The Damascene Blog: February 2007

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Freedom For Kareem

We, as a community of Syrian bloggers, condemn the arrest and sentencing of Egyptian blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman for the peaceful expression of his dissenting views. We ask the Egyptian government to reconsider its decision to arrest and prosecute Abdel Kareem. The stated reasons for their action include the preservation of the public peace and state security, and the prevention of incitement against Islam. We contend that his arrest will achieve neither. Silencing such dissenting voices as Abdel Kareem’s, serves only to strengthen the hands of extremists who will not shy away from violence to achieve their goals. Moreover, we remind the Egyptian government that his arrest and prosecution violates at least two articles (see below) of the 1948 United Nations universal declaration of human rights to which Egypt was a signatory.

Relevant United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights articles:

Article 18. Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Article 19. Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

Such rights for freedom of expression are also enshrined in the 1990 Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam and the 2003 Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the World's religions.

* Reposted from the Levantine Dreamhouse

26 February 2007 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

New Syrian Blogs

The Syrian blogosphere is getting crowded. Here are some new Syrian blogs I came across recently:

Damascene Thoughts by Abulyas, a Syrian-American in Chicago.
From D.C, a call to Free the Arab Syrian Golan
Bahaa' writes Souria Al-Amal
Check This is Syria by Maz
Syrian Issues deals with computers and IT

And more from visitors of Syria:

Mike in Aleppo
Lindsay is an Anthropologist in Damascus
Bob writes Nine Months in Syria
Ruth declares: Ana bmoot 'ala Halab!

Update: And check Maysaloon, a great new blog that I knew about after its author, Wassim, left a comment here.

24 February 2007 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Cocaine and the Infidels

An excerpt from a conversation I had at the US hospital where I am training with a cardiologist who knew nothing about me but my name, Mohammad Ayman, as it appears on my lab coat:

M. A: It's amazing how many cocaine-induced heart attacks we've seen lately

Dr. R: You don't see much back home?

M. A: No. Cocaine abuse is uncommon there.

Dr. R: I bet it's because you behead everybody who uses it.

M. A: Well we have capital punishment for dealers, but it's not beheading.

Dr. R: Yeah you execute drug dealers, but export drugs to countires where infidels live, like the US.

M. A: ...

Dr. R: Am I right?

M. A: No, you are absolutely wrong.

Dr. R: Well this happens in Afghanistan.

M. A: Well I am not from Afghanistan.

Dr. R: But you are from a Muslim country, right?

M. A: Yes and it's very different from Afghanistan.

Dr. R: Where are you from?

22 February 2007 | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBack (0)

Palestine is STILL the Issue

An excellent documentary by John Pilger:

19 February 2007 | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0)

Only Ten

AP reports today that

the number of Iraqi civilians killed in Baghdad's sectarian violence fell drastically overnight, an Iraqi military official said Friday, crediting the joint U.S.-Iraqi security operation that began in force just days ago. Iraqi army Brig. Gen. Qassim Moussawi, a spokesman for the Baghdad commander, said only 10 bodies had been reported by the morgue in the capital, compared to an average of 40 to 50 per day.

History will remember that we lived in a times of desperation when finding "only" 10 bodies a day was considered good news that would cheer us up.

16 February 2007 | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (1)

The Ice Cream Cone: A Syrian Invention!

Yes! And the one behind it is Ernest Hamwi, a young Syrian immigrant from around Damascus, who was selling Arabic pastry at a trade fair in St. Louis, Missouri in 1904. Next to Hamwi in the fair was an ice cream vendor, who was making good sales that at some point he ran out of cups. Hamwi came to his aid by rolling the ice cream in crisp wafers that he used to make zalabia (known in Syria as 'awwameh).

The idea was a huge success that after the fair, Hamwi sold his oven and cofounded the Conrnucopia Waffle Company before founding his own Missouri Cone Company in 1910.

Hamwi detailed the story behind his invention in a letter he wrote to the Ice Cream Trade Journal in 1928. Although disputed by other vendors who were present at the fair, including 2 other Syrian immigrants: Abe Doumar and Nick Kabbaz, Hamwi's story remained the most popular legend and the official version adopted by the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers.

... And they say we made no contributions to humanity!