Category: The Middle East

We were only kidding

The destiny of this pageant lies in the Kingdom of Oil By Robert Fisk, Saturday, 26 February 2011 The Middle East earthquake of the past five weeks has been the most tumultuous, shattering, mind-numbing experience in the history of the region since the fall of the Ottoman empire. For once, “shock and awe” was the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/26/we-were-only-kidding/

Reactive dissonance

A diet too-long confined to nothing but the thin soup of Fox News has unfortunate consequences.  Among them is acute cognitive indigestion when cherished beliefs are challenged by contrary points of view.  Such were the symptoms that manifested themselves yesterday. [Jane], a relative newcomer to an ongoing email discussion of Middle Eastern realities (between ex-expats who once lived “over there”), has …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/20/reactive-dissonance/

Gaddafi is a nutter

These are secular popular revolts – yet everyone is blaming religion By Robert Fisk, Sunday, 20 February 2011 Mubarak claimed that Islamists were behind the Egyptian revolution. Ben Ali said the same in Tunisia. King Abdullah of Jordan sees a dark and sinister hand – al-Qa’ida’s hand, the Muslim Brotherhood’s hand, an Islamist hand – …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/19/gaddafi-is-a-nutter/

Mahfouz’s prophesy

Note:  Raouf is a dear friend.  It is very likely our paths crossed in Lebanon, in the early 1960s.  We reconnected, after more than 30 years, on the eve of my son’s college education at the same institution where Dr. Halaby now professes… – Monsieur d’Nalgar Mahfouz’s Prophesy By Raouf J. Halaby, February 15, 2011 … During …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/19/mahfouzs-prophesy/

Iranium

“Iranium” or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the “Military Option” By Eli Clifton and Ali Gharib 26 January 2011, 2:47 The Israeli filmmakers who brought you Obsession and The Third Jihad are at it again. In just a week, they’re set to launch their new documentary, Iranium, an hour-long look at the …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/19/iranium/

The rape of Lara Logan

Warning:  This post contains language that may be offensive  to some readers.  Not as offensive as the violation of women described herein, but nevertheless, consider yourselves warned… – Monsieur d’Nalgar … Lara Logan assaulted in Egypt By Jill, on 2.16.2011 … CBS Journalist Lara Logan was physically and sexually assaulted in Egypt this week (trigger …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/16/the-rape-of-lara-logan/

Alabama to Egypt in 50 years

Egyptian Activists Inspired by Forgotten Martin Luther King Comic By Andy Khouri, February 11th 2011 While the world’s political pundits debate the role the United States has played in the historical events presently occurring in Egypt, one activist is crediting a specific American with playing a part in inspiring a generation of Egyptians to take …

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Permanent link to this article: https://levantium.com/2011/02/14/alabama-to-egypt-in-50-years/