David Letterman, back with his former edge, getting tough and political with Fox's Bill O'Reilly on Iraq (LINK).
October 2006 Archives
During the last ten months I applied twice to Toot, the 'Arabic Blog Network'; I was never listed and did not even receive an acknowledgement of my application. That is absolutely fine, it is a private venture and they have every right to choose whomever they want to list there.
I would therefore like to highlight an Arabic Blog Network to our Kuwait-based bloggers and colleagues who may want to grow their audience: Dwwen (دوّن). Application is simple and your blog will be listed under their engine within two days.
From the Dwwen (دوّن) website:
لا ليست خدمة استضافة مدونات جديدة. دوّن هو ملتقى للمدونين العرب. الفكرة الرئيسية هي قراءة جلب آخر المواضيع من المدونات المشتركة ثم القيام بأرشفتها على حسب كلمات مفتاحية. وفي الصفحة الرئيسية للموقع ستظهر مواضيع مميزة تقوم إدارة دوّن باختيارها. كذلك ستكون هناك قائمة بآخر المواضيع المضافة. هناك كذلك عملية البحث اعتمادا على الكلمات المفتاحية وهذه العملية تسهل الوصول للمعومات بشكل أسرع.
تتم الأرشفة بطريقتين: الأولى حسب كلمات مفتاحية للمدونة. والثانية حسب كلمات مفتاحية خاصة بكل موضوع
لن تكون هناك شروط للاشتراك مع دوّن فالكل متاح له الإشتراك
Good luck all, may you find a new audience through Dwwen (دوّن).
An Old Kuwaiti Neighborhood (from Kuwait.Past.Com)
'After Iftar Corner'
Embrace Tolerance
Reprinted From Arab Times (15th October, 2006)
By Amer Al-Hilal
During the blessed month of "Ramadan," Muslims fast, abstain from impure thoughts and actions, donate to charity, and aspire to live up to the ideals of our beloved Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) by worshiping Allah, the All-Mighty, through their hearts and minds.
Tolerance, humility, civility and compassion, I was raised to believe, were noble characteristics that required constant support and encouragement. These characteristics in an individual are an offshoot of a decent upbringing by conscientious parents everywhere; indeed they are among many pillars of Islam, and are embodied by the character of our beloved Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him).
The origins of Kuwait, prior to the oil boom, were also founded on tolerance, kindness and an innate curiosity of other cultures and peoples. Our citizens were pearl divers and merchants, they traveled far and wide, and they become proficient at languages - ranging from Swahili to Indian; our livelihood depended on it. Kuwait was far from affluent during those harsh years; people woke up at dawn, women would work tirelessly to bake food and take care of the homes and - by and large - men would do manual labor. Nevertheless, the community was phenomenal: strong, vibrant, and enriched by a sense of camaraderie, of belonging, united by faith and love. All would share sorrow and happiness; for instance, wedding celebrations would last for days. Long pilgrimages to distant exotic lands, by camel caravans and by the traditional wooden Kuwaiti "Dhows" would span months, occasionally longer. The women and children stayed behind working hard, protecting other's homes and possessions. Indeed, we were expatriates and laborers in other countries, away from our families for extended periods.
An Old Kuwaiti Gate (from Kuwait.Past.Com)
And yet we were a beacon of tolerance and kindness. Kuwait was the foremost Gulf country to build an American Hospital, to embrace non-Muslims into their communities, notably missionaries, leading to the establishment of churches and places of worship here. We were an open, transparent and God-fearing society; our minds were wide open and our arms were ready to welcome strangers who might ride through the visage of a distant sandstorm into our "Kut," (the word Kuwait derives from it, meaning "Little Fort").
We never were a country that fueled fanaticism, bigotry, injustice, corruption: rising embezzlement, shopkeepers being attacked because they stocked Christmas trees, foreigners being targeted because of race or country of origin, Kuwaiti cultural legacy being shunned (because they include music or dance), rising censorship against all forms of intellectual works, among many other examples. These events are un-Islamic; a warped, narrow-minded form of ignorance roaming under the guise of religion.
Celebrating A Feast (from Kuwait.Past.Com)
Tolerance, compassion, sincerity, humility, treating individuals with respect - regardless of rank, race, ethnic background or religion; these are both Islamic ideals and traditional Kuwaiti ideals, they are a form of charity: pure in nature, high in stature and evocative of equality and goodwill.
These ideals should be embraced, always, not just during the holy month of Ramadan. They were the ideals of our beloved Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) and a way of life. Only by acquiring knowledge of our Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) and emulating his gentle, just and compassionate traits, can we become better Muslims.
This is an old thread that got lost in the shuffle, but I am posting it again. I took the following pictures during a trip to Dubai last June.
It hurts, doesn't it?
E-Government: They Do It, They Don't Spend 10 Years Talking About It.
Compare and contrast with Kuwait's Ministry of Energy, an entity that cannot guarantee water or electricity to all citizens and would rather blame its own citizens for water and electricity usage in 55 degree heat during August than accept responsibility.
The Ministry Of Information Would Make Life Miserable For Any Major Bookstore In Kuwait.
An Authentic Rating System For Films Instead Of Banned Releases In Kuwait Such As THE OMEN And THE DA VINCI CODE.
A Festival Of Western Singing
You Can Settle Your Traffic Tickets Or Renew Papers At any 'Dubai Police Traffic Services' Outlet Available In Most Malls.
Promoting Commerce And Tourism
Good Old-Fashioned Customer Service And Courtesy
Eat You Heart Out, 'Marina Mall'. The 'Water And Electricity Authority' Builds Ice Rinks In Malls For The Public During The Summer
"Show me the money and you can *maybe* get your films."
Dear Kuwaiti Customs Officer,
Thank you for working diligently in helping 'protect' Kuwait.
Please give the incoming DVD shipments a break.
Give the customers a break. Don't charge people 200% customs fees on a $30 DVD movie. All you are doing is indirectly impacting trade between the US/Europe and Kuwait and encouraging people to buy pirated copies of DVDs - available on every street corner in Hawally and beyond.
If someone has the decency to abide by copyright laws and purchase films through www.amazon.com or other outlets, you should encourage, not discourage that. This is the age of Torrent feeds, of online movie download services, of piracy, you cannot impose intellectual or creative control on Kuwaitis anymore, so might as well just go with the flow. Why store hundreds of DVD shipments in your warehouse? Do you fear that there may be a copy of DEBBIE DOES DALLAS VI in there?
Officer, on a concluding note, please focus your formidable skills on weapons and drug smuggling, money laundering, radioactive material entering Kuwait and working with the Ministry of Information in eradicating piracy, both film and software.
Thank you. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll go watch my DVD of Cheech and Chong's UP IN SMOKE.
Cheers.
While watching yesterday's friendly Brazil-Kuwait match (LINK) and the soaring spectators: men, women, children, Kuwaitis, expatriates, all doing the wave, chanting and singing, I realized I was transported back to Kuwait in the late 70s, which I used to visit as a young boy; when life was simple, tolerant, open, not shackled by the corruption and radicalism that currently seethe through our system and social life in Kuwait.
Here we had people having fun. We had the best football team in the world in our country and we were hosting them and enjoying every bit of it. Pele, the legendary football player was present as guest of honor, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robinho, and many other stars shone amidst the crowd of 20,000 spectators.
Whether Brazil or Kuwait won was irrelevant. Anyone knows that if it wasn't a friendly match the score would have been Brazil - 25, Kuwait - 0, but that is not the point. The theatrics were not the point. The tacky musical interludes were not the point. The point is people were having fun again, away from the bureaucracy, routine and stress in their lives. It was the Kuwait of yester-year when we were the Pearl of the Gulf, when expatriates flocked here, when people were simpler, kinder and didn't need to threaten others with their extremism; when the country was booming and hopes for the future and shining optimism fueled us all.
To anyone who aspires to help Kuwait regain its foothold again in the international spotlight and to offer delight to our citizens, whether in the sports world, the arts world, the world of entertainment, any sphere; they deserve our support and our thanks. Member of Parliament Marzouq Ali Al-Ghanim, the pioneer behind last night's event, deserves our special gratitude for spearheading this event, refusing to allow last year's cancellation shroud future plans.
To the youngsters reading our blog, I feel empathy for you. You had a taste last night of what Kuwait was like 25 years ago, but to us older folk it was a way of life.
I have just returned from an Umrah trip to the Holy City of Mecca.
During our initial arrival in Saudi Arabia, we had broken our fast in the car (around 6:10 pm). As soon as I entered the vicinity of Mecca, a serene peace of mind enveloped me. This is not an uncommon feeling for a Muslim. And it would last for days while we were in the city, fasting, praying and reading the Holy Koran.
After checking into our hotel, we swiftly ventured into al-Masjidu'l-Ḥarām and performed the Umrah. The crowds literally standing shoulder to shoulder but the sentiment of performing the Umraa and completing it was splendid. No matter how many times one performs the Umraa, the sensation of fulfillment upon completing it is immense.
I have enclosed the following pictures of the trip (they were taken with the Treo 650 camera so please excuse the quality)
Mecca Bound
A Street In Mecca
A Glimpse Of The Holy Mosque
The Past Meets The Future
Waiting For The Distribution Of Food And Drink
Thousands Of People Waiting For Free Dates And Drink From The Saudi Authorities
One Of The Entrances To al-Masjidu'l-Ḥarām
My Favorite Snapshot. It Possesses An Ethereal, Spiritual Quality.
At Any Of These Restaurants One Can Order Literally Hundreds Of Meals To Be Distributed To The Needy (The Prices Are 3 Or 5 Riyals Per Person. You Can Feed 100 People For Between 24KD ($65) and 40KD ($135).
Squabbling Over Food Distribution
Distributing Food For The Needy
Breaking The Fast With Water And Dates On The Roof Of The al-Masjidu'l-Ḥarām
The Maghrib Prayer On The Roof
Breaking The Fast
It is sad and shameful when the Times Of India runs a piece condemning living conditions for Indians in Kuwait. The article is indicative of the power some Kuwaiti contracting companies have over the law. (LINK)
An Excerpt:
The protest was held on Monday by Indian, Egyptian and Filipino workers. "We live in inhuman conditions. We live in a desert in an uninhabited area. There are no telephones or modes of transportation. We have to drink polluted water, and the stench here is terrible. Also the place is infested with insects," said Ashraf, one of the workers at the camp.
The workers are now almost imprisoned in the camp and can't leave, the report in the Kuwait Times on Tuesday said. According to Ashraf, the municipality shut down the camp six months ago but the contracting company succeeded in reopening it.
