Baghdad Bombing Aftermath

I have posted below on this blog a link to a video regarding a terrorist bombing that occurred this past Friday in Baghdad. The controversy over this latest bombing is whether Iraqi forces could sustain order and protection when U.S. troops leave Iraq which is scheduled for June 30th of this year. What is your take on this situation? Watch the video and let me know.


http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/04/27/perry.iraq.suicide.shrine.cnn

Israeli-Palestine Conflict

We have talked so much about the cause and effects of the on going Israeli-Palestine Conflict but never touched on the militant groups that were formed as a result of the years and years of fighting. Groups like Hamas and Fatah were born through the hatred Israeli's and Palestinian’s have developed for one another. Hamas is a religious group that controls the Gaza strip and Fatah the West Bank. The two groups began fighting in 2005. Hamas over the last few years has heavily been financially funded by Iran who supports the internal conflict between Israeli and Palestine. The groups have been more than just fighting renegades. Both groups have actually also been social philanthropists to the very people that support them. Due to the two groups international support, Hamas and Fatah have been able to financially contribute back to their respected areas of control by building schools, hospitals and other infrastructures. They have also provided military protection to the people of their communities.

April 13th Class Discussion

Today in class we were presented with the British, Palestinian and Israeli conflicts of the 1930's through 1950's. It is a clear fact that the on going violence occurring today in Israel is a result of the events of the 1930's and 40's. I personally feel that the reason for the long, violent, and ridiculous tension between the Israeli’s and Palestinians is in part due to British involvement. During the 30's and 40's, British policy's both politically, financially and militarily clearly aided the Palestinians. For example, British forces helped train and provide support to already existent Arab military forces. However, in May 1948, British forces began to gradually leave Israel. As a result, Arab forces couldn't with stand the Zionist opposition. Soon later, Zionist won out and declared Israel an independent nation which was also confirmed by the United Nations. British involvement including promises made to both the Palestinians and Israeli’s which only instigated and promoted further future violence between both nations. Have British forces left years prior to the 1930’s, maybe the conflicts seen today would not have lasted as long as it has.

Obama's Agenda for the Middle East

Earlier today, Obama met in front of representatives in Turkey. His agenda focused on the global financial situation, the creation of a Palestinian state and the outcome of Iraq. Obama made his first visit to a Muslim nation as president, declared Monday the United States "is not and will never be at war with Islam." Urging a greater partnership with the Islamic world in an address to the Turkish parliament, Obama called the country an important U.S. ally in many areas, including the fight against terrorism. Was this a significant step towards the fate of the Israeli and Palestine conflict?

Today's News

Today in the New York Times there was an article regarding the release of a Lebanese terrorist. A Lebanese man arrested three years ago on terrorism charges in connection with a plot to blow up New York City commuter tunnels was released on bail last year. Bail was set at a mere $600 U.S. dollars. Why so little for someone who had maps and bombing plans on his computer, and even confessed to the plot and swore allegiance to Al Qaeda? This all doesn’t make sense to me. Why is someone of this nature not in jail?

Response- "The Gulhane Proclamation"

After reading the forum "The Gulhane Proclamation," it reminds me of policies that are exercised here in the United States.  To me the forum is a democratic solution to the Ottoman Empire's decline.  Democracy is a logical solution.  Democracy promotes fairness and justification to all people no matter there social title.  These reforms would appeal to any country looking to get ride of any sort of autocracy or dictatorship.  In addition, these reforms are forward looking.  They look to re-establish the Ottoman Empire which is necessary during a time when other countries are economically excelling.  Democracy and capitalism is the right solution to the problem.

Reaction- To Die in Jerusalem

I sympathize for each mother and the families of the departed daughters.  I do not however sympathize for the governments of both nations.  I firmly believe that this terrible, horrific and sad situation should be an example to both governments about what is going on and what needs to be done.  The future of more lives, families, daughters and mothers are on the line.

Zanyi Barakat- Part II

In my Zayni Barakat paper I compared Zayni's enormous responsibilities and duties to the situation going on in the West Bank and Gaza Strip today. At times in the book, Zanyi abused his power a little bit, being more forceful and aggressive when he didn't need to be. I am comparing this to the conflict between the Palestinian's and Israeli's. In my comparison, the Palestinian's are the people of Cairo and the Israeli's are Zayni. Not all the people and associates of Zanyi agree with his decisions for the city. Yet they have little say in the matter. Palestinian's have been forced from their native land and drove into a corner. Like the people of Cairo, Palestinian's have little room for freedom. As a result, Palestinian's have been forced to take violent action. Is their action justified?

Zanyi Barakat- Part I

In class today we discussed our reactions to the book Zanyi Barakat. I really enjoyed reading it. I found it a nice change of reading to the normal textbooks I have from other classes. What most intrigued me about the book is Zanyi's desire for total take over. My reaction was that Zayni wanted total power so badly that he would use any means possible to achieve it. This is what I believed caused him to send out spies. He wanted to know everything going on in the streets and homes of the people. He also might have felt a little weary and worried about the possibility of assassination what also added to the reason he had spies in the field.

Slavery

In class we compared slavery in the Ottoman Empire to slavery in the United States during the colonial era. I believe its fair to say that the conditons of slavery were very different. Slaves in the Ottoman Era were not treated brudally like what we know about the slaves in the colonies. In that sense I feel the Janissary slaves were a bit better off.

8 year old Marriage

In today's news, a 8 year old girl is married off to a 47 year old man in Saudi Arabia. The extreme marriage deal was a result by the young girls father, who sold her daughter off to resolve his debt problem. According to CNN and Saudi Arabian Human Rights organization, these arranged marriages occur very often and girls as young as 10 are married off. According to Human Rights commissioner Turki Al Sudieri, organized marriages are perfectly legal. In addition, the highest Saudi religious authority the Grand Mufti, approves the organized marriages, making the effort to change the law almost impossible. What is your take on this situation in SA? How does anti-organized marriage groups combat this problem?

Here's a thought...

With fighting increasing in Israeli and Palestine why doesn't The United States take a more active role to instill peace? The United States military bombarded right into Iraq after the September 11th attacks. Today, peace is restored in Iraq so do you see similar actions taken in Israeli and Palestine? To think that thousands of Palestinians are being killed from Israeli rockets and military arms that we have financed. Would there be less blood shed and possible future peace if American troops entered these conflict areas?

Class Response

I feel many Americans have a wrong view on the conflict going on in the Middle East. I can say this because I was one of those people. Many have the impression that the fighting originated a few years ago. I never knew until taking a history class on the Middle East that the fighting between the Israeli's and Palestine's dates back hundreds of years. I want to also comment about something my friend and classmate Keith wrote, "It almost seems pointless to watch American news because its not really truth when its so out of context. It’s like your not watching the news, but a sitcom with a written story, the Israeli story. How is it journalism when it’s not the full truth?" That was written in response to the in class video we watched about the conflict in the Middle East. I completely agree with what he is saying. The American media is the "X-Factor" in American politics. It can give the powerful and loyal, the upper hand. It's said to think that a foreign country is dictating our news.

"Peace, Propaganda and the Promise Land"

The other day in class we watched a film about the violence in the Middle East. The film gave great insight about the aggressive tensions between the Palestine's and Israelis. I enjoyed the film because I got so much out of it because for me, it filled me in on the history between the two nations and why there has been so much conflict. The state of the situation between the Palestine's and Israelis really disturbs me. For one, after watching the film the first thing that comes to my mind is the thousands of innocent civilians effecting. So many are killed for no reason at all, especially young children. Second, the shame to think that so much news that we here in the United States read and watch is sometimes far from the truth as to what is really going on in the Middle East.