Free Michel Kilo Now - Enough Already

Sorry that is just wishful thinking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

But the decision makers in Culture less Syria could may be shock us by releasing the prisoners of conscience. They can help welcoming the celebrities, making them more comfortable that they are not approving a regime that suffocates cultural and free thinkers. The prisoners would really make the celebrations and fireworks meaningful instead of an empty culture that only offers crushing hope and silencing the voices of the society.  Is it too much to ask? Of course, nothing is expected from a bunch of cowards who pride themselves on oppression and the language of terror. 

The Arab and international guests should insist on visiting the prisoners or they better boycott such a tasteless farce. They can also insist on witnessing the destruction of important parts of old Damascus or destroying nature in the name of making money. 

Happy New Cultural Year Michel, Kamal, Aref, the list is becoming too long and be happy that others are joining you I write…

Here is part of the news article:

 Damascus heads into a new year as the cultural capital of the Arab world for 2008, hosting a year-long series of theatrical and musical events, along with talks by renowned intellectuals. American linguist and leftist intellectual Noam Chomsky, Czech writer Milan Kundera and Lebanon’s famed songstress Fairuz are among the personalities coming to Syria as Damascus assumes the cultural mantle from Algiers.

But not everyone welcomes the planned events, with Syrian writer Ibrahim Haj Abdi calling them “ephemeral cultural festivities.”

“Syrian intellectuals might have believed these promises (by the organisers) if only they had been accompanied by efforts to free one of the country’s most important intellectuals, Michel Kilo,” he wrote in Sunday’s pan-Arab daily newspaper Al-Hayat, published in London. Kilo was jailed in 2006 for being a co-signatory of the Beirut-Damascus Declaration, along with nearly 300 Syrian and Lebanese intellectuals. In May this year he was sentenced to three years in prison.

The declaration called for an overhaul of ties between the two states and for Syrian recognition of the independence of Lebanon, where Damascus was the major powerbroker for three decades until 2005.

“My experience with the organisers quickly dismissed any hope… of seeing it revive the role of culture that has been destroyed over decades” in Syrian society, wrote Samar Yazbek.

The cultural year will get under way on January 10 with a fireworks display on Mount Qassiun overlooking Damascus, followed by an official ceremony nine days later.

Could not resist writing a post about this sarcastic matter!!!!!

 A Film about Buthaina Shaaban!!!!!!!!!!! in the Damascus film festival 

“ “في مواجهة بيئة اجتماعبة جائرة من التعصب الديني ..الهيجان السياسي..والتقاليد البالية ..ومع صعود الحركات الاسلامية الاصولية كان هناك امراة عربية واحدة انبثقت من قلب الجمود متحدية الخطر الداهم في طريقها الصعب لتحقيق العدالة والمساواة لجميع النساء 

“To face a difficult social environment of religious fanatics, political instability, outdated customs and with the rise of Islamic radical movements, THERE WAS ONE ARAB WOMAN that came out from the heart of the people challenging great risks on her difficult path to achieve justice and equality for all Women!!!!!!!”

 Bravo, I could not resist the humor…my hat goes off to that woman, what a courage!!!!! you think she lived in Afghanistan or Saudi Arabia 500 years ago!!!! or that Syria in now heaven on Earth in terms of freedoms!!!

This whole ass-kissing is usually reserved for the Assad Gods, not for a woman who did nothing useful in her life except to write and say garbage, twisting logic and making Syrians look like they live in another planet…

If there is any Islamic fundamentalism in Syria (which is a country of a lot of great women –some of them are in jail now thanks to her regime), it is because people like Buthaina nurture that and benefit from it…she does not miss an occasion to make it look like Syria is attacked because it is the real leader of Islam. Not to mention she makes shit as she goes about the lack of freedom in other countries ignoring the freedom that she offers in Syria.

Anyway I don’t want to sound too political or get too emotional…but I think that is what the tragic comedies of our region revolve around, people who have nothing to do but to attract ridiculous attention about how important they are with nothing to sustain their claim!!!!!! no thanks to the idiot who made that film happen!

I wish you all Happy Holidays (Muslims, Christians and Jews) and a better 2008 but we can only dream…

Fares

May 2008 change the idiot mentality of the regime that they become so strong by jailing few intellectuals. Freedom for Kilo, Labwani, Bunni and all the heros that have been too long in jail. If any idiot think they are bargaining chips with the West, they are way off…the West use them to make Syria looks ugly (which is what the regime is doing anyway) but those victims are left on their own, they have no value but to tarnish Syria’s ruling cowards already rotten image.

Dear Maureen,

I have not checked my fares email in a while…sure you can add my name.

I know you believe in what you are doing and it is great to have people dedicating themselves to human rights causes…I am just having a lot of confusion and I don’t know what the solution is to the many problems that we have. I feel helpless and I know that the blog is just preaching to the choir.

It is blocked in Syria and only people who read English know what I am talking about but in Syrian politics people stick to their positions regardless of what some people preach.

Anyway it is a very messy game and I tried with everything I can and there were no results but a lot of frustration. What pisses me off is that the US is really enjoying the Syrian role in the region and all the problems which they cause (the Syrian officials can’t fart without the blessing of the US and Israel) so the key to solving all the problems is the US and if they really wanted the Syrian prisoners to be free they can have that in 5 minutes.

Keep up the fight and best of luck

Fares

By Maureen

It is Dr Kamal Labwani’s 50th birthday on 10th October. I suggest that we inundate ‘Adra Prison, near Damascus, Syria with postcards sending him our greetings. I am also compiling a list of names of people who wish to send him goodwill messages and I will forward this to his family so that they may let him know he is not forgotten on his 50th. If you wish to be on the list, please send your name and town/country to mhudsonthomas@yahoo.co.uk

This blog has been very passive the last few months…but now it is official, I no longer enjoy blogging or discussing middle eastern politics anymore…and it is best to ignore the tragedies of the middle east since we have zero control over it. Whatever happens, just Let it be

I just feel like purging this blog but I won’t out of respect for the prisoners, I will just freeze it. I had very good intentions at the beginning and throughout the last 2 years. I wanted to promote freedom of expression and the ability to break the taboos of the Middle East and change how people view events or envision progress. I felt for the poor prisoners that people cared little for… some people who expressed sympathy were just doing it to show a better image or play politics but not willing to change their priorities. The most disgusting thing was what the Syrian regime made these people who had little courage to say something slightly different from the baathist line: they made them traitors and a pawn in their battle with the international community.

Anyway, talking to a lot of young Syrians whom I met socially the last year, made me realize that people there, are entrenched in their views. They say that they want a better Syria but in reality they are very comfortable with the political climate and in fact very used to it. They don’t really care and they brush aside whatever bothers them. Their only enthusiasm come only when Syria or HA defies the rest of the world…so the regime has accomplished a great job in brain washing the people and modeled them to accept whatever positions they want to make.

It is a sad reality but I raise the white flag and I don’t think that the region will change in the near future so why frustrate myself…I am so glad that I am not a politician and my dad once joked when I was a kid “why do you see yourself as a social reformer”…but now I see why I chose a different career, something more practical and less emotional.

I thank the other bloggers that I looked up to and everyone who supported me or shared my views at some point. I really appreciated that and for people whom I differed with: there was nothing personal and I wish everyone success and happiness…I still despise the Syrian regime but I hope they do enough “release the prisoners and be less of a regional trouble maker” to make me accept them again

Peace and Good Bye
Fares
Happy Ramadan as well…