Toufic Barakeh
http://sayitonline.net

London, Sunday June 3, 2007

I belong to nakba (meaning disaster) generation. To explain, Palestinians belong to two categories: nakba referring to those who were forced to leave in 1948 and naksa (meaning disappointment) refers to the more than 350,000 Palestinian refugees who fled for Jordan consequent to the 6-day war that broke out on June 5, 1967. I was at the time working in Riyadh, the Saudi capital. Like most Palestinians, I spent all the time listening to Sawt Al Arab (The voice of Arabs), a most popular radio station broadcasting from Cairo and directed to All Arabs. Ahmad Saeed, a most popular radio commentator `renowned for his impressive, enthusiastic and masculine voice promised his listeners an ultimate victory. We started to make plans to return to our village Saffouriah; and that my father would, at last, resume eating pomegranate, which he had grown in his farm. After our forced departure in 1948, my father pledged by way of an oath on the Quran that he will never eat pomegranate so long he is out of Palestine. He could not see himself buying the fruit that he used to give away for free. Ahmad Saeed was wrong. This war round lasted only 6 days and instead of returning to our stolen village and farm, the remaining part of Palestine was lost, along with parts of the three Arab states that went to war: Egypt, Syria and Jordan including the rest of Jerusalem.  That war shocked the whole Arab world. When the war broke out, I remember, a gathering to support the warring Arab countries held in Riyadh and attended by the late King Faisal. The crowd pleaded to their king shouted “Cut the petrol, Abu Abdullah”. He announced that volunteers were on their way to fight along with our other brothers. When after the war, Egypt said sarcastically that they were very slow and they never arrived. The Saudis responded that they were not slow but the war ended fast!

The 40th anniversary of the 6-day War between the Arab states and Israel is marked by continued troubles and frustration all over the region. The prospects of lasting peace, despite Arab regimes desperate initiatives are bleak, cold and cloudy.  It did, initially, sound as though this instant winning was a final victory for Israel and a humiliating defeat for the Arabs. Forty years on, Israel continues to be doomed in engaging itself to decades of further conflict, seizure of Arab land, and condemning millions of Palestinians to a life in exile or under military occupation. Consequent to this war, Israel has tripled its territory and changed the political landscape of the Middle East. Lamenting what the “prize” of the (occupation) West Bank and Gaza has brought, Jonathan Freedland commented lately in the Guardian: “My great fear is that Israel like a homeowner who has built two extra rooms on shaky ground: in wanting to keep hold of the extension, he risks losing the whole house.”

 

Al-Jazeera TV entitled its series of coverage of the 6-day war anniversary as “the open wound”. In the absence of a fair settlement, this wound is destined to continue fatally bleeding. It is depressing that, despite their influence, the US and the European Union did not act with authority and responsibility to progress comprehensive peace; and, through their inaction and slow motion, they made matters worse. Boycotting Hamas and cutting the Palestinian Authority’s financial aid, could be construed as a punishment of the Palestinian people for their choice of a democratically elected government.  

 

Amidst Israel state of joy over its quick triumph and the Arab states sense of helplessness and inability to get over their defeat, the Palestinians decided that they should be responsible for their own destiny. The bitter struggle continues. The checkpoints, thousands of Palestinian prisoners and victims, speak about themselves. The suffering of the Palestinians remains an upsetting hallmark of the Middle East’s everyday life.  Israel rigid attitude contrasted by weak non-assertive submissive Arabic regimes is creating a serious vacuum that could lead to the collapse of Palestinian Authority resulting in chaos all over the region.

 

Nowadays, Israel seems mainly concerned about the rocket attacks and speaking of escalation, targeting murder of Hamas leaders including Prime Minister, Ismail Haniyeh; instead of seizing the opportunity and accepting peace generously offered by the Arab states. This does not work. They have been there before murdering Hamas founder and leadership!

 

So was the 1967, 6-day war a victory or a disaster for Israel? Firstly, that war is not over. Secondly, none of its political aims, if any, was achieved.  Thirdly, the series of sub-wars and the threat of all out war, suggest that they might have won a round; not a war!

 

To conclude in a personal note, my parents did return to their farm; as visitors. That in itself was a personal disaster. When in one of the series of wars that followed 1967 six-day war, Israel invaded Southern Lebanon in 1982; my parents lived in the south a hill called Shawakeer. I was in London. My British friends and business associates shared my concern on their safety. John Curtis, a great and loyal friend who was delegated by British Smelter to help in setting up DUBAL, Dubai Aluminium, which I then sorted its insurance, wondered if he should call on the British Foreign Office to help ensure their safety. I felt that this would single out my parents from their neighbours and they won’t accept or forgive me to act so selfishly. So I had to decline. Aside from a flying bullet that pierced through my mother’s hand while watering her beloved vegetable plants which she always insisted to grow in her very limited space, they survived that invasion. But someday, a car sent by our many relatives who did not leave Palestine in 1948, came and summoned them for a visit. They took along the house key which they had held onto for 20 years then. After crossing to Palestine he ate his favourite fruit, pomegranate. The visit to the site of the bombed house was heartbreaking. The trees were replaced by a fruitless jungle. Saffouriah was deserted. The only thing left is the old small church which, it is said, dates back to the day of Christ. The whole population of the village were Muslims. This fact never affected either the church or the villagers who lived together in love and peace. The nuns recognised my parents and they hugged and all cried and cried. My father did not survive that and not long after his return to the South of Lebanon, he had stroke and died.

 

It is hard to write an episode on factual details of your personal life. Yet, I might write again on being and living as a Palestinian. This is particularly difficult as it forces you relive such painful events. Unless you have been a victim, you will never understand how it feels!

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Did Future TV’s Chef Ramzi include Pork in his Recipe?

Future TV logo

London, http://sayitonline.net 24 December 2006: In an unprecedented move for an Arab TV, as far as we know, Lebanese Future Television broadcasted a Christmas recipe which included suspected porky items in its daily programme presented by Chef Ramzi Nadim Shwayri (photo above). The chef did not say the word khenzeer (Arabic for Pork) or ham directly but used a French word jambon and Parma; referring anonymously to Parma ham.

Saad Hariri, MP, Head of Future Parliamentary Bloc - Rafic Hariri, assassinated former premier, with wife Nazek

Analysis:

It strange for a TV station that is popular in the Middle East especially in Saudi Arabia. Moslems forming the majority of its audience would be dismayed and disappointed. This applies to all and has nothing to do with nowadays popular clichés like Islamists, extremists or fundamentalists. It is a well know fact that eating pork is haram (strictly and specifically forbidden) in Islam; and observed by all Moslems including nonconformists. For chef Ramzi to assume that some of Future’s watchers are ignorant is rather devious and naive!   

 

It is common knowledge that Future TV was founded by former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri who was assassinated in an explosion that targeted his motorcade on a Beirut waterfront road, and declared as a victim of a criminal act and a martyr of the entire nation. His son, Saad Hariri, MP is The Head of the Future Parliamentary Bloc which along with their allies control majority bloc in the Lebanese Parliament and cabinet.

 

Is the inclusion of pork in their recipe an incidental error or political? The former assumption is defeated by the fact that the porky recipe was re-broadcasted, at least, once. The latter could emanate from that each of the two Lebanese major political blocks, severely opposing and challenging one another, are now racing to have the support of the country’s Christian population.

Such tactic, if used, is not a winner and in no way comes under tolerance or acceptance of another!

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How I Won and Lost £850,000.00

An Authentic Personal Experience - Part 1

By: Toufic Barakeh

Published 04 October 2006

 

On Mon 02/10/2006 morning, I had one important thing in mind.  Nisrine[1] just had a fresh appointment and I must send flowers to be delivered to her office the same day, to catch up with the occasion. On opening my laptop, I noticed,  that I have got the above email; which I would like to appeal to my readers to read very carefully.

 

I saved it, read and re-read it, noted all names and address mentioned and set to prepare a reply. I said to myself: What is going on? Can this matter of winning this amount of money divert your attention from completing the flower order to Nisrine? Had a greedy nature just revealed itself? Wait a minute, but I can do both. Doesn’t the email say “Winning notification {FINAL ATTEMPT}”? So the National Lottery would have been trying to reach me with the good news. I would have probably been ignoring and deleting their emails considering them as junk email coming from deceptive sources. So, I have very carefully prepared and sent a reply to Mr ADRIAN MANN Email: national_lotteryclaims_agent@yahoo.com.hk giving all the information required; thanking the National Lottery for transforming my life and asking him to send the money by cable transfer to my bank account.

I simultaneously completed the florist’s order. Money and winning should not allow us lose our selves or lose touch with the good things in life! You see I am a noble winner and would not allow the money to change my nature!

And I sat waiting for a response to my email making sure that my mobile and land phones are kept within reach; in order to answer instantly once they told me the money moved to my bank account!

In part 2 that will be published shortly, I shall tell you, my dear readers, the remaining part of this experience and how I lost this substantial winning. Meanwhile, I would kindly request other lucky winner/s who may have got a similar message to email us on their experience.

 

[1] Nisrine Barakeh, Employment solicitor, Editor’s daughter

 

 

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How I Won and Lost £850,000.00?!

An Authentic Personal Experience - Part 3

By: Toufic Barakeh

Published Sunday, 15 October 2006

 

Mr. Adrian Mann, from the National Lottery did not telephone or email; confirming that the money is being transferred to my bank account. At about 2:00 PM of that special morning of Monday 02 October 2006, I decided to telephone my self. I went back to the National Lottery email published on the site (Read it in Diary) to get the telephone number. There is no telephone but it is reassuring that there is a full address, not that far from where I live:

THE NATIONAL LOTTERY 
P O Box 287 WATFORD,
WD18 9TT 

UNITED KINGDOM
(Customer Services) 

www.national-lottery.co.uk

 

I called the telephone directory enquiry service 118500. They said that the number which must be dialled in full is 08459100000. I dialled the said number, it is true. It is a National Lottery number but did not get through to Mr. Mann. I subsequently got one more number from the directory: 01923425000. I dialled and got a response, a human response, not a recording. I did not have to wait that long. They are decent and smart at the National Lottery! They know how to deal with winners and would be millionaires like me and do not keep them indefinitely on the hold boring them with a series of commercials and music. Then I heard the telephone being referred to Adrian Mann. You are beautiful Mr. Mann. You are  all beautiful at the National Lottery! So it is not a sham! Who said it is a sham?!

 

Series continues – watch out for part 4 and last – coming shortly

To Read Parts 1 & 2, please go to: Diary

 

My dear reader: I am due to go to hospital now for a minor operation; hence my inability to finish this series at part 3 as promised. I am rather detailed about this National Lottery experience because, in my opinion, it does serve a sensible purpose. Please email us mailto:comment@sayitonline.net on any life experience that you wish fellow patrons at http://sayitonline.net to share.

My hospitalisation is expected to last for less than week. Hence I shall not be making any editing during this period. Please, in the meantime, keep visiting to update your self on all interesting and challenging issues of our world. The following pages are updated all the time with news and views:

 MediaWatch, FT.RSS on sayitonline.net and AlertNet Newsdesk.

We trust that you will find in them something amusing, refreshing and enlightening to read. Here we remember what William Randolph Hearst once said: ‘News is something somebody doesn’t want printed, all else is advertising’. We, at http://sayitonline.net, do not provide you with a flow of uncensored news with no regard to whether some body doesn't want printed. We express our own opinion in Editorial Comment page. We always welcome your comments and views.  

I wish you, our many readers around the world, good health and look forward to resume writing shortly. (To comment or email me: mailto:touficbarakeh@sayitonline.net)

 

Yours sincerely,

Toufic H Barakeh

Editor  

What the National Lottery is doing to stop this crime against their clients and the public at large?

How I Won and Lost £850,000.00?!

An Authentic Personal Experience - Part 4 (Final)

SHAM!

By: Toufic Barakeh

Published 11 December 2006

 

Regrettably, the whole thing was a sham. Adrian Mann is real and this is his correct name. He works for the National Lottery. He was ready and quick to say that I did not win anything! He recommended that I speak to the local police. "But why all that?" I asked “It is just somebody is trying to get your details” He said. When I asked about the responsibility of the National Lottery and what they are doing to stop or reduce the damages caused by sham emails sent in their name? I got no answer.

 

I called the local police. They recommended that I call my Bank, and report the incident to website http://www.iwf.org.uk/ run by the Internet Watch Foundation, “the UK hotline for reporting illegal content”.

 

I have ever since been showered by similar emails from all over the world. They are urging me to claim a fortune of winning. They seem to have been motivated by my detailed account of this sham. The senders, the least to say, are ignorant and silly due to the idiotic nature of their emails and that they should have known that I and others are not going to be bitten twice. Their fraud is of inferior quality as they are not in any way close to the nearly perfect nature of the email behind this story - published with this series. So, I would request these small fraudsters to stop this nonsense.

 

This would naturally lead us again to question: Why the National Lottery does not seem to be doing any thing to stop fraudulent acts committed in their name?!  

 

To Read Parts 1, 2 & 3 please go to: Diary

 

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