A Story...The 10 year- Old- Boy In Jerusalem......by Jamil Shawwa

Time: 7:30 AM, A day in October 1974.
Place: the boarding school house at the YMCA, Ramallah, the West Bank.

The little 10 years old boy is waiting for the school bus to collect him from that boarding house to his school in Jerusalem; the distance is about 10 miles or 17 kilometers. He was holding two books; the first one was for one of Israel's most distinguished political and military writers, Ze'ev Schiff, about Israel during the 1973 October war, just fresh out of the presses, and the second was for one of Egypt’s most eloquent political writers, Mohamed El-Tabei, about the events that led to the 1952 Military coup and later on the end of the Muhammad Ali royal dynasty rule in Egypt. That boy loved to read, and now he loves to write, what a dilemma... The yellow bus arrived, the boy climbed the few steps, took his usual seat by the window and to the journey to Jerusalem. His parents put him in that school in Jerusalem, about 100 kilometers or 80 miles away from Gaza where his home and family were and lived. The bus driver and his assistant as usual were fighting, not sure over what but they used to fight all the time.

The bus started rolling through the narrow streets of Ramallah, and passed by The Friends School and to the mountain road to Jerusalem. The 1973 war just ended, and the name of the king of Jordan was not to be found or mentioned; it has been like this since the 1967 war. No one dared even his closest allies and money collectors to open their mouth with one word to praise him-publicly- or at least be fair to him. To the masses, he lost the Eastern part of Jerusalem and the West Bank in 1967 war that he did not want to enter, and he did not want to participate. Wisely, of course, he did not go to war in 1973; otherwise, the East Bank would have been lost and it would have been the end of the Hashemite from their last resort.

One little boy did not care about all this politicking, the ten years old boy. The first time he passed by a beautiful unfinished palace on a beautiful hill in the suburbs of Jerusalem, he asked, for why it is not finished, when it will be finished and to whom it belongs. The whole bus went into silence, you could even hear a needle drop, just frightened looks and then came the big answer, a long, loud Hushhhhhhhhh; it belongs to King Hussein; a “courageous” student whispered, the king of Jordan then. That boy very innocently asked about something he felt beautiful but unfinished , and since then, he kept track of beautiful things- from his perspective- in life. He did not think politics, games, wearing different hats for different occasions and audiences; he just threw it out there.

The Story of Jordan is the king and the King is Jordan, period. Their core and heart and soul of their post 1948 political existence was uprooted when they listened to the voices of hypocrisy and demagoguery that came from, at that time, the capital of hypocrisy, Egypt's Nasser, from the second capital of Hypocrisy, Syria’s Baath and from the emotional charge that Nasser deceivably electrified the Arab countries calling for war on Israel. Of course, the Arabs just talked and screamed their lungs out while Israel took action, very smart- any other country in its position must have done the same thing- preemptive strikes and defeated three Arab countries, took Sinai, The Golan, The West Bank, and the Gaza strip.

The king knew then as the current one knows-his son Abdullah- that he will never again be the king of Jerusalem. The talk now is a two state solution, the State of Israel and the State of Palestine with Jerusalem as the capital of both. The Hashemite might continue to oversee the religious sites for Muslims and Christians in Jerusalem but nothing more. Jordan is Jordan and Palestine and Israel are Palestine and Israel.

The Hashemite are popular among the Jordanians Bedouins, the backbone of the military and the backbone of the royal family. The Hashemite, originally, the rulers of Mecca and Hejaz until the early of the 20th century when the House of Saud kicked them out of power and established the modern- of course I’m using the word modern here loosely to describe an era but not actual modern mentality or anything from that sort- Saudi Arabia. They, the Hashemite, went on to rule Syria, Iraq, and Jordan; they were murdered in a bloody coup by bloody officers in Iraq in 1958 and before that, they were thrown out of power from Syria. They are in Jordan now. I personally want to see them to continue to rule Jordan, but Jordan is tough, with over 70% of the demography, originally Palestinians, the poverty, and the rumors of ongoing government corruptions, and the Muslim Brotherhood, a religious organization, disguised as a political party. I have to stick to my style though, the monarchy continues in Jordan but as a constitutional monarchy like in England. As a matter of fact, the mother of the king of Jordan is English, and in Jordan, they say that he speaks English better than Arabic; to me this is not an insult actually. Let us wait and see, it is not easy for the Hashemite, it has never been easy for them. The bus has arrived, and it is time for that boy to go to his first class, Mrs. Aabdin, the English teacher, is waiting.

*When the Lion Roars; Meowwwww...... by Jamil Shawwa

Bashar AL-Assad did not expect that life-changing phone call in the middle of a London cold night in 1994 telling him that a plane is in its way to bring him back to Syria at once. His older brother, Basil, has just had a fatal accident driving his ultra modified Porsche, some say Mercedes, on a mountain road in the fogy surroundings of the capital Damascus. It was a destiny he did not want and did not prepare for. All he wanted to be is an eye doctor. He is in love with the British born, originally Syrian, Queen’s and King’s Colleges graduate Asma Al-Akhras, from the majority Muslim Sunnis of Syria. Now the doctor is being groomed to rule the ever-tricky politics and country of Syria. The clan is calling, the Alawis, the rulers of Syria since 1970. His father- Hafiz Al-Assad- ruled Syria with an iron fist, some say that he did not have other choices; he was like Stalin in the Soviet Union. In 1982, the Muslim Brotherhood took over the Syrian city of Hama, Hafiz Al-Assad did not hesitate, surrounded the city and ordered the military to uproot the rebellion, thousands were killed; estimated at 20,000, but the clan survived. In Syria, the loyalty is to the system, to the Alawis, if you do a mistake in Syria and you are in high office or place- you do not resign, you commit suicide or being invited to commit a suicide. This is the Alawis style in covering up for the family and the clan. In 1967, three Arab countries stupidly waged a war against Israel, they lost, and Syria lost the Golan Heights, Hafiz Al-Assad was the minster of defense. In 1970, he took over in a coup d’état, removed a weak and an idiot president, from an elite Syrian Sunni family, Al-Atassi, and declared a new era in Syria. He led what he called a Corrective Movement, correct what, until now, nobody knows, but him. In 1975 under an Arab cover and the approval of both Israel and the United States, he entered Lebanon to stop a crazy civil war, became an occupier and stayed there until 2005 when the US ordered him- Bashar, the son- to leave at once following the assassination of the Lebanese Muslim Sunni leader and former prime minster, Al Hariri. Bashar Al-Assad became president in 2000 following the passing of his father and was immediately confronted in 2001 with the terrorists’ attacks on America and the Bush doctrine, which is either with us or against us. In 2003, his archenemy, yet partner, in the Baath fascist party, Saddam Hussein was removed from power, and Al-Assad became alone in the Baath system. Al-Baath party is a party that covers itself with Pan-Arab slogans, but in fact, it is a party that preaches secret rituals of how few can rule the many through oppression and manipulation of course, otherwise, if done democratically; then it is no problem at all for a minority to rule a majority. That party was founded by a Christian Syrian by the name of Michel Aflaq. Again, the party and the system are based on the Mafia style of justice and brutality and on the Mafia style that is all in the family and for the family and by the family. Al-Assad the father played his cards very well, and managed the cold war era but got lost when the Soviet Union collapsed, but again he regained the importance through managed and calculated alliances with the so called forces of extremism in the Middle East, and by being available to manipulate the politics in Lebanon, a country that money buys loyalty and a country where also the clan comes first and the country comes fourth. During the Iraqi-Iranian war of the 1980s, he aligned himself with the Iranians, both are minorities in the midst of the Arab Sunni countries, both are from the Shiite sect and both until now have all the interest to be together. Accordingly, his participation in the Kuwait liberation was very understandable, he did not do it for Kuwait but against Iraq and the need to share and participate in the US efforts as needed. Following that liberation war, there was the first peace conference, Al-Assad attended, with Israel, representatives of the Palestinians, Egypt and Jordan. He later on allowed his loyal Sunni foreign minister, later vice president Farouk al-Sharaa to meet the Israeli prime minister at the time Ehud Barak in Washington under the supervision of President Clinton. The Golan Heights is a beautiful landscape that is less than 30 miles away from the Syrian capital. Israel is there and can see the capital whenever needed, and Al-Assad knows that of course. He wants the Golan back, eventually he will get it but only through peace, and Al-Assad knows that too. It is a regime that is based on the need to do basis. In 2005, I wrote that Syria’s Baath is in its way out; its logic, verbiages and statements prey on the emotions of the masses, the disillusioned, the deceived, the naive, for the rest, it has no substance or respect and far away from anything that is democratic or normal. I mentioned then that the oppressive and manipulative pretentious ideology of the Baath could not make it survive or continue to exist. I forgot then that logic does not-always- go side by side with politics, and if Al Baath is gone from Iraq, it does not mean that it needs to go now from Syria. As for Al-Assad family, I think it will stay not sure for how long. As for Lebanon, Syria will never be allowed to go back again. Of course, anyone probably knows that Al-Assad does not dare to move a finger before getting the necessary regional and international approvals, which is good, and it means that he knows how to play the game of politics in The Middle East. Actually, the relations are really more of mutual interests rather than someone telling the other what to do. But if that someone or that somebody does not know what is best for them or is not willing to be pragmatic, flexible and be aware of the bigger picture and the regional formulas and interests, then that someone needs to go, and if it is the case, it would go now, and not tomorrow. Al-Assad is very aware of that formula and is happy with it.





*Assad is Lion in English.

The New Map of The Middle East...Three New Countries...by Jamil Shawwa

*The Middle East will witness in the coming years, not sure how many, the birth of three new countries that should compliment the current political map and would increase peace and security and stability. These three countries will be the vehicle that will reshape the Middle East, which will include Israel and two of the new three ones. The Middle East, the birthplace of the divine religions and the spring of the engine- Oil- of the civilization as we know it right now cannot be or cannot continue to be a trigger point or cause to wars and terrorism. The root cause of these worldwide problems would be eliminated with the establishment of the new countries. I will start with what appears to be the closest one to be declared an independent state, South of Sudan. This new country will help Sudan, the North, to focus, ideally, its resources and energies on democracy and development. The military regime in Khartoum, if it stays in power, would not have any excuse actually to stay. Sudan once described as the basket of Africa, as it could have fed the whole continent if resources are managed normally and I do not even say skillfully. The new South Sudan country will permanently seal Sudan from being an African country per se and make it closer to Egypt and the rest of the Arab countries within the big and new Middle East. The second country, which is on fast track to be an independent state, is the State of Palestine in the West Bank of the River Jordan between Jordan and Israel and the Gaza Strip. It is coming but the final picture is not yet clear, to me. The whole world including the State of Israel recognized this potential state but the issues at stake are very sensitive to both parties and on a larger scale very sensitive to the majority of the people all over the world. The first most difficult one is the status of Jerusalem, it is currently and formerly the capital of Israel and the Palestinians wants it to be their capital as well. Jerusalem will and should be the capital of both countries because both countries have population there and both Israel and Palestine, historically and religiously and emotionally and everything that you can think of, can claim a right in Jerusalem. It has the most sacred places to the Jewish people, the Christians and the Muslims. And If I may add, Jerusalem is a city of the world and it must be preserved as an international historic place where no one country either Israel and Palestine can change it's landscape without the coordination of the other and even maybe get the UN involved with some sort of symbolic observation. The other issue at stake is interconnected and relate to both the refugees who left the pre 1948 historic Palestine to the neighboring Arab countries and the Jewish settlers in the West Bank who feel that they can take over any piece of land in the West Bank and create a settlement there. The rhetoric is high on both sides, but ideally, the settlers would either move inside the State of Israel or be given regular citizenship status within Palestine and be citizens of the new state. There is another issue about the settlements that once resolved, and once addressed and once confronted logically, would create a new way of thinking that would be based on buying lands rather than taking over lands or properties and would give the Jewish people the mindset that they are no longer isolated and no longer need to be living in secure enclaves here and there; the land would be open to them as regular buyers of properties and same applies to Palestinians who wish to buy properties inside Israel, they cannot claim historic ownership on lands and properties inside Israel. In return, the issue of the Palestinian refugees would be resolved once and for all, no return, but be given citizenship in the countries they live in now; Jordan did the same decades ago but without publicity. The Arabs are so scared even to discuss the possibilities that they forfeit the so called right of return. The third country is the most difficult one-imagine something else more difficult than the Israeli Palestinian issue- which is the establishment of the State of Kurdistan in the historic Kurds areas that include lands in Iraq, Syria, Iran, Turkey and Azerbaijan. I am a pro Kurdistan country for I have to admit selfish and practical reasons; it will in my opinion forever establish a zone that would make aggression from the side of any of its neighboring courtiers virtually not possible. It will create a zone, like an oasis in the middle of these courtiers that would act as a safe heaven and Bastian for peace in the region, it will also create economic prosperity in almost six countries and create business zones along the borders of all these countries. Imagine, those border areas had always been a cause for conflict, the creation of the State of Kurdistan would eliminate that zone, also it would control the drug trafficking to Europe, ensure smooth flow of oil, as Kurdistan is rich for oil fields. I mentioned before here my deep support to the inevitability, from my perspective for the creation of this State. It does not have to be on every inch of the historic land but it needs to be created. Once created, I do not personally see that it would encourage the Shiite in the south of Iraq to create their own country; I think the rest of Iraq would be ok to give the Kurds a country and they, as in Sudan, would focus on their core land and country.

*Maps:

http://www.usefreedomtv.com/images/Kurdistan_map.gif

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/images/maps/israel_palestine_map.gif

http://www.supiriresources.com/images/south_sudan.jpg

Settlements.....by Jamil Shawwa

The Jewish settlers in the West bank believe that they should be able to live in peace in any part of the land of Israel, including the West Bank and Gaza; let them. In the same token, Palestinians believe that they should be able to live in any part of the land of pre 1948 historic Palestine; let them.

Once you apply the same scale to both Israelis and Palestinians, to both people that live in Israel and Palestine, the whole problem or so called problem to some of the settlements in the West bank would disappear.

Israel and Palestine are so unique, there is no other land on earth that charge and provoke emotions and spirituality to billions of people from all three divine religions as that land of these two countries.

Same scale should apply to people who come from abroad and would like to take Palestine and Israel as their home, both people should be permitted within their boundaries or land. In the second stage, once both countries are established with borders but no fences, just borders, ultimately, people from both countries would be able to buy and sell properties anywhere.

A family in Gaza would be able or permitted to buy a house in Tel-Aviv, and a family from Israel would be able to do the same either in Gaza or anywhere else. See, the purpose of having two normal countries in the land of peace is to give among other things the Jewish people the feeling maybe for the first time in history that they do not have to live in secure enclaves or settlements, no need, because technically the whole land will be open for them to enjoy as for the Palestinians and as for others.

Same thing if an Israeli family or a Palestinian family wants to buy a house in America or France. Open borders, normal commerce, no need to go and take over any specific house or land and say that you want to establish an enclave there, just go ahead and buy it.

For hundreds of years, the Jewish and the Christians in the Middle East felt- unfortunately correctly- and were raised to live in areas together, create their own parts and sections; In Jerusalem for example, and within the old city, for hundreds of years and until now you have the Christian section and the Jewish section. This should stop now; they are regular people and citizens of the Middle East as any other religion and group, even if the number does not match the majority.

The future will have the twenty-two Arab countries and all the Islamic countries having normal and peaceful relations with both Israel and Palestine. Hundreds of years of the feeling of isolation cannot be erased in one year or two but the normalization of relations and the creation of the Palestinian State in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank would be the foundation that will establish for the first time in history the harmonious atmosphere for Muslims, Jewish and Christians to not worry any more about prosecution, religious intolerance, ethnic discrimination; all the above can seize to exist, at least would seize to exist as a systematic behavior.

The Palestinians right now are at cross road and not the Israelis, they, the Israelis, have already established a world class country, the Palestinians need to get their act together, get the West Bank and Gaza under a normal elected government, have Hamas join the peace process as a regular political party, no terrorism, no attacking border towns and blowing humans and buses. Set at the table, talk and sign the piece of paper that states that you are civilized, smart, and realistic. Cannot get any easier.

The Great American Buffet…by Jamil Shawwa

She asked him if he had been to the Great American Buffet, he responded by saying that he lives in it. She looked at him and said you know what I mean, do not try to be smart with me, I know you well enough that these mind games do not work with me. I meant, she continued, the restaurant next to work, they have changed the menu and they have more fabulous varieties now, much more than before. He responded by no, although he remembered the place.

He also remembered many other things related to the Great American Buffet. America loves Buffets, and loves its people to mingle with each other; this is how the idea started. America loves the concept behind the Buffet.

The Great American Buffet stands tall and stands strong, the people that serve there are the same people that eat there, the servers and the customers are from the same background, there is no difference and America likes it that way. America does not like elitists, snobbish and America does not like the word servants.

America calls those that work at the Great American Buffet, servers and not servants. In the same token and on the flip side, America likes to call people that clean houses, the cleaning people or facilities, not servants, and if it happens that the cleaning person is a woman, America calls her, properly, the cleaning lady. To America it is a job, any legal, honest, hard working job, is a job. If you are one of those, very lucky, that have permanent people working for them at their homes, those people are not called servants but they are called staff, and I like it this way.

Everyone on earth directly or indirectly heard, seen, or tried the Great American Buffet. But not very many know that the great American Buffet does not like to keep the same colors, and the same style, it likes to change it’s colors as needed and as business requires, it is always though the Red, Blue and White, but that is only the flag on top of it’s building, other than that the owners change and the food style changes to fit all tastes and needs.

There used to be different sections for different styles, not any more, its all one section but with different variations, and the tables in the middle are no longer separated but connected with chains more powerful than steel to make sure that the different styles never get drfited again. The display has all kinds of dishes from all over the world, at the Great American Buffet, you see the Indian food, and dishes, mingling with the Chinese, the French, the Middle Eastern, not to forget the Russian and the Mexican, and if you are patient and look carefully, you will find a nice section for Sushi, and grilled Korean BBQ. The main dishes are also there, always there, the fried chicken next to the Irish stew and adjacent to the fish and chips.

Though main dishes, they rotate, they do not set or stay still, yesterday it was the Irish dish, today is the African dish, tomorrow there will be an Asian dish, and Spanish dish. The Great American Buffet likes to change it’s décor from time to time to fit the changes in taste but the Great American buffet does not change one thing, it does not change and cannot change its foundation, it modifies and amend as needed, but not the foundation, it renovates and it might tear down the above ground to build a new building but it does not touch the base, the core, the foundation.

That is the story of the Great American Buffet, oh, I forgot to say that it celebrates its clientele and its servers and owners every month or so. This month, it is celebrating the Middle Eastern cuisine, and it has been like this since last month, many dishes of Hummus and falafel and pita bread but though originally Middle Eastern, those dishes are American dishes, do not forget that they are being served right now at the Great American Buffet.

Mosque in America Part V...America’s Newest Religion... by Jamil Shawwa

Today, in the 10th anniversary of the horrific, terrorist attack on America on 09/11, America accepted Islam as its newest religion. An American religion, a divine religion as Judaism and Christianity. There is no religion, an idea, or a concept in American history that stirred such emotions across all Americans and in every State as Islam did and in such a short period, just few weeks. Today, a pastor with less than fifty followers in a small city in Florida who probably indirectly and without realizing it, helped to establish Islam finally as an American religion. That pastor who called a week ago to burn The Muslims holy book, came today and said that he will not do it “not now not ever”. The whole country and the world actually was held hostage for one week looking, watching, and participating in this drama. The president of the United States intervened, the whole US government intervened, every State talked about it, every person discussed it and they all, the majority of Americans decided as they always do on life changing issues and on matters of high importance, on matters that touch the country’s core existence, that this religion, that is believed and worshiped by almost two billions people around the world, in every country on earth and over thirty countries consider it as it’s main religion or source of legislation and millions in the United States, must be included in the religious mosaic of America. That it is no longer a religion of the fringes, the outcast, the strangers but it is a faith that when you look closer to it, as believers believe, when you read it’s verses, as its follower explain, it states it’s strong belief that it is the religion that respects and recognizes Judaism and Christianity as religions of the same and only God. Two extraordinary leaders helped, but this time directly and knowingly, to make Islam an American religion, Barak Obama, a Democrat, the president of the United States, a Christian, whose father and family from his father’s side were and are Muslims and Michael Bloomberg, a Republican, the Mayor of New York City, a Jewish. These two fought and still fighting the right fight not for Islam but for America. They both stood for the constitution and for the first amendment and freedom of religion, for the freedom of expression. Bloomberg stated on more than one occasion that the best answer to those 9/11 criminals is to have a place of God next to the crime scene where those terrorists claimed deceivably that they destroyed in the name of their religion. It is the proposed Mosque, a block and a half from the place where the crimes of 9/11 took place. America as well in all it’s people and in all of it’s States have participated and still participating in the debate around the place of that mosque but not if it should be built. The mosque once it is done in its proposed place will forever cement America’s recognition and acceptance of Islam as the third pillar of its faith. Bloomberg said in an interview with MSNBC in the 10th occasion of the 911 terrorist attacks on how he reacts to a city that is divided and wants him to move the mosque location, that it is not about what they say or the polls, but it is all about protecting the first amendment to the US constitution, freedom of speech, and that it is not up to the government to tell people where to pray and where to build their place of worship. He continued to say that if you do not agree with it, do not support it and that is it. He also said that we could not just protect freedom of expression and religion in incidents that are to our likes, but we must as well protect it when it is for things that we do not like. He has been steadfast on his position, he is losing support from his city and his party, but the mayor is getting admiration and support from every fair minded American and those are the vast majority of the American people. Mayor Bloomberg is a phenomena in the world of politics today, he and president Obama are standing for real American values and for the right of all to express their opinions freely including that pastor in that city in Florida.

Mosque in America....Part IV... by Jamil Shawwa

A Muslim American friend who happened to be an African American told me once that the real Islam is not in the Muslim world or the Arab countries but it is here, the real on, in America. She continued to say that she toured many Islamic, Arab and European countries but never felt the freedom or the security to practice her religion, Islam, or to feel like an independent Muslim woman except here in the Unites States of America. Actually her feelings and her sentiments are shared by most Muslims in America, they are , as any faith and in particular the three divine religions free to practice, free to build their mosques, churches and synagogues. America lives to its example and it lives to its constitution and it lives to its secular way of governing. America does not have any problem with the head cover or even Elniqab, the veil that covers the face altogether. You see completely veiled women in the most fashionable places and hotels in Washington DC, people might look politely but no one interferes. America is big enough, strong enough, and confident enough, to be very tolerant and very forgiving, but above all, very pragmatic. America is smart and America is unique and within its wings, those big comforting wings, it can protect and embrace all kinds of people. As a matter of fact, America is the world, and that is why maybe nothing in America is strange. Yet though it has every human being from every part of the world, it is still the distinctive country, it created what I like to call and describe as the Americanism; the pure juice that oozes through the veins from being the melting pot and from being the blender and the mixer. Many people from all faiths who never practiced any religion or never practiced their religion in their original countries, started to practice even if occasionally once they arrived or shortly after to America. People whom never gave to charity, whom never thought of the community feeling or the community bondage, started to do it and feel it here in America. In defending those that for a religion, or ethnic reason are not considered part of the majority or part of the trend, America defends it's existence, America knows that to continue to be the most powerful nation on earth, it must embrace every human being, every American, regardless of his or her religion, background, color, ethnic group, This is the United States of America and this is the story of Mosque in America.

Mosque in America Part III by Jamil Shawwa

The real story of Islam with America did not take place until 1979 and the start of the cleric’s revolution in Iran. Before that, America looked at Islam from the lens of looking at the Arab countries and the Arab world as a whole. The Arabs in America started to come and immigrated to the new world, the United States, in the late 19th and early 20th century and the majority of them in the beginning were Christians and Jewish residents and citizens of the Arab countries who fled to America from the oppressing and suppressing ottoman empire and the local governments there. America since then and until the last quarter of the 20th century looked at the Arabs as part of the overall majority of the population, that they are not different, but like the Italians, East Europeans, some French and the Greeks- the residents of the Mediterranean- darker than the so-called majority but part of the majority. In the mid 50s and 60s America started to look at Islam from a second lens, when many African Americans in the height of the struggle to gain civil rights and equal opportunities, looked around and from their perspective and from their point of view found in Islam, a religion that believes in equality, that it contains in it’s verses clear verbiages that there is no difference between an Arab and a non Arab except in the strength of their belief and faith. There were Malcolm X and the creation of the Nation of Islam, and then came the biggest effect and internal exposure, which is the rise and conversion of Cassius Clay to Muhammad Ali and to Islam. I think that was a turning point in the relation between Islam and America, no one in my opinion has exposed Islam at that time to America like Muhammad Ali. The whole world loved this boxer and he was to the contrary of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam, on more peaceful side of the message and maybe closer to the Arab original Islam than the previous one; Nation of Islam, run right now by Farrakhan. It is though must be said that America looked at that part of Islam as not the regular Islam, the Arab Islam, but as part of the struggle for civil liberties and looked at the African Americans Muslims as not part of the overall so called regular Muslims. As a matter of fact, there is truth to that overview which is the Islam preached by groups in the US such as the Nation of Islam is not the version used in other countries and not in the Arab World; in the US, African American Islamic style is more closer to the evangelical Christianity in type and style as the heads of these Islamic organizations calling themselves ministers instead of Imams and have sermons and such. Muhammad Ali still drew the attention and very cleverly- intentionally or not- toured the Arab and Muslim countries and established a connection and bondage; Malcolm X did the same before him but Malcolm was portrayed as very radical and even violent. In 1975, following the fourth Arab Israeli war, Saudi Arabia lead the oil boycott to the Western world and that was a turning point as well in the relations with Islam but still the focus was on the Arab as a whole and not necessarily Islam. The media started after that to connect Islam and the Arabs and started to mix between the belief and the politics, looking at the religion as the reason for the problem rather than looking at the politics and the people. In 1979, following the fall of the Shah, which is a by itself a story, because the US decided that it was time for him and the imperial regime to go, the Iranian clerics revolution started, won, captured Iran and then the hostages of the American Embassy and the longest ordeal for Americans. That episode was a huge humiliation for America and the former president Carter did not handle or did not want to handle. America decided again to let that version of Islam, the Shiite Islam to win and thrive and in the package came the rise of a different Islam, not the core Sunni Islam as the majority of Muslims believe but what I like to call the Iranian Islam. The radical political system that for the first time in modern history- mid 18th century maybe- used the religion with all of its' magnetic power to portray and create a struggle between the divine religions. The regular/average person in the street did not see anything else but radicals calling themselves Muslims hijacking, kidnapping and killings, as in the same period the series of kidnapping American and Westerners in Beirut Lebanon. Everything was working to elevate Islam to world prominence but in a radical and not friendly way. The whole world started to fear the Arabs and Muslims not because they were competitive but because of the oil and because of that portrayed Islam, that is the radical version, not necessarily only the Iranian version but other versions that are more radical and more deadly. In the 90s, we witnessed the rise of the so called the Mujahedeen, those mainly Arabs and Asians, Pakistanis and Afghani fighters who fought with America, Europe, and the Sunni Arab countries, the soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Those groups proved the deadliest, the most fanatic and from that point we started to see the rise of a third or fourth version of Islam, run mainly by Sunni Arabs from Saudi Arabia and Egypt, from wealthy families and from highly educated classes. The message, this version, used later on to portray Islam as not a religion, lest to say a divine religions, but a tool to destroy civilizations and ways of life and liberties. That version of Islam, contrary to the Iranian Islam which mainly is a media propaganda more than action, lived up to it’s reputation and expectations and it started the terror stream with the 1993 first attempt at the world trade center in New York City and then the ultimate terror attack on America, the 9/11/2001 destruction of the twin towers in New York City, the attack on the pentagon and the explosion of a hijacked plane in Pennsylvania. From that point on although America started to draw the distinction between the evil powers of AL-Qaeda, Taliban and other terrorists, radicals and fanatics, the average person already established a foundation that the evil is not in the person but in the religion. The average person in America in the process were helped or actually was mouth fed hatred through organizations and religious groups that in the name of the divine Christian religion portrayed Islam as whole and in parts as an evil tool and that is not American and it is not "one of us". It also did not help that the new Pope of the Catholics called in a conference in Europe, Islam as a religion of violence. In America, Catholicism is very strong, but the message was among certain Protestants and Catholics. Still the majorities of Americans are smart, pragmatic, practical and like to learn, if there is a country in the world that like to be better, to learn more, to seek justice, it is America. The great example right now is in the debate going on, in the Mayor of the city that was attacked on 09/11 and his support to the mosque to be built where it is now. The exposure I think will benefit Islam; will show America that it is- as Muslims believe- a divine religion as Judaism and Christianity, followed by almost two billions of people, that in Islam the teachings are clear, it identifies Moses and Jesus as prophets of God as Muhammad and the majority of Muslims like any faith are normal, peace loving people. America is also watching and seeing incidents and terror attacks from those that call themselves Christians trying in the name of the divine religion to harm Muslims just because of their religion. The most recent example is the attack by a fanatic in New York City just few days ago, on a Taxi driver after that fanatic asked him about his religion and the Taxi driver answered by that he was a Muslim.

Mosque In America...Part II by Jamil Shawwa

Before I get to the bottom line here, I heard in the news that the Imam-the head of the proposed mosque- went on a trip to Arab and Islamic countries to get guidance on how to deal with the mosque issues in New York City. If it is the case, then we have a problem. First, the Islamic and Arab countries are the last on earth to give a comprehensive advice regarding their own affairs and their dealing with their own people, they have no credibility in and out, lest to say to give an advice on an American issue first and foremost. The mosque is not an Islamic world or Arab world issue, it is an American issue, and the mosque is an American mosque. It is an American problem. Second: this Imam, if the story is true, would have made a mistake in transforming again an American issue to the outside world, what next, go to Iran, the masters of deception, hypocrisy and demagoguery to get an advice. This Imam would, if it were the case, put an end to what it looks like a decent and normal request to build a place of faith that got all the necessary licenses. The issue right now is not Muslim, mosque, or ground zero buildings, the issue goes deep into what we believe in as Americans, do we believe in our constituation or do we believe in the constitution if it fits certain criteria and certain people or certain beliefs. Do we believe that Islam is part of the American recognized package of faiths or not, and I will go further, do we believe that Islam is an American religion as Judaism and Christianity or not. Everyone who is standing for everything that is American is being tarnished and distorted and on top of the list is the president of the Untied States who is getting accused of everything that there is to be accused of because he acted as any president should act and protects the rights granted in the US constitution to all Americans. There is a campaign to terrorize anyone that stands for the constitution and this must be stopped, not because it is right or wrong, or because people are asking other people to be kind or nice, far from it. It must be stopped because it is unconstitutional and must be fought using all the legal means.    The conversation right now is getting even more dangerous in my opinion. Those that are opposing the idea of the mosque altogether are expressing it freely and directly which is healthy. The problem in my opinion resides with those that are not opposing the mosque creation and building, but is with those that are opposing the location and the signals of having it next to ground zero in New York City. These voices ranging from Sara Palin, to Karen Hughes, George W. Bush's press secretary, to others in the media, asking Muslims to understand the feelings and to appreciate the emotions of those that lost loved ones during the 9/11 terrorists’ attacks. Those voices are the dangerous ones, they are asking the Muslims to go to a corner, to be isolated, to have certain areas that they can build their mosques on and that they cannot, they are asking the Muslims to be treated like the Japanese during World War II, isolate them to protect them. Today is New York City ground zero, tomorrow is a mosque location in Tennessee, next week who knows. Maybe we will start hearing voices asking to expel Muslims from the United States because we care about them and we do not want to hurt them. We are hearing all kinds of things that are to say the least against everything this Republic called America was built on. We are hearing people asking to repel the 14th amendment to the constitution that grant US citizenship to any one that is born in the US, we are having demagogues running the State of Arizona and creating a law that would create in that desert state on the border of Mexico a police state; the federal government right now is fighting this law rightly so as unconstitutional. The stories goes on and on. In the news today, a woman claims that she did not get a job at Disney because she wears the Hijab, head cover. Muslims are afraid to say what they are and what they believe in, stories of people all over the US afraid of going to Friday prayers, the weekly prayers for Muslims, equivalent to Saturday for the Jewish faith and Sunday for the Christian faith, fearing that they will be exposed. Where are we now and where are we heading; all this must be stopped, all these none-American fear campaigns, though it is fine to express freely, must not go beyond expression. If we allow few tens of people amongst over 308 million Americans, the US population according to the 2010 Census bureau, to terrorize the media and the politicians and dictate a life style that to say the least truly very dangerous, but deny legitimate entities, by legitimate American citizens form expressing their legitimate and constitutional right to build and practice their religion anywhere in America, then, in my opinion, this would be a catastrophic constitutional breach that should be fought using all the legal and the constitutional means. For God's sake, we allow anyone to build anything in America as long as they have the necessary licenses. As silly as it might seems and sounds, I like this Right to continue.

Mosque in America....by Jamil Shawwa

I compiled this piece from comments, among other notes, that I wrote so far about the Mosque debate that is going on in New York City and in America right now. Islam has never been exposed in the United States the way it is right now, and I just love the exposure. Exposure creates on the long run understanding, debates and deliberations create acceptance to facts or opinions or at least they create an opportunity for inclusion rather than exclusion. This -so far- peaceful fight about building a mosque and an Islamic community center in New York City is healthy; it is bringing America more closer to religious tolerance, it is making the words of freedom of religion and freedom of speech not only mere words but actions. The Mosque issue is getting political; is it not every issue, it is also bringing up Obama’s background again, people are connecting Obama’s heritage from his father's side to his stance on the mosque. The president's family from his father side is Muslims- as he said- but he is not. Again, the debate is in part political and people from both sides of the isles will jump on this Mosque business and try to score some points, settle some accords, and satisfy the few that have this point or that. November and the midterm elections are coming, so let us watch and see. But regardless, we need to start looking at people not from the very narrow lens of whether they are like us or not but from the wide spectrum of who they are, what they stand for and what are their actions and behaviors. America needs to see Islam from the window of that it has more than one billion and a half billion followers who believe that Islam is a divine religion as Judaism and Christianity. America showed its' greatness and its' ability to evolve and be smart when it elected Obama as president. I think the Mosque issue is giving the Americans a fantastic opportunity to look closer at the relationship between religions and people. Religions, all of them, especially the divine ones, as believers believe, are words of God. Actions and interpretations of the religions or a religion are completely different from the religion itself. You have good and bad, criminals and decent, terrorists and those who believe in change through peaceful means, among all three divine religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. But America is embracing Islam and it is evolving. We will continue to have people who love and hate, like and dislike, so let it be, it is part of human life, but at the end- in America- practicality and pragmatism will prevail as a general rule when it comes with dealing with events and people regardless of their background. The interesting part of all this debate is not the mosque or the building or the people, but the location. The project to be completed would be in a building very close to the grounds of the 9/11 terrorists attacks. From the president, to Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City rejecting the calls against building a Muslim community center near ground zero. Bloomberg also criticized Sara Palin for her tweet few weeks ago asking "peace-loving Muslims to reject the mosque". This Palin does not seize an opportunity to prove everyday to all of us as to why we prefer Jennies' to some human beings. The regular person in the street, everyone is getting into the mix and voicing an opinion. I like it! I like it when people talk and debate and discuss; it is so civilized. At the end of the day, America must stand by its' original principles of freedom of religion, and freedom of speech. Once we surrender this right, then we would be surrendering every right in the Bill of Rights that was written by the founding fathers, and we surrender our constitution and our liberties. The building of the Mosque in New York City got the needed approval. I mean, this is America; it is for all faiths and believes. Same position I would have taken if it was for a church or a synagogue or any place of worship. I would have used the same words and the same sentences if this happened to a synagogue or a church. As for some behaviors from some people calling the Mosque or the people who are running it as terrorists just because of their belief, it is unfortunately human and you find it in every country and every nation on earth. Different concepts and issues but same behavior. It is a free country and people can have and share different opinions.

Doctors and Plumbers...Part V....by Jamil Shawwa

The doctor with a title of assistant professor kept calling, he wants to do more exams and said that he wanted to make sure, because he was surprised from the results of the previous exams. He said that he cared and maybe he did, but again he was the same doctor that kept saying it is nothing else but Cancer, and kept going on and on how to cope with this disease. The patient decided to go along; I mean that doctor was like a used cars salesman trying to convince the poor buyer that this is the deal of century. He suggested another full Ct Scan, called the Pet Scan which covers the whole body and this of course has to have appetizers with it or before taking it; liquids and such that makes the patient afterward wants to live in the bathroom to get rid of all these liquids. The exam was done and the professor was amazed again, it seems that this doctor keeps getting amazed every time he conducts or orders an exam as a first year medical student. This is the same doctor that asked me in previous articles If I were in the medical field when I questioned the necessity of all these exams and I said no and that I belong to another "distinguished" profession; Law. Maybe they got scared when I mentioned Law and decided to do all the necessary and the unnecessary exams just in case, they thought maybe that this person might be trouble. The necessity has always been for patients to have a PCP-Primary Care Physician- that would act like the straw in a drink, or like the hub and the point of contact and would act on behalf of the patients to coordinate all types of exams and then address with eh patient. If you do not have a PCP or a qualified PCP then you might be in trouble because of the contradictions sometimes in the diagnosis and the contradiction in providing the information or channeling it accurately to the patient. Another important job for the PCP in my opinion is to provide a history of the patient and include the emotional part of the treatment. Sickness sometimes might look like a serious disease but it might turn to be something that the patient was born with or something that looks like a serious disease I am concerned about millions of people who go away victims to medical malpractice, ignorance, and doctors/students experiments. I think medical institutions should have like some restaurants a quality control department that would check the food and the dishes before delivering to their customers. The PCP can act in this capacity but in the same time, the hospital must do the same. Prevention in everything is paramount, meaning to try to predict things before happening and put the necessary measures to prevent and then act swiftly once they happen, because you would have a process in place. Prevention, predictability like any business in the name of the game, I say business because medicine is a multi billion dollars business in the USA and you cannot ignore this fact, but it is the business of life, and therefore the measure must be elevated to the highest level of transparency, competency, prevention, predictability, accuracy, and thoroughness. Might cost at the front end, but when it comes to the bottom line it will save tremendous amount of money but most importantly, it will save lives, even if it saves one human being.

Doctors and Plumbers…..Part IV by Jamil Shawwa

The biopsies are finely here, and the doctors are cheering but not necessarily the results but the process. See, right now in the hospitals, specially the educational ones, those that are connected and part of the colleges of medicine, professors, who are in the same time treating doctors, take an opportunity to experiment their mental and medical strength. Who else would be genipigs on their experiments than the patients. The medical apparatus has to go through the process, the checklist, the procedures, what the book says, and what the lab reports indicate. In the midst of all this, the patient is last to be concerned about. As long as all in place, so supposedly, the patient will be fine, the patient is the last concern, he or she is that invisible annoying creature that doctors feel would probably destroy their mental heaven of living in an unreal world of book theories. They hate it when the theories collide with reality; they hate it when they are wrong. Some prefer that the patient would just disappear than for them to be proven wrong. The biopsies are here, and the doctors this time after the cheers above are in shook. The theory again collided with reality, what they have learned have proven to be wrong for now, but still wrong, but they will not admit. all the reports. All the so called examinations, all their fake degrees and robes and their tags with the title doctor on them, maybe by mistake instead of putting, plumber, they put doctor, proven again to be wrong. These doctors are like those psychiatrists that become themselves the residents of mental institutions because what they have Learned in many cases crash on top of the real thing, that the human is unique and no amount of study, lab reports, biopsies, would substitute from the need to dig deep and treat each human as the unique creature, that they are. The biopsies are here, and the results are negative, I can hear the cries all over the hospital, not the cries of joy but the cries of shame and embarrassment, they are, the geniuses, so called doctors and plumbers, are proven wrong again. They look at their degrees and they start to question everything, the theory, the seven years for medical school, their professors. See, they were taught that the theory is never wrong, that if the theory and reality collide, then reality must be wrong, then the patient must be wrong, then the patient is not responding to the theory, see how dangerous this mental analysis is, the patient is the last of the concern, they-the patients-are just annoying creatures that doctors must attend to them, to prove their theories, nothing more, nothing less. The biopsies are in, and the doctors are scrambling to see what they can do, what went wrong, not with them, but with the patient, the results are in, and now it is time for the war room at the hospital to come up with a genius answer to their mistakes, to their negligence, to their arrogance, to their elitist look at anything and anyone that is called human, the book, in their book, is more important than the human, the human is the genipigs, nothing, no one, the book is everything, the book that got them their degrees and not the human. They must adhere to their professors, books and theory no matter what and in that course, the human is irrelevant. The biopsies are in and the plumbers/doctors are still in the war room, with the red light on, the doors closed, studying not what went wrong with them, their theories, their diagnosis, all that is irrelevant, what is relevant to them is how they can save face, that is it what all about, saving face and behind and not saving life, saving life can wait, but the theory cannot. The biopsies are in and the war room is still in and everyone is waiting for the big one to decide, and the decision is here from the big one, of course you need to inform the patient of the results but then you must follow that or doing that, with straight face, with a disappearing smile, with a serious demeanor and you must tell the patient that you care about them, that it is all about the patient and that, it is all about saving life and not saving budgets, and not expanding the hospital and not about buying another managed care, or taking over another investment, and it is not about the stock prices and the shareholders, and that it is all about you, the genipigs, the nobody, the annoying creature, that is called a human being. The biopsies are in and the resolution is; more tests, more Scans. The biopsies are in, but the reassuring result that all doctors were waiting for is not in, all the doctors/plumbers wanted really is for the theory to be proven right, is for the theory to match the results. But it did not, it did not, and the only solution is to order more of the same, more torture to the patient, more running around different labs to satisfied the craziness in those that were for seven years been tortured by the medical apparatus, and now, that they have themselves become part of that apparatus, it is their time to practice the same thing, it is time for them to enjoy the joy of showing how the theory is paramount to anything else; the problem is in you, the human being.

The Druze Leader, Walid Jumblatt, El-Beik, ( البيك, وليد جنبلاط‎) Analysis by Jamil Shawwa

*El-Beik Switches positions and switches alliances faster and more frequent than a baby in a candy store- I love to keep using this analogy. He learned the lesson early on and mastered the deadly political game in Lebanon.

A deadly game for those that do not know how to play it or do not want to play it, but not for the Beik.

In 1976, at the height of the Lebanese civil war, his father the former and late leader of the Druze in Lebanon and the leader of the Socialist Progressive Party, was assassinated by the usual suspect in Lebanon, Syria, El-Beik knows that and the whole world knows that-could be others but Syria for years carried that 'honor'; the honor of being known as the killer and the assassin and the murderer in Lebanon.

His father, Kamal Jumblatt, was not like the son, probably he would have wished to be as clever as the son, maybe he would have been here and the son still in **El-Mukhtara being the playboy he is and leaving the politics and baby-sitting Syria to his old man.

***The Druze, a tribe, a religion, a way of life, exists in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel. There is a whole mountain area in Syria named after them, the Druze Mountain, in Arabic, Jabal El-Druze. The most prominent Druze families have been Jumblatt, Arslan and Al-Atrash in Syria, Jumblatt is the strongest now and he has been for years, Arslan succumbed to this fact. Still, the two families are relatives; I think Walid’s mother is from the Arslan family, Mai Arslan. Walid Jumblatt is also considered the supreme leader of the Druze all over the world.

He managed to gather them from all countries where they exist, in two conferences so far, the first was in Amman- Jordan few years ago and the second was in Lebanon just few weeks ago; every leader came including the Druze leaders in Israel. In Israel, the Druze live well, they are loyal citizens of the State of Israel and they serve as soldiers and officers in the Israeli military.

In Lebanon, they maybe have the most say; they make and break things as every clan or religious group in Lebanon. In addition, Walid Jumblatt in Lebanon plays the role of the Arab Nationalist who he is not and the Arab nationalism itself is an idea and an illusion that never really flew or got traction anywhere, it was a romantic concept that never been explained, identified or materialized and probably never will unless new thoughtful inclusive leaders come along and recognize all ethnic groups that make up the Middle East now.

Walid runs and leads the Democratic Progressive party and claims to be the savior of the poor and he is one of the largest landlords in the area. In Lebanon, the tribe, the group, the family is more important than the country, in Lebanon, there is no country, but a land that is divided by old families and deep-rooted hatreds.

Alliances change and leaders who do not keep up are assassinated. Walid Beik mastered all this. In 2005, the Sunni leader and former prime minister Rafik Hariri was assassinated, the whole world condemned, and the United States ordered Syria to leave Lebanon, Syria has been in Lebanon since 1976 as a peacekeeping turned occupying force and did not leave until after 2005 and the assassination of El-Hariri.

Jumblatt at the time accused Syria directly of assassinating Hariri and called the Syrian president Bashar El-Assad, retarded and criminal. He stayed on that position until recently, it was time again to switch sides, there is an international criminal court waiting to indict the suspects in Syria and Lebanon for the assassination of the Lebanese leader El Hariri.

Now, few days ago, Elbeik paid a visit to his on and off enemy, Syria and Bashar El Assad, and declared from there that Syria is a "true" ally of Lebanon and that he made a mistake by condemning Syria.

Actually, he apologized for being honest, he knows honesty is a not a word the Lebanese political politburo likes to hear, it is not a word the Lebanese or the Syrian regimes understand or believe in or appreciate. In politics anyway, it is not easy to be honest and maybe you do not have to or you cannot be honest all the time but some can master the game more than others.

El-Beik so far has done it.


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* Old, original Turkish- from the day of the Ottoman Empire- title of respect. The rank used to start with Afandi, then Beik or Bek, then the top, Pasha. Now in the Middle East, these titles are used but not officially, they are not titles given by the state any more.



** The residence of the Jumblatt family and the symbol of the Druze power and presence.



*** "Theologically, Druze consider themselves "an Islamic Unist, reformatory sect". The Druze call themselves Ahl al-Tawhid "People of Unitarianism or Monotheism" or al-Muwaḥḥidūn "Unitarians, Monotheists." source and qoute from Wikipedia.

Doctors and Plumbers... Part III... by Jamil Shawwa

The issues persist when tests do not give a clear picture and doctors scramble to either assume the worst, speculate or improvise to show that they know what they are talking about. Patients now are like customers in fast food outlets, fixed menus, same ingredients; most doctors do not have either the knowledge, training or the time to dig deep. They admitted it, that they cannot dig deep, software and machines do the job and prescribe. They do a biopsy and they say that it will take few weeks, then they call the following day and say, tests results are ready but it is inconclusive and that they need to do another biopsy. Another thing that is big these days, which is being frank with the patient and straightforward about their condition, which sometimes can come across as obnoxious especially if the same doctor repeats the same thing. the conversation was as follow- I just want to tell you that it is cancer, I mean that is it, it is cancer,  but we do not know how serious it is and how big, and where and how and if and but. Imagine how such nonsense would help a patient who is supposedly with a serious disease. You signal to the doctor to be discreet but then they ask you- Sir, are you in the medical field, and you answer, no I am a lawyer by education, conversation ends. Right now, there are many players in the medical field, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals experimenting medicines, labs, specialists, malpractice and lawyers ready to jump on medical mistakes; the fear of being sued for wrongful diagnosis, I mean the doctor also performs with fear of being sued for either negligence, stupidity or just bad luck. Therefore, we have also to understand that doctors perform under tremendous pressure, I am not going to be so hard on them, it is not easy, I fully understand. Insurance companies decide as well, on the type of treatment covered, unless a doctor overrides them and usually it is not easy or that common. In order for you to get a custom tailored treatment, you have either to be a millionaire, top executive in companies, top government official, or work for institutions that have excellent coverage. Still, there is one factor that could make a difference which is the power of your perseverance, insisting to get the exams, being proactive on your condition, if you can, and just keep trying. It is tough to be sick, and may God bless you and have mercy on you if you have one of those plumbers/doctors.

Doctors and Plumbers ..Part II by Jamil Shawwa

The story gets complicated, that is the relation between the treating doctor and the patient, when the sickness is not related to one area in the body and it needs different departments and doctors to be involved. So, now you have few things going on, and each doctor has an interpretation from the angle of his or her field only. Here is the problem, you get an exam that would clear that very narrow area from anything bad and then you find out the next-door neighbor, and in this case, another adjacent organ is not well. The question is why that doctor could not see the big picture or even the full picture. The questions keep going, is it possible that they saw it but because it is not their specialty they either ignore or refer to someone else. Do doctors have the time with all this volume to give each patient the time they deserve. I really do not think so. Once there is a picture or there is clarity, you start looking for that doctor, if you find one, which can connect the dots together and provide an analysis to what needs to be done. I do not think it happens efficiently. The other day a doctor came to the patient and asked her if she knew what the next step would be and what kind of an examination is next. I am astonished to say the least. A treating doctor would ask the patient such a stupid question. Then after that or before that you have another layer of doctors who somehow related to that sickness coming and asking the same questions that other doctors asked. The patient is in dilemma here, to keep answering or show an attitude. Either way is painful. The answer I have is that those badly trained medical providers are going based on what the management company of the hospitals are asking them to do, a routine that does not make sense, that rob the profession from it’s glorious mission of saving lives or at least trying to save lives. So the patient typically with an interdepartmental sickness would be in a limbo of what is the next step, the doctors, each talking on his own, from his angle and then maybe at some point coordinate. Here is what it should be done from a management point of view. Once an example of that magnitude- the condition- arises, the hospital or someone or group should assign a point of contact, hub, a doctor of course, that would coordinate all activities and all information would be channeled through him or her and then to the patient. One voice for the many. It can be done, and hospitals should not talk budget too much otherwise they need to get out of this profession of saving lives and get into a similar profession or position and save toilets and pipes, and be plumbers.

Doctors and Plumbers...by Jamil Shawwa

Professions intertwine in a very interesting way when you stop, or you do not, but look or notice the similarities. Probably all human professions from the Garbage collector or the sewage worker, that is if we agree that these professions are maybe the lowest or at the bottom of the rank, to the head of state, president, queen, king, emperor, or as in the case of *Kim Jung IL, the most prominent and talented leader, whom has the title of the supreme leader, have something to do with essential human functions**. I am now and for the purpose of this article have for some time intrigued by the unbelievable and uncanny similarities between plumbers and Medical Doctors. They both deal with life function that without it no human can live or at least, cannot live for long. Plumbers maintain the functionality of the toilets, bidets, faucets, water pipes, gas pipes and then making sure that these pipes function for it's or in the direction of it's ultimate purpose. I mean I do not have to be graphic here, but you know, the restroom and the bathroom routine, I mean what if it's clogged, you bring the plumber, and this plumber would use many tools to ensure the smooth flow of the business in the toilets or the bathtub where it should ultimately reside; which is the sewage and from there we have another human function and another story. Doctors are the same, the have a body that is already there, and their job, if they do it right, is to ensure that all these pipes and all these organs function normally. Their job, the doctors or the talented ones at least, is to detect and prevent. Detect signs of certain things that might come your way and prevent those things or other expected things from developing into potential malicious objects, of course as much as they can do, sometimes no one can do anything. The magic word here I think is try, Doctors these days, generally speaking, do not try. Humans to them are numbers, objects, annoyance that they have to deal with. Technology have advanced so far that some doctors put their patients on a computer that will run a cycle of their symptoms and then prescribe the suitable medicine from the point view of the software, and at the end, the doctor, in this case, actually, the Jackass, would come, put a smile on his or her face and shake the hands and wish you well. See, doctors have become like greeters in Malls or shopping centers, their job is to greet you at the entrance and then wish you well when you leave. In between, you really deal with scores of nurses, lab technicians, and more nurses. Plumbers in a way are the same, except that they do the job themselves, they usually come to your home when a pipe is broken, a toilet is clogged, and similar things. The good ones, fix, detect possible signs of future or down the road problems and plan a prevention roadmap. See what I just wrote, it could be a mantra for anything in life. Again, fix, detect and prevent. The majority of the plumbers and the medical doctors are no longer do the things, I just mentioned. They fix, temporarily until it breaks again, and then they fix again and the cycle continues. Countries and among them the richest as the United States spend billions every year either in government funds or charities on research to prevent diseases, to fight epidemics, in advertisement on how do this and that but they do not invest, or invest enough in the most important aspect of this process or prevention in my opinion; the medical doctor, the student, the graduate, the resident. Universities- where it all should develop- are even worse; I have met many so-called resident doctors that I had to tell them what to do, what to check, what to detect, how to treat each human as a unique person that he or she is and not just a case. It is a shame the state of medicine not only here in the United States but all over the world. Go to the Middle East, and your heart will be broken. Invest in the human being and your investment will quadruple, and will multiply in a magical way, one investment, could save at least one life. To me this is the ultimate investment.


*Read: The Iraqi Donkeys Association: http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/07/iraqi-donkey-associationby-jamil-shawwa.html
**Read: Garbage: http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/03/concepts-and-cultures-part-ii-garbage.html

Mama, the birds are knocking, a view from the E.R .......by Jamil Shawwa

He is preparing for his Friday visit, as he does every Friday, but this Friday is not as any other Friday. It is bringing memories of his Father's birthday that happened to be on Tuesday of this week and bringing memories of that day in that place with that doctor when they spread the news that his father had an incurable form of cancer. This deadly unbeatable terrorist decided to visit this family again, after the father, it is the mother's turn. The thoughts are mixed with tears coming from his eyes, with all those visits and all these places that he used to take his mother to, spend few hours and take her back. All she wanted he guessed- late as usual, as any parent is to spend time with her sons and daughters, it did not matter where and it did not matter how long as long as it was with her son, on a Friday; his day off during the week. The thoughts continues as he drives, she used to live in another building with his sister and she used to stand by the window in that highrise knowing in advance when her son would arrive just to get ready; she hated to dress up before he arrives, and she did not like his tricky ways of calling her from far enough so when he arrives, she would be waiting for him and he would not have to wait by the entrance staring at the glassy door waiting for her to arrive so he would jump and open the door for her. She used to look forward to those visits from that son. He is getting closer to her new house, she just bought a new apartment with his sister, moved in, and started to have a new life and she is looking forward to new things, she wanted to visit Niagara falls, who knows, maybe she still could. His father passed about thirteen years ago couple of months from now, it was October, and when he passed she cried her lungs out, he was her companion, maybe their life was not all honey and milk but he was her companion. She looked in that night at him and said that the one who loved him has died, and he replied that God bless you, you are here. Now, it is her turn but who knows, God bless her, she is with him, it does not mater how long, it is so irrelevant with a disease like cancer, it is a minute by minute, moment by moment, smile by smile, touch by touch. No looking forward here, really, it is just looking and capturing this moment and the rest to be dealt with when it comes. He arrived, with heavy steps, called in, his sister opened, went to his mother who looked with weak eyes, and talked with heavy voice, she was in her new bed, enjoying the views of the outside, he can see her birds knocking at her windows, she loved to feed the birds, she would even in the nicest restaurants insist in taking the soft heart of the bread, crumble it, put it in a tissue, put it in her bag so she can feed her birds. Those same birds probably were the ones that have been knocking on his windows trying to send him a message that he got, as usual, late. They, the birds, for the past two weeks have been coming, same time that terrorist has started to attack this innocent creature that never in her life has been happier than when she used to see other people happy. He has always been amazed at this mother, her happiness in giving others what she has, what she owns. His father God bless his soul was the same. They both were like that; they were happy helping people even when they did not have much. All they wanted, just that really, was appreciation or good treatment. Nothing more. They were very generous but they both would revolt if they were treated badly. He kissed her hands as he usually does and her cheeks. He told her you look fantastic, it is time for lunch. She looked, smiled, and said that she cannot, maybe next week; she said that with a smile, not as clear as the first one. He insisted as he usually does, maybe he is selfish, he wanted to have his lunch in his regular time, but not this time, he was not selfish, he really wanted to treat his mother to an exclusive lunch at his exclusive place, but it did not meant to be. His sister broke the news, the hospital called and she was to be admitted to do further examinations, so instead of the Friday lunch at that place, it was the Friday at the Emergency Room; Cancer is prevailing again, he is again hitting the pure and the innocent. He is again sending the same message as the rest of the terrorists all over the world, which he, Cancer, will hit hard, and will strike bad. He is telling us to add him to the list of his peers, the terrorists, to the list that we have, we have to add actually all the names of this one terrorist, and he has many names and many faces. The bag is prepared, but this time not to deliver a baby as she did when she delivered her sons and the daughters, the bag is prepared today to take it with her to the E.R. They drove in two cars, got into the E.R, into the Triage Room, and then admitted inside the E.R. From there, the journey began, the routine started, doves of nurses coming and going, few doctors appearing and disappearing, tons of questions asked and tons of answers delivered. After that ordeal, she was admitted to her regular room, her room for the coming few days. She got situated, turned the TV on to her favorite channel, went for another exam, C-Scan and came back. In all this, she did not forget her son, the demanding one, the spoiled one with his routine that was broken today; he did not care, he is enjoying every moment with his mother. She ordered him and his sister to get some lunch, actually, it was an early dinner, and she requested some, a consume, chicken. He ate and they ate, the atmosphere is somber, but not depressed, the doctors had to be frank with her and told her the expectations and the diagnosis; strangely, she felt wonderful after that, as if a burden has been lifted off her tired shoulders, she was quiet, normal, smiling, she is happy, no more torture, no more wondering, no more speculating. She looked back, I remember, and up and down and all of a sudden, the bird that she used to feed, came knocking again, she looked at him, and to his astonishment and amazement, she pointed to her bag, and she got an old tissue, handed to him, asked him to go out and spread the bread crumbs. She said do not worry, the birds are following me, they are as he is, have a routine, and they expect their meal on time so go and feed them. She looked again, and said that she read what he wrote yesterday and raised her head and smiled and told him, hey listen to me, we are going to beat this terrorist this time, go and feed the birds, smoke a cigarette as you usually do and come back, we have work to do.

The Deadly, the unbeatable Terrorist…by Jamil Shawwa

None can beat him, it is just unbeatable, billions spent to catch him, but no use; he is invisible. He exists everywhere, in every country in every town, in every society, everyone knows his name, how he looks but no one still can catch him, no one can beat him.

It does not know the rich or the poor, it does not know the Muslim, The Christian, the Jewish, the Hindu, the Buddhist; to him they are all the same and they all hate him and he hates himself.

He does not give early warnings, though sometimes it knocks hard, it uses all kinds of weapons to alert, to indicate that something terrible is coming, the lucky might escape him, to the majority, it just strikes once and that is it. It might give you some time, but usually not long.

Horrible, horrible thing, you cannot negotiate with him, you cannot talk to him, you cannot even try. He does not talk, he strikes. If he disappears in one part, he appears in the other. You eliminate him here, and it appears there, or maybe he has relatives everywhere, or maybe while in the process of striking, he just creates smaller killers that come from him and through him to attack the different parts, those that are vital and those that are not, See, to him the attack which counts, and not who and where.

None believed and believes that it could be them; people are arrogant, lazy, ignorant or just too laid back that they keep saying impossible, it cannot be me; I did not do anything to hurt him, it is impossible to attack me. They do not know that the most pacifists might be and in millions those that are attacked first.

A monster that branches out mercilessly, a blind attacker, a terrorist, a pit-bull with no cure. It attacks the good and the evil, those that pray and those that do not believe in anything. When it attacks, it does not ask for an identity card, it does not ask for a passport. When it travels, it does not need a permission or Visa to arrive or to land, no one can stop him, no one can detect him and if detected, it cannot be eliminated. Once it hits, it is usually deadly. It is the worst killer since the beginning of humankind and humanity.

He knows that every human being hates him but he does not care, he knows that it hates himself, but to him, it is a badge of honor, no one ever scared humanity as he does.

I will reveal his name, but I do not have any advice to beat him, nor does anyone have any advice to eliminate him, if they tell you they have, then they are just disillusioned. Cancer is the name and horror is the game! Enough said.

The Iraqi Donkeys Association…….by Jamil Shawwa

Four stories- all are real and that is the beauty of it- in the news last week inspired me to write this one. 

It started few days ago, as I was browsing the newspapers, I came across a very exciting piece of news about my favorite animal, the Jackass. The news stated that in Kurdistan Iraq- see, Iraq now in actuality is divided between the Shiite, the Sunni and the Kurds- where the rich soil of oil exists and still new fields to be discovered- a political party by the name of the Iraqi Donkeys Association was licensed, was recognized and granted permission to operate by the regional Kurd government. 

I did not hear anything about taking the opinion of the central government in Baghdad, but anyway, no matter what is the opinion there, we all know that it is irrelevant, the Kurds run their affairs either Baghdad likes it or not. The president of Iraq is a Kurd now, a symbolic position as the actual power resides in the prime minister -Shiite- but still symbols matter in a country that has been suppressed under the former Baath party and other dictators since the bloody coup of 1958 that toppled and killed the royal Hashemite family, cousins of the current royal family in Jordan. 

Back to the donkey association; this political party elected a board of governors and gave the members titles range from mule- the result of a relation between a horse and a donkey- for the big ones, and donkey fort regular members or the rest. Their radio station brays and hee-haw all the time and the headquarter of the party is in a stable, that is a donkey’s stable. 

The second story came from Newark, New Jersey where the Mayor of that city decided as part of his brainstorming or his braying to eliminate the toilette papers from the restrooms of the government offices, imagine, even a real donkey would be embraced to do such thing. 

The third story came, where else, the former capital of the proletarians, Russia, where a group of Nouveau Riche business people decided to parachute a donkey for advertisement purposes. 

The fourth and last so far, you know, it is still open for more members to join- I can add as we speak or write or bray- came from the father and the symbol of the human Jackals, Kim Jung IL of North Korea who threatened to declare war against the United States of America. 

Anyway, as soon as the Iraqi Donkey Association heard of the other three related story, they issued a declaration announcing the beginning of regionalizing and globalizing the donkey association to be a power in the world today, I mean you have the EU, you have the UN, The Arab League, the African Union, and other unions, so why not the donkeys. 

Anyway, the Kurds of Iraq who established the association sent the invitations, and the delegates started to arrive in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan in Iraq. The first to arrive was the big one and the inspiration, Kim Jung IL, then after that the Russian delegation headed by Vladdmir then came the Mayor of Newark. 

But all of a sudden while all the delegates were in the airport, two new planes asked for permission to land, oh, my God, screamed the head of the Iraqi donkeys association, we do not have enough hay to feed all these unexpected guests but wait a minute the uninvited guests were given permission to land: The first was Muammar Al-Gaddafi of Libya, the second plane had the Iranian Revolutionary guard symbol on it’s tale or bottom, it depends on how you look at things and how you look at Iran mullahs, and it carried Ahmadinejad the president of Iran accompanying him Hassan Nasrala (Rasputin Lebanon) of Hezbolla in Lebanon-another donkey and worst. 

The Iraqi said ok, no problem, the more the merrier. The delegates assembled in the big stable of the donkeys’ world headquarter and the first line of business was to elect the board of governors of the world donkey association.




 Here are the results:

Kim Jung IL: Chairman (son Kim Jong-un took over)

The Russians- Vladimir qualifies after the Russian olympics drugs usage elimination: Vice Chairman

And:

Gaddafi: Treasurer, you know. the oil money of Libya can buy all the hay the association needs. Gaddafi killed during the 'Arab Spring'

The Mayor of Newark-New Jersey: Chief Executive office- after his success to eliminate the toilet papers from the city offices; who can compete with that.

Hassan Nasrala-aka Rasputin: Chief Operating Officer- Do you blame them, he, in 2006, had Beirut burned run for its life

The host country head of the Iraqi donkeys association was elected director of recruitment; after all, he assembled all these geniuses.

Ahmadinejad: director of propaganda, who can beat him in this (no longer president, Hasan Rouhani replaced him both here and in Iran)

And the story continues; this is just the first chapter….

PS: I should not have announced this article on Facebook before actually publishing it, I got an email while writing from the Iraqi Donkeys Association chairman inviting me to cover the event or be on a video conference, and it seems that they appreciate my efforts to spread the hee-haw all over the world. I responded and I said how could I address such dignitaries, I am just a commoner. He responded back and said what about an honorary membership, I said thanks; I appreciate the gesture!

Updates 08/08/2010:

New board members:

1-Chavez: president of Venezuela...ongoing stupidity regarding attacking the US, nationalizing foreign investments, making his oil rich country an outlaw country, fighting with neighbors specially Colombia for n reason. (Chavez died and was replaced by worse-Maduro who is one of the top donkeys in the world of politics today.

2-Zardari: President of Pakistan: on an international Tour while his country is drowning under floods. (no longer president)

3-Abed Atwan, owner of Al-Quds Al-Arabi, an Arabic London based newspaper. Ongoing articles about the Middle East that show demagoguery beyond belief, expert in twisting the news and put a spin on everything that defies reality.

4-Dr. Laura Schlessinger, a famed psychiatrist turned a Jenny. Kept using the N-word, a degrading racial slur, on a radio show while talking to an African-American listener. She did it in a way that only a 'Jenny' would do.

5- Osama Saraya, The Egyptian daily newspaper Al-Ahram, editor in chief, who altered the picture of President Mubarak to make him look walking in the front, in the White House gathering of the Middle Eastern leaders prior to the resumption of the negotiations, rather than in the back as the actual picture showed. He admits and says that he did it as an Expressive picture to show Egypt's leading role in the resumption of the negotiations in The Middle East. (no more editor)

6- Sarah Palin, a US presidential wanna be, a loser as vice president nominee in the 2008 elections with the republican nominee John McCain. Used terms that are controversial to describe her critics, last but not least was her usage of “Blood Libel” to describe her critics who accused her that he political rhetoric has incited criminals like that one who did the random shooting in Arizona, which killed and injured many people including a congresswoman Giffords.

7- Donald Trump: For repeating efforts to make a jackass of himself. He has been relentless in pushing to join the group, and finally he got it. Trump earned the "honorific" for keep questioning President Obama credentials as a an American citizen. (Trump was elected President of the United States in November 2017)

Chapter II:

1- All the selected members must be alive, the board cannot make fun of the dead, and it would be disrespectful. Yes, the Iraqi Donkeys Association can behave better than some humans can sometimes.

2- Terrorists and killers are not included-while Nasrala qualifies as a killer her but he is a part of a game of politics in the Middle East. The Donkeys Association cannot have under its name, low life killers.

3-The board applies only to those who hold public office or public figures; regular, private citizens, friends, family, Facebook members and no social participants will ever be subject to such thing.

(Edited and updated as much as possible)