I wasn’t able to blog about this at the time, but I wanted to mention that members of certain countries walked out during his speech, primarily because of these statements the were critical of Israel:
How can one imagine that the inhuman policies in Palestine may continue; to force the entire population of a country out of their homeland for more than 60 years by resorting to force and coercion; to attack them with all types of arms and even prohibited weapons; to deny them of their legitimate right of self-defense, while much to the chagrin of the international community calling the occupiers as the peace lovers, and portraying the victims as terrorists.
How can the crimes of the occupiers against defenseless women and children and destruction of their homes, farms, hospitals and schools be supported unconditionally by certain governments, and at the same time, the oppressed men and women be subject to genocide and heaviest economic blockade being denied of their basic needs, food, water and medicine.
They are not even allowed to rebuild their homes which were destroyed during the 22-day barbaric attacks by the Zionist regime while the winter is approaching. Whereas the aggressors and their supporters deceitfully continue their rhetoric in defense of human rights in order to put others under pressure.
- Ahmadinejad in a speech to the UN General Assembly, 2009 (source)
During his speech he was also critical of the UN and is pushing to change the organizing structure so that no member country has veto power or permanent control over the governing body.
I agree with most of what he said in his speech & find it very unproductive for members of nations to walk out on a speech because they do not like something being said. Any nation who’s deligation walked out on this speech is practicing a childish act that needs to be reprehended. It is unacceptable. No one is above the law, no one is above being criticized and the only way the UN can regain it’s legitimacy in the world is to change the way things are handled towards nations such as the US and Israel.
When do we stand up and shout – what Israel is doing to the Palestinians is unacceptable, what Israel is doing to the stability of the region by threatening Lebanon, Syria and Iran is unacceptable. What the United States is doing to the world by occupying Iraq and Afghanistan is unacceptable. And, what the countries of Saudi Arabia, Egypt & Jordan are doing to the world as they refuse to speak out for the rights of all citizens of the world so they can protect their own riches and power. Iran is not immune to criticism either, but just because of what happened during the middle of the year with their election, this does not remove the truth to any of the statements.
The truth has no enemy but oppression. Are you oppressed? Or are you free?
I occasionally go on youtube and browse through videos. Sometimes I discover good new music that I hadn’t heard before. Sometimes I find something interesting that makes me learn more. Some things are funny, some are stupid, some are pointless.
Well, the worst videos are those that are aimed at propogating hate & helping push ignorance about something. This is what I found the other day while broswing.
User Tom101229 (http://www.youtube.com/user/Tom101229) has a three part series that imagines a situation in which the world might be different if “Israel had not won the war of 1948.” The videos total in length to almost 30 mins of pointlessness that does nothing to further the discussion as to what Islam is, what Israel is or what should be done about the conflict in the Middle East. It’s only aim is to shout at you saying “Islam is evil and power hungry” and here’s are why.
Now, I entertained the idea of watching to see where he was going with the video, despite the fact that what he did could easily have been done quicker and more effectively. However, he completely lost credibility when he suggested that the Osama Bin Laden would rise to the leadership role of the Islamic take over of the world. Only the ignorant believe that Islam as a whole supports the likes of Bin Laden.
So, I posted a comment on his video saying to the extent: “I can’t believe you wasted 30 mins of video on this crap. You lost all credibility when you discussed someone like Bin Laden would be the leader of this movement.” I was blunt & to the point, but since he moderates the comments, I had a feeling I would not have my comment posted. Which already shows how cowardly he is.
So, I got the following email from him in response:
Tom101229: Subject: Hey
Did you failed to read the message I wrote? FAILURE! Say hello to my ban list.
Unfortunately my sent messages did not save (youtube fail). So, here is a paraphrase of what I said in response:
Why do I need to read your message when your videos clearly are meant to be a propaganda aimed at spreading false lies to create hate towards a religious faith. It’s completely pointless for me to waste another 5 mins on your lunacy.
In which he replied:
Tom101229: Subject: LOL!
By the way that video is about alternative history? Do you know what alternative history is? It is absolutely strange and unbelievable things coming true due to changes in the past. Who knows if napoleon had died from before he joined the armed forces of France, Osama Bin Laden could had been borned in the United States and be America’s current present taking Obama’s place.
That is what alternative history is about! And it doesn’t matter who is the head of the Islamic Caliphate! You don’t know anything about Islam. There is no way you can, because you live outside of Islam. You are not a muslim. And even if you called yourself such as a sunni or shi’ite, you still couldn’t because you are an American and uphold principles that are contrary to Islam such as women’s rights.
I’m a liberal, you dumb bitch!
Now, this is getting to be just humorous.
Again, to paraphrase what I said in response:
You have no idea who I am. You assume I do not know Islam because I live outside of Islam? Islam is not a place, Islam is a religion, a way of life that exists within the hearts of the followers of Islam. You assume that because I live in the United States, so I do not know Islam? You are ignorant.
You believe that Islam is against woman’s rights, which just shows how ignorant you are. Go back to school and learn about Islam before you post hate propaganda that is meant to support fear of a faith you know nothing about.
Many of you know I am very active on twitter. While I was on there, people started doing a thing called followfriday to recommend people they follow that others should follow as well. I really don’t like how some people just lump people together without any clear reason and often recommend 20-30 people at a time. Just doesn’t make sense and the good people get lost in the shuffle. So, I was reluctant to start this trend. But, I decided to do so with a weekly “Fav 5″ which were basically 5 people that I really enjoyed talking with that week. But, I’m now finding that I have too many favorites and I am interacting with more of them on a weekly basis, so I’m finding it harder to pick just 5 people. Last week I did a music edition where I grouped people together with a song that reminded me of them. While this was fun, it was not what I wished to do every week. And, then Friday came around again. Unfortunately this week, I got myself busy and was never really able to sit down and think about what to do.
I’ve been thinking about doing a blog about it for some time and when I saw @cookiemonster82 do it on his blog, I felt it was possibly the idea I’ve been needing to bridge the gap I now had. You should check out his blog with the idea here.
So, here are some people whom I follow on twitter. I’ll explain who they are and why I follow them and you can be the judge for yourself. I am going to be leaving off a few people who are local to me so I don’t endanger myself or them, but there are a few I would love to recommend. If you happen to know me in real life, you are all worthy of following, even if I don’t mention you on here.
Also, if you did not make the cut, I apologize, you are still important to me, I may not know you well enough or long enough. I also have so many people to name that I’m afraid that if I name too many I will just sound boring and idiotic and the whole point of this blog is to bring attention to some people.
My final comment – please just do me one favor – don’t take them away from me In no particular order:
@ThePharmatician – She’s been following my blog for some time now, one of my first commenters since I started this domain name. She’s Egyptian, studying Pharmacy at the University & often has interesting tweets regarding math, science and medicine.
@cookiemonster82 – He’s the inspiration behind this post, not because I hadn’t thought about it before, but because I didn’t think to do it first He’s in the UK doing some job that involves computers and programing, though he often loses me in what he’s doing
@jew4palestine – Whitty, funny and pro-Palestine. He has some very pretty cats. He is not afraid to debate with Zionists.
@iPolitical – Easily one of my best friends in this world. She has a brilliant mind, knows her stuff when it comes to politics and religion and will often be debating Zionists. She can be harsh and opinionated but don’t let that fool you she does have a caring heart as well. Even though I only know her online, we have similar ideas about things. I consider her to be as close to me as family. Because of this, I will kill for her, which says a lot because I am not that type of person. But mark my words, if anything ever happens to her, I will find you.
@skinny_legs – A beautiful & smart Malaysian Muslimah. She’s great with the pencil and one day I’m going to get her to do work with paint She’s one of the sweetest.
@panNora – Smart, Liberal & Palestinian. She is currently working in Palestine for a UN group. I miss her terribly and hope every day that she is safe and happy.
@rockinrose – A young Brit with a romantic mind, she is smarter beyond her years and will eventually cause big things to happen in her life.
@habzm – Another young Brit. Happens to be classmates with @rockinrose. She is also smarter than she realizes. She is a wonderful and sweet though her curiosity can get the best of her, I know she means well in all of her intentions.
@Gazamom – A journalist and mother from Gaza who is living in the US. Her story was told many times while her mother and father braved the violence in Gaza at the beginning of the year. Even though she doesn’t follow me back, I find her story is one of the reasons why I feel people need to wake up. Take for instance, the fact that her parents had to wait days just to get out of Gaza and only because Egypt opened their border for a few days. This was days of waiting in line, without being able to work or see family they may be going to see. The conditions in Gaza are unacceptable and her stories and blog help spread light on everything.
@pjtangel – She’s someone I met through blogs and is one of my frequent commenters. She has an amazing story behind love and a sweet and caring attitude towards others. She has been one of my biggest supporters throughout my journey on here and I appreciate every moment of it.
@Zyber17 – a young man with a curious & emotional mind, while he has his opinions, he is also very accepting of others. I have seen him change a little over the past few months and it has been interesting to watch as he grows. I have a feeling he will be a great guy and smart, he will do some very powerful things with his mind as well.
@rebelliousgirl – She makes me laugh, cry & want to throw things..lol. But seriously, she is just a wonderful girl. If you aren’t already following her blog, you should do so. She is outspoken and still searching for answers within her own life but I know she will one day find them. I love hearing about the gossip she tells about the Arab families and how “all of the other girls have jobs or husbands.” Sometimes mothers can be so caring and loving and at other times they can be your worst enemy but you still love them.
@MsDi3verse – She’s a very sweet and caring, NJ Muslimah, her name comes from her diverse background. She is a devoted follower of Allah and will often be quoting verses from the Qur’an. Deep down she is one of the most caring people I know.
@SquidzrEZ – She is @panNora’s sister, but she does have a voice of her own. She’s very liberal, sweet and just amazing. I told her I missed her and she sent me a twitpic with a frowning face saying she missed me and loved me. She is currently in Palestine as well but will be returning soon.
@aristocat123 – Although I don’t know too much about her and don’t get to tweet with her too much, she is awesome. She’s liberal and sweet and that’s all that matters to me
@JerusalemBureau - Edited: An Israeli-born, Jewish American journalist working out of Jerusalem. While she is not against Israel’s existence, she is against the Israeli occupation of Palestinians and against governmental policies that discriminate against Arabs. She will quickly point out any hypocrisy or racism. She is a great friend and voice of reason. (I edited this to fit better for her after she gave me a few more pieces of info about her)
@kaitfoley – Punk Iinterested in Muslim affairs, does work with UW-Madision’s Public Radio program Inside Islam.
@jilliancyork – Blogger and writer who is working hard to bring attention to Online issues like censorship & privacy. She is involved with big projects @OpenNet and @Herdict and a frequent blogger on Global Voices Advocay.
@Jinjirrie – Aussie – she works hard at exposing Zionistic hypocrisy & racism. She has a bit of a bite, but behind that is humor and I find myself laughing without even realizing it.
@syrianews – One of my long time favorites for news coming out of the Middle East, specifically from Syria.
Okay, I know I left people off, but this is getting way too long. So, perhaps next time I will add to the list. But for now, this is it. My only caution with most of these people – they are opinionated. They often support Palestine and many are Anti-Zionists who criticize Israel. Some may appear more radical than the mainstream but my statement towards that is that the mainstream is wrong. Also, many are Muslims and if you do not understand that faith, don’t assume anything because you will be quickly shot down and ridiculed. But, these are my favorite people on twitter for one reason or another and I hope if you are interested in these things you will find them interesting as well.
A campaign aimed at bringing awareness as well as building up a global resistance towards Israel due to the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people as been posting videos online over the past few months. This group of individuals from various backgrounds working within Lebanon started their discussions prior to the Israel invasion of Gaza earlier this year. While they were trying to come up with a name for their campaign, they struggled with the idea of whether to draw parallels to other oppressive situations (such as South Africa) in our history. They decided that it was more important to recognize the power that resistance has and so they decided that this resistence was something we have not had before. “Never Before” as they coined it because they urge people to recognize our historical resistances but this time, “Resist, like Never Before.”
Their videos are strong, powerful and full of truth. I ask all of you to watch them all. Go to their youtube page and subscribe to their channel. The first one appears above, two more appear below and more appear on their channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/neverbeforecampaign
But most of all, after viewing these videos, write about your own feelings, your own resistance. How are you going to bring attention to the Palestinian cause? Are you going to sit and be silent? Or are you going to stand up and let your voice be heard? Blog about it, pass along these videos to your family and friends. Write letters to your congressmen, leaders & media outlets. Do not let your voice go unheard, do not stop resisting against the oppressive force of Israel.
This must end, this must end now. I Resist, Like Never Before. Sending love & prayers to my Palestinians friends. Stay Strong, stay firm & fight.
Some of the information in this blog is paraphrased from an interview conducted by Global Voices Online, a great website, check them out at http://globalvoicesonline.org/ & the interview at here.
This is one of the few things I fear about with my job, especially during a recession. It’s one of the main reasons I will continue to look for a tenure track position so that eventually I know my freedom as an educator is not challenged – and perhaps one of my biggest fears at my current job is that I am too liberal and outspoken and I grow outspoken as I go because I am growing restless within myself from being silent. This blog is partly a result of this desire of mine to expand beyond the classroom setting into a place where I feel I can express my views and not have them be directly associated with my job making it harder to connect the two. However, until I have the security of tenure, it will remain a fear of mine – this is the reason tenure exists and why I hope it ever disappears.
Joel Kovel, a long-time professor at Bard College and the author of Overcoming Zionism was recently terminated from his post, he says, for his views on Zionism. Bard has denied the accusation and says that Kovel was not fired but relieved for financial reasons. You can learn more about the case here.
In no particular order: 
He’s in the UK doing some job that involves computers and programing, though he often loses me in what he’s doing 
A campaign aimed at bringing awareness as well as building up a global resistance towards Israel due to the ongoing suffering of the Palestinian people as been posting videos online over the past few months. This group of individuals from various backgrounds working within Lebanon started their discussions prior to the Israel invasion of Gaza earlier this year. While they were trying to come up with a name for their campaign, they struggled with the idea of whether to draw parallels to other oppressive situations (such as South Africa) in our history. They decided that it was more important to recognize the power that resistance has and so they decided that this resistence was something we have not had before. “Never Before” as they coined it because they urge people to recognize our historical resistances but this time, “Resist, like Never Before.”
