Egypt: their revolution - my project

by Aimee Kligman

I needed to write about this on the 25th of January, but having returned to full time work, it was impossible.

The year started with some promise by the rapidly developing rage and unexpected  rebellion by the people against their tyrannical governments. Even as the camera was rolling in Tunisia, there was no way in hell anyone believed this would spill over to other countries in North Africa and the Middle East, much less Egypt.

Then the Egyptian people gave me the best birthday gift I could have ever hoped for, since the day Mubarak finally fell off his throne is only 3 days short of my birthday. It was a bittersweet victory, since several hundred young people were murdered by government thugs for their courage and bravery. But, the celebrations were tarnished by attacks on Western women reporters (who can forget Lana Logan's ordeal, as she still suffers from PTSD?), and one of their own, Mona elTahawy (who lives in the US, but was ebullient at the onset of the revolution) was roughed up and taken for interrogation, Egyptian style.

Very early on, I was seeing signs of distress that I was hoping were just in my own suspicious imagination, and that would eventually result in the crush of the liberal forces in Egypt:

• the youth movement, at least the educated youth who managed to be 'wired' were a minority, and most importantly did not have a de facto leader. 
• the Muslim Brotherhood, though somewhat fractured, was the best organized body of any existing or yet to be formed party.
• the military, and its commander, Tantawi, were enjoying international notoriety. Sure, they were on the side of the people,- at first-, but old habits die hard. No one ever said that the army, or the police for that matter, are educated people in Egypt. That is a central point.
• we learned very quickly that it doesn't matter who is prime minister as the position is entirely cosmetic and they come and go. The real deal still lies with Tantawi, and he is apparently fully endorsed by the international community.
• women continued to be the target of horrific violence. Machismo? or simply men who don't want their women to have a say in anything but what's for dinner, and how can they please their men whenever the need arises. 
• the ugly head of the Salafist movement is supported by the Saudis; money is a huge factor.
• death to the Jews! freedom for Palestine! death to America! - whether or not one agrees with these slogans, I can't help but think that because of the extreme illiteracy of Egyptians, that these slogans are coming out of the mouths of the folks least able to read, form an opinion, understand world affairs. While they chant 'death to America', Egypt's coffers still receive billions from the US. And while they chant 'freedom for Palestine', which of the 27 or so Arab leaders in the region has ever lifted his gold laden finger to help the Palestinians? As for 'death to the Jews', how many people in today's Egypt know that Jews are an inextricable part of their own history? Again, ignorance.

So is it all gloom and doom? I've got to believe that right now, any light coming at the end of any tunnel is a speeding train. Just ask elBaradei; he was my hope. He was world wise; he had seen democracy at work and he witnessed first hand the impossibly rife corruption in Egypt's upper ranks. 

The Egypt Project, is to a very great extent, tied to political progress in Egypt. My dream was to revisit a free democratic Egypt for my 60th birthday. As I celebrate my 61st birthday today, I am sad, somewhat discouraged, but refuse to give up hope. My own country is witnessing how ignorance can be deadly at the moment, with the Republican debates looking more like a circus of trained seals than real politics. Thankfully, the Republicans are not insisting on virginity tests. 

The average person in the West reads an average of 200 hours annually; in the Arab world, that statistic is 7 minutes. Do the math.

Save the Date

Thursday, March 29, 6:30pm  - Center for Jewish History with
American Sephardi Federation present:

 

Recovering Lost Voices of the Sephardic Past:  A Discussion with Professors Aron Rodrigue and Sarah Abrevaya Stein, Moderated by Sara Ivry
Book Discussion    In celebration of the release of A Jewish Voice from Ottoman Salonika:  The Ladino Memoir of Sa'adi Besalel a-Levi, join a conversation with two leading scholars of Sephardic history about the quest for lost sources and perspectives on the Judeo-Spanish past.   As they describe the experience of uncovering, translating, and interpreting the first Ladino memoir known to be written, Professors Stein (UCLA) and Rodrigue (Stanford) will reflect on the challenges and rewards of writing Sephardic history.  Sara Ivry, Senior Editor, Tablet Magazine, moderator.
Admission:  $15 general, $10 CJH, ASF members, $8 students.
Click here to purchase tickets.

Long métrage Arabic film : ليلة شتاء دافئة

sent by Joe Rossano

Long metrage Arbacic film : ليلة شتاء دافئة

Excellent beautiful Story and complete film.

The Title:  ليلة شتاء دافئة

 Cast:  Adel Imam, Usra, and Mahmod Al-Maligi.

The Story: 

The Daughter of Rich Influential man runs away from her father

from her  Father.  She meets a poor commoner...

Complete Film.  Not to be missed. 2 hours original version

Israeli Cinema: East/West and the Politics of Representation

[When Ella Shohat’s book Israeli Cinema: East/West and the Politics of Representation was first published in 1989, Edward Said wrote: “Shohat's Israeli Cinema is a tour-de-force. Not only is it theoretically sophisticated, it is also deeply rooted in the changing politics and perceptions of the Israeli predicament as they bear upon Israeli films. With brilliant humanistic insight, Shohat describes the underlying ideological myths and allegorical structures and contributes significantly to a new, enlarged understanding of the dynamics between Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities, and between them and the Palestinians.” I. B. Tauris has recently published a new edition of the book, with a substantial new postscript by Shohat.] read more>>

AAHA - LA GROSSE POMME / SPRING LUNHEON 2012

sent by Viviane Levy

Hello everybody,

Hope this message will find you in great spirit and in good health for this New Year 2012, and the Year of the Dragon.

I just wanted to touch base with everyone and announce to "save the date" for our Spring luncheon.  It will be on SUNDAY  MAY  6th 2012.

I do not know exactly where because I am still looking for some possible change of venue. By the way, if you would like to suggest a middle-eastern restaurant other than Al Bustan that could accommodate about 40 people, please, let me know.

In the mean time, Be well, and enjoy life,

A bientot,

Viviane

P.S. By the way, if you would like us to invite a former reknown egyptian/Alexandrian who might be stopping by the New York area, please let me know and we would be glad to hear about their accomplishments and their unique stories.

Egyptian Club DJs, Progressive Trust, Brings Their Music To The World With E...

That's Progressive Thrust, the moniker of one of the most in-demand and talented DJs in the world. Considered number 22 on DJ Magazine's list of Best DJs and one of the two most popular DJs from Egypt, Mohamed Abdelaziz aka Progressive Thrust hails from Cairo, Egypt, and currently resides in Scotland. With his penchant for selecting the best tracks that make the whole world dance, Progressive Thrust continues to amass a cult following and gain a tremendous reputation. He's done it all - toured Middle East, Canada, USA, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia, and spun at venues of 500 to open air festivals of 160,000 capacity.

Not bad for the once-little boy with a mad dream. At 12, Progressive Thrust's father has noticed his madness towards music and instead of pushing it aside his father gifted him a kit of two turntables and a two-channel mixer. From that point on, Progressive Thrust became the official DJ of his school and house parties. At 21, he was rocking night clubs, bars, raves, and events. His music trajectory was crystal clear - Progressive Thrust was to be a full-fledged DJ and 16 years later, his experience cannot be beat. To date, he has deejayed for many famous clubs all over the world such as Renaissance, Ministry of Sound, Pure, Chi, The Lodge, Avalon, Pacha, Mase, and many, many more. continued>>

Giorno della Memoria 2012

JANUARY 27 REMEMBRANCE CEREMONY


Consulate General of Italy | Park Avenue at 69th Street   Read

Please join us in front of the Consulate of Italy in New York to read the names of the Jews deported from Italy and the Italian territories. The ceremony will begin at 9 am and end at 3 pm.  

Centro Primo Levi thanks Consul General Hon. Natalia Quintavalle for renewing her predecessors' commitment to preserve the memory of the victims of Nazi-Fascist persecution.  

On the same day, in collaboration with Kehila Kedosha Janina, Centro Primo Levi invites you to Qabbalat Shabbat at 6:30 pm. Visit our website for details. 

The ceremony of January 27th opens a series of events dedicated to  raising awareness of the history of totalitarianism, racism and xenophobia. Programs will take place between January 29th and February 2nd at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò and the Italian Academy at Columbia University. See full calendar. 

ON THE WEB  NOMI DELLA SHOAH ITALIANA Visit the new portal of CDEC I nomi della Shoah italiana which will serve as a online memorial to the of Jews deported from Italy and the territories under Italian control, 1943-1945. Based on comprehensive research began in 1979 under the direction of Liliana Picciotto, the site features a search engine that gives access to a database that will include the names of over 7000 individuals, the majority of whom deported from Italy to Auschwitz- Birkenau and those of 2000 individuals deported from Italian territories. www.nomidellashoah.it.

GIORNO DELLA MEMORIA NEW YORK JANUARY 29 at 2:30 pm Museum of Jewish Heritage | 36 Battery Park Place  |  Free admission FORGING THE "NEW MAN". ITALIAN EUGENICS IN PERSPECTIVE JANUARY 30 at 6:00 pm NYU Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò 24 West 12th Street  |  Free admission THE REFUGEES OF CINECITTA' Special screening, by Marco Bertozzi and Noa Steimatsky FEBRUARY 2 at 5:30 pm Italian Academy at Columbia University Free admission | Reservations: (212) 854-2306 "UNNATURAL INDECENCY": SEXUALITY AND HOMOSEXUALITY UNDER NAZISM AND FASCISM

Gilad Atzmon Coming to DC; Save the Date

 

Egypte: L'exode chrétien

envoyé par Elie Mangoubi


par Lysiane Gagnon

Prédiction pour 2012: un immense exode de chrétiens arabes. Cela nous concerne directement car le Canada sera une destination d'accueil, et ces migrants pourront réclamer, à bon droit, le statut de réfugié.On estime que depuis mars dernier, quelque 95 000 d'entre eux ont quitté l'Égypte, chassés par les pogroms dont est victime la minorité copte, avec une violence redoublée depuis la chute de Moubarak.C'est un cas particulièrement tragique de nettoyage ethnico-religieux, les 10 millions de coptes (10% de la population) constituant la plus ancienne communauté autochtone du pays, une communauté qui existait à l'ère pharaonique, des siècles avant la conquête arabo-musulmane. Il n'y a aucun doute que la montée de l'islamisme radical en Égypte va accroître le nombre de réfugiés. suite>>

First known Roman brothel token to have been discovered in London on display at the Museum of London

A Roman brothel token found in London's river Thames. AP Photo/Museum of London.


LONDON.- The token or spintria, depicts a man and a woman having sex on one face, and has the Roman numerals XIIII (14) on the other. The lady appears to be lying on a couch on her front and a male figure is positioned behind her. The item was hit upon by a mudlarker on the Thames foreshore near Putney Bridge, whilst searching with a metal detector. It was then declared to the Museum of London under the Portable Antiquities Scheme (external website). The spintria is roughly the size of a 10 pence piece and may even be the only such token ever found in Britain. Caroline McDonald, Museum of London Curator, said: “This is the perfect archaeological object. It’s sexy and provocative in the best sense of the word. The lot of a Roman sex slave was not a happy one and objects like this can help the Museum of London provoke debates about issues that are relevant to the modern city and its visitors. Museums should e ... More

Ha'aretz: Gingrich won't win, and Bibi will be in a lose-lose situation

By Yossi Sarid

such a well written article, I had to post the whole thing!

Newt Gingrich won in South Carolina and that's good, very good. What's so good about the victory of an egomaniac who has compared himself to Churchill, de Gaulle and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu? It's good because it's bad for the Republican Party, which is drunk not on wine but on tea. That's how the wild party will continue until the summer, and they'll all swallow each other alive.

They will reach the end of the race for Republican presidential candidate bruised and battered, increasing U.S. President Barack Obama's chances of being reelected by the skin of his teeth. In spite of all the disappointment with him, he behaves like a normal and well-meaning human being, and that's no small thing nowadays - both in the United States and here. Another term in office - without the fear of big donors and AIPAC - may repair what has been broken.

From here, we will wish Gingrich good luck on his future path, where every patch of greenery he touches turns yellow. This is the man who has a reputation for making a fool of himself. This is the man who was thrown out of Congress in disgrace - the House Ethics Committee handled dozens of complaints filed against him when he was chairman, and fined him hundreds of thousands of dollars for "irresponsible use" of public funds.

He was the one who pushed for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton because of Monica, while he himself was having a secret affair with his platinum-blonde assistant, Callista. He informed his first wife that he was divorcing her while she was still bedridden with an illness, and to his second he suggested an "open marriage," according to her testimony. Sara Netanyahu would not be pleased with such behavior.

I have absolutely nothing against a womanizer. So why do I feel like vomiting when he of all people preaches the sanctity of the family and family values? The nausea increases when he publicly displays the indulgence he receives from his new church; Gingrich is now a devout Catholic. And the observer will wonder, how is such a historic and important party running such dubious candidates, who are infuriated by welfare and bought by wealth?

With all his character traits and views, Gingrich is the natural candidate of the "International Likud," as we learned in a conversation with journalist Yaron Dekel. Don't we finally deserve to have a president after our own heart, who considers the Palestinians an invented people, brings down the Iranian government with one shot, transfers the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, frees Jonathan Pollard and crushes the elites and the media?

Although Netanyahu is not interfering, we know whom he really likes - anyone but Obama. That's all he requires. The freebie daily newspaper Israel Hayom also wants Gingrich, because that's what the boss wants. The paper's patron, Sheldon Adelson, had good reason for contributing $10 million and rescuing his friend at the last moment. Our Sheldon knows how to gamble, that's his profession. Didn't he bet on Bibi Netanyahu and win? Didn't we lose?

I'm also tempted to gamble, but without chips. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is not a great bargain, but he still has a chance despite his unctuousness and evasiveness - only this week did he deign to reveal his absurd tax payments, as well as his Swiss bank account. But he is still the preferred candidate of the Republican establishment, major donors and independent voters. He, rather than the hypocritical Gingrich, whom Obama will make mincemeat of.

And that's how the experts on the United States - Netanyahu and his gang of advisers - have entangled us in a situation of almost certain defeat or, as they say in the Prime Minister's Office in an American accent, a lose-lose situation.

We'll have to be careful of Obama, who is gritting his teeth to hold back his grudge, and we'll have to be careful of Romney, who won't soon forget the bloodbath prepared for him by Newt and Bibi's friends.

Crème renversée au caramel

Ingrédients: 4 oeufs ; 75 cl de lait ; 1 gousse de vanille ; 100 g de sucre en poudre ; 6 morceaux de sucre.

Préparation:  Faire bouillir le lait avec la gousse de vanille coupée en deux.

Fouetter le sucre en poudre avec les œufs entiers, puis verser le lait peu à peu...

Voir la recette Crème renversée au caramel

Cell 36: Palestinian children locked in solitary confinement in Israel - video

Cell 36 in Al Jalame prison, northern Israel, is one of a handful of cells where Palestinian children are locked in solitary confinement for days or even weeks. Mohammad Shabrawi from Tulkarm, in the West Bank, was arrested last January, aged 16, and Ezz ad-Deen Ali Qadi from Ramallah, who was 17 when arrested, talk about their experiences
B'Tselem

Second Israeli art sale at Bonhams celebrates European view of the Holy Land

David Roberts, RA (British, 1796-1864), The approach to Mount Sinai, dated and inscribed 'Mount Sinai, Feb 17th 1839' is estimated to sell for £25,000-35,000. Photo: Bonhams.

LONDON.- Many of the works of art in Bonhams sale of Israeli Art on Feb 29th was made by new arrivals from Europe. A work by Reuven Rubin (Israeli, 1893-1974), a Rumanian émigré who became Israel’s first ambassador to Rumania, leads the sale. Titled 'Les Oliviers' and dated 'Rubin Les Oliviers 1958' , it is an oil on canvas estimated to sell for £75,000-100,000.The picture is from the collection of Joseph and Mabel Ottenstein, Washington D.C. and thence by descent to its current owner. Commenting on his new country Rubin said: "Here in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Tiberias I feel myself reborn. Only here do I feel that life and nature are mine. The grey clouds of Europe have disappeared. My sufferings and the war too are ended. All is sunshine, clear light and happy creative work. As the desert revives and blooms under ... More

Colombian Women Zoom Ahead in Politics

By Barbara Frechette


Unlike U.S. women, Colombian women have made great strides in the political arena in a short period of time, says Barbara Frechette in the book "Sharing Power." In this excerpt, she compares this progression to the one in the United States.
When I arrived in Colombia in July of 1994, I was surprised to see women in jobs usually held by men in almost every labor field, and especially amazed to see so many women in important leadership positions in finance and economics.
Although more and more American women had entered those fields, none had risen as high as Maria Mercedes Cuellar, who was then co-director of Colombia's central bank.

Also, gender relations were far more peaceful and cordial than in the United States. Female leaders took pride in femininity, in being wives and mothers and in a leadership style they said aided their progress without alienating men. In fact, one successful man told me he admired the achievements of his countrywomen and had mentored several of them. "But," he was quick to add, "It is stillmuy macho in Colombia's small towns and rural areas." continued>>

L'holocauste qui perdure des palestiniens – incitations sous masque d'un tra...

La rédaction du livre "la Shoah des Palestiniens" a pris 15 ans à l'éminent chercheur Palestine, Nawaf el Zaru. Il s'agit d'un ouvrage qui a l'ampleur d'une encyclopédie et qui a été dernièrement publié dans la capitale jordanienne Amman; ainsi annonce le journal El Quds El Arabi, publié à Londres.

Dans son numéro consacré à la publication du livre, a écrit Rashad Abou Sahwar: «Comme la Shoah palestinienne ne se réfère pas qu'à des êtres humains mais également à des territoires, des arbres, un patrimoine et une culture, l'auteur a donné à son livre un sous-titre: 'la légende d'"Israël" et la politique de purification ethnique'.

«Et comme la shoah palestinienne ne s'est pas terminée avec la guerre de 1948 ou la guerre de 1967, et comme l'exemple de la shoah sioniste…. et la politique de déracinement sont encore actifs et continueront à exister jusqu'à ce que les palestiniens soient déracinés de la terre de leurs pères – on peut décrire la shoah palestinienne comme une shoah qui "perdure". suite>>

Regrettable position

sent by David Hazzan


My eyesight is becoming very weak due to macular degeneration in my only functioning eye, the left eye. I've been having injections for the last three years to save my sight, but lately I have come to realize that because of this condition I am deleting most of my emails, even those too precious to ignore.
My vision is not at all kosher for computer or Internet reading or working as I have for many years. Because of this, may I please ask that you kindly refrain from sending emails because I am unable to read them now
I promise if my eyesight improves I will, with great joy, get back to you right away.
I live in Denver, Colorado and here is my telephone number should you wish to contact me at home
I am truly grateful for your wonderful emails and the dear friends I have met through the Internet. Even though I am unable to communicate through writing, please know you are in my thoughts and ever in my heart
Yours truly in friendship
David Hazzan

Les femmes améliorent les performances des entreprises (et c'est un homme qu...

Selon The Economist, « dans les décennies passées, les femmes ont plus contribué à la croissance du PIB mondial que les nouvelles technologies ou les économies émergentes comme la Chine ou l'Inde » [1].

Depuis une quinzaine d'années, plusieurs études, essentiellement américaines mais aussi espagnoles et françaises, ont été menées pour chiffrer l'impact du travail féminin sur les performances des entreprises. Les résultats sont plus que probants quant à la capacité des femmes à accroître la rentabilité économique et financière de celles-ci.

La performance financière est liée à la mixité des comités de direction, telle a été la conclusion des études menées, en 2004, 2007 et 2011, au sein des cinq cents premières entreprises mondiales, par l'ONG américaine Catalyst. Entre 1996 et 2000, la rentabilité des entreprises à la plus grande mixité était de 35% supérieure aux autres, ce chiffre grimpant jusqu'à 53% en 2007. Les autres mesures comptables de performance (ROA et ROS [2]) étaient également meilleures en cas de présence de femmes dans les états-majors. suite>>

Sephardic Music with LA Jewish Symphony March 31

sent by Vanessa Palomaing Events: 

Saturday - March 31, 2012, 8 pm

 Valley Beth Shalom, Encino 

Istoria Judia

with Guest Artist - Vanessa Paloma,

Internationally known performer, scholar and lecturer specializing  in Judeo-Spanish music from the Sephardic Diaspora joins forces with the LAJS. Her magnificent singing voice, impeccable musicianship and sparkling personality have thrilled audiences all over the world.

Saturday - June 23, 2012, 8 pm

Walt Disney Concert Hall, 
Los Angeles 

Partnering with Kindred Spirits  

 

for our 5th year!

This year's Beneficiary- 

   

Sunday - August 26, 2012, 7:30 pm  

 John Anson Ford Amphitheater, Hollywood 

CHAIlights!  

 Celebrating 18 Years of Jewish Music! 

 Our 9th year at the FORD!

Conductor favorites featuring: Concertmaster Mark Kashper, Principal Cellist Barry Gold, 

Principal Clarinetist Zinovy Goro, with Special Guest Sam Glaser 

and more!      

Mizrachi Economist Maoz 'Not Sacked', Says Excellence-Nesuah

Shlomo Maoz was not fired, says investment firm, only removed from some of his duties after "white tribe" comments. (ed: oh how the truth kills!)

Shlomo Maoz was not sacked by investment firm Excellence-Nesuah, but only relieved of some of his duties, an official in the firm told the Knesset Monday. Maoz, a Sephardic Jew, aroused the firm's ire when he made a speech denouncing "white" Ashkenazi elites that he claimed wield unfair power in the country.

Excellence-Nesuah's Deputy Director for Management, Moshe Barmak, told the Knesset's Finance Committee that Maoz was removed from the positions of chief economist and presenter, but continues to serve as director and funds manager.

The Finance Committee was scheduled to discuss the Maoz affair but did not do so because Maoz and Excellence-Nesuah's General Manager David Baruch both failed to show up for the session. Neither man explained why he did not come. continued>>

Saudi Women Shatter the Lingerie Ceiling

Newsha Tavakolian for the International Herald Tribune

A SOCIAL revolution began in Saudi Arabia this month, and it has little if anything to do with the Arab Spring. Women are going to work in lingerie shops. The Ministry of Labor is enforcing a royal decree issued last summer ordering that sales personnel in shops selling garments and other goods, like cosmetics, that are only for women must be female.

More than 28,000 women applied for the jobs, the ministry said. Anywhere else in the world, it would not be news that sales assistants in shops selling panties and bras were female. In Saudi Arabia, where women have always been excluded from the public work force, it is a critical breakthrough. This is not just about intimate garments; this is a milestone on the arduous path to employment equality for women in a country where they are systematically excluded from retail activity.

The campaign to change the rules began several years ago, and was led by Reem Asaad,  (seen above with her child) a fashion-conscious financial adviser who speaks flawless English and is comfortable with the Western media. more>>

Egypt’s election results are none of Israel’s business

by Lisa Goldman

Outsiders who wish for a return of the dictators are pushing against the inevitable tide of history. And Israelis who express a preference for Mubarak only contribute to the perception, widely held in Egypt, that the dictator was able to survive because he was supported by ‘the Zionists.’

The Egyptian election results are in, and two-thirds of the vote went to the Islamist parties. According to the New York Times, 47 percent of the votes went to the Freedom and Justice party, representing the 84-year-old Muslim Brotherhood, which invented political Islam; and 25 percent to the Nour party, representing the fundamentalist Salafists. My colleague Larry Derfner writes that if he had known what the results of this first post-Mubarak election would be, he would not have supported the revolutionaries. He describes Islamist parties’ victory as a “demoralizing defeat” for “we liberals” and concludes that the Middle East has taken a “giant leap backward.” continued>>

Egypt's Game Changers: Samira Ibrahim and the Women Who Speak Up About Sexual Violence

When the Egyptian army performed a “virginity test” on Samira Ibrahim, she sued, sparking both support and threats of death. How she and others are changing life for women.

Egyptians call the Sphinx “abu hol,” the father of terror. But the real father of terror for women in the country is fear of rape.

The threat of sexual violation has long been a tool keeping women from going to the public square to demand their political rights. In the last 10 years, the number of covered women in Egypt has increased so dramatically that in downtown Cairo, hardly a bare female head is seen. This public display of modesty hides an ugly secret: women, covered or uncovered, suffer sexual violence, unreported rape, and sexual harassment in silence in Egypt, mainly because they bear the shame for such crimes, and can be shunned, beaten, or even killed for them. more on dailybeast>>

Study: IDF officers less committed to Jewish values after visits to Nazi dea...

Some 3,000 career officers a year make the trip, which is preceded by a mandatory seminar at Yad Vashem or the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum. The Israel Defense Forces has been "stunned" by the findings of a new study which says an officers' visitation program to Nazi death camps, meant to reinforce Jewish and national values, has had the opposite effect on up to 20 percent of the soldiers.

The program, called Witnesses in Uniform, was founded in the 1990s and involves IDF officers visiting death camps in Poland. It was greatly expanded in the mid-2000s, under former Chief of Staff (and current Vice Prime Minister ) Moshe Ya'alon. Today, some 3,000 career officers a year make the trip, which is preceded by a mandatory seminar at either the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem or the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum in the Western Galilee. Altogether, some 25,000 officers have participated in the program over the last decade. more>>

Tunisian becomes Lancome’s first Muslim face

Hanaa Ben Abdesslem is the new face of Lancome.

LONDON: Tunisian model Hanaa Ben Abdesslem has become the first-ever Muslim face of Lancome. The 22-year-old will be featured in a new campaign for Teint Idole Ultra 24h foundation.
The move has the young model poised for international stardom after she made her runway debut last year for Vivienne Westwood.
The young model hopes her success will help galvanize other Arab women to break the stereotype mold and believe in modeling as a career.
After coming in second on the Lebanese equivalent of reality show Project Runway, Abdesslem, who shuns drinking and smoking, signed with modelling agency IMG. continued>>

Iran’s “nude revolutionary” Farahani says image is symbolic

CAIRO: Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani has left much of the Islamic world in an uproar over her nude image in a French magazine, which she then posted on Facebook. The actress has spoken out, saying she wanted to make a symbolic gesture about nudity and sex.

“This video clip is a symbolic gesture to remove the common taboos that exist in various societies and does not aim to promote nudity or sex,” a Facebook statement from her said. “By taking part in these photo shoots the people taking part wish to demonstrate their redemption from these taboos by the way they act and talk. continued>>

Alexandria, revolution and the Salafists

A year after the January 25 Revolution, many Alexandrians are skeptical about the rising influence of Salafist forces and their impact on Alexandria's cosmopolitan reputation

Alexandria, Qaed Ibrahim mosque (Photo: Reuters)

For Nevine, a lawyer by profession and an activist in her early twenties, the only thing achieved during the revolution "is that we got rid of the regime of Hosni Mubarak."

Nevine says she is "disappointed" with the management of the post-Mubarak political process, which she sees as conducted in a way designed to replace the Mubarak regime "with just any other regime rather than a regime that represents the revolution." more>>

Jean Jacques Rousseau et la Question Juive.

envoyé par Elie Mangoubi

C'était avant la Shoah...! C'était avant la création de l'Etat d'Israël,
c'était entre 1772 et 1778...!

A méditer.....

« Mais un spectacle étonnant et vraiment unique est de voir un peuple expatrié n'ayant plus ni lieu ni terre depuis près de deux mille ans, un peuple altéré, chargé, mêlé d'étrangers depuis plus de temps encore, n'ayant plus peut-être un seul rejeton des premières races, un peuple épars, dispersé sur la terre, asservi, persécuté, méprisé de toutes les nations, conserver pourtant ses coutumes, ses lois, ses mœurs, son amour patriotique et sa première union sociale quand tous les liens en paraissent rompus. Les Juifs nous donnent cet étonnant spectacle, les lois de Solon, de Numa, de Lycurgue sont mortes, celles de Moïse bien plus antiques vivent toujours. Athènes, Sparte, Rome ont péri et n'ont plus laissé d'enfants sur la terre. Sion détruite n'a pas perdu les siens, ils se conservent, ils se multiplient, s'étendent par tout le monde et se reconnaissent toujours, ils se mêlent chez tous les peuples et ne s'y confondent jamais ; ils n'ont plus de chefs et sont toujours un peuple, ils n'ont plus de patrie et sont toujours citoyens »

Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712-1718
 

Richard Butrick, "The Golden Age of Islam: A Second Look"

by David Shasha

*This article – typical of Right Wing partisanship and Islamophobic discourse – connects some extremely important elements in its demonization of Sephardic-Andalusian civilization. *   *Beginning with an attack on President Obama's speech to the Arab world in Cairo – which now seems like it took place ages ago – the primary idea in the article is to make the case that the Arabs are an ignorant people who never had "enlightenment."*    Central to the argument is the work of Bernard Lewis who has remained one of the most consistent vilifiers of Muslim culture. In the name of a triumphant Western civilization, Lewis has excoriated Islam and Arab culture. In light of the great light of Western reason, **Israel** has for Lewis and his partisan supporters brought the noble values of the West to the **Middle East**. Much of the discussion in this article relies on the ideas that Lewis has made popular in Right Wing circles and which have been dutifully regurgitated by his many disciples.* For more on Lewis and his work By marking medieval Muslim civilization in **Spain** as violent and ignorant, we are effectively robbed of the cultural monuments that it produced. And although there was a fair share of violence in Muslim Spain in its various historical stages that are connected to the struggle with fundamentalist Islam from North Africa and Christian militancy from the North, movements that certainly imperiled the lives of Jews, Jewish culture reached a zenith in terms of literary production and religious-philosophical thought in the period under discussion. *   Though not mentioned in the article, Muslim **Spain** was the place where Maimonides began his epic project of reading Jewish tradition in light of the Humanistic tradition of **Greece**. It was the place when formalized scientific study of the Hebrew language emerged under the pressures exerted by Arab grammarians and linguists. It was the place where a new type of Hebrew poetry emerged, a poetic tradition that showed the influence of Arabic culture on Jews.*   By isolating instances of persecution and removing them from their precise socio-historical context, the article is in effect a hard-line PILPUL that begins with the questionable premise that Arabs are evil and seeks out the evidence that will support that benighted line of thinking. Similar arguments might be made for many stages of European civilization – most recently with the dual movements in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia – that would also stigmatize Western civilization as worthless when read in light of the massive violence and anarchy that was produced in the 20thcentury. But of course writers like Mr. Butrick would never do such a thing to the European civilization. In fact, there is no discussion here of the real danger to Spanish Jews – the Catholic fanaticism that was embodied in the evil chambers of the Spanish Inquisition. The line that can be drawn from Torquemada to Hitler is a stark reminder that Christian Europe has had its own share of racist violence threatening civilization. By quoting Victor Davis Hanson and Andrew Bostom – two well-known Islamophobes and apologists for the Christian West – the article not only demeans the great accomplishments in Muslim Spain, but trivializes and objectifies Sephardic Jews in a gross and extremely offensive – and misleading – manner.   By falsely speaking on "behalf" of Sephardic Jews as the purported victims of Andalusian Muslims, the sense we get is that the Sephardic Jews are collateral damage in a vicious contest between Western apologists and Muslims. When speaking of the Middle Ages there is no question that violence and insecurity was the lot of the majority. In spite of this, the Middle Ages produced a culture of great worth and this culture was more often than not – as we see in books by Maria Rosa Menocal and Richard Rubenstein that treat the issue – transmitted from Muslim **Spain** back to **Western Europe**. *Because of the concerns with Zionism and Western supremacy that so permeate the discussion we unfortunately get ill-informed and patently misleading articles like this one which add nothing to the discussion about Muslim Spain. In point of fact such articles serve brazenly political rather than pedagogical purposes. They detract from our actual knowledge of history and civilization rather than illuminate for us what cultural riches were transmitted to us from the past. 

As Sephardim we would do well to keep this in mind.  

For more information on the subject, please refer to the following SHU posts: http://groups.google.com/group/Davidshasha/browse_thread/thread/cf3489af2c909f9a?hl=en http://groups.google.com/group/Davidshasha/browse_thread/thread/82732e35aeb87b74?hl=en http://groups.google.com/group/Davidshasha/browse_thread/thread/1179f1d0b64e9fd3?hl=en#

http://groups.google.com/group/Davidshasha/browse_thread/thread/1179f1d0b64e9fd3?hl=en *DS *  

WBD: Letting Go for Peace

sent by Caroline Anderson

January  2012

This week's WBD is a short one, because on Monday we were out honoring Martin Luther King Jr. But we've still got plenty of great stuff!  From India, Stella Paul reminds us that sometimes peace means forgiving and moving on.  And Yasmine Mahmoud Fakhry writes a dispatch from Alexandria University in Egypt, where she is helping her students make positive contributions amid the unrest in their country.  This week's Connection Point also comes from Egypt – Myriam Abdelaziz describes her work photographing the revolution there.

We hope you enjoy this week's offerings, and share your reactions to the stories.  Also, don't forget to apply to our mentorship program – the due date for applications is January 25^th.  We look forward to hearing from you!
In Peace,

Caroline Anderson
Peace X Peace Blog and Social Media Manager