Gee,uuuuhhh, let me guess!!!

Here's a quiz we should all be able to have the answers to:

*TERRORISM QUIZ*

1) Which is the only country in the world to have dropped bombs on over twenty different countries since 1945?

2) Which is the only country to have used nuclear weapons?

3) Which country was responsible for a car bomb which killed 80 civilians in Beirutin 1985, in a botched assassination attempt, thereby making it the most lethal terrorist bombing in modern Middle East history?

4) Which country's illegal bombing of Libya in 1986 was described by the UN Legal Committee as a "classic case" of terrorism?

5) Which country rejected the order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to terminate its "unlawful use of force" against Nicaraguain 1986, and then vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling on all states to observe international law?

6) Which country was accused by a UN-sponsored truth commission of providing "direct and indirect support" for "acts of genocide" against the Mayan Indians in Guatemala during the 1980s?

7) Which country unilaterally withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty in December 2001?

8) Which country renounced the efforts to negotiate a verification process for the Biological Weapons Convention and brought an international conference on the matter to a halt in July 2001?

9) Which country prevented the United Nations from curbing the gun trade at a small arms conference in July 2001?

10) Aside from Somalia, which is the only other country in the world to have refused to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child?

11) Which is the only Western country which allows the death penalty to be applied to children?

12) Which is the only G7 country to have refused to sign the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, forbidding the use of landmines?

13) Which is the only G7 country to have voted against the creation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 1998?

14) Which was the only other country to join with Israelin opposing a 1987 General Assembly resolution condemning international terrorism?

15) Which country refuses to fully pay its debts to the United Nations yet reserves its right to veto United Nations resolutions?

Ironic, isn't it? To pretend to be the beacon of freedom and liberty and be the sole perpetrator of terrorism and misery in the world?

Beirut Burning again...

I weep for Beirut, my lovely country. I weep for the destruction that evil has bestowed upon it last night and the last few days.

Some wackos calling themselves- Fateh Al-Islam, who are basically a bunch of criminals released into Lebanon as part of a bigger plot to destroy Lebanon, have been sent to wreak havoc in the country by planting bombs and terrorizing and killing innocent people. Check out the BBC news on the latest fighting in Lebanon here.

What is worse is the number of army personnel killed by these supposed "Palestinian Refugees" who placed snipers everywhere and killed 31 Lebanese soldiers in 2 days?!!! That is astounding!!!

That would only point to one thing that these people are trained army personnel or ex-soldiers who have recieved army training and have a purpose in destroying a country that has had enough of their reign of terror!

One thing that amazes me is that there is so much speculation about whether these guys are Al-Qaeda and about who is their main instigator, whereby the truth is blatantly out there. That instigator is otherwise known as Syria!!!

What is going to happen? Do more innocent people have to die to prove that Syria reins powerful over the whole region? Does the country have to fall back into the abyss of civil war to appease everyone's anger?

People needs to come together and understand that they eventually have to live together, whether they were Sunnis, Shiites, Christians, Maronites, Druze, etc. etc,

I pray for peace, and for evil to lift its grip off Lebanon.

Peace,

SoulSearch

Labor Rights

Have you heard of the phrase: "A slave to the job", well, that's how I feel right now. I'm at a point where I have had it with work. I feel I have come to a breaking point, where I'm seriously thinking of making greeting cards for a living or something kinky like that!

People rant and rave about Labor Rights, what about Children's Rights, when a mother works every single day from 8am to 5pm and by the time she gets home its 5.30 or 5.45pm, her kids are getting ready to call it a day. What do I say to my 2 year-old son, who asks me why I leave him every single day? What do I say to my daughter when she tells me she wants to color a rainbow with her? Do I tell them I'm beat, my mind is clouded with all the tasks and responsibilities that I have at work? Would they understand that I'm doing all this for them, so I would never have to compromise their education, their lives, etc...

I miss my kids, my life is passing by and I'm in the office worrying about other trivialities while I'm missing out on wonderful moments with my children. I love you A & S.

Love,

SoulSearch, the mother!

A Woman's agony

What is it that makes them do it? Why do women stay, when men decide to treat them as a punching bag? I just don't get it.

I was reading this morning's paper when I stumbled upon this article from the GDN, about a woman who has been abused and regularly beaten by her husband. She even had to have her upper lip stiched after his highness probably blew a punch at her or threw something at her.

Nothing infuriates me more than a man using his muscles to show he's a man. To me he's just an animal. Morever, he's probably an animal with issues, major ones. For him to use force to keep "his woman" in line just sickens me.

And she still refuses to press charges!!!! I say sue his sorry a*s, let him rot in jail or get deported or something. The law must be on her side, right? Right?

Its sad that people can just continue to swallow their pride, and their tears just so they would not cause a commotion, and that is probably one of the reasons this poor woman and many others in her situation prefer to do. Its probably becasue of the kids as well, for fear that she would be separated from them by the vicious monster of a dad that they have. Does he ever stop and think what this does to the children? How they would grow up in fear of what is happening to their mother, and when they become men and women themselves won't they feel that this is the normal way of treating their own spouses, or feel its normal to be treated this way? It just scares me.

From what I've heard there is a family violence shelter or center here in Bahrain. Its sponsored by Batelco and is somewhere in Budaiya but I'm not sure. Anyone who knows more about it, their contact no.s, or anything, please do let us know.

I hope this woman gets her mind set straight and sues this guy for both the physical and emotional abuse that has tormented her and her children for years and years.

Peace,

SoulSearch

Its me, Its music

Music does something to my soul. It takes me away from my troubles, my sorrow, my pain. Music is a treasure. I love music.

As the weight of the world gets heavier and heavier on my shoulders, my only valve, is my 15 or 20 minutes a day in my car, where I'm by myself, I just listen to all the music I want, starting from my favorite rockers - Nickleback - to Annie Lenox - to any 80s music I can put my hands on.

I want to sleep, to feel free, to run like the wind, to be happy.

Peace,

SoulSearch

My Knefe Recipe

There's nothing like a taste of Lebanon every once in a while, and no other desert is more representative of Lebanese cuisine as Kunafeh, or Knefe as the Lebanese say it. To those who asked for my special Knefe recipe, well, here it is, I hope you enjoy it :)

Ingredients:
The Knefe dough (from supermarkets) (separated as best you can)
2 cups of sweetened milk or 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1/2 a cup of cornflour
1 cup of room-temperature water
5 tbs of Ghee

For the sugar syrup:

2 cups of sugar
1 cup water
a squeeze of lemon
2 tsp of orange blossom water (mai zaher)

First, you will need to separate the kunafa dough and place it in pyrex pan or a non-stick pan.
Separately in a small saucepan add the milk (whichever you choose) and add the cornflour, stirring constantly, add the water and continue to stir until the mixture is firm and boiling.
This will be your cream between the two layers of the Knefe.
Then sprinkle some ghee (or butter) over the dough, spread the cream over it and add another layer of dough on top of the cream. sprinkle more ghee over your knefe and place it in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is slightly golden.

For the syrup:

Place the 2 cups of sugar and one cup of water in another saucepan. Bring to the boil. Allow to cool slightly then add a squeeze of lemon juice and some orange blossom water (mai zaher) and pour over the hot Knefe.

For Decoration: Sprinkle some ground pistachio in any pattern you like!

And Voila! you are almost a Lebanese chef.

If any one tries my recipe, be sure to come back and tell us about the taste ;)

Peace,
SoulSearch

On Terrorism and Virginia Tech

Its been a while now since the Virginia Tech Massacre by the estranged Cho, who chose to take his own life and the lives of 32 other people with an unclear motive.

The attacker is being described by everyone including the media as an unstable, young man. He seemed to be angry, depressed and basically with a few screws loose in his head. That I can comprehend. But what I fail to understand is the lack of questions being posed by the same media that make a fuss about Islamic fundemtalism and Jihad.

Not one of the many TV stations or other media outlets ever made a connection to the words he uttered in his "video". The dude actually said: "Thanks to you I die like Jesus Christ" and many other references he made to Christian fellowship and the church... Why isn't anyone making a connection to this act as an act of religious terrorism, as is the case with other acts of terrorism that have been blatantly linked to Islam simply because the attackers were Muslim! Why is a connection not made between his act and his "inspiration"? Could he have been reading the Bible perhaps? Where there are many references to martyrdom and killing your enemy, and other similar statements? Why is that only applied to Muslims?

Can these same standards be applied to Israeli soldiers who choose to open fire on Palestinian unarmed civilians who try to cross the border to go to work, simply because they are not of the Jewish Faith? Or the collective punishment bestowed upon the Palestinians because they are Muslims or Christians and not Jewish?

There are many questions that need to be answered. So many issues that are so obviously wrong and we choose to turn a blind eye to injustice...

Do I see double standards here? Or is this rule applied only to Muslim "terrorists"? If someone chooses to act in a certain manner, is his religion the only factor to blame? Or can we also blame anti-depressants?

Weekend Desert

Because my dad is a chef and specialized in Lebanese cuisine, I've always taken it for granted that we have tabouleh, stuffed vine leaves, chicken fata for lunch, and kunafah, baqlawa, and basboosa for desert.

However, I went into a lebanese cooking frenzy in the past few months, and decided to cook all things Lebanese, that have always been there on the table but very difficult to attempt cooking.

I made tabouleh the other day, and the last weekend I made Kunafah. My dad was all smiles, proud of his offspring, at her first attempt at real Kunafah. And it was a major hit, my husband loved it, my brothers downed it, my cousin almost finished it, and of course my dad and mom were like proud parents at their eldest child's graduation.

I'll leave you with my Kunafah!

p.s. the little bite on the side was Amoona. She couldn't resist but take a bite!! =)

Reading Treat

Every night, I get to go somewhere, to follow a story so tremendously amazing and heartbreaking, that I am having trouble sleeping. My mom lent me this book the other day and urged me to read it. It was in Arabic so I was kind of finding it cumbersome. But then I decided to stop being silly and decided to start reading more Arabic novels in order to strengthen my dwindling Arabic skills.

But once I started, I couldn't stop.

As much as the story is amazing, it sends shivers down my spine.

Its called "The Prisoner" (in Arabic) by Malika OuFakir and Michelle Fitoussi. I found an English version of the book on Amazon. com called "Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail" which was also listed in Oprah's Book Club.

It scares me to read the devestation that happened to this poor family, inflicted upon them by a sel-centered king who has no value for human life. It scares me to know that this has happened in the Arab World, and it scares me even more to think of the other untold stories.

The story is told by Malika, the daughter of a Moroccan General back in the 1970s. Malika was adopted by the King Hassan II and went to live with his siter Lila Mina in a lavish palace where she spent all of her childhood. Although she lived extravagantly, she missed out on her life with her real family. Its heart-wrenching to read the worries from a child's point of view. Her parents were helpless because what the King wants, the King gets.

*Spoiler ahead*

Later on, her father stages a coup against Hassan the Second and is executed on the spot, leaving behind his family who get to experience a rainbow of torture in prison. Her mother, her 3 sisters and 2 brothers, one of them only 2 years old, get whisked away to a Desert prison where they spend 20 years of their lives behind prison gates.

They go through hell, their lives stolen by an unruly, narcasistic King who did not care about the least of any himan rights. Imagine a child who has never seen a newspaper, a car, or the asphalt of the road. They feed on the grass that grows near the prison bars, since they don't get enough food supplies. They get separated into 4 prison cells and they spend 11 years of their lives in separate cells never seeing each other. The mother with Abdulatif, her youngest, Malika with her 3 sisters, and the eldest brother Ra'ouf is locked up in a separate cell. the psychological torture that they go through is heartbreakingly inhuman. They are so close yet so far away. The 2-year-old boy is 22 by the time they escape, having never set eyes on a toy or on a real football field. He grows to love football from the radio that they have to hide so elaborately.

But they device an intricate plan to dig a 5-meter hole to freedom, they have to get past the guards outside, the stray dogs in the desert and they have to get to the city to reach the French Embassy where they plan to take political asylum.

And that's where I reached last night!

I want to go back home as soon as possible, get the kids to bed so I can continue my reading. Will keep you posted on the events of the story when I'm done.

A true page-turner, the book is an excellent read, and an invaluable insight into the injustices that take place behind the media frenzy and the galmor and the politics.

Its a jungle out there.

Peace,

SoulSearch

More Jews in the Middle East?

Can you believe that our Ambassador to Washington, actually wished that? Was that a political statement or was it a reflection of Bahrain's new foreign policy?

Thanks Lulu for bringing this Washington Post article to the local blogosphere. Being chums with Israel is what we need as Arabs and Muslims, especially at a tough time such as this, when Baghdad is burning, heads flying around, when Somalia is on the verge of a humanitarian disaster, when Morocco and Algeria have just been shook by bloody bombings, and my list can go on and on.

Well, the Jews have displaced more than 4 million Palestinians, and unlawfully occupied their land and declared the only country in the world based on a religion.

I'm not sure if this was part of diplomatic protocol, bubt did he really have to say he wishes there were more Jews in the Middle East? Does he want more Russian or Polish immigrants to occupy more Palestinian homes? Does he agree with the Jewish plans of destroying Muslim Religious sites, such as the Al-Aqsa Mosque?

Please, does any body see, what a sorry, sorry situation...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Crazy Week

Its been a crazy week. I've been as busy as a bee running around doing everything and being everything at the same time.

I turned 29 on Monday. Thanks Naz, Mool, and the rest of the gang for a wonderful lunch and coffee. The shawl is beautiful, the perfume confiscated by hubby =)

Tuesday was a another day of errands, I was at the clinic in the morning for a medical check-up, (upset stomach).

Running around all hardware stores for bathroom tiles for our dream home! Love the stuff at Marmara, Sitra Highway. Prices were surprisingly reasonable and we are very close to finalizing all 7 bathrooms! Yey =)

Another day of going around, this time it was for kitchens. W e visited a few kitchen places. We are now in a dilemma. Should we go for a wooden or an aluminum kitchen? I want to go for the Alu choice, while hubby is thinking of going for the wooden (I am suspecting!)

I'm glad its Thursday. Tomorrow is Friday and I'm hoping I can stay at home and be a bum. Do nothing. But I will have to wake up early tomorrow, play with the kids and give them all the love, time and attention I can. I miss them and feel infinitely guilty for being so busy all week. The only consolation is: I do all of this for them. The house, the job, the life all revolves around them. You would only understand if you were a parent. I guess at the end of the day, your kids are the priority. Little human beings who totally depende on you for their lives. How could you even think of turning your back. You wouldn't.

Peace,
SoulSearch

A World of Hopelessness

Hope for Life. When I started this blog, I hoped I could write about my concerns as an Arab citizen living in the Arab world.
But today, I feel I have reached a dead end. Killing, wars, conflicts, suicide bombings, in many parts of the Arab world; is this the spiral to our destruction?

So many questions on my mind; is it our fault? or governments'? our leaders? our inaction? our slumber?

Or is it fate, is it our destiny to watch people around us die for no reason.

Iraq is one fire,
Palestine is still occupied,
Lebanon is a political time bomb,
Morocco is shook by a bloody attack,
Algeria follows...

Who's next? Is it Al-Qaeda? Is it Israel (very conspiracy theory, I know)? Is it the US?
Does Al-Qaeda even exist? or is it just a fabrication of the media by a superpower who created this bearded monster extremist monster to blame all the BS going on in the world, for economic and political gains?

Where are we going? What is happening? Do we just go on living our lives? Do we just work, and take aour children to school? and go have lunch somewhere? and then come home?
What about the destruction around us? What about the future? What about progress?

Is this normal? Is anyone out there?

Peace,
SoulSearch

Tabouleh...yummy

Just wanted to share my tabouleh with all of you, I made it over the weekend and my dad was so proud!

This delicious lebanese salad has tons of vitamins in it and I've been trying to get my kids to eat it instead of those horrid Happy Meals!!

You've got to chop, chop, and chop some more, as fine as you can, for the finer your vegetables are chopped the smoother your tabouleh is. You'll also need olive oil and lemons to make your tabouleh taste zesty!

Loved it. I also made fried fish, eggplants, and potatoes to go with it. Delicious Lunch. I love Friday family get-togethers!

yummo

Home Sweet Home

The Ministry of Housing have kindly agreed to fund our dream home project. I want to update the world and share my joy. Below is the latest pic of our dream home...

There are stairs now, the walls are being cemented, and we're waiting for the concrete slabs to arrive for our ceilings.

SoulSearch Beach Clean Up

It was a wonderful, satisfying feeling to have early on a Friday morning. I would like to thank Thinkpink for the mighty cleaning efforts and BuRashed 4800 who helped relentlessly to clean up the whole beach. We had loads of fun, baking in the sun, and cooling off in the water, filling gorgeous garbage bags and feeding the dumpster. The beach was strewn with filth and debris, as you can see the images below will tell the story.

I hope this will spur a movement for clean ups everywhere, another place that seriously needs attention is the Al-Jazayer Beach, which is far more messy than the Al-Fateh Beach.

I'll leave you with the SoulSearch Beach Clean Up Inititiative...

Before and After effects...

More debris...

Dumpster briming with debris from the beautiful Marina Beach...

And on our way out, we were treated to this beautiful flowers on the beach...

Thanks to all who participated and I hope people will become more aware of their environment, and love the land they live on...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Palestinian "Militants"

Besides being more like a tabloid newspaper, the editos at GDN continue to be as blind to our stance as a country, to the people as Arabs and Muslims, and to the political situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Their article today calls the Palestinian "martyred" today as a Militant who was killed as he was " evilly" shooting at the poor defenseless Israeli Soldiers who were to protect the right of Israel to exist. Hohoho

Do you need to be reminded that Bahrain is an Arab and Muslim country by majority and that people here are on the Palestinian side? Do you need to be reminded that Palestinians are defending or trying to defend their stolen land?

According to Wikipedia: The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, normally for a cause. Popular usage sometimes sees "militants" as synonymous with terrorists.

Do these guys just cut and paste from Reuters, Associated Press or Agence France Presse, do they not realize that the western media is biased against the Palestinians and choose to ignore the plight of the Palestinians?

Peace,
SoulSearch

Saidism

Does this guy really think people listen to him? Instead of addressing real issues, issues plaguing his area, issues that desparately need to be raised, he yaps about how men should marry 3 women!

What makes this "enlightened" MP think that women would want to marry someone like him, I wonder what his wife, no sorry "Wives" think of his latest remarks. What kind of a suggestion is that? Thank God the other MPs had the nerve to at least ask him to talk for himself, because being the brainy deputy that he is, he suggested that all the MPs set the example!

With a 4th grade certifcate, this guy seriously needs someone to tell him we live in the 21st century, and that Islam is not about satisfying your sexual needs by putting wives on your payroll.

Please wake up Mr. AlSaidi or go home, and spare us all your valuable opinions, we seriously don't need people like you to tell us, men and women, how to live their lives. Trust me, you are the last person anyone would want to take marriage counselling from. Women don't need men like you to live a dignified life, women are more resilient, more determined, more empowered to live an independent way of life, and don't need cavemen like you to marry them.

Go back to Riffa and see the misery that people there live in, the sewers are overflowing, the roads have huge craters in them, many houses are ready to collapse on the people living there, parking is a nightmare, the smell is unbearable, and the list can go on forever.

Peace,
SoulSearch

The Sands of Bahrain

I have been trying to get people to volunteer to clean up a beach near the Marina Club.

So far, its my family, thinkpink, tito and I. Thanks guys for participating. However, we still need to get together, discuss a plan of some sort, get the things we might need, like garabage bags maybe, a few buckets, shovels or something to the effect. We also need to agree on a date, I suggested next weekend, Friday the 6th of April.

Its not that bad this beach but its got these annoying rocks that make it impossible for anyone, especially kids to wade into the sea. Plus of course all the wrappers, bottles, and plastic strewn all over the area. But I am asuming this should not take us 2 to 3 hours. Anyone is welcome to bring their children, I'm bringing mine, to teach them the values and the satisfaction of community work and volunteering.

Anyone willing to pitch in would be most welcome. If you would like to volunteer, or propose a new timing, or send your contact details, please email me at soulsearch78@gmail.com

Peace,

SoulSearch

Photo of the Week

Hey World.

My blog's new logo on one of Bahrain's rare beaches...

Peace,

SoulSearch

Arabi - A Poem for Palestine

Allow me to introduce you to "Arabi". The poet who has kindly agreed to publish his poetry on my blog. The first poem I'm publishing today is called " سلمى- أواه يا وطن "

It talks about a Palestinian girl called Salma, who looks for Arab support for her cause, but of course gets no reply. She searches for an identity that has been robbed by the enemy. She longs for her home that was demolished, and for the family she lost.



To Palestine, with love,

سلمى .... أواه ياوطن

إذا جن الليل واستجن وتلحف عشاق الشجن
غني أنت ياسلمى للوطن فنحن لم نسمعك من زمن

قولي ... آواه .. ياوطن واقدساه سيدة المدن
ياوطن السلوى والمن انت في حلمي سكن

في عيني نور عين في أذني جرس أرن
أذان به القلب هدن

ياوطن السلوى والمن باعوني بأبخس ثمن
تناسوني وقالوا سنن غريبة بالديار ياوطن
كميت بالعراء دفن يشتهي ترابك كفن

آواه ... ياوطن حاراتك دروب المحن
حياتك للموت خدن أحزانك لصمتي لحن
ألمك بألمي يتفنن

آواه ... ياوطن

أنت فاء في الفتن

ولام لهفة وحزن
سين سلام قد سجن

وطاء طفل في الوسن
ياء يوم بسهل أغن
ونون نادتنا ... أين نحن؟

أواه ياوطن

ياوطن السلوى والمن إن لم أحبك أحب من؟

آواه ياوطن

-Arabi

Peace,

SoulSearch