Jefferson Corner

24 Oct 2005

It is so ironic that we are willing to go to war to defend democracy and to spread the rule of law, when we at home are doing exactly the opposite, by behaving like the dictatorships we defined as the enemy.
That was my conclusion as I read the front-page article in today’s Washington Post ‘FBI Papers Indicate Intelligence Violations” by Dan Eggen.
Of course September 11, made it all possible for government security and intelligence to break the sound barriers and take many legal shortcut to get to potential terrorists. If our government was doing it job in the first place and if our FBI was doing it job in the first place and if our intelligence community was doing its job in the first place, and if we did not align and support those Mujahideens with billions of dollars, we not had September 11th. What happened on September 11th are an indictment of our intelligence and security organizations and an indictment of militant Islam that allowed theses thugs, criminals and murders to commit such a mass murder of innocent people. No one who truly confesses Islam could agree or condones or even find an excuse for what Al-Queda thugs did, and no one could ever find justification or excuses for what our government failed to do.
The Washington Post article speak of a case where the FBI continue to have a suspect under surveillance for 5 years with 16 month of this period without authorization or supervision from the courts.
Of course the FBI claim it was oversight, just like the oversight they committed when they failed to nap these terrorist before they committed their crimes against the American people.
The article also states that the FBI went ahead with it surveillance for some 18 months without filing the necessary papers. I would say this is real contempt for our courts and judicial system. With this in mind and with such a failure on our part why are we going to far away places to spread democracy, when our own freedom are eroding quickly and steadily by our government.
However all is not bad in this county, thanks to people and organizations like David Sobel and his organization the Electronic Privacy Center that sued the FBI to get this kind of information. Thanks God, Allah, G-d, Jesus, Moses, Mohamed and Buddha that we have such men and women like David Sobel and his organizations that went to court and file the necessary law suites under the Freedom Information Act to get such records. This can only happen in this country and as long as we have the contribution we have, American will always be alive and well and on the right side of freedom, notwithstanding what the Right Wingers and the NeoCons what to do and try to shape American in their ugly image.
As a matter of habit and routine, the FBI with contempt for our legal system does not file the necessary documents when they proceed to conduct their surveillance.
The FBI promised, according to the report “ we have set procedures to do the right thing” and we hope they do, so that all of us citizens also do the right thing for our country and our government. The FBI and all of the intelligence community should make it a point to be on the right side of the people. We as citizens are the eyes and ears in the service of our country, committed to its security and freedom, however people who are fearful for their lives and freedom could never be soldier in the service of a country that oppress them and violates their rights. Let us hope that the FBI live up to its mission of protecting the citizens of this country, and abiding by that wonderful documents we call “ constitution” The FBI should remember this is the great USA, not Syria, Iran or Israel.

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Original Post: 25 Oct 2005

Who would ever have imagined, that a young Black women, 42 years old saying “NO” to a bus driver in Montgomery, Alabama would change history and would change America for ever.
Rosa Parks was that woman, who was simply tired of taking all of the bull and crab from Whites and who at a young age, showed she could take care of herself and defend herself with force if necessary from bully young White kids.
In those days in the south lynching of Blacks was elevated into a national past time, where White thugs, educated and uneducated all will get together and drag a young male Black and lynch him for daring to look at “their women”.
Well, Rosa Parks did not get lynched, she was able to lynch a system that tolerated and allowed legal segregation. Who in their right mind would imagine that a young Black woman of 42 years of age would be required to get up from her seat and make room for a White man? I thought in other cultures and in other countries, it is the man, who would get up and allow a young lady to sit down. Oh, I forgot, this was America of the 50’s when Blacks where allowed to ride only in the back of a bus and would have to get off the bus to make room for the Whites. It was America of the 50’s where Blacks could not even drink from the same water tap as Whites. I am not aware of any laws that require Blacks to use and travel on different roads as is the case in Israel now, where the main roads are for Jews, the secondary roads are for Arabs. Same idea.
Rosa Parks and the Black community in Montgomery decided to boycott the bus system that would take their money, the same fare as Whites and only allowed them to sit in the back and even get off to make room for Whites. 381 days made a difference.
Rosa Parks refusing to get up form here seat on the bus on that cold December 1st evening in 1955 and of course she was arrested and fined by the courts. The case was appealed to the US Supreme Court which finally, and after more than a century of segregation realized that segregation is illegal and ruled in favor of Rosa Parks. The ruling came out more than a year after the famous ruling of Brown vs. The Board of Education, which also tore down the walls of segregations in schools.
One would think that in a country like ours, it would be the legislative branch of government that will see that segregation is wrong and would do something about it. In this country, when our Congress does not have the vision or the guts to act to protect the rights of citizens, thanks God for our courts system that can see and decide on what is right and what is wrong. You can call it whatever you want, but the actions of the courts is right in any and all cases that has to do with freedoms and privacy.
The bus boycott in Montgomery propelled a young breacher with so much eloquence to the national scene and the late Dr. Marin Luther King would march on Washington and galvanize the nation and shock it out of it deep rooted racism with his famous speech “I have a dream”. Dr. King spoke for the millions of people here in this country and around the world when he declared” There comes a time, when people are tired of being trampled on by the iron feet of oppression”. Well it seems that oppression continue to be alive and well, all over the world. Thank you Rosa for making a difference and for changing the face of American, may God have mercy on your soul and my you rest in peace. You are courageous women. We will miss you. You can read a nice byline written by Elaine Woo in today’s Los Angeles Times.

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4 Oct 2005

Does joining Al-jazeera new English network channel disqualify one from being a true patriot, verging on treason? I was quite surprised by the reaction I read today on OAL news section on the story of Josh Rushing joining Al-jazeera.

Josh Rushing, the former captain in the US Marine Corps announced that he is joining the new English Channel sponsored by Al-jazeera, that Arabic channel that made headlines and is giving the American media a run for its money.

More surprising are the statements made by those who see themselves as guardian of American loyalty, value and patriotism. I guess these days when every incompetent and corrupt pundit is running for cover and hiding under the shroud of patriotism, I am not so surprised by the attack on Capt. Rushing. These days, any one and every one who does not hold allegiance to the like of Tom Delay or Rush Limbo or that guy on Fox, Bill O’Reilly is labeled as traitor and unpatriotic, as if draft dodgers, and those who had “other important things to do” are defining what is patriotism for all of us Americans.

Cliff Kincaid the appointed and anointed cardinal on patriotism who runs “Accuracy in the Media” criticizes Capt. Rushing joining Al-jazeera and who labeled Al-jazeera as the station that “incites Arabs and Muslims to hate America”. Not only we now have a watch dog to watch over the media and judge their contents, we also have that other wild dog, Campus Watch, that other organization run and operated by neocons with strong ties to Israel that has a chilling effects on the class room, video taping professors and judging them on how they view Israel. Of course if they view Israel favorably, they are accurate and patriots, and if they citizen Israel then they are labeled as intellectual cheats.

For so long, we in American have only one choice to accept and see what some editors or some owners or some lobbyist or some agent of a foreign government making a decision for us on what to see. The media today, especially these days, when news, with few exceptions, is nothing more than a show, a loud mouth show, as we see on Fox and other channels. With the exception of PBS, there are no serious news media and no serious news organizations. No one can match PBS “ Front Line” and being a regular viewer of Al-jazeera, all I can say it match and surpass any news organization here in the US. Of course it does not represent the US administration and it is not beholding to neocons who get this country in trouble and split and chicken out and leave the administration.

Al-jazeera has some great shows, and of course they also have not so great shows, and some even greater documentaries, that NO American media will dare to air, and of course not all of these programs are original Arabic. Many are produced by US documentary produces, but do to the atmosphere of fear that we all feel; no news organizations will dare to air. As for journalist, Al-jazeera has some great journalist that can compete and win with any persons, man or woman on US television. They are not personalities, they are true journalist. The US created “AlHorra” Arabic TV to reach Arab and Muslim audience, so what is wrong with Al-jazeera having an English channel? Capt. Rushing, as a former veteran, I am looking forward to seeing on Al-jazeera English channel.

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Original Post: 17 Nov 2005

Riots and more riots continue to take place in France notwithstanding efforts by the Sarkozy, the French minister of interior who also is now expelling thousands of kids away from France.
The fact that I am of an immigrant origin in the US, I can be more critical of France and the policy of France of not integration and down right racism.
The sad thing that we all need to remember is that France was, is and has always been a colonist country with racists streaks that runs deep in its politics and its cities. Let us all remember Jean Marie Lapin who are the leader of the French right always talked in very racist and plain language and who always accused immigrants, Arabs, and Muslims, winning at times more than 20% of the votes in the French National Assembly and in towns and cities. The French Right like its counter part in Republican Rights and German Rights always blame foreigners and immigrants for the problems and ills of France, US and Germany.
Fortunately for us in the US, we are a nation of immigrants and as such the hate for immigrants does come to and end, sooner than later, because even those xenophobic politicians in the end are from immigrant roots.
In France like all across Europe no efforts what so ever is made to integrate immigrants and give them a stake in the country of their choice. No efforts whatsoever to give these immigrants and their children an opportunity.
In the US, Congress recognizing that racism runs deep in our society, past many laws that made it illegal to discriminate based in race, color, religion, sex and national origin, even went further and past “affirmative action” to make sure that it gives Blacks and other minorities the playing lever field when it comes to education and employment.
Unlike American where those of Italians, Jewish, Irish, Slovak, Arabs, German, Russians are all considered Americans without ever giving up their “own” culture and heritage and where Muslims, Jews and Sikhs can be what they are in France, such rights are denied to people of other cultures. I can and do appreciate what it takes to “be an American” I could never understand nor ever understood what it takes to be French. In the US it does not take a whole lot to be an American, it takes only an oath and a pledge of allegiance and one can continue to eat Kosher, Halal, eat pasta, each Couscous, tabule, homos, chicken gulag, meat balls, wear the yarmulke, the hijab and be an American. In France, it seems it take more than that; it takes one to denounce one’s own culture and way of life to become French. Does it take to drinking wine, eat cheese, eat baguete and pork to become French? I don’t know and I don’t think that the “blue blooded” French know who is a French and what it takes to become French. Perhaps the French should go back to the world most famous French slogan “ L’egalite-Fraternite-Liberte” and forget about Hijab, forget about drinking red wine with meals and recognize that France is for all French; White, Black, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus and not only for “blue blooded, blue eyes, fair skin” French. France should give freedom and equality to all French irrespective of race, color, religion and national origin.
France must give true meaning to the words “L’egalite-Fraternite-Liberte”. These words when carried out to the true meaning will make France a true and free country and take its rightful place as the birth of freedom and liberty. We are all saddened by the events taking place in France, however nothing short of drastic and fundamental changes are need to make a difference and give those immigrants a stake in France and its future.

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Original Post: 17 Nov 2005

The events of the last couple of weeks in France does not speak well of France, in fact does not speak well of all of Europe.
Unlike the US where, even with the problems and issues people and government have with immigration, for the most part the US is the only country in the world that immigrants have a chance, a chance to make it and become part of the American dream.
Not withstanding the xenophobic rhetoric we heard during this past election in the Commonwealth of Virginia where the Republican candidate tried but failed to succeed on promoting racism, and fear among Virginians and promoting and advocating fear from immigrants, American will always be the land of the free and home of the brave.
France like the rest of Europe has nothing to be proud of. The often mentioned logo of France; liberty, legality and fraternity does not fit with the reality that is France where immigrants even those who have lived in France for some 50 years will always find nothing but discrimination, and marginalization in France.
As an immigrant to the US and having lived in Europe (Switzerland) and having lived overseas for some 20 years I can testify to the marked difference between immigrants to Europe and immigrants to the US. A world of difference, where these immigrants enrich American.
My late father who immigrated to the US in his early fifties and who learned to read and write in night school sponsored by the YMCA and who worked as a labor in steal mills and with the City of Gary, always felt very proud of being an immigrant and his sense of belonging could never be higher that the date of elections when he always wear his political hat as a partisan Democrats who worked the poll stations. My late father always talked to me about Franklin Roosevelt and how Roosevelt, as a democrat always fought for the common and poor man who turned American around from a country of soup kitchens to America that liberated Europe and the Far East.
France like Germany and all countries of Europe never made any efforts what so ever to incorporate and integrate these immigrants to Europe and never gave them the opportunity to escape the cycle of poverty, violence and marginalization. I could never understand why children of immigrants are trapped into the lives of their fathers and why children of immigrants never find seats in some of the best universities in Europe where they can have an opportunity to become professors, scientists, businessmen, lawyers, economists and physicians. There is a world of difference between Europe and the US notwithstanding what Republicans like Kilgore believe in.
Dominique de Villepin, Nicolas Sarkosy and Jacques Chirac could ever have the vision that the US has. To these leaders and leaders all across Europe, immigrants are like the old Black salves in times past. Europe today is like the US of the turn of century when slavery and disfranchisement from society was the order of the day.
France and Europe don’t know what they are missing, and they are missing out a lot from the marginialization of immigrants and children of immigrants.
I always feel a great sense of pride and empowerments when I read in the papers that children of immigrants are top graduates in high school and in universities all across the country. Yes, American have lots of problems and we must never surrender to the xenophobic feeling of right wing politicians, but American remain the only country in the world that gives the opportunity to new immigrants and where children of immigrants are always proud of their immigrant roots. Let us not forget that the Holocaust and the ethnic cleansing and mass murder of Bosnians place in Europe.

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Original Post: 17 Nov 2005

Sitting in Agadir, Morocco on a windy, hazy and lazy afternoon, I am enjoying reading Amin Maalouf’s book “ The Crusade Through Arab Eyes” a very well written and enjoyable book that takes one back in time to the “Christian Holy Wars” of time past.
In the chapter titled” The Cannibals of Ma’arra” I could not help but complete the chapter and go to my computer and write this short essay. For those who are familiar with Arab litterateur and poetry, most if not all recalls the blind poet Abu’l Ala’al-Ma’ari. I recall of his most famous verses where he blames his father for bringing him to this world and ask the question what did he do to his father to deserve such thing? I was so stuck with the following verses:
The inhabitants of the earth are of two sorts:
Those with brains and no religion,
And those with religion, but no brains.

I read this verse few days after terrorist and suicide bombers attached 3 hotels in Amman, committing mayhem and murder and ask the question do these people have any brains or any religion? My conclusion is those terrorists have neither brains nor religion.
Amin Maalouf’s book is such a timely reading because it takes us back to the days of the Crusades and I knew from my days in middle school about the crimes and murder committed by these Christian Holy Worriers but I never knew the extent of murder and systematic killing these Christian Holy Worriers engaged in. More than 10,000 inhabitant of the town of Ma’ara where put to the swords. These Holy Worriers put more than 70,000 Jews, Christians and Muslims to death in the holy city of Jerusalem.
In the days of the Crusades, it was the “Christians” who were committing such crimes and these days it is the “Muslims” who are committing similar crimes. While the numbers of those killed by these “Muslim Jihadists” did not reach the number of death and murder committed by the “Christian Crusaders” the result and the motives are the same. Evil, murder and killing that took place some 1000-year ago, is the same that is taking place now, where killing of innocent people is committed by those who profess faith. Islamic Jihadists of today are no better than Christian Holy Worriers of the past.
We only need to go back to the above verses and see that the finding of Al’Ma’ari and his definition of world inhabitants have evolved to the worst. In today’s world the people have no brains and no religion. It seems that religion and brain are incompatible today as it was incompatible in times past. We only need to look at today’s world leadership and see that “they” do not have the brain nor the religion, because of there are brains, the world will not be in such a big mess it is in now, and if there was religion the world will not be the big mess it is in now!
We only need to look at some of those “brains” and “religion” out there to see that they nave neither. Those who planned and executed the war in Iraq did not have the brain or the religion. Those those who are carrying out the mayhem in Iraq of suicide bombing have no religion and certainly have no brains. Those big time names of Christianity and Islam, the likes of Osama Bin Laden and Pat Robertson have neither brain nor religion. The Christian Crusaders of time past are criminal and as evil as the Muslim Jihadists of today. Let us hope that world leaders of the future will be blessed with both religion and faith. Those those who continue to insist on occupation in the name of God have neither brains nor religion. There comes a time, when we need to live free from fear of these Jihadists and live free from dictatorships and live free from military occupation.

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