tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29394976448117845012024-03-13T13:49:01.376+02:00Climbing WallsAn American Muslimah living in Palestinealajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-73224357332505326802010-08-18T11:29:00.000+03:002010-08-18T11:29:36.612+03:00Death in Jerusalem: An American woman seeks justice for Palestinian husband - latimes.comHere is an excellent article about my friend whose husband was killed by the Israelis in Jerusalem last June.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-palestinian-shot-20100818,0,2313426,full.story">Death in Jerusalem: An American woman seeks justice for Palestinian husband - latimes.com</a>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-66768714534238559532010-07-26T13:40:00.000+03:002010-07-26T13:40:07.306+03:00Justice sought over Jerusalem shooting<object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bgMwNI-guHA&hl=en_US&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bgMwNI-guHA&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-60311200108842240192010-07-26T13:37:00.000+03:002010-07-26T13:37:45.067+03:00What's the worst that could happen? Oh, yeah...I know it has been ages since I posted and I don't know if anyone still reads this blog, but I have a story to tell that is just heartbreaking. Ziad Jilani, the husband of one of my closest friends was killed by the Israeli border police in Jerusalem on Friday, June 11. He drove his car into a neighborhood where kids were throwing stones and it looks like his car was hit and he lost control of it and swerved toward the border police. When they started shooting, he ran for his life, but he was shot several times and fell to the ground. Instead of arresting Ziad at that point, one of the police walked up to him and shot Ziad in the face and body. He never had a chance to explain or defend himself.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/TE1kkAbor-I/AAAAAAAADsY/OyFAjMAPwug/s1600/yazzwithbaba%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/TE1kkAbor-I/AAAAAAAADsY/OyFAjMAPwug/s320/yazzwithbaba%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br />
My friend is an American like me, who moved to Jerusalem years ago to live close to her husband's family. They have 3 lovely daughters, all US citizens, who are now fatherless. Ziad was a good man. he was a dedicated family man who always put his family first. It was so refreshing to see a married couple who were still so much in love after so many years and I can't even begin to imagine how Moira will cope with the loss of this wonderful husband and father. She has permanent resident status in Jerusalem, and plans to stay in Jerusalem and continue to raise her daughters here. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/TE1krvjfQfI/AAAAAAAADsg/PP_tbPggqvE/s1600/riding%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/TE1krvjfQfI/AAAAAAAADsg/PP_tbPggqvE/s320/riding%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br />
To compound this terrible tragedy, the initial press reports were calling Ziad a terrorist. He definitely was not, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. His wife Moira filed a case in the Israeli courts, but Palestinians, and even pro-Palestinian Americans have gotten little justice from Israeli courts. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/TE1k8QnjY9I/AAAAAAAADso/wlQeMPG-Ots/s1600/fam3%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/TE1k8QnjY9I/AAAAAAAADso/wlQeMPG-Ots/s320/fam3%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Al Jazeera English finally did a piece on Ziad today, and I wanted to share it with you, but blogger has changed and I can't figure out how to embed a YouTube video here. I will try to do it from YouTube later.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-51239922842351409182009-03-31T14:44:00.004+03:002009-04-01T09:04:44.035+03:00on the sunny sideAfter my last post, my younger daughter said "People who read your blog will think our yard is so beautiful." She is a "the glass is half empty" sort of person. There are ugly bits for sure, but why would I concentrate on them? She sees mostly the mud and weeds.<br /><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICO3Ii6tI/AAAAAAAABVQ/ZlALV4Lbkcw/s1600-h/welcome+to+our+house-797952.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICO3Ii6tI/AAAAAAAABVQ/ZlALV4Lbkcw/s400/welcome+to+our+house-797952.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316564219194066" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">But I love the lush greenness of spring. I love the weeds.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMsknI4I/AAAAAAAABUI/2WmrauUHHsI/s1600-h/lush-790805.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMsknI4I/AAAAAAAABUI/2WmrauUHHsI/s400/lush-790805.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316527024382850" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">If you get down close, they are spectacular. (The picture below was taken from under the tree in the picture above.)<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLvKdA6I/AAAAAAAABTY/KnDg7LNOko0/s1600-h/getn+down+in+it-786603.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLvKdA6I/AAAAAAAABTY/KnDg7LNOko0/s400/getn+down+in+it-786603.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316510540104610" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">There is this ugly fence all around the front yard. I try to keep it out of my pictures most of the time. See that bush hanging from the wall on the right?<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLZ8GSqI/AAAAAAAABTI/na6oj55Od8A/s1600-h/eyelevel-785338.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLZ8GSqI/AAAAAAAABTI/na6oj55Od8A/s400/eyelevel-785338.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316504842750626" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">It grows there every year, right out of a crack in the wall.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMOJB2RI/AAAAAAAABTw/Vuncq7lBFVM/s1600-h/just+hanging+around-788048.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMOJB2RI/AAAAAAAABTw/Vuncq7lBFVM/s400/just+hanging+around-788048.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316518855629074" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">The flowers are amazing. In 2 months it will look entirely dead, but it will grow back next spring, inshaAllah.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICL39ChgI/AAAAAAAABTo/Kb8H0Pp0LSU/s1600-h/hanging+bush+closeup-787617.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICL39ChgI/AAAAAAAABTo/Kb8H0Pp0LSU/s400/hanging+bush+closeup-787617.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316512899761666" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">I have been trying to get a good shot of these blue flowers for years, but I have such a hard time convincing my cheap, point-and-shoot camera to focus on them.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICNJE8JlI/AAAAAAAABUg/LsV1m1An1Ww/s1600-h/shy+blue+flowers-792094.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICNJE8JlI/AAAAAAAABUg/LsV1m1An1Ww/s400/shy+blue+flowers-792094.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316534676170322" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">One is almost in focus! These flowers are about the size of my little fingernail.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICNjNLVrI/AAAAAAAABUo/50mQROsZQQ0/s1600-h/shy+blue+flowers+closeup-792430.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICNjNLVrI/AAAAAAAABUo/50mQROsZQQ0/s400/shy+blue+flowers+closeup-792430.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316541690042034" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">There are so many cool shapes. Look at the little heart shaped seed pods.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICN_CMH8I/AAAAAAAABUw/6Ov7LbeZPnA/s1600-h/tiny+hearts-794663.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICN_CMH8I/AAAAAAAABUw/6Ov7LbeZPnA/s400/tiny+hearts-794663.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316549160148930" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">Weird and cool.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMysS2_I/AAAAAAAABUY/akoIOYLV7E0/s1600-h/purple+crown-791796.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMysS2_I/AAAAAAAABUY/akoIOYLV7E0/s400/purple+crown-791796.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316528667220978" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">Some of the flowers are bigger, and it is hard to believe they are wild.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLwfq1jI/AAAAAAAABTg/7Kp3r2MHOaY/s1600-h/good+morning+glory-787096.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLwfq1jI/AAAAAAAABTg/7Kp3r2MHOaY/s400/good+morning+glory-787096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316510897526322" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">This definitely is a weed, it has vicious thorns on the tip of each point on the leaves, but the pattern is cool.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLd9c7aI/AAAAAAAABTA/sp5kSLsVPOc/s1600-h/don%27t+touch-784974.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLd9c7aI/AAAAAAAABTA/sp5kSLsVPOc/s400/don%27t+touch-784974.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316505922170274" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">So I have to be careful of those while I am roaming around trying to get eye level shots of tiny flowers.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMqYa0_I/AAAAAAAABUA/BUsOAszpCpA/s1600-h/little+yellow+cups-790010.jpg"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMqYa0_I/AAAAAAAABUA/BUsOAszpCpA/s400/little+yellow+cups-790010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316526436373490" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">I have a horrible time with the yellow and white flowers. They are always over exposed.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICK42UB5I/AAAAAAAABSw/y8X7myOf1xQ/s1600-h/bee+in+the+daisies-783838.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICK42UB5I/AAAAAAAABSw/y8X7myOf1xQ/s400/bee+in+the+daisies-783838.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316495960115090" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">So I have to darken the pictures a lot to get any detail in the flower.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICM6l6FkI/AAAAAAAABUQ/6BoC_lNbR_s/s1600-h/overexposed+daisies-791182.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICM6l6FkI/AAAAAAAABUQ/6BoC_lNbR_s/s400/overexposed+daisies-791182.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316530787915330" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">And the majority of the flowers are yellow.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLr3IV5I/AAAAAAAABTQ/cYvRncFnLPw/s1600-h/focus+is+an+issue-786031.jpg"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLr3IV5I/AAAAAAAABTQ/cYvRncFnLPw/s400/focus+is+an+issue-786031.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316509653751698" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">I have tried taking the pictures on a cloudy day, but the white still over exposes.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICOZdUWnI/AAAAAAAABU4/deKpdaHEM5Y/s1600-h/tiny+white+flowers-795921.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICOZdUWnI/AAAAAAAABU4/deKpdaHEM5Y/s400/tiny+white+flowers-795921.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316556253256306" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="mobile-photo">Like so....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdL_UInjDBI/AAAAAAAABVY/pIF38OOUQdE/s1600-h/white+daisy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdL_UInjDBI/AAAAAAAABVY/pIF38OOUQdE/s400/white+daisy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319594831253802002" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;" class="mobile-photo">See these big leaves? That's khubaysah. The leaves are cooked and eaten, a spring treat my husband loves. I usually wander around taking pictures while I am picking the leaves.<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLAtHusI/AAAAAAAABS4/kpqkNyZtcYs/s1600-h/daisies+and+khubaysa-784632.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICLAtHusI/AAAAAAAABS4/kpqkNyZtcYs/s400/daisies+and+khubaysa-784632.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316498069043906" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo">Umm Farouq mentioned khubaysah in a recent post, so I made a point of getting a picture for her. It grows all around the trunks of the olive trees. It doesn't seem to like growing in the open as much. I wish you could come pick some with me Umm Farouq. There is more than I can use.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMSiIWvI/AAAAAAAABT4/7_h_3VkhVd0/s1600-h/khubaysa+under+olives-788646.jpg"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICMSiIWvI/AAAAAAAABT4/7_h_3VkhVd0/s400/khubaysa+under+olives-788646.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316520034654962" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo">MashaAllah,<br /></p> <p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICOWiWg4I/AAAAAAAABVA/DJaG1d8jsmo/s1600-h/up+close+and+personal-797315.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICOWiWg4I/AAAAAAAABVA/DJaG1d8jsmo/s400/up+close+and+personal-797315.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316555469063042" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo">wa alhamdulillah.<br /></p><p style="text-align: center;" class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICOcVKN4I/AAAAAAAABVI/m04QHzG0id8/s1600-h/weird+purple-797577.jpg"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICOcVKN4I/AAAAAAAABVI/m04QHzG0id8/s400/weird+purple-797577.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5319316557024343938" border="0" /></a></p><p class="mobile-photo"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SdICO3Ii6tI/AAAAAAAABVQ/ZlALV4Lbkcw/s1600-h/welcome+to+our+house-797952.jpg"><br /></a></p><div dir="ltr"><br /></div>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-52207447812301989252009-03-22T13:41:00.007+02:002009-03-22T20:48:29.486+02:00I am still hereI don't know how to begin. I feel like I ought to write some long, angst-y explanation of why I suddenly stopped blogging but I don't feel up to it. I get the blues and withdraw from the world sometimes. Thank you to each of the lovely people who wrote comments to ask where I was and if I am ok. Sorry but I don't think I will respond to each of you individually. Will you forgive me if I offer you a few pretty pictures?<br /><br />I have been mostly looking at spring through my windows this year. This is the view from my bedroom window.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYsO5vwEiI/AAAAAAAABP0/zV2FUgR7kvk/s1600-h/the+view.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYsO5vwEiI/AAAAAAAABP0/zV2FUgR7kvk/s400/the+view.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315985044688343586" border="0" /></a>I really need to get out more, get a little fresh air and sunshine. Today was beautiful, and since the next couple days have rain forecast, I figured I ought to have a look at my yard while I can.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY02x1Yk5I/AAAAAAAABP8/Mr2ucEXSWpM/s1600-h/clear+skies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY02x1Yk5I/AAAAAAAABP8/Mr2ucEXSWpM/s400/clear+skies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315994525852275602" border="0" /></a>The plum tree by my kitchen window has started to bloom. I can't look at those flowers and not feel cheered.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpXgGk9zI/AAAAAAAABPU/k-LgTsr0qFA/s1600-h/plum+blossoms+1024x768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpXgGk9zI/AAAAAAAABPU/k-LgTsr0qFA/s400/plum+blossoms+1024x768.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315981893888702258" border="0" /></a>The garden is full of weeds and badly in need of some TLC. Those geraniums should have been pruned back last fall. I hurt my knee in October and haven't done a bit of yard work since.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk5kcP4EI/AAAAAAAABPE/6ThULQJnvB0/s1600-h/overgrown.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk5kcP4EI/AAAAAAAABPE/6ThULQJnvB0/s400/overgrown.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315976981610750018" border="0" /></a>Things are springing up all over the place. These snapdragons grew by themselves in the crack between the house and the sidewalk.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYsN5sVCGI/AAAAAAAABPs/piqcSg59s-U/s1600-h/snapdragons+in+the+cracks.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYsN5sVCGI/AAAAAAAABPs/piqcSg59s-U/s400/snapdragons+in+the+cracks.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315985027494119522" border="0" /></a>My camera's batteries need replaced. They don't hold a charge for very long. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpYUIDCWI/AAAAAAAABPk/No6Gb40MUk8/s1600-h/snapdragons.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpYUIDCWI/AAAAAAAABPk/No6Gb40MUk8/s400/snapdragons.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315981907853511010" border="0" /></a>I charged them over night and then ran around the house snapping pix quickly before the batteries went dead.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpXUqewSI/AAAAAAAABPM/1omAJbdC62g/s1600-h/photographing+wildflowers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpXUqewSI/AAAAAAAABPM/1omAJbdC62g/s400/photographing+wildflowers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315981890818064674" border="0" /></a>I don't know why but I can't get a good picture of how the wildflowers look except as closeups.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk4-nMmvI/AAAAAAAABO0/KNSSdI0xtzw/s1600-h/clover+flowers+1024X768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk4-nMmvI/AAAAAAAABO0/KNSSdI0xtzw/s400/clover+flowers+1024X768.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315976971456125682" border="0" /></a>What just looks like grass in this picture contains thousands of tiny flowers.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk5dWew5I/AAAAAAAABO8/VO8Lt6tO8y8/s1600-h/lemons+olives+and+weeds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk5dWew5I/AAAAAAAABO8/VO8Lt6tO8y8/s400/lemons+olives+and+weeds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315976979707511698" border="0" /></a>The cat divides his time between chasing butterflies in the flowers and waiting at the door for my husband to feed him.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk45W8fkI/AAAAAAAABOs/EjwwSr211OU/s1600-h/butterfly+hunting.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk45W8fkI/AAAAAAAABOs/EjwwSr211OU/s400/butterfly+hunting.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315976970045783618" border="0" /></a>Stupid kitty.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY03b281sI/AAAAAAAABQU/7axCISW73js/s1600-h/stupid+kitty.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 348px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY03b281sI/AAAAAAAABQU/7axCISW73js/s400/stupid+kitty.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315994537133135554" border="0" /></a>This all will need to be dug by hand. The plow can't get in these narrow parts of the yard without trampling the plants I want to keep.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk4rCTU0I/AAAAAAAABOk/8xloHY0jKAI/s1600-h/askadinia+tree.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYk4rCTU0I/AAAAAAAABOk/8xloHY0jKAI/s400/askadinia+tree.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315976966201103170" border="0" /></a>Everything looked pretty today.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpYFKa98I/AAAAAAAABPc/9EItKu0Jvl8/s1600-h/seeds+1024x768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScYpYFKa98I/AAAAAAAABPc/9EItKu0Jvl8/s400/seeds+1024x768.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315981903836936130" border="0" /></a>The field behind the house is full of pretty red flowers, but they don't grow much in my yard. I love to look at them, but it never looks as nice in the pictures.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY03FpXANI/AAAAAAAABQE/MCPkcf5QwAs/s1600-h/flowers+rocks+and+garbage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 170px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY03FpXANI/AAAAAAAABQE/MCPkcf5QwAs/s400/flowers+rocks+and+garbage.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315994531170549970" border="0" /></a>Luckily, my youngest picked me a hand full of them on his way home from school, right before my batteries went dead. (The color here is totally wrong. They are a deep, true red.)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY03cN765I/AAAAAAAABQM/pAiIKlT5Tsk/s1600-h/red+flowers+1024x768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/ScY03cN765I/AAAAAAAABQM/pAiIKlT5Tsk/s400/red+flowers+1024x768.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315994537229544338" border="0" /></a>Bye for now. InshaAllah it won't be another 6 months before I post again.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-64742642250006426782008-09-28T23:37:00.002+03:002008-09-28T23:40:35.527+03:00Jerusalem is nowThis article is from Al-Ahram Weekly, but I found it at the <a href="http://palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article650">Palestine Monitor</a>. I don't recommend that you follow the link to the Al-Ahram site, because Google says that the site has had some sort of malware that downloads from it. Anyway, I liked this so much that I decided to print it all here instead of just linking to it. It's all about delay tactics. The goal seems apparent, to delay making "peace" until the older generation that remembers the nakba is gone, so that no one is left to say, "that was my house, there is my home." They think the old will die and the young will forget. Do they think that Jews spent centuries saying "next year in Jerusalem," but Palestinians will forget in a generation?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jerusalem is now</span></span><br />Al-Ahram Weekly Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP<br />26 September 2008<br /><br />One doesn’t need to be an expert in the so-called "peace process" to know that Israel’s aim for the past 40 years has been to deny the Palestinians their rights. Having failed to break the backbone of the Palestinians and end their resolve to resist, Israel resorted to delay tactics. When not postponing urgent issues, it tried to empty from them all meaning. Thus the idea of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state was diluted into that of creating a self-rule entity, shorn of any real authority, over fragmented patches of land.<br /><br />This is what the Oslo process managed to produce over the past 15 years or so. The number of settlers in the occupied territories has doubled. A wall of racial segregation has been erected. The West Bank has been cut off from Gaza. And Jerusalem is now surrounded on all sides and stranded, with little or no connection to other Palestinian areas. When negotiations resumed, Israel tried to impart legitimacy on its major settlements, refusing to discuss the matter of the refugees and insisting on postponing any decision on Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the Israelis tirelessly tried to change the face of Jerusalem, building settlements inside and around it, altering and Judaising it by the day.<br /><br />Israel is now suggesting a Palestinian state with "interim borders". In return, it wants the Palestinians to give up, effective immediately, the right of return of the refugees. Israel also wants the Palestinians to cede claims to large swathes of their land — land that has been gulped up by settlements, land surrounding the Dead Sea, land in the Latrun villages (Imwas, Yalu, and Beit Nuba), etc. Israel is not in a mood to discuss Jerusalem right now. But it is in a good mind to build more settlements inside and around it.<br /><br />Israel may be changing its rhetoric, but not its tactics. Instead of opposing a Palestinian state, it is willing to accept a state that has no sovereignty to mention. Instead of keeping every single settlement it has created on Palestinian land, it is willing to pull out 3,000 settlers, leaving 450,000 in place.<br /><br />Everything Olmert and Barak have said so far suggests that they want to transform Jerusalem beyond recognition. The Jerusalem we all know is not the one they have in mind. The Jerusalem of Al-Aqsa Mosque, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount of Olives, Salwan, Al-Issawia, and other parts of the old town, is about to look very much like the neighbourhoods that have sprouted all around it: Izariya, Abu Dies and perhaps Beit Hanina.<br /><br />Every time Palestinian negotiators give an inch, Israel takes a mile; the Oslo Accords are but a case in point. It is fine to negotiate, but not when negotiations undermine the very basis of international resolutions and norms. UN resolutions — backed by rulings from the International Court of Justice — state that all the land Israel grabbed since the morning of 5 June 1967 are occupied territories. This goes for the old city of Jerusalem and its surroundings, the West Bank, Gaza, the Latrun villages, the Golan, and even the Shebaa Farms.<br /><br />Egypt insisted on taking back every inch of Sinai, just as Syria is holding out for every inch of the Golan. The Palestinians cannot accept less. We must insist on Israel’s withdrawal from all the occupied land, instead of being talked into a risky land exchange. It is bad enough that Israel took in 1948 half of the land the 1947 UN partition plan gave to the Palestinians. We don’t need to make things worse.<br /><br />And what exactly is going on in negotiations? It’s all kept under a tight lid, except for the randomly leaked piece of info suggesting that the issue of Jerusalem would be postponed, yet again. The Palestinian people are left in the dark about what’s really going on. Given the bitter experience of Oslo, when a done deal was hatched behind the back of official negotiators, this doesn’t augur well.<br /><br />Everyone knows that giving up Arab Jerusalem, or any part of it, is not an option acceptable to the Palestinian people. Also, any interim solutions, especially those postponing discussion of Jerusalem, are highly risky if not an outright sign of capitulation.<br /><br />The last thing we need is another deal that undermines our rights and weakens our people. Those negotiating on behalf of the Palestinians bear a huge responsibility in this moment. Anything they do can have long-term consequences for us all.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-63101450742455657192008-09-28T09:43:00.003+03:002008-09-28T09:49:29.517+03:00Israelis for ObamaWell, I am convinced........ that there is no hope.<br />HT <a href="http://alfalasteenyia.blogspot.com/2008/09/israelis-for-obama.html">al-Falasteenyia</a><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/K2VFRt5W4FM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/K2VFRt5W4FM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-39126066543756645522008-09-28T08:51:00.003+03:002008-09-28T09:15:01.014+03:00al Aqsa on Friday<a href="http://un-truth.com/israel/night-of-power-2008#comment-4297">UN-truth</a> has some pictures of the crowds at Masjid al-Aqsa on Friday night, and also some pictures from the Qalandia checkpoint earlier that day.<br /><br />She was wondering how so many people managed to get there despite all the checkpoints. Plenty of people who wanted to go, didn't make it. A friend of my son's from university tried to get into Jerusalem for Jummah and Taraweeh, but he is young and has a West Bank ID, so he tried to sneak through. He got caught, held for a few hours and roughed up a little. Then the forced him to sign a paper, ostensibly to promise he won't try it again, and then released.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-6503257673999338122008-09-25T22:47:00.005+03:002008-09-25T23:13:28.768+03:00Ramallah at night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNvs6IdDbHI/AAAAAAAAA10/TbgDjPAtru8/s1600-h/Ramallah+Ramadan+night.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNvs6IdDbHI/AAAAAAAAA10/TbgDjPAtru8/s400/Ramallah+Ramadan+night.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250050274076355698" border="0" /></a>I know these pictures are pretty blurry, but I wanted to show what Ramallah is like at night at the end of Ramadan. We went out for iftar and then shopping. Look at the see-through people! I had the shutter speed set at 1 second.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNvuSlOXM_I/AAAAAAAAA2M/3evUTTqcLFs/s1600-h/Ramallah+Ramadan+night+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNvuSlOXM_I/AAAAAAAAA2M/3evUTTqcLFs/s400/Ramallah+Ramadan+night+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250051793627853810" border="0" /></a>It was very crowded, but there were hardly any cars, and everyone was walking in the streets. The were street vendors selling balloons and toys all over the place, and everyone seemed cheerful except my poor husband. He hates shopping more than I do.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNvtjpvWpeI/AAAAAAAAA2E/gwCCqDHKRGg/s1600-h/Ramallah+Ramadan+night+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNvtjpvWpeI/AAAAAAAAA2E/gwCCqDHKRGg/s400/Ramallah+Ramadan+night+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250050987386119650" border="0" /></a>The guy on the left is selling sunglasses, and the girls in the red and pink hijabs are my daughters. I guess the good thing about blurry photos is that you don't have to worry about invading someone's privacy putting the pictures online.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-47507106149441177832008-09-24T21:11:00.005+03:002008-09-24T22:20:58.241+03:00It's gone<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqROcgtVcI/AAAAAAAAA00/Myk3Zi1FldQ/s1600-h/flowers+and+clouds.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqROcgtVcI/AAAAAAAAA00/Myk3Zi1FldQ/s400/flowers+and+clouds.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249667993011312066" border="0" /></a>I have tried to be so careful with the water this summer. I let a lot of the garden die, because I was trying to save the water from the cistern for use in the house. I always use it to wash the clothes and floors, and when the water from the main runs out we use the cistern water to flush the toilets and wash the dishes. I have gotten used to having the garden hose coming through the salon window and running to the kitchen or bathroom. The kids are even used to using it for their baths, after heating some on the stove.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqROiN6bwI/AAAAAAAAA08/0HapNwmqncc/s1600-h/orange+trumpets.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqROiN6bwI/AAAAAAAAA08/0HapNwmqncc/s400/orange+trumpets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249667994543091458" border="0" /></a>Today it was cloudy and on the cool side, but these pretty yellow flowers we beginning to get wilted looking. (I took the pictures a few days ago.) <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqROQnVHpI/AAAAAAAAA0s/NXAaJktl7Ls/s1600-h/yellow+daisies.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqROQnVHpI/AAAAAAAAA0s/NXAaJktl7Ls/s400/yellow+daisies.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249667989817859730" border="0" /></a> The orange ones have almost finished for lack of water. I am trying to train them to grow over the ugly chain link fence.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqRO9mBw6I/AAAAAAAAA1E/Ah_Li-kByD8/s1600-h/on+the+fence.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNqRO9mBw6I/AAAAAAAAA1E/Ah_Li-kByD8/s400/on+the+fence.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249668001891992482" border="0" /></a>So I decided to go out and water the garden. Before I got even half way finished, the water stopped. It's empty. We have got about a month before there is a chance of any substantial rain. And then this evening, the water containers on the roof ran out. So no baths tonight, no toilet flushing. I PRAY the water will come on tomorrow, inshaAllah.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-36563827403478298372008-09-22T21:59:00.006+03:002008-09-25T23:23:10.360+03:00I hate shopping<div style="text-align: center;">MashaAllah<br /></div>Obviously, there is something odd about me. Women are supposed to love shopping, especially for clothes. Women are supposed to love fancy clothes and weddings and dancing and all that stuff. But I seem to have been born without that gene. I even hated clothes shopping when I was a teenager. My favorite place to shop was in my sister's closet. She liked to shop and brought home the nicest clothes. I would look at her wearing them a couple of times, and if I decided I liked the way she looked in them then they probably would be ok on me. She liked to shop... she could go buy more. ;-) My oldest daughter is like her. "Shop 'till you drop" is fun to her, not a threat. And she is good at it too, and finds lots of bargains.<br /><br />Well, Miss Shop 'Till She Drops is getting married in less than a month. And oh my goodness there is a lot of shopping involved in getting married. In this culture, the groom pays for almost everything. Not only does he have to buy the wedding dress and gold jewelry, but he also has to buy his bride a new wardrobe. Some of everything. Suitcases full of new clothes. Then he has to buy furniture and rent a hall, and feed the guests. He pays for it, but she usually goes shopping with her mother and future mother-in-law. We went and chose the dress the week before Ramadan. It was too hot, but it was almost fun to see my daughter trying on wedding dresses. She looked so happy. And lovely. And I am pleased to report that I didn't cry even once. In public at least.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr7oqslqI/AAAAAAAAAzE/MQhLCR2gN7I/s1600-h/her+dress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr7oqslqI/AAAAAAAAAzE/MQhLCR2gN7I/s400/her+dress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248923300484912802" border="0" /></a>After the dress was chosen, well, that's when my enthusiasm ran out. Sure I want to see my daughter get all the pretty stuff she wants, but I would rather not have to walk all over creation to do it. Luckily, I got out of my motherly duty after only one day because they decided to shop in Jerusalem and I don't pass the checkpoint. So they finished it without me. I am sure I should be sad, or at least guilty, but I am not.<br /><br />I always thought people here were to into the gold jewelry, but my daughters are not. Neither of them likes wearing gold much, but my older daughter loves the bling bling stuff. Which is fine, since the bride is supposed to get one of these rhinestone-y sets to wear with the wedding dress before they give her the gold. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfyN7O6XII/AAAAAAAAA0E/J9_tyB-xAvw/s1600-h/bling+bling.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfyN7O6XII/AAAAAAAAA0E/J9_tyB-xAvw/s400/bling+bling.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248930211776060546" border="0" /></a>I am usually content to go along with whatever local customs are if they are important to other people, but there is one custom I just cannot tolerate. A lot of the weddings I go to have one part where the bride sort of sashays around the stage to the beat of a drum holding a Qur'an in a weird, fuzzy white cover. I have no idea why they do this. I don't think it is a custom for all Palestinian families, maybe it's only the Khalilis who do it. (Khalili = someone from the city of Hebron, which is called al-Khalil in Arabic. My husband's family is originally from there, although my husband was born in Jerusalem.) Anyway, I always found this custom inappropriate., and told my daughter that I do not want her to do it. We saw these examples in Ramallah. It looks like they are not whole Qur'ans but just 2 pages on a base that looks like a book. But look carefully at them. They have glitter hearts glued *on top of* the page, on the writing! A'uthu billah! Who thinks this is appropriate? These*will*not*be*at*my*daughter's*wedding! <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr8EnqVlI/AAAAAAAAAzU/PHL5nde9ClI/s1600-h/fuzzy+Qurans.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr8EnqVlI/AAAAAAAAAzU/PHL5nde9ClI/s400/fuzzy+Qurans.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248923307988375122" border="0" /></a>My biggest headache now is that I have to get a dress. No, I have to get at least 2 fancy outfits. My daughter will not let me wear my plain old black jilbab. Unfortunately I am a little on the big side. OK, not a little. And I am also taller than the average Palestinian woman, although I wouldn't be considered tall in the US. My sisters-in-law mostly come up to my shoulder. So finding clothes for me is a headache. I was hoping to get a nice conservative suit, or a plain dress with a pretty jacket. No luck. We went to the shop where I bought a dress for the engagement party last winter. That time, I got a rather simple brown dress with brown sequins on it. We went to several shops that had fancy falahi (village) and Khaliji (gulf) style dresses. My daughter insists that I choose something fancy, and glittery.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvYg-91pI/AAAAAAAAAzk/iXG216uTvzg/s1600-h/dress+shop.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvYg-91pI/AAAAAAAAAzk/iXG216uTvzg/s400/dress+shop.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248927095173535378" border="0" /></a>I like the traditional embroidered dresses, but no one in my husband's family wears them. It's a falahi thing it seems, and his family are "city folks." But I would love to have one of the cross stitched dresses anyway. Many of the women in the village I live in wear just gorgeous hand made dresses as a regular thing. I fell in love with the machine embroidered green one below, but they didn't have my size. I don't think my daughter would have thought it was fancy enough for her wedding anyway.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr75XlknI/AAAAAAAAAzM/jtGAzQbChOk/s1600-h/green+embroidery.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr75XlknI/AAAAAAAAAzM/jtGAzQbChOk/s400/green+embroidery.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248923304968163954" border="0" /></a>I love-loved this faux calligraphy embroidery abaya we saw, but of course that wasn't fancy enough either.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfyOK2NxlI/AAAAAAAAA0M/w1xK_SKK_JQ/s1600-h/calligraphy+abaya+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfyOK2NxlI/AAAAAAAAA0M/w1xK_SKK_JQ/s400/calligraphy+abaya+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248930215967442514" border="0" /></a>This dress fit, just. She didn't seem to think it was fancy enough. Everything that fit and I thought was comfortable looking wasn't fancy enough.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvZpz0aJI/AAAAAAAAAz8/MrZkA0oJvRk/s1600-h/blue+embroidered+dress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvZpz0aJI/AAAAAAAAAz8/MrZkA0oJvRk/s400/blue+embroidered+dress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248927114722568338" border="0" /></a>I kind of like these two. They were a little snug, but the lady in the store said they could be let out. I wish the burgundy one didn't have those big gold jewels. The fabric is kind of shiny although that doesn't show in the picture, and it is supposed to be wrinkly like that. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvY46wWhI/AAAAAAAAAzs/e8dezt5Qp2g/s1600-h/burgandy+and+beige.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvY46wWhI/AAAAAAAAAzs/e8dezt5Qp2g/s400/burgandy+and+beige.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248927101598325266" border="0" /></a>I hated the pink one, but the brownish might be ok.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvZeSK9EI/AAAAAAAAAz0/KLq1UMeFtc4/s1600-h/brown+and+pink.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvZeSK9EI/AAAAAAAAAz0/KLq1UMeFtc4/s400/brown+and+pink.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248927111628649538" border="0" /></a>The problem is that I like looking at this stuff, but I really want to buy it and hang it on the wall to look at, not wear! I wish my big sister could come and wear them a few times so I could decide, lol.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr7F4hp-I/AAAAAAAAAy0/SFjqXD7eW9k/s1600-h/red.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr7F4hp-I/AAAAAAAAAy0/SFjqXD7eW9k/s400/red.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248923291147675618" border="0" /></a>We also looked at fabric. I can't understand why fabric stores here are so small and have such a limited selection. I miss shopping in the US. The problem is I am not too confident about trying to make a fancy dress for my self. I am an ok seamstress when I have a pattern, but I don't have a pattern for a nice jacket. And I would be nervous cutting into an expensive piece of fabric. The dots on the fabric in the picture below are all glittery, but it didn't show in the picture, so I "photoshopped" some glitter into it.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvYfdj6RI/AAAAAAAAAzc/iDlYo9zLxOM/s1600-h/fabric.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfvYfdj6RI/AAAAAAAAAzc/iDlYo9zLxOM/s400/fabric.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248927094764988690" border="0" /></a>We spent the day shopping, and I still have no idea what I will wear. I didn't spend this much time on MY wedding clothes.<br /><br />Something I noticed about the wedding dresses here. None of them have sleeves. They are all strapless or have narrow straps. You can buy little bolero type jackets to go over them for mixed weddings, but the weddings in our family are segregated. The bride wears a long hooded cape over her dress when entering and leaving, and during the short part of the party when the not closely related men will come in to congratulate the couple. The ladies all show up in their abayas and jilbabs, but they shed those during the women only part of the party so they can dance, dance, dance. My in-laws love to dance.<br /><br />My mother actually picked out my wedding dress. It was off white had long sheer sleeves and a high neckline. It was sort of Victorian looking and I wore an antique brooch at my throat. It suited me perfectly, and was much more modest that anything I saw in the shops here.<br /><br />I got married in the US, and when we came here, my in-laws wanted to make us a Palestinian style wedding. I said "thanks, but no thanks." (Unlike Ms. Palin, we didn't take the money anyway. Can I get through a post without mentioning something political? Probably not.) I am just not into all this hooplah and fancy clothes and dancing. Ya Allah! And they are going to expect me to dance too! I forgot I have that to worry about too.<br /><br />This last picture was taken out of a window in one of the buildings we were shopping in. It is looking north from the center of Ramallah. As you can see, Ramallah really isn't a big city. Before you get to the hills in the back you will see farms, not city. Actually, I think you can find fields of olive trees less than a 15 minute walk from the center of Ramallah. And I have seen a horse drawn cart going through the center of town and passing the Palestinian Legislative Council's building many times, although I never manage to get a picture of it. And it is not there for tourists or something, just regular use hauling stuff.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr7jLcikI/AAAAAAAAAy8/WuYOE_x_cAc/s1600-h/north+from+Ramallah.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNfr7jLcikI/AAAAAAAAAy8/WuYOE_x_cAc/s400/north+from+Ramallah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248923299011660354" border="0" /></a>MashaAllah<br /></div>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-80354824353760934702008-09-21T23:34:00.004+03:002008-09-21T23:52:24.562+03:00more pictures of people trying to reach Friday prayers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNay2bqH3zI/AAAAAAAAAys/0fvh-HCQcrc/s1600-h/trying+to+get+to+friday+prayers+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNay2bqH3zI/AAAAAAAAAys/0fvh-HCQcrc/s400/trying+to+get+to+friday+prayers+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248579063954005810" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, I confess to being a little fixated on this topic. Anne Paq's blog has 2 posts of pictures from the Bethlehem checkpoint into Jerusalem, <a href="http://chroniquespalestine.blogspot.com/2008/09/palestinians-trying-to-reach-jerusalem_19.html">here</a> and <a href="http://chroniquespalestine.blogspot.com/2008/09/palestinians-trying-to-reach-jerusalem_2234.html">here</a>. Her <a href="http://www.annepaq.com/">website</a> is full of moving, emotional pictures of Palestine too. The<a href="http://www.activestills.org/"> active stills site</a> is also excellent. I hope they will forgive me for posting 2 of my favorites from last week. I love the way she caught the shadows in this one. I want to take pictures like this.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNay2R0_qNI/AAAAAAAAAyk/bQL3Zj_gDwE/s1600-h/trying+to+get+to+friday+prayers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNay2R0_qNI/AAAAAAAAAyk/bQL3Zj_gDwE/s400/trying+to+get+to+friday+prayers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248579061315250386" border="0" /></a>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-7929755713428315892008-09-21T11:30:00.002+03:002008-09-21T11:35:10.565+03:00more Ramadan picturesIf you didn't already see the link on <a href="http://www.sunnisisters.com/?p=3120">Sunni Sister</a>'s blog, check out<a href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/observing_ramadan.html"> these photos about Ramadan from the Boston Globe</a>. Surprisingly, there are several from Palestine, including more pictures of Qalandia (Kalandia) checkpoint.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-17060745388099946112008-09-21T09:46:00.002+03:002008-09-21T09:51:24.180+03:00Ramadan lights<a href="http://un-truth.com/israel/ramadan-nights-ramadan-lights#comment-4281">UN-Truth</a> posted a few more pictures of Jerusalem's old city streets decorated with lights. When I lived in Jerusalem years ago, I don't remember them decorating like this. I used to wish that Palestinians decorated with lanterns like I read they do in Egypt. I keep wanting to buy some of these lights when I am out, but my money always runs out before the list of stuff I am supposed to buy does.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-24251681497810077482008-09-20T10:57:00.005+03:002008-09-20T12:37:35.902+03:00hoping to be allowed to pray in al-AqsaThis picture was on the BBC this morning.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNTA34NN2pI/AAAAAAAAAyU/-J8ua3H9FNI/s1600-h/KALANDIA+ON+FRIDAY.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SNTA34NN2pI/AAAAAAAAAyU/-J8ua3H9FNI/s400/KALANDIA+ON+FRIDAY.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248031532006627986" border="0" /></a><blockquote>West Bank Palestinians wait to be granted access through the Israeli checkpoint at Kalandia so they can attend Friday prayers in the al-Aqsa mosque in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem(Photograph: Kevin Frayer/AP)</blockquote><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_enl_1221839171/html/1.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/08/middle_east_enl_1221839171/html/1.stm</a>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-8721877064076350952008-09-19T06:10:00.007+03:002008-09-19T09:01:39.474+03:00I'm wondering about you!<div id="chrome-stream-title" class="title">L_Oman from <a href="http://shockedculturally.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Culture Shocked</a> started a <a href="http://shockedculturally.blogspot.com/2008/09/is-this-healthy-game-of-tag.html">game of tag</a>. She asked:<br /><blockquote style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Am I the only blogger out there that sometimes thinks of other bloggers?<br />Have I lost it? Gone over the edge? Is it right? Is it ok?<br /></blockquote>Oh dear! If it is not "right" and "OK," then I am really in trouble because I am always wondering about the other bloggers I read. So L_Oman tagged me. She wants each of us to list 5 other bloggers that we think about.<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"></span><blockquote><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Post at least five blogs that you read and tell us what you wonder about with them!</span></blockquote>So I have been pondering this for a couple days now, and I have no idea how to choose just 5. If you look at my blog roll, you will see that I have way too many blogs I try to keep up with. LOL, my Google reader has twice that many.<br /><br />Beth used to have a blog called "Indiana Beth," but she recently moved to Jordan and now it's called <a href="http://indianabethy.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The United States of Jordania</a>. She hasn't posted a lot lately, and I am wondering how she is adjusting to the big changes and how is her Ramadan going? And Molly from <a href="http://multiculturalmuslimah.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">The Confessions of a Multicultural Muslimah</a> just moved to Egypt and <a href="http://izzymo.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Izzy Mo</a> just moved to Dubai, so I am wondering how all three of them are doing.<br /><br />Najiya from <a href="http://prairieheartofdamascus.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Prairie Heart of Damascus</a> doesn't update very often, but I often wonder what is going on in her world. She teaches English in Syria, and she has <a href="http://islamicbookstore.com/b9590.html">written a novel</a>. Cool, huh?<br /><div id="chrome-stream-title" class="title"><br /></div> <a href="http://writeoussisterspeaks.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Aaminah Hernández</a> has been updating her blog a lot lately, journaling about how her Ramadan is going and posting some very useful hadith for building an Islamic character. I keep checking her blog to see if she is meeting her goals and if she has gotten over the nasty cold she got as soon as Ramadan started.<br /><br /><a href="http://artemisiarants.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Saha</a> has recently returned from Yemen where she was studying, and I have been reading about her trip and some life changing experiences she had in <a href="http://openingheart.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Yemen Journey</a>. <a href="http://aliainegypt.muslimpad.com/" target="_blank">The Cairo Gyro</a> is by a sister who is studying Arabic in Egypt, and <a href="http://damascusdreams.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Damascus dreams</a> was studying Arabic in Syria, although she has not updated in nearly a year. I always want to hear more about their travels and studies. I wonder what it is like. To be honest, I am kind of jealous of their chance to concentrate on their own education, although I don't think I would have been up to what Saha went through.<br /><br />I always make <a href="http://southernmuslimah.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Southern Muslimah</a> one of the first blogs I check if she has posted. I am jealous of her too, because she has been involved in this wonderful project to assemble packages of food to distribute this Ramadan, and before that they made up backpacks full of supplies for poor kids going back to school. I wonder how she got all that organized and wish I was doing something as good as that too.<br /><br />In addition to L_Oman's blog <a href="http://shockedculturally.blogspot.com/">Culture Shocked</a> I always read <a href="http://strangerinthisdunya.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Stranger in this Dunya</a> and <a href="http://susiesbigadventure.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Susie's big adventure</a> but they both have been tagged already. I would love to have them over for tea along with <span class="entry-author-name">AlienBea from </span><a href="http://southernmuslimah.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://bandorapress.com/blog/alienbea.html" target="_blank">Underwater Light</a> <span class="entry-author-name"></span>, <a href="http://khadijateri.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">KhadijaTeri</a> and <a href="http://mamamona.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">mamamona</a>, so I could hear more about their kids and lives.<br /><br />Amy from <a href="http://ibnatalhidayah.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ibnat al-Hidayah: Daughter of Guidance</a> sounds really interesting. She is about my daughter's age and I wonder how her school work is coming along and how she is coping. I wish I had had a friend like her when I was in college.<br /><br />I also wonder about <a href="http://wayfarersjourney.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">a wayfarer's journey...</a> and <a href="http://getoutlines.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Outlines</a> since they are both pregnant, may Allah give them safe deliveries and healthy babies, inshaAllah. And I wonder when JD is going to post more baby pictures at <a href="http://dunner99.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dunner's.</a> What a darling, mashaAllah, mashaAllah!<br /><br />There are a bunch of Palestinian bloggers that I wonder about, but they don't have the kind of blogs where they play games like tag. I always read Joy in Palestine's blog <a href="http://inpalestine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">I Saw it in Palestine.</a> She is a member of the Christian Peacemakers Team and she was living in a very small village called Tuwani south of Hebron where the people are often subject to attacks from settlers. Joy has gone back to the US now, temporarily I think, but her friend Jessica is there writing <a href="http://ordinary-folks.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ordinary People</a>. <a href="http://hebronorphans.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Orphans Under Threat</a> is all about the schools and orphages run by an Islamic charity in Hebron that the Israelis are planning not only to close, but to <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">confiscate</span> so no one can use them. That blog is maintained by another CPT member. Then there is <a href="http://hannahinpalestine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hannah in Palestine</a> and <a href="http://web.mac.com/nora78/iWeb/NoraInPalestine/blog/blog.html" target="_blank">Nora in Palestine</a>. I used the signature "Carol in Palestine" for years and years, but I guess that was not so original, lol. Neither is alajnabiya. I have run across <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">4</span> other variations of the name ajnabiya online since I started using that name. :-( Back to my topic, <a href="http://bodyontheline.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Body on the Line </a>is an American woman teaching at an Najah University in Nablus. I always wonder how all these people ended up in the West Bank. And there is <a href="http://un-truth.com/" target="_blank">UN-Truth</a> and <a href="http://ourlifeinjerusalem.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Our life in Jerusalem,</a> who are westerners in Jerusalem.<a href="http://ourlifeinjerusalem.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a><div id="chrome-stream-title" class="title"><br /><a href="http://fromgaza.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">From Gaza, with Love</a>, <a href="http://tabulagaza.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">tabula gaza</a>, <a href="http://contemplating-from-gaza.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Contemplating from Gaza</a> and <a href="http://gazagardens.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Gaza Gardens: The Save Gaza Blog</a> are all by people living in Gaza. How do they manage? May Allah give them strength and change their situation for the better. Is the Gaza gardens project still going, I wonder? They gave seeds and chickens to people and helped them to be a little more self reliant.<br /><br />There are 2 more pro Palestinian bloggers that I wish I knew more about, <a href="http://lawrenceofcyberia.blogs.com/news/" target="_blank">Lawrence of Cyberia</a> and <a href="http://bruisedearth13.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">bruised earth,</a> but they both have serious, not chatty blogs. I assumed that Lawrence of Cyberia was a guy, but apparently he's a she. There is a link to a facebook profile on the page, and I have almost been tempted to join facebook just so I can read more about the author of this excellent blog.<br /><br />I have resisted joining facebook, because I already spend way too much time online, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">can't you tell?????</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" >Who you telln' to get a life? hmm...... Was I supposed to choose 5?<br /></span></div><br /></div>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-47621286652512290202008-09-17T12:09:00.004+03:002008-09-17T12:27:18.312+03:00Is it too late for an American overseas to register to vote?If you are an American living overseas, how can you vote in this November's presidential election? I heard about this site yesterday on NPR, and looked at it today. You can fill out the forms to register and request an absentee ballot online and then print them out. Some states will allow you to email them, but you have to look up each state's rules. I was last living in California, which allows you to fax them as long as you also mail the signed forms. If your ballot does not arrive on time, there is also a way to print out a Federal write in absentee ballot, <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">provided you register first</span>. Honestly, I wasn't going to bother to vote, but this business about <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erik-ose/pro-mccain-group-dumping_b_125969.html">McCain supporters sending out 28 million copies of a right-wing, terror propaganda DVD titled </a><em><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/erik-ose/pro-mccain-group-dumping_b_125969.html">Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West</a> </em>has me mad.<br /><br />The site is called <a href="https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/overseas/home.htm">Overseas Vote Foundation</a> and here is a video explaining it all.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/M3EHlJ-Qj68&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/M3EHlJ-Qj68&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-78949188779382450242008-09-15T22:42:00.004+03:002008-09-15T23:51:30.242+03:00Ramadan midpoint<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SM7JnDOnJsI/AAAAAAAAAyM/FMSoUutTyt8/s1600-h/ORANGE+FLOWER+AVITAR.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SM7JnDOnJsI/AAAAAAAAAyM/FMSoUutTyt8/s320/ORANGE+FLOWER+AVITAR.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246352288651880130" border="0" /></a>Ramadan is half way over already, and it has been pretty good so far. I set myself what I thought were pretty modest goals, and for the most part I have kept up with them. I haven't sat down at the TV all month, although I did check out some news videos online including the hurricane Ike devastation today. MashaAllah! May Allah help the people effected.<br /><br />I finished the 16th juz in the English translation of the meaning of the Qur'an this evening, so I'm doing ok there. Today's reading finished Surah al Kahf, which is my absolute favorite surah. The story of Musa (Moses) (alahi salaam) and Khidr (alahi salaam) makes life make sense to me. We think that things we don't like are tragedies, but sometimes they are blessings. Sometimes disasters like hurricanes are opportunities for so much good. They can bring communities together, give us opportunities to be charitable, remind us of how impermanent material things are and how valuable our families are. They should remind us to be grateful for what we have and warn us that it may all be taken away. And they hopefully teach us to practice sabr (patience). When the last hurricane was heading for New Orleans, I read some right wing Christian Zionist's blog who claimed that the hurricane was God's punishment because Condoleezza Rice had been here trying to force Israel to divide Jerusalem to make peace with the Palestinians. Not only does that man's arrogance astound me, thinking that he can speak for God's intentions, but I am always amazed that people think that one event has only one reason and one meaning. If Allah sends a hurricane to blow down my whole neighborhood, perhaps he is punishing some people, testing others' gratitude, removing some evil from others and forcing others to make changes in their lives that they would have been too afraid to try otherwise. We look at all the complexity of the natural ecological systems that brought a hurricane into being and say "God did that," but then refuse to see the complexity of WHY He may have done that. Perhaps I am not explaining my meaning well, because it is late. Ya Rabbi, please help me to benefit from the tests You send me!<br /><br />My third goal was to memorize al Zilzal and al 'Adiyat, inshaAllah. I have pretty much got al 'Adiyat down, though I still make mistakes. But I haven't even learned to read Zilzal properly yet. It takes me a long time to convince my tongue to pronounce the Arabic correctly.<br /><br />The last goal was to avoid all the over eating and sweets that are so often part of Ramadan. The sweets have been pretty easy to avoid, since my husband wants qatayyif almost every day, and I don't like it much. I ate one so far. But today I made banana bread, and ate 2 big chunks of it. That's much more tempting to me. But don't worry, the temptation is gone, since my kids gobbled it up as fast as they could. Other than that, I think I have done well.<br /><br />I missed suhoor twice so far, both times I am sure that I set my alarm but when I woke up it was off and I don't remember turning it off. The first time I woke in time to pray fajr, but the last time I missed it. So I ought to head to bed now so that that doesn't happen again, inshaAllah. I hope everyone else is doing well this Ramadan and meeting their goals.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-76748088037682752982008-09-06T22:57:00.003+03:002008-09-07T00:21:41.209+03:00Pictures of al Aqsa<a href="http://un-truth.com/israel/what-all-the-effort-and-longing-is-all-about-al-aqsa-and-dome-of-the-rock-on-the-first-friday-in-ramadan">UN-truth</a> posted some pictures taken at Taraweeh and Jummah prayers at al-Aqsa mosque yesterday. I wish I was there.<br /><br />For more pictures, <a href="http://www.visualdhikr.com/extra/aqsa_pano.php#">Visual Dhikr</a> has a wonderful 360 degree panoramic view of the inside of the al Aqsa Mosque (not to be confused with the Dome of the Rock with it's gold dome and blue tiles).<br /><a href="http://www.muslimtents.com/baytalmaqdis/index.html"><br />Malek's Page on Bayt Al-Maqdis</a> has more pictures of the whole al Aqsa compound, and and explanations and descriptions of the different buildings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://domain1203618.sites.fasthosts.com/Portals/0/Al_Aqsa_Site/41_domeofloversofprophet4we.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://domain1203618.sites.fasthosts.com/Portals/0/Al_Aqsa_Site/41_domeofloversofprophet4we.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a href="http://www.aqsa.org.uk/MULTIMEDIA/AlAqsaGuide/tabid/82/language/en-US/Default.aspx">Friends of al Aqsa</a> has a page that describes all of the little buildings around the al Aqsa compound. I used to sit with my friends under the "Dome of the lovers of the prophets" to study Qur'an together, while our little kids ran around and played in the gardens. (They are college students now.) This site used to have a very nice interactive guide, but it doesn't seem to be working for me now. InshaAllah it will be back.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-10618126630403882852008-09-02T10:29:00.005+03:002008-09-02T11:54:44.586+03:00Ramadan ramblings<a href="http://media.photobucket.com/image/fasting/green_lover_4ever/Islam/49268252_eb79196c45_o.jpg?o=81" target="_blank"><img src="http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd28/green_lover_4ever/Islam/49268252_eb79196c45_o.jpg" /></a><br />It's Ramadan already and I survived the first day. I hope averyone who is reading this and who celebrates/observes the fast of Ramadan will have a successful and rewarding month. The only thing I really did to prepare for Ramadan this year was to cut out most of my caffeine consumption for the last 2 weeks. It's usually caffeine withdrawal that gives me headaches the first few days of Ramadan, so I tamed that addiction ahead of time so that my first day of fasting was blissfully headache free, alhamdulillah. I was really worried about not being able to drink water during the day since the weather has been so hot lately, but as usual it wasn't as hard as I had anticipated, alhamdulillah. I always fear Ramadan, worried that I will struggle, but Allah makes it easier for me when the time comes, alhamdulillah again. It always amazes me that I have such a hard time sticking to a diet all year long, but fasting comes so easy. The thing I struggle with the most is just the lack of sleep. I hate to sleep during the day, but the night just isn't long enough!<br /><br />The first year I fasted Ramadan was in 1983, technically before I had embraced Islam. I was sort of trying things out that year. I hadn't read the Qur'an yet or leared to pray, but there was something special about Ramadan and the fasting that drew me to Islam. That year Ramadan started toward the end of May, and I think it included the longest day of the year in June too. MashaAllah I feel I was so much younger and stronger then and nothing seemed hard. Now I am worried about the upcoming Ramadans and the long hot days. I miss air conditioning!<br /><br />Last year I was so prepared for Ramadan. I was already reading Qur'an daily and memorizing. In the last few months I have been doing a lot of backsliding, so my goals this year are to get back to making as many prayers and reading and memorizing like I was last year. So these are my goals for the month:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. No television! </span>The TV stations in the Arab world seem to think that Ramadan is the month for TV. They put on all sorts of dramatic series and special shows. But I don't want to waste my time on TV. I got this banner from the blog <a href="http://dejavupress.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-post_27.html">Deja Vu</a>, via <a href="http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/09/01/arabeyes-ramadan-tv-for-and-against/">Global Voices Online</a>.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u3jq9dCHQJo/SKId1firTSI/AAAAAAAAAw4/0JWQr3SHkX4/s1600/Eng%2BBoycotting%2Bbanner.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u3jq9dCHQJo/SKId1firTSI/AAAAAAAAAw4/0JWQr3SHkX4/s1600/Eng%2BBoycotting%2Bbanner.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. Read the whole translation of the meaning of the Qur'an in English again.</span> I use <a href="http://al-quraan.org/index.html">Muhammad Farooq-i-Azam Malik's translation</a> of the meaning. It was a gift from a dear friend 2 years ago (May Allah reward you dear sister!) and I love it. Last night I finished the first juz, and this aya reminded me of a post I had read on the blog <a href="http://un-truth.com/israel/you-know-its-ramadan-when">UN-TRUTH</a> called "<a href="http://un-truth.com/israel/you-know-its-ramadan-when">You know it's Ramadan when....</a>" about the restrictions placed on Palestinians from the West Bank attending Friday prayers in al Aqsa Mosque. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SLz6I6D2cWI/AAAAAAAAAxc/GAjB67wx9Uo/s1600-h/2_114.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SLz6I6D2cWI/AAAAAAAAAxc/GAjB67wx9Uo/s400/2_114.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241339097283719522" border="0" /></a><br /><p style="text-align: center; font-family: verdana; font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> <blockquote>Who is more unjust than the one who prevents people from the Masãjid (place of worship) of Allah , forbids the mention of His name therein, and strives to ruin them ? It is not proper for such people to enter in them except with His fear. For them there is disgrace in this world and grievous punishment in the Hereafter. 2:114 </blockquote></span></p>The Israeli's rules for who is allowed to attend Friday prayers are as follows:<br /><span id="phBlockText" class="HPBriefText"><span style="font-family:Arial;"><ul><li>Married men between the ages 45-50 and married women between the ages of 30-45 <span style="font-style: italic;">who have received permission from the Civil Administration. </span></li><li>Men over the age of 50 and women over the age of 45 will be allowed to enter freely.</li></ul></span></span>I am digressing from my goals...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Memorize al Zilzal and al 'Adiyat.</span> That will give me almost 6 whole pages memorized, plus a few other ayat. Memorizing has never been my stong suit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. My final goal is to avoid the endless deserts and rich foods everyone serves</span> during Ramadan. Just because I fasted all day does not mean that I ought to over indulge at night.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-32794619446933197162008-08-23T18:37:00.003+03:002008-08-23T19:08:29.855+03:00West Bank Water Crisis CoverageThe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">BBC's</span> website and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">al</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Jazeera</span> both had coverage this week about the water situation here in the West Bank. The village I live in is connected to the West Bank water system, and the water has been off several days each week most of the summer. We have storage tanks on the roof of the house so we don't immediately run out of water when the main line runs out, but many times the storage tanks ran dry too. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Alhamdulillah</span> we live in a house with a cistern to collect the rain water that fell on the roof during the winter, so we use that when the water is off. Last week the water went off on Tuesday, and our storage tank on the roof was empty by Wednesday night. I have dozens of bottles of drinking water stored around the house, and we use the garden hose from the cistern to bring water to wash and flush toilets. That week the water stayed off until Saturday. This week the water went off on Tuesday as usual, but I did dishes and made everyone bathe with the well water so that the storage tank on the roof didn't run out. And I always use the hose to fill up my washing machine. I am so glad I have an American style top loading machine! My friend down the street lives in an apartment building without a cistern, and it is much harder for her. When her water runs out, it is really hard, since she has 5 kids. Can you imagine not being able to flush the toilets regularly? But I know that we still have it better than all those villages that aren't even connected to a water supply, like those in the article and video below. On the other hand, in one of our neighboring villages, they are connected to the same system as the neighboring Israeli settlement, and their water is on all the time.<br /><br />I used to mostly use the cistern's water for my garden and cleaning outside, but this year I have let a lot of the garden die. Last year the cistern ran dry before the summer was over, and I can't afford to have that happen again. Much as I love flowers, flushing the toilets is a higher priority.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bX0i2ZQm0N0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bX0i2ZQm0N0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7571779.stm">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7571779.stm</a><br /><br /><div style="font-family: times new roman;" class="headline"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">West Bank struggles for water </span></div> <div style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bo"> <p> </p></div> <!--Smvb--> <table style="font-family: times new roman;"> <tbody><tr> <td valign="bottom"> <!--Smvb--> By <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Wyre</span> Davies <br /> BBC News, Jerusalem <!--Emvb--> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <!--Emvb--> <div style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bo"> <b> </b> <p> <b> The former United Nations Secretary General, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Boutros</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ghali</span>, may not have been right when he said in the 1990s that the next major war in the Middle East would be about water, not politics. </b> </p><p> His statement, though, accurately reflected the strategic and political importance of water in the region. </p><p> For Israelis and Palestinians the control of water is almost as important as the control of land. </p><p> This year, much lower than average rainfall has led to drought conditions. </p><p> In Israel it is only just beginning to have an impact, but just a few miles away in the occupied West Bank, the crisis is much more acute for the Palestinians living there. </p><p> <b> 'Humiliating' </b> </p><p> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Rabab</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Zorab</span> lives just outside Bethlehem. Her husband has a good job and they have a comfortable home. </p><p> But, playing with her one-year-old daughter Justina, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Rabab</span> said it was humiliating having to wash at the homes of family members, or to go days without clean clothes because they have no water. </p><p> </p></div> <div style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bo"> The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Zorab</span> family hasn't had running water for more than two weeks. <p> Like every other family in this apartment block they have "back-up" tanks on the roof. </p><p> The tanks, though, are nearly empty despite the family's careful attempts not to use much of the precious water. </p><p> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Abir</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Suqar</span> lives in the same apartment block. She also has young children, two small boys, and has nowhere near enough water to do her daily chores. </p><p> "There's no water to have a bath or shower," says <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Abir</span>. </p><p> The young mother looks almost embarrassed as she says she is having to buy the boys new clothes because she cannot wash the ones they have. </p><p> In some areas of the West Bank, Palestinians only have one-third of the minimum daily amount of water recommended by the World Health Organisation. </p><p> Official figures show that per <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">capita</span> water consumption is three times less than in Israel, even though Israelis and Palestinians theoretically share many of the same water supplies. </p><p> <b> Growing population </b> </p><p> It is all about control. </p><p> Agriculture is an important industry in Israel and the country has developed some of the world's most efficient irrigation systems. </p><p> </p></div> <div style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bo"> But the cultivation of non-native crops - like bananas, which consume large amounts of water - is controversial. <p> Human rights groups accuse Israel of using its occupation of the Palestinian territories to control the supply of water from vast underground aquifers. </p><p> Uri Shani, the Director of Israel's Water Authority, says the problem is more fundamental. </p><p> "The population of this region - Lebanon, Israel, Syria and Jordan - has grown by more than 20 million in the last century", said Mr Shani. </p><p> "All of these people use, consume and drink water." </p><p> One of the West Bank Palestinians' greatest grievances is that while they struggle with irregular or unpredictable water supplies, nearby Jewish settlements enjoy the benefits of regular access to running water. </p><p> The settlements, considered illegal under international law, are highly controversial and, like water, are seen as one of the biggest obstacles to peace. </p><p> The Israeli government insists that all communities in the West Bank - Jewish or Palestinian - have the same access to resources. </p><p> <b> 'Crisis management' </b> </p><p> The Head of the Palestinian Water Authority is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Shaddad</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Attili</span>. </p><p> With a shrug of the shoulders, he says that because of the Israeli occupation he is utterly <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">disempowered</span> to do anything about the chronic shortage of water. </p><p> </p></div> <div style="font-family: times new roman;" class="bo"> " I am the minister for "virtual" water," says Mr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Attili</span>, without a hint of a smile. <p> On a map of the West Bank he shows that the Mountain Aquifer lies largely under Palestinian territory, but says his department is prevented by Israel from sinking wells to extract water. </p><p> "All I do is crisis management. I can't even put two ends of a pipe together without Israel's permission", he says, somewhat sarcastically. </p><p> Israel insists that it is supplying the Palestinians with more than their agreed share of water, under interim agreements. </p><p> In the meantime Israel is helping to ease the pressure on traditional supplies by developing alternative sources of fresh water, especially desalination plants on the coast. </p><p> But with more than two million Palestinians in the West Bank not connected to a running water supply, there are concerns that the current drought may lead to an even more unfair distribution of this precious resource. </p></div> <span style="font-family: times new roman;"> Story from BBC NEWS:</span><br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7571779.stm</span><br /> <br /><span style="font-family: times new roman;"> Published: 2008/08/20 10:47:39 GMT</span>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-17548914331276941702008-08-22T07:27:00.004+03:002008-08-22T08:06:36.494+03:00The checkpoint is gone!?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SK5Fx6SjvUI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/dJGyU6-TcQk/s1600-h/ca.reuters.com.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_coVF00zJBSM/SK5Fx6SjvUI/AAAAAAAAAxQ/dJGyU6-TcQk/s400/ca.reuters.com.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237200140441468226" border="0" /></a><br />When my husband told me they Israelis were removing the checkpoint between where we live and Ramallah yesterday, I thought he was joking, but they really did it. Honestly, I would not be surprised if they put it back later, but I hope it stays gone at least until after Ramadan. When was the last time it was possible to get from Bir Nabala to Ramallah without passing a checkpoint? Years and years. Before they put up the wall and this new checkpoint, we used to go to Ramallah through the Qalandia checkpoint. That checkpoint has been there since the mid 90's, although at first it was not always manned. Of course we still can't get to Jerusalem or even upper Beit Haninah without passing Qalandia. But at least I can get to the town of Ram without passing a checkpoint, which I used to be a 25 minute walk. It still will be a much longer trip, but you have no idea what a relief it will be to not have to go through that checkpoint. And, a certain friend of mine has refused to visit me for months because the last time she came here, her car was damaged by the way the checkpoint forced the Ramallah bound traffic to swerve around rocks and drop off the pavement at the checkpoint. So I expect a visit now M!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCALL14394220080821">http://ca.reuters.com/article/topNews/idCALL14394220080821</a><br /></div><br /><p> </p><blockquote><p>BIR NABALA, West Bank (Reuters) - Israel, under international pressure to ease restrictions on Palestinians, removed a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Thursday that had curbed movement outside a main Palestinian city.<span id="midArticle_byline"></span></p><span id="midArticle_0"></span> <p> The move came ahead of a planned visit by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice next week to continue to push Israelis and Palestinians to pursue talks Washington has hoped could lead to a peace deal by early next year.</p><span id="midArticle_1"></span> <p> An Israeli military spokesman said soldiers had been instructed to remove concrete blocks and a checkpoint where soldiers inspected traffic leading to Bir Nabala, a town near Ramallah, where the Palestinian government sits.</p><span id="midArticle_2"></span> <p> It was the third such checkpoint Israel has removed this month, meeting requests from the U.S. and Middle East envoy Tony Blair to help peace moves and to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Western-backed government.</p><span id="midArticle_3"></span> <p> Tawfiq Nabali, head of the Bir Nabala village council, said the checkpoint that was lifted had restricted movement for more than 50,000 Palestinians living in 15 villages near Ramallah.</p><span id="midArticle_4"></span> <p> "We welcome any step in which the Israeli occupation leaves us alone, living in dignity without checkpoints and racism," Nabali told Reuters.</p><span id="midArticle_5"></span> <p> Palestinians say hundreds of Israeli roadblocks erected in the past eight years in occupied territory stifle their economy and amount to collective punishment.</p><span id="midArticle_6"></span> <p> Israel, which placed most of the barriers after a Palestinian uprising erupted in 2000 when peace talks failed, says the measures are necessary to prevent suicide bombers from reaching its cities.</p><span id="midArticle_7"></span> <p> (Additional reporting By Mohammed Assadi in Ramallah)</p><span id="midArticle_8"></span> <p> (Reporting by Ammar Awad, Writing by Avida Landau and Allyn Fisher-Ilan, Editing by Michael Winfrey)</p><br /><br /></blockquote>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-27396711201670459802008-07-30T09:38:00.003+03:002008-07-30T09:52:47.095+03:00videosI was looking for some more reports about yesterday's news online, and I found these videos on YouTube.<br /><br />Here is al Jazeera's report on the little boy shot in Na'alin yesterday<br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/But9m3O4umI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/But9m3O4umI&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br />Another video of the house in Beit Haninah being blown up. I couldn't find anything on al Jazeera about it.<br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NYP7VvTJXto&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NYP7VvTJXto&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br />Here is an al Jazeera report on the court ruling ordering the wall in the village of Jeyyous to be moved, giving the village back some, but far from all, of their agricultural land.<br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0oJcR4_87vA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0oJcR4_87vA&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br />This is an episode of an al Jazeera series called "Street Food." It talks about food in Jerusalem, for both Israelis and Palestinians. It was interesting, but I have to admit that the part I liked best was the video of the markets in the Old City.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/QZ6zfYE2Pq4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/QZ6zfYE2Pq4&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJfp6Rri1fM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lJfp6Rri1fM&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-7019471460412323532008-07-29T19:56:00.004+03:002008-07-29T20:25:28.998+03:00A 9 year old boy was killed in an anti wall protestThe village of Na'alin has been in the news lately, at least the news here. They have been protesting the construction of the wall which will cut much of the agricultural land from the village. These protests seem to always have a group of foreign or Israeli activists who are committed to nonviolence, but their protests are often forcefully dispersed. That is where the young man was shot in the foot with a rubber bullet while he was bound and blindfolded. The officer who was holding him has been suspended for 10 days pending an investigation into whether he actually ordered the shooting. And today <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7531741.stm">a 9 year old boy was shot and killed</a>. It is so sad.alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2939497644811784501.post-69786571432978612882008-07-29T15:50:00.004+03:002008-07-29T16:58:57.763+03:00video of Beit Haninah house destroyedI read on<a href="http://www.imemc.org/article/56231"> IMEMC </a>this morning that the Israelis were planning to destroy a large building in Beit Hanina that was built without a permit. There is an interesting post <a href="http://szfski.livejournal.com/95895.html">here</a> by an American activist who was staying in the building when the Israelis arrived on Monday morning. From his description, this building was within walking distance of my father-in-law's house. This afternoon I came across these two videos on LiveLeak. I am not sure if they are the same building.<br /><br />The first is the raw footage of the explosion that brought the house down. LiveLeak reported that,<br /><blockquote>The city said that the four-story construction was "one of the most severe" building violations ever carried out in Jerusalem, and was in blatant violation of court-orders.<br /></blockquote>However in the second video former Palestinian Legislative Council member Hatem Abdul Qadr said that the house was destroyed because the owners had only "added a few meters" to the legal building.<br /><br />Five families lost their homes.<br /><br /><object width="450" height="370"><param name="movie" value="http://www.liveleak.com/e/1e0_1217319161"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.liveleak.com/e/1e0_1217319161" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="370"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="450" height="370"><param name="movie" value="http://www.liveleak.com/e/449_1217329392"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.liveleak.com/e/449_1217329392" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="450" height="370"></embed></object>alajnabiyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11151422748406582102noreply@blogger.com0