Happy New Year

2009 lies a head like a spotless tract of snow.
Tread with care, as every mark will show.

Nevin wishes everyone a peaceful and well informed New Year...

From the ashes of Gaza

Tariq Ali is one of my favorite author/activist…

I have read all his books and hate to miss any OP-ED he posts any where in the Internet…. Here is yet another amazing analysis of the crisis that is unfolding right in front of our eyes.
I know it all seems so confusing and everyone has plenty to say… Maybe his words might clarify those muddled minds of ours… Mine included!

Tariq Ali says…..

“The dead Palestinians are little more than election fodder in a cynical contest between the right and the far right in Israel. Washington and its EU allies, perfectly aware that Gaza was about to be assaulted, as in the case of Lebanon in 2006, sit back and watch.
The EU politicians, having observed the build-up, the siege, the collective punishment inflicted on Gaza, the targeting of civilians were convinced that it was the rocket attacks that had "provoked" Israel but called on both sides to end the violence, with nil effect. The moth-eaten Mubarak dictatorship in Egypt and Nato's favorite Islamists in Ankara failed to register even a symbolic protest by recalling their ambassadors from Israel. China and Russia did not convene a meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the crisis.
As result of official apathy, one outcome of this latest attack will be to inflame Muslim communities throughout the world and swell the ranks of those very organizations that the west claims it is combating in the "war against terror".

He concludes this article by these words....

"And Israeli citizens might ponder the following words from Shakespeare (in The Merchant of Venice), which I have slightly altered:

"I am a Palestinian. Hath not a Palestinian eyes? Hath not a Palestinian hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? Fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Jew is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that … the villainy you teach me, I will execute; and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction."

PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Robert Fisk: Leaders lie, civilians die, and lessons of history are ignored

Robert Fisk wrote an op-ed in The Independent newspaper of UK on Monday. I wanted to write about it sooner but could not find the time. Since I have a few minutes to myself, I would like my followers to read this very important and hard-hitting analysis of the latest crisis surrounding the conflict regarding Israel and Palestine.

He argues that the perpetual violence that both Israel and Palestine are caught up in is totally destructive and unsolvable. Both are bombing each other to death and are back to square one again and again! Hamas bombs Israel, then Israel bombs Hamas, then Hamas bombs Israel and Israel bombs Hamas…. On and on it goes, in all the while lots of lives perished with more pain and suffering.

Violence breathes violence! If a state wishes to eradicate the menace of “terrorism”, then it needs to stop it’s own terror actions.

Same goes for…
Turkey in dealing with PKK
USA in dealing with Al Qaida
Israel in dealing with Hamas
And many other nations who find themselves with the same menace of terror...

In order to eradicate terror actions of disenfranchised groups of people who uses violence, cannot be and must not be met with more violence and blood shed! Nations must work to win the hearts and mind of "the people". Only then “the people” would choose to live in peace rather then continuous violence, unrest and atrocities committed by all sides. Why would anyone in their right mind choose so much pain? The circle of hate must be stopped! Innocent lives that are caught in the middle are lost for no reason what so ever....

PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE!

Religious and Secular Turks

I came across an interesting article in the Herald Tribune about the transformation of the religious rich in Turkey within the last decade. I want to write my own thoughts on the subject, which I will divert from the actual article itself. I advice you to read the article as it will give you an interesting perspective to the rich Muslim class’s transformation since the 80’s…

As some of you know, I am a Turk who has been living in various European countries for many years and currently reside in the US. Although I feel Turkish culturally, because I have been away for so many years from my land that I am unable to follow all the political and social changes that has been so rapidly taking place. I do follow newspapers and visit my family/in-laws who live in Turkey, every summer. So I am not totally disconnected. (Sometimes, one can observe the changes much more vividly, if one does not live in the country but comes every year for an extensive period to visit). I also want to add that I visit only the “western” part of the country, as it is both socially and politically quite different from the “eastern” parts. So again, please read my analysis with a grain of salt.

In Turkey there is no racial divide like one can find in the US, as “black and white”. However, what there is “religious” way of life and “none-religious” way of life. One comes from a certain family and lives a certain way of life as a result of their upbringing. These two classes of people rarely marry one another because it also defines ones educational background. I will define these two groups as “religious families” and “secular families”. I, for one, come from a secular family. There are no women who cover themselves going back few generations. Everyone is highly educated, especially women! Women are confident, equals or even one can comfortably say, dominant characters in the family. The one who makes almost all the decisions and directs the family’s destiny. Although most may have religious beliefs, no one makes decisions on that basis. Everyone drinks alcohol during celebrations and religion is treated as a small aspect of our identity. Religion does not dominate our lives. We dress, live and socialize in a very “secular/western” life style. Education is the pillar of our existence. We marry families that are similar to ours and do not mix much with the “religious” Turks.

For the religious Turks it is exactly the same but from a different angle. They make religion an important part of their life. They live with religion all the time. They dress, socialize and make decisions on that basis. Religion is a dominant part of how they are. They usually like their children to marry kids who come from the same background and share the same values.
This is probably sounding pretty crazy to a non-Turk! How could there be such a sharp divide? But during Ataturk’s reforms in the 1920s and 1930s, certain families embraced the reforms with full arms and certain families rejected it like it was the devils game. To this day, this thug of war exists between two types of families. Of course there are exceptions to the rules - there are families who do not live by such sharp divisions. Of course they’re are plenty grey and other colors in between. But, in general, there is a sharp divide between the “secular and the religious”.

In my opinion, this type of sharp divide creates a lot of problems in any society. If Turks want to create a more coherent and consistent society then, everyone must feel included. This black and white division between the religious and the secular families is unhealthy and can cause potential problems for the next generations. A country that is homogenous, generally has fewer problems within. Of course this type of thinking is open to all kinds of debate, but I am talking in a very broad sense here….

PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE!

Seasonal forgiveness has a limit. Bush and his cronies must face a

Here is an Op-Ed from the Guardian which one feels a lot of ranging emotions, from sadness, fear, to anger. Let me make myself clearer…

Jonathan Freedland wrote a thought provoking article about what will happen if Bush Administration leaves office without any kind of punishment for their illegal acts in the last 8 years? How can America claim to be the beacon of democracy after Bush Administrations blatant admittance to their crimes, which will go unpunished?

If we let these criminals scot-free then what does our laws and constitution mean? If we let these guys piss all over it, then what kind of a stink do we leave the next generation? Will it morph into nothing more then a meaningless piece of paper?….

When Dick Cheney was interviewed on Fox news the other day, his smirky smile said it all. In the corner of his mouth he admitted to, not only knowing all the torture techniques’ but perfecting them as well. Bush’s team gave the orders in various black sights for these torture techniques to be experimented on detainees. The goal was to break the detainees and have them become vegetables without calling it “torture”. Which they succeeded well… Some of these detainees lost their mind and unfortunately some even lost their life! When all bets are off, things can easily go wrong! Because when you start torturing, you have to ask yourself “where does my humanity end, and (the person I am torturing) his/her humanity begin?”

What should America do? Will we let these criminals quietly disappear into their prospective ranches in the “red states”? Will we in the future analyze and dissect what they have done, not in courts but in academic circles? Will we write academic papers of what went wrong but not actually punish them in the court of law? Will they become historic figures who escaped justice? If the answers to all these questions are YES, then we are truly in trouble, because when these criminals leave, what can protect us from the next criminal administration? If we do not punish them, who will secure the world from yet another blunder just like the last 8 years? I am truly afraid for my young children’s future as these guys walk away with a smirky smile on their faces. The world I am leaving to my children is “all bets are off”….

Bush and Company must be held accountable for their crimes. Anything else shouldn’t be even on the table.

I thought the whole point of creating laws and justice system was to punish those who broke them. Does it only apply to the weak and the disenfranchised or does it apply to all, even if they are the President and his arrogant Administration? …
PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

I wish...

Happy Holidays to my friends, family and fellow bloggers...

I wish 2009 will bring relative calm and less pain for all...
I wish for the economy to stabilize world wide...
I wish for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to end...
I wish for the Armenians and Turks to resolve their differences...
I wish for more Gay rights around the world...
I wish for more Human rights around the world...
I wish for more Children's rights around the world...
I wish for more Animal rights around the world...
I wish for a truly "fair trade" among all nations...
I wish for a world parliament...
I wish Globalization would come to an end...
I wish for sweat shops to close and fairer wages for all...
I wish G-8 would dissolve into thin air, and leave the rest of us alone...
I wish United Nations did it's job, instead of pondering to the rich nations...
I wish USA would calm down and stop attacking other nations for no reason what so ever...
I wish the "empire" mentality would finally come to an end...
I wish for an end to terror activities around the world...
I wish for an end to covert operations around the world...
I wish for rich nations to put their money where their mouth is...
I wish for the African continent to come out of it's misery and find stability over all...
I wish we found cure for AIDS and Cancer...
I wish we could lower our gas emissions and work towards ending global warming...
I wish for an end to toxic waste...
I wish we would stop slaughtering sharks for their fins...
I wish for a much more ecological and green world...
I wish for better health care and higher education for all...
I wish for an end to organized religion...
I wish for an end to racism, sexism, ethnic superiority and religious divide...
I wish for more sex and less war...
I wish for weed to be legalized around the world so we can all chill...
and finally...
I wish health, happiness and inner calm for all!

Nevin

Obama's bad judgement

Obama made yet another really bad choice by inviting Rick Warren to deliver the invocation at the next months inauguration.

Rick Warren is seen by the evangelical right as the new voice which tackles issues such as the economy, global warming, fighting poverty and move beyond the draconian figures like Lou Dobbs. The media has made Rick Warren into a cute cuddly man that even the liberals can love. He speaks in a soft voice that ponders to the public.

In reality Rick Warren is someone who fights the current world issues with a velvet glove. The only difference between him and James Dobson is his tone. He does not sound as aggressive as other right wing pundits. Let's look at his stance on various issues that are important to a lot of people; He is anti gay, anti pro-choice, pro war, anti stem cell research, pro women’s’ submission in society, believes something as laughable as, man and dinosaurs existed together. Regarding Iran he said; “It’s our god given obligations to attack evil doers”.

Many evangelical Christians described him as the “man who will take us beyond Christianity”. But what exactly did Rick Warren do for the Climate change or poverty? There is no evidence to support his stance as wanting to be seen as a liberal evangelical Christian. All he really is a right wing pundit who is able to speak the language in a way that ponders to some Democratic politicians who would like to energize the Evangelical Christians to support Barak Obama.

What is Barak Obama trying to achieve? Is he trying to alienate all the liberals in America before he comes to the White House? Does Barak Obama need to draw the line? Or where is the line anyway? Please read the full article published in Boston Globe

Man is a cruel animal!

Chris Hedges writes yet another amazing and important article in the award winning blog sight “Truthdig”.
After reading his article, I was inspired to write a few lines about it. I would love to get your thoughts on it...

Man is a cruel animal! In history they’re plenty of cruelty, intolerance, aggression and savagery that cover the canvas of human drama. For example: During the 19th century Belgian colonized Congo and turned it into a death camp for close to 200 years. (Of course Congo is by no means alone in sharing the human pain, but it is a good example) In the name of Western Civilization, King Leopold plundered and raped the small country in Africa. As a result of this brutal occupation over 10 million Congolese perished. The Belgium Authorities deemed right to do what ever they wanted in the name of bringing “civilization” to the “savage” parts of the world. There was a great moral purpose behind this European colonization. We can wrap ourselves with moral virtues such as “Western Civilization”, “Democracy”, “Master Race”, “War on Terror”, “War on Drugs”, “Liberty” and so on an so forth, but what we are doing in fact is deluding ourselves into believing that we are some how above it all if we come from rich and powerful nations. Somehow if those particular countries we are from have social structures in place and rigid laws and regulations, we have the right to wag our little finger at other nations.

We are seriously kidding ourselves if we think on the expensive of the many, in return, happiness of the few, we can have world peace and collective happiness. Collective peace and happiness can only be achieved if the whole human race stops taking from one another. Some of us must stop wrapping ourselves in comfortable words such as Democracy and Liberty and see the brutal actions of our rich nations as for what it is! But since human race is internally cruel and savage, it is almost impossible to make those arrogant humans among us to understand and convince them of the collective “inhumanity” of the mankind. Because, after all arrogance comes with territory of colonization, control and power. We need arrogance and feeling of superiority, otherwise all we are, is just a simple minded cruel animal….

PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

My Response to the recent article in New York Times

Will I get an apology from the Armenians about the ASALA attacks, which haunt me to this day? Will I get an apology for the death of my good friend’s father, who was killed in cold blood while waiting at a red light? Will there be ever any admittance of wrong doing here?

My father was a UN diplomat and we lived in fear while living abroad for so many years. Armenian terrorists killed over 200 innocent diplomats, and their wives, children, and friends. While living in Canada, I had to go to school under police protection. We had police waiting in front of our home 24/7. My family received threatening phone calls, threatening letters, insults, hate, hate, and lots of lots of hate. Who will take back those year?

My father use to make us wait in the house while he would in his suit, bend down, look under the car to see if there was a foreign object like a bomb (not that he knew what he was doing but was trying to do anything to prevent his family’s death). Hesitantly, he would start the car. If the car didn’t blow up, then he would wave and we would all go in. Of course we had to change our route everyday, for the fear of being attacked and killed waiting while the red light switched from red to green. Those few seconds felt like hours.

It's not about whether Turkey did this or that. This argument is about how strong a Diaspora is. Armenian Diaspora pours millions of dollars every year to get their agenda through. Turks just sit back and wait for things to disappear as usual. That is a non-strategy. Hence, all the exaggerated hysterical emotions about the events that took place 100 years ago, falsified historical facts, false quotes, exaggerated numbers of deaths and of course, play on the "We poor Christians were killed by the evil Muslims."

There is no doubt in my mind that Armenian revolt could have been handled much better. Those Armenians who were armed by the Russians and organized by the British and Americans could have been handled better. The Ottoman authorities at the time should not have leashed the Kurds on the Armenians and protected those Armenian villages that were not revolting. They could and should have done things differently for sure. I agree with the Armenian pain but I am adamantly against the games that are being played on the media, the congress, and in the Christian countries in the world…

My grandmother from my father’s side is an Austrian Jew. She escaped with her family in the beginning of the century to Turkey from Nazi Germany. That was the best thing her mother could have done because almost all of her family members were killed. But she and her mother and brother survived because the Turkish government protected her and others like her.

Armenian Diaspora loves to give the impression to the world that “Turks are evil, they have no remorse, and they should be punished for what they have done. That Turks must admit their evil acts.”

OK. Then, I want America to apologize and accept the Genocide label for what they have done to the Native Americans, Vietnamese, and Iraqis. I want France to do the same for Algeria, I want Belgium to the same for Congo, I want the British to do the same for India, Pakistan, African colonies, I want Portuguese and Spain to the same for all the indigenous people they wiped out in South America. Let’s all sit around the table of Genocide instead of pointing the finger to only Turkey! That is hypocritical and demeans the pain of humans in my mind. It is ludicrous to suggest that only a Muslim country is worth punishing.

That is nothing more then political move and a complete hypocritical act by the world!
PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE
talkturkey has started a petition, please read!

My thoughts on racism in the US

There is a blog I tend to read regularly, which is called Istanbulian. After reading this particular article about a Turkish woman trying to rent an apart in Germany and being rejected by the landlords because of her ethnicity; I decided to write a few words in my blog as well. It gave me all kinds of ideas and thoughts to write about...

First and foremost, I would like to commend the US government for it’s strict laws and regulations about any type of racism and discrimination. Not that it doesn’t happen or not common but the laws are in place, when it does happen, you know you have tons of rights. If a landlord doesn’t want to rent or sell property due to your color or ethnicity, you can so fast slap them with a big fat lawsuit, that they would not be able to count the stars above their head! I am not kidding…! In all my years as a foreigner, I never had any type of discrimination by landlords, friends or co-workers. OK, once I had a crazy crepe spit at me, during a Christmas party, right after 9/11 screaming “go back to where you came from, you pig Muslim”… But to my co-workers credit, he was kicked out of that party so quick, he couldn't clean up his spit around his mouth. He got a huge warning from my boss and soon after left by his own wishes due to being ousted by everyone… So there is a lesson for you!

Those who read my blog regularly know that I criticize the US government and it’s foreign policy regularly. I decided to write something positive about the land I live in. After all, one must be honest about all aspects of a country. No country is all bad or all good! We take the good and the bad in a bundle and try to coupe with what we got… I can whole-heartedly say, my children never ever came face to face with racism due to their Turkish names. OK, they have white skin and my daughter has blue eyes…. But their last name is as Turkish as it can get and no one ever made fun of or said anything derogatory about it since their birth. I live in New York City, Manhattan. Maybe Manhattan schools are multi-cultural, open to diversity and many kids are travelers at a young age. Maybe things would not be so easy for us if we lived in the boonies somewhere like the south Bible belt area… But that goes for any country, any where in the world. London, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Sydney, Toronto or any metropolitan cities are the best places to live for foreigners…. As for Manhattanites , they can not live any where in the world but Manhattan. They are just a weird that way … Just ask Woody Allen! READ THE FULL ARTICLE PLEASE

Did Dick Cheney Just Confess to a War Crime on National TV?

WAW! Did I hear it right??? Did Cheney confess to being a “war criminal” on national TV a few days ago? Did he just admit to endorsing the torture techniques in Gitmo?

When I was listening to him, I was amazed at his cowboy like demeanor and confidence of no regrets about what has been done in the name of the people of United States. In fact he spoke with such indifference that, it was almost not they who repeatedly denied authorizing the use of these tactics over the years. What was amazing was he actually praised the torture camp in Cuba and wished for it to be open indefinitely.

I would like to end my post by the ACLU’s Executive Director, Anthony Romero’s words:
"The current administration's torture policies and fundamentally flawed military commissions make a mockery of the Constitution and violate America's commitment to human rights. Contrary to the vice president's opinion, these detainees should be prosecuted in U.S. military or civilian courts that are fully equipped to handle complex national security cases."

Instead of worrying about a “shoe thrower”, we should be concerned about these war criminals flaunting their crimes on national TV! When will we see true justice? READ THE FULL ARTICLE PLEASE

Shock and awe on a shoestring

The article by Khaled Diab published yesterday, in the Guardian of UK, explains the shoe-throwing incident from an Arabic perspective. Here is how he summed up the events that took place during the white house press conference; funny for some and not so funny for others:

Throwing your shoes at anyone in any culture is considered insulting but in the Arabic culture, it has a special meaning, commonly can be seen as a form of swear word, or a gesture like the finger in the western world. In fact, there are swear words that include the shoe, such as “You are son of a shoe”, “You have shoes for brains”. Although the meanings of these words are usually hard to translate due to its loss within the cultural context, it is still obvious to many what they mean. He explains that Arabs do not have shoe fetishism or particular obsession with shoes, however shoes represent being poor, or downtrodden with its face in the dirt. That is why it is seen as a terrible insult.

Muntadar al-Zaidi has been captured by the Iraqi forces and is being held captive, god knows for how long, not to mention what will his faith be? I also wonder what is being done to him as we speak? Thousands of Iraqis have taken to the streets of Bagdad, “facebook” has thousands of entries about this incident and anyone who is against Bush is rejoicing inside. Iraqi’s and human rights groups are protesting his release immediately. What ever one may feel, whether he crossed the line with his improper behavior or he was a hero depicting the Iraqi’s anger, he did something not many people would have done. But he is not a criminal and does not deserve to be beaten and held captive without proper rights to a laywer. I know! I know! We are talking about chaos in Iraq, but didn't America argue passionately they brought "Democracy" to the people of Iraq??? Well then!!! release the man! (We know who is REALLY running the show here!)

There are going to be many comical sketches and jokes about this event within the next few weeks. I already saw one in the satire magazine of Turkey “Leman” this morning, which my cousin sent via e-mail…
What ever anyone feels, the oppressive and unbearable few years for Iraqis under the “boot” of the US soldiers have been pretty bad and is no comparison to this comical event... PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE

When the Shoe... Hits the Fan!

I was not going to write about this, but then could not reframe myself from saying a few words before this incident disappeared into the news black hole. You know which one I am talking about. The shoe-throwing incident of the Iraqi journalist on Bush! I am sure you have seen over and over again that comical moment. Shoe throwing in the Middle East is a very common act. Parents throw shoes at their kids who piss them off, two adults arguing can throw shoes at each other. So what this journalist did was no different. He was pissed at his country's horrible condition; where it was brought back to the stone ages, completely wiped out with little infrastructure and people stripped of all dignity. So as a helpless journalist who was angry and upset at the one person who was the cause of it all.... alas the "Shoe"! I am not shocked at this seen at all. But it is the first time a president of any country got such treatment… That is what the US needs to ponder on. What happened to our country?
Obama has a lot of fixing to do. He is taking on a daunting task, because not only does he have to deal with all the mess Bush left behind both domestically and internationally but also all the broken hearts that need to be fix around the world. To build a country materialistically is easy! But to win back hearts and minds of people are extremely difficult… The shoe-throwing incident in my mind is a symbol of all the broken hearts in the world! Please read the full article from BBC

Scientists create 'interspecies' rodent using embryonic stem cells

Here is a mind-bending article for you to think about! I am not a Scientist or a philosopher but this article truly blends the two fields in my mind.

Scientists in various Universities around the world did the unthinkable! They were able to create a whole different species by combining mixture of cells from two distant but yet related types of animals…. Yes! You have “read” right! I do not know if you watched the movie; “Island of Dr. Moreau”, but it sounds very much like that.

Human species are extremely curious creators. They constantly want to ask the question, “WHY”. Because of that deep drive to find out more, we have created some amazing and beautiful inventions such as; the Internet, powerful Music, beautiful Art, cures for many diseases, as well as, some very destructive and deadly ones like the Atomic Bomb, weapons that kill other living beings on earth!
It seems to me at this point in my life, what these scientists or geneticist to be exact, have done something irreversible and possibly very dangerous. Of course, every issue seems scary at first and by time we learn to except and even learn to live with our inventions. I am not sure how creating a whole different type of species which, defies all the rules of nature (as we know it now) is a good thing for our future?

But I have lots of questions and worries.
-Will we live in a world where weird looking human/monkey like creatures walk among us, possibly with less rights?
-If such creatures are created, what will their rights be under the law?
-Will Monkey/Human (which I will call Humkey be able to marry a human?
-Will this mean the Island of Dr. Moreau?
-Is there a God? - if we are able manipulate and change nature?
-Will mixing species threaten my existence as a human being?
-Are we playing with fire?
-Will this mean cure to many diseases?

What do you think? PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE!

Don't worry! Be happy!

The “Yes” magazine published an interesting article about whether the economic boom in the last few decades brought happiness to the people of United States? The article is mainly talking about the happiness of the American public. After reading the article, I decided to write about the Universal Happiness. The question I want to ask is; does economic wealth make one happier in the north, south, east or west part of the world at large? If the basic needs off all were sustained by the system, such as eating well, having a warm home, dressing comfortably and educating ones family, would we need more? Would we be lining up to buy the latest i-phone, fancy cloths, flat TV or the large SUV? What if everyone had small cars, small but comfortable homes, good health care, good education, would we feel like we are missing out on something? Would we feel the need to upgrade constantly for bigger and bigger? I do not know the answer to that? Sometimes I wonder if the marketing/advertising ploy hadn’t brained washed us so much, would we feel the need to have the latest gadget in order to feel more successful, or complete? In all honesty, why do a family of 4 need a large home with living room, dining room, family room, finished basement, eat in kitchen etc etc…. In the suburbs of most western nations, this phenomenon is very common. I remember a friend telling me once, “if I do not have double sink in my bathroom, I will not buy my next house”. She was so adamant about not bumping into her husband in the mornings while brushing her teeth or combing her hair that it was a make or break deal. I felt said for her disconnect and superficiality. Finally, she did buy her next house with her double sink, but how much happier is she now, I wonder deeply!!! PS: The double sink story has been an on going joke between me and my husband for years now. Every time one of us says something related to space of our apartment or our car, the famous double sink story pops up!!!! ENJOY READING THE REST OF THE ARTICLE!

Close GITMO and End Military Commissions

As you know, in Guantanamo for the last 6 years, detainees have been held without due process and systematically have been denied of their rights. These so-called military tribunals are nothing but more then a Kangaroo court to make few people in the world happy. I am not exactly sure whom they are kidding as anyone with a little knowledge and “Googling” ability can find out the truth!

In these military commissions; there are no pre-trial hearings, there are no probable cause and determination of innocents. Rather then presumption of innocents, there is presumption of guilt. Detainees do not know why they are held there and do not know what evidence is presented against them. During these military tribunals, “hear say” upon hear say is admissible that could never see the day of light in a proper US courts. So what that means essentially is that, a person can present as fact “so and so said, such and such” without proper proof. Prisoners are roughed up, hooded, pushed around before the tribunal to disorient them. In the US courts, such behavior would be inadmissible due to its nature of coerced information by physical force.

If someone is a terrorist or a war criminal, the US courts should be able to gather the evidence and present it in fair circumstances where the person responsible could be held accountable. But the current military commissions are complete Kangaroo Courts, that it makes to whole thing illegitimate. Current system of justice is not justice at all! PLEASE WATCH THE VIDEO!

Blackwater Busted?

Jeremy Scahill, is the author of bestseller “Blackwater: The Rise of the World’s Most Powerful Mercenary Army”. I read his book over the summer and found it a very informative and eye opening experience. Blackwater is a private army, contracted by the Bush Administration to fight in Iraq. They have committed various atrocities in the name of combat, including opening fire on civilians in a food market, killing over 100 people, including children. As to date, no one from Blackwater have ever been prosecuted for criminal acts. The US congress is investigating their conduct in Iraq and Afghanistan but no charges as to date. As Mr. Scahill’s latest article argues, there may be prosecution brought upon a few Blackwater personal but it is a big “MAYBE”.
As the new president elect Obama is getting closer to inauguration, he needs to make some decisions as to what to do with Blackwater in the War Zones. Will he pull them out? Or will they continue to exist next to the US military but without any oversight? Please read the full article!

Build a School in Turkey

Dear Family, Friends and Fellow Bloggers,

I received a phone call from a dear friend’s husband the other day. His name is Nick Porcaro, residing in the US. His wife who is from Ankara, Turkey is very close to my heart and whom I have great respect for. Both husband and wife took it upon themselves to build a school in an earthquake torn village of Caykisla, Marmara. Nick is an architect in a major northeastern city in the US. It is absolutely amazing for him to take on such a project. He is looking for small/big funds to complete his enterprise. I informed him that, I will help him in anyway I can. I will also forward my blog to my friends in support of his cause. Please if you could also help me spread the word... Those who can read Turkish would also find this article interesting! Please Read!

Education is an important and very much needed necessity in Turkey. The lack of proper educational institutions is the root of a lot of the problems Turks are facing today. Girls are left behind tremendously which then affects the whole structure of a healthy family. If women in general receive proper education, they can pass it on to their daughters who can then pass it on to theirs… Whenever I speak to my Turkish friends or those who know Turkey well, we always end up pretty much coming to the same conclusion. Education! Education! Education! Please spread the word and if you can support his cause to complete his project, it would be a very good deed done in the name of humanity. Especially in times when we are all looking for a respected charity to support. He is a well respected architect, who is doing a much-needed job for a developing country like Turkey. Thank You Nick and Ayse!

Please read his e-mail to me....

Dear Nevin,
 
On August 17, 1999 a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck the Sea of Marmara in Turkey devastating several surrounding towns, villages and cities. Approximately 30,000 people died and many children were left either parentless or homeless or both. The village of Caykisla is located a few miles from the heaviest hit city, Adapazari.


Since May 2008, I have engaged the local authorities in Adapazari to support the building of a new 13,000 square foot (1,300 square meters) school building.
 
To date I have raised $290,000 and another $210,000 is required. Your financial support of this worthy project is extremely important.
 
Please review the web site, www.okulyap.org, which has been specifically developed to explain the project mission, provide details, and encourage willing donors to help fund the building of the Caykisla Primary School. If you or anyone you know are interested in learning more about the project and supporting the cause, I encourage you to take a look at this site and DONATE NOW. There is a real need and these children deserve better.
 
Our aim is to complete the building of the new school before the 10th year anniversary of the earthquake. Your generous donation will help to make this a reality for the children of Caykisla and adjacent villages.
 
Sincerely,
 
Nick Porcaro

Comparing Mumbai to 9/11 diminishes both tragedies

The author of this wonderful and thought provoking article is my classmate from high school. We found each other through “Facebook” after many years of separation. Life threw us in different directions but somehow we found our minds thinking very much a like. Our view of the world and how we see human suffering is curiously very similar. My instant reaction is, we are both products of the “International School” philosophy. It is in that school where, a Jew was best friends with a Palestinian, an Indian with a Pakistani, a Turk with an Armenian, an African-American with a Southern White Baptist… After graduating from my high school, I was sadly disappointed that the whole world did not get a long like we did….. That is why, this particular piece struck a deep note in my heart. It smells so much of “Vienna International School”! It’s full of hope, peace and desire for change from the right wing politics of hate and destruction. Thank you Priya! PLEASE READ

Confronting the Terrorist Within

I admire Chris Hedges for his sharp tongue and his tough stomach to tell the truth as he sees it. Those who follow my blog regularly would know that Mondays are my Chris Hedges day! Please read his hard-hitting analysis of the latest terrorist attacks in India and make up your own mind whether it would be fair to blame the “evil Muslims” only! History is not one dimensional and should not be viewed as such. Both the “State” terrorism that is leashed upon weaker countries (e.g.: Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine) and Al Qaida type terrorism should be denounced. One feeds upon the other. It would be fair to say, one exists because the other one does too. So, in order to eliminate bloody terror acts, countries such as United States should take some responsibility in creating these monsters by attacking and killing civilians, destroying the infrastructure of a much smaller and poorer countries.PLEASE READ!