Outlook
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Paying respects to renowned journalist Anthony Shadid
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Heather Jaber News Executive Friends and family of the late foreign correspondent Anthony Shadid gathered last Tuesday in Assembly Hall at the American University of Beirut (AUB) to pay tribute to his memory. Attendees spent the evening reminiscing over memories of Shadid, who died on Thursday, February 16, at age 43. Shadid worked for various prominent publications, such as the Associated Press, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post and The New
York Times, where he had recently become the Beirut bureau chief. He was also the first Writerin-Residence at AUB’s Issam Fares Institute. Shadid was highly praised by colleagues and those in the media sphere for his ability to convey to the Western world the plight of those suffering in the Middle East. His distinct and respected position was the result of his ability to make the voices of the victims of turmoil in the Middle East heard across the world. Shadid boasted a
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www.alakhbar.com
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a lecture by Booz&Co’s Chairman, Joe Saddi Ghida Ismail Staff Writer University days are said to be the best of one’s life. Nevertheless, one nuisance is that students tend to lose contact with their school friends. The school Notre Dame de Jamhour (NDJ) made sure to avoid this inconvenience. In 2006 the NDJ Alumni Society was founded, its main goal to reunite all Jamhour’s alumnus in AUB through the organization of academic and social events. This year a fresh cabinet relaunched the society, organized and participated in different activities (Ayadina Christmas Charity, academic conference, gatherings...). Its latest event will take place on the February 29 in Issam Fares Hall. Joe Saddi, the global chairman of one of the most important consulting firms, Booz&Co, will present a lecture about the entrepreneurship in the Middle East in the context of social and economic challenges. Saddi is himself a Jamhour alumni, class of 1976. He holds an MBA from Cornell University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from ESSEC in France. He is a
www.aub.edu.lb/outlook
Senior Partner and Managing Director of the Booz&Co’s Middle East business. He has over 25 years of consulting experience in strategic, organizational, and restructuring services. It is stated in his CV that “Over the years, he has led major privatization programs in such sectors as oil and gas, mining, steel, automotive, and consumer goods. Additionally, he has advised governments on sector deregulation and sector policy; and led the reorganization of national oil companies and large corporations. Mr. Saddi also works closely with large family-owned companies to design governance and portfolio strategies.” Nowadays the domain of consulting is one of the most demanded, whether it is by business, economics or engineering majors. This presentation by Saddi, one of the most influential figures in the consulting field, will permit interested students to have a better idea of the work and the challenges that accompany
this domain. They will be carried into the world of consulting and will be able to learn and benefit from Saddi’s broad experiences. Hence they will discover if consulting is truly their calling, their wanted profession. Said engineering student, Jad Sabra, “NDJ alumni society is presenting the students with an opportunity that cannot be missed.”
http://www.booz.com
Bliss Street, West Hall 208 tel: 01 350 000 ext. 3193
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Campus News
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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A hope for a better dorm life Karim Zahed Staff writer In the second week of spring semester 2012, the AUB Dorms Club was officially declared open and ready to represent the voice of the students living on campus. The club was initiated by a group of dorm residents who thought they should distinguish themselves from other AUB students that live off campus. Their aim was to share the feeling of brotherhood/sisterhood that occurs among all of the dormitories. The president of the club, Mohamad Al-Ktaishat, who has worked on the idea since last year, insisted that it was finally time to have the club up and running. He said that, “The way we have been living on the fifth floor of Penrose, how we meet, greet, and eat everyday, inspired us to transfer this bond to all the students living on campus who are the core of the AUB community.” Penrose residents Weam Dalal and Maher Dankar, who contributed to making the club a reality, added their thoughts as well. Dalal believed that “the aspirations of dorm residents
aren’t frequently taken into consideration, so the public interest of all of us students should definitely be a priority on our agenda.” Dankar pointed out how the relations between fellow neighbors develop via dorm life. He said that, “Penrose sets a great example of how the dorms represent the world we live in. This building gathers people from all over Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and other ends of the globe and unites them into one big family.” Since the club generally aims to offer a better social life for those living on campus, members and cabinet alike are supposed to work hand-inhand in order to attain as much coordination as possible. They are also open to fresh ideas and suggestions through their Facebook page. As for the goals they hope to accomplish, Al-Ktaishat reported that they are busy negotiating with the USFC on some new surprises that would benefit everybody. Plans are in progress to organize book exchanges and tutoring sessions
at affordable prices for residents. Aside from that, the prominent goals are to have printing facilities in the dorms, and on and off campus Coed events. In addition, there would be valuable offers that would benefit dorm residents. These significant offers would be available soon for the dorm students holding the new ‘ADC’ ID cards. The enhancements, as Al-Ktaishat affirmed, will be limited to reasonable student aspirations without any intervention from the work of Office of Student Affairs and the RAs. With that in mind, the team hoped to inform dorm residents about the parties, camps, and trips on schedule. The students are glad for the change of image and find it nice to have the media attention centered on the dorms shedding a positive light. After all, this could be a step closer for students living on campus to improve their lifestyle, so that they may indeed “have life and have it more abundantly,” as our founding fathers have said.
CaseIT team represents AUB in Vancouver Lojy Kamel Editor-in-Chief Just this month, Finance and Marketing junior Reem Abi Ammar, Finance senior Nader Baroudi and Finance junior Elliott Wall, travelled to Vancouver to compete on an international scale, representing AUB at the International Undergraduate MIS Case Competition. The team began preparation for the competition last October, with a preliminary case they were given two weeks to solve. This case determined whether or not they qualified to travel to Vancouver, to be placed among the ranks of such universities as the National University of Singapore, Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, and Carnegie Mellon University among others. In total, 16 teams qualified, with last year’s three highest ranked teams, Queen’s University, National University of Singapore, and Indiana University, guaranteed automatic re-entry. Eight of these slots were reserved for North American universities, leaving AUB to compete with the rest of the globe for the five remaining slots. The team flew to Vancouver on January 30 and competed from February 1 to 4, marking AUB’s second return to the caseIT competition. Remarking about their prior-competition training Baroudi explained, “We have to give credit to AUB’s previous qualifying team, Clovis Maalouf, Daniela Al Saghir, and Khazer Al Majali, who contributed to our experience.” The team also gave much credit to team mentor Dr. Nelson King who, according to Wall, voiced his
“professional input” and was “very encouraging.” Abi Ammar expanded on this notion, relaying that “none of us are MIS [Management Information Systems] students and Dr. King was very helpful.” The case itself was a total of 24 hours long and the team practiced with several examples beforehand. AUB was ranked 9 of 16 upon entry and was placed in the same pool as Queens, the previous champions, and Kwantlen Polytechnic University, the 2012 champions. Though they did not place among the top three this year, the team expressed satisfaction with their performance. Remarked Abi Ammar: “OSB is still in the starting process of competitions and we really don’t have that much organization. Considering that, we did very well.” Wall expressed the same regards, commenting, “In terms of innovation we were one of the top teams. We played to our strengths, namely creativity.” The three members also remarked on the level of difficulty of their competitors, with many of the teams having had previous experience with competitions. Baroudi elaborated further, explaining that many of the other schools directly integrated case studies into their curriculum, often making them systematic. AUB’s charm, as Abi Ammar so aptly stated, was to “think out of the box.” Aside from conferences, events, and lectures, the team found ample time for enjoyment, expressing their approval of the organization of
the competition. So exemplary was OSB’s experience with case competitions that they have decided to hold their own internal case competition on March 9. Baroudi explained further, saying that the competition’s internal aim was to raise awareness about case teams and cases in general and to use it as a precursor to larger scale operations and international competition. “We are hoping for international recognition for AUB,” enthused Baroudi. Abi Ammar and Wall, both seniors next year, hope to compile their own teams and compete again next year. Stated Abi Ammar, “We want to make it more systematic and use what we’ve learned to train the next team.” Wall agreed, commenting, “Our team has a lot of potential and we’d like to pass on what we’ve learned. In the future, I think we’d have a great team.”
photo by Julian Fok
Campus News
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Paying respects to renowned journalist Anthony Shadid continued
Heather Jaber News Executive rich portfolio of event coverage and travelled constantly, writing about the issues in countries such as Iraq, Egypt, Tunisia and most recently, Libya and Syria. Shadid had been covering events in Syria at the time of his death, which occurred as the result of a fatal asthma attack. He had been attempting to exit the country along with colleague and New York Times photographer Tyler Hicks, who carried his body into Turkey. Shadid’s impact on his public was evidenced by the amount of support displayed at his memorial, as well as the candlelight vigil held directly afterward. Those in attendance described his legacy and what they had learned from him, from the realms of politics to journalism to everyday life. Media Studies Professor Nora Boustany, a colleague of Shadid’s from their days covering events in Baghdad, recalled Shadid’s success as an Arab-American journalist. Of Shadid’s arrival
at The Washington Post, where Boustany was also working, she said, “I welcomed him…I was immensely proud that I had opened the door for another Arab-American [journalist].” Carl Vick, a Time Magazine correspondent, spoke of how he had grown accustomed and fond of Arab culture due to Shadid’s style of work, including his practice of leaving the door open while he worked and acknowledging each person who entered a room. Quoting Shadid, Vick said, “Pay attention; everybody counts.” Kareem Faheem of the New York Times called Shadid’s work, “[a] beautiful, wise story animated by the voices of people who had been ignored.” It was precisely his ability to tell the story of these forgotten people that earned him two Pulitzer Prizes, one in 2004 and another in 2010, specifically for his coverage of the conflict in Iraq. “He told the truth in the most beautiful way,” said Faheem, reinforcing not only the feelings of
sadness over Shadid’s death but the implications of this loss in the world of journalism. Nada Bakri, Shadid’s wife and fellow New York Times reporter, took the stage during the memorial and read an excerpt from his recent memoir House of Stone. The book , which documents the restoration of his family’s home in Marjayoun, includes reflections on his Lebanese ancestry. After an emotional silence that could be felt by all of those seated in the hall, Bakri quoted Anthony’s words about his experience in Lebanon, saying, “This is bayt. This is what we imagine. This is home.” The fact that he was of Lebanese descent and from the Middle East “was an important part of who he was,” said Fahim. Before exiting the hall and attending the candlelight vigil, Bakri recalled Shadid’s words in his memoir, saying, “I’m glad he found home.”
Following the death of her father, Majaj went on an introspective journey to figure out the legacy her Palestinian father has left behind. This epiphany was the basis of the political activism she expressed in her poetry. Majaj faced the pressures of a label attached to all Arab American writers, the label of a communal spokes person. Audiences sourced all her poetry to one of either identities and never regarded her work as an expression of a unique personal voice. As a result her early poetry lacked personal material in an attempt to appeal to general expectations. Her poetry places a heavy emphasis on memory, not for the sake of nostalgia but rather for the sake of urgency, a dire need to move forward from the constraints of war infested past. Majaj’s efforts to leave the past behind was derailed by the most fundamental of natural occurrences, the changing colors of leaves. Every time the leaves changed color the author was transported back to AUB- back to Beirut as two worlds collided and to identities clashed. “Every Fall in Michigan when the leaves turned I was transported back to AUB” the author said in a nostalgic recollection of her past as a student of the university during the Israeli conflict in Lebanon. The intensity and passion aroused by
Majaj’s poetry is spurred by the deep emotional wounds caused by memories of war. “I struggle with the anxiety of exploiting the pains of memory in order to write poetry” said the author in a tremble as she held back tears. Memory is not the only adversity that stood in the way of her writing; Majaj also struggled with finding words or language that is adequate to such sensitive subject matter, as did most Arab American writers. During her lecture, the Poet read some of her works such as “This is Not a Massacre”, “What She Said”, “This is Not Poetry”, “The Coffin Maker Speaks”. Most of her poetry is a response to events in the news as the author adheres to the idea that the role of the poet is response and responsibility. Majaj strictly believed that one can engage with the Middle East without giving the right to be an American in doing so. With the expansion of Arab American Literature, Majaj came to terms with a Literal maturity that allowed her to form a nexus between the personal and the political. With the auditorium left in awe, the author concludes her lecture with a poem inspired by a newly developed sense of inner peace, “Two cultures can be lighter than one if the space between them is fluid” she recited.
Diaspora in verse Hashem Osseiran Staff Writer Lisa Suhair Majaj, Arab American poet and literal critic, moved between different geographies and cultures embodying a fusion of both Arab and American Culture. Her poetry was shaped by the same forces that shaped some of the most prominent Arab American writers of the century, the internal struggle between an American Identity and an Arab one. The beginning of her lecture outlined the parallels between her own work and the work of other Arab American writers. This form of transnational literature struggles with the duality of identity, The American and the Arab. The first is a result of residence, while the latter is spurred by a strong link to a Middle Eastern heritage. The themes of Majaj’s poetry revolve around concepts usually tackled by transnational literature such as a struggle with identity, fighting stereotypes, and an Insistence to an American identity. Contradictions ate at Majaj’s sense of culture clarity, and she often felt as though she was an imposter. She couldn’t be considered an American because she was half Palestinian, at the same time she was not a fully fledged Arab because she didn’t speak the language. However, it was these contradictions that drove her towards poetry.
Campus News
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Biology seminar on cell cancer metastasis Dania Machlab Contributing Writer On Friday the 24th, biology and medicine students as well as faculty members had the pleasure of attending a lecture held by LAU assistant professor of biology, Dr. Mirvat ElSibai, which focused on cell cancer metastasis and how this may be happening from a signaling perspective. The presentation was entitled ‘Signaling stories in cancer cell metastasis: who is steering the wheel?’, and gave an impressive insight into the workings of a cancerous cell, on the level of mobility and how this may differ from that of a normal healthy one. Dr. El-Sibai began with the lecture, giving a brief description on what her work focuses on, saying “We are a signaling lab,” meaning they study certain signaling pathways within the cells more extensively. El-Sibai added that the main aim, when studying cancerous cells and cancer treatment, is to find something that differentiates them from normal cells. One such difference that her her lab discovered experimentally is at the level of cell mobility. Cells require a certain protein called Rho-A,
located at the leading edge of the cell, to be able to move. This is not the case in cancer cells. Instead another protein called cdc-42 is mainly needed. It localizes to the edge of the cell and aids in protrusion formation. Knocking down the expression of this protein in cancer cells results in cells that lack lamellae podia, protrusions of the cell that allow movement. Still, Rho-A has a high activity in metastatic cells. It aids in polarity, which makes the cell more motile. Injecting a factor called C3T which inhibits Rho-A will also stop motility. However, this will also affect motility of normal cells which express Rho-A and need it. The point, as Dr. El-Sibai stressed, is to find a differentiating factor, which is the cdc42 in this case. Dr. El-Sibai also revealed some of the studies her graduate students had conducted at the level of brain tumors. The findings were consistent, wherein introducing an inhibitor of cdc42 in cancer cells resulted in total lack of focal complexes, rendering the cell unable to pull forward.
Future implications lie in possibly coming up with therapeutic methods that aim at inhibiting cancer metastasis in ways that are less harsh and more bodily-friendly than current methods. Dr. El-Sibai ended the lecture stressing greatly on the importance of considering the spatial arrangement of these factors in the cell when studying its mobility. Knowing what proteins are involved is important, but so is knowing their location. The function of one protein may be dependent on the position of another. The studies were done on cell cultures of rat cells, and Dr. El-Sibai expressed a great interest in the results that would show up were they to be conducted in vivo in the future. Would there be a consistency in the findings or are more factors playing a role in the organism that cannot be accounted for in the lab?
The Arab revolutions discussed at AUB Grégoire Dugueyt Staff Writer The Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs hosted the lecture, “Revolutions also topple ideas: how the uprisings shattered the prevailing political constructs of the Arab world,” by Fawwaz Traboulsi, on Monday, February 20. This conference is a part of the Arab Uprisings Lecture Series, which shows the will of AUB to play a leading role in the analysis of the current Arab uprisings. Traboulsi is a famous Lebanese scholar who is teaching a class titled “Arab revolutions” this semester; he also wrote a book at the beginning of the year named “Democracy is revolution.” Aside from this, he is writing for the Al-Safir newspaper on the Arab uprisings. The revolutions can be qualified as democratic, according to Traboulsi, because the revolutionaries ask for radical changes in the political structure of the dictatorial and oligarchic regimes. The supremacy of the executive power over the legislative power is also put in question. Indeed, Traboulsi wondered how a government could agree to a 60 billion arms deal with the United States without any serious discussion with the parliament. The example of Saudi
Arabia illustrates the idea that these authoritarian regimes do not have sufficient checks and balances. At the same time, the revolutions also have social components, as the slogan, “Work, freedom and bread,” illustrates. During his lecture, he explains that the focus of the authoritarian regimes was economic - specifically the implementation of a free market economy, as was requested by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Nevertheless, the high growth rates witnessed in Egypt (7.2% in 2008) and Tunisia (6.3% in 2007), for example, did not produce better chances for the young generation, which was looking for jobs and a better future. Traboulsi also develops provocative ideas concerning the position of Europe and the United States towards the Arab revolutions. These countries have been dealing with the Arab authoritarian regimes and they now officially stand for democracy and the respect of people’s will. But does the American government really want to topple Assad? Traboulsi argues that for some US policy makers, the Syrian regime has kept the, “northern border of Israel pacified and
controls Hezbollah.” The lack of the US will to change the Syrian regime is illustrated by their proposed solution: Assad should relegate his power to the vice-president as Saleh did in Yemen. In this way, the leader changes but not the political structure. The lecture was followed by a couple of questions, among them, why Islamists’ power is rising in the Arab world. According to Traboulsi, the Islamists are playing an important role nowadays, because all other components of the Arab population were eliminated under the authoritarian regimes and they represent the sectors of the population that were not included in the regimes. In his opinion, the Islamist parties have been freely elected and they therefore have the right to rule. Moreover, in a true democracy strong opposition parties will emerge because these revolutions have shown that there was a, “crisis in political representation in the Arab world”. The conference finished with a few remarks by Traboulsi about secularism, more precisely in Lebanon, “The sectarian forces are strong because they distribute material advantages.”
Campus News
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Speed Interviewing: An AUB first Ragheed Naimi Staff Writer AUB’s Consulting Club collaborated with Toastmasters’ OSB Chapter in holding a successful first-of-its-kind workshop for the members of the two aforementioned clubs, called “The Speed Interviewing” workshop, on Monday, February 20. This workshop was created in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, where a single person might think about trying speed-dating in order to secure a date. In contrast, the clubs transformed the concept into one more relevant to the “single” (or jobless) graduating students who need to secure jobs or internships. The workshop was created for students to become acquainted with different types of interview questions, techniques in answering them, and how to impress the interviewer. The interviewer was another participant who would try out the interviewer’s hat for a short period to understand their perspective and how to evaluate an interviewee, and use that experience to improve the way they would handle an interview. However, the students didn’t answer the questions out of the blue. The workshop started with tips about how to handle an interview; these tips were explained by Toastmasters’ officer Walid
Al Hajj in a brief and dynamic presentation. The and beneficial. Some actually considered it a bit questions were then placed on tables adjacent to short and wished it could have been longer in each other, around which the participants would order for them to practice the tips they learned. move in the manner of a conveyor to ask and answer these different questions. Two participants would meet on a table and one would answer a question in 50 seconds. After that, the sound of a gong would announce the time for the interviewer to evaluate the interviewee in 15 seconds. Another gong ring prompted the participants to move to the next table where they would meet another person for another interview question. The participants kept moving around, meeting new people, asking and answering different questions, until they ended up meeting the person they had encountered in their first short interview. The event provided brief tips about what to do before, during and after an interview. However, the organizers explained that this workshop, though helpful, was not enough to cover everything a future interviewee needed. They asked the students to not take any interview for granted and prepare for it very well. All in all, the one-and-a-half hour event had good reviews from the participants, who felt it was fun photos by Antoine Salloum
“Eh we2fet 3leik” Zeina Mhaidly Staff Writer Most of us have heard of the “Shu we2fet 3layye” campaign lunched by Bank Med and have seen the sarcastic ads presented on TV screens criticizing the negligent amongst Lebanon’s citizens. But, unfortunately, for the majority of us these were just ads; forgotten the minute they were off the screen. Even worse, they were ads that did not incite in most an urge to do something about any of the topics that were tackled. Last Thursday, at OSB, the case was different. Sponsored by the Mikati Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, a graduate chapter about Net impact was launched reminding each one of the audience that “Eh! We2fet 3leik” and pointing out the duties of the young generation in making the world we live in a better place. In fact, OSB is the first business school in the Middle East region to have this chapter launched and introduced. For the ones who don’t know what “Net Impact” means net impact refers to the use of business skills in order to benefit and improve societies. The presentation that was held at the “Maamari Auditorium” in the Olayan School of Business last Thursday focused on the fact that the way businesses are operating
today has changed; they no longer exist solely to make profit. Instead, they’re focusing on three important Ps: People, Planet and Profit. Many examples were presented about companies that are going green, leading campaigns for humanitarian causes or even restaurants that are donating money to cancer centers. Starting with a “15 minutes movie” called “The Lebanon I dream Of ” that presented the social and environmental problems in Lebanon and that emphasized the fact that change in our country is in the hands, a duty of the young generation, a lecture was then given explaining and elaborating more on the role and purpose of Net Impact. The lecturers also emphasized the role of buisness undergraduate students in using their business skills such as accounting, marketing or finance in order to help the society and the companies that are in need of business professionals but not able to afford hiring ones. Moreover, they also talked about the introduction of the Oath project in OSB, a project that was initially started by business professionals and academics in business schools, such as Harvard, that will be put into practice starting this year. It implies
that each and every business student must take an oath before graduating. The reason behind this oath is the increase of the financial crises around the world and the aim is to push students to act responsibly and according to some values while operating in the business world. After the presentation, the three students that started the “Metel Ma Shelta” campaign: Nadine Razzouk, Lama Chehade and Mohammad El-Olaymi were invited to talk about their campaign and to share it with the students in order to prove that the young generation is capable of making a change. The three graphic designers mentioned that their campaign is not stopping at this point and that they’ll be launching an event on March 11 that includes cleaning the streets, with anyone willing to volunteer. The event ended with an open buffet sponsored “Ajyaluna;” an NGO ran by underprivileged, widowed and single mothers.
Arts & Culture
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Guitar duo with Susanne Hilker and Katrin Simon Dania Machlab Contributing Writer A duo guitar concert was held in Assembly Hall on the night of Tuesday, February 21. The Kulturzentrum-Jounieh, in coordination with the Office of Communications, had planned the event with Susanne Hilker and Katrin Simon as the focus of the program. The two guitarists were introduced and emerged onto the stage in an elegant manner, both wearing dark dresses. They introduced themselves and talked about their careers. They have been playing together for nine years, and the guitars they were using were manufactured back in 1927 and 1929. Silence, and then all that echoed through the walls of Assembly Hall was the sound of two guitars whose playing complemented one another. The beauty of the music came from the fact that only guitars were being, making the music pleasantly different than had it been played on a piano. The
use of two guitars made the pieces sound even better as one instrument beautified the other with a more synchronized sound. Hearing the music, one got a vibe of Spanishsounding playing, especially considering that the composers of some pieces were Spanish themselves or had spent some time of their lives in Spain. A listener attending the concert, Ramadan Ghalayini, noted, “I feel like I’m in a Zorro film,” as the two musicians were playing Manuel de Falla’s “La danse du meunier.” Heads bopping together, the guitarists seemed to be enjoying the ongoing concert, playing powerfully and silently at the right parts of the compositions. The concert lasted for a little less than two hours. As the performance was nearing to an end there was silence, and then the thunderous clapping of all kinds of hands echoed through the walls.
The performers bowed with grinning faces and admirable modesty. After they left the stage, the audience continued showing its appraisal and support. This lead the two musicians to reappear on stage for an encore. It is always enjoyable to witness such events in AUB, as it plays host to musicians from all over the world who come here to perform. In this case, the two stars were from Germany, and had studied music there. There was no charge on entry for the concert, which really shows a genuine interest in music of all kinds and origins that everyone has a right to be exposed to.
An evening with Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens) Dania Machlab Contributing Writer “I listen to the wind, to the wind of my soul / Where I’ll end up, well I think, only God really knows.” And so began a two-hour journey with Yusuf Islam, who allowed the audience to revisit some of the old familiar Cat Stevens’ songs, as well as the pleasant new ones. For one night, even strangers were friends because they shared a love for this modest and legendary musician. Some of the faces in the crowd showed traces of wrinkles and grey hair that their maturing ages had bestowed upon them. Others had not caught up with time as such, but were no less eager to hear Islam sing. It was an especially important significant event as it marked his first performance in Beirut. Islam seated himself at a round table covered with white cloth and took a brief break. Already exhibiting a Lebanese kind of ease, he sipped his coffee and said, “Now, I’m gonna have a little break, because we’re in Lebanon! I mean, everybody takes a break in Lebanon.” He also revealed that some of his songs were to appear in a musical soon, the produciton taking after the name of his famous “Moonshadow”.
His songs, as well as his conversation with the audience, reflected his message of peace and love. On several occasions the crowd joined in on the singing, but the energy was at its highest when the concert was coming to an end and Islam sang “Father And Son”. Almost everyone sang along as the big screen displayed Yusuf singing, and the people in the back were able to see his face for the first time during the concert. The age differences amongst the people made this song in particular something universally relatable. Islam, with his white beard, wrinkled eyes and forehead, and emotional attachment added to every word resonating from his deep yet soft voice, inspired the magic of effortlessly reaching out to your heart and having you appreciate the quality of his music. After leaving the stage, the audience continued clapping for an encore, after which Yusuf returned, thanking his fans and saying that he was “just an old man.” Islam sang three more songs, ending the concert with “Peace Train”, an ending with hope of an even more promising future.
photo from: http://news.beiruter.com
Investigation
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Stealing laptops Mohamad Alameh Staff writer Being a part of a well-respected university, where most students live with financial satisfaction (relative to other Lebanese citizens) we AUB students have come to trust one another and have grown accustomed to leaving our belongings unattended to. Not wanting to hold the backpack the entire day with its notebooks, files and assignments we sometimes leave our stuff at one of the libraries. However, and since quite some time, numerous complaints have been received about laptops disappearing at AUB; specifically at Jafets. Mohamad Omar Mansour, a second year mechanical engineering student, is one of the students to have had their laptops stolen. On Thursday, December 21 2011, Mohamad was working on my laptop in stacks. At around 1:00 p.m, he had to leave for lunch. Unexpectedly, he had a very urgent business to finish at LibanPost which delayed his return to AUB till almost 5 p.m. By the time he was back, his laptop was gone. Mohamad Omar says, “I searched each table in the stacks, upper floor, middle floor, every single desk and I couldn’t find it. I then contacted the Jafet Staff.” After informing the staff Mohamad was taken to check the cameras. He was told that the very few cameras we have in jafet’s hallway were, at that specific time, not recording. Immediately, he informed the CNS to check whether his laptop may still be inside the university (by detecting the IP address) but, as
it turned out, the laptop was already off capmus; undetectable. He was then sent to the protection office and listed his laptop in the declaration. Two months later, we find ourselves to have eight stolen laptops, all at Jafet. In fact, very rare cases of laptop theft have been detected at the engineering library where the staff clearly noted that they are doing their best to return belongings to their rightful owners. Similarly, no cases of laptops robberies have been announced at the science library for this past semester. The protection office at AUB has noted that finding stolen laptops is as difficult as differentiating your pen from the other pens. Once a laptop has been packed and taken by the thief it becomes difficult to find it again despite the fact that all students leaving the library and having the same laptop type have to show the content of the laptop and prove that it is not the stolen one. Aware that most AUB students own laptops of similar outer appearances, things get rather complicated. In addition, suspected students and staff workers are sent for further investigation by the police. The protection office also adds that adding cameras and covering the entire Jafet studying rooms and areas would be a violation of students’ rights. Indeed, cameras staring at you all the time in Jafet; the feeling that someone could be watching you from a different room, will be a deprivation of many rights. Hence, cameras cannot cover areas beyond the lobbies and hallways.
What remains, as a solution at the end of such incidents, if no cameras can be added and thieves are free to take laptops the way they like? What actions can be taken into consideration? Well, the dean of students’ affairs Dr. Talal Nizameddine agrees with Captain Shalak: the best solution to such incidents of theft is awareness campaigns. More attention should be given to this matter and students should be warned that belongings are still under the danger of getting stolen. Dr. Nizameddine added three main points to be delivered to the readers. First, “there should be more of neighboring watch is extremely necessary within AUB students.” Second, “it is important to avoid confronting the thief directly;” if anyone suspects a person it would be reasonable to provide their names to the people concerned rather than create a personal problem with the robber. Mr. Nizameddine adds that “expensive belongings shouldn’t be shown off too much to the public and left unwatched.” Naturally, this would be a poke for lots of people who would be dragged into committing theft. In general, emails should be sent to students and staff, posters should be posted, and departments should warn their students. Finally, Do not leave your belongings unwatched, if your laptop is stolen contact the reference staff directly to search every person exiting the library and contact the CNS to locate the laptop if it was still turned on.
Campus News & Editorial
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Page 8
Red Cross annual training camp Camelia Harb Member-at-Large Keeping up with tradition, AUB’s Lebanese Red Cross Youth division traveled to a not so far away land on February 17, for a training getaway. Taking place in the St. Sauveur monastery in Joun, Saida, Red Cross members new and old spent three days getting to know one another while participating in workshops about leadership and teamwork. St. Sauveur monastery in Joun is situated on one of the many precipices of the hilly landscape of Joun, making it privy to beautiful scenery but also to the icy winds of the area. Nevertheless, underneath many (many) layers, the members enjoyed a variety of experiences, from lectures and instructional activities to games, dramatic performances, and dances. The trainings were carried out by certified members of the Lebanese Red Cross and encompassed a variety of topics all centered around working with children. Taking place throughout Saturday and continuing to Sunday, the trainings focused on involving members on all levels, from acting as the leaders of the activity, to participating in them as a child might. The many stations of the trainings included brainstorming techniques, performing educational plays, and building newspaper forts as a group. New to Red Cross member Amin Mikati stated, “through all the cold and sleepless nights, we managed to pull though and we learned how to deal with kids as well as a few tips on communication.” He also added that the best quote for camp would be “No pain, no gain!” as a result of experiencing
the low temperatures of Joun but still taking away something valuable. However, while the main point of the camp was instruction, members still had loads of fun. The first night alone involved an icebreaker that required members to make each other laugh to get to know one another better. It was soon after followed by a series of silent, musical and puppet plays performed by groups of members, many of which had never met each other before. Commenting on the usefulness of the plays, second year Red Cross member Nadine AbiYounes said that, “Forcing ten or so people to combine creative ideas in a limited amount of time shortens the time consuming and awkward ice breaking phase ensuring that people work together to come up with a satisfactory product. They get past the fact that they don’t know each other and work together and the result is that they feel a sense of unity which causes them to realize that it wouldn’t be so bad to get to know other people as well.” Also going along with tradition and much to the enjoyment of the members, on the second night of camp the annual rally paper was held. Dividing members into groups, the point of the game was to successfully complete nine stages after first having found them through a series of clues. Having been told about previous rally papers by old members also competing, new members were eager to get a taste of what all the talk was about. Creating team names was only a small starting step to what set out to be a crazy
and exhilarating five hour game. Extending late into the night and complete with on the side wild and wacky challenges, members had a chance to truly see why Red Cross is referred to as one huge family. Placing their trust in one another, competitors led each other blindfolded through mazes, danced to choreographed songs, solved murder mysteries, piggybacked each other across rooms and much, much more. By the end of the night, regardless of how well they did, the groups were exhausted but happy. First year member Sayed Serhan said about the rally paper, “It was truly a defining experience for the entire Red Cross family. It brought us all closer together and taught us how to work and get along with people we didn’t know. It was very entertaining yet challenging at the same time. I hope I will never have to wear a diaper again.” First year Zahy Khoury added, “As well as not having to wax my leg ever again.” While it is indeed important as a result of the trainings it provides, this camp no doubt contributes more than anything else to founding the bonds that makes Red Cross what it is. As a final word about camp President of the club, Mahmoud El Soukie stated that, “In order to help society and give our best as the Red Cross club here at AUB, we organize the annual training camp to found what we believe is the most important element of all: to have our members work as a family.”
“What is bravery, and what is bravado?” Marie Colvin. Lojy Kamel Editor-in-Chief Celebrated Lebanese-American journalist, Anthony Shadid, died last week due to an asthma attack, while entering Syria without a visa. American reporter Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik also passed away this week, from a volley of rockets in Homs, Syria. In 2010, photojournalist Joao Silva was crippled in Afghanistan, while photographers Chris Hondros and Tim Hetherington were killed only weeks later in Libya. The field of journalism has become so bogged down by local, and to some extent, international, news stations that the public eye too often under appreciates the sacrifices made in the name of news. We, who receive our news from the comfort of our own screens, only reference journalists when they are in err, but forget to praise them when they reveal truths that would otherwise remain undiscovered. Shadid, who only last year received an honorary degree from AUB, will no doubt leave a legacy behind him in AUB, Lebanon, and the Arab
world as a whole. I was sitting in the audience during his speech last year, and remember being in awe of the trauma he had been through, and the unassuming courage he exuded. He concluded his speech with such a moving note, that I cannot but reiterate it: “For the first time in a long time, we have the ability to imagine and, of course, more importantly, to forge a new reality through that imagination. Traumas are still ahead. We only have to look toward Syria, at Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and elsewhere. But our Arab world will never be the same, nor should it. In your lifetime, occupations will end, struggles will lose their cynicism, legitimacy will come through the voices that you raise. There is hope today, a hope that can be inspired by an ability to imagine something more. And hope, I’m almost sure, is enough.” To die for hope, for knowledge, for truth. What then is bravery? ---
In memory of Anthony Shadid, Marie Colvin, Remi Ochlik and countless others who lived and died on the field to bring truths to the world. May you rest in peace.
Spotlight
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Page 9
Palestinian Cultural Club event
photos by Mohammad B. Azzam
Outloud
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Page 10
What do you think of organ donation? Would you donate your organs? Rayane Zahreddine and Ghida Ismail Staff Writers 1- Sam Leone - Economics- Junior, exchange student from the U.S. “It’s a wonderful thing that should definitely be encouraged. In the US, there is an excellent policy for organ donatios: people state that they are organ donors on their driver’s license and in case something happens to them and they die, their organs are donated. If someone has the ability to donate an organ to a loved one, they should also do it.”
6- Sarah Awada - Business Marketing - Junior “I think that organ donation is important because people need organs to survive. Even if it isn’t religiously accepted, the issue goes beyond that, it is an ethical issue. It’s a symbol of humanity.”
2- Zeina Al-Yahya - Computer Science - Sophomore “I am for organ donation whether you’re dead or alive because it save lives.”
7- Fadi Halabi - Medicine - Third Year “I think everyone should consider it, helping someone else not just in a poetic way but in a medical sense. In medicine, donating an organ is not as grave as it used to be and doesn’t threaten one’s life. And of course, after you die, why not let someone else live?”
Mohamad Mansour - Mechanical Engineering - Second year “I would donate my organs after I die because everyone has a right to live so I will help someone else’s life.” 3- Alaa Mazloum - Political Science Sophomore “No I wouldn’t donate my organs and I don’t know why. After I die, I wouldn’t want someone to cut my body and take out my organs.”
8- Name: Sara Baba Year: Freshman “I support organ donation. I believe everyone who can help someone in need should.”
4- Maya Terro - Economics - Senior “It depends on the person and on the situation.”
9- Omar Baassiri - Agribusiness Sophomore “If I die, you can have it.”
5- Adel Saleh - Computer Science Second Year “I am with organ donation because it’s nice to know that there are people who would donate their organs in case I need them; it’s Karma.”
10- Carol Abi Ghanem Major: Psychology Year: Second Year “I definitely would give away my organs, I won’t be needing them when I’m dead.”
photos by Nady Nassar
Spotlight
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Page 11
Chamber Music Concert & Red Cross Training Camp
photos by Tugce Coskun
photos by Bilal AlNajjar
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Arts & Culture
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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The Lion’s Roar Heather Jaber News Executive We first saw the pair performing a chilling cover of Fleet Fox’s “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song.” If you haven’t had the privilege, it is in your best interest to do so immediately. They are the flower children of the 70’s, musical cousins of the Fleet Foxes, and the child that Nico and Laura Marling never had. They are a blend of Elliot Smith, Patti Smith, Bright Eyes, and yet, their own. Their newest album, entitled “The Lion’s Roar,” was produced by Bright Eyes’ Mike Mogis. The girls, Johanna and Klara Söderberg, are not only visually striking, with their doe eyes and long hair, but it is as if their voices were designed to complement one another. Klara’s voice, with its soulful drawl, is more prominent, but Johanna’s peeks out from behind, harmonizing and adding an ethereal quality to the songs.
In fact, it is on one of the best songs of the album that Johanna’s voice makes a humble, yet mesmerizing appearance. Just after this, though, Klara’s voice flows over an a capella break, creating another set of chills before the first has settled. The song “Emmylou” is gold; it has just the right mix of both country and folk that lovers of both genres will love and critics of either will still appreciate. The song named after the album, “The Lion’s Roar,” builds up, drops, and repeats the process, all the while featuring an array of instruments, from the drums, to the acoustic guitar, to the flute, to the banjo. Their lyrics are another important part of their appeal; each song reads like a poem, and when combined with their voices and appearances,
one cannot help but be inspired. The opening words of “Emmylou” are a good example. “Oh the bitter winds are coming in/And I’m already missing the summer/ Stockholm’s cold but I’ve been told/ I was born to endure this kind of weather.” Not every song is gold, though. While the good ones spike to impressive heights, some songs are repetitive in style. “I Found A Way” is an enjoyable song, but it sounds like a watereddown “Emmylou.” Another song that does not especially stick out is “This Old Routine.” Still, the otherworldly quality of their voices hooks the listener and inspires nostalgia. The duo is an autumn walk through a woodsy field at sunset, with a crown of wild flowers thrown in for good measure. Who doesn’t like a little of that?
Movie of Review: Safe House Loulwa Kalache Staff Writer As soon as I saw the poster for the Oscar winner Denzel hung, I had already decided to watch Safe House. I also thought of giving Ryan Reynolds (Green Lantern, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) a chance in a thriller action movie. Washington plays Robert Frost, CIA’s most dangerous traitor, a legendary spy who staggers the intelligence community when he resurfaces suddenly in South Africa .The damage he has done to the U.S is immeasurable but this time he is holding the most crucial information he has learned yet. In the beginning, we see Wetson (Reynolds), a housekeeper for the CIA’s safe-house, aspiring to prove himself and become a field officer. The “guest” he has to serve this time was the most dangerous and valuable agent he has met. To avoid spoiling the ending, the movie continues with a serious of violent scenes, explosions, and a car chase in an old BMW model through the roads of Cape Town. Hand-to-hand combat scenes and the constant sounds of weapons firing render the movie serious, effective and violent. The Swedish director, Espionage, portrayed violence through realistic action: the falls hurt, the shots are piercing, and the hits are bone-grating with a natural depiction of bloodshed. The cinematography may remind the audience of the Bourne series. The music in the background keeps the viewer in a constant tense state and
suits the action-packed nature of the film, but the camera is rarely stagnant which can be disturbing at times. “Even the truth starts to sound like a lie,” says Frost in the movie. Dramatic lines are exchanged, and the facial expressions of both Frost (Washington) and Wetson (Reynolds), engross the viewer throughout the movie, making one understand their personalities and realize the morality behind each of the protective actions they take. Wetson clings to the notion that a person can be strong, ethical and moral while working on the field. Frost, however, is well-beyond any such notion. The movie is a simple quest for ethics, piousness and truth. It is a test of morality and validates the concept of idealism. Apart from the violence, the setting, which includes an area of Cape Town, with mixed people, apartments, dirtiness, poor suburb areas and a football stadium, was a new introduction to thriller movies that usually take place in London, New York, Moscow or even Budapest. The theme song of the film is the hit “No Church In The Wild” by Jay-Z and Kanye West with the lyrics well-suited to the movie, the notorious character of Frost, and the dilemma of Wetson’s status as a CIA agent. This movie could be Reynolds’ best performance until now, with Washington, as per usual, proving himself the hero in his own legendary
ways, despite playing the role of an illegitimate, overconfident and nearly with a divinely able person.
http://www.moviefanatic.com
Arts & Culture
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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A tribute to the great Whitney Lama T. Zakharia Staff Writer Whether you are a fan of her powerful captivating voice or not, you have to acknowledge her as the world’s “Princess of Pop” who left us all so suddenly. Her life hampered by severe drug and marital problems, Whitney Houston was found underwater and unconscious in a bath in a hotel in Beverly Hills, California on February 11, 2012. Whitney Houston was born on August 9, 1963 and raised in a family of artists and musicians. Her mother was a gospel singer, the famous pop singer Dionne Warwick was her cousin, and, as some might know already, the legendary Aretha Franklin was her godmother. Naturally, Whitney started gospel singing at the age of five and later took the first step in her professional singing career by working as a backup singer for artists such as Chaka Khan and others. Interestingly, Whitney was originally planning on becoming a model. Yet she was spotted singing in a Manhattan night club and was signed up to a record deal at the early age of 19. Afterwards, Whitney ended up producing groundbreaking records such as her famous rendition of Dolly
Parton’s ballad “I Will Always Love You”. Whitney’s success as a best-selling artist encouraged her to enter the movie world. She starred in the hugely successful movie The Bodyguard in 1992. In that same year, she married famous singer Bobby Brown but then divorced in 2007 due to intense marital problems. Prior to her turbulent marriage to Brown, she was already suffering from drug problems which later on affected her performances and voice. In one interview, Whitney said, “The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy.” When I first woke up and heard from my mother that Whitney had died, I immediately checked every news website I could lay my hand on to make sure it wasn’t just one of those occasional pranks my mother likes to pull on me. As I shared my sadness and anger at the world’s loss with some friends, a couple of them started complaining that, “there are other people dying in Syria, why don’t you start caring about them.” The truth of the matter is, I care deeply for any person in any part of the world that is undergoing
any form of injustice. However, having grown up listening to and getting acquainted with such an extravagant music icon, I find it hard to keep my emotions aside for someone who has given me much more than they’ll ever know. Rest in peace Whitney.
References: News, BBC. (2012, February 12). World News. Retrieved from BBC: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-17001692
photo from http://www.bbc.co.uk
Restaurant Criticism: Biased or not? Loulwa Kalache Staff Writer “After reading a lot of overheated puffery about your new cook, you know what I’m craving? A little perspective. That’s it. I’d like some fresh, clear, well-seasoned perspective.” Anto Ego. Food or Disney fanatics remember Ego from Ratatouille and his renowned strict restaurants’ criticism. A perspective is all that he needed to judge Gusteau’s! But aren’t perspectives merely point of views? One single moment from Ego’s childhood, transformed all his thoughts about the restaurant. Restaurants criticism can sometimes be a biased process as much as the food critique tries to hide this biased opinion. Food criticism doesn’t get born at the moment we taste food, it is a process that mingles together all our thoughts, memories, the people
we are with, even the music we are hearing there.Experienced food critiques might claim that they succeed in isolating their feelings and the environment. But what is the purpose of tasting food without a memory to remember or build upon? Tasting food is not just a physical experiment to the tongues as much as it is a creation of new feelings, eventually, creation of new memories. Steve Coomes, having 11 years in the restaurant business and 21 years writing about this industry, claims after he retired that “people first seek their friends’ opinions on a restaurant before they believe some total stranger that gets a bit of credibility because his name’s in print”. He adds that it is not that “lethal” to actually say that this food
item in the restaurant wasn’t properly seasoned, simply because it is basing a judgment on one visit. And even if a critic warns a customer of a noteworthy food safety issue in a particular restaurant, this can be boring for readers. At the end, restaurants have this mission to create a beautiful memory, and then keep it stable, and untouched. This is quality. Simply, once a restaurant open for the first time or change its menus or maybe the chef ’s recipe, it risks making their customers unhappy. They will either lose them or they will succeed in repeating the same process of building an enjoyable memory again and again with each visit. And it’s neither the critic’s mission nor fault.
Viewpoint
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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Arab on the internet Sarah Khalil Staff Writer FouseyTUBE is what we call an internet sensation. Not as feverishly popular as, say, nigahiga, “Friday,” or the recent video of that cowboy father shooting up his daughter’s laptop, FouseyTUBE’s popularity still eclipses that of the thousands of video channels out there craving for fans, and, more importantly, has proved itself not to be a passing fad but something substantial with a large and loyal fanbase. Yousef Erakat, a 22-year-old Palestinian-American college student, introduced his channel in March 2011. Less than a year later, his medley of Middle Eastern-themed comedy sketches and personal entries, has garnered over 2 million views and his videos more than 33 million. He has nearly 155,000 subscribers and I’m sure at least one of you reading this right now is a TUBIAN. What makes his channel so special and wildly popular is the fact that although many of the situations portrayed in his videos, most notably “Middle Eastern Parents” or “Hummus: The Dance” amongst many other, are exaggerated, they instantly hit home as extremely relatable for the viewer. Middle Eastern culture, whether you are Lebanese, Palestinian, Armenian, or even Afghani or Indian, is one that is quite cohesive, quite collectivist, and quite uniform; whether one realizes it or not. The small discrepancies
in our traditions and religions – whatever they may be – do not deter from the frank humor and effort put into every video. “Yousef,” begins an exasperated Baba Erakat (a parody of his own father) in one of the most popular moments in the FouseTUBE videos, “I got married at age of thirteen, you’re twenty-one, want to have babies? Too late.” Cue nervous chuckling. Whether you love FouseyTUBE or hate it, have watched one video or watched them all, or perhaps keep up by checking out the videos your friends post on Facebook; whether you even care about it or not, it is worth the attention. With all of the Middle Eastern-themed meme communities sprouting up every which way – Lebanese Memes, Arab Memes, and of course AUB/LAU/NDU Memes – it’s “in” to be a part of poking fun at ourselves, our family, our countries, schools, and food, sharing both our grievances and our “awesome moments” over the internet for as many people as possible to see. And, in light of the world we live in, where there remains yet a sizable stigma that accompanies the concept of an Arab, Middle Easterner or Muslim it is wonderful to see our jokes and our culture on their merry way to becoming mainstreamed in such a lighthearted way. The
Arab Spring used the internet to usher forth our revolutions and our uprisings; now we’re using it to reach out in another way. FouseyTUBE is a part of all that. You can check out FouseyTUBE’s channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/fouseyTUBE
I am a golden age thinker Rayanne Zahreddine Staff Writer With the start of a new semester, we all resort to websites like the AUB homepage and services such as Moodle and Imail in order to keep up with lectures and emails. However, in all honesty, I hate these things that technology brought us. I like the old-fashioned PO box and handouts. I like the idea of AUB at the time my parents attended it. I find it both simpler and nicer than the current modern version of our university. My nostalgia for the past is not limited to AUB; it extends to collecting old vinyl records, browsing antique shops, saving old currency, and going into second-hand bookshops to smell the yellow pages of old books. It even goes on to wishing I had been born and lived in another decade, perhaps the twenties or the sixties.
Unfortunately, I know this will never happen. The fact that I cannot live in an earlier age makes me suffer. I want to be in Lebanon in the good old days, when the tramway was operating, the buildings were elegant, and there were green spaces in the city. Unfortunately, I am stuck in a concrete forest filled with traffic and pollution.
that it had its flaws as well: women didn’t have the rights they have today, medicine wasn’t as advanced as it now is, and much more. Actually, each period has its positive attributes and its faults and when I looked at the past, I chose to see the things that pleased me and disregarded the ones that didn’t.
In the latest Woody Allen film, Midnight in Paris, one of the characters calls this nostalgia “Golden Age Thinking” and defines it as “the erroneous notion that a different time period is better than the one one’s living in; it is a flaw in the romantic imagination of those people who find it difficult to cope with the present.” I realize I am a Golden Age Thinker. I do think older times were better, but apparently there is something wrong with my reasoning. I examined the past and realized
Maybe I should just embrace the present for what it is, including modern AUB, its websites and technologies, and the city with its traffic and concrete. Who knows, maybe one day it will be someone else’s Golden Age!
Viewpoint
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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A mother’s worst fear Ghida Ismail Staff Writer What is your worst fear? One may reply snakes, heights, death, etc., and answers to this question are varied and wideranging. However, ask any mother this, and it is guaranteed you will get a sole and unique answer: the loss of a child. It comes as no surprise that driving in Lebanon is chaotic; it has even been described as a “jungle.” Car accidents are the number one cause of death in Lebanon. In fact we frequently hear of people killed in road accidents, whether they were passengers in a car or hit by one. Yes, we hear of it, we pity the family of the lost one, we might even shed a tear, but we are nothing more than spectators to this tragedy. We can never imagine ourselves being more than this, being actually part of this tragedy; we expect it to always happen to others. Similarly, a mother will never expect to lose a child prematurely, especially not in a road accident. However, what if it happens? What if this time it is one’s own child that is taken by the road?
loved ones began a campaign to reform road safety in Lebanon. In October 2006, his family and friends founded an association for youth awareness on road safety called “Kunhadi” (“Be Hadi”). Kunhadi’s campaigns are now recognizable all over the country. For instance, a week prior to the new years eve they lauched a campaign entitled, “Ahlak sahranine 3ala rass el sena… litarja3. Ma techrab w tsouk.” Translated to, “On New year’s eve, the countdown for your parents is much longer. Take a cab.”
Mohammad Dimashkieh passed away in a tragic car accident in Beirut on January 14, 2011 at the age of 22. At the time he was in the process of finishing his senior year in Business Administration at AUB. His family established an organization: Wake, the Mohammad Dimashkieh Cultural Center. Its mission is primarily to enhance spiritual understanding and provide a learning space for cross cultural exchange and dialogue. All its activities encourage and embody diversity and respect for others. Furthermore, his father decided to immortalize his spirit through a permanent Every family copes differently. Particularly Mohamad S. Dimashkieh Endowed Scholarship during these past few years, three families have Fund at the American University of Beirut. dealt with a death of a child in a notable way. The Kassem, Gebrane and Dimaskieh families. Last but not least, Talal Kassem, a 17 year old Hadi Gebrane, an 18-year-old university boy, paid with his life the price of crossing student, died in a car accident in April 2006. the street. He was hit by a car on his way to Responding to the personal tragedy, Hadi’s school on October 19, 2010 in Beirut. Talal’s
mother, Zeina Kassem claims in a speech five days after her son’s death, “Talal is dead because in Lebanon the law is weaker than the people.” Talal’s family undertook initiatives to improve citizens’ safety on the Lebanese roads by creating Roads for Life: The Talal Kassem Fund for Post Accident Care, an organization whose goal is to enhance chances of survival at hospital’s emergency rooms in Lebanon. Roads for Life also sponsored in AUB the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) course. It teaches a systematic, concise approach to the early care of trauma patients. The last phase of coping with a death is acceptance. It is when you learn to accept that you will never see that person again. It is when you learn to acknowledge that all the hopes, dreams and plans you had for that loved one had faded away the moment the road stole his life. It is when you decide, as Mohammad Dimaskieh’s mother said,“not to cry for what has passed and to learn not to yearn for what can never be mine.” The best way of accepting this is to channel your grief towards a good cause, similar to what the Kassems, Gebranes and Dimaskiehs have done. It is a shared hope that we may prevent road accidents, prevent more premature losses, and prevent a mother’s worst fear.
Be careful your belongings Ragheed Naimi Staff Writer During finals period I went looking for a spot in Jafet to study. As usual, on the ground floor I found bags and books reserving all the tables, but not as many people in the area studying, even though the “No reservation of tables allowed, books will be removed” sign was visible to all. I didn’t nag since it was lunch time and people might have wanted to grab a bite to eat and then continue studying. I went to what is commonly referred to as “ma2bara”, only to find the same phenomenon. However, when I headed to the stacks, I realized that I didn’t have my ID; I had forgotten it in West Hall. I had exchanged the ID for a room key the day before and then rushed to class without my ID.
that kind of stuff happens: I went to look in the room, thinking I might have misplaced it and failed to remember, but it was nowhere to be found. So I asked the West Hall Staff, “Where could it be? Should I look in the ‘lost & found’?” but they answered with the coolest attitude, “Nah! Nothing usually gets lost here, if it were in the locker it would still be here.” Many sarcastic, even angry replies came to mind at that moment but I tried to keep my cool because it would otherwise turn into a fight. The final solution they came up with was that I should ask those who returned the keys since they might have given my ID to them, a statement implying that they don’t check IDs before returning them.
Surprisingly, they did not have it in West Hall! So, from all of this, one question and one tip I usually blame myself and not others when comes to mind. First, even though these are the
silliest incidents and the least of our problems concerning AUB issues, the Jafet and West Hall Staff should at least care about students having a place to study and that their ID and/or other belongings are secure. Secondly, students should definitely watch their IDs and belongings and never leave them unattended nor hand them to anyone else unless they know or trust the person in question. After all, I was lucky to know the person who had taken my ID, but think about yourselves: what if they gave yours to someone you had never meet and they turned out to be uncaring and dispose of your ID?
Outlook Team Chairperson Editor-in-Chief Associate Editor Arabic Editor Photography Editor Layout Editors Webmaster
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Talal Nizameddin Lojine Kamel Nour Jane Kachicho Nouhad Awwad Mohammad B. Azzam Nadine Razzouk Layla Smaili Jad Shammsseddine
Public Relations Manager
Emile Zankoul
Member at Large
Camelia Harb
Business Manager Business Executives Proofreader
Timmy Malkoun Amer Farhat Marc Ziade Ian Gibson
News Executives
Dalia Hosn Ali Kassem Mona Ayoub Heather Jaber
Photographers
Tugce Coskun Nadi Nassar
Staff Writers
Cartoonists Deedee El Jilani Ghassan Nassar Jad Jari Assaad Khoury
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Amer Sare Mohamad Alameh Robert Isaf Dania Machlab Mada Dibs Mohammad Yaghi Heather Jaber Rayane Zahreddine Hadi Mehio Lama Zakharia Rami Panayoti Zeina Mhaidly Sarah Al-Dirani Karim Zahed Rida Daher Loulwa Kalache Hrag Vosgerichian Gregoire Dugueyt Ghida Ismail Edward Abou Jaoude Jon Martin Cullell
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شخصية األسبوع تتوجه أسرة األوتلوك باإلعتذار من الدكتورة هالة شاهني من11 تسوڤاالكيس على اخلطأ املطبعي الذي ورد في العدد وقد ورد في املقال الذي تناول حياتها ضمن عامود.44 اجمللد وقد كان.شخصية األسبوع والذي تكتبه الكاتبة سارة الديراني . وتقبلوا فائق اإلحترام.خطأ في كتابة عائلة زوجها الكرمية
صفحة 18
الثالثاء 28 ,شباط2012 ,
ال للطائفية
داليا احوش -مساهمة صحفيةt
جسد نشاط رابطة االنعاش القومي «جدار ال للطائفية» ببضعة أمتار ”،صرخة ال” كان يتوجب على شعبنا أن يصرخها من سنني .فلقد حوت تلك األمتار القليلة طلبات تبني ما يفوق هذا اجلدار .تبني إن حتققت جدارا ضد الكره والتبعية واالستغالل ،و جدارا ً ضد االحتالل .إن هذا املرض الذي تخطى في مجتمعنا حدود املكان و الزمان و تغلل بكل خالياه ،أصبح من الواجب استئصاله .عال هذا القول للمفكر أنطون سعادة «إن اقتتالنا على السماء أفقدنا األرض» اجلدار مع الكثير من املطالب األخرى .فتلك املطالب ببساطتها أرادت دولة مدنية، أرادت أن تفصل الدين عن الدولة ،أرادت إنهاء احلرب األهلية ، فمنهم من أخسرته الطائفية بعضا من أهله وقال أنه ال يريد أن
...تراتيل رحمة و ب -مساهمة صحفية منى أيوب -كاتبة صحفية
تخسره البعض االخر. ذكرني هذا اجلدار الرمزي مبطالبه البسيطة العظيمة حقيقة كدت أنساها :إن فينا قوة لو فعلت لغيرت وجه التاريخ .ذكرني أن بيدنا التغيير و النهضة مبجتمعنا املريض الذي تعب و هو ينادينا .سنوات تخبطت فيها أرضنا بصراعات طائفية مذهبية أدت إلى أن يقتل األخ أخاه ،و مع ذلك لم تكن كافية لنلبي نداءها املستغيث .و ها نحن اليوم نشهد فصوال جديدة لنفس املسلسل .نشهد جدرا من الكره و الطائفية تبنى بوجه جدار احلق الوحيد « جدار ال للطائفية» .نهاية ،إن هذا اجلدار برمزيته يشكل دعوة ألبناء هذه األرض أن يرسموا بأيديهم طريقا للحياة بعيدا عن الطرق املرسومة لهم بأيادي الكره و املوت.
Spring Party
برغم مشاكل تسجيل الصفوف و االضطرار أحيانا كثيرة إلى الذهاب و اإلياب بني عدة مكاتب للحصول على مكان غال في صف نريده ....برغم خيبة أمل العديدين لعدم حصولهم على ما كانوا يأملونه من علم و معرفة في اختصاصهم الذي درسوه... رغم العديد من املشاكل اإلدارية و التنظيمية و غيرها ....رغم كل هذا و رغم كل شيء ...تبقى هي هي :اجلامعة األمريكية في بيروت...فريدة في انفتاحها على كافة الثقافات ...رائعة بجو التعايش احلضاري فيها ...عظيمة مبا متنحه من حرية فكر و تعبير لطالبها... إستوقفني هذا املشهد بداية هذا الفصل الدراسي .و الصورة أبلغ من ألف كلمة ،أليس كذلك؟؟ رأيت أحد طالب إحدى النوادي – الذي ال أذكر اسمه لألسف -يقف أمام إعالن عن نشاط للنادي عبارة عن حفلة أو عن « -»Partyفالكلمة اإلنكليزية هنا أفضل تعبيرا .و على بعد أمتار عدة ،و جدت طالبا من ناد آخر يقف أمام إعالن الحتفال يقيمه النادي مبناسبة املولد النبوي الشريف. النشاطات بعيدان كل البعد في جوهرهما و غايتهما رغم الطبيعة الترفيهية لكليهما .فاألول يرى الترفيه في الرقص و الغناء و السهر حتى الصباح ...و الثاني يرى الترفيه في ذكر الرسول و الصالة .األول رمبا كان مفتوحا لكال اجلنسني ،و الثاني يفرض شروطا دقيقة للقصل بني اإلناث و الذكور. لست بوقع تقييم القيم اخملتلفة للفريقني ،و إمنا أردت أن أظهر الفرق الشاسع ملا ينتهجه أعضاء الناديني رغم اجتماعهما في حرم جامعي واحد ،و رغم التقائهما في نفس الصفوف أو رمبا نفس االختصاصات. أمتار قليلة كانت تفصل بني صاحبينا ...لرمبا حتدثا قليال ،و لرمبا جتاهال بعضهما البعض....و في كال احلالتني ،تبقى العبرة في قبولهما -إراديا أو عكس ذلك -بوجود شخص آخر ذو قيم مختلفة و نظرة نقيضة لنظرتهم ملعنى احلياة. رمبا كانت اجلامعة األميركية في بيروت هي اجلامعة الوحيدة في لبنان التي تسمح بتنظيم نشاط كبيرة بعنوان « رحلتي إلى اإلسالم» .و لرمبا سمحت أيضا بإقامة آخر بعنوان « رحلتي إلى املسيحية» أو « ملاذا أنا ملحد؟؟» في حال توفر من يشرف عليهما .إنه االنفتاح بعينه و تقبل اآلخر و لو اختلفت أفكاره عني اختالفا جذريا. رمبا لم أكن ألتعلم و أعيش عن حق معاني حرية الفكر و االنفتاح و التعايش لو اخترت الدراسة في جامعة أخرى.
الثالثاء 28 ,شباط2012 ,
صفحة 19
زواج الفتاة ...قدرٌ أم خيار ؟ مدى الدبس -كاتبة صحفية
«في بالد اآلخرين ّ يكبر الطفل وتنمو معه كل املعاني وعلى جبهته تنمو جنو ٌم وأماني الدخان في قرانا ...بني ط ّيات ّ الطفل لكي تكبر ّ يكبر ّ بالطفل التّهاني ليقولوا « :أصبح احملروس حلما ً للحسان» ِ فالن» أو «عريسا ً « صار ..في سن الزّواج ابن ِ راشد حسني األبيات أعاله تُبرز قيمة مركزية في مجتمعنا « :التّركيز على نوجه طموحاتنا نحو األمور اجلوهرية ضرورة الزّواج» .فبدال ً من أن ّ في احلياة كاخللق واالبداع ،ننفق الوقت واجملهود لتكريس ضرورة الزّواج حتى قبل التبصر بنوعيته و حاجاته و مسؤولياته .لكن ما علينا االعتراف به هو ا ّن الفتاة في مجتمعنا هي الضح ّية األكبر .فطبيعة اجملتمع ّ الذكوري جتعل من زميلتي تقول « :ال أستطيع االرتباط مبن أحب ،فهو من عمري -في العشرينات، - وأنا أعطي نفسي سنتني كح ٍد أقصى كي أخطب ،وهو غير قادر على تأمني ذلك» .فاألمر البديهي لها أن تكون على خطى القفص ّ الذهبي في الثانية والعشرين من عمرها ،ال صاحبة مركز مم ّيز في العمل واجملتمع مثالً يعزز وضعها االنتاجي و
موقعها الزوجي عندما يحني أوان القرار الكبير. في كتاب «أحاديث مع والدي» ،وهو سلسلة حوارات مد ّونة بني األديبة نينار اسبر وأبيها ّ الشاعر والنّاقد ادونيس ،يوصي األخير ابنته قائالً :« :حاملا تشعرين بأنّك قادرة على انتاج شيء ما ،تشعرين في الوقت نفسه بأنك تسهمني بنصيب سيرورة العالم ،وتشاركني في بناء العالم .من هنا تنبع قوتك ،وما من أحد قادر على انتزاعها منك .ما من أحد يستطيع أن يزلزل مواقع قدميك« . متى نبدأ بالتّحرر من قيود ال ّرجعية حتّى نث ّبت أقدام نسائنا طموحات أبعد ، مستحقات ّهن ٌ في األرض ؟ متى تعي بناتنا ان ّ ٍ الدول املتقدمة عبارة « وأحالم اكبر؟ ملاذا ال نسمع في أي من ّ يعجل بنصيبها» ،أو « عقبال ما نفرح منّك» ،و كأ ّن الفرح اهلل ّ ٌ ً بزوج وأوالدٍ ؟ متى نطمح إلى جناح املرأة في امليدان منوط حصرا ٍ العملي و احترام مواهبها و جتسيم قدراتها ،و بذاك نفرح بها مواطن ًة منتج ًة ال أداة مستع َب َدة للعادات البالية و التقاليد ؟ يقول الع ّالمة املطران جورج خضر في احدى مقاالته في جريدة النّهار « :يفترض على الفتاة ان تعي نفسها كاملة قبل دخولها احلياة الزوجية وباالستقالل عنها ،وان كان في الزوجية تكامل اذ لها مواهب خاصة بها وللرجل مواهب خاصة به « .علينا اذا ً ان ننمي ننمي انفسنا داخالً وخارجا ً لنحقق أنفسنا أ ّوال ً ،وبعدها ّ ّ
نقص أو شرط امتياز. عالقتنا باآلخر دون ان يكون الزّواج شرط ٍ لذلك وجب على الفتاة تنضيج وعيها الذاتي واالجتماعي وبناء الشخصية الفكرية املستقلة ،ال عن القيم بل عن التبعية و النموذج النمطي اللذين يلغيان كيانها و يلحقانها بالنموذج االفتراضي الذي حتاول ذهنية اجملتمع القدمي أن تفرضه عليها بقوة العرف أو العادة أو التقليد أو ثقافة التمييز التي لم يعد لها مساحة حضارية في العالم املعاصر.
https://www.facebook.com
معلومات ثقافية هامة عن لبنان سارة احمد الديراني -مساهمة صحفية
ملاذا سميت اللغة العربية باللغة األم ؟ يقول البعض أن اللغة العربية هي أقرب اللغات السامية إلى « اللغة السامية األم « ،وقد أصبحت هذه النظرية هي أكثر النظريات قبوال ً لدى الباحثني .وذلك ألن اللغة العربية احتفظت بعناصر قدمية تعود إلى اللغة السامية األم أكثر من أي لغة سامية ثانية .ففيها أصوات ليست موجودة في أي من اللغات السامية األخرى ،باإلضافة إلى وجود نظام اإلعراب والعديد من الصيغ جلموع التكسير والعديد من الظواهر اللغوية األخرى التي كانت موجودة في اللغة السامية األم. ما هي رمزية العلم اللبناني؟ يرمز اللون األحمر إلى دماء الشهداء التي أريقت في ثورة تشرين الثاني .1943ويرمز اللون األبيض إلى بياض الثلج الذي يتراكم على جبال لبنان وهو رمز الصفاء والسالم ،أما شجرة األرز التي استمدت من جبل لبنان ،فهي ترمز إلى القداسة واخللود والصمود والعراقة. كم يوجد طائفة في لبنان وما هي هذه الطوائف؟ يوجد في لبنان 18طائفة دينية معترف بها رسميا وميثلها أعضاء في مجلس النواب اللبناني .وهذه الطوائف هي: السنة ،الشيعة ،الدروز ،العلويون ،اإلسماعيليون ،املوارنة، الروم األرثوذكس ،الروم الكاثوليك ،األرمن الكاثوليك ،السريان األورثوذكس ،السريان الكاثوليك ،الكلدان ،الالتني ،اإلجنيليون،
األقباط األرثوذكس ،األقباط الكاثوليك ،األشوريون. ما هو عدد سكان لبنان املقيمني واملغتربني؟ يبلغ عدد سكان لبنان بحسب تقدير األمم املتحدة لعام 2008 حوالي 4,099,000نسمة .ويُقدر عدد اللبنانيني املغتربني واملتحدرين من أصل لبناني في العالم بحوالي 8,624,000 نسمة ،وفقا إلحصائية سنة .2001وينتمي أكثر هؤالء إلى الديانة املسيحية ،وذلك ألن الهجرة األولى من لبنان بدأت منذ أيام متصرفية جبل لبنان ذات األغلبية املسيحية .ونسبة زيادة السكان هي ،%0.85غير أنه يُتوقع انخفاض عدد سكان لبنان عام 2050ليصل إلى 3,001,000نسمة. ما هي احلدود اللبنانية وما هي خصائصه اجلغرافية؟ يقع لبنان في غربي قارة آسيا .يحده البحر األبيض املتوسط من الغرب بشاطئ طوله 225كم ( 140ميل) ،وفلسطني احملتلة من اجلنوب وسوريا من الشرق والشمال .وطول حدوده مع سوريا 375كم ( 233ميل) ،ومع فلسطني احملتلة 79كم ( 49ميل). وهناك خالف قائم بني لبنان وسوريا بشأن منطقة صغيرة جتاور مرتفعات اجلوالن احملتلة من قبل إسرائيل وهي مزارع شبعا ،حيث إن كال البلدين يدعي انتمائها إلقليمه .أما معظم األراضي اللبنانية فهي ذات طبيعة جبلية ماعدا اخلط الساحلي وسهل البقاع .وتخترق لبنان من الشمال إلى اجلنوب سلسلتي جبال هما سلسلة جبال لبنان الشرقية والتي تشكل حدوده الشرقية
مع سوريا ،وسلسلة جبال لبنان الغربية والتي تطل على البحر األبيض املتوسط .وأهم جبالها هو جبل املكمل إذ أن قمته القرنة السوداء -هي أعلى قمة جبل في غربي آسيا .ويفصلبني سلسلتي اجلبال سهل البقاع .وتنتشر في لبنان األنهار التي تتجمع من ذوبان الثلوج ومن أشهرها نهر الليطاني ونهر العاصي.
http://ar.wikipedia.org
جزء ،44عدد 13 الثالثاء 28 ,شباط2012 ,
صبرًا يا صبرا
نهاد غازي عواد – محررة قسم اللغة العربية
photo by Mohammad B. Azzam
«وإله الكون ال نرضى بخمس وال بربع او ببضع من بقية، ففلسطني من الفاء الى النون لنا» هذه إحدى كلمات الشاعر محمد والتي ألقاها خالل احلفلة التراثية الوطنية التي أحياها النادي الثقافي الفلسطيني في اجلامعة األميركية في قاعة بطحيش مساء يوم اجلمعة الفائت .تخلل احلفلة رقصات شعبية لفرقة جفرا للدبكة الفلسطينية وفرقة النادي الثقافي الفلسطيني في اجلامعة األميركية في بيروت للدبكة ووصلة غنائية لفرقة جبل الزيتون للغناء الوطني التابعة للنادي الثقافي الفلسطيني العربي. احلدث كان دعما لتحرك إعالن دولة فلسطني على كامل التراب الوطني الفلسطيني والذي يصادف في 6نيسان .2012وهو حترك حتدث عنه أحد املنظمني شريف بيبي ووعد بعدة فعاليات حتى حتقيق املطالب ،ألن باألرض ال مساومة.
بداية احلفل كانت بالنشيد الوطني اللبناني ثم الفلسطيني. تاله عرض فرقة جفرا والذي كان متمثال بقصة ج ٍد يروي حلفيده عن فلسطني .فالوصلة األولى تخبر عن خيرات فلسطني وحياة املزارعني إبان نكبة ال .46وتبعتها وصلة عن عرس اجلد الذي متنى أن يعود حفيده ليتزوج في فلسطني كما فعل هو .ورقص احلفيد واجلد الذي استفزه سؤال طفله عن سبب قول البعض أنهم تخلوا عن أرضهم فجاوبه قائال «فشروا» وأوضح له كيف دافعوا وبذلوا الدماء لكن هناك من خذلهم وتخلى عنهم ،لكنهم هم لم يتخلوا للحظة واحدة عن أرضهم .وختمت بوصلة تبني دفاع الفلسطنيني وتفانيهم في سبيل أرضهم. واجلدير بالذكر أن معظم أعضاء الفرقة يعيشون في مخيم برج البراجنة الذي يفتقر الى أبسط مقومات العيش الكرمي. ثم ألقت دينا دجاني داوودي نائب رئيس النادي الفلسطيني كلمة رحبت فيها باحلضور وحتدثت عن أهداف النادي .ثم كانت كلمة بيبي وبعدها كان عرض لفرقة النادي الثقافي الفلسطيني في جامعتنا العزيزة .وقد أبهروا احلضور مبهارتهم لكن عطال فنيا طرأ وانقطعت املوسيقى ،ومع هذا ختموا العرض بطريقة رائعة .وبعدها اعتلى املنبر الشاعر محمد الذي ألقى شعرا من وحي املناسبة .هو فتى لم يبلغ العشرين ربيعا ،إختذل ببضعة كلمات آهات ومعاناة شعب خالل 63وسنني. كلمات ووصالت أرادت أن تبلسم جراح أمتنا السورية التي ما فتئ اآلخرون يزيدون امللح عليها .أال وظلم ذوي القربى أشد مضاضة. فالعدو اإلسرائيلي أمعن بالتنكيل بأطفال وشباب وشيوخ فلسطني .لكن غيره قام بالتواطؤ علنا ،وآخرين سرا بينما أعلنوا احلياد علنا .أين احلياد وشرف األقصى يغصب؟ أين احلياد والشباب الفلسطيني مشتت ومحروم من العيش بكرامة؟ أين كرامة
األمة والفتيات الفلسطينيات تضرب وتغتصب؟ أين الرحمة واإلنسانية والعجائز تتقهقر حتت أقدام العدو اإلسرائيلي وعمالؤه وشركاؤه؟ بدل من قول كلمة فلسطني أصبحوا يقولون الضفة وغزة وكأن الزمن جعل من إسرائيل واقع حتمي!!! احلق حق ولو بعد مئة سنة .والقدس لنا وستعود في القريب العاجل بإذن اهلل .فالقدس ليست للفلسطنيني فقط بل هي من مقدسات املسلمني واملسيحني .ومعاونة الشعب الفلسطيني بجميع الطرق والوسائل هو تاج شرف على رؤوس األبطال .والذي تخلى عن القدس وعن الفلسطنيني سيأتي اليوم الذي يأخذ فيه جزاء أعماله .ان اهلل ميهل وال يهمل. إختتم العرض بوصلة فرقة جبل الزيتون التي رغم رداءة الصوت(تقنيا) أذهلت احلضور باألداء املميز والصوت العذب. كلمات ُغنّت ،اشتاق القلب لسماعها وطربت األذان ألحلناها. ومن بني األغنيات التي صدحت حناجرهم بها :ضل سالحي،يا ويلك ويل ،ما تتراجع مهما صار ،وصبرا التي أحببت أن اختم ببعض من كلماتها. ابدا ما ننسى صبرا وال يللي صار بصبرا لعيونك يا صبرا كل اجملازر صبرا جبل احملامل صبرا يا صبرا قولي صبرا قولي ألخواتك صبرا وجنني انتفضت صبرا تاخد بطارك صبرا ويجي النصر بكرا
تراتيل رحمة الزهراء ماجد -كاتبة صحفية
«طلع البدر علينا من ثن ّيات الوداع ...وجب الشكر علينا مرحبا يا خير داع ...صلى اهلل على محمد ص ّلى اهلل عليه وآله» ،هي إحدى العبارات املشهورة التي حفظتها منذ محمد (ص) .هكذا كانت تخص الرسول األكرم طفولتي والتي ّ ّ اجلنوبي في قاعة” األسمبلي هال” الثقافي النادي عصرون ّية ّ التي استقبلت طالب اجلامعة األميرك ّية في بيروت وعدد كبير من الز ّوار واملدع ّوين من كا ّفة اجملاالت واالختصاصات ،على شرف ّ العطار وفرقته ،التي أحيت ذكرى والدة املنشد الكبير احلاج علي محمد املصطفى (ص) ،بانشاد عطر من العبارات الرسول األكرم ّ امللكوت ّية واملعاني الصافية التي تنعش الروح وحتيي في قلوب احملبني الوالهني اسم النبي اخملتار ،أحمد. بدأ احلفل بكلمة ترحيب ّية بالضيوف تلتها تالوة عطرة من القرآن الكرمي وبعدها النشيد الوطني اللبناني .بعد ذلك ألقى مندوب النادي علي رضا كلمة بارك فيها للمدعوين بحلول هذه الذكرى
العظيمة ،وذّكرهم بأسبوع النبي محمد(ص) الذي جعله االمام اخلميني (قدس) أسبوع الوحدة االسالمية .وشدد علي على أهم ّية الوحدة بني املسلمني في كل أنحاء معيشتنا ألن التفرقة تؤذي قلب رسول الهدى محمد (ص) .بعد ذلك تخللت كلمة النادي شكرا للجهات الراعية للحفل وللنوادي اخملتلفة التي لطاملا أحييت ذكرى والدة مشعل الهدى على مر السنني، وقد وزّع النادي هدايا ق ّيمة ّ لكل من النادي الثقافي الفلسطيني والسعودي والعراقي واألردني والسوري إضافة إلى نادي التراث اللبناني ونادي شباب املستقبل ونادي الرسالة اللبناني ونادي املقاصد كعربون تقدير جلهودهم العظيمة. بعد ذلك حان موعد التواشيح واملوالد واألناشيد احملمدية ،فه ّبت اجلماهير مهللة مرحبة بعلي العطار وفرقته .وقد أنشد ألكثر من أربعني دقيقة على وتيرة لم تهدأ من االنسجام واالبتسامات والزغاريد ...وإنني أشهد أن دمعاتي قد سحت عند أكثر من 3193 .ext 000 350 01 :tel 208 Bliss Street, West Hall
أنشودة تصف روعة اللقاء مع احلبيب املصطفى .هي إذن ،بضع لتخص النبي بأجمل بسمات تالمس الروح دمعات إغرورقت مع ّ ٍ ٍ العبارات السامية. وليس من املستغرب أن أجد حفال على هذه الدرجة العالية من الترتيب والتنظيم ،ألنها ليست املرة األولى التي يحيي فيها النادي الثقافي اجلنوبي إحتفاالته مبثالية وتنظيم .ولكنني، من وجهة نظري ،كانت مالحظتي الوحيدة على اللون األسود والشال األخضر ،أي اللباس املوحد ألعضاء النادي .يعني الشال حلو والبدلة «كمان» لكنني متنيت لو أنه كان هناك ألوان أكثر وطريقة أخرى للباس .وأيضا لفتني إنقطاع التيار الكهربائي عند الساعة السادسة بالتمام ،مما أثار احلضور وزاد من انفعالهم مع العطار..كان فال خير،ألول مرة ،في التاريخ اللبناني.. دمتم وكل احتفال وأنتم بألف خير ..وينعاد عاجلميع.