Incoherent Thoughts on Nahr al Barid

Although I’m a bit late to comment on the situation in Nahr il Barid, but I think it’s better late than never.

I’m not sure what frustrates me more, the fact that Palestinian civilians are pay for what a few idiots did, or how quickly Lebanese people forgot about what happened last summer.

Roughly a year ago, while innocent civilians were being killed left and right by the Israelis, the Lebanese soldiers responsible for protecting their people (as they claim these days) were hiding in their bunkers. Where was the heavy artillery then? Was the army saving it for a bigger crisis? It took me by surprise how quickly and ambitiously the army moved, I thought they would still be a sleep since last summer. But it’s all cool now… it turns out they the army and Fath al Islam were allies after all.

Incase you haven’t heard, Fath al Islam is a US backed group. The purpose of this new group was to create a Sunni force counteracting Hezbollah. Fath al Islam is fueled with money from the conniving prince Bandar, and weapons from the US. It seems like the US learned from the Taliban fiasco?

What I find most ridiculous about this whole situation is how the US rushed weapon supplies to the welcoming arms of the Lebanese army. Which shows clearly the US intent in the region: to create internal struggles, and maintain them. Distracting Arabs internally is an excellent way to get them off Israel’s back.

The victims in this whole situation are first and foremost the Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. Their living conditions in Lebanon are the primary reasons you find them involved in such operations. You don’t have to look far to see that how Palestinians can become a productive and effective part of society if given the chance. Palestinian refugees in Syria are among the educated and successful part of society, thanks to the fair treatment they receive from the Syrians. I believe that the Palestinian behaviour seen in the recent incident is a direct byproduct of the discrimination they experience in Lebanon. It’s amazing what a little freedom can do.

Looking on the positive side of things, at least we now know of what was happening underground in the Lebanese arena. Had Fath al Islam gone under the radar a little longer, and gained a bit of strength who knows how large the clash would have been. I hope this incident sends a wake up call to those blaming the Syrians for every bad thing that happens in Lebanon.

technorati tags: Nahr, al, barid, Lebanon, Palestinian, Refugees, US, Politics

The summer so far

When I realized that I was going to be living away from home last term, I thought that all the free time would mean more blogging, but as you have been noticing lately, I haven’t written much lately. One of the reasons behind the lack of activity, is that I’m on a computer all day at work, and by the time I get home the last thing I want to do is sit behind another computer. The other reason is that I have been making frequent visits to downtown Toronto, a place that is growing me day after day. Soon enough I’m going to start working on a work report for school, and I have started my weekly soccer games.

All in all the summer has been quite busy so far, but very unproductive. I am the king of procrastination. I have been reading the same book for over 2 months now, and I’m not even half way through it yet. I guess there’s still a lot of time left to do something productive. At least that’s what I’m going to tell my self. My first real achievement this summer will be a more serious, meaningful, less selfish post. So to all the readers, stay tuned.

The Summer Months

Things have changed quite a bit for me since the last post. After finishing my last exam I had a few days off, which I used to set up a meeting with fellow blogger Omar Faleh, spend some time with friends, and find a place for the summer in North York.

As I write this, I’m spending my fifth night away from home. My living accommodations this time are much better than last time, but then again, nothing can compare to that place. This time around I’m living with someone who can actually speak English, and the landlord is a very nice old lady who lives in the same house. My room is huge, with an attached bathroom, so I can’t complain about that.

The reason for my move is work. This is my last work term, and I wanted to work at a place which I thought best fit my interest for a future career. Since the company building doesn’t have enough parking, I have to take 2 subways to get to work. An public transportation solution that I have come to love. Subways come every 3 minutes, so you never have to plan ahead of time, or be in a rush to get to work on time. The trip to work takes about 30 minutes including the walking, so that’s also pretty god, con

The company I work it is pretty good as well. It’s probably one of the nicest offices I have ever been in. The people seem friendly as well, a very important quality in a workplace. I am working a large project to be built in Calgary, and from the sounds of it, I’m going to be heavily involved in the design process, which is pretty sweet.

I am still adjusting to life here. For example, the local YMCA here sucks compared to the one at home. It boggles my mind how a gym half the size of the one back home, is supposed to serve a much larger population. The roads in Toronto are much worse as well. You really have to keep an eye on the pavement, to avoid the big bumps. But the worst thing about driving here has to be the lack of available parking. I got used to asking people if there’s parking available before going anywhere. I’m sure as time goes by I’m going to like living here more than being back home. I always enjoyed the big city feel, and I hope this summer experience won’t prove me wrong.

In the meantime, I would like to officially ask my dear friend Abufares for quick recipes for the novice cook. Perhaps something with eggs ;)