Terrorstorm: A History of Government Sponsored Terrorism

This documentary by Alex Jones is an absolutely incredible report on the history of government sponsored terror across the globe. It includes shocking facts about "false flag" operations of the past decades, from Nazi Germany to today.

The most intense information centers on the most recent events from the London bombings in 2005 to the events of September 11, 2001. Jones reveals documents and testimonies by former governmental agents in order to educate the public of what our leaders and our media attempt to cover and keep from citizens.

Hearing of the falsified documents and hidden memos was chilling. One especially vivid portion was the revelation that on the dates of the London bombings (in both of the tubes that were bombed) and 9/11 there were mock emergency response missions being run in the exact same locations, which inhibited response teams or intelligence from reacting to it as a real threat. The actual chance that this was a coincidence? 1/100,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. A number that exceeds the grains of sand on the earth.

Seeing this documentary makes me weep for the ignorance of the citizens of America. Every day our freedoms are taken away and we are fed with falsified media to portray our government in the best light possible and provide justification for the evils we committ on foreign soil, including killing innocent civilians to gain control of oil and funding "terrorist" attacks at home to create fear as a method of control. The documentary likens what is going on to Orwell's 1984: public mind control and a doublethink ideology.

For more information on Alex Jones' work, check out prisonplanet.com and infowars.com.

Cairo Modern

Cairo Modern is a novel by Naguib Mahfouz, winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize in Literature. In his novel, Mahfouz follows the story of a young student, Mahgub, who is suddenly impoverished due to family crisis. Upon graduating from college, Mahgub is lured into a corrupt political system where through bribery and deceit he makes his way to the top of the social ladder.

The book also follows the young and beautiful Ihsan, whose beauty and devotion to her parents leaves her in a scheming menage a trois. Life seems to be looking up until the masquerade is discovered and the pair are left wondering what is to come next.

The novel takes place in 1930s Egypt, and questions the problems of social and economic inequality that was prevalent in the era. The conversations among the five young men in the beginning of the story highlight the torn views of the youth, struggling between Egyptian culture and values and those of the West. Obvious tensions occur as the reader sees what happens when European cultural values are imposed upon a traditional Egyptian social structure.

What stands out especially to the reader is the example of political controversy and corruption that feeds into the ever rising opportunism and materialism. The text explains how the government was a tool for the wealthy, creating a strict social hierarchy, which our protagonist shows is not easily overcome.

Free Gaza

While browsing through the periodicals at my local library, I came upon an editorial in the June edition of The Nation that was relevant to my study. Surprisingly enough, the article was openly critical of not only the Israeli raid of the Freedom Flotilla, but on U.S. foreign policy regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict.

The issue at hand was the Israel navy’s attack on a flotilla of ships full of human rights activists, diplomats, government officers, and civilians from around the globe on international waters. The ships were intending to deliver humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza, who have been suffering under an Israeli blockade for more than four years. This action is a result of a policy enacted under the support of the United States, and the results have devastated Gaza and its people. The article cites UN agencies as stating that the formal economy has collapsed, leaving more than 60 percent of people food insecure, 80 percent dependent on the UN for sustenance, and rising levels of malnutrition. In addition, a weakened infrastructure has left a decrease in energy so great that there is limited access to food production and storage as well as safe drinking water. Because of the blockade, thousands of citizens have been homeless since Israel’s 2008-2009 military assault on the area.

The article goes on to criticize the U.S.’s one-sided policy, as well as the medias dishonest reporting of basic facts about the Israel-Palestine conflict. The writer states that these events would not have been possible without the “active collusion or cowardly silence of the vast majority of the Democratic Party and liberal policy establishment;” however, considers it positive that recent events have focused our attention on Gaza’s blockade, and calls for its end immediately.

It was so refreshing to read such a brave and critical article on this matter. I can only hope that more Americans will take such a brave stance on this matter.

(The Nation vol. 290, 24, June 2010)

The Kite Runner

Since I was so fond of Hosseini's A Thousand Splendid Suns, I decided to take a look at another one of his books that had been recommended to me, The Kite Runner. I found this book equally intriguing though very similar to A Thousand Splendid Suns. Also a coming-of-age novel, the story highlights the strong personal relationship between two unlikely individuals, although in this case males.

I have to say that if I enjoyed this book more it would be because of the deeper level of character development as well as twists in the plot that held my attention until the very end. The story spans a large geographical area as well, beginning in Afghanistan and following Baba and Amir to America in the 80s. Amir's perspective on life in Afghanistan is hindered, though, by his upper class status- which Amir himself realizes late in the novel. Hosseini is able to capture how even the lives of the wealthy change after immigrating to America.

A beautiful image that the book leaves me with is the Afghani tradition of kite tournaments. Instead of focusing only on the bad and the ugly of war, Hosseini takes us into the mind of a young boy who, despite the hardships surrounding him, is able to see the colorful images filling the sky, feel the blood from the cuts of the kite string, and enjoy the rush of being the last kite left in the sky. For me this was one of the most important moments; again, giving life and depth to the characters that are so often portrayed so differently from what they are.

The relationships in the book are incredibly portrayed; from the brotherly love between Amir and Hassan to the lifelong struggle for acceptance between Amir and his father. Overall, the book is a generally easy and powerful read that gives a brief overview of life in Afghanistan amidst war and an oppressive regime.

A Thousand Splendid Suns

In this book, Hosseini follows the lives of two Afghani women in the late 20^th century. The women in the story are born into extremely different circumstances. Mariam, the elder of the two, grows up poor on the outskirts of her village. She is raised by her mother, who teaches her that education is worthless for women, and whose own mental illnesses keeps her from showing Mariam a mother’s unconditional love. Mariam is forced to marry young and soon finds that she is nearly worthless (by society’s standards) to the man who has married her. Laila, on the other hand, is a beautiful, intelligent young woman, deeply valued by her father who keeps nothing out of her reach, including her education. She is expected to do great things and bring honor to her family. Hosseini’s merging of these two characters’ lives highlights for the reader that war spares no one. These women both fall victim to oppression and despair, which brings them closer together than anyone may imagine.

One of the most startling scenes in the book took place in a hospital during the regime of the Taliban. Laila was in labor, and was forced to travel to a women’s hospital. Upon her arrival, she finds the hospital dirty and without anesthetic. A nurse if forced to keep watch during surgery lest the doctor be found performing surgery without her burka.

Although the book is most likely overly used as the ONLY source on the Middle East in secondary English courses, its value should not be taken for granted. Hosseini’s story paints a picture of a wounded Afghanistan, and highlights specific lives within the struggle. Any attempt to engage young readers in a sympathetic portrait of the people of the Middle East is an improvement over the way in which they are too commonly dehumanized in the majority of readily available popular culture.

Women and Islam

If some ninety million little boys were having their penises amputated, would the world have acted to prevent it by now? You bet. -Geraldine Brooks

After reading Geraldine Brooks’ Nine Parts of Desire, I was left with a much better idea of the role of women in different parts of the Middle East. In her accounts, Brooks is careful to differentiate between the differences in Islam based on region. Although she paid close attention to the oppression of women based on religious beliefs and cultural customs, I felt that she gave voice to the opinion that many women choose to live veiled and restricted,while arguing that in some ways it could be considered the most progressive option available to them.

I particularly appreciated the background information this novel revealed about Muhammad and the founding principles of the Islamic faith. For educational purposes, Brooks does an excellent job defining key terms, such as the different schools of thought and the different acts associated with Islam. In this way, Nine Parts of Desire would be a useful tool in the secondary or college level course; although, one might carefully consider pairing it with a work that challenges the "anti-veil" feminist approach, such as Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil: Challenging Historical and Modern Stereotypes, by Dr. Katherine Bullock. I have not yet studied this work, but I will post more about it soon.

In her book, Brooks carefully analyzes different interpretations of the Koran, and points out that many practices that oppress and brutalize women are not founded on the teachings of Muhammad at all, but merely ancient traditions that continue even today. It was horrifying for me to read that the practice of genital mutilation was legal even until 1994 within the United States. Brooks argues that more needs to be done to protect women who are threatened by their culture, such as granting the right to asylum to women who have a "well-founded fear of persecution." This suggestion, which would only help women with the means to escape their situation, seems to be the very least that should happen.

While I was reading this book, I kept trying to put myself in the position of the women in Brooks' stories. What if I were forbidden to leave the house without my father or my husband? What my daughter was mutilated on an operating table? As an unwed mother, I would be marginalized and scoffed at, if not imprisoned, or perhaps killed by my male relatives. It pains me to think of the women that are refused such basic human rights by their very own people, as the rest of the world keeps moving forward, turning a blind eye to them all.

Ottoman Culture

For an entertaining and enlightening tale about Turkish culture and the Armenian genocide in 1915, I recommend reading The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak. This book actually contains 3 separate stories that weave themselves together. The first is a story of a family of Turkish women living in Istanbul, all of whom share a home and a name but little else in common. The second is the story of an Armenian girl living in the states, splitting her time between her father's Armenian family in California and her mother in Arizona, who does her best to purge her life of anything Armenian after her divorce.

My favorite part of this book was the glimpses of Turkish religious customs and beliefs that were provided by one of the sisters, Banu. Through her, I learned about djinni, which I found to be very interesting. She also provides glimpses into the past that teach the reader about the Armenian genocide.

This novel is rich in concepts, including feminism and nationalism with hints of "coming-of-age novel" qualities. Shafak creates exceptionally interesting female characters, and her portrayal of Istanbul is edgy and modern. The end of the book is carefully crafted to keep the reader on a thread, excited to learn more and more about each of the characters and how their lives will change.

Shafak was prosecuted for "insulting Turkishness" because of the claims this book makes about the Armenian genocide, which is still denied by the Turkish government. I was struck by the fictional, yet historic, images this book provides about the mass destruction of Armenian citizens in the Ottoman Empire after WWI.

Rooftops of Tehran (by Mahbod Seraji)

For a selection on Iran, I chose to read Mahbod Seraji's Rooftops of Tehran. I quickly found that I was unable to put down this captivating and romantic tale of an adolescent boy growing up in Iran during the shah's regime in the 1970's. Although the language of the book has been quoted as being simplistic, I found it to be beautifully romantic and appropriate for the seventeen year-old protagonist/ narrator.

While becoming one of my favorite contemporary novels of all time, this book taught me a great deal about Iranian life and culture. I could picture the houses and the rooftops upon which Pasha and his friends would sit and dream. The relationships that develop throughout the novel are relevant to any adolescent in modern-day America, making this an excellent novel to teach at the secondary level.

Although the characters in the novel share a great many similarities to the modern American student, the differences are what play a key role in making this novel teachable. Pasha, Zari, and their friends not only have to deal with hormones, new love, and strict parents, but they are under a regime that dictates what kind of books can be read and what opinions can be expressed in a school essay. The punishment for breaking these rules is not to get the car keys revoked but imprisonment and possible death. For me, this book did an excellent job balancing the similarities of the characters that make them sympathetic to the modern young reader as well as highlighting the differences that teach about Persian life, specifically in the 1970's.

One of the stark contrasts I found very interesting was the dichotomy between America as a place hated and held in contempt versus a land of amazing educational opportunities. It is clear in the novel that America is responsible for the shah's oppressive regime. It is also made clear that America is only valued as a place of educational freedom, but it makes me wonder as to why an American education, based on American values, can be preferred in a place where there is so many anti-American feelings due to distrust. This is a topic I hope to do some research on, in case there has been a shift in the past 40 years.

On a side note, check out Mahbod Seraji's website for great suggestions on additional reading and interesting links.