Just An Update

President Obama

So, you know, America has a new President who was ushered into the White House with celebration, anticipation and fervent hope. Around 1.8m people attended his inauguration, a record, I understand, and tens of millions more watched around the globe. I missed most of it, with regret, but am more keen to know what he is going to do about Palestine and Iraq. His ordering the closure of Guantanamo as well as his call to halt brutal interrogation techniques (but not all of them – just the “most severe” ones) is welcome but he has also green lighted missile strikes on tribal areas in Pakistan. Will Islam still be equated with terrorism under President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in a village in predominantly Muslim Indonesia?

This list of his first 100 hours gives me some hope still that the new President will inject compassion, objectivity and humanity into the US’s foreign policy, although his silence over the deaths of Palestinians (many more over a thousand) has been deeply disappointing.

The Year of the Ox

Over on our shores, it’s holiday season again as we welcome the Chinese New Year. It’s the Year of the Ox this time around, the animal being quite a fitting icon for the stoicism and perseverance necessary to weather the tough economic climate. I’m realising that more of my Chinese friends have less reverence for this time of year, with a few even working through the holidays instead of returning for the traditional family feast. Wherever you choose to greet the New Year, Gong Xi Fa Cai, to all who celebrate. Here’s a very short tale where an ox “saved” the Austrian town of Salzburg from invaders, not by heroics but simply by being present:

To say that the humble “ox” played a pivotal role in European history might to some appear rather strange, but to the people of Salzberg, this beast is a symbol of courage in the face of adversity.

In the 1500s, an enemy army took over the city of Salzburg, Austria depriving the inhabitants of food and drink. Their cupboards bare with nary a bit of food left, the people were practically ready to surrender until they found a lone ox roaming the streets. They paraded the beast in front of the invaders to prove that they were not hungry. Then, during the night, they painted it black to show that they had more than enough livestock for the people to survive. Completely befuddled, the army retreated, leaving the people of Salzberg in peace.
(from Squidoo)

 

And click here for another story, this time from the Arabian Nights, of The Ox and The Donkey.

My Reading

At the individual level, I’ve done quite a bit of reading over the past month, and am glad for it though I wish the writing will catch up. I’ve completed Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book (a creative delight!), Stephen King’s Just After Sunset (too mild), Clare Wigfall’s The Loudest Sound and Nothing (beautifully written), David Sedaris’s  When You Are Engulfed in Flames (hilarious), Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist (second reading – it resonates more this time around), Jonathan Kellerman’s Gone (you know, I believe my reading tastes have changed; the story wasn’t as engrossing as I had expected it to be) and William Zinsser’s On Writing Well (I recommend this highly).

Right now, in my book “basket” are: Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father (so far, he is proving to be as eloquent in writing as he is in speech), Francine Prose’s Reading Like a Writer (I could not resist this beautifully matt paperback and what it promises for the reader and writer), Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger (for its anticipated irreverence and humour), Robert Schlessinger’s White House Ghosts (am honestly stuck on “W”, however hard I try to move on), and John Pilger’s Freedom Next Time (it gets too depressing in one continuous dose but it provides the necessary reminder that we world citizens need of the injustices wrought by governments). I have also stuffed an old book (I realise that I have a whole shelf of writing books, actually, populated since my teens), The Writer’s Digest Handbook of Short Story Writing, which – ahem – is supposed to get me to write better short stories. But I’ve to sit down and complete my tales first. Particularly before the 31st March closing date for the MPH-Alliance Bank Short Story Writing Contest, which I, uh, intend to, sort of, I think, perhaps, enter.

And ps, one of my goals this year is to read the late Roberto Bolano’s mammoth “2666“ though goodness knows if I’ll get to finish it before 2010 rolls around. Here’s a link to the The New Yorker’s 2666 Reading Challenge.

Filed under: Books, Personal Note, Reads, World, Writing , barack, Books, library, reading, US, Writing, year of the Ox

Help the Palestinians

The invasion of Gaza is completing its second week, leaving 778 Palestinians dead and 3,250 injured since the Israeli offensive began on December 27. More than 200 Palestinian children are among the dead (Al-Jazeera).

This is a plea forwarded personally by Write Away author, the accomlished Elviza Michele, who volunteers at Mercy Malaysia.

Mercy Malaysia has, on 30th December 2008, formed an Emergency Response Assessment Team to face the humanitarian crisis in Gaza strip. The team has been promptly dispatched to Egypt led by President, Datuk Dr.  Jemilah Mahmood and Exco Member Norazam Ab. Samah. Therefore, Mercy Malaysia appeals to generous Malaysians to send it cash donations. Contributions will support Mercy Malaysia to procure emergency surgical kits, medicines and hospital equipments to help the hospitals in Gaza. 

• Cheque is to be made payable to “MERCY MALAYSIA” and addressed to Mercy Malaysia, Level 2, Podium Block, City Point, Kompleks Dayabumi, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50050 Kuala Lumpur.
• Cash donations can be made via on-line transmission or deposit at CIMB Bank Account No: 1424-000-6561053.
• Donation form can be downloaded from here. 
• Further enquiries are to be directed to +603-22733999 or info@mercy.org.my

Mercy Malaysia is a well-established humanitarian aid organisation, specialising in delivering much-needed medical relief to war-torn and disaster-struck areas. It’s one of the few organisations in the country that publishes its annual accounts so be assured that your money will be utilised as intended.

There’ll be more posts on the war in Gaza. In the meantime, let’s say our prayers for the victims, and do what we immediately can to help, via donations, keeping attention on the issue, or raising awareness and outrage.

Filed under: Newsprint, World, government, palestine , aid, appeal, humanitarian relief, Israel, mercy malaysia, NGO, palestine, war

Help the World – Criminalise War

The Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War is an organisation in which I’ve personally volunteered and which needs a lot of support, financial and publicity-wise, to realise its efforts to criminalise all wars and promote civilised dialogue and negotiations as a means to resolve conflict. In other words, war, except for self-defence, should be made illegal in international law.

TIRED OF PEACE CHANTS? NOT SURE WHAT TO DO? THEN JOIN US IN OUR DETERMINED EFFORTS TO CRIMINALISE WAR AND PUNISH THE WAR MONGERS.

Support our cause to criminalise war.

The Founder and Chairman of The Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War (KLFCW) is Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia). It is a non-governmental organisation established under the laws of Malaysia on the 12th day of March 2007. Since its establishment, KLFCW has organised a number of activities aimed at contributing to the Foundation’s voluntary work to create awareness amongst the general public, that war as an instrument of foreign policy is a crime, that war is a crime against humanity, against peace and against the whole mankind and should be outlawed and criminalised, its perpetrators brought to justice and publicly sanctioned.

The main objectives of the Foundation, as stated in its Statutes are, inter alia,

• To undertake all necessary measures and initiatives to criminalise war and energise peace;

• To provide relief, assistance and support to individuals and communities who are suffering from the effects of war and armed conflict wherever occurring and without discrimination on the grounds of nationality, racial origin, religion, belief, age, gender or other forms of impermissible differentiations;

• To promote the education of individuals and communities suffering from the effects of war or armed conflict;

• To foster schemes for the relief of human suffering occasioned by war or armed conflict;

• To provide for mechanisms or procedures in attainment of the above purposes.

>>>>>>

We should be:

UNITED: in the belief that peace is the essential condition for the survival and well-being of the human race,

DETERMINED: to promote peace and save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,

OUTRAGED: over the frequent resort to war in the settlement of disputes between nations,

DISTURBED: that militarists are preparing for more wars,

TROUBLED: that use of armed force increases insecurity for all, and

TERRIFIED: that the possession of nuclear weapons and the imminent risk of nuclear war will lead to the annihilation of life on earth.

We should:

IMPLEMENT this Initiative,

OPPOSE policies and programmes that incite war, and

SEEK the cooperation of NGOs worldwide to achieve the goals of this Initiative.

>>>>>>

For more info please visit: http://www.criminalisewar.com/contributions.html

Please register & join in our petition so that we can get number of people on database that agrees with our objectives to “CRIMINALISE WAR AND ENERGISE PEACE” and use that info to send to all the leaders of the world to say this is what we want.

Our Chairman speaks out on war, watch the video: http://www.criminalisewar.org/blog/2008/12/tun-mahathir-speaks-out-on-war.html

>>>>>>

KLFCW needs your continuing strong support to Criminalise War and to Energise Peace.

For Malaysian Residents:

All donations are tax-exempt under S.44 Of The Income Tax Act 1967. Ref LHDN 01/35/42/51/179-6.6183 Government Gazette: 11643 Dated 30.08.2007

Made payable to:
KL FOUNDATION TO CRIMINALISE WAR INCORP.

Maybank Account Number:  5123 3430 3483

or Send your cheque/Bank Draft/Money Order/Postal Order to:

Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War
No. 1, Jalan P8H, Precinct 8, Putrajaya,
62250 Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia.
Tel: 60 3 8777 2525
Fax: 60 3 8777 2929
Email: info@criminalisewar.com

For transfer and bank in, please fax or email us the transfer and bank in slip, along with your detail

Any amount is accepted but hard copy receipts will be automatically issued via post to donations above (Malaysia Ringgit) RM100.00, otherwise soft copy receipts will be issued via email by request.

Donations above (Malaysia Ringgit) RM150.00 will receive official merchandise.

Please do not forget to state your full name and address for us to send an official receipt and merchandise.

>>>>>>

For International Donors:

All donations for the Foundation are to be made to:
KL FOUNDATION TO CRIMINALISE WAR INCORP.

And Transferred to:

Maybank Account Number:  5123 3430 3483

Bank Address:
Maybank Berhad
SECTION 14, PJ SSC
18A, Jalan 14/14,
46100 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan
Malaysia

Swift Code: MBBEMYKL

Any amount is accepted but hard copy receipts will be automatically issued via post to donations above (Malaysia Ringgit) RM200.00, otherwise soft copy receipts will be issued via email by request.

Donations above (Malaysia Ringgit) RM300.00 will receive official merchandise.

Please do not forget to state your full name and address for us to send an official receipt and merchandise.

All donations will be used to fund our efforts to Criminalise War and assist war victims.

Please forward this to all peace loving people, join us to Criminalise War and Energise Peace, and remember to register with us.

Filed under: Newsprint, World, government, palestine , appeal, government, human rights, NGO, palestine, war

Help The Palestinians – Sign the Petition

I’ve just signed this emergency petition by Avaaz.org calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, you might want to do the same. Already nearly 800 people have been killed, over 200 of them children, and the death toll is climbing daily.

Dear friends,

The bloodshed in Gaza is escalating — the death toll now stands at over 600 people and rising, almost half of them civilians and over 100 children dead.[1] As Israeli tanks, airplanes and artillery bombard thickly populated urban areas, hitting UN schools yesterday, thousands more have been injured and 1.5 million terrified civilians have no escape from this prison-like enclave — the borders have been sealed. Hamas continues to fight and fire rockets deep into Israel: 11 Israelis have died, including from friendly fire.

Our worldwide call for an internationally-guaranteed ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides has begun to ring out loud and clear, winning the support of leaders in Europe, the Middle East and beyond: hopeful outlines of a deal are emerging.[2] But Israel is rejecting a truce for now and escalating its offensive, while US President Bush is blocking a negotiated UN ceasefire, trying instead to impose a skewed alternative that could legitimize Israel’s suffocating isolation of Gaza.[3]

Enough is enough: these civilian deaths can’t go on, and we can’t let Bush and co block a fair, negotiated ceasefire. 370,000 of us have signed the ceasefire petition, let’s make it half a million — we’ll publish it in a hard-hitting ad in the Washington Post and deliver it in meetings with UN Security Council members — follow the link below to see the ad, sign the petition, and forward this message to all your friends and family:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/98.php?cl_tf_sign=1

Our efforts really can make a difference — Israel’s own foreign minister admits that international pressure, if intense enough, could ensure a ceasefire. As the international community debates and delays, civilians are dying by the day. The top UN official in Gaza says, “There’s nowhere safe in Gaza. Everyone here is terrorized and traumatized.” Opposing a United Nations resolution, Bush reportedly proposes to exclude Hamas from any ceasefire deal and leave Israel a free hand, something that would guarantee that the violence continues. That’s why we’re targeting incoming President Obama and US decision-makers, as well as the European Union and other international leaders, to pursue a fair and stable resolution.

To be lasting, a ceasefire must protect civilians and end all attacks — Israeli bombings and incursions as well as the rockets Palestinian factions fire into southern Israel. International supervision is desperately needed at the borders, to reopen Gaza’s borders and crossings for food, fuel, medicine and goods, to prevent weapon-smuggling which has only grown under the blockade, and to monitor and enforce the ceasefire on both sides.[4]

Hamas, which won elections in 2006 and now runs Gaza, suggests it will agree to such a ceasefire.[5] It should be challenged to live up to its word just like Israel. There is no military solution for either side — it’s time for world powers to step in, advancing a fair deal to protect civilians on all sides and let them live their lives in peace and security. Sign the petition now at the link below and send this message to everyone you know — we’ll publish it in The Washington Post and elsewhere, and seek face-to-face meetings to deliver the petition with the Obama team, the UN Security Council and European leaders:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/gaza_time_for_peace/98.php?cl_tf_sign=1

With hope and determination,

Paul, Graziela, Ricken, Luis, Alice, Brett, Ben, Iain, Paula, Veronique, Milena and the whole Avaaz team

P.S. We wrote to European, US and Arab leaders last week about our campaign, and received several responses — now we need to escalate the pressure. For a report on many of Avaaz’s other campaigns so far, see: https://secure.avaaz.org/en/report_back_2

Sources:

1. Associated Press: “Israel Shells Near UN School, killing at least 30″ (5 January 2009)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD95HTJE00

2. “Gaza: outlines of an endgame”, Ghassan Khatib (6 January 2009)
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/gaza-outlines-of-an-endgame

Al-Jazeera: “Arab ministers hold UN ceasefire talks” (6 January 2009):
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2009/01/20091522052418539.html

Associated Press: “Diplomats seek truce as civilian toll rises” (5 January 2009):
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ioi_0jtO9RjMwPNRoXNCndRPRq3gD95HCD4G3

3. Israel Today: “Israel rejects European, UN efforts for immediate ceasefire” (5 January 2009):
http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=17938

Yediot Aharonot: “Israel examining international treaty to isolate Hamas” (5 January 2009)
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3650522,00.html

4. These parameters are advocated by a broad range of experts and policymakers. See for example International Crisis Group’s Ending the War in Gaza report (5 January 2009):
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=5838&l=1

5. Reuters: “Hamas seeks truce but says lifting siege a must” (5 January 2009) http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L5111105.htm

Strikingly, the US Army War College has just released a substantial report supporting the view that Hamas can and must be brought into negotiations and is capable of sustaining a long-term truce, or even peace with Israel. Linked via:
http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/node/10703

The inside story of the civil strife between Fatah and Hamas and the Bush administration’s involvement in this debacle is best-told in The Gaza Bombshell, an investigative article published in the leading US magazine Vanity Fair in April 2008:
http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2008/04/gaza200804

This news item from November 2008 provides more background to the story of how the Israel-Hamas truce collapsed:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/05/israelandthepalestinians
ABOUT AVAAZ
Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means “voice” in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in Ottawa, London, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Buenos Aires, and Geneva. Call us at: +1 888 922 8229 or +55 21 2509 0368.

Filed under: Newsprint, World, government, palestine , government, human rights, palestine, sticky post, UN, war

Selamat Awal Muharram

It’s the last day of 1429Hijrah today, with sunset marking the start of the first day in the new year in the Islamic calendar, 1,430 years approximately after The Prophet’s and his followers’ migration (the hijrah) from the increasingly hostile city of Mecca to the more welcoming Medina.

This year, the new Islamic year coincides with the Gregorian New Year (2009), with Chinese New Year barely a month after. So it seems like a good time for fresh starts and new beginnings, for wiping slates clean, bringing closures to festering issues, discarding negatives and bringing forward only the good and beautiful.

New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday. 
Charles Lamb, an English essayist who lived in the 18th century and died in the 19th, and so could be forgiven for using the masculine to mean men and women
(Quote lifted from quotegarden.com)

Unfortunately, this new year is marred by violent attacks by Israel on the hapless Palestinians, on the heels of an inhumane siege. Hundreds of Palestinians will not be able to greet the New Year with their families while scores of others will be spending the new year in overcrowded hospitals where medical supplies are never enough. The reports from the newswires claim most of the dead and wounded are uniformed security officers of Hamas, but that’s impossible to believe, given that a hundred tonnes of bombs were dropped.

It’s a cruel end to 1429H/2008 and a ruthless start to 1430H/2009. Given that the international community did nothing to end the siege and have done nothing these past years, I don’t expect much but verbal protests. I shouldn’t be too surprised, after what I’ve observed in 2008, at unfortunately closer range. A lot of seemingly decent people perversely enjoy, or are indifferent to, other people’s sufferings (see Roman Holiday).

Let’s see how the New Hope of America (and the World, Mr. Obama, the World), Barack Obama, will deal with the latest development in Gaza.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.  A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. 
Bill Vaughan, American columnist (lifted from quotegarden, again)

The Muslims greet the end of one year with a prayer and welcome the new year with another prayer. The prayer for the end of the year seeks forgiveness and blessings for actions and deeds of the past, while the prayer for the new year seeks protection from all that is bad in the next twelve months.

That seems to be a good way to say Adios to the old and to seek help for what is coming.

So, Salam Maal Hijrah to all Muslims, and a Good New Year to all. 

God bless, to all the good people I know are still out there.

Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.
Oprah Winfrey (ibid)

Filed under: Collectibles, Islam, Newsprint, Personal Note, World , doa, Islam, muharram, new year, palestine, World