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Turkey’s Election: Erdogan Triumphs http://sayitonline.net 12 Jun 2011:
Turkey's AKP has
won the general Elections.. The results have the potential to allow AKP more time to consolidate its efforts in repositioning the country as a world’s most effective
and prominent nation. This strong and renewed mandate must be used to truly unite all components of the society addressing
all long outstanding national issues: innovatively and peacefully. We believe that Erdogan and his team are capable of pursuing
their reform agenda and winning a consensus to push through a new constitution. Toufic
Barakeh
Netanyahu
rejects Palestinian unity deal Israeli prime minister calls reconciliation
pact between Hamas and Fatah "a tremendous blow to peace". Our word: Tough?! Un-united with Hamas, the Palestinian’s Authority was charged of having no mandate
to be party to a peace deal. Their unity, according to Mr. Netanyahu, is "a tremendous blow to peace". Damned if you do doomed if you don’t. Arab dictators that, viciously and repeatedly, pointed their guns against their people are collapsing. Their
regimes, thought to be strong and secure only months ago, are weaker than a spider house. This, the Arab spring, creates
new facts that may not be ignored. Mr.
Netanyahu’s arrogance aside, there is a precious opportunity for just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East that
the international community should not miss. Toufic Barakeh http://sayitonline.net London, 05 May 2011
Egypt after Tunis A Great Historical Turn for oppressed Arabs Toufic Barakeh London:
http://sayitonline.net 03 February 2011: “If Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak
is toppled, Israel will lose one of its very few friends in a hostile neighbourhood” Israel sources
have said. Tough! Look who is talking. This is outrageously shocking. You need not be an expert to know that hostility and aggression
are hallmarks of Israel. None
should give himself a right to deny the great Egyptian people to claim their dignity, freedom, prosperity, stability, welfare
and rid themselves of dictatorship and corruption that contaminated and impoverished them. Taking Egypt and Egyptians for
granted is a disastrous error and miscalculation. We shall witness a new Egypt that deserves the best of all walks of life.
All should be reminded of the great potential of the Egyptian youth. The leaders of this revolution aged between 20 and 30,
know how to employ effectively the facilities offered by information technology including media and social networks like Twitter,
Face Book and you Tube. A
high ranking Tunisian army officer was heard saying referring to his country’s revolution that preceded the Egyptian
youth uprising as the beginning of Arab Renaissance. Treaties with dictators have failed to secure comprehensive peace or a dignified
state for the Palestinians who lost their homeland and replaced by what you call Israel. The Palestinian Authority, following the latest documented disclosures,
has become naked and fatherless. It is bound to lose the support of new Egypt and has no more to give up. Millions of oppressed Arabs are celebrating a great
historical turn. Email
your comment to: comment@sayitonline.net Read it in our blog: Egypt after Tunis: A Great Historical Turn for oppressed Arabs
Jemima Khan Why did I back Julian Assange? It's about justice
and fairness
Our Word: London, 13 December2010:http://sayitonline.net is publishing this link to Jemima Khan’s, writer and
campaigner, above article in the Guardian to alert its readers of her distinctive initiative. This paperless newspaper mission
statement reads: “In pursuit of equality and justice” is close to her declared motive “It's about justice
and fairness”. Read her article and share our feelings that this planet becomes shinier when someone like Jemima
would be prepared to go to court “in the next hour to act as a surety for Assange” at a minimum potential cost
of £20,000.
Email your Comment: latakhaf@sayitonline.net
Is al-Jazeera a Qatar propaganda? London: 11
December 2010: http://sayitonline.net has published a link to Waddah Khanfar, director general of al-Jazeera article in the
Guardian defending his network’s independence that was called into question by cables from the US embassy in Doha made
accessible by WikiLeaks. To suggest that al-Jazeera is Qatar propaganda ignores a fact about the media in neighboring countries
where half or more of the material broadcasted or published is trumpeting and hailing that king, prince or whoever happens
to be the autocaratic ruler of
that state. Follow Al-Jazeera and you will notice the difference. Qatar is not there unless it makes newsworthy events. The
US embassy in Doha should know that. A generous space is always given to US analysts and officials. This is reasonable as the US weight may not be ignored.
The same thing cannot be said about Israelis who too have their voice aired. This is a source of annoyance, for obvious reasons,
to its Arab audience and their supporters.
A call for our British (especially Moslem) readers to register and vote
By Toufic Barakeh
London Sunday, May 02, 2010: http://sayitonline.net British Moslems do not tire of complaining about their understandable
misgivings of the current political system and its failure to treat them with equality and justice: Internally and externally.
The former relates to the laws designed against them introduced consequence to the 9/11 dilemma and the latter to foreign
policy that failed to address the Palestinian crisis and led to the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. Here is a call that
they be positive. Britain is a democracy and they should their right to register and vote. This is a historical election and presents a
unique opportunity for real change. According to an Independent leading article: “hundreds of thousands did register,
particularly the young; and, turnout looks likely to climb out of the valley of apathy of the last two elections, buoyed by
a close race and perhaps by the television debates. So far, so good.” This is another motive for the Moslem population
of about two million to make a positive move and integrate in the democratic process, express themselves and make their voice
heard. They, otherwise, will have only themselves to blame. I have been following the debates very closely. For the first time, despite
its independent nature and that it is free from ties to any party or political groups this newspaper http://sayitonline.net is recommending to its readers and friends to vote Lib Dem.
Nick Clegg, as this campaign demonstrated, is a strong leader backed by a dedicated team. His agenda is merited by good values
and fairness. We are very close to the finals. This is a call on all to use their democratic rights, register,
and vote. Do contribute in make change become a reality. Read it in our blog: A call for our British readers especially Moslems to register and vote
| Cartoon by Gomaa |

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| Curtsy Al-Ahram Weekly |
| Israel hedging its bets on Peace |

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| Caricature: Hamed. Click to link |
By: Toufic Barakeh Would
Israel ever become a normal state? David Rubinger, aged 83, is an Israeli photojournalist. His camera continuously focused on Israeli
events and was put aside only briefly for a gun during 1948 war. Looking back after 60 years of theU.N
unfortunate announcement to set up Israel as a state, he recalls a Hebrew poet writing that to be normal, a Jewish state needed
“thieves and whores” like everywhere else. “Well, we have our thieves and whores,” says Rubinger,
“but our politicians have made us fearful. They brought the ghetto mentality, the idea that every body is trying to
kill us. Ben-Gurion and other founders wanted to get away from that. They wanted Israelis to be normal (Time May 5, 2008). Israelis have voted another general
election dominated, yet again, by security concerns after Israel's 22-day war on Gaza. They started the deadly war,
seizing the opportunity of a transition period in the US and tolerated by an outgoing President Bush. The Palestinians, as
usual on the eve of each Israeli election, paid a heavy toll of the destruction of their buildings, homes and infrastructure.
But the cost in human life resulted in severe pain and immeasurable sense of loss: 1,330 dead and 5,450 wounded. Half the
victims are civilians. “Among the dead were 437 children under 16, 110 women, 123 elderly men, 14 medics and four journalists,
according to Muawiya Hassanein, the head of Gaza medical services”. This was happening while the world is watching the
show on live TV! Click title to read full article.
الجالية الاسلا
مية وفشل كن لفنغستون Did British Moslems contribute to Ken Livingstone's ousting as mayor of London By Toufic Barakeh
London, http://sayitonline.net, 05 May 2008: There is
no doubt that most British Moslems support Ken Livingstone. Like many others, they believe that he had far better mayoral
qualifications and traits than Boris
Johnson; whose candidacy was primarily dismissed as a joke. Ken is a highly regarded statesman who always stood by justice
and fairness including his stance towards Israeli aggressive policies. If not for his political correctness, he would have
become Prime Minister; long time ago. By contrast, according to a Guardian
commentator: “The UK's capital city is set to be run by a one-time opponent
of the Kyoto treaty, apparently prone to racist outbursts…” and that “there have been at least muted whispers
from high-up Tories about fears that Johnson may so screw up that he'll threaten the prospects of a Cameron government.”
Did the British Muslims, however, contribute to this loss?!
The Community may have been loud and excessive in their support and too critical of his opponent; something
that may not appeal to the British quiet and unassertive nature. I would cite as an example the website Muslims 4 Ken which could have antagonised some voters. We did not see other websites following similar
pattern like Jews4Boris; for example.
Inexperienced British Muslims are bound to learn; and should do better in future elections; and try to attract voters
from all sectors who share their values and not just Muslims. They should know how to brief their members on how to vote following
democratic and convincing strategies. Campaigning is an art that needs to be mastered.
Ken Livingstone accepted responsibility for the results, removing the blame from the labour party and others; but probably
musing: 'God please protect me from my friends and I will take care of my enemies.'
Toufic Barakeh

Open MEMO To: President George W.Bush
Subject: Your Middle Eastern tour
Tuesday Jan 15,
2008
From: Toufic Barakeh
London (http://sayitonline.net) –
Considering your reputation that you get bored with details, do not like to read and that you would rather relax with friends
in the luxury of the many amenities available to you , or going to the gym to
maintain your personal image and fitness, I shall try to be as brief as I can. I opted for a memo form, because it is more
precise than a letter format that requires salutation and closing; for instance. This
introduction shouldn’t be considered as critical or cynical. If your style is to do politics that way let it be. It
might become a case study and who knows? We may be reading about Bushism like we did on Thatcherism; for instance.
And now, Mr. President, you are about to conclude your tour. How you would assess the outcome
of your historical visit? Many of us rightly suggested that the visit was very late; as it is taking place only towards the
end of your term at the White House. Optimists, however, would still say “better late than never”. I suppose that
you, despite all known stresses, have enjoyed it and would consider coming back.
Back to the question again, what you aimed for and what you wanted to achieve? Probably you wanted
a better place in history? When asked how will you be judged when you leave office?
Madeleine Albright, previous US secretary
of State answered: “This presidency has done a great deal of damage, and
I’m very glad that it will end” (TIME). Is it too late to prove her wrong?
There is a master key to that. It is within your reach and ability to do it. Solve the Palestinian issue and you would
have solved most of the World’s problems. If you did that, you will be perceived by historians as a hero not a villain
as some of your critics would like to imply. How?
You once said that when you looked into the eyes of Vladimir Putin, the Russian President, and
got a sense of his soul. You decided then that he is a person you could trust. Following the same sequence, please tell us
your findings when you looked into the eyes of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert?! Act with authority Mr. President. You
keep saying that Israel is the most important friend of the US. It had become boring, meaningless like chewing a chewed
chewing gum! The Israeli officials are acting selfishly and in no way in the interest of peace or the Jews they claim to represent.
They just race who kill more Palestinians. They did not even have the curtsy to stop their raids on the Palestinians during
your visit. UN resolutions and signed agreements should be implemented, in urgency. Any delay would be disastrous and keep
the whole world in turmoil and terror. Please stop treating Israel
like a spoilt child. We all know how a spoilt child incurs damages unto himself, parents and many others!
We should admit here that you did say something right like “a Palestinian state is long
overdue, the Palestinian people deserve it and that you called for an end to the Israeli occupation. We are postponing celebrating
these statements till you follow your words by action. None of us, Mr. President, will accept empty promises any longer. I
trust that all heads of states you met have told you the same thing.
You would be wasting your time trying to convince them that Iran
rather than Israel is the enemy. Iran is a neighbour and another Moslem country. I trust your
Saudi host, King Abdullah, whom if you looked into his eyes should have
decided that he is prudent, would have told you what a neighbour means in Islam.
A piece of advice Mr. President, stop referring to Shiite dangers. Shiite or Sunni, they are
all Moslems.The Shiites are as good citizens of the Arab and Moslem world as Sunnis. What do you suggest? Is it because they
are a minority, they should be deposed or thrown out. How come a main republican candidate to replace you in the White House,
Mitt Romney, is a Mormon, a minority group; and Arabs, be it Sunnis or Shiites are required to divide and fight? This
unless you regard all Arabs as clans of zombies and fools? Forget it Mr. President and allow us to live
in peace.
You repeatedly label terrorism as Islamic. Please stop it. Islam is a religion of peace. When
interviewed by Time, Vladimir Putin, your Russian counterpart was wise enough to refuse to refer to terror as Islamic, saying
that “radicals can be found in any environment”. Unfortunately, some Moslem and Arab leaders have fell in that
trip and they too refer to Islamic terrorism!
There are other important issues to clear like Afghanistan,
Iraq, and Guantanamo
bay detainees.
Before publishing this memo, Mr. President, and while you were enjoying the hospitality of your
Saudi hosts, we received the shocking news that Israel massacred 18 in
Gaza including the son of Hamas leader Mahmoud Zahar. I have
seriously considered refraining from publishing this memo. This is not the first time we are driven to a corner. Talking peace
and having a quiet dialogue, under the circumstances, can be futile and pointless.
I was seriously worried about your safety and wish you a safe journey home. No it wouldn’t
have been Al Qaeda; but Israeli intelligence. You were right in having your own security including having your own cooks to
prepare your food. Didn’t Ariel Sharon seek your permission to kill Yasser Arafat? By the way did you go to visit him
at the hospital and did he recognise you?! Didn’t they take pride of murdering and poisoning many persons including
a UN secretary general? Didn’t they spy on your own pentagon?
In an article entitled Return to Reason, Mr. President, Khaled Almaeena of the Saudi daily Arab
News, started using an Arab saying: “Your friend is he who tells you the
truth,” On the matter of friends, I am reminded of what Vladimir Putin told TIME delegation when interviewed as Person
of the Year: “We want to be a friend of America,” “sometimes
we get the impression that America does not need friends” but “only auxiliary subjects to command”.
And finally, some of the Gulf States
have showered you with gifts. We assume that you were not that pleased to accept them. You will not be able to keep them as
they may have to be passed to the treasury. You have been given them as the President of the U.S. Besides they are a peanut compared to the multimillion dollar advisory
contracts your predecessor Bill Clinton got. If Hilary makes it to the White House, Bill will be busy in his new role as a First
Laddie. Hence, a job for an advisor would open. Only previous U S presents should apply.
You would have been better off handing over your C.V!
mailto:latakhaf@sayitonline.net or click here to read and comment in our blog: Open MEMO To: President George W.Bush
Our Word: This reminds of an Arab saying:
“The pregnant mountain gave birth to a mouse”. Removing
about 50 roadblocks from the west bank is not enough, Miss Rice. The measure would affect only a fraction of the more than 500 roadblocks
and checkpoints across the territory. One would have thought that you should have scored better after so many visits to the
Middle East.
The policy of squeezing the Palestinians
to make their life miserable, and then just give them a bonbon is not new! It does not work. The Palestinians want an
end to the occupation and live in peace as a free nation.
Wasting
more time without a concrete progress towards achieving comprehensive and just peace is playing with fire; that could
result in all out wars! Editor mailto:latakhaf@sayitonline.net
Related news:
Israel sees Hamas gone from Gaza in months!
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli leaders vowed on Monday to
step up their war against Hamas and predicted the Islamists' grip on the Gaza Strip would end within months. Two days after
a rocket from the enclave wounded an Israeli child and prompted dramatic headlines in a country grown used to daily barrages
that do little damage, Defence Minister Ehud Barak pledged to step up the Israeli military campaign. Full Article
Our Word: That Israel
sees Hamas gone from Gaza in months is no more than wishful
thinking. For Israel, assassination and
murder attempts are not new. Fresh in the memory: March 22 2004, When the half blind, almost wholly paralysed Sheikh Ahmed
Yassin, was killed in an Israeli air strike after performing his alfajr (dawn) prayer. Shortly after, Israeli forces assassinated
Hamas leader.Abdel Aziz Rantissi, in what appeared to be the start of a campaign to destroy the organisation! Yet Hamas went
stronger and won the elections by a major majority. And even if Hamas lost control of Gaza, or its current chiefs, the resistance
is bound to continue so long the Israelis did not end their invasion of others' territories. Isn’t
time to make just peace and save Arab and Israeli life? Comment on this
Israel lashes out at Egypt
over Gaza crossing
. Full article Our word: Egypt has taken the right move by letting the Palestinian pilgrims return without
Israeli screening. This did not under cut peace; which is daily undercut by Israel’s
arrogance, raids and murder of innocent people, keeping l0, 000 Palestinians in its prisons and dishonouring all its agreements.
if we continue counting the list will go on, on and on! We understand why Israel
is angry though! It wishes that the rift between the Egyptians and their Palestinian brothers to continue and increase. We
repeat here what president Nasser once said: “They can go to
drink the Mediterranean. If it is not enough, they can drink the Red
Sea as well”! Editor. Email your comment: mailto:latakhaf@sayitonline.net Click to read and comment in our blog: Israel lashes out at Egypt over Gaza crossing
Keep the momentum of Alan Johnston’s happy day going
By Toufic Barakeh, http://sayitonline.net
Published: 05 July 2007
London:
As a Palestinian British, like most Moslem community in general and Palestinians in particular, I was immensely rejoiced and
relieved at the release of the BBC’s correspondent, Alan Johnston. This had about coincided with another source of cheer.
The terrorist attacks that have failed; thanks to efficient handling by the police and other circumstances that mitigated
a series of disastrous acts of terror. The measured reaction of the government;
avoiding to antagonise a whole community, by holding its peaceful and law abiding majority responsible for the mad activities
of a small number of crazy and brainwashed individuals, was also a source of relief.
Yet, Hamas, the Palestinian party
who won the legislative election, is to be accredited for the happy ending of Mr. Johnson’s ordeal. They are a major
political party that aims for freedom and independence of their country. The media here is subsiding the truth by constantly
referring to them as Islamic militant group. Islamic, indeed they are. Militant could translate to aggressive and offensive.
They are not. Resistance movement, they are. They deserve to be encouraged and their gestures of goodwill be reciprocated.
They won a peaceful election. But the Fatah barons in Ram Allah (not the whole Fatah movement), supported by the US, Europe and the international powers at large, wont allow
them rule. This had led to chaos and mafia style rule in the streets of Gaza.
Hamas’s patience eventually ran out and decided to forcefully demonstrate their authority.
We are not suggesting that that
the international community should support Hamas against Fatah. They should encourage reconciliation instead. We wish to see
two main political parties, Fatah and Hamas alternating power and authority, in Palestine.
This would contribute more to bring peace to the region. Democracy should prevail.
We conclude by referring to Alan
Johnston words on his release: 'You have to have been a prisoner to know how good
freedom is'. In this context one would naturally remember more than ten thousand Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Some have lost their freedom for the last 25 years!
Alan
Johnston and all contributors that ended his ordeal, come forward. Your fellow good freedom lovers need you! mailto: mailto:latakhaf@sayitonline.net

By Toufic Barakeh
http://sayitonline.net London: 03 May
2007
Et
tu, Brute? “Even you, Brutus?” Ehud Olmert would have recalled Caesar words as Brutus stabbed him, when Tzipi Livni, Foreign Minister and a senior member of his own party told him face to
face that he should quit in response
to the official report highlighting his failures in last year’s Lebanon war. I would highlight that I have written in
this newspaper http://sayitonline.net during the peak of this savage war an article entitled:
"This is mad
and sad, but won’t win you a war, Mr. Olmert!" Concluding that he could have never won that war, regardless of its embarrassing long term and extensions
given by the US administration.
Eliyahu Winograd, an 81-year-old
retired judge should be highly commended by the whole world by demonstrating how to carry out a courageous inquiry into a
government failure. Such practice, admittedly and regretfully, is lacking in all Arab countries. Imagine for a moment a panel of wise Arab men or elders delivering a similar
message to their president. “They could expect to receive not plaudits, as Winograd has, but at best a lengthy spell in prison”, mused a Guardian leading article writer. By contrast Turkish constitutional court
judgment invalidating Abdullah Gul election was conducted with fear. Justice and democracy may not be served under military
threat to intervene!
Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, commented on the indictment conducted by judge Winograd: "It's worth respecting when the enemy's premier forms a commission to investigate the second [Lebanon] war, and it's
even more worth respecting when the commission assigned by Olmert convicts Olmert and uses harsh terms in describing his performance
and behaviour during
the war,"
If Olmert is pressed to quit, Arab governments, along with their
peace initiative may have a temporary chance to rejoice. Shimon Peres, Kadima's
acting leader, could be returning to the prime minister's office. As he is approaching his 84th birthday, Arab leaders might
as well get themselves fit and groomed to deal with blond Miss Tzipi Livni as Prime Minister!
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