. United Kingdom: Pearson Education Limited, 2008. 219-225.

Picasso, Pablo."Famous Painting Quotes." fine art portal and famous quotes. 20 Jan 2009 .

Tharp, Twyla. "Art Quotations by Twyla Tharp." The Painter's Keys. 20 Jan 2009 .

Van Gogh, Vincent. "Famous Painting Quotes." fine art portal and famous quotes. 20 Jan 2009 .

The Law, the Manager, the Conscience

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:04:00 +0000

The Manager, the Law, and the Conscience

Individuals in a given society follow a certain cultural pattern in their speech, gestures, tools, clothing, art, customs, traditions, religious beliefs and rituals in order to survive, prosper, organize social interactions, and express thoughts and feelings. Each one of them has his/her unique identity which is divided into a personal, a social, and an ethnic level. These levels eventually combine to give each person his uniqueness and individuality with respect to others. Moreover, in order to form their identities, individuals must be affected by factors or elements, as Amin Maalouf stated that an identity is “made of all the elements that have shaped its unique proportions”(Maalouf 63), on the various levels such as age, gender, nationality, disability, sexuality, interests, talents, personality traits, family and friendship networks, and most importantly religious affiliation. Some argue that religion doesn’t have a major contribution in the spread of a culture in a society and in defining the identity of individuals. For example Amartya Sen claimed that “Each of us has many features in our self-conception. Our religion, important as it may be, cannot be an all-engulfing identity” (Sen 76). However, religion does play a significant role in organizing peoples’ lives, in all its aspects by first of all setting boundaries, second of all by giving them a sense of security and belonging, and finally by being their conscience.

If we take into consideration the Saudi Arabian society for example, we come to realize that religion is intertwined with every aspect of their lives from food to health, social interaction, business and the economy, marriage and relationships, politics, and many other aspects by being the law and regulation, the rules and commandments which set the limits and boundaries for each single person. In fact, Andrea Elliott quotes a Muslim women living in America saying that “What matters for us is the religion…Our law is our religion.”(Elliott 73). Then she adds that “Islam is a legalistic faith…a divine law that guides [peoples’] daily lives, including what they should eat, drink, and wear.” (Elliott 67). For example, Islam forbids eating pork meat, which causes diseases to the person eating it more than nourishing him/her, and prohibits alcohol consumption because it causes irreversible damage to the brain cells and creates a state of unawareness in the consumer, leading the way for uncontrolled, irresponsible behavior and actions. Besides the point that misfortunate events occur when the person is not sober, who’s to blame for the crime? In addition, the Islamic religion stresses the importance of personal hygiene and necessity of washing five times a day before praying, not to mention the famous phrase which states that ‘cleanliness is a part of faith’. As for marriage, relationships, and social interaction, the holy scriptures describe every sort of relationships between humans of both genders and sets the rights of duties for each to regulate the interaction between them. For example, Islam forbids the physical interaction between a man and a woman if they were not married in a lawful Islamic marriage. Another example is that Muslim women must cover up their heads in front of strange men and relatives whom she’s entitled to marry according to the teachings and doctrine of that religion. As a consequence of setting the rights and duties, religion is automatically a part of politics and the public welfare where it defines the duties and rights of the ruler and the people. Even in business and the economy, the Qur’an in the Islamic religion contains countless verses on commerce and business interactions. For instance, in Andrea Elliot’s article she mentioned that “[Muslim believers] came to the imam, who helped them divide the business.” (Elliott 71).These interventions of religion in the everyday lives of followers are established through the Imam or religious scholar who knows most of the doctrines in that particular religion. For instance, “Mr.Shata”, a Muslim sheikh, “settles dowries, confronts wife abusers, brokers business deals and tries to arrange marriages…‘I try to be more of a doctor than a judge’, said Mr.shata. ‘A judge sentences. A doctor tries to remedy’.” (Elliott 67).Thus, believers, especially in Islam, would be lost without their religion. For religion sets the limits and guides the lost.

Another noteworthy importance of religion is that it gives its devotees a sense of security and belonging. For when a person meets the terms of being a follower and having faith in that religion, a person attains true membership to it, and benefits from all the remuneration and services provided by it. This can be illustrated by what Andrea Elliot also pointed out in her article by saying that “Mosques across America are commonly named centers or societies, in part because they provide so many services.” (Elliott 70).They offer religious, personal, economic, and social support to those in need to keep the coherence of the followers intact to face obstacles they face as one unit, one body. They also offer legal support which they can’t attain through the services provided by the community. Elliot says that “For hundreds of Muslims[in America]the Bay Ridge mosque has become a courthouse more welcoming than the one downtown, a police precinct more effective than the brick station blocks away” (Elliott 72) Furthermore, religions tend to facilitate the lives of believers and provide flexible solutions to face emerging complications and obstructions that weaken their faith. Elliot, again, mentions through her main character, Mr. Shata, that: “‘Islam Is supposed to make a person’s life easier, not harder” (Elliott 73). This concept encourages the follower to better hang on to his/her religion, which is his guide in life to the path of righteousness. In addition, religion provides artistic inspiration through its poetic, mind blowing Qur’an verses for example, and theories of logic and science through its teachings to people, where it was proven scientifically, on several topics, that some the versus of the Qur’an, which date back to more than a millennium ago, hold scientific information that were only recently proven by modern science. Another example was provided in the report addressed by Kofi Annan about alliance of civilizations, where he said “it was that, during Europe’s ‘Dark Ages’, the Iberian Peninsula flourished through the interaction of Muslim, Christian and Jewish traditions. Later, the Ottoman Empire prospered not simply because of its armies, but because it was also an empire of ideas, in which Muslim art and technology were enriched by Jewish and Christian contributions” (Annan 103).This shows that religion provides support not only on the personal, economic, and social level, but also on the scientific and artistic level. Thus, religion is an system based on giving and taking, where it gives a believer a sense of security and belonging, in addition to the support on many levels, in return for obedience and devotion, spiritually and physically, to it.

Along with the sense of security and setting laws and boundaries, religion plays the role of the conscience when after being familiar with all the rules and regulations, it is up to the person to decide whether to abide by the rules, or act as he/she pleases regardless of what is allowed and what is forbidden. This decision is attributed to the strength or weakness of a person’s conscience, which, in turn, attributes to the level of authority his/her religion has in the mind and heart of that person. Therefore, the stronger the faith an individual has and belief, the better a sense of authority by religious rules is expressed in the actions and opinions in him/her. In addition to that, conscience makes a person put himself/herself in someone else’s shoes. In other words, as Kofi Annan put it: “We must stress the basic values that are common to all religions: compassion; solidarity; respect for the human person; the Golden Rule of ‘do as you would be done by’.”(Annan 105).Thus, religion, through conscience, aims to achieve the ultimate goal of humans of unity and survival.

Religion, the heart of each civilization, the vital sign of a nation, of which its vanishing means total collapse of the community and the population, is of utmost importance and significance in, not only determining the identity of individuals and cultures of societies, but also in ensuring the survival and prosperity of whole civilizations and nations. Even some authors like Samuel P. Huntington, who believes that Islam is a separate civilization on its own, mentioned that ”civilization commonality… is replacing political ideology and traditional balance of power considerations as the principle basis for cooperation and coalition”(Huntington 86), which stresses the idea that religions strengthen the unity and coherence of their followers. This raises a question to atheists and people who give no credit to religion what so ever, which is: what replaces religion and all its effects and influences on our life? Or Is there a substitute for religion that can stand up to the aspects of life that religion had to deal with? Some people may reply that the law is more than enough. But isn’t it a fact that all laws and systems were inferred from religion?

Sources:

Annan, Kofi. "Stress basic Values Common to All Religions, Secretary-General Says in Istanbul Address upon receiving Alliance of Civilizations Report”." When Silence Speaks. Ed. Natasha Isadora Frank, Amy Alice Zenger, and Nicole Michelle Khoury. Great Britain: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.

Elliott, Andrea. "An Imam in America. A Muslim Leader in Brooklyn, Reconciling Two Worlds." When Silence Speaks. Ed. Natasha Isadora Frank, Amy Alice Zenger, and Nicole Michelle Khoury. Great Britain: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.

Huntington, Samuel P. "The Clash of Civilizations?" When Silence Speaks. Ed. Natasha Isadora Frank, Amy Alice Zenger, and Nicole Michelle Khoury. Great Britain: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.

Maalouf, Amin. "Deadly Identities." When Silence Speaks. Ed. Natasha Isadora Frank, Amy Alice Zenger, and Nicole Michelle Khoury. Great Britain: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.

Sen, Amatya . "A World Not Neatly Divided”." When Silence Speaks. Ed. Natasha Isadora Frank, Amy Alice Zenger, and Nicole Michelle Khoury. Great Britain: Pearson Education, Inc., 2008.

سبب الخلق (تفسير شخصي ) #1

noreply@blogger.com (Rodom) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:15:00 +0000

تبارك الذي بيده الملك وهو على كل شيئ قدير.الذي خلق الموت والحياة ليبلوكم ايكم أحسن عملا. وهو العزيز الغفور". صدق الله العظيم
بهذه الايات المباركة إبتدأ الله سبحانه وتعالى سورة الملك التي تعد من اجمل الايات والتي يقال عنها إذا قرأت كل ليلة تحمي الإنسان من عذاب القبر.ففي حديث عن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم : "ان الله يستحي ان يعذب من كان يحفظ سورة الملك".
بالإضافة إلى ذلك فإن الايات المذكورة تحمل معاني كثيرا وعميقة. ومن اهمها الجواب عن سبب خلق الله تعالى للإنسان. والسبب هو الإختبار فـكلمة يبلوكم تعني يختبركم .وبالتالي فإن حياة الإنسان اختبار يعرف نتيجته يوم الحساب.ولكن ألم يفكر احدكم بان طالما الإنسان مسير وليس مخير , فلا حاجة للاختبار !! طالما الله سبحانه وتعالى يعلم بأن فلان سوف يدخل الجنة وفلان سيدخل النار. ولكن الامر ليس بهذه البساطة. ففي حديث قدسي عن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم :" كنت مجهولا فخلقت الخلق لكي أعرف" فهذا دليل على ان الله سبحانه وتعالى نقل معاناة الوحدة منه إلى الإنسان بشكل رغبات الجسد غير المتوازن بين الدماغ وحاجات الجسد. ولكن الإنسان بحاجة إلى تلبية حاجة الجسد, ولو ادى ذلك إلى التعدي على حقوق الغير. وهنا يأتي دور الايمان بالله واليوم الاخر ليقف الإنسان بوجه رغباته, الا أن هذا يحتاج إلى قدر من الله ليكون ذو حظ عظيم, لديه أولا الاستعداد في جسده لتلقي الهداية وثانيا قدر الهداية نفسها وثالثا قدر بالمعونة الإلهية ورابعا قدر بـقبول عمله وخامسا قدر بالجزاء في الآخرة.
وهذا معنى قوله سبحانه وتعالى:" وما يلقاها إلا الذين صبروا وما يلقاها الا ذو حظ عظيم"صدق الله العظيم
وقال عليه الصلاة والسلام ايضا:"ان الله خلق آدم على صورته" فـهذا يعني ان الله أعطى صفات حب السلطة والملك والإعجاب بالنفس للإنسان ولكن حرمها عليه ليرى من سوف يعتنقها فتكون نفسه أمارة بالسوء ومن سوف يقوى عليها بالايمان فيدخله الله في رحمته.
فحياة الإنسان هي قدر بالمعاناة وحظ بالنجاة
لكن البعض قد يجادل بأن الله سبحانه وتعالى خلق الملائكة فهذا يعني أنه ليس يعاني من الوحدة. فالرد على هذه النقطة يكون أن الله سبحانه وتعالى خلق الملائكة ليعبدوه وينفذوا اوامره حرفيا دون أن يعطيهم القدرة على المعصية. لذا خلق تعالى الإنسان لكي يختار من جنسه الأفراد الذين يستطيعون التغلب على الرغبات بقوة الايمان. هؤلاء هم الذين صبروا. ففي حديث اخر عن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم :"لو لم تكونوا تعصون الله لخلق الله أناسا يعصونه فيستغفرونه فيغفر لهم".

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سبب الخلق (تفسير شخصي ) #1