Proposal: Haiti Deserves Post-Colonial Debt Forgiveness

If we really want to help Haiti, the advanced developed countries should start by giving Haiti debt forgiveness on the grounds of historical colonial domination.

Allison Killkenny wrote an interesting post on the recent history of Haiti’s debt bondage and ties it to a history of invasion and colonial machinations.

Update on Mini-Skirts and Veils

Statistics on how many women wear facial veils are usually not available in France, which is wary of surveys of people’s religious practices because of the ideal of equality. This means that until now, the issue of Islamic veils has been debated with much passion but little hard evidence.

Beyond Mini-Skirts and Veils

President Sarkozy’s recent declarations against the burqa have fallen out of the news headlines but his words are still ringing loudly within and outside Western Muslim communities. Opinion pieces and letters continue to flood international and local papers, tugging back and forth. While such debates may be painful and trivial to read and listen to by many, they must be welcomed as they both bring into light a far greater issue than any all-encompassing piece of fabric.

Message to PETA from KETA (Kabob-enthusiasts for the Ethical Treatment of Akeel Arabi): You Can Mess with the Zohan, but Not the Kabob

Back in the middle of April, as part of the organization’s Earth Day campaign, PETA approached Lebanese Environment Minister Antoine Karam earnestly urging him to “lead Lebanon and the world in the charge against climate change and environmental destruction by going vegetarian and advocating a vegetarian diet, “as reported by Al-Arabiya. The article is short and vague, probably reflecting the lack of potential substantial consideration of the request. But, I still wanted clarity around motivations. Why would PETA decide to target Lebanon? Why make such a ludicrous request? What did they have to gain? Was this all a part of their trademark shock-and-awe publicity stunts?

Moroccophilia: Colonialism 2.0

I mean, first of all, you don’t want your couch to smell like an actual Moroccan “bazaar” (uh, souq?), which – despite the lovely wafts of cumin and rose water – kind of smells like dust and rotting fish much of the time. Second of all, really? Are American consumers so desperate for exoticism that [...]

The Art of Not Getting it: David Brooks on Israeli Public Culture

The natives found the cowboys’ rudeness understandable.For David Brooks, Israeli obnoxiousness is due to the fact that Israel is “a tough, scrappy country, perpetually fighting for survival.” That is the American Zionist’s impression to be sure, because Palestinians who see Israeli aggressiveness cannot treat it so cutely — it is violent and chauvinistic. Palestinians are [...]

My Master

“Can I please be your bitch White Man?” The Emiratis do it again as they try their hands at winning the white man’s favor and purse strings. In an attempt to attract the colonial masters (that they have ironically appointed themselves) to their latest coastal residential development project in Abu Dhabi, Al-Raha Beach,  the company has [...]

Israel as the Old West

Today’s gruesome attack in a settlement, in which a man wielding an ax killed a teenage Israeli and wounded a child, brought to mind the image of the old American west. The settlers who founded the United States expanded West and in the process faced hostile natives, the narrative goes. The colonists circled the wagons [...]

American Indian Movement on Palestine

American Indian activist Russell Means said President-elect Obama was selected by the colonial powers as president to improve the US image globally in the aftermath of George Bush. Further, Means said Obama’s appointments show that he is a Zionist controlled by Israel. Speaking on Red Town Radio today, Means said what is happening now to [...]

The Chosen Jerks

Love Thy Neighbor, Settler-Style.The presence of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank is seen by many as the main obstacle to achieving a lasting solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on the two-state model (and by Israel-supporters as ‘facts on the ground’ that we shouldn’t bother discussing). The settlers are not some fringe hardline [...]