Nothing But Iraq



I remember Al Sayyab, screaming to the Gulf in vain:
Iraq, Iraq, Nothing But Iraq…
And no one answers except an echo.*
I remember Al Sayyab…In this Sumerian Space
A female overcame the sterility of the galaxy,
And bequeathed us both the land and exile.

I remember Al Sayyab… Poetry is born in Iraq,
Then become an Iraqi, so that you may become a poet my friend!

Death Before Dying: A Retired Lebanese Officer Tells Why He Is Going to Iraq



I could no longer take sitting around for hours as if drugged, or like an idiot, in font of the satellite TV channels, watching my people being killed by bombing raids, or under the rubble of their destroyed homes.

Sending Wimps to Baghdad? Or Why Opposing the War Is Supporting the Troops



The United States has managed to convince the whole world that Iraq has to be bombed. Um, well, they have convinced four other countries. Absent from the Coalition of the Killing are the US’s two neighbors (Canada and Mexico), all but two of its NATO allies and every other country on earth.

Iraq War Dictionary



By Zahkan al-Akhbar "Shock and Awe": Title of Iraqi resistance strategy, intended to "shock" invading American and British troops and "awe" them with their unexpected ferocity...

Sweet Songs of Sorrow



"Terror's Children" is Sharmeen Obaid's delightful offering to world peace and understanding. I urge you to see it if you can. There are moments of brilliance scattered all over this film. A group of little girls slap makeup on a friend and make her the bride in a make belief wedding. Then they march down the street in a colorful procession. One skinny five year old girl bursts out into a jiggling dance, proving once again that women the world over were born to boogie.

What Mad Women Want



I am mad, and I'll tell you why. I am mad about stupid, egotistical male rulers who don't mind killing hundreds of thousands of innocent human beings to salve their egos. Who trump up fake charges for a war no one wants or even understands the reasoning behind. Who refuse to give in to something unjust, unfair, illegal and immoral so as to save the lives of thousands upon thousands of the people over whom they are supposed to be steward. What a moral high ground that would be!

Turkey's Imperial Troops: How George Bush's War Is Threatening Democracy in Turkey



By Emrah Göker When the Turkish Grand Assembly rejected the joint resolution which would allow U.S. troops in the country and send Turkish troops to Northern Iraq two weeks ago, antiwar groups all around the world cheered and applauded...

Divine Intervention: Palestinian Film Satirizes Israeli Occupation



By Pat McDonnell Twair Festering humiliation and rage of oppressed Palestinians is the underlying theme of Elia Suleiman’s Divine Intervention which opened March 14 in eight California theaters (for national playdates, see distributor Avatar Films' website)....

The Highest Score



By Um Aya It happened almost two decades ago when I was ten. We lived in a small industrial town in the Soviet Russia, and our parents were working; we, the kids, were going to school. The routine of life...

Peace Activists Arrested for Civil Disobedience at Weapons Manufacturer Raytheon Systems



By Pat McDonnell Twair Photos By Samir Twair In their second act of street theater protesting the pending war on Iraq, 12 Southern Californians were arrested March 11 as they blocked a major intersection in front of the Raytheon...

Vive la France? The World Pulls for the French



By Ahmed Nassef Much of the United States movement against war in Iraq revolves around calling for further inspections and demanding Security Council approval before any invasion. On the surface, this seems like a reasonable strategy, given the fact that...

Hug Joel Beinin



MWU!: What are some of the things that you wish people knew about Zionism?

JB: One. The early Zionists did consider themselves to be promoting a settler colonialism project. They were very clear about it, at a time when it was popular for Europeans to talk of such racism. Two. Before Hitler, Zionism was a very marginal and minority movement. Most Jews had very serious religious or political problems with it. Three. Until 1948, Bi-nationalism (a joint Arab-Jewish state) was considered legitimate, and was supported by a large number of Zionists. Four. Most importantly that Israel was built upon the ruins of Palestinian society. Those are the first four that come to mind.

A Tale of One Vicious Man and How He Didn't Listen to His People



By Um AyaImages by Jahanshah Javid, Iranian.com Once upon a time there lived a man whose soul was dark and ugly, whose vicious eyes sought everything that didn’t belong to him, and whose corrupted mind worked out schemes to...

Hug Jeff Grubler



JG: I wish I was more newsworthy--in that I mean I wish the situation of the Iraqi people was more newsworthy. Since 1991 there's been a blackout in the media. Everyone knows the name of Saddam, but nobody knows the fate of the Iraqi people. So what I try to do is to figure out ways to bring the reality of the Iraqi people to Americans. Iraq is so far away, and we all have our own problems and worries, so Iraqis remain invisible. I have created phony products, organized guerilla theater, and used standup comedy--anything I can to make the Iraqi people less invisible. I try to reach people, and every once in a while, the media gives me attention which I pass on to the cause.

Saudi King Admits to Deal with Devil, Qaddafi Claims; Crown Prince Abdullah Tells Him to Mind Own Business



By Ahmed Nassef Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi is to Arab League summits what Old Faithful is to Yellowstone National Park. More than just being counted on to spew hot air (most of his colleagues in the League are quite...