Running for Lebanon

Well Andrew, we wouldn't know about such things going on in Israel because that would mean that TIME's journalists would actually have to report about the country as something other than a blogging caricature.
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Given Tim McGirk's penchent for commenting only on Jews when they're either dying or dead, and then in the usual TIME blogger's slimy snideness, such normal items, forget even something as innocous as a 10-k walkathon, appears beyond the normal scope of his editor's mandate.

Andrew:

Your snide condescension about Israel's claims regarding Syria's nuclear reactor, before the IAEA report came out, was fun, too.

We Zionists love it when facts get in the way of you talking out of your ass.

Keep up the good work.

As I said before only Lebanon come close to democracy in Middle-East, correct me if wrong but I haven't heard any mass activity in Israel which included any other religions except death match between teenage stone-throwers and IDF M16!

It's what you get for making fun of couch potatoes! At least it's just a hamstring, other journalists are in real peril..
For as healthy and fit a people as the Lebanese are, I would have expected some runners, not in tight jeans and the hippest trainers. Plus they've been running from cluster bombs, rockets, and car bombs forever now, they've had practice, or maybe they're just worn out.
Why are the pro-Israelis so mad? Lebanon can be beautiful sometimes, deal with it. People report on good and bad, it's refreshing to see Beirut in a good light and Gaza in the shadows that engulf it (Tim's latest)..
It's ok, you guys can control mainstream continental USA media, leave our little blogs.

Hey, I know Lebanon produce great wood stock trees, what make you think you can have it!

It is nice to see you mentioning the marathon. There is always something going on in Lebanon that is not about bombs and war. I am pleased to see that you mention that sometimes. Yet, it would be great if you lower the dose of stereotypes each time you are writing about my country such as "to show of the latest fashion in tight jeans and trainers", and "that they were just walking"...
It is as if lebanon has only two aspects to you when I go through your posts: showing off and death

We also have a life, you know

Hey Andrew,
I agree with you that a Marathon with such a broad array of non-sectarian, non-political activist groups would probably not be 'successful' in most middle east countries. I am really amazed about how Lebanese can quickly recouperate from the chaos that Lebanon faced and still continues to face, putting in mind that just 2 years ago more than 1100 lebanese civilians died as result of Israeli bombardment on their cities.
However, I think that such Marathon can easily be organized and can draw big crowds in the Emirates too.

Wood stock trees?
You mean Cedars? What we're known for? Or pine trees, where at the right time on the right hill top that's all you smell?

I stand corrected, I was having a good time with a bottle of wine last night when I was doodling in this site but anyway Lebanon is a beautiful country with beautiful people and fine cedar trees, so is Israel minus their government policy toward their neighbors.

Andrew,
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I speak for an overwhelming majority when I say that we enjoy your blogs as they represent the true spirit and nature of the Middle East. Foreigners to the region think of war, destruction, oppression, and suicide bombers when they hear "Middle East". Thanks to you, they can see that even in areas most would consider hot zones for war, life goes on.
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As for the "zionists" that post here, namely nycdavid and jacobblues above, I see nothing but more of the same: gum flapping with no substantive argument. What a surprise!
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I suggest stretching next time, Andrew. Who knows, with all these walkers you might just win!
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-NK+

Sorry Nick, you speak only for yourself, and even then bend and warp the truth to fit your predisposed animosity towards Jews.

As for the idea of an 'overwhelming majority', I suggest you read the latest op-ed by Tom Friedman regarding the massacre in Mumbai. He makes an apt point about the silence emenating from the Muslim world following this atrocity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/opinion/03friedman.html?_r=1&hp

Lol...here we have a very ordinary post written by Andrew about a public Marathon in Lebanon and yet the zionists here still want to sabotage it! Its really amazing when you think about it!

I also believe that some kind of moderation should be implemented here and fast to stop/ban users from including insults in their posts (see nycdavid post number 2 above) or from spewing hatred towards the others.

Be careful what you wish for Karim in terms of moderation, because given your comments since you began posting, you would wind up in the same barrel that you've placed everyone else.

The Muslim world owes no duty to apologize for these extremists in the same way that you don't have to apologize for Rabin's assassin. Get over it. There's just no connection and Tom Friedman, fervent anti-Iranian, has been foaming at the mouth for last three years -- he needs to come down from his soapbox as he's pointing the finger at the wrong group.
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As for speaking for the majority, I sincerely believe that I am. The dissenters happen to typically be the more vocal ones. Chickens don't cluck till you pull their feathers

Nick,

Further to your comment, I have never heard Tom Friedman saying something positive about muslims or the mid-east ever (except for Israel ofcourse). I could be wrong though but this is mho.
In addition, I think his question about why muslims out there do not protest against the mumbai attacks is really silly and maybe even intentionally silly.
You see, even the muslim world has been suffering from terrorist attacks in the last 2 decades or so. And almost never were there any protests against such attacks even though, of course, the muslim world is totally against such attacks.
The reason why there are no protests is because the regimes do not want the people to protest, it is as simple as that and this is based on personal experience.
I remember that the first time I participated in a protest few years ago about the Israeli cruelty towards the Palestinians I was caught by the 'police' and they beat me up! And this happens all the time, and this was not even a demonstration against the regime! Tom Friedman...lol...as if he doesnt know...
If Tom Friedman and the like of his are wondering whether or not muslims are against the mumbai attacks, maybe they should ask themselves first why didnt 1.5 billion muslims not join Bin Laden's crusade against the whole world? You silly Tom Friedman you!

I love the smell of abdicating responsibility in the morning. Nick, you and Karim waft full of it.
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What us? We should protest violence? Uhuh, not us, not Muslims, not Arabs.
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The only thing I ponder is which excuse is worse. That you shouldn't protest the violence because either the government hasn't told you to do so, that because well hey, we've been doing it to ourselves for so long, we don't care if it happens to anyone else, or that Muslims have no responsiblity to react and denigrate those performing such acts of violence in their name.
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Karim's view that such an abdication of responsibility matches the idea that Muslims didn't take up the flag and sword of al-Queda is equally bankrupt. Rather than point to a counter philosophy, or shame such groups and individuals over their actions, became silent willing accomplices to these extremists.
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Dissenter's Nick? No, there are no dissenters, if there were, obviously, as you claim, they would be vocal. Their silence speaks volumes as does yours and Karim's abdication.

I AM GUILTY YOUR HONOR!!

Jacob, I take it from your posts that you really do not know what you are talking about. So, please allow me your honor to give you a quick overview of what is going on in the arab world just for the fun of it:
If you could only look around you my Zionist friend, you may find out that the middle east is made of oppresive dictatorship regimes that find no problem in crushing their own people in order for them to continue to rule. Have you heard what Saddam had done to his own people? The guy gased them! No? How about what Stalin did to his own people? The guy killed not less than 20 million of his own people and ruined the lives of most of the rest. And if you are wondering Mr. Jacob what the people did, I can tell you: Nothing.
It took Russia more than 60 years to get rid of their oppresive regime. And I have never heard of any protest against anything during that time. It took France hundreds of years and several civil wars to become a Democracy, etc..

And here you and good ol' Tom Friedman are complaining that muslims in the Arab world do not go to the streets to protest against terrorism. Arabs could not even protest against the Iraqi war or against the Israeli massacres (except for few very small protests here and there that the regimes sometimes allow to give the impression that they are with the Arab cause)! Dont you find that a bit strange your honor?? I dont. Its called living in an oppresive dictatorship your honor.

I do not know why you are complaining about that your honor. Seriously, didnt that fit Israel very well in the last 60 years or so? If I were you, I would pray that the oppresive regimes stay forever, they are your country's best allies, better than the U.S if you really think about it.
On the other hand, could you please explain to me why Israelis are still living in Israel? Dont they know that they got most of the Palestinian lands through ethnic cleansing and state terrorism? Why is that so? I am really curious to know...

Karim, let me counter with a page from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Soviet_dissidents
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Let me add a further page from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_dissidents
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as well the following:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
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Obviously, these lists may not be perfect in data or complete, but they do provide some obvious background for non-violent political protest even in the face of "oppresive dictatorships".
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What Tom points out is clear, the Muslim world erupted in fury over cartoons, but remains silent over real killings.
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I hardly call political dictatorships friends of anybody and hardly consider the actions of any Arab administration to be considered 'pro Israel'.
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If I wanted to, I could point to your final comments as driven by Egyptian 'political oppression' rather than any real argument, but instead will point out the following: First, Jews purchased the land that they lived on in Israel. Rather than ethnic cleansing, I would point to the war with the Palestinians, and then subsequent invasion by Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon, that led to the flight of the Palestinians.
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As for the idea of ethic cleansing, we can see how far that claim falls short given that 20% of Israel's population is Arab-Christian/Muslim. In contrast, the Jewish population in the Arab world stands at about zero. Perhaps your curiosity should start a little closer to home.

Jacob,
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First, as you know already, Muslims are not a homogeneous "Arab" culture, but rather composed of many different individuals of various heritages and backgrounds. So, when you question in a generalized manner, as Tom Friedman did, why Muslims did not speak out against the violence, you should be more specific as to whether you are addressing the 1.5 billion Muslims globally or just a group composed of Israel's nearest and dearest neighbors.
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Second, Friedman incorrectly points out that the Muslim world did not speak out over the massacres in Mumbai while you quickly take his bait. This is a misleading argument. To begin with, there is no indication that the perpetrators were Muslim. There are clues that it may have been a group out of Pakistan, according to Indian officials. This would implicate two countries only as to this issue: Pakistan and India. One of them being predominantly Muslim. Second, nobody yet is certain as to what group infiltrated Mumbai. It could have been Hindu extremists some analysts say. Third, many officials from Muslim countries have spoken out, at length, against the attacks on a civilian population. Pakistan's President, Asif Zardari, has spoken out at length against the attacks (google or look up Larry King Live from last night), condemning them and wishing for them to not hurt recovering India-Pakistan relations. Ahmadinejad, speaking on behalf of the Iranian nation, also condemned the attacks (http://www.presstv.ir/Detail.aspx?id=76856&sectionid=351020101). Finally, there is no logical duty bestowed upon Muslim nations to condemn the attacks. Some, as in Iran, did so of their own volition. Why you didn't read about it is obvious: Friedman committed a libel against 1.5 billion people by hiding the truth from you and you are a sucker for that kind of garbage.
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As for terrorism and speaking out against it, that's something you should be writing to your congressman and friends in Israel about. While they constantly preach about fighting "terrorism", they are busy giving large funds and support to MANY internationally recognized terrorist organizations like the MKO because they share Iran as an enemy. So, I guess Israeli and US money that goes into killing innocent Iranian civilians via bombings and suicide attacks is not terrorism now?

One more thing, the point I was making about only India and Pakistan being implicated in this matter is that the suspects have never been alleged to be Arab. Pakistani or Indian, yes, but you should leave the Arabs and whatever other target you choose to dislike amongst Muslims alone at this juncture.

I suppose I should add my voice to the dissenters, Jacob, because I can ignore your flagrant Muslim bashing no longer.
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Frankly I'm disgusted that you actually believe that all Muslims are somehow complicit in the Mumbai terrorist attacks. Both you and Thomas Friedman are ignoring the very real sympathy that Pakistani citizens have expressed towards their Indian neighbors. Even the Pakistan government has expressed their condolences. How loud must the cry for their neighbors before you believe them?
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You're also a hypocrite. If Pakistanis and Muslims are obligated to protest against the violence in Mumbai, then all Israelis are obligated to protest against Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. I guess I should just assume that those who aren't protesting support violence against Palestinians.
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But you know this isn't true. You know that Friedman is being disingenuous and underhanded by "calling all Pakistanis" to protest against the attack. You know the unsaid words of "...or else" is what he's really thinking. You know he's unfairly implicating all Muslims in this latest violence. And you know he's drawn these conclusions based only on his limited view of the situation, which speaks more about his opinion of Muslims than anything else.
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And you know that Friedman has projected a Pakistani-Indian issue onto the greater Muslim community as whole, judging the entire 1.5 billion muslims in this world to be monolithic in nature and voice. In fact, these terrorist attacks weren't even about Islam. Preliminary evidence idicates the responsible group was formed to fight a proxy war over the disputed Kashmir region. Pakistan formerly dissolved and banned the group in 2002, yet Friedman claims that Pakistanis and Muslims are still somehow complicit.
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You know all this, and yet you fall right in line with the Muslim bashing.

What Tom points out is clear, the Muslim world erupted in fury over cartoons, but remains silent over real killings.
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Kind of like how some Christian right groups like Focus on the Family erupt in fury over gay marriage and yet ignore the ever increasing rate of divorce among heterosexual couples. Or how they decry the death of unborn babies but fervently support wars like Iraq and Afghanistan.
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Or kind of like how some Jews enthusiatically promote rememberance of the Holocaust and yet do nothing to prevent genocides like Rwanda or Darfur.
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It's called hypocrisy, Jacob, and you're full of it. Non-protesting muslims are no more complicit in terrorist acts by other muslims than Christian right groups are complicit in heterosexual divorces or Jews are complicit in post-Holocaust genocides. They be hypocritical, but they are not guilty.
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Try to be realistic for once.

Zionism 102, confront others view with propaganda and tangent issues constantly through media to muddle a main issue out of world conscious, ie Palestinian are starving as we write but Friedman's and Silverstien's and Oscarwienerbun's words are new commandments like we don't know their connection to Israel, at least they should chose Smith or Jones as pen name to give them some objectivity cover!

What does a marathon in Lebanon have to do with the Mumbai massacre? But I'll put in my two bits:
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1. "there is no indication that the perpetrators were Muslim."
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Are you serious? The single captured perp was a Pakistani Muslim. Responsibility was taken by the "Deccan Mujahidin". During the crisis the perps called out slogans calling for the "liberation" of Kashmir. What more do you want?
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I mean is this the same BS which prevents many Muslims from admitting 9.11 was a Muslim job?
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2. Muslim variation and the India-Pakistan context. Granted. But the point is that no Muslim terrorist act, whatever it's locality or specific cause, has resulted in any POPULAR rejection (as opposed to elite condemmenation... which is rare enougth as it is). That spontaneous popular protest is POSSIBLE in the Muslim world was amply shown in the hysterical riots following the Danish cartoons (not to mention all the death to America/Zionism/Whatever marches)
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I do not think this is because of repression. Not in Pakistan, not with the current government and it's welcome condemmenation of the attack. Not in the immigrant Muslim communities in Europe.
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It's because, horrible as it seems a majority or large minority of Muslims SUPPORT the murder of innocent non-muslims... Or, if they PERSONALLY oppose it, view group solidarity as far more important than any moral considerations.

I will note however, that this realy has absolutely nothing to do with the Lebanese Marathon which I found very interesting.

Since our "Mugabe-like" government is refusing to give Tim a special dispensation to pass the Gaza-Israel border while the rockets are falling on our heads perhaps he would be intersted in covering the Beit-Shean Marathon in Israel? No designer Jeans there but my group (Lowland runners rule!!!) will have an interesting assortment of characters and various other weird groups (including The Islamic movement, Taaush for Israeli-Arab coexistence, Peace-now, The settlers council, Two competing Gay and Lesbian associations, women against wife- beating, the greens...) will all be represented.

Though I doubt any of these will be in the top ten... The Ethiopian runners who were airlifted to Israel by our racist government always seem to win (sigh)....