Middle East Award Winners of the Week. At Davos: Mecca Dodges Recession. What Trumped Obama on al-Arabiya. John Deere, Iran, the Holocaust, and Ahmadinejad’s Roots. Human Rights Summary
Joke of the Week:
“News-laundering is worse than money laundering in our Arab world. This is something that happens round the clock, without any supervision and accounting. This is done through various media, including the internet and satellite channels. It is necessary to control this laundering of news through our media…..” Asharq alawsat.
This pearl of wisdom from the chief editor of a newspaper owned by a royal prince that toes the official line tighter than a mouse’s, as some would say. Speaking of money laundering: what about huge arms bribes to local potentates by such foreign exporters as BEAS, like to the tune of $1-2 billion? Is that better or worser than news-laundering?
Thinker of the week:
Iraqi ‘thinker’ comments on democracy, sectarianism, and oligarchy in Iraq, in a newspaper owned by a very democratic, very progressive, openly elected, and very non-sectarian, very non-tribal, very non-polygamous, very non-corrupt Saudi prince:
“Elections, al-Hussein, Quotas, and Tribes: It is an opportunity that political entities, having failed in using sectarian quotas, are now establishing an electoral tradition of pragmatic programs, by revising reliance on monopoly by party, family, or clan. Be moderate and just and the people will elect you, without using the (Imam) al-Hussein or the Marja’iyya for electoral purposes….” Asharq alawsat.
Of course he has the right. But it is disingenuous to do that in a newspaper of an absolute monarchy that has no elections whatsoever and flogs and beheads people in public squares.
Still, the premise of his argument is not bad: that religion should not be used for political purposes.
BS of the week: Arabian Chutzpah:
“Shaikh Hamad al-Sayari, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA), has revealed at Davos that the Saudi economy is not experiencing a recession, and that the budget deficit is a result of lower petroleum prices. He stressed that the state is ready to meet any challenge during 2009…” Saudi Economy.
Okay, Sherlock. This is sort of like Mr. Bush, or was it Hoover, saying that unemployment is high because too many people are out of work. Which, incidentally is the case in Saudi Arabia, although it is not nearly as high as in the Mullahs’ Iran.
So, petroleum prices have been cut by 60% but the economy that depends on it completely is doing fine? Now why would the governor say that when he knows nobody would believe him? When even he doesn’t believe it: otherwise he should not be in his job. And I thought that the whole world was in recession, even Las Vegas, Nevada.
Actually I have found an alibi for his excellency the governor. He may have been right about one region of his country. One likely place that could likely avoid a recession would be Mecca in Saudi Arabia: pious pilgrims would continue to go on the Hajj no matter what. Most people only have so much time to do it, before it is too late.
“An Iranian government spokesman announced Tuesday that the ‘Jewish’ Holocaust is a big lie aimed at establishing the State of Israel in the Middle East. According to a press conference quoted by the official Iranian News Agency….” Zoom.
"Oh when will they ever learn…..? Wann wird man je verstehn ….?"
Pete Seeger et al
Al-Arabiya hit of the week: (it wasn't the Obama interview):
“The son of a top Iranian theologian, and a supporter of Ahmadinejad, claims in an Iranian newspaper that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is actually Jewish and that he has changed his name in order to cover up his roots…That his original birth certificate carries the real family surname. The man, a Mr. Khaz’ali, claims that Jews are actually in power in Iran now…..” al-Arabiya. I knew it, I knew it.
This last one has been the most popular hit on the al-Arabiya website for two days, much more popular than the Obama interview. Now you know what I meant in my last posting about the ‘prurient’ nature of its website, and the kind of readers it attracts, sort of like me.
n this light, it may be a good idea for all Mideast leaders to take a DNA test to trace their genes. That would be quite a thing: like restarting the lottery drawing- we don't know who will end up where. Who knows, maybe the Jews will end up giving up the orange and olive orchards and getting the oil. In that case our oligarchs will mount their John Deeres and get to work. They will need a lot of fertilizers, of course.
Cheers
mhg
Go Cardinals!
m.h.ghuloum@gmail.com
Comments