synthesizing

The Consequences of Varadarajan's Hateful Words

2009-11-14T00:59:00.003-05:00

The Consequences of Varadarajan's Hateful Words

Varadarajan's piece 'Going Muslim' is inciteful, and full of hate and disrespect. His propaganda reeks of fascist thought, and showcases that civil discourse in America is non-existent when such language is allowed to be published, and when institutions such as New York University regard his hateful speech as "open dialogue".

Like many others who reported on the deadly and terrible actions of Major Nidal Malik Hasan in the mainstream American media, Varadarajan has completely ignored very tangible issues that might have pushed Major Hasan over the edge. Numerous media outlets such as CNN (and of course, Fox News), avoided or ignored discussing mental trauma syndromes which evermore U.S. soldiers are experiencing, and of the lack of care the American government has towards its soldiers after bribing so many to become military pawns. Alarming numbers of soldiers have killed themselves or their families, sometimes simultaneously, after returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. These stories are almost completely neglected by Big Media. Yet they can provide much insight and context into what happened at Fort Hood. Once again however, the media zeroed in on Major Hasan's Arab and Muslim background, and dismissed any other analysis on possible reasons for his actions.

This is dumbed-down, lazy, nonfactual and highly subjective "reporting". Such coverage of the Fort Hood tragedy is not news but highly biased opinions. If Major Hasan had been Major Thomas or Major Johnson instead, the 24/hour news cycle would have left the story days ago. Such is the fickleness of our current media.

However, not only does Varadarajan's piece mirror the misinformation and rhetoric of other major news outlets, his language is more inflammatory and misleading, and thus more dangerous.

America is the most militarized state and society on Earth. Varadarajan is essentially calling for more surveillance and targeting of Muslims, especially in the U.S. army, as he believes "Our democracy and our way of life depend on it." What sort of democracy does he desire? A democracy that is a fascist police state? How much more militarized does he want our society to become?

Furthermore, requests for equality and respect are not frivolous PC arguments as he suggests - but a demand to be treated as human. Varadarajan's language is highly oppressive and corners Muslims, and treats America's 7 million Muslims as the dangerous other that need to be monitored. The actions of one man who happens to be Muslim does not mean that all Muslims are a timebomb waiting to go off and harm their neighbours. Stereotyping is dehumanizing, and has affected many communities in America. Varadarajan props up Muslims as being against all other Americans - but who decides who is American and who isn't? And what kind of society is America when people are targeted by their identity - which already occurs frequently, and which Varadarajan advocates more of.

Varadarajan's language is highly similar to the hateful propaganda of Hindutva, India's extremist far-right movement. His opinion that "Muslims may be more extreme because their religion is founded on bellicose conquest, a contempt for infidels and an obligation for piety that is more extensive than in other schemes", is completely disrespectful and ignorant of Islam and Muslims. He also claims that Muslims are "the most difficult 'incomers'", and that Muslims supposedly ask for hands-off treatment because of religion. These opinions are the same malevolent opinions that Hindutva teaches and spreads.

How and why is such slander allowed to be published and protected?

I wonder what Varadarajan thinks when he sees a Muslim student in his class. Does he think that person might be dangerous just because he or she is a Muslim? Should all Muslims be screened anywhere they go? Should all Muslims carry a card or wear a sticker that identifies them as Muslim? Should Muslims live in separate housing from other Americans? Varadarajan's fear-mongering can influence many readers to think along these lines.

Yesterday I walked down the street in New York and received a prolonged stare from an elderly white man. I was merely waiting for a friend outside her apartment building. Today on the NYC subway, I received another long and searching glance from a nearby white man who looked me up and down with my luggage. I was on my way to the airport. After he looked away, I rolled my eyes. I am a Muslim woman of colour who wears hijab. What is it about my appearance, or existence, that others find so threatening? Almost everyday I receive such oppressive and invasive treatment just because of who I am. It is exasperating. No matter what I do - eating a sandwich, listening to my headphones, or reading a book - I can often sense someone's eyes on me, and I look up and find a (white) person staring at me warily, or with contempt.

Hateful and biased media coverage of Muslims influences readers and viewers to have hostile views of Muslims. Varadarajan's piece in Forbes will probably result in me receiving more such stares, because I am a visible Muslim. Forbes, along with much of the American media, has become a vehicle for hate speech, most likely in the capitalist hopes of attracting more viewers and readers, at the expense of equality, respect, and dignity of many Muslims and Muslim Americans.

Smashing Pumpkins

2009-11-09T00:17:00.004-05:00

Twas the night of Halloween in NYC. Warm weather with rain that at times streamed down onto the sea of umbrellas which were held by the onlookers of the NYC Halloween Parade. 6th avenue had thousands of people all squashed in, waiting to watch the parade. I was situated on 15th street and the parade didn't get to us until 8pm. After a short while some of the spectators started filtering out, giving us a much clearer view of the participants.

That parade basically felt like New Yorkers Gone Wild. Think about - Halloween in NYC, on a Saturday night. The claws emerged and fangs were bared and snarling erupted from those in costume.

Here were my top 4 parade participants/costumes, in no certain order:

1. Steve Urkel - complete with voice and personality
2. A chubby man with dreads in a speedo and whistle, shouting "I'm a lifeguard!"
3. A nun whom I saw smoking and shouted at saying: "Nuns can't smoke!" His response: "I'm pregnant too!", and the nun rubbed his fake big belly.
4. Michael Jackson. We saw 50 Michael Jacksons, but this young man had the right energy, persona, hair, voice, and the right jacket, of the young MJ in Thriller. His response to being told he was loved: "I love you too!" - that's what MJ would have said. No doubt.

Another MJ highlight were a load of people acting out Thriller, complete with music, zombies, and the wimpy girl. It was wicked, and brilliant.

And yes, I did get scared at one point, when some sort of huge bride with a ghostly face and blood-stained dress (bride zombie? dead bride? killer bride? vampire bride? I dunno) lunged right at me. I crouched down and said "AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Yep.

Seen and Not Heard

2009-10-17T17:28:00.004-04:00

I recently read and reviewed Sughra Ahmed's analysis and report on young British Muslims, called Seen and Not Heard.

For those curious you can read it here.

Cheers.

War is Peace.

2009-10-09T18:08:00.004-04:00

Heads of state and their colleagues who wage war and occupy others win the Nobel Peace Prize. Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Kissinger, and now Barack Obama. In 2005 Colin Powell, an architect of the Iraq war who lied to the United Nations and said that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, was nominated. A former nominee who enabled up to a million Iraqis to be killed, murdered, destroyed - was a nominee of the Nobel Peace Prize. What kind of peace is this?

How can a president who has spent 9 months in office, who was nominated after only 2 weeks in office, be nominated? On what grounds was Obama nominated, and then the winner of this award? A president who has only continued and increased two wars and occupations? Who is going to be sending potentially 40,000 more US troops to Afghanistan? A president whose administration continues to give billions in military aid to Israel, and blocks any movement that will put the Israeli government in court for crimes against humanity?

America is an imperialist and militarized state. The US government wreaks havoc around the world and starves and sieges and bombs millions upon millions. And its leader gets the biggest-name peace prize. How can there not be political motivation or marketing behind this? The leader of the world's biggest imperial state in history is awarded a peace prize for...saying he wants peace? What about those who actually do things for others, without any political motivation, but just for the good of humanity?

Instead the head of the world's most imperial imperialist state gets the peace prize.

The Nobel Peace Prize was never really about peace. Its about power.

I don't think Orwell could have even written this stuff up. Orwell, the master of 1984, a book that has a world where everything is upside down, where the government has the motto War is Peace. We live in an absurd world, just like the world in 1984.

I don't think Orwell could have thought the same day that Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize, America bombs the moon. For what? For wanting to find water-ice. We have trashed and failed our planet - for probably forever. (Read The World Without Us by Alan Weisman.) It is like science fiction - to bomb and take over other planets, or in this case, the moon. Having put our Earth through so much destruction, and its only continuing, the imperialist and militarized American government decides to bomb the moon, to see if we can start putting our rubbish there instead. Without anyone else's consent, as if the United States owns the moon. Leave the moon alone.

War is Peace.

Is that our world now? War is Peace?

Roy and the Economist

2009-09-07T17:32:00.007-04:00

Who is the reviewer? I've not been able to find out - isn't that interesting? I find it quite sad that the Economist published a review that undermines Roy's amazing and necessary work. I wonder what's going on...

From: Arundhati Roy

Hi folks
A letter to the Economist about their charming review of my book. No news from them, so feel free to post on websites/circulate.

To,
The Editor
The Economist 25 August 2009

Dear Sir

This is with regard to the review of my book “Listening to Grasshoppers” that appeared in the Economist. If this letter is long, ironically it is because the factual errors in the review are so many. In an attempt to highlight my “flawed reporting and incorrect analysis” the reviewer makes some extraordinary errors and leaps of logic:

1. “Ms Roy cites a massacre of perhaps 2,000 Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, in which the state’s Hindu-nationalist government was allegedly complicit. Almost no senior official or Hinduist agitator has been prosecuted over the atrocity. And Narendra Modi, Gujarat’s chief minister then and now, is currently vying to take over the leadership of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, and one day India. Many of the country’s industrialists would approve of that; even Ratan Tata, the gentlemanly head of the vast Tata Group which prides itself on its ethical dealings, has praised Mr Modi’s business-friendly policies. Nothing annoys Ms Roy more.”

Mr Tata did not merely praise Modi’s business policies, he endorsed him warmly and publicly as a future candidate for prime minister. In India the said Mr Modi is still being investigated for his role in the 2002 pogrom. In his successful election campaigns after the pogrom, Modi brazenly cultivated communal hatred. He is a member of the RSS (Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh) an organization that is proud of its fascist origins and counts both Hitler and Mussolini as its heroes. In addition to the massacres about 150,000 Muslims were driven from their homes during the carnage. Even today, under Mr Modi’s administration, most continue to live in ghettos, socially and economically boycotted in a brutal system of communal apartheid, while the killers continue to live as free, respectable citizens. Incidentally, after considering the available information, the US government has denied Mr Modi a visa. A handicap, wouldn’t you say, for a potential prime -minister? Incidentally, for more on the Tata’s “ethical dealings” you could google “Kalinganagar” or “Singur”.

2. “…she is not always a reliable witness. Her claim that in Kashmir last summer protesters were as likely to call for union with Pakistan as freedom from India is probably wrong; most seemed to want to be shot of both countries.”

I have never made such a claim. Nobody with an even passing acquaintance with Kashmir would (or should) say something so ridiculous. Given the intensity and violence of the fratricidal wars that Kashmiris have fought, and the thousands that have lost their lives over the Pakistan vs Freedom issue, and given that Kashmiri leadership is still unresolved about the question, it’s extraordinary that the reviewer can so casually and so glibly claim to know what the majority of people of Kashmir want. My essay on Kashmir is actually titled “Azadi”, which in Urdu means “Freedom”. Perhaps the reviewer is unfamiliar with the language?

3. “More typically, she appears to gather her facts from newspapers (her articles strike the reader rather as ‘lounge notes’), before selectively arranging and then exaggerating them to suit her own ends. For example, about 25% of India's territory is alleged to be affected by a Maoist insurgency, but that does not make it, as Ms Roy writes, ‘out of government control’.”

If the reviewer had cared to read the book instead of ransacking it, he/she would have come across a sentence that clarifies that several of the essays are “responses to the responses” about certain events. Given that much of my book is a critique of the disturbing role that a section of the corporate media has played in these events, is it surprising that media reports are frequently referred to? Most of the time this is in order to expose them for being false and motivated. To conclude from this that my “facts are gathered from newspapers” and that the articles are “lounge notes” is laughable.

The figure of 25 % of India’s territory being under Maoist insurgency is a figure advanced by the Indian security establishment and is probably a slight exaggeration. However, it is a fact that vast swathes of India’s territory are out of government control. It is for this reason that the Government has announced that in October, after the rains, there will be a military operation in states like Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Jharkhand in which ground troops will be backed up with helicopter gunships and satellite mapping. A brigade headquarters is being established in Raipur (Chhattisgarh), and 26,000 paramilitary troops (the same Rashtriya Rifles who are deployed in Kashmir, and similar to the Assam Rifles deployed in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland) are being raised for this war. This is in addition the thousands of security personnel who are already deployed in these areas. Perhaps the reviewer has never visited Dantewara , seen the burned, empty villages, or crossed the Indravati into the territory that is called “Pakistan”, where police and security forces do not venture? Perhaps he/she hasn’t heard of Abujmaad?

4. “Beyond India, her grasp of her subject-matter gets looser. If Ms Roy believes, as she writes, that a good portion of Africa’s ‘contemporary horrors’ are caused by America’s ‘new colonial interests’, she would do well to pay a visit to the continent.”

My book is about India, not Africa, but yes, there is a paragraph about Africa. Here’s the sentence the reviewer refers to: “The battle to control Africa’s mineral wealth rages on— scratch the surface of contemporary horrors in Africa, in Rwanda, the Congo, Nigeria, pick your country and chances are that you will be able to trace the story back to the old colonial interests of Europe and the new colonial interests of the United States.” My mistake here is that I didn’t mention the new colonial interests of countries like China and India as well. Does your reviewer not know about the legacy of Shell Oil in Nigeria? Or the politics that surrounds the mining of a mineral called coltan? Or of how Belgium’s colonial regime structured the barriers of hatred between the Tutsis and the Hutus in Rwanda with their racist profiling and social engineering? As for the recommendation that I pay a visit to the continent…it’s a grand idea, but how does one visit an entire continent? I have visited parts of it. Plenty of times. But the reviewer should know that it is possible to know things about places even if you haven’t been to them, like historians know things about history without traveling back in time.

5. “For a more measured analysis, Ms Roy should perhaps turn to the finance ministry’s recently published Economic Survey. There she would read that, ‘High growth is critical to generate the revenues needed for meeting our social welfare objectives.’ Ms Roy should take note.”

Am I really being waved back into my seat with the finance ministry’s Economic Survey? I thought everybody knew that the cut back on public spending (social welfare objectives) is almost in direct proportion to the growth rate? It’s often a pre-requisite when loans from the World Bank, the ADB and the IMF are negotiated. Isn’t that what structural adjustment is all about? Or is this the old Trickle Down theory being re-cycled? I’ve always wondered about this. Some times they say the Free Market provides a level playing field – but then when questioned, they ask us to wait for Trickle Down. But things only Trickle Down slopes don’t they? Anyway, there is a school of thought, which believes that people actually do have rights. The right, for instance to resist the Government taking away their land and their livelihoods, often at gun point, and then ordering them to wait for the leftovers (if the gentlemen leave any) to trickle down after the feast.

Regardless of our obvious ideological differences I hope you agree that errors and innuendo of this nature undermine the real debate.

With best wishes

Arundhati Roy
2A Kautilya Marg
New Delhi 110021

***

Necessary, but wrong

Jul 30th 2009
From The Economist print edition

Listening to Grasshoppers: Field Notes on Democracy. By Arundhati Roy. Hamish Hamilton; 256 pages; £14.99. To be published in America as “Field Notes on Democracy” by Haymarket Books in October. Buy from Amazon.co.uk

IT IS impossible not to admire Arundhati Roy. Despite her flawed reporting and analysis, her left-wing prejudices and one-sided portentous writing, the author who carried off the 1997 Man Booker prize for her novel, “The God of Small Things”, is just the sort of brave and energetic critic that India needs.

Not for her the national image projected by India’s smug elite, of a nascent superpower lifting off. Ms Roy’s India is a truer one—a poor, rural country beset by grave problems, where, notwithstanding the holding of regular elections, wretched injustices are perpetrated by a corrupt and often brutal state.

As prime evidence of democracy’s failure to protect Indians, in this collection of her recent journalism and other writings, Ms Roy cites a massacre of perhaps 2,000 Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, in which the state’s Hindu-nationalist government was allegedly complicit. Almost no senior official or Hinduist agitator has been prosecuted over the atrocity. And Narendra Modi, Gujarat’s chief minister then and now, is currently vying to take over the leadership of the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, and one day India. Many of the country’s industrialists would approve of that; even Ratan Tata, the gentlemanly head of the vast Tata Group which prides itself on its ethical dealings, has praised Mr Modi’s business-friendly policies. Nothing annoys Ms Roy more.

The Hindu nationalists’ hateful tendencies are well-known. Perhaps less notorious is the weakness of India’s non-political institutions, and Ms Roy skewers most of them. In three deft articles, she examines the dubious methods of the police in securing the conviction of Muhammad Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri, for masterminding a 2001 terrorist attack on the Indian parliament building—allegedly by planting evidence and torturing him into confessing. Given that India’s police are often alleged to use torture, and have long enjoyed impunity in Kashmir, where Mr Guru was picked up, this would not be surprising. But neither India’s complacent judiciary nor its often-craven journalists shows much interest in reinvestigating his case. Mr Guru remains on death row.

Whether or not he is guilty, Ms Roy does laudable work in defending Mr Guru when others—including at times India’s legal fraternity, according to Ms Roy—would not. On other issues, however, she is not always a reliable witness. Her claim that in Kashmir last summer protesters were as likely to call for union with Pakistan as freedom from India is probably wrong; most seemed to want to be shot of both countries.

But that faulty observation was at least noted by Ms Roy in the field. More typically, she appears to gather her facts from newspapers (her articles strike the reader rather as “lounge notes”), before selectively arranging and then exaggerating them to suit her own ends. For example, about 25% of India’s territory is alleged to be affected by a Maoist insurgency, but that does not make it, as Ms Roy writes, “out of government control”. Beyond India, her grasp of her subject-matter gets looser. If Ms Roy believes, as she writes, that a good portion of Africa’s “contemporary horrors” are caused by America’s “new colonial interests”, she would do well to pay a visit to the continent.

So entrenched is the anti-globalisation that informs her world view, she would be tough to dissuade. But what alternative strategies does she advocate for improving India? Hard to say. A rare suggestion for better governance—the formation of a shadow parliament “that keeps an
underground drumbeat”—does not seem terribly serious. On economic policy, Ms Roy has even less to offer—other than to slam recent governments for aspiring to rapid economic growth. This is a “project” she considers to be “encrypted with genocidal potential”. For a more measured analysis, Ms Roy should perhaps turn to the finance ministry’s recently published Economic Survey. There she would read that, “High growth is critical to generate the revenues needed for meeting oursocial welfare objectives.” Ms Roy should take note.

Dear Tropical Storm Danny

2009-08-29T19:06:00.002-04:00

Dear Tropical Storm Danny,
You sure like to rain a lot. But its ok, I don't mind, because I don't have to walk around in the city.

Instead I'm visiting the comic family in Boston who have a cat that likes to follow me around and sit on all of us. Some members of the comic family like to imitate how their cat constantly meows. Today we made stuffed mushrooms and it was a bit difficult to not lick my fingers in the process. Earlier we went to the Indian shop and I witnessed how my phupi and phupa buy their meat - by being very animated and loud. The cashier guy at the front left the shop for something and so my phupa stood behind the counter and pretended to be the cashier. In the meantime my phupi bought what she claims is the best aachar that I will ever eat: "Punjabi Mango Pickle" made by a company called "Mother's Recipe." I'm taking it back to NY with me.

I've been told recently that its quite remarkable that my whole extended family still speaks Urdu/Hindu predominantly. I always took it for granted that all the adults in my family speak only Urdu to each other, and for the most part, to their kids as well. In my family if you don't speak Urdu well or have difficulty speaking it, you basically get teased. But no one really minds getting teased - when I was growing up it was a catalyst for me to speak and learn Urdu. I forced my parents to speak to me only in Urdu when I was about 10 because I didn't want to get teased anymore. And it worked, though of course my Urdu could definitely improve.

And so I've always taken it for granted that my whole family still communicates in our native tongue, instead of the language of the colonizers. I realize now though that many South Asian families, especially in these States, have practically abandoned their native languages in an effort to assimilate. I guess my family members are more stubborn to stick to their ways - which in this example, is a good thing.

Peace.

Back

2009-08-13T01:20:00.002-04:00

It's nice to be back in the city after a few weeks. But its also bittersweet.
We'll see what happens, yeah?

"Various"

2009-07-10T00:10:00.006-04:00

I wonder how many mixtapes there are around the world that are buried in boxes, titled "Various."

I am at my parents' house at the moment. My family has done so much moving around over the years, that most of my stuff is in boxes, with a lot of things getting thrown out over time. As a result, I have very few remaining possessions from high school and beyond. Somehow, I didn't throw out my small cassette collection. I rediscovered them yesterday in my cupboard when I was trying to make my room look as clean and tidy as it was before this visit. My sister-in-law once said something like "Hena whenever you come home it looks like your room just throws up stuff."

Anyway, here's such a mixtape from my early high school days, I think from the year 2000. That means that this tape is almost a decade old! I played it today in the car. Let's just say the audio quality wasn't that amazing - but it was great to hear these songs again.

Here's the complete playlist, with the correct spellings and titles. Its a bit obvious that I was going through a bit of a funk and disco phase, with some soul thrown in. As you can tell I had discovered the oldies station. There's also some classic house.

Side A:

BeeGees - Staying Alive
The Spinners - Its A Shame
KC & the Sunshine Band - That's the Way I Like It
Archie Bell and the Drells - Tighten Up
PM Dawn - Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
U2 - Beautiful Day
Michael Jackson - Rock With You
Grace - Not Over Yet
Livin' Joy - Dreamer

Side B:

Jennifer Paige - Crush
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Michael Jackson - Beat It
Soul Decision - Faded
Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real
The Friends of Distinction - Grazing in the Grass
Labelle - Lady Marmalade
Average White Band - Pick Up the Pieces

Its kind of fun to rediscover my old tapes. I never had that many as I transitioned to starting a CD collection pretty quickly. But its kind of nice to have to press forward, and rewind, to hear certain songs - there's no ultimate instant gratification, that you get with CDs, mp3s, and now Youtube. I haven't heard many of these songs in years, and now I can find them right away online, which is kind of cool but I feel like something is taken away with that instant gratification.

I didn't know who half of these songs were by or had totally forgotten, until I typed up this playlist just now. Another discovery.

I now remember making these tapes and listening to the radio, waiting for the right song to come on so that I could record it. I must have gotten pretty good at this, because this tape sounds almost seamless - I must have got skilled at pressing record and pause at the right time. I had such useful skills.

And, I don't think of myself as a nostalgic person. This mixtape however is a bit of a window into a past version of me - I can hear what I was listening to at that time, at what was influencing me. Can mixtapes be a sort of personal historical documents, like journals? I've never read one page from my old journals, but I'm listening to my old mixtapes.

MJ. Michael.

2009-06-28T15:58:00.002-04:00

Michael.

As soon as I heard the news of his death, I knew that it was a significant moment, for me, and millions of others everywhere. Right away I thought that months from now, years from now, we will reflect and ask ourselves "Remember when Michael Jackson passed away?", and remember how we felt at the time. For now, his passing is still fresh in our memory, and for his many legions of fans, his music and moves cannot leave our minds for the time-being.

Michael's death shows the extent of his global influence. In our Internet-driven society, the passing away of one man caused grief and mourning across the world, and also a celebration of his life and his musical legacy. His death is a sobering reminder, that yes, we all have to go someday. Thursday, June 25th, 2009, was Michael's time to go and leave us. May he finally be at peace, God willing.

Michael's death shows how his music truly unified us, crossing generational lines, racial lines, cultural lines, language barriers, religion, as well as musical genres. The 80s' generation might be the actual MJ generation, but the generation before and after also witnessed the phenomenon that was Michael Jackson.

The news of his death being splashed across the Internet and then riding across the globe in waves, was more evidence of his immense popularity. Michael's massive success and fame came of age far before the current Internet age, with his legacy being stamped primarily in the 1980s'. His last album, Invincible, was released in 2001. The face of the Internet changes dramatically every couple years or so. In 2001, there was no Gmail, or Facebook, or Twitter, or Youtube, or even many online radio stations. Yet, in 2009, the news of his death crashed the Internet giants of today, in just a few minutes. It was perhaps a final display of how much he had impacted our world.

Michael, the ever-changing chameleon. I think that the many transformations in Michael's life perhaps reflect shifting undercurrents in American society. His changing skin colour complicated and confronted racial lines - a man with white skin who was still seen as a black artist, and a black figure. Michael's increasing androgyny also remarkably bended the strict boundaries of gender. And finally, most recently of all, his perceived flirtation, if not acceptance, of Islam. In the wake of his death, religion is another aspect of society that Michael continues to blur and challenge.

Finally, let's not forget, what we did to Michael Jackson. We, as in us, the public. Us as a collective. We, the ones who feed off the media, who gulp down what the media feeds to us. Because ultimately, the many trials and demons that Michael faced in his life, was because of us. He had been in the spotlight since he was 5 years old, and died at 50 - a 45-year career in the public eye. If we, as the public, had recognized that this young, amazing child, had immeasurable talent, but that he was still a child, we would have known to respect him as a person. To see him as a human being, and not just as an entertainer. We can blame the media all we want for exploiting Michael since he was young, but we allowed the media, the giant, Conglomerate Media, to do so. We didn't hold back.

Because of such vast amounts of attention, Michael inevitably receded further and further into isolation, and alienation. His fantastic talent was a great gift, but also a great curse. Because of his talent, Michael was forced, by us, to sacrifice his whole existence, to us. By endlessly performing, touring, and creating. Millions idolized him and saw him only as the Michael Jackson, and not realizing that Michael was just like one of us as well - a fellow human being, who happened to be extremely gifted vocally and in his dancing abilities. The never-ending media spotlight on him made Michael retreat into dark shadows, resulting in an excessive and odd lifestyle - surefire signs of mental distress. But still, we never let up, and we allowed the media to continue to exploit him, and it only got worse after 1993. And it still continues with his death.

So let's remember Michael for who he truly was - a fantastic performer, singer, and dancer, as well as a great humanitarian. And let's recognize, and not forget, that he was also a human being, one who we all took advantage of.

I bet you remember

2009-06-26T16:20:00.003-04:00

How awful is it that someone has to pass away for people to realize how truly great that person was.

No one else is in the same sphere as him.

The Amazing Adventures of Timmy the SuperMouse

2009-06-20T16:49:00.003-04:00

Timmy the Supermouse can get on top of the microwave and nibble his way through a packet of roti.

He also likes to hide under the bed and squeak from time to time.

Timmy the Supermouse is capable of disappearing for months at a time. And when he returns, you wonder if he ever left at all.

Timmy the Supermouse is lucky he lives with girls who are too nice to get mousetraps for him.

He is also lucky that our neighbours don't have a cat whom we could borrow for a day and find Timmy and help him with his social awkwardness and shyness, by chasing him.

Timmy the Supermouse might actually be his cousin Tommy, or Jimmy. But as Timmy doesn't have any distinct features at his high running speeds of dashing into dark and unknown corners, he is known as Timmy. Sorry Tommy or Jimmy.

Timmy the Supermouse - I will be gone in a couple of weeks. You will have one less friend. Sorry mate!

Read. Iqra.

2009-06-09T21:11:00.005-04:00

Ev-ery-one should have the right to education. Education should not be a privilege. The fact that education is a privilege and not a right is extremely scary - because it really shows the manifestation of power coming from the top-down. To even educate ourselves can be a huge struggle, even in the world's richest country.

Education should be a right. It doesn't matter what kind of education - home-school, public school, private school, oral history, written history - whatever. Education is the most empowering tool a person can have. To not have that tool, that right, is extremely disempowering and we can see what the results are all around us - people going off to fight someone else's war, people falling into crime, drug addiction, people getting arrested and locked behind bars. Or people being enslaved to the middle class and having to work as servants, cooks, drivers, dealers, hustlers, sex workers, and all the rest of it. If people had the right to education...all of that would be a different story.

And that's probably why they don't have access to education. To a good, solid, education.

And for those who have degrees and what-not - its not enough. We all have to continue to educate ourselves. I really understand now, how much there is that I don't know about and don't understand. And the only way to learn is to continue to educate myself. I have my diploma from the University of Michigan sitting in a drawer in my room at my parents' house. Perhaps one day I'll get a frame for it and hang it. But really, how much was that diploma worth? How much does it actually mean to me? Going to college empowered me and taught me that I need to continue learning. And going to college is a rare privilege that few in this world have. So I respect my time at Michigan and I'm grateful for it. But it doesn't put me above anyone else, nor should anyone think so.

As someone who became less and less attuned to classroom-based learning as I got older, perhaps that's why I have my diploma sitting under a bunch of folders in a drawer. Maybe that's why I'm excited more than ever about educating myself, after my formal education has ended. Maybe this means that, the university system isn't for everyone. So I think that a right to education should encompass many different kinds of education, and not shove the academic system in someone's face. Now: I enjoy reading books, outside of class. I like going to lectures, outside of class. I like doing group discussions, outside of class. In university? I hardly ever did my readings, was late to class if I even showed up, and if I did half the time I couldn't focus, took awful notes, and I didn't want to engage in group discussions because I was never prepared and I was always annoyed at being one of the few people of colour in the room, and often the only one.

Anyway...I enjoy educating myself now.

where are the Muslims?

2009-05-30T21:33:00.006-04:00

Earlier today I was at the NYC Grassroots Media Conference. I was only able to attend one workshop and had to table the rest of the time, but I enjoyed myself and met all sorts of interesting people. Over the last couple years or so I've gained a strong perspective that independent media is vital and crucial, and that more people from marginalized communities need to make such media. Going to this conference gave me more insight and knowledge into what other people are doing in the broader alternative independent media movement, especially with what's going on in NYC.

When I go to these kinds of progressive spaces, of which I hope to go to more, I find that I'm usually the only visible Muslim, if not the only Muslim or one of the very few Muslims. So what did I see today at the NYC GMC? All sorts of people from all sorts of communities, which is fantastic. But as far as Muslims, I only met one other Muslim, and I was perhaps the only visible Muslim. My guess is that there weren't more than a handful of Muslims present at the conference, if even that.

I find this to be really frustrating. First and foremost, the alternative media movement is extremely relevant to the Muslim community, and Muslims need to be a part of it. Media has the most influence in our society today. It is all about cause and effect. For example with Muslims, for many years and especially in the last 8 years, Muslims have been vilified, defamed, misrepresented, and stereotyped in mainstream media - in all media. Come on, we know this. Talk radio, national TV news, local TV news, newspapers, crazy right-wing websites, movies, etc etc - the list goes on, and on and on. My classic example is Glenn Beck who used to be on CNN, primetime every weeknight at 7pm, and is now on Fox. Beck is the kind of guy that convinces ignorant TV viewers that Muslims are Islamofascists - and he had a prime spot on CNN.

Then you look at the alternative media movement. The folks doing this kind of work understand the misrepresentation and stereotyping of people of colour, including Muslim folks, and their work aims to rightly represent these communities to counteract the damage done by mainstream media. The alternative media movement aims and wants to accurately represent Muslims! So why the hell aren't more Muslims engaged in this kind of work? Why is it that I saw very few Muslims today at this conference, when many of the media groups present at the conference discuss Muslim communities and Muslim issues?

This is part of a bigger issue of Muslims groups and institutions not being involved or connected with the wider progressive movement. The true progressive movement talks about Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, Kashmir, Chechnya, and so on and so on. What about domestic issues? The prison system, Guantanamo, labour rights, immigrant rights, institutionalized poverty and racism and cleavages, all affect Muslims as well. My point is that the progressive movement is engaged with issues that directly affect Muslims. Therefore there is a crucial need for Muslims to become involved with these groups or at least to connect with them, to work together. Note, I'm only discussing spaces that have people of colour at the forefront.

I'm tired of Muslims only talking to themselves. We're such an insular and fragmented community. We need to connect to those who are already looking out for us.

In terms of looking forward, I'm going inshallah to the Allied Media Conference July 16th-19th in Detroit. I hope that Muslims turn up.

Obama-rama

2009-05-29T16:48:00.000-04:00

From Representations of the Intellectual by the late great, Edward W. Said.

page 107:
"I had certainly become used to being peripheral, outside the circle of power, and perhaps because I had no talent for a position inside that charmed circle, I rationalized the virtues of outsiderhood. I could never completely believe in the men and women, for that is what they were after all, just men and women - who commanded forces, led parties and countries, wielded basically unchallenged authority. Hero-worship, and even the notion of heroism itself when applied to most political leaders, has always left me cold..."

I put this up here because this passage made me think right away of course, of Mr. Barack Obama. I wonder what Said would have said about him...

Malcolm's example

2009-04-22T23:58:00.014-04:00

For the friends who actually read this from time to time:

Sakina - yes, I will send your photos soon. Sorry, I honestly keep forgetting.

Well I am in New York now and have been here for about 3 months or so. This has been an extended transition period for me and now I'm really ready for things to start coming together so that I can get settled. But as we all know things don't always work out how we plan them and so we have to be patient and just keep trying. Plus, its the worst economy since the Depression, and that doesn't help anyone. I have to say though, when I get on the train and I see a white guy with a briefcase and an expensive suit, and the train is in lower Manhattan, I can't help but think that he's one of those evil bankers who caused this whole mess in the first place, which as usual, hurts the poorest of the poor the most. I once saw a homeless black guy start insulting this kind of guy, and in my head, I egged him on. 'That's right, tell him off!' Though it was more vulgar than that.

In other news its pretty great to be here in NY, mostly because of the filmmaking...thing. Is it a career? Well I hope it will be. I think this is a good place for me to be in, to do what I want to do, iA. All sorts of people are here, including a lot of very creative people, and its cool to make these connections and to continue learning. NY is also a place where tons of things get screened, and despite all my apprehensions about Google, I made a Google calendar of NY film screenings. Damn Google.

On the family front one of my brothers is in Turkey with his wife, and my other brother is going to visit them. I really wish I could go. Their pictures, emails, and blog posts are all really interesting and engaging and I can tell they're learning a lot from their experience abroad already.

I reread the Autobiography of Malcolm X. I first read it when I was 15 or 16. Man, it was a huge eye-opener then. That's the amazing and consistent power of that book. It has educated millions of people. This time, reading it for the 2nd time, I felt like I got to know Malcolm all over again. Since I already knew his story and his viewpoints on the black struggle, this time I was really fascinated by his personal character. One of the things that truly inspired me is that Malcolm was an incredibly smart man, with an eighth grade education. He became immensely intelligent and well-versed on innumerable issues because he practically read the whole prison library while in prison.

Specifically, there's a passage where he talks about China, and the history of China with Britain and the Opium Wars, and how China was then being presented in the 1960s' as the great evil Red China state (which still continues - coverage of Beijing Olympics anyone?). Malcolm analyzed how China, which had been oppressed by the West (Britain) for ages, was now seen as a major threat, mainly because of economics (funny how some things don't change). This passage really illustrated to me the depth and diversity of Malcolm's knowledge - and he gained all of it from reading books. Which has inspired me more than ever, to read as much as possible. Today I went to the library and instead of having a book in mind, I knew that now I could go to almost any section and pick a book, because I want to learn as much as possible. Everything is connected - as Malcolm knew and demonstrated.

Everyfing's connected

I feel like its a blessing to have read his autobiography while in New York. I went to Harlem a few times and recognized some of the places that are mentioned in the book. I always just stand still and stare at the building or down the street, to take a moment and think about the history of the place and I'd imagine Malcolm walking down the street, entering a building, talking to people. Its awesome to be around these places that are mentioned in a book that you have in your bag. St Nicholas Avenue, the Apollo Theatre, 125th Street...the Audubon Ballroom. I also once passed Mosque Number 7, and again froze...

I got to meet Malaak, one of Malcolm's and Betty's youngest daughters, in February with Nura. Of course we were both completely floored and giddy, and we had a great time with her. It was astonishing to be in her presence, but she really comes off as being just like any other person, and is very warm and funny. I might attempt to put up my very brief interview with her online on this blog. Malaak was at a media conference I attended in DC, and this conference was specifically just for Muslims in media. I remember sitting there and she happened to pass by me after we all did our intros. She stopped, turned, and said "I want to talk to you" (it was because of the film festival). I saw her father's face in hers. Of course I was completely amazed and surprised that one of Malcolm's and Betty's daughters would want to talk to me of her own motivation.

Malcolm - we owe you so much.

That's it for now.

Fallacies at the UN Racism Conference

2009-04-20T15:46:00.005-04:00

1. Who is boycotting the UN Racism Conference? Those who have historically perpetrated oppression on people of colour and post-colonization, are racist societies: America, Australia, the UK, France, Holland, Germany, etc.

2. These same countries are the ones who signed a document made at the end of the last UN Racism conference in Durban in 2001, that had a sort of blueprint for tackling racism and xenophobia. Unsurprisingly, they've done little to nothing that showed any commitment to the actions outlined in those documents.

3. There is nothing 'racist' or inciteful said against Israel in those documents. Their claims that this conference is hateful and racist towards Israel has no basis in the first place.

INGRID JARADAT: Well, our first response has been the question whether these governments have actually read the original documents and the draft documents, because neither the original Durban Declaration and Program of Action nor current drafts include any inciting language against Israel. In the initial Durban documents of 2001, the only time Israel is mentioned it’s mentioned as a state entitled to security like all other states. So there is no—there has never been any sort of language that could be declared racist. And it makes you really wonder which documents people are referring to when they say they are antagonistic.

4. Its also messed up anyway that Israel isn't even called out on for what it is - a racist, apartheid state. The only one who said anything was of course, Ahmadinejad.

---- Therefore the countries who are boycotting the UN Racism Conference are Western countries who have a history of oppression and racism, and are boycotting on the claim that the conference is racist towards Israel, when the conference actually is very very careful to not say ANYTHING against Israel.

5. Obama, a biracial American president with a Kenyan father, boycotts the UN Racism Conference. Clearly the African diaspora present at the conference, is pissed off. And rightly so. Here's a guy who talks about change all day long and has a biracial background and here he is boycotting a racism conference, because he's afraid of what the Israelis might say if he actually took part.

But really, is anyone actually surprised by all of this? Did anyone actually expect Western countries to own up to the atrocities they've committed?

MARGARET PARSONS: I think it’s important to note that this unholy and cynical alliance between what is predominantly white Western countries is them not wanting to have to address the legacy of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, colonization, the occupation of Palestine, and the expropriation of indigenous people’s lands and resources.

solidarity

2009-04-08T20:01:00.004-04:00

gimme a V! gimme a E! gimme an N! gimme a T!
V-E-N-T

What is true solidarity? Solidarity is recognizing struggles of communities other than the ones you are a part of and working together with such communities towards raising awareness or to do action to bring about justice, collectively, and also educating each other. That to me, is solidarity. If you are allied for freedom and equality then you are so with ALL struggles simultaneously.

You don't claim to be allied for freedom and equality and then completely betray the group's work and principles, and history of solidarity, for your own selfishness. What do you call such a person? Egotistical, selfish, opportunistic, - and also shameful, dishonest, mistrustful. What have they done? Utter betrayal and caused utter disappointment.

This is what has happened to me and many others recently. And. I. am. pissed. off.

True social justice organizers/activists would not do this. They would not even consider doing such a thing and would instead immediately condemn and oppose such action.

So, to the person that has caused such strife and has FOREVER ruined the hard and dedicated work and future of the group, your actions are vehemently condemned and opposed. Because we stick to our principles of true solidarity.

FINI

2009-03-15T13:09:00.002-04:00

the end the end the end the end the end the end the end

Last screening was on Saturday night. But should I backtrack a little? I probably should.

Friday night was our co-hosted night with Arab Xpressions. Arab Xpressions is an annual show that's been going on for a few years now, and its free and it always has tons of people. This year the show had...700 people show up - about 200 too many. Fire hazard for sure. But it was still entertaining, and people liked the short films that we showed throughout the night.

Saturday we had a day screening. People really liked the documentary Leila Khaled: Hijacker, and Hardball, a film about a football team (the Sakhnin team) and its fans. For a Saturday daytime screening when the weather outside has been nice for the first time in many many months, I'd say we had a really great turnout.

Saturday night was the 5th and final screening, and we showcased Slingshot Hip Hop. This is actually my first time watching the film and I thought it was great and well put-together. This screening was nearly sold out, and we had a short q&a session afterwards with Rumzi, a producer and cameraman for the film. People milled around for quite a while afterwards while us organizers chit-chatted with attendees, watched amusing videos of ourselves... and one of our friends fell over a row of seats trying to take a picture of us. Then we finally turned the lights off, gathered the remaining piles of program booklets (there's not that many left!!), and proceeded to Lauren's where we ended up telling ghost stories and talked about Palestine (two very unrelated subjects).

That's it folks for this year! Thank you Vandana for letting me take over your flat and withholding your keys from you, thank you Reid for putting up with me, thank you Ryah for all of your help, thank you Lauren for sticking by us lunatics, thank you Bana for spreading the word, thank you Namira for designing our stuff and I still think you shouldn't go to law school, thank you Toby for going through our pestering emails and doing the website, and thank you Kamal for your amazing support and for your wonderful presence, and thank you to all the volunteers for letting us boss you around, and thank you to everyone who attended.

We still have some paperwork to sort through which will take about 2 weeks - and then I personally am taking a break, for maybe up to 2 months. But probably not, because I already started thinking about next year a few weeks ago.

Stay tuned.

Reid's guest post

2009-03-13T02:41:00.000-04:00

Never blogged before, always found it a tad silly. Look at me now.

First off I would like to personally thank everyone who has come out to either of our first two nights. The turnout has been really great to see, and when you consider that proceeds are to be donated for Gaza relief things get downright inspiring.

It was an honor to introduce this festival with Hena last night on the stage of the Michigan Theater. I regrettably forgot to thank three very important people.
These three are our graphic designer: Namira Islam, our webmaster: Toby Millman, and Kamal Abuarquob.

Namira did an absolutely fantastic job creating our wonderful logo, and designing the booklet.
Toby was great about updating the website and making it functional, including allowing for ticket purchases. She had to put up with some slow reaction time from us as organizers but was always incredibly prompt with updates.
Kamal took time out of his busy schedule to help us first at the January fundraiser (during which he was a great help), and next at spreading the word in Dearborn. Thanks Kamal, we'll see you Saturday.

Everything has gone smoothly to this point, and it feels as though the most trying times are over. Dare I say that the 6 of us (plus invaluable help from our volunteers!) know how to run a film festival.

Come out for Saturday's closing night!
Slingshot Hip-Hop is a phenomenal movie and I can't wait for it to wrap up this amazing first year.

THANK YOU!!

2009-03-12T04:02:00.006-04:00

I couldn't grab anyone to do a guest posting, and Vandana is doing other work. So here I am again!

TONIGHT WAS FANTASTIC. We're really happy with the turnout - we got a few hundred people to attend! Everything worked out fine, things were definitely busy before the screening got underway but we had really wonderful volunteers so everything worked out well. Plus the Michigan Theatre took care of all the ticketing for tonight. We were also able to sell tickets for other screenings and festival passes.

Anyway, as I said yesterday, it was amazing again to see the marquee say 'Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival Opening Night'. The box office opened up at 7:30pm but people had already started coming in about 15 minutes before. There was definitely a constant queue of people streaming in and buying tickets. I really enjoyed seeing various familiar faces, including professors, friends, etc. Plus my parents came!!! Which made me reallly happy, but unfortunately I could only spend a few minutes with them. But I'm very happy they were able to come.

So around 8:15 Reid and I were dragged off to do the intro. We ran a bit late because the queue outside was still there, but we had to start. Backstage we went, and then onstage. I wasn't really nervous during the day actually, about making the introduction speech, because we had so many errands and things to take care of, right up until the last minute. Walking backstage though, I said 'I'm nervous. Reid are you nervous? Coz I'm nervous'. To which he replied 'Nah, I'm not nervous'. 'Of course you're not, you never are'. And then we were shooed on stage and the spotlight was in our face.

Having a riot right now. V is lip syncing to Aaliyah's 'One In A Million'. I'm sure her neighbours hate my laughter.

So we did the intro and then 'Make A Wish' came on, a really great short film by Cherien Dabis about a Palestinian girl wanting to get a cake for her father's birthday. And then we went right into 'Salt of This Sea', a feature by Annemarie Jacir, of which I've blogged about before.

Us organizers have all seen the film already (during the preview screening we had) so some of us watched the film while others stayed in the lobby at the tables. I went in and out. Let me just say that some of us were dancing while no one else was looking.

After the films ended people mingled in the lobby for about 20-30 minutes or so. I was so happy to see a singer from Three Generationz attend our screening, as well people from all sorts of communities: families, students, Arabs, non-Arabs, scholars, activists, artists, etc.

A shout out to Arab Detroit for all of their help and support, and to all of the volunteers.

Check out what the Michigan Daily wrote about us today!

That's it for now guys. We have 4 more screenings to go, and well its time I go to bed.

Thanks for reading!
Peace

----------------------
Update:
I have some time to breathe right now, and want to write more deeper reflections on last night. It was really wonderful to see the Arab community come out, with of course, many Palestinians, including families. After all the hard work all of us have put in, its completely worth it when you hear older Palestinian men and women coming up to you and telling you how happy they are to attend, how much they liked the film, but still, how sad and upset they are at the current situation, and their history, but how grateful they are to see this film festival. All of the work from the last 10 months was completely worth it, just for those moments. I think that was the best part of the night.

Another great thing about last night was that we were able to get in all sorts of audiences - and that's how we envisioned this festival. We really wanted people from the activist and Arab communities to come, but we also really wanted audiences who aren't familiar with Palestine to attend, and I think we definitely got all these audiences last night. It was really refreshing and rewarding to see so many people who we didn't know, attend the screening.

People told us afterwards how happy they were that this festival is happening, and what they thought of the films. I've already gotten feedback that the films made people think - which is the point of the whole film festival. We want people to attend, enjoy themselves, but to also think about what the films are saying.

I really want to give a sincere thank you to everyone who attended, and helped out in any sort of way. Last night was extremely powerful, engaging, and I hope that people found it inspiring.

Twas the night before...

2009-03-11T03:49:00.002-04:00

the premiere of the 1st ever Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival!!

What else is left to say? We premiere tomorrow (or really, today). We are nervous, anxious, but also extremely excited. I love my team, I really do, and I'm so grateful for everyone who has pitched in whatever way they have.

I also love seeing this written on the Michigan Theatre marquee:
'Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival Opening Night'

I have been imagining these moments for months now - its crazy that its now all finally happening. Seeing that sign really floored me for a couple of minutes. I'm taking 20 photos of it tomorrow - 10 during daytime, 10 at night.

Anyway its time for bed. Its great to be back in Ann Arbor but also a little bit strange. Things have changed and moved on, but its still the same too.

Anyway, our publicity chair is asleep and her hand hurts. I'm not letting her flyer tomorrow. Thanks V for letting me crash here.

Guest blogs will hopefully start tomorrow night, if I can convince someone to do so.

That's it for now and OMG WE PREMIERE TONIGHT!!!

Today's...Monday?

2009-03-09T22:18:00.005-04:00

I could have gone to bed earlier and woken up a lot earlier. But I didn't. And so I suffered.

Flyers. flyers. flyers.
booklets booklets booklets booklets booklets
emails
tickets

That was my day today. Plus lots of driving. Which isn't good for someone who loathes driving, like me. Lots of reverses, a couple of u-turns, etc. But I'm able to get around with no navigation system, I'm proud to say. Though my friend Komal is someone I frequently call to get addresses or directions, so that's kind of cheating. Anyway, later, it was cool to go to Dearborn (for flyering purposes) - I haven't been there in a few months and it was nice to see some of the places and roads I used to haunt in the past. The place still seems very familiar to me.

Anyway, today was all about booklets and flyers. Thank you United Sonz, our printing company, for dealing with all our emails and frantic phone calls. These poor guys got so confused because we have multiple orders going at once, and all are last minute. But they are really great, and very patient with a realll quick turnaround time.

I wanna also give a HUGE THANK YOU to our designer Namira who has put up with all our requests and changes. Thanks Namz for helping us out and doing such an amazing job. Many people have said they like what you've done. Namira designed all our posters/flyers, the upcoming program booklet, as well as the logo.

Today I was on Samir Haddad's radio show (see post below). He's a really cool guy (who looks like the Arab version of my uncle in Wales) whose show is all about bringing the arts to the Arab communities. His show was in fusha Arabic and I could catch a word here or there, but that was it unfortunately. Our segment on the film festival was in English and hopefully I was coherent and clear enough for people to understand. But half the time no one can understand me anyway.

Shifting to Ann Arbor tomorrow for the rest of the week. Unlike the other organizers I don't have classes or work to deal with at the same time as the film festival, so I'm lucky compared to them.

Once the festival starts I'll try to get the other organizers to do guest postings so that you, dear reader, aren't just reading the rubbish that I write. There's a whole group of people behind this film festival and I want you guys to see what they have to say as well.

That's it for now. Here's another Pali tune:

The Meadow Smiled - El-Funoun

Live blogging or something

2009-03-08T23:04:00.008-04:00

I had been debating a little bit in my head back and forth of whether I should do 'live blogging' for the film festival. Basically, writing every night about the film fest in this good ol' blog of mine, with the main reason to get people more pumped up somehow about the whole thing, and also for everyone who can't come but wishes they could be around, to be in the know. I was easily convinced to do this after a brief chat with African Arab. fanks mate.

Ok so we premiere on Wednesday - THIS WEDNESDAY! And yes I am extremely nervous but also excited but also anxious for all of it to be over. I think I'm a little bit nervous of speaking in front of everyone at the Michigan Theatre - its best for me to not think about it so that I won't get nervous. I'm sure Reid and I will figure out what we're saying about a half hour before we have to go up there and present ourselves. My main worry right now about Wednesday is...what to wear. No joke.

Today was one of those days where a whole bunch of us are putting our heads together trying to get all the ends put together. Flyers, emails, booklets, tickets, the whole lot. I came back to Michigan on Friday night and its been chaos since then, especially because some members of my family are leaving the country for 4 months, and well tonight was a day of packing/moving stuff around, as well as a hyper 4-year-old running around wanting to play with everyone, but we were all too busy to do so. During this whole time I was working with our awesome graphic designer Namira, to help put the finishing touches on our booklet.

So that was today. Tomorrow will be more flyering/phone calls/frantic emails. I'll be on a radio show that's gonna be from 3-4pm, called Arabian Candles. If anyone wants to listen online, click here and click on WNZK 680/690am Detroit.

Stay tuned.

Watchmen = waste of time

2009-03-07T23:39:00.005-05:00

Allow me to clarify, the only reason I saw this piece of rubbish was to hang out with my brother, who for some reason decided that this film was a must-see and worthy of buying tickets for beforehand.

So I went and watched it, not knowing anything about it before today. The only thing I had seen about the film were the film posters pasted up around town - everywhere. I'm not a filmmaker who's a film buff and cares to make the effort about what films are coming out, nor do I care to be. Especially when it comes to stuff from Hollywood.

So today I spared a minute to watch the trailer and really wasn't impressed. There were lots of explosions, flying things, and blue and green. That's the thing I remember the most about this film - all the blue (and the green? or maybe the yellow).

Speaking of trailers how about this: three trailers back to back in the cinema, before The Watchmen, and they were all the same - flying things, explosions, blood, guns, robots/superheroes/some other shit. Aaah, so typical! Just the same, mindless, brainwashing rubbish.

As was the Watchmen film. Oh I'm sure people love it because of the graphic novel and the 'big themes' the film is trying to touch upon - but I don't care. I see it as basically 2 and a half hours of blood, guts, guns, a creepy blue man who needs some clothes, stupid costumes, and people beating each other up or getting shot. Speaking of which, its not ok to show protesters getting shot and then just say, the killer understands how messed up the world is and that's why he kills innocent people, because its a joke. What the hell was that??

So that part and some other parts of the film were extremely disturbing and hegemonic. All the more reason why I hate Hollywood and the films that come out of that awful industry. Hollywood is so good at churning out the same rubbish again and again, repackaging it, selling it, and making tons of money off of it. Just how many comic book films have been made in the last decade? Probably a couple dozen, and I've seen maybe about 3 or 4, and the only ones that I like are the Batman films (respect to Christopher Nolan). I know the rest aren't worth my time, as well as most of the films that come out from those giant studios.

On top of that - this film is definitely not for kids. Its an R rating, and I can't remember the last time I saw an R-rated film like this. I was able to get into R-rated films as a teenager but they weren't anything like this. I really wonder why that guy who bought tons of popcorn would bring his kids to this film. I diverted my eyes during the cheesy and unnecessarily graphic love scenes by texting. I'm not asking for censorship or anything, but don't let kids watch the film. But of course, why would the cinemas or studios care? They make more money by letting kids watch it.

The only good thing I liked about the film was Matthew Goode. I like his previous work. But the blonde hair definitely didn't work for him.

The Watchmen gets a big 'booo' from me.

Peace

Press Release for...

2009-03-06T13:25:00.000-05:00

Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival
March 11, 2009 - March 14, 2009

On March 11, 2009 at 8 pm, the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival will make its debut at the world renowned Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor, Michigan. As one of the few Palestine film festivals to take place in the Midwest, the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival will surely bring attention to the growing number of films made about and by Palestinians.

The Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival brings you an array of comedy, drama, fiction, non-fiction, features, shorts, and experimental films, which all showcase the diversity and strength of Palestinian cinema. These films represent the true nature of Palestinians and the Palestinian narrative, in stark contrast to the bias and stereotypes that mainstream news and media present. The breadth of the stories and the emotions expressed in these films know no bounds.

The opening night feature film, Salt of This Sea (Dir. Annemarie Jacir), starring acclaimed spoken word poet Suheir Hammad, screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008, and was Palestine’s official submission to the 81st Academy Awards. It is also known to be the first feature-length fictional film to be written and directed by a Palestinian woman.

Other films in this year’s line-up include Laila’s Birthday (Dir. Rashid Masharawi), Driving to Zigzigland (Dir. Nicole Ballivian), Carried by the Wind (Dir. Adam Sebire), Hardball (Dir. Suha Arraf), Make A Wish (Dir. Cherian Dabis) and Slingshot Hip Hop (Dir. Jackie Salloum), which was an official selection at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.

In light of the recent tragic events that took place in Gaza, the Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival will be donating part of the proceeds from ticket sales to the established charity United Palestinian Appeal.

The Ann Arbor Palestine Film Festival debuts on March 11, 2009 at 8pm and runs until March 14, 2009. For more information on film schedules and tickets, please visit: www.a2palestinefilmfest.org