peacemiddleeast

Jerusalem belongs to Armenians...Also

2012-01-13T04:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't written down my new year's resolutions this time, because I don't want to add more disappointments into the Middle East...

I believe too many people are lying in this region and I don't want to be part of that.

However, I would like to start my new year's blogging with my article that appeared in the Serbian Journal Politics and Religion Journal, last month, where I published my article on the Armenian Presence in Jerusalem.

I am not an expert on Jerusalem, I am not an expert in religion, I barely go to church on Sundays, I learned how to read and write Armenian last year, but I am a strong believer that Jerusalem can not be the Capital of one people only.

History has been teaching us that Jerusalem should be an open city for all and no matter how long one side has control of it and no matter how hard it tries to change its demographic, physical, societal and religious identities...Jerusalem is uncontrollable...

My Christmas gift this year was this article, and I'd like to share it with everybody. Your comments will be valuable.

http://www.politicsandreligionjournal.com/images/pdf_files/engleski/volume5_no2/laury%20haytayan.pdf

Dreaming has no timing

2011-11-21T03:46:00.000-08:00

I was walking through the forest...I needed a break...

I didn't want to talk...I didn't want to discuss...I didn't want to argue...

I just wanted my eyes to see beauty...I was fed up with listening to ugliness...

As always, I ended up in front of the big boss' office...

I didn't want to bother...I turned away...

The door opened...and I was asked in...

-Sit, I need a companion...

-The weather is so beautiful today, now we appreciate the sun more than ever after 5 days of rain, fog and gray clouds...

-I am happy that you learned the lesson...

-Things are going in the wrong direction and things need re-shuffling...

-That is scary to hear it coming from the big boss

-Ah! don't worry...I see you doing well...working hard, enjoying every bit of your life, taking things as easy as possible...

-I am happy, yes...

-chasing new dreams?

-Should I be chasing dreams or just enjoy the reality I am living in?

-But the reality you are living in is built from the dreams you were once chasing...

-You want me to keep on dreaming? even if it will make me unhappy?

-Dreaming never made you unhappy, what made you unhappy was that you wanted things at the wrong moment...

-Dreaming has no timing, but fulfilling the dreams is about finding the right timing...

And of course, the big boss opened the door to let me out, with the same grace as when he let me in...

The only thing I could do now is to go back and enjoy the sun with a cup of coffee...

Historic moments of Tunisia

2011-10-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

Cat in Kasserine

I remember the first time I heard that "things"were happening in Tunisia, I was in the car going somewhere, when the radio broadcaster announced that Ben Ali was about to deliver an important speech.
I asked my husband what was happening and he told me that a man had burned himself to death and the people of Tunisia are revolting against the regime.
I did not think much about it, it never crossed my mind that Ben Ali will escape the country and I definitely never thought the day will come when I will be observing the historic elections of Tunisia.
When I received the invitation from the Carter Center, I was delighted.
Being part of the Middle East new History is certainly something to be proud of. I have spent years working with the communities, for the well being of this region, and now I had the chance to be part of the new arab awakening.
When I was deployed to the governorate of Kasserine, I was proud.
Kasserine is 300 km away from Tunis, it is the governorate next to Sidi BouZid (where Bou Azizi set himself in fire). Eventhough, everybody considers that this is where the revolution started, the people of Kasserine have a different story, and I would not have discovered that if I had not been sent to that poor area.
Kasserine is not a rich governorate eventhough it has all the potentials, but for long it was ignored, according to the inhabitants it goes back in time, because Kasserine has always been the rebel town.
Anyways, let us focus on the modern day revolt of Kasserine. The poeple of Kasserine admit that the death of Bou Azizi initiated the revolution, however, they consider that they have continued the revolution, they have marched in the streets day and night till the fall of the dictator.
You go to Hay AlZouhour, the Martyrs' Square, you find in the Middle of the Town a newly erected monument for the 20 martyrs that were killed by the regime forces.
And I had the chance to be there for their elections. The people of Kasserine woke up on Sunday to continue what they had started. They went to the polling stations proud and happy to elect their new leaders.
At this stage, it does not matter you won the elections. What matters is that people like the people of Kasserine believe that they can be part of the building of their country, that they can be part in deciding what kind of lives they want to live.

And I was there...

Back from New York City

2011-10-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

I arrived to New York City on Saturday, the day after the Palestinian Statehood Bid saga...

The hotel where I was staying was invaded by "security people", and black official cars and check stations...

The Indian delegation and other delegations among them the Lebanese President were staying at the hotel...

I left Lebanon with hours and hours of talk, analysis, expectations of the day after Abbas' speech and the Statehood Bid...

I arrived to NYC to where the main attraction was taking place...and no sign of action...

And the Statehood show was one of the bad performances of Broadway...

I spent an excellent week in NYC, the city that never sleeps...

I walked, I went sight seeing, I went to the Museums and I spent all my dollars on shopping, with a great smile on my face...

NYC is one of the cities where you keep smiling and where you feel happy...even though...people are demonstrating in Wall St accusing it to be the War St, and showing anger towards the 1% of America's rich people...

And I am back to Beirut...

To the same stories and conflicts... to life with stress and anger...

Nadine Labaki: what is next? where do we go now?

2011-09-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

I went last night to watch Nadine Labaki's new movie: Where do we go now? or What is next? I dont know exactly what is the title in English, but it does not matter...

It was the official screening of the movie... I went... lots of familiar faces...everybody anxious to see what is next after Caramel...

For 2 hours, I watched one of the best movies I have ever seen...

In her movie, Nadine Labaki arouses in you all sorts of emotions...

You laugh...

You cry...

You get angry...

You get frustrated...

You are happy...

You are sad...

You are amazed...

You think...

You think alot about the absurdity of war...

You think how easy it is to start a war...

You think how hard it is to heal the scars of war...

You think how far can people go to save peace...

This movie deserves an Oscar, it deserves all the titles and awards that it is getting and that it will get...

This movie is the most powerful message of peace...

It deserves the Nobel Peace Prize...

Midnight visit

2011-09-12T14:03:00.000-07:00

I am drunk...a bit drunk...

l should not go into the Big Boss's office...

Anyways, the door wont open when I am drunk, the system wont allow me to enter...

The Big Boss has thought about everything...

He takes care of us... He tries his best to protect us...

But he has also given us the power to fall and get hurt...

He gave us the options: either you are clear and straightforward you know what you want and you say it at the right moment..

Or you are ambiguous, unclear an you miss the chance and live in regret...

He has given us the choice...

and he has given us second chances...

I want to use my second chance card...

To tell you that I love and that I miss you and that I will always live with the hope to touch you and feel you...

It is not a quiet night...dogs are barking, the moon is aching...

when will I see you again?

The Big Boss has the answer but he won't reveal it...

Suffering is part of the healing...

But what is healing?

Is it that I won't remember you eyes?

I can not forget your eyes... I dont want the healing...

Leave me with my sufferings...

Anyways.. it does not feel as if I am suffering...

It feels as if I am waiting...

Just like Godot...

And I will continue rolling the stone as Sisyphe did all his life...

I wont be tired...

I am always relying on the universe to show me the best of this life..

and you were and will stay a part of the best of my life...

I am what I am...

You are what you are...

Our lives will cross again...

We missed the chance this time again...

But next time... nothing will stop in my way...

I love you... I will always love you...

Next time when I see you... I wont think twice...

I was stupid and wont do the same mistake again...

Suddenly, the door opened and the Big Boss entered to my room...

He looked at me...

He told me to go to bed...

He covered me...kissed me on my cheek and wished me a good night...

Good night...

The Big Boss's office

2011-09-05T03:12:00.000-07:00

Welcome back!

The Big Boss looked at me...

Was he expecting me to be back so soon?

I don't know...but it does not matter...

I said: "I don't want to talk, I just want to sit and see you work"

He said: "I know"

His office is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen

You feel you are floating when you are in...

A real Big Boss office...in the middle of a cloud on a very bright day...

Everything is crystal clear...

On the outside, from the far end you see a path with greenery...

That is the road you take to the other world...

The Big Boss was writing as usually...his primary duty to keep things working...

I wonder what is he writing...maybe he is writing that I am writing that I am sitting in his office looking at him, enjoying the view, trying to feel the presence of a lost soul...

How did he know that? how did he know that I am sitting there, trying to find you in his face and around him?

It is because the Big Boss knows it all...

You can go now, he said.

stuck in between two worlds

2011-08-29T03:05:00.000-07:00

And I went to visit the Big Boss...

I had to wait in the long hall for a while...

How will I explain to him? where should I start?

I was confused but determined...I wanted to know...I wanted answered that only him could have given me...

Why do you put people on other people's path and then make it impossible for them to reach out to each other?

He looked at me...and said: "Is that your question?"

I did not answer...

He looked at me again and said: " You know that I know everything, and you know that you don't need to say anything and I will give you the answer, but I want you to learn to say exactly what you want to say"...

I looked at him and could not say a word...

Without looking at me he said: " You want someone to forgive you because you were not sincere and you caused pain and chaos?. Maybe that someone has forgiven you but it is you who is still stuck in between two worlds...That someone knows how you felt and fell now, but you are unable to believe that."

He looked at me at this point and said: " It hurts when you see others doing the same mistakes, isn't it? It has made a big wound in you heart and you are afraid that it will come back again in another life time if you dont solve it, isn't it?

Yes, it will come back because it hurts when I see someone hiding his true feelings...

The Big Boss looks at me, laughs and says: ' I love you and I am always happy to see you in my office, you are one of my best creations, come back again, we will continue our conversation"...

He came to me, kissed me on my forehead and opened to door...

I left...

Arabs in Shock

2011-08-08T03:04:00.000-07:00

Arabs were in a coma for such a long time...

Once they have started their awakening...they had to handle too much information... at once...

Dictators were toppled...

Dictators were brought to court in hospital bed...

Dictators are being challenged every day...

Add to all this the Israeli component...

Israel has been our best enemy for such a long time, that we think we want it out of the neighborhood,
but we know we can not live without it...

Israel lived in our neighborhood, but played football with the Europeans...

Israel was breathing the same air but was singing with the Europeans...

Israel was the Israeli government, the Israeli settlements, the israeli wars...

But Israel was never the Israeli people for the Arabs...

We talked about Israel as if there were no people in Israel...

can you imagine the reaction of some Arabs when you tell them "what is the fault of an Israeli who was born in Israel in 1975 for example"? His parents lived there and he was born there, should we blame him for "stealing" the land of the Palestinians? He had no choice but to love the country he was born and lived in.

Can you imagine the reaction of some Arabs when you tell them that the Netanyahu-Lieberman led government is similar to a Hezbollah led government?

So, imagine when the Arabs are seeing 200,000 or 300,000 Israelis in the streets calling for social justice and economic solutions.

These Israelis are using some of the chants used by the Arab revolutionaries...

They are gathering by the means of social media, such as the Arab revolutionaries ...

Suddenly, Arabs are under shock...they can not handle one more drastic change in perception...not of their politicians but of the Israelis...

Ironically, while they are parting away from the dictatorships and old corrupt regimes...

They are finding common factors with an Israeli public that was never shown to them...

That is why the Arab media is confused about the protests in Israel...

They don't know how to handle it...They don't know how much they need to show...

So, they are focusing on the Arab revolution...keeping the Israeli protest and certainly the protesters aside...

Too much of a shock might be harmful...

Strollers' March seen by the Arabs

2011-08-01T07:15:00.000-07:00

End suddenly the Arab Spring has brought up the Human side of Israel to the surface...

The Arab Spring has divulged a common concern between Arabs and Israelis...

You have now pictures coming out of Israel of real human beings, the "normal Israelis"

These are not politicians, these are not ideologists, these are not settlers, these are Israelis that have living concerns, they have financial worries, they are sick of high prices, and difficult living conditions...

What are we to do with these images coming out of Israel?

Doctors on strike, strollers' march...

Where has the Arab-Israeli conflict gone?

We are covering news of Israel without the traditional jargon?

There are normal people in Israel with needs as our needs, with concerns and worries as our!!

Unbelievable...what a discovery!

But hey do not think for a second that this is something positive, and a sign of change...

Soon, you will have people from our side chanting against the "normal Israelis"...you can not afford house prices...GO back to where you came from!!

And the battle continues...

Never-ending story...never-ending story...says the big boss watching from far away...shaking his head left and right...moving away once again and disappearing into the clouds...

His heavy walk is significant...full of disappointment...

Your life in the Middle East

2011-07-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

You are born in the Middle East...your future is uncertain...

You grow up in the Middle East...they teach you how to hate and whom to hate...

You become a teenager in the Middle East...you are lost in finding your identity...

You become an adult in the Middle East...you are depressed either because you can not destroy the other or because you refuse to destroy the other...

Your middle-life crisis in the Middle East...is finding out that you lost your time fighting a war that has led to nothing but more blood and more destruction...

You become an old person in the Middle East...the enemies are the same, the conflict is bad as the first day you were born, and you see your grandchildren doing the same mistakes...

Before you die in the Middle East...you look up and you thank GOD because you think he helped you in your fight all your life, and you think you were following his instructions all the way, protecting the land you were born in...

And you die...i am not sure if in peace...

A lot happens!

2011-07-07T05:30:00.000-07:00

what happens when you can not tell somebody that you love him?

what happens when you lose time doing something that is totally insignificant?

what happens when your Taekwondo teacher goes away for a month?

what happens when your ears start itching?

what happens when you think that you deserve more?

what happens when you are locked in your crazy world?

what happens when you eat bread and jam?

what happens when you write an article you are proud of?

what happens when you are not allowed to say what you want to say?

what happens when you miss someone that is far away?

what happens when you buy new shoes?

what happens when you forget someone's name?

what happens when someone thinks that you are impressive?

what happens when you are bored?

what happens when you are over excited?

what happens when you have a blog?

what happens when Arabs decide to revolt?

what happens when you smile and see your smile's effect on people?

what happens when nothing happens?

My thoughts and views on the Arab Spring

2011-06-15T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, finally after 5 months of consultation and consultation and consultation and and and...consultation the Lebanese Government was formed...

A 30 ministers cabinet...and oops...they forgot to appoint a woman...

Ah no! they have not forgotten...they could not find a woman...

Well...they were looking for her in the kitchen...that is why they did not find her...

Haven't you heard the news...women have left the kitchen...

But do you think they are in the streets demonstrating against the dictators of the Middle East?

Well not as much as they should be...

We have seen more women in the streets of Tehran demonstrating against Ahmadi Najad, then we have seen them in Yemen, or Libya or Syria or in Bahrain...

Is this an indicator of the next political system that will take over?

Maybe and maybe not...

Are we concerned that the Islamists will take over and replace the corrupted secular regimes?

Yes we are concerned, but we also know that the Turkish model of Islamist governments with modern policies is a successful model that the Islamists of the Arab region should follow...

Islamists Gaza to Manama have supported Turkey in its confrontation against Israel...

So, now its time to follow the steps of Turkey and build a model similar to the Turkish model in governance...

That will push the region forward...

Do I think that will happen?

I doubt, Arabs are stupid to the extent that they will end up dividing their own countries into Sectarian entities...and which will at the end make Israel happy...

Because, Israel will be one of the many Sectarian entities of the region...and we will live all happily divided...

The dream of Millions...

2011-05-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

They say the people of the Middle East especially Arabs are emotional...

They trust quickly, they think whoever laughs to them is a friend...

This is how they do business, this is how they think in politics...

I dont know if that is true...

But what I am convinced about it that we do not know anything about being rational...

And our reactions to major events are completely irrational...but not emotional...

Hassan Hijazi, a Palestinian living in Syria was able to cross the border from Syria to Israel...

He was able to go sightseeing to Jaffa or Yaffa (call it whatever you want)...

All the way from the Golan Heights to Jaffa/Yaffa...

Go check your maps to see how far that is...

and guess what?

No reaction whatsoever from the Arabs...

Do you think someone raised the question of how all that happened?

Do you think someone asked for clarifications?

So for years, we have been living in a great fear that if we cross the borders we will be doomed...

And once it happened...the dream of millions....

If not millions... at least my dream...

The response or reaction was not...rational...

when I wrote my article about Armenians in Jerusalem and I had a whole section about my initiative to bring in People from Beirut to Jerusalem just to fulfill their religious duties...people went crazy...

And the article is not out yet...

People get crazy about something written on paper...but they react so indifferent to something that has actually happened...

So, now I say it out loud...

If the Palestinian State is recognized by the UN in September...

I will travel to Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas...

Back from Amman

2011-05-09T02:41:00.000-07:00

Saturday evening, the plane to Amman took off...

The plane was full...my seat was comfortable...and I had 45 minutes to relax and take a nap before the big event on Sunday...

The plane landed... Haitham was waiting for me as usual...

On our way to the hotel...we saw a dozen of protesters chanting in favor of the Syrian people..."One, one, one...the Syrian people is one"...they were Syrians living in Jordan protesting in front of the Syrian embassy...

We passed by...the people of the Middle East are changing...

But these same people should stay strong and should remind themselves that they are strong and they toppled regimes...

They should not allow parasites from stealing their dreams and achivements...

I arrived to the hotel...we had a business dinner...

My Palestinian friend was not very enthusiastic about the Fatah-Hamas reconciliation and he looked at me with amazment when I declared that I supported Salam Fayyad...

But who cares what I think...it is the people...They decide...

Sunday morning, 9 am...I am anxious...

9:30 am... the conference room is full of MPs, CSO and media...I am excited...

2:00... the conference is over with huge success...

4:00...I am in my room...watching TV...nostalgic...

8:30 pm...the plane takes off to Beirut...

Once again I leave Amman with that same feeling of hope and deception...

However, I left Amman knowing that Amman is fine...Amman is safe, secure and strong able to overcome all troubles...

And, I know that I will be back to Amman again with the same hope...

Amman is dear to me

2011-05-06T05:46:00.000-07:00

Amman might not be the most beautiful place on earth...or the most interesting place on earth...or the most exciting place on earth...

But for me it is a special place...

Could it be that in my previous life, I had been living there?

Maybe...

I always have positive feelings when I am headed to Amman or to Jordan in general...

I always get this feeling that something extraordinary will happen to me while I am there...

I always feel as if I am going to meet a person that I havent seen for so long...

It puts me in a mood of joy, excitement and at the same time I feel anxious...

And every time, I leave...with a feeling that I lost something in Jordan...something precious...

But I always know that I will be back to Amman, with the same hope...

2011-05-02T12:43:00.001-07:00

I have not forgotten about Amman,

I was there for a day, I had meetings all day and then off to Beirut...

I didnt have time to analyze enough...

But I will be back on Saturday for a two day trip to Amman...

I will have the chance to meet a significant number of people...

I will talk to them and listen to them...

And I will get back to you with my opinion...

2011-04-18T04:54:00.000-07:00

Last March, I visited Tunis for the first time in my life...

I met people who were happy with their new situation, some were anxious about the future, others wanted more...

But I had no reference to compare how was life before January...

Tomorrow, I am going to Amman for 24 hours...

Amman, I know...

Amman, I love...

Amman is beautiful because of its people...

Tomorrow, I will see Amman and its people again...

I want to know, to listen, to compare and to understand...

What are the changes that people are hoping to see?

Back from Tunis

2011-04-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

I am back from Tunis...

I had a pleasant journey...

I met politicians, activists and ordinary people from all backgrounds...

Tunisians are busy remodeling their lives after the revolution...

They are anxious, they are aware that the rest of the Arab region is looking up to them and waiting to see how they will handle their freedom...

They know they can not fail...but they know they are new in the "democracy game"...

They are learning the rules of the game...therefore, if their performance in their first official "match" is not as bright as some hope, they should not lose hope...

Eventually, the Tunisians will make it and they will rebuild their country on democratic pillars...

Art and Stories: Remembering the courage of women human rights defenders with SOAS students

2011-03-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Art and Stories: Remembering the courage of women human rights defenders with SOAS students

We are here to...ski...

2011-02-19T07:21:00.000-08:00

I went skiing today...

It was an extraordinary day...

The snow was perfect, the sun was shining...

Traffic measures were superb...

Heaven on earth...

Kids were having fun, parents were happy to see their kids skiing like pros...

At two the weather changed... The wind appeared...

Some left, some decided to stay, some were hesitant...

This is exactly what happens when there is a crisis in the country...

People who do not have precise plans to face the crisis, they lose the sense of thinking...

They become irrational and their acts don't make sense...they improvise and they make mistakes..

This is how many Lebanese react to the ongoing crisis...

But our country is the best,

The people of Lebanon are great, the cities and villages are great,

Every small stone is great...

Why should we think to leave?

I don't understand...

I am delighted that I was wrong: I praise the New Middle East, middle eastern way

2011-02-13T07:25:00.000-08:00

After the fall of Ben Ali's regime in Tunisia last month... I was sure that nothing will change in the Middle East and on the contrary the rest of the dictators in the region will use more coercive measures to subdue their people...

When the Egyptians revolted against Mubarak... I announced that the security of Israel was far more important than the aspirations of the Egyptians and that the International Community will support Mubarak's regime...

I was so wrong...

And I am happy that I was so wrong...

I was reading the events from old dated binoculars...

I was reading the events from the old set of mind...

Things have changed in the Middle East...

The people of Tunisia and Egypt have set the new rules of the game...

Even if no other dictator steps down soon...all of them are worried...

All the dictators of the Middle East are wondering what they have to do to avoid humiliation...

If this is the new Middle East that they were preaching to us, so then I am proud to be living it and part of it...

The Past...our comfort zone...a sign of failed societies

2011-01-12T00:51:00.000-08:00

When the present is uncertain...the future is not bright...You go back to the past...

To the comfort zone...

You dont know the past...you heard about it...you read about it...

And you can add to it...making it "nice" and "glorious"...

And you can choose the past that you want to make your stop over...

Of course, as an Armenian, I will not choose the year 1915...which is the Genocide year...

Of course a Jew will not choose the second world war...which is the Holocaust years...

Of course an Arab will not choose 1948, or 1967 or 1982 or 1990 or 1996....years of wars and deceptions...

However, we go back to glorious pasts...

The Jewish communities all over will go back to the days of David and Salomon...

The Arab (especially Muslim) communities will go back to the days of the Prophet...

And I will go back to the days the Armenian empire was ruling the whole of the Middle East (sort of...),

I will go back to the first Crusaders Kingdom of Jerusalem that was ruled by Baldwin the first, who had as a wife an Armenian... which is one of the reasons why Armenians were granted so many privileges in the Holy City...

And I can go on and on...in glorious days of the past...

But that is not the solution to solve the problems of today that will be lingering to the future if not solved correctly...

In a way, it is these glorious and shameful pasts that have led to a disastrous present that might lead to a NO-FUTURE...

So, back on your feet, the present is here...we have so many things to do...

Good morning, good afternoon and good night!

I wish I will never learn to hate

2010-12-31T01:49:00.000-08:00

To all my friends and readers...

I thank you for keeping track...

and for supporting me...through the weird moments...

and for keeping up with the transformation that I am going through...

and for traveling with me in my journeys to the past, the present and the future...

and I would like to end the year with a quotation that I read few days ago...

During his acceptance speech at the Eliav-Sartawi Award for Middle Eastern Journalism, Yaron London (For those who do not know who Yaron London is please google him) said:

"I am secular, but enjoy reading the Bible, extracting from it support for my humanist perspectives."

This is exactly what I have been doing in 2010, going back to the religious events and stories to build bridges with the whole of humanity...

And this is what I will keep on doing in 2011, and other things...

I will keep on taking care of my soul and my body (3 times a week to the gym)...

According to astrologists, 2011 will be a difficult year for Libras....Lets say...It will be a good learning process...

To be always positive...

And I wish I will be seeing people that I havent seen for a long time...

And I wish I will be able to give love...and spread happiness around me...

And I wish I will never learn to hate...

Happy New Year...

Last Days in Jerusalem...

2010-12-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, Jesus was born...in Bethlehem...few kilometers away from where I live in Lebanon...

If it were for other times...I could have driven my car crossing the borders and the green mountains to celebrate the birth of another peace seeker...

Instead, I watched and listened to the celebration on TV...waiting for better times...

Christ was born...yesterday...and he waited 33 years till he entered Jerusalem as an unusual king on a donkey...

The Donkey was the sign of modesty and peace...

Jesus could have entered Jerusalem on a horse...it could have been a sign of war...and bloodshed...

He waited 33 years to enter to Jerusalem...He preached...he got killed...and his faith was spread...

From Jerusalem...to Armenia...

In 301 AD...another king in Armenia adopted Christianity and declared his State a Christian State...

That was the first Christian State in the World...

And Armenian Priests ascended to Jerusalem...to become one of the 3 major sects of Christianity that were given the responsibility to watch over the Holy Places in the Holy Land...

Armenians and Jerusalem is a story of faith, love, convictions and peace...

An Armenian is not fully Armenian until he/she goes back to the source...to Jerusalem...

Blessed is the Armenian who has refused to leave his homeland in Jerusalem...to seek refuge in other places...

And blessed will be the Armenian who decides to move into Jerusalem...

Jesus waited 33 years...to enter Jerusalem

His ancestors waited 2000 years to go back to Jerusalem...

Arabs are still dreaming of going back to Jerusalem...

and I am giving myself 15 years from this day to enter to Jerusalem...no matter under which flag the city will be...

I will end my days in Jerusalem...buried in the Holy Land...

Next year to Jerusalem

2010-12-22T04:57:00.000-08:00

Once again...and all over again...first page of newspapers...a picture from East Jerusalem...

On Christmas...with same headlines for years: Jerusalem under Occupation...Sad Jerusalem...

And so on...

On 26 December...Jerusalem is forgotten again till the year after...

It has become like the Christmas tree...you take it out of the attic in December and put it back in January...

you don't even bother to take a look at it during the whole year...

Why should the Christians of this East be punished and forgiven access to Jerusalem?

While there is no meaning of Nationalism in this part of the world and the most importnat component is sect, religion and confession, why should we bother with the Israeli/Palestinian conflict?

What concerns me is the survival of the Christians in the Middle East...

And the survival of the Christians of the East will be guaranteed if they have access to the Holy Places in Israel and Palestine...

Pilgrimage to the Holy Places...special access permits...this is what Christians of the Middle East should be lobbying for...

Dividing Jerusalem, or not dividing it... should be the least of our concerns..
.
Jews have control of the Holy Land...Muslims have their Mecca...and Christians have only their tears and wishes...to reunite with their creator...

Indeed they are acting as an insignificant minority!

Something that is unacceptable...by all means...

Merry Christmas...anyways...and I raise my glass shouting...Next year to Jerusalem...

Dilusional conversations (im not even sure if the word dilusional exists)

2010-12-08T02:45:00.000-08:00

Human beings are so stupid...

They are the champions of lost opportunities...

The moment they lose a dear person...they start remembering all the good things about that person...

They wish they had listened more to his/her stories...

They wish they told him/her things that they kept in their hearts...

They start delusional conversations with that dear person...

They wish he/she answered back...

But that person is already gone...

I lost my father-in-law yesterday...

It is raining

2010-12-06T00:49:00.000-08:00

Finally...it is raining again...

Burn the History Book!

2010-11-29T03:27:00.000-08:00

What can you say about a society that does not learn from its History?

What can you say about a society that thinks its History is just a novel?

What can you say about a society that has no respect for its martyrs?

It is not in vain that people are still dying in this country just for their beliefs...

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan showed up in Beirut...as the savior of the Sunnis...

Our prime minister did not asked him about the 400 years of Ottoman oppression in this region...

He did not asked him to go to Down Town Beirut to salute the Martyrs killed by the Ottomans...

He did not asked him when will they admit that the Ottomans killed 1,500,000 Armenians...

Our prime minister Saad Hariri wanted to be seen with the new Sunni savior in pictures holding hands in hands as a sign of victory against Iran, Israel and Hezbollah...

Who cares about History?

History is about the past, it is old, it is rotten, it is something put in the archives of an old building in the middle of nowhere...

The scene of Erdogan in Beirut reminded me of my high school mates...they used to hate History classes...

"C'est la corvee"...they used to say... at that time I used to laugh and used to give them my predictions to the questions that might be asked by the teacher in the exams...I was always 100% right...

But now it doesn't make me laugh...and deep down I feel guilty...I feel I am responsible for Erdogan's visit to Lebanon...

Maybe if I had not given the questions to my schoolmates, maybe they would have studied more their own History...maybe they would have reacted to the Turkish visit...

Maybe...

But the reality is that we will never learn from History, so why do we keep on teaching the kids history?

Next time my son comes home with a history homework, I will advise him to burn his book and notebook!

and to go out play football

Ghajar style governance for the whole occupied territories

2010-11-19T01:48:00.000-08:00

Last time I visited the southern borders of Lebanon, (Northern borders of Israel), I was in a village called Meri, which is right next to the Ghajar village... this was end of summer 2009...

I was having Matteh (traditional druze drink) on the balcony of my hosts...the sun was shining, the weather was perfect...and the nature was splendid...

In the background, there was no sound of church or mosque prayers...but sounds of protest from the inhabitants of Ghajar, refusing the Israeli withdrawal from their village. This was a year ago...

The Israeli government took the decision to withdraw... the whole of the international community has supported the move...what a courageous decision, what a brave move to ease the tension in the region!! This is what the IC expressed...

Meanwhile, in the region...the feelings are different...just to use an objective term!!!

The situation is so complex, so complicated and in the same time, the Ghajar problem is just a simplification or a small demonstration of a wider an larger problem that is of the Golan heights and maybe the same can be said about the settlers in the occupied Palestinian territories...

To sum up the situation in Ghajar:

1-Territory belongs to Lebanon

2-People are Syrian Alawites with Israeli passports

3-Governance is Israeli

What more do we need to say?

What we read in the newspapers is that Israel will withdraw, it will hand over the land and the people to the UNIFIL and they will keep a small opening where the Israeli passport holders can enter to the Southern Ghajar because the Israeli authority is still and will always be responsible for its citizens.

So how can we describe this newly created entity?

If this model works, will Israel adopt this for the Israeli passport holders in the whole of the Golan heights and for the settlers that will remain in the OPT?

If this model works, wouldn't the Syrians in the Golan heights prefer to keep their Israeli passports and lobby for a Ghajar style governance?

So, the Ghajar withdrawal is a turning point in the conflict management and peace process options...

But it seems not many see it that way... at least not the Lebanese government...that has not commented on the withdrawal till this morning...which is not acceptable...

But our politicians are always "depasses par les evenements" as the French would declare!!

I ask...but I know...

2010-11-02T05:59:00.000-07:00

What is it that you want from me?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

What is it that you want me to do?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

When do you want to see me?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

When do you stop dreaming?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

Why you enjoy reading me?

I ask the question but I know the answer...

Why you keep on writing?

I ask the question...but I know the answer...

and Majida Roumi will never stop singing...

The Conflict and I...we are united...

2010-10-30T04:33:00.000-07:00

I have my story...I wrote down on a piece of paper on the plane on my way back home from Amman...

It is a story related to the conflict...but I decided not to publish it...

For many reasons...but it made me think...

Is it me who is always chasing the conflict or is it the conflict who is always chasing me?

What is it that I am looking for?

What is the conflict trying to teach me?

After all, I am living my life in all its details...I go to work, I produce, I joke, I laugh, I get angry, I go out, I drink, I love, I fantasize, I dream, I remember, I plan...

However, when I read...I go back to the past...

Does it have any significance?

It does have a significance...it is union...

I am trying to link the past to the present on my way to the future...

Uniting is the most sacred act...bringing people close to each other is what is life about...

When I was reading the book on Jerusalem, one of the information that I could not forget was that when David entered to Jerusalem he married a Jebusite (who were the inhabitants of Jerusalem)...and the offspring of that mixed marriage was Solomon who was to build the Temple...

My interpretation and I might be very mistaken but it is what I understood from the whole story is that Solomon was the result of a union of two different people which made him eligible to construct the house of God...

Men and women are meant to unite to be able to create and keep the world going forward...

It is when you unite you get something new...

In the nineties, after years of division, the world was getting closer to each other and we were talking about the global village... We were close to unity...we were innovative...

What happened? Ben Laden decided to separate the people...and now we are back to square one...far away from each other...and nothing beautiful is happening...

Beauty comes only from unity...

So you see what I am looking for in the midst of this conflict? I am looking for signs of unity...

and the conflict is showing me the signs of division...

But despite that, the conflict and I are forming a union...which is creating all these beautiful writings on this blog...

No matter how you turn it in your head... Unity, union and derivatives of that word lead to beauty in creation, in inspiration, in thoughts, in actions and reactions...

This is the result of my trip to Amman...

Amman...Moses and...I

2010-10-20T03:50:00.000-07:00

May 2008...I got on a plane to Amman...

It was not an ordinary trip...I was on a mission...

Few months before that date...I was on an ordinary trip to the Dead Sea...I had few hours to kill...I decided to ascend to Mount Nebo...I had no clue where I was going...

At the door, a guide offered his services...I accepted...and he started explaining and explaining...

Suddenly I discovered how ignorant I was...

I had no clue what Mount Nebo meant and that was not my first visit to the Dead Sea...

However, the only thing that was glued in my memory was a sentence that the guide pronounced and continued walking not caring much what effect it had on me...

He pointed to the clouds in front of us and said... That is Jerusalem...it is only in May that you can clearly see Jerusalem from here...and he continued walking...

I could not control myself...I had already planned by next visit in May to Mount Nebo...

Back to May 2008...

Even though it takes 40 minutes from Beirut to Amman, I felt the flight took longer than usual...and I still had to travel from Amman to the Dead Sea...another hour and so...

I arrived to the Dead Sea...I could not sleep the whole night...My binoculars in hand I kept looking from my balcony at the hotel to Jerusalem...to the lights in front ...waiting for the morning to climb to Mount Nebo...

I arrived to Mount Nebo... I did not need a guide this time... I knew my way...I knew the importance of the site...I knew what I came to do...

My binoculars in my hand...I headed directly to the spot...to the highest point where I would stand to look at the Promised Land and never enter it...

Yes...at that moment I could not but think of Moses...

He stood there thousand years ago...staring at the Promised Land...

Thousand years later...there were still people ascending to the Mount...staring at the Promised Land and knowing they will not enter it...

I came down from Mount Nebo...with a memory full of the walls of Jerusalem...

On Monday, I am going again to Amman...this time I am staying in Amman...

But it is always the same feeling while I am flying into Amman... I feel I am half way to...another destination...

Being in Amman gives me the contradictory feeling of how close and yet how far I am to Jerusalem...

It has never been an easy trip...

Is Ahmadi Najad Persian or Muslim?

2010-10-15T05:40:00.000-07:00

I do not have alot to say about Mahmoud Ahmadi Najad's visit to Lebanon...

He landed...did his show...and took off...

I do however wish to remind everybody that after the destruction of the first Temple in 586 BC, the Jews were expelled to Babylon and they came back from Exile thanks to the Persians and their leader Cyrus who decided that the Jews can go back to Jerusalem and build their temple again.

And in other instances in History, Persians helped the Jews to settle in Jerusalem.

Ahmadi Najad warned the Israelis yesterday that their end is near in the Middle East and they should leave the Holy Land and go back to their countries of origin...

That is an Islamic rhetoric more than Persian...

Iran has long been an Islamic republic with hardliners and it forgot its long history as a Persian civilization.

Maybe if Ahmadi Najad went back to be a Persian more than a Muslim, his speech in Bent Jbeil could have changed...

However, the show must go on...

from past...to present...to future...through your eyes...

2010-10-12T02:49:00.000-07:00

I am done with the book "Jerusalem"...it feels like emerging from the past...

As soon as i was back to the present... I looked around...I couldn't find you...

I went back to the past...to antiquity...to the shores of the Mediterranean...

I thought swimming in the Med-Sea could clear my thoughts and my views...and make me see things differently...and deep down I was looking for you...

I couldn't find you...

I came back to the surface...to the present...

I decided to stay longer in the present...I picked up a book from the shelves of the bookstore...

A recent book by Ziyad Clot... a French Palestinian lawyer who worked for a year at the Negotiations Support Unit in Ramallah on the refugees portfolio...

I just finished reading it this morning ( it took me two days to read it)...it brought me back to the harsh realities of the present...and took me to the future...

Clot was extremely intelligent in his approach...

He was able to criticize the Palestinian Negotiating Team, especially Saeb Ereikat at the same time he was careful in depicting the difficult situation the politicians were faced with...

This is the first book I read which is really blunt about the on-going, hidden complicity between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders and negotiators...

Clot was shocked at the beginning to discover the inner world of negotiations...but then...

This complicity made him realize that the future unites both Israelis and Palestinians...

They can only live in one STATE...

There... History is interrelated... They are stuck with each other...like it or not...

There is no point in creating a new state that will crawl back to its creator as soon as it is left alone...(this is my interpretation)...

This vision of the future is tempting...I see no point in dividing people and especially in this part of the world...

Our holy land is standing still to unite all the people of the world so why do we want to unite the whole world and separate our own people from each other?

That does not make sense...

What does a border mean to you?

Does it mean the end of the road?

Or...

It means a new beginning?

When you have the answer that suits you... you will know where you belong...

Either to a divided future or a united future....

I know where I stand...and I can see you now...but you are standing far away...I think I wont be able to reach you today...again...

So...I decided to sink in the past again to Ancient Roman Time...

I know you wont be there...but at least I will live with the hope that I might catch up with you in one of my trips to the present...knowing that for sure I will meet up with you in the future over the hill...and we both be looking down to the past that was once the present....

And you wait for the miracle to happen

2010-10-06T01:40:00.000-07:00

I am almost done with the book "Jerusalem"... I tried this morning to finish reading the last few remaining pages but I couldn't...

It was time to go to work...

I am at work now...

I am sitting on my chair...sending and receiving emails...

But...

My soul is not where my body is...

I am looking around...I see people...I hear them talk...

But...

I feel so "not with them"...

My soul is somewhere else...

The feeling of loneliness...longing to be..."not here"...

It makes your day...not a very pleasant day...

And you wait for the miracle to happen...

And you look around for signals...

And...

Jerusalem... Jesus...Peace and...I

2010-09-30T01:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while I was diving into the old and ancient history of Jerusalem, and enjoying the discoveries I was making, and while I was connecting the pieces of the puzzle of Jerusalem and the Middle East...an idea crossed my mind...

It brought me back to the surface...

Why did I stop watching the classic "Jesus of Nazareth"...even though I was among the faithful audience for years...

I thought about it and the answer came to me this morning...

I stopped watching the movie, when I became convinced that the story of Jesus will not change and they will still crucify him...

For years I watched the movie and year after year on the same scene where Pilate was to decide on Jesus' fate, I wished that he will release him...

I stopped watching...when I knew that I can not change the course of history...and whatever is written is written and no one can change it...

I am thinking of all these things because the book "Jerusalem" that I am reading is leading me to believe that it is all written in the Middle East and that now is not the time for peace...because it is written and because the prophets said so...

It is not in vain that the Ark of covenant is not found yet, it is not in vain that the temple is not built again, is not in vain that Anwar Sadat was assassinated, it is not in vain that Rabin was killed for the sake of Judaism, it is not in vain that Sharon is laying in bed in his coma...

It is not the time for peace now...God has not decided that it is time now..

How can I live with this theory as a secular? How can I accept this? and how about the free will of humans?

So, what? shall I stop thinking of peace the same way I stopped watching the movie "Jesus of Nazareth"?

A dove for special events

2010-08-31T04:20:00.000-07:00

In 1991, The President sent one of his brilliant assistants to Madrid on a special mission...

The assistant had one mission: to find the best Dove...

The President repeatedly reminded him of the historical importance of the event and the Dove must be the best because she will be the pure symbol of the greatest achievement of the century. She will be remembered in History for the rest of her life... Remember, told him the president, choose carefully!!! Everybody will be watching...

The assistant arrived to Madrid...he had already done his homework prior to arriving to the Spanish Capital...

He had contacted his people in the country...and they suggested he starts his search for the Dove in the Big Park...

The assistant spent more than a month interviewing the Doves at the Big Park...

Remember, told him the president, choose carefully!!!

After days and nights of searching...he found the perfect Dove...

A young Dove, who has been nurtured by her family...who lived in the Park for centuries...she is friends with other birds from other places and likes to share her food with other species in the Park...All the animals loved her and saw in her the perfect symbol of peace and love...

The assistant congratulated her on her new job and gave her the first task...to find the freshest olive branch...

Miss Dove was happy and excited, this was her dream job...she spent around one month looking for the perfect olive tree...she traveled around every corner in the country till she found the olive tree and took what she needed...

The assistant told her she has to travel to the United States for the photo shooting session....

She traveled to NYC and she did whatever she had to do...

The camera loved her...they got the best out of her...

The photo symbol was ready...

The assistant went to see the president: Mr President mission accomplished...

You can call on all parties in the Middle East for peace talks in Madrid...The Dove is ready...

The Dove could not believe her eyes...to see all these belligerents sitting around the table...and there she was on all TVs and magazines, and newspapers and buses...The Peace Dove...

What else would she want...she was the happiest dove on earth...

In Oslo...even though it was freezing...she stood there proud with the best green olive branch...

In the White House on that lawn...she was flying high and high and high...

Then, she was invited to Israel, they told her there is a peace rally and Mr Rabin would love to have you as a guest of honor... She did not hesitate...She was ready to go to all the capitals to fly high in their skies to promote peace...After all She was the Dove of Peace...

That November night in Israel...she will never forget...she was flying high when she got shot...

They took care of her...but things were never the same for her...

They offered her the best Park in NYC...she went living there hoping that she might change things...

But...the world had changed...

From time to time, they called her in for duty...but deep down she knew that was fake...

The feeling was not there...she was unable to fly high...

She wanted to retire...

and a few weeks ago, the old assistant visited her...he was asked from the new president to convince her to attend the meeting on September 2nd in Washington...

It will mean alot to the new president said the loyal assistant... I know how you feel and I know what you went through...but there are still people who believe in you...

For the last time, get back to the sky, go around the world to find the olive tree...Do what ever it pleases you but be there beside the president on that day..

Or else everybody will lose faith...You are the Hope...You are the Dove of Peace...

You have been shot...you have been dumped...you have been laughed at...you have become old...

But people still believe in you...and they still hope for the best when they see you...

Go... do what you do best...go fly high...

But is she going to come back this time or disappear in the sky?

Middle Eastern Symbolism

2010-08-26T02:38:00.000-07:00

Today... I entered to my office with my cup of Starbucks coffee in my left hand...

I sat on my chair...I looked to the right side of my table...up on the glass wall...you read...

"No place for Turkish products in this office"...

I looked back at the Starbucks coffee on my table and looked again to the sign on that wall...

Wow...that scene is so full of Middle Eastern Symbolism...

Every single person born in this part of the world or intentionally decided to live in this part of the world has identity issues...I stress and insist on EVERY SINGLE PERSON...

So, if you haven't understood till now...and you haven't been able to connect the stories together to understand the symbolism of the story than...You are not Middle Eastern and you are a NORMAL person and it means I have to explain it to you...

I refuse to buy Turkish products because I consider every single product made in Turkey is blended with Armenian blood...my ancestors...

If I believe in such actions (boycott) then automatically I should refuse to buy Starbucks that is known to contribute much of its revenues to the Israeli Army and to Israel in general... because Lebanon and Israel are at war and because Israel has been attacking the Lebanese soil for so long...Well bottom line we are
enemies...

So, why do I still drink Starbucks? is it because I feel I am more Armenian than Lebanese?

I refuse that kind of interpretation... I am a proud Lebanese...

So, is Turkey my enemy and not Israel?

I refuse that kind of interpretation... I know very well that Israel is my enemy...

Well...I am a normal middle eastern person living in harmony with her identity issues...like many others in this region...

I live in peace with the several components of my identity...

And, to end this story with an intelligent comment...

I don't eat Turkish food but I know that I need to make peace with my enemy...

Confession

2010-08-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

Last night you came and sat next to me...

I did not mind... I was hoping for that...

Years have passed since we last sat together...

You asked if I was angry or upset...

I was not... I was dreaming of this moment for so long...

You asked why I was not talking to you...

What I had to say might have hurt you and made you go away again...maybe this time for ever...

You looked at me...your eyes wanted to hear my confession...

I love you... I am in love with you...since that night in that village and the feeling is not going away...

I can not describe the happiness that surrounds me when I am with you...

But you have to know that every second I spend with you...I 'd be wondering if you are feeling what I am feeling...if you are seeing in my eyes the desire...to touch you... to kiss you...

I can not control the desire but I am strong enough to control myself...

I can live with a fake relationship if the alternative is to live a life without you...

You see, you are not saying a word... I should have kept silent...

We could have had the most wonderful night out sitting on these chairs talking about nothing and everything, looking to the stars...and keeping our true feelings to our selves...

That smile on your face...I know what it means...

It is not the time yet..for you to disappear again...

Why are you holding my hand? i don't want to go now...

Don't hold me...don't look at me...don't smile...just stay...for the sunrise...

Don't go away now...

I will be here tomorrow...waiting...

I believe...

2010-08-16T02:56:00.000-07:00

To be living in a country such as Lebanon...You should have a cause...

You can not be just an ordinary citizen...

It is like being an American...

If you are an American...it means you are a believer in the American dream...

You can not be just an American citizen...

It defeats the purpose...

The same applies to Lebanon...

If you are a Shiite living in Lebanon...

It means you believe in the total destruction of the Zionist Entity...

If you are a Sunni living in Lebanon...

It means you believe in the one and only Arabic Umma...

If you are a Christian living in Lebanon...

It means you believe in the Christianity of the holy land...

If you are living in Lebanon...You are a rebel with a cause... ready for self destruction as long as the cause remains...

fading away

2010-07-19T14:22:00.000-07:00

Germany lost the game...
I am wearing black today...
Remembering the 1,500,000 who died yesterday...
I am trying to look for your face I have something to tell you about the last day...
I can not see , our memories are fading away everyday...
I never thought that day will come...
I have so much to tell you...
Where are you?
I am in my car driving...
I found you...
You are singing
“Vows are spoken
To be broken
Feelings are intense
Words are trivial
Pleasures remain
So does the pain
Words are meaningless
And forgettable”
I saw you switch off the radio...
You looked at me, smiled and faded away again today...

From Bahrain

2010-06-19T04:51:00.000-07:00

I am in Bahrain...my first visit...

On the plane, I read a book "L'Avenement du 7eme Jour" by Tony Danayan, I must admit it took me by surprise... I read the whole book in 2 hours and 25 minutes...from Hariri International Airport (Beiut) to Bahrain International Airport (Manama)...

It is a book of passion...towards Lebanon...It gave me the crazy idea to jump off the plane and swim back to Beirut...

I love Lebanon...with all its madness...

And from Beirut...to Manama...to Jerusalem...

To those interested in the progress I made in writing my article on the Armenians in the Holy Land:

I am now working on the geoghraphic space of Jerusalem... I have some sketches of the gates of Jerusalem...

However, what I am aiming at is to get some "hand made" drawings of the Armenian quarter... I dont know if I am searching for the impossible...but I believe that my blog is like the message in the bottle to the one that will get it somewhere in the world and send me back a answer in the same bottle...

So, for now... I will lose connection in 6 minutes, so I d better wrap up... and click on the publsih post ....(throwing the bottle in the sea of Manama)

I Love you all...

Jerusalem...It is what keeps people hoping for whatever...

2010-04-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

You enter my office…

Straight in front of you…you have the balcony…

A table…with a basket full of chocolate and candies…you can serve yourself at anytime…even without knocking on my door…

On your right…you have a black leather sofa…

On your left…here I am…sitting on my desk…my new laptop still not touched…

I am not finding the right moment to get started on my new laptop…

So, till now nothing extraordinary and nothing super about my office…

Till the moment you decide to leave Laury’s office…

Right in front of you…next to the main door…

You stare…you read…and read again…

A master piece… A rare display… A photo frame…

It reads in Arabic:

Now…3 flights per day to Jerusalem…

Take Off from Beirut:

7:30 am

10:30 am (new)

14:30 pm

Middle East Airlines MEA

This is an advertisement from the sixties before East Jerusalem was captured by the IDF…

I have seen eyes full of tears in front of this ad put in a frame…as if we are trying to hold on to that era..to frame it…not to let go of it…

I have seen people staring…going back in time and memory…

I have seen people angered…

But I have not seen anyone walk out of my office without commenting by words or by a look on that “THING” on the wall.

Jerusalem is the cradle for everybody in this region…

Let it be the united capital of Israel…

Let it be the sacred capital of Palestine…

Let it be the inspirational capital for all…

Israelis and Palestinians should learn to share a city that goes beyond geography…

Progress...Armenians in the Holy Land

2010-03-19T05:26:00.000-07:00

The Holy Land....in the hands of the unholy or the holiest of the holiest of them all?

This is what I have been asking myself these days...

Jerusalem...this mysterious spot...land of all lands...was found to unite or divide the people of this planet?

Another question...on my mind...

Armenians in the holy land...this is where I am focusing my reserach now...

I am reading and reading and reading about the religion, the people and the armenian quarter in Jerusalem...

I have developed some interesting questions...I have been given intresting references....

So, my friends...everything is going very well...

Long live the Armenians in Jerusalem...and Beirut...of course

Armenians in Israel

2010-02-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

I am back...

I had taken a break from my brain...

Haven’t done much...since I wasn’t in touch with my brain...

I have been working on my emotions...

And decided that there are some feelings that I don’t want to get rid of...I am happy to feel what I feel towards some people...It gives me joy beyond description...

I bought a new laptop that I am not happy with...and I paid alot for it...

I have changed work...I am not sure if it is for the best...

And I am working on my annual article for “Nairi”.

In 2008 and 2009, I contributed in “Nairi” which is an Armenian periodical...

In 2008, I wrote an article about Ohannes Pacha, the lat governor of Mount Lebanon, and his role in safeguarding the Christian presence in Lebanon during the Ottoman era in this region...

In 2009, I wrote about my experience and the experience of extraordinary youth from Lebanon who worked on a project on good governance...

I have been encouraged by so many people, that I have decided to contribute in the December 2010 edition of “Nairi”...this year ...of course...

However, this year’s article will be more challenging than the other ones...

I have decided this year to write about the Armenians in Israel...

I do not have enough information about them, and what I got from the internet is not enough...

So, I will need the help of whoever wants to help...

I need a contact with Armenians living in Israel...

The article will be about these Armenians living as a minority in Israel, who they are, about their identity, how they live, what they think, and etc...

You can reach me on facebook and on gmail of course on the address: laurytheblogger@gmail.com

September in the waiting room

2009-09-18T00:55:00.000-07:00

It is September…

I have nothing to write…

I am struggling with my thoughts…

I want to write…I open a new document…it stays blank…

What to write about?

Should I write about the situation in Lebanon or the Middle East?

Should I write about the state of mind in which I am trapped?

They always say time is the best healer, sometimes I believe so and some days I doubt it…

Healing is when you solve…when you find the answers…when you are convinced of the situation you are in…

Only then you start forgetting…you start your healing process…

Time alone cannot heal…

People are not replaceable…memories don’t fade away…

I never thought I ‘d be stuck…paralyzed…crippled…

But this is it…

Maybe the same is happening with the Lebanese politicians…they haven’t reached the healing path…they are still fighting with the past…and the result is that they are stuck… they cannot move forward…they are unable to form a government…they are unwilling to continue in building the state institutions…

Where will this lead me?

Where will this lead them?

Where will this lead the Lebanese population?

The waiting room is not the most pleasant room in this life…

Gad Elmaleh and Tahranistan

2009-06-29T01:26:00.000-07:00

July 2006…Hezbollah kidnaps two Israeli soldiers…the second Lebanon war is declared…Gad Elmaleh’s appearance in Byblos is canceled…

July 2009…Hezbollah launches a media campaign against Gad Elmaleh…the artist cancels 3 sold-out performances in beiteddine…

Is Gad Elmaleh a supporter of Israel or is he an Israeli citizen or did he serve in the Israeli army?

Hezbollah is claiming that Gad served in the Israeli army…if that is true…legally Gad should not be performing in Beirut…

If we are sanctioning the artist because of his support for Israel, then we are definitely facing a moral dilemma…

Can we separate the artist from his political views? Can we welcome Gad as the French humorist and comedian and ignore the fact that he supports the country that is at war with our own country?

However, the Gad incident should make us beware of Hezbollah’s infiltration in the cultural life of Lebanon.

We all know that Hezbollah is an Islamist party with all what it means in societal and cultural behavior…

Today, they forced a French artist to cancel his tour in Beirut (always using the Israeli pretext)...

Tomorrow it will be the Baalback festivals…

and after tomorrow we will wake up in Tahranistan…

It seems that long time ago…Hezbollah ceased to be a resistance party…only…

The Orange Tchador: When Lebanon votes

2009-06-09T04:21:00.000-07:00

I woke up in the morning, looked around me, everything seemed so real…

Is it really Sunday June 7?

Wow! At last the glorious Sunday that we have been waiting for…

Do you think I have the time to take a shower, to have breakfast, to put my head over my shoulder?

Shouldn’t I be rushing to the polling station…to save the country from the orange tchadors?

Oh no! The commentator on the television is warning: Lebanon as you know it might not exist anymore go do your civic duty…go vote…Vote…VOte…VOTe… VOTE…

It doesn’t matter if I smell bad …I need to rescue the country…

I put on my clothes…but haha I made sure I am not wearing anything orange or yellow or green…

Blue was is and always will be my favorite colour…

The rescue team (my husband, my mother-in-law and I) –The blue Team-was on its way…

In the car, we kept on listening to our favorite CD: We will never let Iran control us…
we couldn’t stop listening to it…

Maybe if we stopped running the CD, we would have forgotten to whom to vote…

Maybe it might have crossed our minds to vote for General Michel Aoun…

Oh no! Even mentioning his name could make us lose the Lebanon we know…I put the volume up…

So again I start seeing the blue sky all over Lebanon…

We arrive to the polling station…my heart is beating…my hands are shaking…

Everybody is staring at me…

Don’t even think of changing your mind…

We can read your thoughts…These are crucial times…don’t think of reform and change…don’t review anything…Look behind you Hezbollah is chasing you with the tchador…

I looked in front of me I saw Obama, Moubarak, King Abdallah of KSA, the good people in Lebanon calling me to join them…to rescue the country…

I entered the room…I voted…I dipped my thumb into the ink…I got out of the room…proud…

Back home…I switched on the TV…I heard what I didn’t want to hear…

Even though I saved the country…they didn’t want to forget that I was Armenian…

busy launching the Coalition

2009-05-11T13:37:00.000-07:00

I have been busy launching the Lebanese Youth Coalition against Corruption...

The event was great...yes I am happy with what I was able to achieve...

For those who read Arabic...

اطلاق "اتحاد الشباب اللبناني لمكافحة الفساد"
رعى رئيس الجمهورية ميشال سليمان ممثلا بوزير الداخلية والبلديات زياد بارود المؤتمر الذي عقدته "الهيئة الدولية للابحاث والتعاون" بالتعاون مع "الجمعية اللبنانية لتعزيز الشفافية – لا فساد" في فندق "متروبوليتان"، سن الفيل، واطلقت في خلاله "اتحاد الشباب اللبناني لمكافحة الفساد "تتويجا لمشروع "دعم القيادات الشبابية في المجتمع المحلي"، الذي نفذته الجمعيتان في مختلف المناطق على مدى سنة ونصف السنة وبمشاركة اكثر من 500 شاب وشابة من مختلف الطوائف والانتماءات.تولى تقديم المؤتمر الاعلامي نيشان دير هاروتيونيان الذي اعتبر ان الفساد "اقتحم جذور نسيج المجتمع اللبناني مما يستدعي جهدا استثنائياً واتحادا شبابيا لمناهضته".والقى عضو الهيئة الادارية في "الجمعية اللبنانية لتعزيز الشفافية – لا فساد" يحيى الحكيم كلمة شدد فيها على اهمية المشروع الذي يأتي "ضمن عمل مكثف للجمعية بمكافحة الفساد ونشر "ثقافة الشفافية".ثم تناول مدير برامج "الهيئة الدولية للابحاث والتعاون في الشرق الاوسط" بيتر سلوم موضوع الفساد من النواحي القانونية والاجتماعية والسياسية" وآثار هذه الظاهرة المدمرة على البنى التحتية للمجتمع".والقت رئيسة مجلس امناء "اتحاد الشباب اللبناني لمكافحة الفساد" ندى عبد الساتر ابو سمرا كلمة المجلس، معلنة اطلاق عمل الاتحاد، ومتوجهة بالشكر الى الرئيس سليمان "لرعايته ودعمه هذا المشروع الوطني".وتوجهت الى الشباب، مؤكدة ان لبنان "معجزة حقيقية، قاوم وصمد في وجه كل الاعداء والانتدابات والغزوات والوصايات وانتصر" وختمت بالاعلان عن اطلاق الاتحاد.ثم القى بارود كلمة باسم سليمان جاء فيها: بين الشباب والفساد، مساحات من الاختلافات وعدم الالتقاء، بل اجيال من الغربة والانفصام. تطلقون اليوم "اتحاد الشباب اللبناني لمكافحة الفساد". وفي الاتحاد قوة، وكذلك في الشباب. وتابع: "ان يكون الفساد قائما وحالا بيننا، أمر في غاية الخطورة، لكن أخطر ما فيه ان نعتقد، ولو للحظة، انه جزء من مستقبلنا الذي نريده يشبه عيون الشباب غير المنغمس في لعبة المصالح. هذه الايام الآتية، نريدها بنظافة كف من يطلون على حياة الامة ولا غبار على حياتهم الخاصة قبل العامة. هذه التطلعات، نريدها مشروعا لبناء الدولة الذي لا يستقيم الا اذا بدأ بحلم يشبه تفكيركم".وأشأر بارود الى ان اطلاق الاتحاد "وكأنه دعوة مفتوحة الى كل الفئات العمرية لتنضم الى فئة الشباب عندنا. كلنا شباب لبناني لمكافحة الفساد وختم متوجها الى الاتحاد بالقول: "الى اتحادكم تحيات الرئيس سليمان، ولنشاطاتكم دعمه الابوي الكامل، ولعملكم مواكبته الدائمة. وتلا الكلمات وثائقي عن المراحل التي مر بها مشروع "دعم القيادات الشبابية في المجتمعات المحلية" وعروض موجزة لمشاريع ينفذها في عدد من المناطق الشباب بأنفسهم.
وفي ختام الحفل اعلنت المشرفة على المشاريع ومديرة التدريب في الهيئة الدولية للابحاث والتعاون لوري هيتايان برنامج عمل "اتحاد الشباب اللبناني لمكافحة الفساد

2009-05-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

They died...

they committed suicide...but this is not the end of the story...

The problem is that they did not end being together in one place...One went to Heaven, the other is stuck between heaven and earth...

So, what for did they kill themselves? what a sacrifice...

No cause is worth the punishment...yes not seing each other, nothing being together, not talking to each other is a really punishment...

Time is the best healer...

Time is the only healer...

After a long dull day...it is always nice to have someone to talk to...to listen to...to dream with...

Memory is the best remedy...Not to lean on...

But to help you get through such a day...alone...with a smile on your face...

They didnt have to die...

There must be another way

2009-03-06T03:23:00.000-08:00

Noa and Mira will be performing at the Eurovision contest…

The song: There must be another way…

Noa is Israeli…
Mira is Israeli…

But …

Noa is Jewish…
Mira is Arab…

And they are singing together one song in 3 languages: English, Hebrew and Arabic …

At a time when Avigdor Lieberman is the strong man in Israel…
At a time when Arabs are the weakest link…

What is the message that Noa and Mira want to convey?

What is the other way…they want us to believe in?

What I liked the most is that they didn’t use the word peace in the song…

What I am interested in knowing is how do Arabs like Mira feel like living in Israel and being Israeli?

Mira was singing beautifully in Hebrew with Noa; the same way Noa was singing passionately in Arabic with Mira…

Arabs like Mira and like Sayed Kashua…I would definitely want to know more about…

Some people will be happy to see Noa and Mira perform together, others will be angry…

But both will be performing to show that some people live peace without peace…

Kadima...to the Right

2009-02-12T05:45:00.000-08:00

Left…right…center…
They are all the same…
As soon as they sit on the “Power chair”…it is the total metamorphosis stage…

The people of Israel chose security… Not peace…
So, why should their leaders choose peace?

Security is a better platform for dialogue in the Middle East…

Who doesn’t want security?

Doesn’t Hamas want security?

Doesn’t the PA want security?

How about Syria, Iran and Hezbollah…Isn’t security an important issue for them?

Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan want to maintain their secure borders…

So, let it be…We all want Security!!!

A last word about Yisrael Beiteinu…and Avigdor Lieberman…
Just imagine what Israel would have done if an “Avigdor Lieberman” or an “Yisrael Beiteinu” in any other country had won the elections the way it happened last Tuesday in Israel!

But because it happened in Israel we have to praise it, and we have to applaud it...It seems that Israel is either testing the International Community’s patience…or it doesn’t give a damn about the International Community…

And a last word about the Arabs in Israel…and this comes from a woman that is of Armenian origins born in Lebanon…
Integration, activism and engagement are important remedies for a confused identity…
Defeatism is an in-built character of Arabs…
However try to combat it with positivity…

And a last word about Tzipi Livni…Believni…I am happy she won…

A cursed Middle East

2009-01-18T02:08:00.000-08:00

It never crossed my mind to write a word on the events of Gaza, for the past 23 days…

Since the first week…I knew what were my options…

I either had to leave everything behind and go to Gaza to fight side by side with Hamas against the so called “new Nazis on the block”…

Or, I had to leave everything behind and go to Gaza to fight side by side with the Israeli forces against the so called “terrorists”…

But to sit in front of the TV and write on the blog…just to write…looked like an offending act…

Today, more than ever I am convinced that the Middle East has not lost its appetite for death and blood…

Peace will always be the business of the marginalized…

Peace shouldn’t be a priority…

Saving our souls…trying not to sink to the dark side of ourselves…are the priorities…in This Cursed Middle East…

Good-bye my friend

2008-12-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

I didn’t mean to let go of my blog or to abandon it or worse to neglect it…

Every night I sit in front of my laptop trying to write something…but I fail...

I am looking forward to seeing Hillary Clinton replacing Condi Rice… It will always be interesting to see her in Beirut…

I have a lot to say about General Aoun’s visit to Syria…after all I was among the hundred thousands of people who demonstrated against the Syrians in 1989-1990 at Baabda…supporting the General in his battle against Hafez Assad…

I heard Jimmy Carter at AUB talk about his impressions 30 years after Camp David…I wasn’t impressed…

But I have a good reason for not willing to write…it is personal…but I will share it here…

I started blogging after I came back from Iraq…I wanted to write about the great people I met there…

Then the Summer 2006 war dragged me into another path…

Since then all I wrote was the result of the most extraordinary, inexplicable, beautiful, and limitless friendship…

For a year and a half…I was so inspired…I was creative…I was daring… my relationship with this amazing person gave the energy I needed to follow my dreams…

Then, like every other story…our friendship ended…without a proper good-bye…

Since February it has been difficult for me to continue blogging without my friend…

I am working on it…and soon I will find the force inside me to continue the journey alone…

Here, I say good-bye to my friend…

Here, I wish all the happiness to my friend…A dear person that I will always love and cherish…

And I will continue on my own…always dreaming of peace in the Middle East…

Barack Obama...President

2008-11-05T02:19:00.000-08:00

…And Barack Obama became the 44th President of the United States

Many Lebanese are disappointed today…Not because they are racist…

It is because they fear that the Obama administration will strike a deal with Syria which might affect negatively on Lebanon’s independence…

But think again!!...

If the Obama administration starts negotiating with Iran and Syria; shouldn’t the Lebanese government have a saying about that?

Shouldn’t the Lebanese government set all the options on how to handle the Hezbollah issue?

Anyways…the Lebanese government should be prepared to take advantage of any kind of change that Obama will bring into the US foreign policy…especially in the Middle East…

And I think Obama will put the Middle East dilemma (with its complex issues of Iraq, Iran and the peace process) very high on his list of priorities…

Barack Obama is a man who is made to bring in historic changes…and it is only with a man such as Obama that a historic change will see the light in the Middle East…

1-To re-open the US embassy in Iran
2-To institutionalize and liberalize Iraq
3-To push for a breakthrough in the Arab-Israeli peace process

Tzipi Livni...end of part1

2008-10-28T03:03:00.000-07:00

Tzipi Livni couldn’t form a government or refused to form a government…

You choose the version that you like depending on your position towards the chair of Kadima…

The year 2009 will resume with exciting events:
A new president in the White House
A new parliament in Israel…followed by a new government…
A new parliament in Lebanon…followed by a new dilemma…

New faces…old faces…and the problem will stay the same…in the Middle East…

The Middle East on hold…

At least this time, the world has a good reason to put the Middle East on the shelves…

We are facing a financial…followed by an economic crisis…

And we in the Middle East can wait for another year…why the rush...

We have been waiting for decades…another year won’t be a big deal…

Tzipi Livni should have listened to my advice…and go to Qatar to form a new government…

Tzipi Livni and my dilemma

2008-09-18T01:27:00.000-07:00

I don’t know why and how I always end up in the gray zone…
Maybe because there are no black and white zones?...

Anyways…
Why am I again in the grey zone?
Let me tell you…

Today, as a woman, I am very happy and delighted that Tzipi Livni won…

After a disappointing loss with Segolene Royal…
And after an unimaginable fall with Hillary Clinton…

Here comes a Winner…

And comes with it my dilemma…

Today, as a Lebanese citizen, I am worried and anxious that Tzipi Livni won…

Tzipi Livni has never shown good intentions towards the Lebanese…

But again, we have to wait and see…

We know that she won the Kadima primaries because of her integrity, and tough and clear positions regarding all the controversial issues inside and outside of Israel...

Therefore, what are Livni’s priorities?

Inside of Israel:
1-Restore faith in Kadima
2-Show a new style of leadership

Israel-Palestinians:
Throw the Arab-Israelis out of Israel?

Israel-Syria:
Renew indirect peace talks with Syria?

Israel-Lebanon:
Withdraw from the Shebaa farms?

Israel-Iran:
A mossad operation to sabotage the Iranian nuclear activities

And maybe all of this won’t happen because Tzipi Livni won’t be able to form a government…

But they can always go to Qatar to form a national unity government!!

A future in archives

2008-08-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Humans are ambitious and forth looking…

However, the Arab-Israeli conflict shaped new species of humans…

You have a new race of Arabs and Israelis …

It is a race that is not resilient …scared of the future…

Driven by their basic instincts (i.e. survival instinct)…

Relying completely on the Divine, the Holy…

Entrapped in the past…in a way that you think their eyes are behind their heads…

The new race walks backwards…

The future of the Middle East is in the past…it is in black and white…written on old rotten paper…

The future of the new race of the Middle East is in the archives…

Re-creating myself

2008-08-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

I am in Ismailia...looking at the Suez...thinking about the history of the Middle East...

On tv...Michelle Obama is talking about change and hope that Barack Obama inspires...

How will our future be in the Middle East...I wonder...

Is it going to be red (bloody red)?

Is it going to be green (Iranian green)?

Is it going to be blue (Star of David blue)?

In the States...black has become the color of hope and change...

In the Middle East...black is still the color of hatred and revange...

We love to hate the other...we live on that...

Technorati Profile

Mr Obama...take the chance

2008-08-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

Bravo Bashar…

Mohammad Suleiman, Syria’s Hezbollah liaison assassinated…
Another “coup de theatre” after Imad Mughnieh’ assassination…

Well, it will be very childish to accuse Israel of such deed…

The Syrian regime is paying the bribe for a peace treaty with Israel…

The Bashar gang is destroying Hezbollah slowly…slowly…

This is what Israel, France and the US want from Bashar to bring him back to the international arena…

And we in Lebanon as always are the sitting ducks waiting to be shut at…

Our strategy should be very clear…

We form a negotiating team including Hezbollah which apparently knows how to negotiate with Israel…

We organize our files…

And we wait for Tzipi Livni and Barack Obama…

And the stupidest mistake will be for Obama to neglect the Arab-Israeli peace talks and move on to other issues …

Dear Mr Obama…don’t do the same mistake as your predecessors…don’t leave this Arab-Israeli dilemma for the last year of your second term…

Start your term with it…if you succeed you will be remembered for ever…Not just the first black American president…but the one who brought peace to the Middle East…

Take the chance…

Questions about Peace

2008-07-22T06:06:00.000-07:00

I always imagined bulldozers on the borders between Lebanon and Israel removing the fences…opening the road of peace…

But bulldozers can’t be used for peace…

In the Middle East we use bulldozers to demolish Palestinian houses…
In the Middle East we use bulldozers to drive over Israelis…

In the Middle East we wake up every day trying to have a normal life…

In the Middle East we go to bed every night with a new tragedy in our memory…

In the Middle East we spend the day trying to hate the enemy more and more…

How will a Middle East without the conflict look like?

When will it be the time to agree on ending the conflict?

What is it that we are waiting for?

Who will lead the signing of the Golden treaty, the treaty of all treaties to start a new era?

Where will the new capital of the peaceful Middle East be?

Why is it so difficult for some people to imagine life without an enemy?

Pain in Israel...Joy in Lebanon

2008-07-17T06:01:00.000-07:00

I know many are waiting for my comments on the exchange that happened between Israel and the Hezbollah…

I couldn’t write yesterday…I had mixed feelings…

I didn’t know which binocular to use…The human rights one or the political one…or the nationalist one…

I think I let my feelings talk more than my analytical abilities…

It was sad to see the two black coffins of the Israeli soldiers…That feeling took me by surprise…

I felt the same when I saw the wooden coffins of the Hezbollah fighters…That feeling took me by surprise too…

I understood the depth of hatred when I saw on the television the banner: Pain in Israel…Joy in Lebanon…

I was surprised to see how things don’t change in the Middle East: Samir Kuntar after 30 years in prison…getting ready for “martyrdom” …

Definitely, I did not sense that this was the last chapter of the prisoners’ saga…That this was a huge rock that was moved away from the Lebanese-Israeli track…

My eyes were more focused on the Syrian-Israeli and Iranian-American tracks…This is where you see the benefits of the exchange…

I couldn’t but wonder that maybe the Israeli society should really rally for the end of the occupation…

The occupation has only brought wars, fear and sorrow for the Israeli society…Is there worse than that?

Is it better to live in a land of fear or in a shared land?

Yesterday the banner should have been: Pain for Humanity...Joy for Death...

Morning Coffee with You

2008-07-09T22:08:00.001-07:00

Good morning…Coffee on your side…Screen in your face…

What are you reading?

Someone’s thoughts…Someone’s feelings…Someone’s “etat d’ame”

But for sure…

Whenever I am writing I have you in mind…

How does it happen?

I don’t force it...It just happens…You are the driving force…

I imagine your facial expressions at each word and each idea…

I can see your eyes…chasing each sentence…trying to reach the bottom…

I know you are the only one getting all the hidden messages…

And that keeps me writing…

I am not expecting anything in return…that will be a painful thing to do…

I am just enjoying knowing that you are reading…

Meeting you…I do that in my head…everyday…

You know what you mean to me…

You are the reason why I still write about peace in the Middle East…

You shaped a new me…

You…my readers…you keep a smile on my face...

Mass depression

2008-07-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

In a few days we will all witness the prisoners-coffins swap between the state of Israel and the Iranian militia-the Hezbollah…

Undermining the existence of strong state institutions in Lebanon is what brings Israel and Syria together…because Lebanon is their neglected backyard where they dump everything that bothers them…

Suddenly now, everybody is convinced that the Shebaa farms are Lebanese and the state of Israel is ready to withdraw from that part and put it under the UN control…

Magic…magic…magic…

So, Israel and Syria will sign a peace treaty…

Are the Israelis ready to see Saudis in Tel Aviv?

How about Lebanese filmmakers getting money from Israeli producers?

Can the Middle East survive without the Arab-Israeli conflict?

Who will take care of us after the shock of the peace?
Who will cure us of the peace trauma?

The Israel-Syria peace treaty will definitely cause a mass depression among the citizens of the Middle East…It is not easy to cope with the loss of a very dear figure…belligerence

Red doves

2008-06-26T06:02:00.000-07:00

How many times did I sit in front of the laptop to write about the latest events in the Middle East!!??

And every time I failed to write a good piece…

I don’t have a new angle or an innovative thought about the peace folklore...

The peace in my heart is weak…I am not talking about inner-peace…

Peace, the concept…
Peace, the dream…
Peace, the creative force…
Peace, the muse…
Peace, the possible impossible…

It is fading…and I am learning not to look after it anymore…

I should let go…everything is replaceable…

This concept I need to understand…to grasp…and stop feeling so miserable because I have been used by peace…

A new peace might be born in the Middle East…

A red dove might fly in the skies of Turkey, Syria, and Israel…

And we will all live happily ever after…

Sarkozy's visit to Beirut

2008-06-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

I have a lot to talk about…but I don’t know how to connect these issues together to come up with an intelligent post…

1-We are praying day and night to have a war-free summer… as if it is ok to have a war in autumn or in winter or in spring… but please don’t ruin our summer…As if the troupe is going to perform…

2-Nasrallah sends a brown casket with Israeli soldiers’ remains through Nakura; and nobody questions in Beirut…as if it happened on a different planet…Love comes in different shapes and forms…

3-Bashar Assad advises the Lebanese to start their own negotiations with Israel as soon as his parade gets going…Thank you for the concern dear brother…you just focus on your acting…and don’t dream of walking on water…

4- Tzipi Livni!…Can we handle another disappointment after Segolene Royal and Hillary Clinton?...But the most important is for them not to sell their souls for money!!

5-Sarkozy will be visiting Beirut…but without Carla!! What a shame! The band’s visit is not the same without Carla…

I guess not everything I write makes sense to everybody that reads me!!! And that is the beauty of writing…

I like President Michel Suleiman

2008-05-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

We have a president…

I heard his speech in the parliament today…and I have to say I liked what I heard…

He addressed all parties’ concerns…

He has the whole world’s support…

But again we will have to wait and see…and be aware of the regional transformations…

If we want to know how things will turn out in Lebanon we have to keep an eye on Turkey in the coming few weeks…

The only thing that comes to my mind while writing these lines is the fall of the Berlin wall…

You remember how fast was the whole collapse of the USSR?

I sense another fall in the Middle East…

However, you know how naïve and enthusiastic I can be…

But who knows maybe very soon I will be having coffee with some friends that I haven’t seen for a long time!!!

Lets hope our new president wont disappoint us the way Emile Lahoud did…

Our heroes are back

2008-05-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

So, ladies and gentlemen…

Our heroes are coming back home…

For sure, they think they are returning glorious…victorious… triumphant...

It took them 6 days…4 working days…to come up with an agreement…

Actually, they haven’t come up with an agreement…they accepted each other’s demands…

The question is what happened to our heroes in Qatar?

Why couldn’t they accept each other’s demands in Beirut and get over this stagnation in the country?

Maybe, it is the Arabic-Bedouin coffee that they drank in the halls of the Sheraton…or the special spa treatment they got as a present from the Qatari government…

They are coming back to elect General Michel Suleiman, as president of the Republic…

I think maybe Suleiman is the happiest person on earth today…finally they will elect him as president…He has been waiting for 6 months now…

And the comedy continues…

Don’t think the Syrian-Israeli factor is irrelevant here…wait and you will see…

But in the meantime, let’s enjoy the liberation of the Downtown…

Qatar kills Lebanon

2008-05-16T02:48:00.000-07:00

While Israel is celebrating its 60s anniversary, we in Lebanon are celebrating the loss of our country...

History is repeating itself…

In 1990…

We had no president…We had two governments and we had an inter-confessional war…
Saudi Arabia dragged our politicians to Taef to impose on us a fake peace…and The Taef agreement was born…and the Syrians took control of Lebanon…and we lost our country…

In 2008…

We have no president…We have a non-functioning government and we just survived an inter-confessional war…

Qatar is dragging our politicians (70% same faces) to Doha to impose on us another fake peace…and we are expecting the Doha agreement to be born…The second child of a failed marriage…

However, the huge question mark is who will be managing this failed state of ours?

Is it going to be Syria? (Qatar’s new buddy)…and if it so…what will be the price that Syria will have to pay for that? Will it be to breakup with Iran and to sign a peace treaty with Israel?

A peace treaty between Syria and Israel will lead to a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians, which will make Bush happy (to see his prediction coming true)…and it will isolate Iran…which will make Bush even happier …even the next president of the United States whoever that will be…will be happy to get rid of these unwanted issues before he takes control of the white House…

So, we lose our country and the whole region wins peace…

And the Nobel peace prize is granted to Lebanon for sacrificing its existence for the cause of peace in the region…

Let’s observe a minute of silence for the soul of Lebanon…

Today, our politicians are traveling to Qatar to kill our country...

Beauty and the Beast...Lebanese version

2008-05-11T08:34:00.000-07:00

…And are we supposed to be shocked?

Am I supposed to write on this blog about the ugliness of the situation in Beirut?

Am I supposed to curse Hezbollah for terrorizing the whole country?

Am I supposed to blame the US government for letting its allies down?

Am I supposed to be alarmed because future TV is forced into silence?

Am I supposed to feel entrapped because the airport roads are blocked?

Am I supposed to be afraid because Lebanon is taken hostage by Iran and Syria?

I am not…

Everything that is happening since Wednesday is normal and expected…

The beast is unleashed…

But history thought us that Dinosaurs disappeared at a certain point of the human evolution…

So will the beast of Lebanon…it is a matter of time…

Strawberry jam for peace

2008-05-05T06:02:00.000-07:00

When you start your day by eating strawberry jam…
You finish your day by eating strawberry jam…

When you start your day by thinking about someone…
You finish your day by thinking about someone…

When you combine the strawberry jam with that someone…you get almonds…

When you write about almonds…you get thoughts about peace…

When you talk about peace …the first thing that comes to your mind is how delicious a Mozart chocolate can be…

When you think of Mozart…definitely you think of airport regulations…

When you read these lines…it will be my thank you note…

Tonio, Hera, I, Me and Myself

2008-04-23T23:32:00.000-07:00

TONIO
Ladies and Gentlemen, we are all waiting for Tonio in Beirut…

Even my husband postponed his trips in honor of Tonio…

I have been busy finishing up all what I had to finish up…to have time for Tonio…

So, Tonio is arriving next Friday…I will keep you posted…

We will call it “Tonio’s trip in Beirut on the blog” series…

HERA
Ladies and Gentlemen, Hera left the country…

Like many MANY Lebanese she decided that being abroad for a while will save her soul…

Hera is in Paris…Her heart is in Beirut…and her mind in the future…

Hera is my little sister…a sister that I am proud of…

It is for her that I will keep on writing on this blog…

ME
Ladies and Gentlemen, now comes my favorite part… the part when I talk about myself…

I, me and myself finished reading the book “Beaufort”…

I was amazed by the way the hero Erez described the hills, mountains and valleys surrounding Beuafort…So much love was put compared to his description of Tel Aviv with its shallow beach-lovers, smoothies-drinkers residents…

Me hated Erez when he described his days in Gaza…

Myself stopped a lot at the sentence: “Yeah, my brother, my main man: it was all for nothing...

And my blog will always serve for something to fight the nothing...

Life is beautiful

2008-04-13T01:01:00.000-07:00

On Friday, I spent my day on the Israeli border…I was working…

That spot has a special charm…the mountains, valleys and the green areas are amazing… It is a great piece of art…

The green that you see in that zone is of different texture…I don’t know how to explain it…but it is something very beautiful to see…

That zone on the border with Israel looks and sounds so peaceful…you could never imagine that it is a zone of war…

On Friday, I knew and I felt I will soon be moving to that area…I have plans…

On Saturday, I watched the movie Persepolis…very inspiring…it brought back some memories…

Which by the way brings me back to the Intercultural night I had in my place on Wednesday, the day I removed my tooth…No pain could have kept me away from organizing that night…
The menu included an Algerian eggs and tuna galette, Spanish pasta! And Viennese scaloppini with beef!!

Even though Austria has forgotten me…Austria will always have a special place in my heart… That is what someone told me on Sunday…

What a pathetic post, someone will say when reading these lines on Monday…

And on Tuesday I will be writing a new post…

And another week will pass…new thoughts will flourish in my head…old feelings will keep coming back to take control of my heart…

Life is beautiful!!!

Intercultural night

2008-04-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

I always enjoy having intercultural nights...

Thank u Leo, Zurine, Mulud and Lara for the food you cooked...

Ara had his first intercultural encounter...Looked a bit shocked...

Post Card from Palestine

2008-04-07T12:37:00.000-07:00

Today, I received a post card from a dear friend of mine... from Palestine…

Palestine!! Where is that place? According to the plans there will never be a Palestine again…

I sat with Philip at the coffee shop in Beirut, he was telling me about the situation in the occupied territories…

We talked about peace and war, about hatred and acceptance…

We talked about the two-states option and the settlements…

Believe me the future doesn’t look very bright…neither in Beirut nor in Virtual Palestine…

But guess what!! Philip and I dream of space traveling… to see the earth from outside…Maybe because we are feeling so helpless…maybe because we cant understand why all this is happening around us…

So, we prefer to travel to the outer-space maybe the view is better, brighter and full of hope!!!...

Thanks Majid for the gift!!!

No Comment...With a Headache

2008-03-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

I had decided not to comment on Sayyed Hasan’s speech delivered today…

I just wanted to enjoy my holidays with my sons…away from all the ugliness of this region…

After a long day with my kids…and Marco learning to ride a bike on 3 wheels…

I decided to go to the cinema with my sister…

I will tell you what happened to me from the moment I drove to the cinema till I finished watching the movie…without any comment…I let it to my readers to comment…

I am driving my car and listening to the radio…first station: New Soul by Yael Naim…
I don’t like that song but my sister does…so we listen to it…

I switch to another radio station…New Soul by Yael Naim…we listen to half of it…

I switch to a third radio station…New Soul by Yael Naim…khalas…I can't listen to it…

We arrive to the Mall where we are supposed to watch the movie…

It starts at 8:30 pm…we still have an hour…for a tour in the mall…to buy things that we definitely don’t need…

I enter to Virgin…I see this book displayed: Amos Oz, “Vie et mort en quatre rimes”…I can’t resist…I buy it…

It is time for the movie…We are watching Vantage Point…

The movie ends…the main female leading actress is Ayelet Zurer…

I go home…with a headache…

No Time for Peace

2008-03-20T08:44:00.000-07:00

It is no time for peace in the Middle East…

I always knew that…But I never wanted that thought to sink into my system…

I was always looking for the smallest, weakest, lowest, hidden signs to still believe…in peace…

Yesterday, I received an email that read:

“Dear Ms Haytayan
I am sorry to announce to you that the Publishing house refused your request for publishing your book “No Time For Peace”

I wish you all the luck”

End of email…

It is no time for peace…

There is no room for peace talk…

My book is not for this time…

Remove Bashar...Dismantle Syria

2008-03-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Arab summit in Damascus…what a waste of time!

Bashar Assad…what a waste!

The best thing that the Arabs can do to end this whole tragedy in the Middle East is to dismantle Syria…

Khallas no more The Arab Republic of Syria…

They should divide Syria…

Give the Golan Heights to Israel…

Give the Northern parts to Turkey…

Give the North-East parts to the Kurds…

Give the Western parts to Lebanon…

And that will be the end of all the evils in the region…

Don’t worry about the people in Syria…they are used to be passive and repressed so they wont start a revolution or anything…Maybe they will be very happy!!

Long live the Arab summit!!!

Building the Future

2008-03-15T08:30:00.000-07:00

I like it when people are interested in Peacebuilding…when they want to know what I build…

I try to build better futures I say always…without being pretentious…

When Aghavni asked to interview me…I was excited…

When she published the article in Azdag this Saturday…I was satisfied…

Thank you Aghavni and thank you for all those that took the time to read what I had to say…

www.aztagdaily.com/DisplayNews.php?ID=6863

God is getting impatient

2008-03-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

Ok people are you ready? The game is about to start…

No don’t sit back and relax…Go hide in shelters…

War is about to start…

William Fallon, the Commander of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), in charge of military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Middle East resigned…
As CENTCOM commander, Fallon has often criticized Iran, while also acting as a moderating voice.

Yesterday the moderate resigned…

Yesterday the Israeli media announced that Hezbollah has ended its military preparation for the war against Israel…

Israel has been getting ready since August 2006 as well for the awaited revenge…

So, the players are ready, the spectators always not ready… God is ready...

The show must go on…

New World Order: The Triangle

2008-03-09T01:19:00.000-08:00

The Cold War is back…

But the world has changed…

It is not a US versus Russia world anymore…

Welcome to the new world order: The Triangle

US, Russia and the Terrorism…

The only thing that hasn’t changed is the pathetic, pitiable situation in Lebanon…

Cold War…New Cold War…and Lebanon is still a battlefield…

We are still lost in our identity…we are still not sure on which side we are…

And we are letting everybody in…out…

Chaos…Chaos…Chaos…is our favorite motto…

Welcome to the Triangle, the New World Order…

The land of prophets

2008-03-07T13:09:00.000-08:00

Nowhere in the world can you find abnormality like in the Middle East…

Only in this crazy part of the world, killing is ordinary news…

Attacking others because they belong to another religion or confession is natural behavior…

Is it possible to live in the land of prophets and be so intolerant and full of hatred?

Millions are being spent to arm and millions are being spent to bring people together…

Imagine peace, I once said to an Iraqi woman…

She started crying…

Silly question…

Ultimate destruction maybe is needed in this region in order to re-build a bright future…

But then again…

I am pretty sure that won’t solve our problem…

We will always find something…to give us legitimacy to blow each others’ heads up

Kangaroos in Shebaa

2008-03-05T03:18:00.000-08:00

Last year, I was so confident that there will be no war in the Middle East…

And I am still looking forward to meeting Etgar Keret…well that is totally a different story…

This year I am not that sure…actually I am pretty convinced that there will be a war…

However, that is not my main concern today…

These days I am trying to be very creative, I am using all my bright cells to imagine how the Middle East will look like after Hezbollah destroys Israel and ends its existence…

Ha! You see that is the interesting part!!!

Nasrallah lost it when he heard of the death of his buddy Imad Mughnieh…so now he and his other buddies are getting ready for the mother of all battles against Israel…

So, let’s imagine what the Middle East will look alike after Israel disappears…

What will be the first thing to do after that day, that is if WE are still alive!!!

Mmm…we will have to find a new enemy!!!

Mmm…who could it be?

The Unites States is a good candidate…

Ah! Hassan you have to get rid of the US too…so we can live in prosperity, democracy and freedom to choose between a black and darker black “tchador”…

So Hassan, destroying Israel is not enough…You have to destroy the United States too…and after that I suggest you attack Australia…You never know maybe the Kangaroos will want to conquer us to slide over the slopes of Shebaa…

Just for prevention…You never know…

Israel makes Arabs happy!!

2008-03-01T06:33:00.000-08:00

And you think the Arabs are devastated with the Israeli attacks on Gaza?

They are all happy and the happiest of them all are Syria…and Abbas & Co…

After the on-going purification in Iraq, now it is time to get rid of Hamas in Gaza…

And guess who will be next? Of course Hezbollah…

So what do you think Hezbollah will do now? Will Nasrallah wait till Israel attacks or will he attack?

Arab hypocrisy is something extraordinary!

They beg the United States to help them get rid of the “extremists...the “terrorists”; they give Israel their silent benediction to do their dirty job for them…

And in public they criticize the US…and curse Israel…

Arab hypocrisy is repulsively fascinating!

Kenya wins...Amr Mussa loses

2008-02-28T06:38:00.000-08:00

Mabrouk…Congratulations…

Kenya wins Lebanon loses…

Politicians in Kenya reached an agreement…Power-sharing deal

Politicians in Lebanon still cruising in LALA land…

Bravo…Chapeau Bas…

Koffi Anan excels…Amr Mussa slides into the abyss…

Ah! But we can always find a good, excellent and outstanding reason for our failure: ISRAEL and the new comers SYRIA and IRAN

Ha! When you have such neighbors and entourage what else do you need?

A Peaceful War

2008-02-19T06:53:00.000-08:00

Frankly…we are starting to get bored in the Middle East…

We are bored…waiting for a war that is not starting…

It is like watching the trailers before a movie…

So, what are we supposed to do in the meantime?

Sit and watch? And maybe pray so that the belligerents change their minds?

If Iran, Hezbollah, Israel, the US and the whole Middle East is getting ready for war…

I and people like me should get ready for peace…isn’t it?

But what does that mean?

Well, at this point I am trying to put a strategy for peace in times of war…I don’t know how successful that will be but at least I am shaking my brain…

1- I hereby declare my opposition to any form of aggression against civilians and non-civilians in the Middle East…
2- I refuse to support any party in times of war under false pretexts like nationalism, patriotism, resistance, protection, security…
3- I extend my hand in peace to all those who share my views…wherever they are…

At this point, I suggest an “artistic resistance to war”…
A pro-peace resistance song written in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, English and French; performed by Arab, Jewish and Iranian singers…

This song will not stop the war…but it will keep peace alive…

Bloggers get ready…for the next war…

Independent Kosovo...

2008-02-18T12:49:00.000-08:00

In 1999, James Blunt led the first squadron of troops to enter Pristina, the capital of Kosovo; he was the first British officer to enter the capital.
He had brought along his guitar. At some places, the peacekeepers would share a meal with hospitable locals, and Blunt would perform. It was while on duty there that he wrote the song "No Bravery"...

Which goes like this:

There are children standing here
Arms outstretched into the sky
Tears drying on their face
He has been here
Brothers lie in shallow graves
Fathers lost without a trace
A nation blind to their disgrace
Since he's been here
And I see no bravery
No bravery in your eyes anymore
Only sadness
Houses burnt beyond repair
The smell of death is in the air
A woman weeping in despair says
He has been here
Tracer lighting up the sky
It's another families' turn to die
A child afraid to even cry out says
He has been here
And I see no bravery
No bravery in your eyes anymore
Only sadness
There are children standing here
Arms outstretched into the sky
But no one asks the question why
He has been here
Old men kneel to accept their fate
Wives and daughters cut and raped
A generation drenched in hate
Says, he has been here
And I see no bravery
No bravery in your eyes anymore
Only sadness

17 February 2008…I don’t know where James Blunt was on Sunday…but Kosovo declared its independence…

Maybe it is time to sing a different song that starts with…

I see a sad joy in your eyes…

It is time for peacebuilding in Kosovo… A new beginning...A new path...

Dreams do come true

2008-02-16T03:56:00.000-08:00

You all know Madonna…she was always the symbol of controversy, unconventional work…a daring artist…

This morning I woke up to the sound of Madonna saying: “Dreams do come true”…

She was talking about the movie she directed, her first…

There are two different schools when it comes to dreams…

One school considers that dreams are dreams and they should stay dreams without becoming true…

And there is another school that considers that dreams are meant to become true…

You choose whatever suits you…

When it comes to the Middle East we have to admit that dreams do come true…

We, in the Middle East dream of hating each other…our dreams do come true…

We, in the Middle East dream of destroying each other…our dreams do come true…

We, in the Middle East dream of killing each other…our dreams do come true…

We, in the Middle East dream of wars…our dreams do come true…

We, in the Middle East are the best dream breakers…

One Lebanon...Two paths

2008-02-14T01:11:00.000-08:00

Super Thursday indeed…

Hezbollah needed not to wait a few days before organizing a counter-demonstration to show to the whole world how powerful Iran and Syria are…

Yesterday Imad Mughnieh, a hezbollah leader and one of the most wanted by the US, was assassinated in Damascus.

Today Hezbollah is organizing his funerals in Beirut…

Today, more than half of the Lebanese people are demonstrating…divided…

One group is commemorating the assassination of Rafic Hariri, a man with a bright vision, a builder, a futurist…

Another group is commemorating the assassination of Imad Mughnieh, a man with a dark vision, a destroyer trapped in the past…

One Lebanon…two paths…and the mourning continues…

Happy Valentine’s Day

Super Thursday in Beirut

2008-02-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

Back to politics…how can you live in the Middle East and not talk about politics?

I am always trying to ignore the political craziness and I have to admit I am always failing…So back to politics…

We need to elect a president…if we still insist on being called a country…

Unfortunately…the Arabs are in charge of us these days…what a misfortune!

Thursday is a super day in Beirut…before 2005 it would have been a super day because of a great concert for Valentine’s day or so…

But after 2005…Valentine’s Day has been transformed to Hariri’s Day…

Our Super Thursday is this coming Thursday…

Thousands are expected to march towards the martyrs’ square to commemorate Hariri’s assassination, and to reject the Irano-Syrian sabotage of Lebanon.

What will Hezbollah do? A counter demonstration to prove in numbers that Iran and Syria still have a stronghold in Lebanon? What a shame!

After the Super Thursday and the counter Super Thursday… we will have to wait for the Arab Summit in Damascus…

What kind of a deal are we expecting with Syria?
Does it matter to Syria that Saudi Arabia might boycott the Summit?
Does it matter to Syria that the Summit might be postponed or cancelled?

Unfortunately, Syria is in a strong position…and Bashar is watching with joy Lebanon being destroyed…knowing that neither the Americans nor the Israelis will attack him…
Israel can never afford another Iraq on its borders…
The Americans can never afford another fiasco in the region…

And Lebanon will continue paying the price…

By the way… why do we need to elect a president? Haven’t you heard before of a country without a president???

loneliness is so lonely alone*

2008-02-08T11:59:00.000-08:00

I have been away…

Mind traveling… I visited myself…

You know how a woman hates visiting her mother-in-law?

Well it is the same with me when I have to visit myself…because I have to have answers to hard questions that I don’t like thinking about…and I don’t have smart answers…

If I tell you life is hard…will you be surprised?

If I tell you I can’t find my muse…will you send me inspiration?

If I tell you the sparkle in my eyes is gone…will you inject me with passion for life?

If I tell you I lost the path to my dreams…will you guide me?

If your answer is yes to all of the above…I will answer you…

I don’t believe in magic anymore…

I told you the visit to myself is not a pleasant journey…

I prefer to stay away from myself…so I don’t face my loneliness…

*Thank you Mika

keep walking

2008-01-27T02:00:00.000-08:00

Two days ago there was an explosion in Beirut...people died, others were wounded...

Today my son had his first tooth...

And life goes on...

Years and the Present

2008-01-21T15:08:00.000-08:00

Nobody knows what the future holds...

Nobody knows where he/she will be next year at the same time and date...

Nobody could have known a year ago what will happen to him/her...

So use the present, abuse it, misused...do whatever but use it...

Don't let the moment get away...

If you need to say something to someone say it...NOW

If you want to do something do it...NOW

You only control the present and....barely

First post for the year 2008

2008-01-15T12:12:00.000-08:00

Should I or shouldn’t I wait for a joyful event to start the blog year 2008?

Should I or shouldn’t I write about the disastrous situation in Lebanon?

Should I or shouldn’t I comment on Georges W. Bush’s new comedy tour in the Middle East?

Should I or shouldn’t I have an opinion about Fairuz performing in Damascus at the end of the month?

Should I or shouldn’t I feel blessed because I have the means to heat up my house in this freezing weather?

Should I or shouldn’t I hope for a better future for my kids?

Should I or shouldn’t I start writing my book “peace without peace”?

Should I or shouldn’t I think about all these issues?

Should I or shouldn’t I post this?

Should I or shouldn’t I stop here…now?

A last post before the New Year

2007-12-31T08:52:00.000-08:00

What is more problematic to me?

1-Is it to stay home on New Year’s Eve?

2-Is it to know that Bashar Assad and Ehud Olmert are having a cup of tea together in a hotel in Switzerland now?

3-Is it to see Hillary losing the 2008 election?

4-Is it to wonder when the next president of Lebanon will be elected?

OR

5-Is it to discover that Noa didn’t send a “Happy New Year” email until NOW?

Hey!!!

Surprise!!!

Happy New Year!!!

Always with a SMILE

Remembering the Year 2007

2007-12-29T05:37:00.000-08:00

Benazir Bhutto is dead…a few days before the New Year...

The year 2007…

I had my second child, a beautiful boy we named him Ara…

Life with two kids is definitely not easy…

Life in Lebanon was not easy this year…

Assassinations, political deadlock, a country without a president…

We have no plans for the year 2008…we have learnt to enjoy every moment without thinking of the next one…

This is a “survival trick” when you live in an unstable country… You live on the edge…

2007 was the year of stories without beginnings and without endings…

A year of unspoken words and meaningful silence…

A year of creativity and accomplishments…

A year of disappointment and maturity…

In one word…the year 2007 was an ordinary year…

May the year 2008 bring more joy and peace of mind…and hopefully the Lebanese will have a president!!!

Happy new year to you all!!!

Xmas Time

2007-12-23T02:36:00.000-08:00

Xmas Tree is set!!!

Food is getting ready!!!

People are getting crazy!!!

I havent bought the gifts yet!!!

It is Xmas Time!!!

Merry Xmas to you all!!!

Sushi revolution in Beirut

2007-12-16T02:18:00.000-08:00

Sunday thoughts...

It is raining…It is one of these days where you just want to stay in bed…have coffee and watch a movie…

Yesterday, I had sushi…It was excellent…come to think about it I have been having excellent sushi for a while in different places…in Beirut…

Another day has past and the Lebanese parliament failed to elect a president…

What is the link between having great sushi in Beirut and failing to elect a president in Beirut?

It is the passion for life!!!

It is the natural survival instinct!!!

It is not true that the Lebanese people are being passive, not caring about the disastrous situation in the country…

Just by serving the best food in the restaurants…
Just by decorating the streets and the shops for Xmas…

The Lebanese people are rebelling against the political catastrophe…

Who said that revolutions happen on the streets?

Every shop we enter to…
Every restaurant we eat in…

Is a sphere for revolution…

Long live the sushi revolution in Beirut

Another Body in the Valley

2007-12-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

Another body in the Valley…

It is an excellent title for a thriller isn’t it?

Today was supposed to be the commemoration day for the assassination of Gebran Tueini, who was killed two years ago…his body was found in the valley…

Today another body was found in a valley…Francois Hage…

Who killed him? It depends on which TV station you are watching…

Why he was killed? It depends on the politicians you are listening to…

The only thing all agreed on was that Francois Hage was the prime candidate to become the next chief of the Army…

And the movie goes on…

Once I met Danis Tanovic in Sarajevo, I told him how much I was impressed by his movie “NO MAN’S LAND”…

Maybe if I meet him again, he will be telling me how much he is impressed by the Lebanese thriller, our national production, “NO MAN’S NATION”

God save Lebanon!!!