5.7 earthquake shakes parts of S Iraq

United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that a 5.7 earhquake shook parts of Southern Iraq shortly after Wed.-Thu. midnight.

USGS website mentioned that the epicenter of the earthquake was 70 kms NNE from Amara, 140 kms E from Kut, and 290 kms ESE from Baghdad, right on the the borderline between Iraq and Iran.

Three Iraqi websites mentioned some details about it.

It was mentioned that the earthquake was clearly felt in Amara, where the major earthquake was followed by another one shortly afterwards. Radio Nawa website reported that families went out of their homes after ceiling fans began to shake and vases started shaking and falling as the ground shook around 00:52 local time on 28 Aug.

Further east in Thi Qar Province, and its capital Nasiriya, it was reported that the Northern areas of the Province (which are closer to the epicenter) shook stronger than the Southern areas.

Voices of Iraq website mentioned that a source in Basra Seismological Center was quoted saying that the earthquake was followed by other smaller quakes.

There were no reports of human casualties.

Down Memory Lane: 1993: Samantha Fox (My True Devotion)

Mahmoud Darwish (Rita and the Rifle)

Between Rita and my eyes there is a rifle
And whoever knows Rita kneels
and prays
To the divinity in those honey-colored eyes
And I kissed Rita
When she was young
And I remember how she approached
And how my arm covered the loveliest of braids
And I remember Rita
The way a sparrow remembers its stream

Ah, Rita

Between us there are a million sparrows and images
And many a rendezvous
Fired at by a rifle
Rita's name was a feast in my mouth
Rita's body was a wedding in my blood
And I was lost in Rita for two years
And for two years she slept on my arm
And we made promises
Over the most beautiful of cups
And we burned in the wine of our lips
And we were born again

Ah, Rita!

What before this rifle could have turned my eyes from yours
Except a nap or two or honey-colored clouds?
Once upon a time
Oh, the silence of dusk
In the morning my moon migrated to a far place
Towards those honey-colored eyes

And the city swept away all the singers
And Rita
Between Rita and my eyes — A rifle

"This Airbort is not smoking"!!!

And here i am supposed to go through a new journey from Baghdad back to Sulaimaniya. The beginning went well, until i arrived at the Terminal, when they said (not through loudspeakers, of course) that the Iraqi Airways flight to Sulaimaniya will be delayed till 15:30 instead of its original 11:30 time. There was a TV reporter and his cameraman and they were also planning to travel to Sulaimaniya, and they decided to make a report about the case, and i left their vicinity while they were still at the research phase, and when one of the Airport officials was explaining to them that this was because of the lack of airplanes to cover the flights, so the same airplane that was about to take us to Sulaimaniya had to go to Damascus, then back from Damascus, and the probably to and back from another place before taking us to Sulaimaniya; which is totally crazy!

 

If that wasn't crazy enough, i ran into 3 people that know me, in about 15 minutes time. The last of them, and he was the only one who noticed that i was there, came and spoke to me (in Arabic):

- "Excuse me, aren't you .....?!"

I had to use a trick to get rid of him. This guy was like one year with me in elementary school and probably wanted tons of catching up while i was already on the edge of my patience because of this crazy flight delay.

- "I don't speak Arabic. I'm sorry..."

I said in the most perfect English i could pull together for the unexpected occasion. Thank God that it was more than enough to send him on his way.

Now, speaking of the accent, there were two things i witnessed this morning; the first was a young lady with a reddish-mahogany colored passport in her hard which i couldn't distinguish the writings on its cover, but i think it was British, and he accent make me think so too. Anyway, she was accompanied by an older Iraqi man, who was in his late thirties. Anyway, i was standing there waiting for the baggage check procedures to end, while they were talking. The guy was telling her stories about Baghdad in the past, and despite the jolly good British "waaaaaaaaads" (=words) that he was munching in his mouth like a Macintosh candy, but the story he told really sucked to the extent that i decided to delete it from my memory at once. Now, my understanding, and i may well be wrong in this, but i do hope that i am right, that you need to represent the best that is in your country, religion and culture while talking to, or dealing with foreigners. By doing that, you could be an ambassador for your country, religion, and culture. The young lady could -unfortunately- believe what that man said, which could actually be a little disaster in itself!

 

Despite the fact that the guy didn't speak with an accent, but he was definitely thinking with one!

 

Back to the Airport, and the original craziness of the day. The Airport announcer did not only have the worse English accent possible (she actually says "this Airbort is not smoking" meaning that smoking is not allowed anywhere at the Airport!!); but her Arabic is also horrible! I, and every Arab or Arabic speaker knows for sure that the Syrian capital Damascus is pronounced "Dimashq" in Arabic. She kept saying Dimishq, which doesn't really make any sense in Arabic.

 

Also, she was really, really bugging in her way of saying "This is the final call for the Iraqi Airways flight to Damascus". She could've almost said, "I really mean it. If you don't believe me then blame no one but yourselves!"

And to finish this episode, the way Jon Stewart ends his Daily Show with the Moment of Zen, here is how she announced the departure of the Flying Carpet Airlines to Beirut:

"Baghdad Interrnationall Airrporrt announce the debarture of Flying Carbit to Beirut. All bassenger arrre kindly requestedd to go to gate forty-fife. Thang you!"

 

That's our Moment of Zen for today! Thank you very much everybody!!

Iraqi Sprinter Out of 100m First Round

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/track_field/results/ATW001/8;_ylt=An0YKjSRl4UciknEehvLRW41o5N4#ATW001802

TucsonCitizen.com Article: Despite the danger, Iraqi sprinter keeps running

By: Mike Lopresti

BEIJING — Back home in Iraq, where the athletes have died like everyone else, there are two running tracks Dana Abdul-Razak can use to make herself a sprinter. One requires ignoring the scars from the mortar shells. The other is two hours away.

This is the route a woman must take, dashing through a war to get to the Olympics.

Her official Olympic bio mentions that her coach and fiance sometimes have had to cut deals with Shiite militiamen and Sunni insurgents to get her to practice. Money for safety, in a place where life can be cheap.

It is a last resort to be able to run, and even then, sniper shells still occasionally whizzed by.

The Iraqi Olympic team coach was asked Monday if that is true. Mohammad Al-Hagami shrugged, admitted maybe there had been days like that. Just as there have been days, as he pointed maybe 20 yards away, "where bombs are there and we are here. We are not afraid from that."

What they do is pause a moment, and then get back to the speed work. Later, they might go shopping.

"This," he said, "is our life."

Scrape away the corporate sponsors and television rights, and the Olympics are still supposed to be about hope.

Here, for example, comes the team from Iraq.

The president of the Olympic Committee is a Kurd.

The chef de mission is Christian.

The woman in the 100-meter dash is Sunni.

The coach is Shiite.

That doesn't sound like an Olympic team. That sounds like a firefight on a Baghdad street. It's a small world, after all.

"Is he? I didn't know that," Tiras Anwaya said, of his coach being Shiite. "It means nothing to me."

So the Olympic team of Iraq stands for something, even if it was banned from these Games until 10 days before the Opening Ceremony because of a dispute with the IOC over Iraqi government interference.

Suits in high offices worked it out. Good thing. Is any nation more in need of an Olympic ideal transfusion?

"It was a full heart to be feeling," Al-Hagami said. "Sometimes, you are tearing when the flag goes up."

The New York Times reported nearly 100 athletes, coaches and sport officials have been killed in Iraq since the Athens Olympics of 2004. According to numerous reports, the head of the National Olympic Committee has been missing since 2006, and the deputy was killed in a bus station.

Two years ago, according to the Associated Press, two tennis players and a coach were gunned down, apparently for wearing shorts, after being warned in a pamphlet by Islamic extremists.
From this killing ground, Abdul-Razak has come to the Olympics. A picture online shows her working out. In long pants.

"She is very courageous," Anwaya said. "She is a symbol."

The symbol Monday was wearing jeans, eight earrings, two necklaces and had a cell phone handy. She had little enthusiasm to be quoted because, according to a website called Islamonline.net, she has been threatened after past publicity.

No, she had nothing to say about what part the United States has played in her fate. "We do not need to talk about politics," she said through a translator.

Yes, she was unnerved initially when the bombs exploded near her. "The first time I was afraid, maybe 10 minutes, maybe 20 minutes. It was gone. No big deal."

Chances are, she will not last past the first round of the 100 meters. But why talk track odds to a woman who has dodged sniper fire? Her race is a plea. Someday, this all has to end.

"She feels good for our people to watch her. Not Shiite, not Sunni. Our people," Al-Hagami said.

"And if she is good, for other people and other nations to make their eyes on our flag."

There must be fear, too. What does it a say, that a 22-year-old Olympic sprinter must worry that she is not faster than a speeding bullet?

She mentioned as much to Islamonline.net. "Now this dream could end any time, if for one second I lose my concentration and a bullet comes across my body fired by groups that don't really understand the importance of this."

Iraq, with only a handful of athletes here, wants a stronger Olympic team. "First of all," Anwaya said, "you need peace."

Which is why Abdul-Razak is different than many who will line up next to her Saturday.

Their triumph will be to finish a race. Hers is to start.

AP Article: Soap opera shakes customs of Arab married life

By KARIN LAUB and DALIA NAMMARI, Associated Press Writers

Every evening for the past four months, a tall young man with soulful blue eyes has been stealing hearts across the Middle East, from the refugee camps of the Gaza Strip to the gated mansions of Riyadh.

But it's not just the striking good looks of Mohannad, hero of the hugely popular Turkish TV soap "Noor," that appeal to female viewers. He's romantic, attentive to his wife, Noor, supportive of her independence and ambitions as a fashion designer — in short, a rare gem for women in conservative, male-dominated surroundings.

"Noor" delivers an idealized portrayal of modern married life as equal partnership — clashing with the norms of traditional Middle Eastern societies where elders often have the final word on whom a woman should marry and many are still confined to the role of wife and mother.

Some Muslim preachers in the West Bank and Saudi Arabia have taken notice, saying the show is un-Islamic and urging the faithful to change channels. But all the same, the show may be planting seeds of change.

"I told my husband, `learn from him (Mohannad) how he treats her, how he loves her, how he cares about her," said Heba Hamdan, 24, a housewife visiting the West Bank from Amman, Jordan. Married straight out of college, she said the show inspired her to go out and look for a job.

"Noor" seems particularly effective in changing attitudes because it offers new content in a familiar setting: Turkey is a Muslim country, inviting stronger viewer identification than Western TV imports. The characters in "Noor" observe the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and Mohannad and Noor were married in a match arranged by his grandfather.

But it also upholds secular liberties: Protagonists have a drink with dinner and sex outside marriage. Mohannad, while faithful to Noor, had a child with a former girlfriend, and a cousin underwent an abortion.

The nightly soap opera "shows that there are Muslims who live differently," said Islah Jad, a professor of women's studies at the West Bank's Bir Zeit University.

The show's Turkish producer, Kemal Uzun, added: "We are a little more open, not as conservative as some of these countries, and I think this might have some appeal for the audience."

Even though some of the racier scenes are sanitized for Arab consumption, clerics have been sermonizing against "Noor." "This series collides with our Islamic religion, values and traditions," warned Hamed Bitawi, a lawmaker of the Islamic militant Hamas and preacher in the West Bank city of Nablus.

But the purists seem powerless to halt the "Noor" craze.

In Saudi Arabia, the only country with ratings, about three to four million people watch daily, out of a population of nearly 28 million, according to MBC, the Saudi-owned satellite channel that airs the show dubbed into Arabic for Middle East audiences.

In the West Bank and Gaza, streets are deserted during show time and socializing is timed around it. In Riyadh, the Saudi capital, and in Hebron, the West Bank's most conservative city, maternity wards report a rise in babies named Noor and Mohannad. A West Bank poster vendor has ditched Yasser Arafat and Saddam Hussein for Noor and Mohannad.

Jaro's Clothing Store in Gaza City is doing brisk business in copies of blouses seen on the show, including a sleeveless metallic number adapted to Gaza standards by being worn over a long-sleeved leotard.

Producer Uzun said the Istanbul villa on the Bosporus, fictional home of Mohannad's upper-class clan, has been rented by tour operators and turned into a temporary museum for Arab visitors.

A recent cartoon in the Saudi paper Al-Riyadh showed a plain-looking man marching into a plastic surgeon's office with a picture of Mohannad with his designer stubble. (Kivanc Tatlitug, who plays Mohannad, is an ex-basketball player who won the 2002 "Best Model of the World" award.)

In the West Bank city of Nablus, civil servant Mohammed Daraghmeh said he had MBC blocked at home so his kids couldn't watch, but the family vowed to watch it at an uncle's house and he backed down.
In Hamas-ruled Gaza, keeping up with "Noor" is a challenge.

Power goes out frequently because of a yearlong blockade imposed by Israel and Egypt after the violent Hamas takeover. When a blackout disrupts viewing, many set their alarms to catch the pre-dawn repeat.

In the Shati refugee camp, several teenage girls huddled around an old TV set recently, trying to follow the action despite overflights by pilotless Israeli aircraft that can scramble reception.

Ala Hamami, 17, wearing a black robe and head scarf, said she looks up to Noor because she is independent.
"This series gives strength to women in the future," said Hamami, although she was set on a very traditional path — she had just gotten engaged in an arranged match.

The cultural divide between modern Turkey and traditional Gaza became apparent in a scene where Mohannad and Noor, played by Songul Oden, both end up hospitalized. The girls giggled and Hamami quickly changed channels when Mohannad entered his wife's room and lay beside her to comfort her. The display of physical contact clearly made her uncomfortable.

Whether the "Noor" effect will be lasting is not known. The season finale falls Aug. 30, the day before Ramadan begins and religious fervor intensifies. Next up on MBC will be "Bab al-Hara," a Ramadan favorite that looks nostalgically at traditional Arab life.

___
Associated Press writers Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem, Barbara Surk in Dubai and Donna Abu Nasr in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia contributed to this report.

Mahmoud Darwish (I Long for My Mother's Bread)

I long for my mother's bread
My mother's coffee
Her touch
Childhood memories grow up in me
Day after day
I must be worth my life
At the hour of my death
Worth the tears of my mother.

And if I come back one day
Take me as a veil to your eyelashes
Cover my bones with the grass
Blessed by your footsteps
Bind us together
With a lock of your hair
With a thread that trails from the back of your dress
I might become immortal
If I touch the depths of your heart.

If I come back
Use me as wood to feed your fire
As the clothesline on the roof of your house
Without your blessing
I am too weak to stand.

I am old
Give me back the star maps of childhood
So that I
Along with the swallows
Can chart the path
Back to your waiting nest.

AP Article: Iraqis Excited About Olympics, Regret Small Team

By SAMEER N. YACOUB,

Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD (AP)—Iraqis powered their generators and gathered with friends Friday as excitement grew over the Olympics. But many were disappointed that their national team was represented by only four athletes after a dispute with the International Olympic Committee.

The IOC suspended the Iraqi team in May over alleged government interference in

Iraq’s national committee.

The decision was reversed last month, allowing four—two rowers and two track and field athletes—of the original seven qualified athletes to compete. The three others missed deadlines for their sports because of the dispute.

“We are happy to share with the world in these joyful moments. But I am sad to see the big teams of many countries, while our country is left behind with one of the smallest teams in the Olympics,” said Saif Osama, a 22-year-old Christian college student in Baghdad.

Omar Ali, a 35-year-old teacher from the Sunni district of Azamiyah, also expressed regret that Iraq wasn’t better represented in the Beijing Games.

“We had hoped that our country will participate with a large team in order to get good results in the games. Our interest in the Olympics would have been greater,” he said. “Anyhow, I will try not to miss the events they are in.”
Many Iraqis said the games would provide a much-needed respite from security concerns and other problems that persist despite a steep decline in violence after more than five years of warfare.

“We have waiting eagerly for this world event. In Iraq, we are in desperate need for such issues in order to entertain ourselves and forget the miseries,” said Ahmed Khadum, a 21-year-old college student in the mainly Shiite neighborhood of Baladiyat.

He and five friends planned to watch the games every night and had collected enough money to run a generator throughout the competition to avoid the frequent power outages that plague Baghdad.

Many Iraqis said they would watch events with friends on TVs set up in cafes — a tradition that had been sharply curtailed during past sporting events because of fears of bombings.

Olympics fan Alaa Abbas, a 32-year-old student from Diwaniyah, 80 miles south of Baghdad, said he and his friends planned to gather in a cafe and stay up late to watch the competition.

“We are eager to watch the games,” Abbas said.

Akram Kamil, a 31-year-old engineer in the capital, however, said he feared the security situation was still too fragile so he planned to watch the games at home “rather than risking a trip to the cafe.”

Ali Muhsin, a 32-year-old education ministry employee, said he was hopeful the Iraqi athletes would perform well.

“I am happy that our athletes are participating in the Olympic games. I pray to God that our countrymen will win medals in their events,” he said.

Partial Solar Eclipse & Stupidity of the Iraqi Media

Although the Solar Eclipse of Friday 1 August 2008 was partial over Iraq and didn't exceed 15%, but i so much enjoyed it; and i also enjoyed the media coverage, especially from Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera.

The good thing that was in those two channels, as well as a couple of other channels was that they gave accurate information as to where it was going to affect, with what percentage, and for how long.

But the Iraqi TV stations had a different story of sorts. Just so you know, Iraqi channels are close to 20, give or take. Only a quarter or so of those channels carried Live coverage of the event. The best coverage was on Al-Forat & Al-Sumeria, where they carried Live images from Baghdad skies.

Al-Iraqiya followed, and they had coverage from Baghdad as well as Basra in the South, which was the good side. The bad side was that the news anchor who was "running the show" so to speak was extremely stupid. She didn't know what causes the Eclipse; she didn't know that adjacent countries see it on relatively close scales; she didn't know that it is a normal natural phenomenon; she didn't know how long it would last; she thought that it was scary; and last but not least, she didn't notice that this Eclipse didn't affect the illumination on the ground and in the sky.

She was not the only one who made this terribly ignorant mistake. A reporter on al-Iraqiya later that day mentioned on his report that all the Middle East countries witnessed a Partial Solar Eclipse, except Jordan! Now i have no idea how that would've happened!! The Total Eclipse was on Russia and China alright, but Jordan?! In fact, Jordan had a smaller Eclipse than Iraq, that is if it was ever seen in Jordan in the first place!

So, this calls for teaching people (and especially the media people, and even more especially Al-Iraqiya) about scientific issues, hopefully before the next Partial Solar Eclipse that Iraq will have on 15 January 2010. Media is not all about Imams and shining the Government's image, otherwise it would make no difference from Saddam's media!