The Muslim, Christian and Jewish Brotherhood... a view ...by Jamil Shawwa

For the strict purpose of this article, I am going to use two major powers- and then branch out- in the Middle East right now to make the point, The State of Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran. See, from the names of these countries you probably would know what I am going to talk about. I agree with the title or the name of Israel and I do not agree with the name of Iran. I do not agree with countries adding a religion or nationality to their names. Now, Israel can -and I said before- explains or decides that it is a Jewish state and Iran if it changes its name can decide that it is an Islamic country- as long as it is not in the name itself and as long as the countries that put a description respect civil liberties. I know in Israel, you can be anything and still live your life normally; you can have a mosque, a church and a synagogue. In Iran it is not the same, women have to cover their hair, have to abide by certain restrictions and the country imposes its description or it's version of religion on its citizens and others, Israel does not.

Few days ago in a discussion, I said-concerning the Muslim Brotherhood organization- that the official number of its members if it exists does not mean much to show the real strength of the group. The strength of the Brotherhood stems from many factors. The main factor in my opinion is that they are banned, and this makes them look mysterious and make ordinary people intrigued by the fact that the state keeps cracking down on them. Based on media and public pulse reports, the group could win the parliamentary elections not only in Egypt but also in Jordan, Syria, and other Arab countries if it is conducted completely freely. I know this scares moderates, liberals, and conservatives who feel that the religion's place is not in politics, or who oppose the theological system of government. The Muslim Brotherhood and other religion based political parties can participate in elections but only if they adapt the following: They must respect and obey civil liberties and civic societies, must respect and obey the liberal constitutions. They must obey and respect the people’s will in not using violence and terrorism to achieve political gains. They can of course have their political agendas and political maneuvers but they must recognize the right of the State of Israel to exist side by side with the new State of Palestine. The problem is not the Muslim Brotherhoods; the root cause resides in the Arab regimes, they are not elected freely, and they do not have the legitimacy to govern. Another problem is the constitutions of many Arab countries, how can you ban the Muslim Brotherhood and other religion based political parties if the preamble of many Arab countries constitutions states that the region is the only source for legislation. Contradictions and hypocrisy, I think.

I just cannot see going back as countries and cultures to have theological states although we have been seeing and witnessing a strict or even fanatic interpretation of the three divine religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam across the world. People are suffering from mental, spiritual vacuums, frustrations, disillusionment and financial distress. They are resorting to purity, spirituality that is found according to the minds of most humans in the holy books or faiths, in the beliefs. The different sects and interpretations within each faith still tear people apart. Religions in my thinking are personal, private, use them the way you want, cherish them, but to yourself and do not impose them. Go to your synagogue, to your church, to your mosque, to your temple, if you want but again do not force them. Mine is not better than yours and vice versa, should be the mantra. In Europe, there are political parties with a religion adjacent to its names, such as the Christian Democratic Party in Italy, but Italy is just Italy, not a theological state. The parties there though cherish the principles, do not impose them to change the state into a theological state. In the United States, we do not have parties with a religion name in particular but we have groups, such as the life groups that do not believe in abortion besides those who do not mind it. Fighting democratically for what you believe is fine, arguing, debating, deliberating, all are good as long as we stick to dialogues and not violence. Free societies usually do not strict political or religious parties from existence; you can have for example, a Jewish Brotherhood, or Christen Brotherhood or as in the Middle East right now and for generations the Muslim Brotherhood. I want to go further and say why not having all these organizations in the Middle East if someone or groups are interested. This is the point I want to make, if you allow a Muslim Brotherhood in the Middle East, then you cannot ban a Christen or Jewish Brotherhoods in the same place. The followers of the three religions exist and they have or should have the same rights. I really do not see a problem in naming a political party with a religion as long as this party respects the civil liberties and the civic and liberal societies that in my opinion the Middle East should be based on. The New Middle East, as I said before, will include both Israel and Palestine and will be based on civil liberties. Societies will evolve from using religions to attract or search for identity to have strong political processes based on the needs of the people and the changing times. Finally yet importantly, religions will always have tremendous force on its followers especially in a place like the Middle East, the birthplace of the three divine religions, but tolerance-probably- will prevail in general.

*State of Love V....He Is Not A Robot... by Jamil Shawwa

She: I am having mixed feelings, different thoughts. It seems that I like to contradict you in every occasion, maybe I am not interested anymore, maybe I am intimidated by you...

He: is it your time of the month?

She: stop this thing every time I express how I feel or open up to you and start saying what my mind try to keep.


He: sorry but I cannot endure this anymore, I have so far endured all kinds of experiments with you, I have survived the mental connection test, the mood swings, the ups and downs. Not sure what to do anymore. I do not want to be a lab mouse, a guinea pig for your eccentricities.

She: you are a quitter; you give up very easily. You do not feel for your love, you do not want to have it the hard way, you want to set in bed or watch TV and you want me in your lap. You are the best in cuddling, loving and caressing. You are an old fashion type of a man, an office type with a secretary or two- if you can afford them- you are a prince that thinks that he is a frog.


He: I'm not a robot, buy a machine with buttons so if you are in the mood for mental stimulation, you can just push a button, if you are in the mood for mind games, you can push another button, and if you want to make love, then, I guess, you can just push a third button. You are not looking for a human being. I am not a machine, I am not a robot, I am not going to set everyday and wait. I do not like scripts, never did, I do not like tests, never did. Maybe I might be a quitter, maybe I am a prince that thinks he is a frog, but I am not accepting the status quo, I am not surrendering, I will keep trying. I might be a quitter because I'm saying no to you, but in my mind, in my mind I'm  saying to you that I feel a winner tonight, never felt better than this moment, I'm free, again, so goodbye and all the best in your experiments.

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*Disclaimer:


For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*A Visit To the South......by Jamil Shawwa

I live, and reside in the capital of the south, The Commonwealth of Virginia, so I am considered a southerner. I love the south; I think it has class, tradition, sometimes too much tradition. However, my southern style is combined with being adjacent to our nation's capital, Washington DC, so I am a southerner with a northern style; like both but happy to be closer to the north. The south of the United States is historically referred to those states that were hardheaded in regard to abolishing slavery, and that hot or hardheaded mentality lead to the civil war between the southern states I.e., Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, etc and the north which represented The Unites States. The war ended-thanks God- with the south being defeated and the rebirth of this great nation, The USA. The southern states still with variations here and there cherish the memory of the civil war and in some pockets, some put the confederate flag- the symbol of the south during the civil war- side by side with the US flag. Having said that, America has come a long way since then, continued to grow, indulged and opened its borders to tens of millions of immigrants that made the US demography right now the country of all with no specific dominance of a particular ethnic group. I like southern food, mainly fried, sometimes too fried and greasy for my taste, but I like it. If you drive a little deeper into Virginia, 30 miles south and above from Washington DC, you will see the rural areas, the farms, the mountains and the more laid back people, the closer you get to DC, like any metropolitan area, the closer you get to the high rhythm of life, the traffics, the speed, and the hustle and bustle of the city. Today was the day for me to go to one of these country style southern eateries, I do not want to say restaurants, because really you feel as if you are going back in time when people used to put their horses out side these saloons or eateries. I went inside and was greeted with a nice little old lady, around 75 years young, and was seated. When I ordered Earl Grey Tea, the whole place looked at me, maybe because I was loud or something or maybe because they felt that this person does not belong here, he should have ordered an all-American coffee not tea. Any way, I ignored the looks and ordered my other favorite breakfast, Pancakes, oh, my God, I can eat pancakes every morning; one of the venues to my heart-there are many venues- is an old fashion freshly prepared hot off the griddle pancakes with maple syrup and real butter. Pancakes came and I thought that I would have a breakfast of a lifetime but I was disappointed, it was greasy, as if it was fried, those southerners, and not flat put on a flat surface to be prepared slowly. I ate it and looked around and I asked the server, the seventy-five years young little old lady if the owners are still running the place, and she answered no, but it is now part of a chain. That is it, part of a chain, basically as McDonald, a factory that mass-produce things for the people just to get full. I finished my food, and my Earl Grey tea, paid my bill, left a decent tip and went out, I looked back, gave another look and said goodbye to the old south. America now is not south and north, and I like it the way it is now, America is everything and everybody, America is all faiths and religions,. America is all styles and Shapes. Anyone that thinks otherwise needs to go to that restaurant and witness the abolishment of the old south.




* Some of the best and the brightest that America brought came from the south. The heart and soul of the US military reside in the south. This article is looking at an angle in the south but it does not represent the completely rich southern experience.

The Customer with the Big Nose! ... by Jamil Shawwa

I came to realize today that I might need to diversify my eating-places portfolio; I think I am starting to get more vibes than usual from my regular Vietnamese hangout. For the past few days, the sister of the owner who happens to be a server there has been bringing her six years old daughter; not sure why, maybe just to help or maybe she wanted to send a message to all the customers that she is happily married with children, not that anyone ever tried to be fresh with her or anything. She is warm, hospitable, I mean the sever, and very good in what she does. the other day she was having a native breakfast, did not get the name, but it was made out of thick milk, bananas and other fruit that looked like apples; it was so tasty and so sweet. Just for those that wonder, her breakfast time was my lunchtime. Probably I am getting either old so my lunch is getting earlier or my work schedule requires me to eat early, or both. Any way, back to that smart server and her six years old daughter. The child runs around and helps her mother with utensils and other lightweight things and smiles at the customers. So when I come to the place, she would say hello and help and chat a little, maybe her mother told her that this guy is a regular but I hope that she did not tell her that I'm regular for the girls, which truly I'm not, just regular for the food. any way, all of a sudden and out of the blues, today, this child decided to change her welcoming patterns to me, so instead of hi and hey, she came running to the table after I situated my self and got ready to order my usual, and she just threw the big one at me and said hey, you are the customer with the big nose! What big nose, no way, I said, and she answered yes you are, and she went running back to her mother who was smiling in a naughty but nice way from behind the counter. I was going to give this child a dollar today to buy candy but the big nose remark got me thinking as how this child- kids can and are very preseptives- know or would notice a big or small nose, and is there a conspiracy from my Vietnamese waitress to send Jamil a message that just focus on the food and nothing else. Well, any way, I will continue to go and might give a dollar to that child after all; I mean she just said what she saw, or maybe what her mother saw :))

The Indian Restaurant... by Jamil Shawwa

The Indian Restaurant is open for business, actually, it has been open for business for years and years but not until recently that the Indian restaurant picked up momentum. It is everywhere now, all over the world, in every major and metropolitan city. The Chinese restaurant phenomena should watch for that neighbor from the south, it is gaining ground and it has the learnt the secrets of how to spread restaurants wherever their people go. The food is very diverse, very colorful and very tasty. It accommodates all tastes from the natives, to the seekers of new flavours and new styles. India is huge, over a billion, another scale to compete with China, a nuclear power, enough said. Back to the food now, India has multi ethnic groups, different languages and dialects, different living standards and thriving international presence. It is so contradictory and its food might represent its diversity and its unity in the same time. The ingredients of the Indian food is the same, the spices are the same, the colors are the same but when you put a Sikh, Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Jewish Hindis, the cooking will not be the same. Their country is like their food, very diverse but in the same time once you cook, you will use the same ingredients. India is everywhere now, in food of course but also in IT, the computer technology, and programming. They go everywhere and they succeed, they do not care where they are, it is completely irrelevant to them, what matters to them is that they succeed. There is some kind of occasional religious tension in India but it is not hindering its political process. You see the diversity, again, in the restaurants; Hindus mostly eat vegetable, Muslims and other faiths eat everything. There are restaurants that cater to the veggies, I am not saying Hindus, because it does not exist, and there are restaurants that cater to all. You go and choose, you will be eating next to someone who is completely your opposite in eating habits, no problem, no intrusion, no preaching as why you are not like me and that I'm not like you. They do not have it, they have poverty but they have nuclear missles, and reactors. India loves the UK, Great Britain, and the British loves the Indians; the Indians are trustworthy, they are hard working people. They look up to England and they want the British to be proud of them, they recently bought Jaguar and Landrover, and tomorrow one of them will be the British Prime Minster. India is not an aggressor, this is a big point and credit in world politics and it does not seek world dominance, which again is a good point for them. India just wants to succeed, and it will do it everywhere it's people exist in any place in the world.

*State of Love IV.....He Bows... By Jamil Shawwa

He: What is next for us? I now feel that every time I want to make love with you or even attempt to start the process- oh my God, I started to talk like you- I have to check if you are mentally stimulated and that your mind is into it. What do I need here a radar detector... every time that I want to come near you, or start a new conversation hoping that it would be the one that would hit the jackpot and will lead eventually to your womanhood. You are making me too self-conscious about the whole thing, you are taking the spontaneity out of the lovemaking, you are just being like a machine, I have to make sure that it is well oiled before I turn on the engine. I am depressed, every part of me is urging me to just jump and do it, but you are standing or setting there with these cold eyes like a schoolteacher waiting to give me a passing grade or like a guard on a borderline checking my identity cards before letting me in to the other side, the greener side. I cannot handle it anymore; I am looking for love and not a robot. You have become so cold since our last lovemaking; you have become so distant, so not appealing. I only used to look at you to get aroused, not anymore. So tell me more, even in bed, if I turn around and want to hug you or kiss you or touch you, the way I like to do because I just can not keep my hands off you whenever you are with me, do I need to wake you up or ask for permission to see if your mind is there before doing anything. Do I need to give you a news bulletin before touching...?



She: keep talking, I am starting to feel the vibes coming from my mind to every part of my body, do not stop talking, your words, your voice is stimulating my mind, my heart and my body. I hear your voice inside me before even you touch me, my little thing is crying and hitting hard, my heart is jumping and my mind is telling me, go for it.. Do your work, you primitive beast.



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*Disclaimer:



For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

Jerusalem, Israel and the Arabs .... by Jamil Shawwa

Now and not tomorrow, Israel and the Arab countries especially Jordan, Egypt- both have diplomatic relations with Israel- with Saudi Arabia and the Palestinian authority must start talking about Jerusalem- maybe they have, what do I know- the city of the three divine religions, the city of love, the city of the synagogues, the churches and the mosques. This city should be preserved as an international and historic landmark. I do not think that there are cities on earth more significant historically or religiously than Jerusalem, I said in previous pieces here how the city is destined to be inhibited by the three divine religions and by the followers of these religions. When you look at the big picture, you realize that this means almost the whole world past, present and future. Jerusalem is looked at and towards from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Australia, and that is the world. In China, Japan, South East Asia included as they have followers of the three divine religions. Now, the Arabs must drop their famous hypocrisy, pretension, and start the long march towards a historic finally peace between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. As I said before, Jerusalem will continue to be the capital of the State of Israel. In the same time, I said that Jerusalem in its eastern parts would be the future capital of the future state of Palestine. Jerusalem will always and it should be an open city, no barriers and no fences, no fights, and no terror, no destruction and no hatred. Start the dialogue now even before the final status on the West Bank and Gaza strip. We have four legitimate entities with the popular support to do it. The State of Israel, Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian authority. Use the arts of negotiation with no prejudice, and set and talk, converse. It is not a dream, I do not like to dream it, I like to do it. I do not dream for peace between Israel and the Arabs, I want to make it happen. The voices of despair, darkness, terror will shut up for the last time- or they can continue to talk as long as they do not use violence- once the process starts. I know the Arabs, I have family in Gaza, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon and in many  other Arab countries and of course here in the US- and I know Israel, I have as I said before very distinguished friends that I call family in the State of Israel, and I know how they long for peace. Again, Israel will be integrated in the new Middle East as a viable country with the state of Palestine in the West Bank and the Gaza strip. Israel will join the Arab League, needs to change the name though to something like The Middle East Union, MEU, and it will be fantastic for commerce, and the well being of the people of the Middle East. Enough- As the late Israeli Prime Minister, Yitzhak Rabin said- suffering. the Arab people in their vast majorities are the most affected by this condition in the Middle East, every excuse on earth is used in the Arab countries for not doing the right thing for their people which is the historic conciliation with the state of Israel. We can dwell on the past, cry on things that we do not control, continue to weep and call things Nakba or Naksa or we can stand up, and talk. You do not lose anything when you talk, but you lose everything even your own self-respect when you hide your face in the sand and pretend that nothing around you exist.

*State of Love III......She Rules..........By Jamil Shawwa

He: but how can we maintain this momentum, how can we continue this level of lovemaking


She: we agreed that it is not the romantic love, it is not the ah and oooooh love, it is stronger, it is the mind love

He: indulge me please, I feel lost, for the first time I feel that I am not in control. Love but not love, mind-making love, are you creating a revolution in the love making process, as we know it.

She: I am! but I am not! It has existed forever but people thought that it comes from the heart though it really comes from the mind. I am of course talking here about the normal love making process; I am not talking about the love making that exists because of any other factors.

He: any other factors? What is this? Am I talking with an analyst here or am I talking with a sensual female that drove me nuts in the number II state of love conversation.

She: I drove you nuts because my mind was in full gear, in full satisfaction, in full desire, and my body just responded naturally to a very stimulating conversation.

He: that is too much for me, too much calculation, too much mind or whatever processing, I just want to make love, can we please do it, I am in the mood.

She: I am not! We are not animals here; I must feel stimulated before...

He: honey, love, baby, cutie pie... come to daddy...

She: my heart is telling me go, my body is pushing me to respond to you playing with me, I can not resist your hands and fingers, and your body indulging, but there is something missing...I can not..

He: Something is missing alright, for sure...too much thinking, you do not feel my love, my touches, we were unbelievable last night, until this brain thing came between us. Please honey, give your mind a break, let your body talks, listen to your body, it is begging you.

She: no dear, my body is not begging me, you are the one that is begging and it is so pathetic... honey, talk to me, stimulate my brain.

He: (busy roaming his everything all over her)

She: baby, stop, no more for now, I cannot make love with my body, I cannot make love with my heart, and I have to make love with my mind. I know it is hard, I know it is unnatural, I know that we are revolutionizing the love making process, I know it feels as if we are machines, but we are not, my mind has to get warm before my body part does.

He: ok, you go ahead and revolutionize the love making process, as for me, I'm not a revolutionary person, I go by the flow, and I'm very happy with the good old fashion love making process, where I use my other parts to make things happen and give my brain a break and just let the animal senses do the job

She: well, with me, tonight, right now, your animal senses cannot work.

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*Disclaimer:

For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*State of Love II a Sequel .......by Jamil Shawwa

He turned around in a very slow motion, in a very lazy way, more like rolling rather than turning and there she was with her eyes wide open, wearing nothing but her sensuality and a little warm cotton blanket that complemented her vibrant, silky and warm body as if it was part of hers. Her looks were so confident and satisfied as she was walking through his motions- with her eyes only- noticing every movement he has been making even before he woke up, looking towards him as if she was expecting him to look, roll or turn. He said good morning,

Good morning, she said, and gave him the smile of the victor, the satisfied, and her long by the shoulder, as he likes it, straight hair added vigor to her smile.



He: I am so happy

She: I am happy too

She: it is amazing

She: what

He: we were both together, in the same time, it rarely happens

She: rarely very true

He: how

She: not sure, and I do not want to know

He; you are right, why ruin the moment

She: no way, I still feel it

He: really

She: of course, it is still with me

He; oh yes, I remember now, we immediately slept

She: yes, we could not move from the bed and the bed did not want us to leave, there was a little of a struggle there but the bed won as if it wanted everything that happened to stay still.

He: I wonder if we can repeat the story, the action, I wonder if we can hit the replay button and have it all over again with no changes, just duplication

She: no way, I do not want to duplicate, I do not want to repeat the same thing; I do not.

He: but you said that it was something that rarely happens

She: yes, and that is why I do not want to duplicate...



He: so is it love



She: no, I mean it is not love the way we say and feel love, it is stronger, as if our minds who made love and not our bodies. Our minds made love even before we met. What followed was natural. It is so strong; we can make love to each other any time anywhere, even if we were not together. What we had was not love; it was the meeting of the minds in a very complicated way with the love making as the climax of that meeting.

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*Disclaimer:

For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

Religions In Public Schools....by Jamil Shawwa

I was fortunate enough to exchange some ideas with very distinguished friends on Facebook and I thought to bring my notes regarding religions in public schools into this third and final trio on public education. I believe in the separation between religions and public schools, Religions in public schools cannot be taught because of the diverse- in open societies- background of the students. Religions also are a private matter between the person and God or the persons' faith and whom they worship. Countries at some point must choose if they want to adapt secularism or theocratic form of government. Having a mix will not and does not work. There will always be conflicts between the two. In the United States, religions are not taught in public schools, period. There are countries though with special status as the Vatican and to a certain extend Saudi Arabia that the teaching of the religion is in the core of their existence. In the case of the Vatican, it is clear, as the head of the Catholic Church. In the case of Saudi Arabia, the country really is not a regular country with regular form of government but is fully based on the religion or the alliance between the royal family and the Wahabi sect of Islam. The family runs the country affairs and the Wahabi runs the religious foundation. It is for the Saudis as any other country to decide if they ever have the chance to decide. For the rest of the world, Parents who are interested in teaching their kids religions, any religion, can do that through private education. When students go to higher education, colleges and universities, they can study anything they want if it is their choice. Public schools by definition, is the main, free primary education for all. See the links below. While at school In Gaza and Jerusalem, my heart broke during the religion class every time my colleagues who happen to be Christians would leave the classroom and go to another classroom. This should not happen; no one should ever feel different based on religion, race, color, cultural background, language, gender, etc. Maybe the logistics demanded this situation, but the style and the procedures matter. That practice existed and probably still exists in The Middle East even in private schools. Still, public schools are different, they are usually funded completely by the taxpayers’ money and it is for all. I agree that students from other religions had their religious teaching but the point I want to make is that those who happen to be Christians had to leave the classroom, and not us the Muslims, why? Because they were few students, less than 5% sometimes of the class population. This was humiliating. Now, maybe if we all had to leave that class and go somewhere else, maybe the picture would have been easier to swallow. Again, people will differ about the role of religions in society, I think religious schools can exist and should exist in any society as parallel to the public education. In the United States, you can send your children to any kind of schools as long as it is authorized and licensed by the state. We have here Jewish schools, Christian schools, Muslims, Hindu, etc.


In Cairo University, also, the non-Muslims were required to go through Islamic laws and the Quran teaching concerning the legal system classes because it is part of the legal system. Again, what if a society decides with their 100% free well that they want the religion to be part of the system and that they want the religion to be taught. In that case, religions in law schools for example must be taught to all because it is part of the legal system and has nothing to do with coercing a student to learn something that is not part of their beliefs.

During our Facebook discussion which actually was triggered by a piece of news that came from Egypt stating that there were acts in certain areas of forcing non-Muslims to read and memorize verses of the Quran. I replied stating if that practice exists, forcing nun-Muslims to read and memorize verses of the Quran, then this is a crime by itself in my book and it should immediately be banned and fought by all legal means.



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Read: http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/04/public-education-in-united-state.html
http://arabamericanwire.blogspot.com/2010/04/education-in-arab-world-by-jamil-shawwa.html ...

Public Education in the United States... Political Analysis by Jamil Shawwa

In Brown Vs. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954), The Warren Court, in reference to Earl Warren, the United States Supreme Court Chief Justice, the *Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students and denying black children equal educational opportunities unconstitutional. That ruling at that time reestablished The United States Supreme Court active role in shaping and reshaping the nature of the political system in America. Public education movement started in my opinion from that day on. In 1957, President Eisenhower used the ultimate federal power by sending troops to Little Rock, Arkansas- Hometown of Bill Clinton- to open the road and the path for nine black students to attend an all white public school. That action has not been done since reconstruction that followed the civil war between the south and the north. President Kennedy in the early 60s did something similar. All these historic events were the foundations to the current public school system that we have now here in the United States. The system politically is not perfect yet, states specially in the south until now tries to rezone certain districts to avoid just appealing as discriminatory, making sure to try to avoid a one ethnic public schools. Of course, it is there now but not based on segregation among ethnic groups but mainly due to the demographics. **The public school system provides the rights to all children in America to have a free education until grade 12, or the end of high school. The system is run by the states with overall ***legal supervision and monetary influence from the federal government. The education concept in America is different than any other country or at least it's purpose is highlighted in a way that you do not find in any other society as ****Jeanne Lombardo explains and I quote "Yet, many Americans also believed that too much learning might set one citizen above another, thus violating the democratic ideals that education was supposed to promote. Education should, in the minds of ordinary people, be geared to provide direct practical benefits. It should focus on providing training for a livelihood. Anything beyond that was considered elite." when I first went to school, then college, and then to the graduate school, my goal really was to obtain the degrees but the concept above makes all the sense. Education is not a goal by itself or it should not be a goal by itself, it is a vehicle to a goal, better living, more enjoyment and giving back to the community that you live in and personal prosperity. Our public schools though the concept is excellent; the practice is not. The system is falling behind in many states and within each state for many reasons. Teachers are not inspiring children as they used to do, they are worried rightly so in part about there livelihood, schools can downsize and either relocate teachers, moving them to part time or laying them off. Some teachers as here in the District of Columbia, Washington DC, have been fighting to keep the tenure system, which in a way provides employment for life though many are not qualified. Michelle A. Rhee, Washington DC School Chancellor has been pioneering this effort of breaking the tenure system. I know Washington DC and I know some other areas, and I know the teachers and I know that the system needs to be reformed.

*****"Waiting For Superman" a movie that tells the stories of many children across metro areas in America as Washington DC, Los Angeles, and New York City that focused on the deteriorating state of our public schools system across the country. It shows stories about kids who could not read or do math and it shows according to it's writer, see footnote below, how our kids are getting depressed because the system is telling them that they are below average and that they can not keep up and that they are in a sense do not belong here. Our kids are suffering; the way we grade our first grade and second grade kids is appalling, so complicated that when I looked at my daughter's report card I got shocked, first I did not understand and had to bring an interpreter, the wife, who said that she does not recall having the same thing when she was a kid and then I went to my regular teacher-parent conference and that teacher looked at me as if I was coming from outer space or some sort of an alien. The kids in second grade are judged based on 14 categories, again, I, with two law degrees could not understand who is the genius or the lunatic, it depends on how you look at things, which came up with such system. What are we trying to do here, are we trying to create a super human, and are we trying to outcast any child that might appear as normal or not genius.

I had lunch today with a gracious lady friend who told me that her relative's 12 years old daughter was required to do an Excel sheet with graphs and point markers, what is that, and present a power point presentation. Ok, we need to compete and we need to be the best in everything but at what price, and if we are doing it, are we succeeding, and if we have been succeeding, why are we importing scientists and medical experts, doctors and nurses from all over the world to cover the shortage we have here. I must though intercept myself here to state that America has and will always be the place that will attract people from all over the world to come and succeed. This is how America was built and this is part of America’s genius, it is really the melting pot of all human civilizations. After that interception, I have to say that to continue that strategy, we must as well take care of those at home and continue to promote a solid inspiring education. The kids are afraid and they should not, the teachers are worried and sometimes not qualified and they should not. One more thing, to those mad geniuses that created the grading system and the report cards and all these psychological tests to check the abilities of our normal kids, I have one or two words, get a life.


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* wikipedia

**wikipedia-Public education can also be post-secondary education, advanced education, or universities, colleges, .... University Press of America. ISBN 0-7618-3331-5.

*** States have to comply with the constitution of the United States and federal court decisions and federal laws.

**** suite101.com

***** http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/04/what_to_fight_for_in_americas.html

*A Journey in a Woman's mind...by Jamil Shawwa

She is confused,

She is angry

She does not know what to do

She thinks that she is in love

Nevertheless, she does not know how to handle

He is different,

He is stubborn

He is strong, or maybe he thinks he is

She is weak, or maybe she thinks that she is weak

She thinks that he is strong

She might have misunderstood his kindness as a sign of
Weakness

She has someone that she does not love

Or she thinks that she does not love

She is bored with her life or thinks that she is

She is confused, but not desperate, she fluctuates and
changes her mind faster than a bird switching or flying from tree to tree, or a crazy driver swaying from lane to lane, not knowing where to go or how to go...

She is not willing to enjoy the ride or the Journey. She is only looking for the destination.

She does not know that in order to reach the destination, you must go through the Journey

She might have finally realized that she is best if she is left to the way she is, no change needed, change is difficult, and sometimes it is just not needed. She prefers security to happiness.

He wishes her the best, and wishes her love and stability; she deserves them, every human does.


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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*I have a Headache; I am not in the Mood.......by Jamil Shawwa

She: I am not in the mood

He: you are never in the mood, not sure what to do

She: not sure what to do with what? The lovemaking or me?

He: well, now this is a cheap shot. I meant you. No problem there in the lovemaking.

She: try new things, you always do your routine, I am bored.

He: well, why do not you be creative this time and try to finesse me...

She: Not in the mood, I have a headache

He: oh, yeah, the headache story...again, it is the oldest trick in the book

She: what do you mean; you think I am lying, and what book are you talking about?

He: The lovemaking book, anyway, but it has been a month since you have been having these headaches, maybe you should examine your head_ he is saying that maliciously, he means her mental status.

She: no, I am ok, it comes and goes... and I got the real meaning by the way, do not try to be clever.

He: yes, it comes and goes when I come and it goes when I leave the bed. I notice things, you know, I am not completely blind as you think.

She: well, you have to live with it.

He: until when

She: until I am in the mood

He: oh, very kind of you, so you want me to be on a leash, a poppy dog, you call and cuddle when you are in the mood and kick away and lock somewhere when you are not in the mood. Well, no more.

She: no, honey.

He: please do not honey me; I have not tasted it for over a month and it all because of you

She -maliciously-: I have few Jars in the kitchen; help yourself.

He: oh, thanks a million, I live here and I do not know where the honey is

She: you asked

He: you know what I meant; stop playing mind games

She: I do not understand; I am not excited anymore, I mean, I do not get excited easily anymore.

He: why don't you take some hormones, they might help, even you

She: even me, ok, I will let it pass this time. It is not the hormones, I checked, I am ok.

He: well, then, this left only one other reason for your condition, maybe... me.

She: I do not know, it is not the same

He: the same! You just said that you do not want to do it because it is the same routine, now you are saying that you do not want to do it because it is not the same... I think we might need to test your mental status, Love.

She: Love... you have not called me love in quite some time

He: I have been calling you, but you have not been listening, you see my lips moving but you do not hear me. You look at me and I am just a ghost.

She: honey, stop it, not sure what happened but I am starting to feel your words in my ears, your picture is getting clearer, I see the real you. Baby, it seems that the headache is gone all of a sudden, not sure why, I'm starting to feel my body more; it is talking back to me, it is urging me to do something, it is kicking all over. I am starting to notice things in you that I have not seen in quite some time, at least from this angle. Go ahead, use the same routine, and do not change a thing...

He: well, I am...

She: Shush, turn off the lights and wrinkle the sheets.

He: Yes, Ma'am



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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*State of Love....by Jamil Shawwa

She: you cannot love me

He: why

She: because you do not love me, you love the woman inside me

He: same thing

She: No, I am unique, I am me, nobody else, but the woman in me is found in every woman

He: I am afraid that you have lost me...maybe I am not smart enough to follow this complicated logic and philosophy

She, smiling: that we know.... when you look at me, you do not see me, when you touch me, you do not touch me, when you make love to me, it is not with me.

He: I am listening

She: it is the female that you are seeking, it is the joy that you have in the company of women..This is your life; I am just one that happened to be passing by you. You did not find me; you stumbled by me. I see it in every minute you spend with me or when I am away from you.

He: you are giving me more credits than I deserve, that is if we want to consider what you just said a credit.

She: maybe, you love every woman on earth, you enjoy the touch of any woman, and you would love to make love to every female body. When you go to places, your eyes are all over the place, it is so embarrassing, to me I mean, not you, you love it. I feel your love but I do not feel special, I do not feel unique, I just feel a number and not a human. Probably if I leave now and another woman passes by your table, you would invite her and continue the conversation we had just before I left but not with me, with her, as if nothing has changed and as if no new woman, another woman is setting with you and not me. How can I feel unique if I know that this is the way you feel. I do not want to be a number, I want to be yours, but I cannot stay with you if you cannot remember my name

He: your name is....

She: see, I told you, you could not even say it. You just love love.
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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

Education in The Arab World.... by Jamil Shawwa

In my opinion, and I lived in couple of places in The Middle East and The Arab World, that, well, probably again as in any society in the world, education starts with the family and then schools. The main problem in the education system in the Arab world is that it is so centralized and so under the complete and sole responsibilities of the governments. There are of course private schools as anywhere else, but the focus of this piece here is on public education. Schools in the Arab world are not schools but are shelters to put the children in, open their brains and pour the information, then close the brains on anything else. There is no creativity and there is no training on how to think. The education should be based on the following, and I am talking from my own experience with the education in four places: Gaza, Jerusalem, Cairo, and the United States:
1- Free education for all up to 12th grade, secondary school. Decentralized the schools to accept funds, and donations and create a parallel PTA system- Parents Teachers Association to monitor and support the school system. Public schools in America are free until the end of high school. PTAs help schools be better, raise funds, participate in school activities and maintain the schools physically with the help of the local governments, the state and the county.
2- No more, free higher education. My law school in Cairo University was like a warehouse and not a place for enlightenment. Once, I had -arguably- a mentally retarded dean by the name of Dr. Noman Gomaa, who became later the chairman of Al-Wafd political party and then was kicked out for trying to dictate and at some point violently his ways on the party; he was calling for democracy and he was the ultimate dictator. While he was dean of law school at Cairo University, he banned us, the students, from entering the main entrance of the main building and ordered the staff to administer the student work through windows from the outside. This dean is not the exception. Egypt's example applies probably to every Arab country; I mentioned it because I happened to study there and not to pick on the country. Egypt has contributed tremendously to the overall modernity in the Arab world and it continues to do so.
3- Free, the government or the state owned universities, meaning, create board of trustees to run the universities as in all advanced societies. The board of Trustees is responsible to raise funds and establish the overall policies. This type of universities- as in the US- though technically established and funded by public funds, it is chartered to run its own affairs and it has complete independence under the overall general guidelines of the state.
4- Allow, based on a credential process, the establishment of private schools. It exists right now in almost every Arab country but it needs to be more encouraged.
5- Most importantly and hopefully, as in any advanced society, companies and individuals once they see the transparency and the credibility of the school system, would donate funds for their schools and colleges. Business people and private companies and organizations are not encouraged to donate, they feel that their donations might open a can of warms as for the source of their fortunes. In a culture that believes in conspiracy theories, self-doubt and random and baseless accusation, people with means to contribute are extremely discouraged. Education is a lifetime process, it starts through the parents or the guardians from the moment the child opens its eyes to the end. In between the start and the end, there are many stages, schools are the spine of education, straighten the spine and the whole body will be straight and healthy.

*Wife Says: Words, words, words, and more words….you only give me words….by Jamil Shawwa

He: It is my turn to speak up now; enough silence and enough complacency. You have no feelings.
She: wow, someone is up early this morning, I wish though if it was the other thing, my little thing..
He: yes, I am up and I am not going down until I get justice around this house or something. Oh, please, and what are you talking about that other thing, you have no shame, it is always ready but it does not have the right key to turn it on.
She: do not play the victim part here, do not use what you think is a political skill that you have; you do not, to turn the tables upside down.
He: you cannot blame me for revolting, all these years of no communications, no talk, even when it was done, the thing you know, it was so mechanical, no feelings and no warmth.
She: well, you need to warm me up.
He: oh, God, not again, you set there do nothing and except me to warm you up. Please work with me here.
She: you lost interest; you do not like me anymore. Your interests are somewhere else, far away or maybe close, not sure.
He: all this love, that is it, no use, I do not know what to say. There is one word remaining in my dictionary that I am very hesitant to use.
She: go ahead, have the guts to use it, you are afraid, you know that I have the same word but I have the guts to use and so far decided not to.
He: you do not deserve it, you never did.
She: what; it seems that we are talking about different words. Ok, I have an idea, let us write our words on paper and open them up together and see if we both have the same word.
He: ok, here goes nothing
She: oh, God, I cannot believe it, maybe we should not play this game.
He: let me see what you wrote. Aha, I knew it, your word was Divorce me, and my word was; I love you. Well, that is it I guess, no more peace efforts, no more negotiations, and no more nice and little talk. The time is now, either now or never..
She: ok, ok stop it, lunch is ready.
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*Disclaimer:
For entertainment purposes only. Any resemblance with any real life situations or people is just a mere coincidence. These conversations are not related to any specific person or persons. They are general human observations from life.

*Divorce Socrates Wife.....by Jamil Shawwa

Socrates wife was very famous, not as famous as her husband was, the great Greek philosopher but she was famous. She was well known not for enriching the world with science and philosophy but for her terrible temper, bad manners and the daily dose of mental torture of which she used to supply her husband.

Some claim that if it were not for her mental torture and abuse, he would not have been the great philosopher who gave humanity a wealth of information on all subjects of life; Theories historians and modern scientists built on. He was famous of trying to get answers to anything and everything, loved to argue and discuss, of course, this style did not set well with the wife.

I do not want to judge Socrates wife, I was not there to witness the treatment. Maybe he was terrible with her, maybe he never understood her, maybe she was very demanding -or not at all- in bed and elsewhere, and he did not enjoy making love with her, maybe his type of women are different.

Again, the maybes go on and on. The main issues here, regardless if it was his or hers, that there have been problems and the problems are, why we humans or some of us at least keep associate ourselves with people who torture us, mentally I mean. Why do we stick with them? Why Socrates did not divorce his wife, and why she did not ask for a divorce, maybe she did, I am not sure.

We tend to accept the norms, we tend to stay with what we think is secure; probably we do not know any better or mostly we are lazy to make a change, that is sometimes a drastic however so important change.

A woman who does not love her companion once said that she is with him until someone else or better comes along. What logic is this and what character is hers. That woman is not alone, probably most of us share the same mentality or opportunistic approach, and that is why most people are still married or in relationships.

We tend to accept the comfortable, and to accept destiny without questioning. Again, it is laziness more than anything else-in my opinion, probably that is the main thing, or there are other people that depend on the relationship to continue. Socrates was the exception to the rule, we are not; we are just normal humans.

Mr. Putin Runs Moscow.....by Jamil Shawwa

A relative once told me: Son,  Intelligence Services rule the world. This statement is at least true when it comes to the star of this article, the former KGB officer and the former Russian president and the current Prime Minister of Russia under his protégé the Russian president Medvedev, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Putin has become a Russian phenomenon. People of Russia love him, trust him, and in the same time are afraid even to question him not out of fear but out of the unknown. the Russians have used since and before the Bolshevik revolution to have a father figure to run the country, the Cesar was until the bloody communist revolution erupted in 1917 and ended the Romanov Family reign of power and it continued with the communists.

Mr. Putin is what some writers and philosophers refer to as the "just dictator" that societies are willing to surrender some of their rights to that one person who they can trust that will provide the basics for them, shelter and security.

I think Russia is moving away from this social contract. Putin will continue to govern the Russian Federation either as number one or number two or he might just at some point withdraws from the scene once he feels comfortable about the stability of Russia.

I was talking the other day with a Russian, originally Ukrainian, woman at work and she said that she does not think that Putin wants to be president again, she said that she believes that he is more comfortable in being the king maker rather than the king himself. I am not sure that I agree completely with her views, I think he might run for president again after the term of Mr. Medvedev ends in 2012. He after all might not follow the conventional wisdom.

Prime Minister Putin has succeeded to a certain degree in stabilizing Russia after the transitional period of president Yeltsin. He controlled to a certain degree but to a comfortable degree the outlaws that run havoc of the country kidnapping and killing the innocent and each other.

Moscow and Russia are much safer right now more than they have been through  the first few years following the collapse of communism, the departure of the last communist president, Gorbachev and the reign of Boris Yeltsin.

Still, investors need to have more rule of law to invest heavily in Russia and more due process to ensure that the mood swings no longer exist and that capital can invest freely without the fear of a government takeover or confiscation.

Putin and the Russian government control directly or indirectly the oil section and it will continue for a while; it is in their opinion the lifeline of Russia. In the United States, our oil companies are controlled by their boards of directors, in Russia Putin is the board of directors.

The most recent and ongoing challenges for Putin have been the terrorists coming from Chechnya and this is Russia's focus now. The terrorists can be defeated, it is not a dreamer's wish, but it is a reality, however, their defeat cannot be done by ignoring the basic needs of Chechnya's and the other republics that felt for ages that the central government in Russia treats them like, correctly so, third class citizens. Russia and Putin must embrace diversity and by doing that, he will isolate the terrorists. Terrorism strives in unjust societies; it feeds on the suffering of the masses. Cut that carbon monoxide from the people, the masses, allow the oxygen to come in their veins and the terrorists will disappear. This is not wishful thinking, it is a way that deserves to be tried and examined.

Russia is a vast country with multiple ethnic groups, republics, cultures. Putin's job is to recreate the Russian identity and build bridges and tunnels to connect the country. He can do that maybe by living to the name of Russia, The Russian Federation, by creating the states system as we have here in the Untied States with each state having an elected governor and parliament to run its affairs while the federal government maintains the overall harmony and sovereignty.

With the state system, you can have a federal government, a federal high court and a federal police and military. Each state, again as in the US, will have its own local state and county law enforcement powers and local or state high court. This system if done and agreed upon in a referendum would ensure Russia's future and will establish Putin as a world and historic leader. I think, as little as I know, that Putin has the seeds to be a great leader, he has the charisma, the experience, the temperament and the popularity. What else does Putin need, one thing, action and actual  show of leadership.

Call Me Anything But Do Not Call Me Sir... by Jamil Shawwa

I knew that I got older or old, it depends how you and I look at things, when a 20 years old girl called me Sir at a restaurant here nearby the job. I went to my usual place but not in my usual time, and the place was packed by, yes, you guessed it, young people or younger people, couples around 20 something, beautiful girls but all hooked, there was not even one for Jamil to look at just as at least an appetizer. Any way, I sat on my usual booth only for one but on that day I did not get my usual waitress, everything is crumbling around me, I tell you. Instead, I got her mother, a fine Vietnamese woman who was the most gracious. I went ahead and ordered the usual, but the place and the people looked unusual. I was probably the oldest in the crowd, I even felt some eyes looking towards me not with admiration but with some sort of “what is Daddy doing here, go away". I ignored all the looks, and focused on my food until the kids, see I'm old, I'm calling them kids, next table decided to play a little, so the boyfriend threw something at his girlfriend but it did not hit her, what is she thinking, still keeping that boyfriend, is she crazy, instead it landed perfectly next to me in my booth. I looked a little to see what is going on, and the guy looked up to me and apologized saying sorry Sir, then his beautiful companion made it worse, when she gave me a very sensual, alarming swing from her eyes and said with a heavenly voice, Sorry... Sir. I said any time; I meant to say no problem. That is it with me, call me anything you need, but do not call me Sir. To make the story short, I will continue to go to that restaurant; maybe the girls will bring their Moms.

Mr. Brown's Magnum Opus by Jamil Shawwa

The news coming from Great Britain is mixed, no clear picture yet as when the next parliamentary election will be held, though some news is indicating May 8 as the date.

The other piece of information that came from England in the past few days is that the conservative party- Tory- lead by Mr. Cameron has hired the international advertising firm Saatchi to revamp the party's campaign and put life back to the momentum that the conservatives few months ago thought they had to win the next elections.

The polls indicating that the Labour party is closing the gap quickly which makes it an election difficult to predict right now? The third piece of information is the announcement from the biggest tabloid newspaper, The Sun, supporting for the first time the conservative ticket rather than the Labour.

These three pieces if put together- aside from the Sun endorsement- would definitely tell us that Mr. Brown who everyone thought would be another John Major- the prime minister that succeeded Margaret Thatcher in the early 90s- might pull a big surprise and win the next elections.

If he wins, it would be one of the biggest surprises in Britain in generations. I say that for the following reasons: Mr. Brown succeeded the charismatic Tony Blair in a time that the Labour party has been in office for three terms, and one thing about the British is that they like change, probably as any other developed and democratic country, but also the British like to pump new blood in their political life. Tony Blair, as Margaret Thatcher before him, though won the elections did not stay in power for all the terms; the parties do not like to have leaders who stay too long even if they were winning leaders. The second reason is that Mr. Brown governs Britain in a time of economic downturn, housing market is down as in the US, unemployment rising and third which was a big one few months ago but started to lose steam as time goes by is the British participation in the war in Iraq.

These in my opinion are the main reasons that will shape and are shaping the next elections. The other sidetrack was the discovery of a financial scandal that rocked some members of the Labour party whom the news reported accepted bribes or gifts from lobbying groups to pass some projects.

Again, David Cameron does not come across as Margret Thatcher did when she brought down the Labour government and then broke down the solid influence the Labour unions England had prior to her won.

The times anyway are different. Mr. Brown had a guiding light on his side in Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the Exchequer- equivalent to the secretary of the treasury here in the US and usually the number two in the British government hierarchy- who is very articulate, besides the point right now if what he says stands correct or not, and very methodological in his thoughts.

I saw Mr. Darling the other day in a session of the House of Commons broadcasted on C-Span and I was amazed from the attention he got while talking, not only from his party but also from the conservatives, they were all just staring at the person.

In politics and in England this can be the ticket to win the elections. Probably, millions of people all over the UK who are ready to reshape the political map of England also noticed what I have noticed.

I hate to do this, but I am going to do it, and probably I am swimming against the tide or just being so naive that I think a speech from a politician would really make a difference but I think the Labour party might be on the verge of winning the elections. What Mr. Brown lacks in charisma, he does not have it, I used to change the channel when he first came to office, he compensates in steady political temperament and noticeable perseverance.

He withered all the storms since Blair left office, and he absorbed like a sponge the committee to investigate the Iraq war, the financial collapse, the scandals within his party and the multiple resignations of different cabinet members in the past year.

Mr. Brown reminds me in looks and in political shrewdness with our former president Richard- Dick-Nixon without the paranoia and the Watergate scandal. I even want to go further to say that he now looks more confident than Richard Nixon ever was.

Mr. Brown has Mr. Darling, if he wins, whom he needs to keep but revamp the cabinet, maybe change the foreign minister and other key members. He needs to continue to talk about how he has the plan to left Britain from the financial downturn and polish the dust off its status. He also might need to tackle the complete participation in the monetary system with the EU. Mr. Brown does not want Germany to be the only dealmaker in Europe.